Comparing these two headphones comes down to comfort and quality of soundstage/bass.  I bought the two at the same time.  I've owned several Sennheisers w/mods and they are certainly well-designed with comfort and ergonomics ranking very high.  The Momentums IMO, are easier to wear and just look...

You can certainly hear a difference between the Audeze, HD800, and the A-Dogs. My point is, the A-Dogs are amazing in that they  hold their ground with their total sound signature and dynamic range. I have the same amp/source stack, and the APD's are undeniably a contender. My HD 800s bring a...

I was honestly baffled with our own A/B blind tests between the Alpha Dogs, Audeze LCD2s, HE 500s, and Senn HD 800s.  Using the Lyr, Bifrost uber-update, the Alpha Dogs, with their stock cable, take a bite out of the competition in ways that are hard to quantify, but clearly upheld by our...

Nicely said,mikebirm49, Ditto plus one...

"Originally Posted by rgs9200m    This is what Tom Martin said in the AVguide review of the HE500 (which sounds about right to me) [link: avguide.com/review/hifiman-he-500-planar-magnetic-headphones-playback-47]. The HE-500 sounds more harmonically coherent and all-of-one-piece on both human...

The obvious has been discussed to an ugly rant of the unreasonable and pointless- $5,500 buys a headphone that claims to be the best sounding headphone in the market. Deal with it.  Many more will come.  For most of us mortals, with excellent incomes and a deep love of music and audio, JPS...

Can you really offer scientific proof that a three-foot $75 USB or toslink cable sounds better than a  $6.95 USB cable of the same length? This ridiculous and contentious issue gets more drop-ins than the local bar after 4th of July fireworks. If you want to pay substantially more for a cable...

I've had the Lyr (and bifrost) for about a year now, and do not miss bass definition in any significant way.  I actually prefer the bass in my HD800s to the beguiling bass of the HE 500's through the Lyr. I rediscovered a remarkable bass sound through the Lyr while listening to Avishai Cohen's...

This is an Impressive body of work and a treasure-trove of information for any musician who is serious about listening. Your personal insight and experience have changed the way I approach monitoring and mastering. Thanks for sharing your candid and extensive personal experience and talent...

"Good" would be a positive quality for the Lyr-HD 800 combo... However, there are several factors that may change your choice of amp/headphone pairing: -Type of music you listen to...(excellent for Jazz, Classical, electronic, acoustic,) -USB/optical/ to Mac/PC connects -DAC choice...

I second your thoughts about the synergy between the HE-500 and the Lyr .  The HEs sound deep and lush. My trusted and very "broken-in" Senn HD 800's are the only other cans to surpass it in detail and image placement. However, the HE's are so warm and velvety in the mid-range that it makes...

It's just a point of view, for what it's worth.  Lighten up  

The Lyr though the HE500s is positively sumptuous.  Big, glowing attacks and sustains.  Superb blending of harmonics, layering of brushes and space of bass bloom tones.  It's warm, thick, and mid-range velvet all over. Cymbals and sticks are rich and texturally different. Bass and piano lines...

I second that comment.  The Lyr is a superb little amp driving my HD 800s and HiFi Man H500's. you will rock and jazz your head out with depth and detail.  

Thanks for your excellent reply regarding amp-pairings for the HD 800s. Listening to the 800s on SS amps can get rather trying.  Tubes certainly change the listening experience and will provide endless hours of soundscaping possibilities. Monitoring (through SS electronics only) on the HD...

The HE 500 s right out of the box sounded impressive. I second that opinion. However, After several frustrating days with the stock connectors I replaced The stock cable And connectors with a v2 black dragon from moon audio and the sound actually improved (subjective as that observation may...

Thanks for mentioning the Ray Samuels HR 2 in the HE 500 thread. In the price range, do you find the Centrance Dac mini and the RS 2 comparable in Musical quality and power? I own other Centrance products and they are amazing values. What types of music did you listen to with this combination...

What DAC are you using on your Lyr to HE 5LE, if any?  I read about many happy users with their Lyrs and abundant power. Do you find the Lyr noisy at higher levels? Thanks for your time  

It would be really difficult for my humble ears to say there is no difference between the HE-5LE and the He-500s. The weight difference is noticeable, the soundstage openness, and the lushness in the middle is noticeably better  on the HE 500's.  JMHO.  This can change with a different...

I was asking about a solid state amp that would compliment the HE-500s.  I appreciate the love you have for the W3000's as they look and feel beautiful. I have never heard the O2.  However,  I have years of listening  experience with the HE-500s  and a long history of AT cans, including...

Thanks for your post and insight.  The HDP, an excellent DAC, doesn't have the power to really open the HE-500s. I'm listening to the HE-500s through an Audio-Gd Fun and I'm still missing depth and detail unless I turn the volume over 1 oclock. Do you have any experience with the...

Hey Chris, How do you like your Schiit Lyr and HE-500 combo?  Thanks, Ceja-Blu  

Power, only power will bring forth the true meaning of your sources.  uncle Eric is always  spot on.  Listen to the voice of experience and reason.