You could try getting some new pads -- there are several different models that will fit the HE5se. Did you get them new or used? When new I found the pad foam to be a bit firm. I have been using mine almost daily for hours at a time, going on 2+ years now. So much so that I trashed the factory...

Amazingly enough I'm actually still using these things after over a year now. Honestly, I don't hate them. I think I paid $250 and for that price I'm fine with the purchase, though I could go buy a cheap Chinese tube amp for that :beyersmile:. Running them off a Lyr 2 so plenty of POWAAAH. Went...

What will you be driving them with? I think Ananda might be better if you are just using a laptop. I’ve found the HE5SE pretty power hungry. Think the Ananda was supposed to be better.

Well, IMO nobody can tell you if you should or shouldn’t like a pair of cans. Test ‘em out if you can!! It seems like the consensus on these is really varied and indeed, the phones themselves may have a lot of variation from set to set. Either that or we all have quite varied taste. Going in to...

I noted this as well and would agree. The pair I have at least is definitely beyond tolerable for daily listening. I really don’t like them on most amps besides the stupidly powerful Lyr 2 I have, which at 6 wpch into 32 ohm has a ton of grunt. These are less efficient than the HE400I, I don’t...

I just listened to these on a different amp. Notably the built in amp on the Music Hall dac25.3 Awful. Running back to the Lyr 2 as fast as my hand can switch the cable. Yoi these things need current. My bass is straight up gone.

I just went and looked at Z's review of the 5SE. Where his squeak, mine do not. His cable is also different than mine -- his is rubber, mine came as a sleeved cable with different end connectors. If that is the original cable that came with his, then I would say it is highly likely we are...

Huh...sounds like you got a bit of a bummer set then? It seems like there is a lot of variation on these things.

This is really interesting. Thanks for posting. I got my HE5se from Adorama...but over the summer, and they were open box, meaning they must have been earlier production given the timing of my purchase. I paid far more than $170, $320 I think. This seems more in line with what would be...

I think they are different than the original drivers. Someone did a tear down and noticed that the HE5se didn't have the metal screens over the drivers, and I believe the drivers are now single sided neodymium units. I think they differ a bit in terms of freq. response.

I figured for the price of the rubber filled Tubemonger ones, they would at least come with the removable feature!!

On the topic of things that go in tube sockets that aren't tubes, I seem to be unable to get my socket savers out of my Lyr 2, and the position of my monitor on my new desk keeps bumping the tall tubes with the savers in. How do I get these dang things out?? They are stuck in there like wisdom...

Thanks for the detailed post!! I’ll second the 1.5K ringing. I notice it less with the grilles off, but with them off we lose the back of the soundstage to some degree, which sometimes sounds good on relatively narrow mixes but also hurts instrument placement. I’m in the process of making a 3D...

Sometimes they come across as warm to me when I’m on tracks I can really crank up without the treble peak killing my ears. My ears are sensitive too...the 5se is kinda ear bleed inducing for me. I hate concerts for the same reason. They are pretty revealing IMO, and I think that’s part of why...

FWIW, one thing I noticed on mine is a strange behavior related to bass and power input. You’re right, to my ears the bass certainly isn’t overly abundant and does have some noticeable roll off. However, something strange seems to happen when I really crank the volume on my Lyr 2, it’s almost...

So, the latest finding. Listen to them on the smoothest amp you can get — to my ears they’ve got an abundance of detail, so killing a little off with something smooth (some Mullards perhaps or your favorite o’l Warm sounding amp) won’t do much harm IMO. Then throw out your DAC. No...

As a college kid I don't have the luxury of owning multiple headphone amps or headphones unfortunately. I had the HE400I and never liked them much. While they weren't offensive, they were SUPER boring to my ears. Even on my Lyr 2 with 1950s Herleen 6DJ8's they barely showed character. So I got...

Not true at all. I had an order in with him from November 2018 and since his mass email went out he was super responsive. Got my cable to me within 3 weeks. Just reach out to him via email.

The 5SE is really that rolled off in the lows? It certainly doesn’t sound like it to me, but I could be crazy. According to that chart it’s low end looks like the HE400i but my ears say the HE5se is far superior in that regard.

Let us know the results! I don’t think the treble is bad at all, except my ears hear a peak somewhere. I’d guess it’s around 8K, since that’s usually where my ears complain. Can someone find or make a frequency response graph for these?

What changed with the alpha pad? My initial impressions coming from the HE400i with a grill mod to the HE5se are: 1. I'm definitely using the HE5se grilles off. I will be trying some 80mm fan grills and seeing if they fit. This seemed to reduce some of the metallic "shouty" element of the...

I just got a pair open box for $225. I am coming from HE 400I's with a grill mod, I'll be running these HE 5se off the Schiit Lyr 2...we shall see what we see :)

Howdy guys! Due to some circumstances (namely I came in to a pair of HE5 SE) I am selling my HE 400is. I will be posting them over in the for sale listings, but I thought I would give y'all a crack at them first since I think I am cutting a pretty good deal. Asking $120 + shipping. I am a...

I can attest to this. He was very prompt in responding to a series of emails today. Gave me an estimate of three weeks, no guarantee.

I’ve been sinning — dabbling in the dark arts of putting my Lyr 2 on preamp duty with some affordably acquired gear. Including the price of the Lyr, I think this whole setup cost me less than $800