[bl42ed0]

I have the HE-500 and the LCD-2 currently and I honestly love the sound of the HE-500 over the LCD-2. To me, the LCD-2 seems just slightly muddled compared to the HE-500 but has a better sub bass. I think I enjoy the highs from the HE-500s over the pros of the bass of the LCD-2. Should I get the HD800 as a (slight) improvement over the HE-500s? I'm currently looking at the HD800, T1, T5p, LCD-X, or the LCD-XC. Any thoughts? Female vocals, electronic, the occasional hip-hop or rock song thrown in there as well. Thanks!

 

[hifihead]

To me the HD800 is a pretty big improvement over the HE-500. The HD800 has extended highs without being bright. It has more treble extension than the HE-500. Both the HD800 and the HE-500 have great midrange. Both headphones have about the same amount of bass and least when I listen to my HD800 balanced. I also like the HE-500 better than the  LCD-2. I'm not a fan of the LCD-2. It lacks the clarity, openess and soundstage that the HD800 has as positive characteristics. I like the HE-500, but I like the HD800 better. So I would highly recommend the HD800. The only negative of the HD800 is it can be occasionally sibilant on vocals, but other than that it is an awesome headphone.

 

[LugBug1]

I completely agree with hifihead. I owned both those planars at the same time and I wouldn't swap my HD800 for them back. If you have a good enough amp and source the HD800 can beat any dynamic hp out there. 

 

[bl42ed0]

  To me the HD800 is a pretty big improvement over the HE-500. The HD800 has extended highs without being bright. It has more treble extension than the HE-500. Both the HD800 and the HE-500 have great midrange. Both headphones have about the same amount of bass and least when I listen to my HD800 balanced. I also like the HE-500 better than the  LCD-2. I'm not a fan of the LCD-2. It lacks the clarity, openess and soundstage that the HD800 has as positive characteristics. I like the HE-500, but I like the HD800 better. So I would highly recommend the HD800. The only negative of the HD800 is it can be occasionally sibilant on vocals, but other than that it is an awesome headphone.

yes! that perfectly sums up why i like the he-500 over the lcd-2! would the mjolnir be a good enough amp to power the HD800? what kind of recommendations do you have for amps if the mjolnir isn't up to par?

 

[Austin Morrow]

"
Mirrors a lot of my impressions. I used to not think that the HE-500's scaled very well, and then I heard them pushed to the max on the Manley Stingray, rivaling the HE-6.
 
When I had the rare opporunity to do a comparitive article of the flagships (I had the LCD-2, LCD-3, T1, HE-6, HE-500, and the HD800), it was a lot different than I expeted. Like, a lot different. I still need to transfer the ink review over to my website, Audio Excursions, but for starters, it's realy surprising to me just how much more sonics you are able to push out of the HE-500 on a speaker amp. I was listening to everything through the Rein Audio X-DAC and the Cavalli Audio Liquid Fire, and while I hate to admit this, I thought the HD800 destroyed the HE-500 in terms of resolution, soundstage, imaging, and a few other elements, and there were even sometimes when the HE-6 lagged behind the HE-500. Then I put the HE-6 on the Manley Stingray (still being sourced by the X-DAC), and was blown away. Easily on par with HD800 in terms of resolution and detail extraction, and easily besting the HD800 when it came to PRaT. And that bass, oh, the bass was so tight, articulated, and some of the fastest attack and decay times. The HE-500 reached about 70% of the HE-6's performance when on the Burson HA-160DS and about 80% on the Cavalli Audio Liquid Fire. And then came an even bigger surprise when I put the HE-500 on speaker taps. So much more fluid sound, extremely detailed, not quite on par with the HD800 and the HE-6 when it came to resolution and imaging, but very, very close. Slightly less bass, but just as fast as the HE-6, the HE-500 was pushing 90-95% of what the HE-6 is at it's maximum. You really need a high-end speaker amp to drive BOTH the HE-500 and the HE-6 to their maximum. Sure, the HE-500 is more effecient, and is loud with regular headphone amplifiers, but it's like the HE-6's twin when it comes to driving neccessities. HE-500 on the Stingray was about 9.5/10 of the HD800's performance sans detail extraction and the HE-6 matched the HD800. The HD800 should be the exact same price as the HE-6, and the HE-500 maybe $100-$200 less, ideally."
 
Unless you have a potent speaker amp for the HE-500, get the HD800, it will be better by a noticable difference.

 

[paradoxper]

  I have the HE-500 and the LCD-2 currently and I honestly love the sound of the HE-500 over the LCD-2. To me, the LCD-2 seems just slightly muddled compared to the HE-500 but has a better sub bass. I think I enjoy the highs from the HE-500s over the pros of the bass of the LCD-2. Should I get the HD800 as a (slight) improvement over the HE-500s? I'm currently looking at the HD800, T1, T5p, LCD-X, or the LCD-XC. Any thoughts? Female vocals, electronic, the occasional hip-hop or rock song thrown in there as well. Thanks!

You'll need to upgrade your amp to really realize the HD800's potential. The HE-500 is ok, even on a speaker amp. The hyperbole behind the HE-500 on taps is too much, IMO. If you really wanted to go that route get an HE-6, which is on the same level as the HD800, just as a different flavor.
 
The HE-500 just does not scale all that high.