Thank you for comment. I have SS amp which is very transparent. Most difficult HP I used with it were old DT880 600 ohm and K1000. While first ones were quite ok, K1000 needed a lot of power and I found my amp lack of it.
Good news is that I have local shop with HE5LE. I can pair it with my amp and they have also Bayerdynamic A1 , Graham Slee Project Solo, Burson Audio HA-160. i hope at least one of them will be sufficient for Hifimans. Bad news they dont have HE500. But there is also HE6 grr.
You also said HE5LE is more sparkle and airy than HE500. Comparing to DT880 those highs are better, smoother and not being fatigue in your opinion? Sound is really balanced or more V shape in bad way?
I heard HD650 and while its good HP I would like rather something else than better HD650. Rather even more refined HD600.
If you have HD650 can you describe midrange regarding to both Hifimans? HE5LE is less forward to it or HE500 has it most prominent?
Other opinions are welcome!
Thank you
I don't have the K1000's, but those are probably more on the HE-6 level in terms of needing big doses of power to drive. 5LE's I don't think are as difficult to drive as K1000's, but I could be wrong.
I listened to 5LE, 500's, and HD650's tonight for quite a while. The 5LE's and 500's were both powered from speaker taps out of a vintage Yamaha CR220 (15wpc, but probably more like 3-4 wpc into the higher impedance of the Hifimans) and the HD650 out of the headphone out of the same receiver. It's a powerful HP out though, as I can easily power either Hifiman out of the HP out as well with only a marginal amount of volume dial increase.
Definitely try out the 5LE - you'll need to judge whether there's too much treble energy for you. When I first got my 5LE's (I had been listening to mostly HD650's prior), I thought they were a bit sharp/sibilant on some music. In listening tonight against 500's and HD650's, they definitely do have the most treble energy and it could be too much/fatiguing if the source material isn't well recorded or bright in itself. They are more airy and have more sparkle vs 500's, but really, the 500's have good instrument separation and aren't dull by any means.
I'm pretty sure I could tell the HD650 and 500's apart in blind testing. The analogies may get out of hand a bit here, but it's almost like the HD650 is a 2D picture, where everything blends together and nothing is terribly distinct - it's like one cohesive picture. The HE-500 is more 3D, where the cymbals, guitars, background vocals are all more clear/distinct, so some detail of any one thing can catch your attention and you can spend time there, listening to what that "subcomponent" is doing, then move on to something else which is telling it's own story (whether a bass line, drum fill, etc). If I noticed something on the 500, when I'd go back to the HD650 and listen for it, it's there, but not as distinct to the point that it probably wouldn't have caught my attention the first time. I find the HD650's bass is also somewhat less distinct and not quite, but borderline flabby compared to either 5LE or 500.
The 5LE has very marginally more/deeper/tighter bass (but by no means night/day) vs 500, definitely more treble energy, and less full/lush midrange - but midrange is not recessed so I wouldn't say the 5LE is V-shaped. I wouldn't say it's a midrange volume thing at all between the two - just a different presentation.
From this listening session tonight, I gained a new apprecation for the HE-500 though. For some recordings, the 5LE was a little too hot for me, the HD650 fine, but the HE-500 just right.
Bottom-line, there are tracks where the 5LE would be preferable (to me), but the 500 is an overall safer choice across a wide variety of different material. I can justify keeping both. It's a bit harder to justify the HD650 if the HE-500 is always available though - I didn't find a track tonight where I preferred the HD650 to the 500.
By the way, I also used the HD650 with a Bottlehead Crack w/Speedball - not the best combination for maximum detail, but would probably be best amp (that I have available) for the 650 for suboptimal recordings.
I have my DT880's packed for sale, so I didn't pull those out tonight. Last time I listened to them though, they just didn't have the "meat on the bones" that the other cans (including the 5LE) had. Just sounded more thin and lightweight across the board.
