[tashlin]

I recently bought a pair of HiFiman HE-5LE headphones, but even after 300 hours of burn-in/use, I'm still experiencing issues with quite spiky treble and ssssssibilance.  A small tweak downwards of the EQ settings at 4k and 8k (in MediaMonkey) seems to sort things out but having read in various reviews how smooth the HE-5LEs are 'supposed to sound' I'm surprised to be having this issue.  Is this a normal sound signature for HE-5LEs or should I be concerned they are faulty in some way?  Any views/suggestions would be appreciated!
 
The rest of my setup:
Source: FLAC files on my PC -> HRT MS2+ DAC -> HiFiman EF-5 amp -> HE-5LE

 

[alamakazam]

the set I use to own, sounded this way...

 

[Roth_s]

I certainly do not get sibilance with mine...in fact it seems the opposite to me in the 4k to 7k region, although the HE-5LE does spike mildly in the 8-10k area. It's possible you have a set that is emphasizing this upper area slightly more than the average production unit.
 
If it is available to you, try swapping out interconnect cabling between your various components to run down wiring as a culprit. Wiring is a crucial part of a system of your caliber.
 
Report back with any changes you try...a lot of us HE-5LE owners could benefit from your discoveries.

 

[tashlin]

Thanks Roth_s,
 
I'm currently using a Wireworld Ultraviolet USB cable between the PC and the DAC and Merlin Mozart interconnects (only 0.5m in length) between the DAC and amp.  I'm using the stock cable with the HE-5LEs (the one with the 4 pin XLR plug/jack adapter in the middle)
 
I don't have a vast array of other headphones to compare to but I have tried my Sennheiser IE-8 IEMs and also my B&W P5s using the same setup and they don't suffer the sibiliance issue.  It could be that a different headphone cable for the HE-5LEs might help I suppose - can anyone suggest a good upgrade in the UK?  (I have seen a few options such as those from Moon Audio and APureSound but would prefer to deal with a local company if possible because it makes things so much easier if there are any problems!)

 

[herbiesepz]

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I certainly do not get sibilance with mine...in fact it seems the opposite to me in the 4k to 7k region, although the HE-5LE does spike mildly in the 8-10k area. It's possible you have a set that is emphasizing this upper area slightly more than the average production unit.
 
If it is available to you, try swapping out interconnect cabling between your various components to run down wiring as a culprit. Wiring is a crucial part of a system of your caliber.
 
Report back with any changes you try...a lot of us HE-5LE owners could benefit from your discoveries.

It helps me out of the problem, Thanks for your effort!