[K-Otar]

Is this thread a joke?  
 
A friend of mine prefers his Beats Pro over my HE-500. I should ask him to start a "Beats Pro vs. HE-500" thread. 

 

[StanD]

  Is this thread a joke?  
 
A friend of mine prefers his Beats Pro over my HE-500. I should ask him to start a "Beats Pro vs. HE-500" thread. 

I'll bet that you wouldn't trade him. 

 

[pdrm360]

  If the HE-500 was $1499, the HE-6 was $1499, and the HD800 was $1499, would...heck, I'll even add in the LCD-2 at $1499, I think people's opinions would be different.

 
Some people on head-fi believes if the HE-400 was $699 and HE-500 was $699, the opinions would be different.

 

[pdrm360]

I had a pair of HE-500 for more than 8 months. they just collected dust because the 3 below issues I had with them, so I sold them.
 
 1. Design
 2. Weight
 3. Comfort

 

[David1961]

Some people on head-fi believes if the HE-400 was $699 and HE-500 was $699, the opinions would be different.

You're probably right about that, which is why IMO the only true way to test not just headphones, but any audio equipment, is to do it blindly.

 

[Austin Morrow]

   
Some people on head-fi believes if the HE-400 was $699 and HE-500 was $699, the opinions would be different.

 
Oh yeah, they would. There are some, like me, that think the HE-500 is in the same sonic league as the HE-6, and the HE-400 are in a league down.

 

[dleblanc343]

If the HE-500 was $1499, the HE-6 was $1499, and the HD800 was $1499, would...heck, I'll even add in the LCD-2 at $1499, I think people's opinions would be different.

If this were the case, the HE6/HD800 would be my #1 choices and I'd be seriously dubious about the pricing choices on the two other orthos.

 

[pdrm360]

If this were the case, the HE6/HD800 would be my #1 choices and I'd be seriously dubious about the pricing choices on the two other orthos.

+1

 

[preproman]

If this were the case, the HE6/HD800 would be my #1 choices and I'd be seriously dubious about the pricing choices on the two other orthos.

 
Quote:

  +1

 
+2  ha ha ha..  "the HE-500 is in the same sonic league as the HE-6, and the HE-400 are in a league down."   ha ha ha..

 

[Austin Morrow]

   
Quote:

  +1

 
+2  ha ha ha..  "the HE-500 is in the same sonic league as the HE-6, and the HE-400 are in a league down."   ha ha ha..

 
Just my opinion, no need to laugh...
 
We both have different ears, but I've heard all three and auditioned them extensively. My opinion is just as valid, anywho.
 

 

 

[pdrm360]

OK, the HE-6 and HE-500 are in same league if they are driven by a regular headphones amp.  

 

[preproman]

  OK, the HE-6 and HE-500 are in same league if they are driven by a regular headphones amp.  

So true.  I agree 100%

 

[Austin Morrow]

  OK, the HE-6 and HE-500 are in same league if they are driven by a regular headphones amp.  

 
Not in my opinion. HE-500 on a speaker amp = different flavor of HE-6 on a speaker amp.

 

[dleblanc343]

OK, the HE-6 and HE-500 are in same league if they are driven by a regular headphones amp.  

There's no generalizing though, the HE6 is inferior to the HE500 with the majority of headamps, but vastly better with a select few headamps.

Even some speaker amps could pair better FR wise with the HE500, but in almost all cases an HE6 on a more powerful amp is audibly superior to the 500.

 

[M-13]

What I notice on head-fi is that people with the same equipment tend to agree on sonic impressions and people who don't tend to argue a lot. I would say give Austin the benefit of the doubt if you haven't heard the StingRay Amp + his source. Same with Koiloco. Human ears/perception is usually about the same, nobody has special hearing, although a lot of ego maniacs on Head-Fi. want to believe that only their ears are truly golden or titanium or whatever title they want to bestow upon themselves.
 
I think this is why it helps when you state your entire chain and the length of experience with the HD800/HE-500. If you're driving them both from OTL amp then HD800 for the win, and if both on speaker taps, then the HE-500 for the win. I think it gets interesting when you have two seperate amps to optimize both. Like I would love to hear the HE-500 on Preproman's First Watt vs. HD800 on something humble like the m-stage and see who comes out on top of that battle.
 
Another scenerio would be to drive both of a nice First Watt amp. Since the amp is neutral and very transparent of the source the HD800 should destroy the HE-500 if they're not even comparable. I would then ask what genre of music are you listening to? Can the HE-500 can come out on top in any scenerio with any genre? If so why not compare them?