[baunauf]

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.

I don't own the the 5XX or the DH80 but I have quite a few HFM headphones and they all need proper amplification, try a cheap desktop amp like a Magni 3+ or Atom, etc. I bet there will be a massive difference between your portable device.

 

[Born2Cuddle]

I don't own the the 5XX or the DH80 but I have quite a few HFM headphones and they all need proper amplification, try a cheap desktop amp like a Magni 3+ or Atom, etc. I bet there will be a massive difference between your portable device.

This is the amp I am rolling with in balanced mode.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095PGC6R2/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_2?smid=&th=1

 

[bagwell359]

This is notoriously unsuitable for low Z headphones.

Hook up a HD-600, that would be nice.

 

[Born2Cuddle]

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.

Ugh. I had fairly aggressive EQ for the 400i and forgot to adjust it for these shy and sensitive 5xx. I was starting to worry I was going to need to return these, but all is well now.

 

[JohnnyOps]

Still thoroughly enjoying the 5xx's. Any recommendations for what I should be looking for next? Thinking of another open back sub $1200 headphone. My most listened to headphones, aside from the 5xx, are the sennheiser 6xx and dan clark aeon 2's (closed back version).

Focal Clear OG's - currently $790 open box on headphones.com...

 

[Kukuk]

Amazon's got these on sale for $180. As if they weren't a good enough value at $230!

They're straight-up the best headphone you can get under $200.

 

[Terriero]

I have one of these (modded) for sale in a classified listing (see my signature), just for Europe, if someone is interested

 

[rocksteady65]

It's interesting how 4XX shows such treble extension. I know I heard the 4XX sounding dulled, and that measurment makes no sense to me. I'm wondering how much unit variations there are? Give how low they are priced, could the drivers have very low consitEncies? I usually found Hifimans to be consistEnt tunings.

I really need to see other measured comparisons than Jude's. I found Jude's measurements not correlate well with how it sounds at times. I've seen inconsistEncies as well.

I also notice that with certain of Jude's measurements, they look too smoothed out, and he compresses the vertical axis, which makes it's deviations look minor than it is.

Third party measurements outside Drop is warranted, and same goes for reviews not promoted by Drop. Like any objective actions, independent third party is best.

"It's interesting how 4XX shows such treble extension. I know I heard the 4XX sounding dulled, and that measurEment makes no sense to me. I'm wondering how much unit variations there are? Give how low they are priced, could the drivers have very low consitEncies? I usually found Hifimans to be consistEnt tunings."

This is exactly my experience. My 4XX sounded Dull in the upper frequencies and Bloated or Muddy in the low registers...

 

[rocksteady65]

Although very clear sounding with the black background, I don't THINK the detail retrieval is that impressive. But, it's not really bad at details either. The details are not sharply resolved, but a bit meshed sounding of the textures. It could come off as slightly smoothed over in contrast to distinct imaged textures.

Fixed that sentence for you...

 

[rocksteady65]

Deleted

 

[rocksteady65]

Nice review. Thanks.

You seem to really love the 5XX. As do a lot of other people. It’s funny how it seems to be a very polarizing headphone. Some people absolutely love it and say it’s almost as good as the Sundara. DMS actually gave it a higher rating than the Sundara, and only a notch below the Ananda. In his recent list, he placed the 5XX as the 8th greatest headphone under $1,000, putting it even ahead of the HD6XX and the 1990. That’s high praise from him. Zeos also loves it. But then Josh Valour wasn’t a huge fan and Michael De Lazzer said the bass was lacking.

On the other hand, I‘ve also seen a lot of people really praising the 400i (2020) and saying that it’s the best intro to planars for those on a budget. SoundNews said that the 400i (2020) isn’t that far off from the much more expensive, higher end Hifiman options.

So I’m trying to decide whether or not to spend the extra money. I believe it works out to around $90 CAD difference, or around $70 USD if I choose the 5XX over the 400i (2020).

The question is whether it’s worth it with how they compare in terms of sound quality, build quality (I want it to last a long time), and of course, comfort.

What's DMS?

 

[rocksteady65]

Ah, okay, I misunderstood.

Sadly, I won’t be demoing anything where I am anytime soon. Here in Toronto, everything is still closed down with no end in sight.

And yes, the entire Hifiman line is incredibly confusing. Between the single digit line (ie. HE5, HE6, etc...), the 3 digit line (ie. HE400, HE500, etc...), the line of named headphones (Deva, Sundara, Ananda, etc...), the Drop models, the models with an i or S or SE at the end, and now even year editions (ie. HE400i 2020) and stealth revisions, the entire lineup is a confusing mess.

Other manufacturers have different lines, but they at least usually have a sort of hierarchy. For example, the Grado SR, RS, GS, and PS are understandable. But Hifiman just keeps releasing these weird naming schemes full of headphones that are all mix-and-match Frankenstein’s monsters. It’s impossible to understand what’s what.

I wish there was some clarity where I could just say “Here’s my budget and here’s the sound I want” and then there would be one clear headphone for me. But Hifiman doesn’t do that. I find that to be a real turn-off for the brand.

"Here in Toronto, everything is still closed down with no end in sight."

Just like in communist China. Then again, Canada has ceased to be a functional Democracy for quite a while. It only pretends that it is...

 

[rocksteady65]

I used to own the HE5XX and also had a chance to a/b with a Deva. I’d like to see people try to distinguish between the two if they couldn’t see what they were listening to. It’s the same headphone.
Maybe the different headband lends itself to the slight frequency response variations we’ve seen.
Anyhoo...for anyone thinking about the HE5XX/Deva I’d definitely include the new HE400i in the mix. I certainly prefer the latter...but I suspect folks who dig the forwardness/aggression of certain Beyerdynamics or Grados will prefer the Deva.

"Maybe the different headband lends itself to the slight frequency response variations we’ve seen."

How so? How could a passive means of Head support have any influence in FR? I just don't see it....

 

[rocksteady65]

Yeah but err...it’s that DMS fella. It’s like taking nutritional advice from John Candy.
Granted if you, like DMS/Josh Velour, are fond of bright headphones (with great bass) or similarly can’t hear peaks in the treble, then this list may just be the bee’s knees.

"Yeah but err...it’s that DMS fella. It’s like taking nutritional advice from John Candy."

Hmmm... what do you mean by this, exactly? I confess I don't even know who this DMS person is...

 

[rocksteady65]

Hi guys, I'm new to mid-fi/hi-fi world and so don't know terms very well.
The only headphones I've used have been Bose QC35, Philips X2HR, and AKG K701.

I am not at all a fan of the X2HR, it sounds very dark and murky and lacking in detail/resolution, and is too intimate (I think is the term - everything sound in your head compared to the space of the K701).

I really like the sound signature of the AKG K701. I think it is the clarity, neutralness, and soundstage. It is great sounding to my ears in the sound signature, I think.
But it is lacking a tiny bit of bass (just a TINY bit, for me), and the cable is ridiculously long at 10ft. So I am shopping for an alternative.

I settled on either 400i 2020 (which as I understand is similar sounding to HE-4XX), or the HE-5XX.

Which one would have a sound signature more similar to the AKG K701? The 5XX, or the 400i 2020?
I like to listen to dark ambient music, instrumentals, and natural soundscapes, so crispness(?) and stage is important to me I suppose, but dark ambient also tends to have a lot of low gutteral bass, too (once again, I believe -- I'm not knowledgeable with terms, forgive me in advance)

"neutralness,"

There are many possible adjectives one could use to describe the K701 (or K702), but NEUTRALITY would not be one I would ever use. I essentially concur with SilverEars, but let's just say I could add a bit more...