[Katsukare]

The RS-2 is on-sale locally near me for $499.99. 
Would you consider picking it up?
What is the best bang for your buck headphone around $500...
I've spent too much on IEMs, planning to get a headphone for desktop/laptop use with my E17.

 

[viralcow]

On sale for $500? That's actually $5 more than what you can find online.

 

[fortitude]

HE-400 is an amazing value for $400 and does pair well with an E17.

 

[MorbidToaster]

I wouldn't buy an RS 2 if you gave me the money to do it.
 
For 500? Maybe a used HE500...used D7000, HD600...HD650...

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

The RS-2 is on-sale locally near me for $499.99. 
Would you consider picking it up?
What is the best bang for your buck headphone around $500...
I've spent too much on IEMs, planning to get a headphone for desktop/laptop use with my E17.

 
Heya,
 
Since you're in Canada, that changes a few things.
 
But I still would not get the RS2 for $500. I would instead save a hair more and nab a pair of HE-500's used from the for-sale forum, or I would look to a new Hifiman HE-400. Or maybe look into other headphones in the 300~400 area that are full size and different from anything you have.
 
Very best,

 

[musicinmymind]

+1 for HE-400,
 
and I spend more to get Lyr+Bifrost, they pair awesome with HE-400

 

[jackwess]

Quote:

+1 for HE-400,
 
and I spend more to get Lyr+Bifrost, they pair awesome with HE-400

 
The HE-400 doesn't need much power. 

 

[musicinmymind]

Quote:

Quote:

+1 for HE-400,
 
and I spend more to get Lyr+Bifrost, they pair awesome with HE-400

 
The HE-400 doesn't need much power. 

 
Hmm, I was using HE-400 with E17 for more than 6 months and now moved to Lyr, found they scale up real well...they are orthos and scale with more power

 

[Eric_C]

If I had $500 I would buy the HE-400 new instead, for $399+ $10 (velour pads) + shipping.
 
But I don't have $500...because I spent it on the HE-400.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

+1 for HE-400,
 
and I spend more to get Lyr+Bifrost, they pair awesome with HE-400

 
Hrm,
 
Almost $900 for a setup to run a $400 headphone.
 
Yea, I don't recommend that. More like, get a $900 headphone, and a $400 setup to run it maybe.
 
For that cost, you can just go high-end frankly.
 
Very best,

 

[MorbidToaster]

Most 'high end' systems are built that way in the headphone world (especially orthos).
 
Plus everyone could use a quality source no matter how cheap your cans are.
 
Quote:

 
Hrm,
 
Almost $900 for a setup to run a $400 headphone.
 
Yea, I don't recommend that. More like, get a $900 headphone, and a $400 setup to run it maybe.
 
For that cost, you can just go high-end frankly.
 
Very best,

 

[musicinmymind]

HE-400 on Lyr is simply spectacular, it requires a bigger voltage gain than the impedance specs would suggest....this is setup I can live with for a long long time.
Lyr makes big difference for busy music passages....HE-400 sound much more refined with lot more "air"

 

[olegausany]

Quote:

HE-400 on Lyr is simply spectacular, it requires a bigger voltage gain than the impedance specs would suggest....this is setup I can live with for a long long time.
Lyr makes big difference for busy music passages....HE-400 sound much more refined with lot more "air"

Or if you want to save some money and/or don't want to deal with tubes get Asgard but definitely go for HE-400 instead of Grado

 

[machoboy]

In that price range I would rather try the HiFIMANs, modded Fostex stuff or high-end Sennheisers. That's just me.
 
As far as the how much your headphones should cost vs how much your source/dac/amp/etc setup should cost, I would personally spend more on the rig.
 
Now for a normal person, who just bought one pair of headphones and stuck with them for 20 years, I'd say just find a basic rig that they sound good with and enjoy.
 
However, the way Head-Fiers go through headphones (buy, sell/return/trade, buy, sell/return/trade, repeat), it just seems like getting an unquestionably awesome output rig off the bat is a worthwhile investment, since its the benchmark all of your headphone retention will be based on.

 

[priest]

Yes on the RS2i. Still one of my favorite headphones.