[jazzerdave]

Quote:

I think the problem is that evolution infers that it is the similar but better. HE-500 may be based on the HE-6, but it is more of a de-evolution. Cheapen all possible components to get the lowest price point while retaining the highest sound quality possible. This is more accurately described as filter-down technology, where the 'statement' product is built, then the technology is made efficient to produce a product that can actually be afforded (in many cases statement products are not actually viable for the marketplace) while retaining most of the advantages of the breakthrough design. This is in evidence everywhere from F1 cars and passenger cars to exotic CPUs and family laptops.

 
Well said.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

I think the problem is that evolution infers that it is the similar but better. HE-500 may be based on the HE-6, but it is more of a de-evolution. Cheapen all possible components to get the lowest price point while retaining the highest sound quality possible. This is more accurately described as filter-down technology, where the 'statement' product is built, then the technology is made efficient to produce a product that can actually be afforded (in many cases statement products are not actually viable for the marketplace) while retaining most of the advantages of the breakthrough design. This is in evidence everywhere from F1 cars and passenger cars to exotic CPUs and family laptops.

What you are saying is assuming that there is a huge investment in labour and material cost with HE6 diaphragms that is not so with HE500 diaphragms, which I doubt.
 
Those of you who follow Hifiman in the past should recall that not too long ago, HE500 was $900, and HE6 was $1000 (<- not too sure, might be $1100). The price gap now is for the sake of introducing product-line diversity, rather than pricing based on manufacturing budget.

 

[Maxvla]

The cheaper item got cheaper because they continued to raise efficiency and lower costs. The more expensive item got more expensive for a couple of likely reasons: price range wars - making their product look more competitive and giving the HE-500 it's own 'space'. The second likely reason is to reduce orders of HE-6 and recover lost profit margin from when they debuted. The fewer HE-6s in the field work to make them feel more exclusive, and they lower the number of less profitable sales. The exclusivity brings people to the brand, then they settle for the bread and butter HE-500 which is likely more profitable than the HE-6, even after the price increase. Again, the HE-6 is where Hifiman spent the money and continues to spend more by using the same premium design and materials, the HE-500 is a highly streamlined and cost-reduced version where they make their volume and profit. A sale of a HE-6 is good, but not as good as a HE-500. It is complicated.

Part of it is the mind-game with the customers, like with Wendy's when they removed the triple burger their double burger sales declined because people saw the double as the one fat people get. They added the triple back expecting very few orders just as a place holder really, and the sales of doubles went back up because the double was no longer the fat person burger. The other part is the behind the scenes economics of manufacturing which we aren't privy to, but can draw some conclusions based on history.

 

[khaine1711]

Quote:

What you are saying is assuming that there is a huge investment in labour and material cost with HE6 diaphragms that is not so with HE500 diaphragms, which I doubt.
 
Those of you who follow Hifiman in the past should recall that not too long ago, HE500 was $900, and HE6 was $1000 (<- not too sure, might be $1100). The price gap now is for the sake of introducing product-line diversity, rather than pricing based on manufacturing budget.

 
Not long ago, He-500/He-5/He-5le were $899 and at that time He-6 were $1199 (He-6 + EF5 bundle were 1499). 
After price change He-500 = $699 and He-6 = $1299. Coming along with the price change was new pleather/velour pad and the (crappy) silver cable.

 

[Maxvla]

HE-6 debuted at $1000. I know cause I bought one.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

 
FYI, not long ago, He-500/He-5/He-5le were $899 and at that time He-6 were $1499. 
After price change He-500 = $699 and He-6 = $1299. Coming along with the price change was new pleather/velour pad and the (crappy) silver cable.
 
The gap in MSRP has always been 600 bucks =p. 

Uhhhh what? No...? I checked and the price of HE6 right before the huge price change was actually $1200 ($1199), they raised it by $100 with the price change that also pushed HE500 price down by $200. Prior price gap = $300, afterward gap = $600.

 

[korzena]

Quote:

...
Part of it is the mind-game with the customers, like with Wendy's when they removed the triple burger their double burger sales declined because people saw the double as the one fat people get. They added the triple back expecting very few orders just as a place holder really, and the sales of doubles went back up because the double was no longer the fat person burger. The other part is the behind the scenes economics of manufacturing which we aren't privy to, but can draw some conclusions based on history.

That's an interesting! Thanks for the examples.

 

[Armaegis]

Today I was listening to the HE-500 and HE-6. It's not hard to tell which is the flagship. 
 
Then I tried the LCD2 and LCD3. Um... dub tee eff? I think they got it backwards. 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Well, preproman and I owned both (Darryl still has both I think) and there is no question the LCD-3s are the better cans between the two. While he prefers the HE-6s over the LCD-3s, for me, its the other way around, no question (and thus I no longer own them).

 

[khaine1711]

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Quote:

 jerg /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Uhhhh what? No...? I checked and the price of HE6 right before the huge price change was actually $1200 ($1199), they raised it by $100 with the price change that also pushed HE500 price down by $200. Prior price gap = $300, afterward gap = $600.

​

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My bad, 1499 was the He-6 + Ef5 bundle 

 

[rgs9200m]

I like the stock cable with the HE500s and could easily live with it. I just like my Moon Silver Dragon better. (By the way, the term 2-Dimensional that I saw earlier doesn't come to mind at all for me with the HE500s.)  

 

[steve2151]

Quote:

Today I was listening to the HE-500 and HE-6. It's not hard to tell which is the flagship. 
 
Then I tried the LCD2 and LCD3. Um... dub tee eff? I think they got it backwards. 

 
What does LCD2 do better in your book? Most reviews have the LCD3 as slightly better across the board. 

 

[robm321]

I found the LCD-3 to be significantly better than the LCD-2

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

 
What does LCD2 do better in your book? Most reviews have the LCD3 as slightly better across the board. 

Cost less....that's about it to my ears.
 
Here are my thoughts between them:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/comparisons-of-the-lcd-3-and-the-lcd-2-rev-2
 
As well, might I refer you to the first page of this thread with David's excellent review of both? 

 

[steve2151]

Quote:

Cost less....that's about it to my ears.
 
Here are my thoughts between them:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/comparisons-of-the-lcd-3-and-the-lcd-2-rev-2
 
As well, might I refer you to the first page of this thread with David's excellent review of both? 

 
I've read your review and David's review - just wanted to see what caused Armageis to draw the opposite conclusion.
 
I'm getting a LCD-2 loaner from Justin at Headamp in the next 7-10 days to see how they stack up against my HD 800 and HE-6 on my home rig. I ended up going with the other two headphones since I preferred them in a meet environment, but it never felt like I gave the Audeze a fair shake.