[Keithpgdrb]

Quote:

 
which tips are you using?

I'm afraid my tips are nothing special.  I have collected a number of different shapes and sizes of silicone tips over time, so I always play around with different tips.  I'm often surprised how much of a difference it makes.  but It makes sense really.  everyone has different shaped ears.  I believe the ones I settled on being my favorite may have come with a head-direct iem purchase at some point.  but they really could have come from somewhere else.  I also chose these because the opening inside is bigger then some tips.  I would have liked to try to experiment more, but time gets away from you.  I finally had to make myself sit down tonight and get some more good head time with these.  anyway, here are some pics to compare what I am using.  the grey are mine, the black are the Large originals.
 
Another thing I found when listening to these is that you also have to rotate them in your ear to find the best spot.  this comes I'm sure from the fact that the speaker opening is not round, but oval.  If you just stick them in your ears and expect everything to work, you might miss something.  I found they work best for me slightly rotated forward (so that the cable moves closer to the jawbone, not down to your earlobe)
 
 

 

 

 

 

[DemonFox]

Very nice. 

I actually received them the same day my Ultrasone Signature Pro's arrived, so most of my comparisons were between those two models. The set that I've been used to was the PRO 900, obviously a very different beast. The HE-500's were very airy and wide compared to either of the Ultrasones due to them being closed. The SP's don't have quite the same width, but it feels like the sound is more three dimensional. As if the 500's were still parallel with my head, but my head was really wide, and the SP's are slightly outside and forward. The space between instruments on the 500's made inner lines much more evident, although both pairs appeared to be similar in this regard when put to the test. Bass held up surprisingly well to the SP, but the force and impact wasn't there. The 500's are an EXTREMELY good value at their market price, although I'm still glad I bought the SP's.


I'll post more impressions when I don't have work in the morning, lol.

Wow, that's crazy that the bass on the HE-500's could keep up with the Sig's now of course I didn't expect them to be as deep but that's still quite amazing. Thanks for your impressions

 

[Levaix]

Quote:

Wow, that's crazy that the bass on the HE-500's could keep up with the Sig's now of course I didn't expect them to be as deep but that's still quite amazing. Thanks for your impressions

 
Well, I guess I should probably clarify a little. The bass was very good, but it didn't have the same power and impact as the SP's. The sound reflected this in general. The 500's were light, a bunch of little pokes with no momentum, and the SP's are a sledgehammer. But a GOOD sledgehammer, lol, if that makes any sense. When I turned up the volume of the 500's, they got louder; the SP's didn't just get louder but BIGGER, heavier. As a brass musician this effect makes a lot more sense than just a volume change. The SP's have a visceral quality to them. Once I got a little more used to the differences, the 500's did start to sound pretty good and seemed to gain a little weight, and I can see where some people might like the separation a little more. My preference is still for the Ultrasones.

 

[WestLander]

An LCD-2 love box is on its way to the next person on the list!
 
I can see why the LCD-2s are so popular on head-fi...they're so silky smooth, easy to drive, and their bass reproduction is really amazing . I don't know how Audeze got that bass to sound so articulate, controlled, but still punchy.. oh and the comfort of those leather pads! I wish my HE-500 came with real leather pads like that...I think the really cushy seal you get with the LCD-2s is part of what makes them sound soooo good.
 
With that said, I don't think they'd be a direct replacement for the HE-500s in my setup...every so often as I was listening, I would find myself missing that bit of extra energy and liveliness that I'm used to from the 500s. They'd be a great complement to my setup, especially for classical listening sessions, or those times you just want to put on some music and melt away into the sound..
 
Thanks again Justin for setting up this demo program! Anytime you wanna set up a GS-X listening tour, I'll be first in line! 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Coming my way. I r very excite

 

[beaver316]

I'd be interested in comparisons of the LCD2 with your HE-400s MLE, im hoping it's not worth the extra $600 for my wallet's sake. 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I don't have the HE400s on hand unfortunately, as I lent them out to 4 of my gaming guide friends. I won't be getting them back anytime soon, so I'll have to go off memory. I expect quite a bit less treble, and more mids, and similar bass with more refinement. I'll see when I get them. The HE-400 has a distinctive sound signature I can't forget, but I would have rather had them on hand for real comparison.

 

[beaver316]

Quote:

I don't have the HE400s on hand unfortunately, as I lent them out to 4 of my gaming guide friends. I won't be getting them back anytime soon, so I'll have to go off memory. I expect quite a bit less treble, and more mids, and similar bass with more refinement. I'll see when I get them. The HE-400 has a distinctive sound signature I can't forget, but I would have rather had them on hand for real comparison.

 
Oh well that's a shame, I'd still be curious on your thoughts. Hopefully your memory can serve you well.

 

[TMRaven]

You can be sure I'll be comparing the two.

 

[Burju]

Quote:

You can be sure I'll be comparing the two.

It will ship out to you early in the morning.
 
You will enjoy the extra articulation and tighter bass vs. HE 400.
HE 400 feels lighter sound wise, LCD2 has more weight on all instruments.
 
Comfort vs HE 400:
- angled connectors are more practical.
- I am not sure what the pads are (lamb or vegan) but they isolate better and feel more plushness.
- first hour listening, LCD pads feels like a slight vacuum to my ears, due to its excellent isolation.
 
Sound Quality vs. HE 400:
- definitely a step up with better articulation, punchier and tighter bass.
- instrument separation more present and clear.
- I am not an expert on technicalities but the sound has more tonality/weight on LCDs (bigger magnets?)
 
Please do share your reviews on comparison to HE 400.
 
Justin,
Thank you, thank you and thank you. I really appreciate you for this demo opportunity.
 
Cheers

 

[justin w.]

Soon I will be opening up another item for demo - the Stax SR-407 earspeakers + SRM-252S amp.  This is a $1,070 combination which is entry-level for Stax.
 

 
Like this except those are the SR-207; the SR-407 are 2 steps up

 

[livewire]

Now yer talkin!

 

[ninjames]

Quote:

Soon I will be opening up another item for demo - the Stax SR-407 earspeakers + SRM-252S amp.  This is a $1,070 combination which is entry-level for Stax.
 

 
Like this except those are the SR-207; the SR-407 are 2 steps up

I absolutely need in on these. Oh man.

 

[alv4426]

I guess I can volunteer my ears for this service 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Justing, sign me in for the Stax. I'm all in. Been waiting to get my hand on some for ages.