[somestranger26]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some music players at full "software" volume will distort with a variety of amps, as their max volume is more than 100% (VLC for all operating systems for example, where max is 400% and 1/4 volume in the software is 100%). I would also check that.

This is already isolated because he said his Jade + D5000 works fine.

 

[immtbiker]

@PaulyT, (please take this in jest), but you seem like Debbie Downer in an otherwise happy thread. Problems happen,
and you seem to have a fair share of problems, but problems can easily be remedied. Take a deep breath and let nature
take it's course. It might take longer than you wanted in the first place, but a year from now, you will be jiving to your tunes,
and this roadblock become a brand new shiny street with the sun shining most of the time.

As far as your references to spending "so much money" ($900) is really a small amount to pay for it's money to performance ratio.
If the HE-5 and the EF-5 were made by Sure or Sennheiser (both top notch products), this setup would cost close to $2000.00.

Once your problems are solved, you will look back at this a "hump" on your road to musical nirvana, and it will be fixed.
A little patience goes a long way.

Both my McIntosh pre-amp ($4500) and my Cary Cinema 5 ($5500) had problems right out of the box, but they took care of me,
and all is well in Immtbiker land, and the pain and suffering is a thing of the past. Sure, I had to take 2 heavy boxes back to the
trucker, but sometime we are dealt with a bad hand, only to have it turn in to wining the whole pot, plus some.
Let it go, and let the manufacturer take care of you. If you keep getting upset, you are only hurting yourself. It will all work
out in the long run.

I don't know if you are a college student, or head of the physics department,
so $900 can be a considerable amount of money, but it will pay you back in spades.

Last thing...please try to keep your cursing, or references to it, out of your posts. This is a family site, and we ask that our members
don't curse (or abbreviate curse).
I am extremely happy with my setup, and I truly believe that you can with yours. Just a bump along the way.

BTW- I recommend this advice with all of one's purchases, from pretzels to Bugatti Veyron's.

Tomorrow will be a better day. If you are truly unhappy, and don't think that you can get past it, then exercise you warranty rights.

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some music players at full "software" volume will distort with a variety of amps, as their max volume is more than 100% (VLC for mac for example, where max is 400% and 1/4 volume in the software is 100%). I would also check that.

True, but this isn't the case with foobar. It can only attenuate the volume.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anyone else use foobar2000? Is it distortion free with the foobar2000 at max volume? I have three different brands of 12au7 tubes and with all three there is distortion of foobar2000 is at max volume. PaulyT, you might want to just try foobar and put the volume ~-10dB and see if your distortion goes away, as maybe Squeezebox is streaming at 'full volume' (no choice?) and you're having the same problem I'm having.

I use foobar (v1.0) and have used it for the past few years. I have never once experienced any kind of distortion resulting from its volume bar. I've done a lot of (subjective) tests and found that having it set at anything less than 100% reduces SQ subtly (the lower the foobar volume, the more easily this degradation is observed). As such, I've always kept the foobar volume at default (100%) and adjusted the volume through an external pot on my amp or source.

 

[PaulyT]

Yes, immtbiker, I hear you; I apologize for speaking out of my frustration. I understand the EF5/HE5 is not the world's most expensive headphone rig. In fact I've probably put about the same amount into my current Jade+D5000 combo. I had my hopes up very high based on reading this and other threads about the EF5/HE5, and had been waiting a while to get the chance to buy them (had to sell some other stuff), so was dealing with some real-world let-down. I know it'll get fixed one way or another.

But the initial issue - the l/r imbalance - was clearly the RCA tube that came with it, because that went away with the second tube I tried (a Sylvania), but then that introduced distorted sounds that were not present with the RCA. I'm not yet ready to attribute it to the amp as a whole, I am getting yet more tubes to try out. But obviously, if the problem persists with all of them then I will talk to Fang and replace the amp. I just don't think it's worth the time and trouble to deal with a $15 tube coming from China, especially as I want to do some rolling anyway.

Not trying to be Debbie Downer

but I don't think it's unreasonable to point out flaws in the system, either.

Squeezebox recommends to have it's output volume fixed at 100% when you're got an amp/DAC with its own volume control - so the digital info is passed untouched to the DAC. And right, I've been using this rig for a year with very good results with my Jade amp, so I don't think there's any source issue that's causing these problems, unless for some reason the input voltages the EF5 is expecting are very unusual - not likely.

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by archwunchai /img/forum/go_quote.gif First Day when I got this combo, EF5 (PSU) was set up at 16V from factory and i heard distortion at the same point in the song. after I change to 18V. Distortion gone

Yes, I remember quite publicly freaking out about that when I got my combo; the input voltage switch was set to 220v and the output voltage at 16v. I knew it needed 110v, but it took me a couple of days to get a definitive answer on the output voltage from anybody; I didn't want to burn the tube in with the incorrect voltage, so I waited... not fun. You would think they would throw in a photocopy or post something on their site; not!

I think the 16v output is only for when you are using 220v input

 

[K3cT]

I finally took a listen to the HE-5 today and compared it to the HD800. Both are balanced and driven with a balanced ϐ22 and some high-end CEC CDP.

In my mind, it's clear that the HD800 is overall the better headphone with a wetter midrange, better control and gasp! More holographic soundstaging. Given the price difference, I'm honestly not surprised at this outcome. That aside, the HE-5 is definitely a steal at its current price if one wants to experience the Orthodynamic sound and to a certain extent, the HD800's kind of sound too. The only problem is that you need a serious amp if you want to drive the HE-5 properly given its nature as a current-hungry beast.

 

[mrarroyo]

The 16 volt setting is to be used w/ the EF1 or EF2 should you wish to use the better PSU w/ either of those two amps. The EF5 requires 18 volts. Cheers.

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif I finally took a listen to the HE-5 today and compared it to the HD800. Both are balanced and driven with a balanced ϐ22 and some high-end CEC CDP. In my mind, it's clear that the HD800 is overall the better headphone with a wetter midrange, better control and gasp! More holographic soundstaging. Given the price difference, I'm honestly not surprised at this outcome. That aside, the HE-5 is definitely a steal at its current price if one wants to experience the Orthodynamic sound and to a certain extent, the HD800's kind of sound too. The only problem is that you need a serious amp if you want to drive the HE-5 properly given its nature as a current-hungry beast.

Thanks for the comparison. Interesting results.
I'm just wondering, how long did you get to listen to both? What were the conditions of the test?

 

[K3cT]

My friend's ϐ22 has 2 balanced outputs so one is plugged to the HE-5 and other to the HD800 and I just swapped headphones while listening to the same track. I have to admit that I didn't spend prolonged time comparing them but the improvement from the HE-5 to the HD800 is very clear, thought not drastic by any means.

I thought the most striking difference is the midrange, the HE-5 has a very ortho-y midrange about it: a bit dry and as clear as day. The HD800's midrange has more weight and emotion to it. The HE-5 is noticeably boosted in the upper midrange/lower treble region too which can make it sound sibilant on certain tracks and perhaps, to give a false impression of details. The HD800 also suffers this issue to a lesser extent.

 

[MikePio]

Just an update, sending my cans back for replacement, back to the K701's and DT's which should be interesting.... I have never heard the HD800's and would love to someday! I am not sure if I have strange hearing or what, but I find the best quality of the HE-5's are their beautiful midrange, and organic and life like sound, very intimate and emotional... I would have thought the HD 800's are opposite... Either way, the QC issues aside, these are my last cans, I am not sure if I should be happy or sad lol... The main reason, is that I find these cans very "special" sounding to me, more so than any other can, though I never tried the HD800's, DX1000's, K1000's, R10's etc... but I would never pay that much money, so I think my road ends, unless the new pair will have more QC issues... Hopefully everyones enjoying them... Cheers,

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif My friend's ϐ22 has 2 balanced outputs so one is plugged to the HE-5 and other to the HD800 and I just swapped headphones while listening to the same track. I have to admit that I didn't spend prolonged time comparing them but the improvement from the HE-5 to the HD800 is very clear, thought not drastic by any means. I thought the most striking difference is the midrange, the HE-5 has a very ortho-y midrange about it: a bit dry and as clear as day. The HD800's midrange has more weight and emotion to it. The HE-5 is noticeably boosted in the upper midrange/lower treble region too which can make it sound sibilant on certain tracks and perhaps, to give a false impression of details. The HD800 also suffers this issue to a lesser extent.

Fair enough. I agree about the slightly dry midrange. It's not always a good or bad thing, but I myself prefer a wet midrange presentation as I feel it contributes to the perception of acoustic space and size.

 

[Zoide]

What does dry and wet correspond to in this context?

 

[Zoide]

Does anyone find that the HE-5 are a bit too big for their head?

Even in the smallest position, the earpads end up too low on my ears. The solution I've found is to wedge some bubble wrap between the headband and the top of my head, which is hardly elegant

 

[Kees]

Yes, almost. They are in the smallest position.

 

[knopi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikePio /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just an update, sending my cans back for replacement, back to the K701's and DT's which should be interesting.... I have never heard the HD800's and would love to someday! I am not sure if I have strange hearing or what, but I find the best quality of the HE-5's are their beautiful midrange, and organic and life like sound, very intimate and emotional... I would have thought the HD 800's are opposite... Either way, the QC issues aside, these are my last cans, I am not sure if I should be happy or sad lol... The main reason, is that I find these cans very "special" sounding to me, more so than any other can, though I never tried the HD800's, DX1000's, K1000's, R10's etc... but I would never pay that much money, so I think my road ends, unless the new pair will have more QC issues... Hopefully everyones enjoying them... Cheers,

Just be sure every headphones even the most expensive aren't without weakness and every quality headphones have own special qualities and character/nature which is inimitable so if you love them you don't have reason to go higher without comparison side by side with hd800 becose you dont have to prefer them, you have different source, ears and perhabs needs. Good example is my um3x I sold them and they are missing me a lot. I couldn't say they are better than jh13 but I can say they are/was more fun for me with mp3player.
Good luck with repair