Drop x HiFiMAN HE-5XX
Mar 10, 2022 at 4:30 PM Post #616 of 655
Hi everyone. I'd like to perform the Blu tack mod but I don't know how to remove the baffle... I unscrewed everything but it doesn't come... I red I just would have to pull it off but nothing move .
Any hint ? Thanks
@takato14

EDIT: there is 1 screw hidden by the serial number sticker.... so 7 screws in total, not 6 like I thought initially :)
 
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Apr 27, 2022 at 10:17 PM Post #617 of 655
Joining this thread because I just bought a pair of "Used - Acceptable" from Amazon for $123.09 (including tax).

Seemed like a great deal as long as I don't get a box of misc. 5xx parts.

Do the 400i earpads fit these?
 
Apr 28, 2022 at 3:20 PM Post #618 of 655
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My headphones came in early, so I've been able to put a little time on them.

Hifiman has a bad habit of refreshing headphones and failing to capture the magic of the original. HE5se, HE6se, I think on some level the HE560 was supposed to be a re-imagining of the HE-500, and while they're all definitely not their predecessor they're fine headphones in their own right.
The 5SE is a stinking disaster. The 6SE given the Adorama price is arguably the best can under $750 - if you have the juice. The 560 was the predecessor to 500 and didn't hit the mark.
I'm going to be a contrarian with the HE-5XX and say I think they largely hit the mark on this one. I think they generally do a good job of capturing the magic of the HE-500, albeit with some concessions
Cannot agree. The 5XX bass drops at 85 Hz and is essentially dead at 50 Hz. Bass is quicker however. The mids are well short in depth and "magic". The treble of the 5XX doesnt ring as much but when EQ corrected seem better.

. The bass doesn't seem to dig quite as low,
It's a fact.
and combined with the mid-bass hump it gives the whole bass region a different character; but I'm okay with that. Above the bass frequencies I feel like Hifiman got pretty close to what makes the HE-500 great. I still need to spend a lot more time with them to get a feel for all the nuances, but first impressions are very good. I feel like musically these are a lot closer to the HE-500 than the HE560 was.
Not to me. 560 has bass and that nasty treble spike but it's better and closer to the 500. The 5XX is like Prosecco. Pleasant for a light summer experience. But the 500 is a classic Barolo - about 5x the value.
So far I'm kinda thinking I like these better than the Sundara; soundstage is just as good, overall sound is smoother, and bass is FAR more punchy. I felt the Sundara was a hell of a deal at $350, so at more than $100 less these really upset the value proposition the Sundara provided.
Bass is faster but be neither has real bass.
I will say my only complaint with these is build quality seems like absolute garbage. I kinda wish they would have charged a little more to give it the Sundara headband or something.
 
Apr 28, 2022 at 3:58 PM Post #619 of 655
Joining this thread because I just bought a pair of "Used - Acceptable" from Amazon for $123.09 (including tax).

Seemed like a great deal as long as I don't get a box of misc. 5xx parts.

Do the 400i earpads fit these?
No , this have the same size ear pads as the Deva.
 
Apr 28, 2022 at 5:46 PM Post #620 of 655
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Months after you'd expect the honeymoon phase to be over I still absolutely adore these. These have had near-exclusive head time since I got them, and I don't really see that changing any time soon.

While I had initially thought they felt like cheap garbage, I'm backing off that a little. The lightness of their build has been a godsend for long listening sessions, and the overall feel of the materials seems just fine for a headphone of this price.

I've mostly been playing games lately, and these might be the best headphone I've ever used for games. Comfort is absolutely top tier, the thumpy bass serves games better than deep bass would, and that soundstage and detail are absolutely to die for.

Joining this thread because I just bought a pair of "Used - Acceptable" from Amazon for $123.09 (including tax).

Seemed like a great deal as long as I don't get a box of misc. 5xx parts.

Do the 400i earpads fit these?

Congrats, man, that's a great price. Hopefully you enjoy them even half as much as I do. Make sure to post impressions when you get them!
 
Apr 28, 2022 at 6:09 PM Post #621 of 655
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Months after you'd expect the honeymoon phase to be over I still absolutely adore these. These have had near-exclusive head time since I got them, and I don't really see that changing any time soon.

While I had initially thought they felt like cheap garbage, I'm backing off that a little. The lightness of their build has been a godsend for long listening sessions, and the overall feel of the materials seems just fine for a headphone of this price.

I've mostly been playing games lately, and these might be the best headphone I've ever used for games. Comfort is absolutely top tier, the thumpy bass serves games better than deep bass would, and that soundstage and detail are absolutely to die for.



Congrats, man, that's a great price. Hopefully you enjoy them even half as much as I do. Make sure to post impressions when you get them!
Will do.
 
Apr 30, 2022 at 3:24 PM Post #622 of 655
DSC04025.JPG

Months after you'd expect the honeymoon phase to be over I still absolutely adore these. These have had near-exclusive head time since I got them, and I don't really see that changing any time soon.

While I had initially thought they felt like cheap garbage, I'm backing off that a little. The lightness of their build has been a godsend for long listening sessions, and the overall feel of the materials seems just fine for a headphone of this price.

I've mostly been playing games lately, and these might be the best headphone I've ever used for games. Comfort is absolutely top tier, the thumpy bass serves games better than deep bass would, and that soundstage and detail are absolutely to die for.



Congrats, man, that's a great price. Hopefully you enjoy them even half as much as I do. Make sure to post impressions when you get them!
They arrived today (2 days early, yay me!) and just finished listening in balanced mode with my trusty HIDIZS DH80 for around 2 hours.
There isn't a mark on them. The box has a piece of paper glued to the top, so that's why I think they were sold so cheap.

They are absolutely better than my 400i.
Much louder. I had to turn the volume down ~30%
Much better soundstage (though not the best I have ever heard).
Much more detailed.
Much lighter, and plenty of clamping for my medium size head.
Bass isn't big/booming. Just what I like.
Doesn't feel cheap/low quality to me.

Best $123 I ever spent on headphones.

Where are the markings for L/R on the earcups? I must be blind.

They are now hooked up to my trusty FiiO X3 for breaking in.
 

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Apr 30, 2022 at 3:28 PM Post #623 of 655
They arrived today (2 days early, yay me!) and just finished listening in balanced mode with my trusty HIDIZS DH80 for around 2 hours.
There isn't a mark on them. The box has a piece of paper glued to the top, so that's why I think they were sold so cheap.

They are absolutely better than my 400i.
Much louder. I had to turn the volume down ~30%
Much better soundstage (though not the best I have ever heard).
Much more detailed.
Much lighter, and plenty of clamping for my medium size head.
Bass isn't big/booming. Just what I like.
Doesn't feel cheap/low quality to me.

Best $123 I ever spent on headphones.

Where are the markings for L/R on the earcups? I must be blind.

They are now hooked up to my trusty FiiO X3 for breaking in.
Soundstage is greater than you think.
Give them some time and test them with something more technically advanced.
 
Apr 30, 2022 at 3:41 PM Post #624 of 655
Soundstage is greater than you think.
Give them some time and test them with something more technically advanced.
I just started breaking them in and am assuming they will get better in a few days.

FYI I just tried them with my trusty LG V35 in high impedance mode and they sound pretty good, but def. better with an external amp.
 
Apr 30, 2022 at 4:10 PM Post #625 of 655
I just started breaking them in and am assuming they will get better in a few days.

FYI I just tried them with my trusty LG V35 in high impedance mode and they sound pretty good, but def. better with an external amp.
I have the DH80S and yes it is great but if you try the 5xx on a bigger boy you will be amazed.
 
Apr 30, 2022 at 4:24 PM Post #626 of 655
They arrived today (2 days early, yay me!) and just finished listening in balanced mode with my trusty HIDIZS DH80 for around 2 hours.
There isn't a mark on them. The box has a piece of paper glued to the top, so that's why I think they were sold so cheap.

They are absolutely better than my 400i.
Much louder. I had to turn the volume down ~30%
Much better soundstage (though not the best I have ever heard).
Much more detailed.
Much lighter, and plenty of clamping for my medium size head.
Bass isn't big/booming. Just what I like.
Doesn't feel cheap/low quality to me.

Best $123 I ever spent on headphones.

Where are the markings for L/R on the earcups? I must be blind.

They are now hooked up to my trusty FiiO X3 for breaking in.

Glad to hear you like them, they just have so much going for them you might need to give them more time to take it all in. You're definitely right about the bass though: it's extremely tight considering the quantity; it's not something you really expect from a headphone in this price range.

Also you're not blind for not seeing the left/right indicators; they're extremely hard to see. They're on the back side of the badges that hold the ear cups on.
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You can basically only see them when you have a direct light on them.
 
Apr 30, 2022 at 4:40 PM Post #627 of 655
Glad to hear you like them, they just have so much going for them you might need to give them more time to take it all in. You're definitely right about the bass though: it's extremely tight considering the quantity; it's not something you really expect from a headphone in this price range.

Also you're not blind for not seeing the left/right indicators; they're extremely hard to see. They're on the back side of the badges that hold the ear cups on.
20220430_131925.jpg

You can basically only see them when you have a direct light on them.
Thanks for that. I don't think I would have found the L/R on my own.
 
May 1, 2022 at 8:46 PM Post #630 of 655
I have the DH80S and yes it is great but if you try the 5xx on a bigger boy you will be amazed.
A few observations after 30 hours of burning in...

There a a few MP3s that sound just horrible, like there is a massive amount of clipping and every instrument is mashed together (this happens even at no gain and low volume). But there are plenty of other MP3s (even at a lower bitrate) that sound better than my HFM 400i. The 400i played the bad ones just fine.

High gain with my trusty HIDIZS DH80 is just way too much for anything so far. Medium gain seems to be where the sweet spot is.

The inside of the headband that says "DROP" is the left side.

That's it for now.
 

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