[jibzilla]

.

 

[Stratosfera]

HI everyone.
I am a newbie on a headphones heard.
I can not follow well the whole discussion because I do not understand the language perfectly. For this reason I ask you a direct question, sorry if the topic has already been made. Which amp would you use for both headphones? I would have decided between the Schiit Lyr and .......
Thank you very much for yours time.

Andrea

 

[mogulmaster]

I EQ'd the LCD-2 to be more neutral. I love the sound. The imaging, treble and soundstage are better to my ears. 

 

[semaj8james]

HI everyone.
I am a newbie on a headphones heard.
I can not follow well the whole discussion because I do not understand the language perfectly. For this reason I ask you a direct question, sorry if the topic has already been made. Which amp would you use for both headphones? I would have decided between the Schiit Lyr and .......
Thank you very much for yours time.

Andrea

I use an Audio-GD NFB 10.33, balanced output for my HE-500s. I've heard a lot of people liking Woo products as well as Schiit products to power orthodynamic headphones. I could not give you a comparison due to not having tried the last two mentioned brands.

 

[Chris_Himself]

HI everyone.
I am a newbie on a headphones heard.
I can not follow well the whole discussion because I do not understand the language perfectly. For this reason I ask you a direct question, sorry if the topic has already been made. Which amp would you use for both headphones? I would have decided between the Schiit Lyr and .......
Thank you very much for yours time.

Andrea

 
Audio GD's NFB series, either the balanced or single ended have gobs of power, clean topology, and great DAC chips behind them

  I use an Audio-GD NFB 10.33, balanced output for my HE-500s. I've heard a lot of people liking Woo products as well as Schiit products to power orthodynamic headphones. I could not give you a comparison due to not having tried the last two mentioned brands.

 
I use a similar setup..

 

[semaj8james]

They are truly fantastic. High detail retrieval, the bass is even thicker, but punchier if that makes sense, and I felt as though there was a wider soundstage. The amplifier is built lile a truck and looks nice. The knob on it it sturdy and satisfying to turn. Anyone with the two headphones in question should heavily consider a NFB series amp.

 

[mogulmaster]

I can really listen all day to the LCD2s without fatigue. Even at medium-high volume. For me, LCD2 is less fatiguing than HD650 and way, way less than HE-400. I don't know about 500 as I haven't listened to it. 
 
And I have had issues with fatigue. 

 

[grizzlybeast]

how about the he400i
 
the others are being discontiued.

 

[semaj8james]

With my HE-500's I can listen all day without fatigue on high gain, volume ranging from 5-30 on my NFB 10.33 depending if I want to relax or get pumped up. The 500's are the opposite of shrill and fatiguing. However, this is coming from someone who used to listen to HFI-580's, some of the most shrill cans imaginable.

 

[mogulmaster]

I got the LCD2 about two months ago. I haven't heard the he-500 but i'm always wondering about it. But I could never ever give up the LCD's bass though. I'm crazy into bass and it's the best! It's clearly better than the he-400's bass (which i hear is better or equal than he-500). 
 
I like to EQ treble of the LCD2 up, and I'd be willing to bet this dissolves the advantages of the HE-500s entirely ---meaning the laid-back treble and relatively poor soundstaging of the LCD -- both of which are IME better with EQ. But I still need to hear the 500 to be sure. 
 
Seriously though, the treble is sooo nice and detailed when EQ'd up a bit

 

[Austin Morrow]

  I got the LCD2 about two months ago. I haven't heard the he-500 but i'm always wondering about it. But I could never ever give up the LCD's bass though. I'm crazy into bass and it's the best! It's clearly better than the he-400's bass (which i hear is better or equal than he-500). 
 
I like to EQ treble of the LCD2 up, and I'd be willing to bet this dissolves the advantages of the HE-500s entirely ---meaning the laid-back treble and relatively poor soundstaging of the LCD -- both of which are IME better with EQ. But I still need to hear the 500 to be sure. 
 
Seriously though, the treble is sooo nice and detailed when EQ'd up a bit

 
The HE-500's bass and the LCD-2's bass are in the same exact league. Just a slight variation of flavor. Same quantity (more or less), slam, and tightness though. I've tried EQ'ing the LCD-2 to make them sound as good as the HE-500's treble, and to no avail. 

 
 
I'm curious, who said the HE-400's bass is better than the HE-500? Completely disagree. Maybe more bloomy and impactful, but not nearly as tight and extended.

 

[grizzlybeast]

   
The HE-500's bass and the LCD-2's bass are in the same exact league. Just a slight variation of flavor. Same quantity (more or less), slam, and tightness though. I've tried EQ'ing the LCD-2 to make them sound as good as the HE-500's treble, and to no avail. 

 
 
I'm curious, who said the HE-400's bass is better than the HE-500? Completely disagree. Maybe more bloomy and impactful, but not nearly as tight and extended.

I would be one of them.
 
But I dont have them anymore you do.
 
Neither of them have any problem extending in sub bass so extension trade off would be of minimal loss.
But for me I just thought the he500 bass to be a tad more airy and wooly, maybe it had better resolution but the tightness of the he400 despite maybe having less resolution was less satisfying. Subjectively speaking i find the bass like this.
 
lcd2>he400>he500
 
being that the he400 is more impactful and has adequate resolution I would take its bass over just about any hp out there.
 
if someone is breaking down technicalities then overall I can see that and I havent heard both in a while. But i would still choose the 500 over 400 any day of the week since bass is about the only thing of the 400 i prefer. 

 

[mogulmaster]

   
The HE-500's bass and the LCD-2's bass are in the same exact league. Just a slight variation of flavor. Same quantity (more or less), slam, and tightness though. I've tried EQ'ing the LCD-2 to make them sound as good as the HE-500's treble, and to no avail. 

 
 
I'm curious, who said the HE-400's bass is better than the HE-500? Completely disagree. Maybe more bloomy and impactful, but not nearly as tight and extended.

 
How would you describe the differences in treble between the two, when the LCD is EQ'd? 

 

[Goldlion973]

Wouldn't a HE600 Vs LCD be more in line with things? Hifiman is being outcast here, its not a fair fight.

 

[grizzlybeast]

the he500 is a way better fight
 
the hd600 would not even be close. 
 
Quote:

   
How would you describe the differences in treble between the two, when the LCD is EQ'd? 

the lcd sounds closed and the he500 has a more open and spritely sound. It has way more wow factor than the lcd2
 
The lcd sounds boring even with eq but it sounds a lot more natural with better timbres, better bass and is super smooth. Probably one of the smoothest headphone around and is even more transparent than the he500 but a lot less open sounding. 
 
Basically you can't eq the lcd2 to give it air and energy. The he500 would be considered more balanced because its treble is a lot less rolled off. The problem with eq is that just because it alters the amount of that frequency that comes in it still cant give it the clean energy that hardware eq would to make it effective. It would still be less energetic and sparkly than the he500. The treble eq'd on the lcd2 is still super smooth and dull.