[TwinQY]

^^ Have to be honest, it is extremely enticing to actually grab a pair of these Annies and compare with the HE400s. Probably a 60% chance. I need to revitalize/clean out my collection anyways...

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

Man hate to say it, but after using the Jergpadded HE500s exclusively for the past week or so, the HE400 sound just doesn't seem to cut it when I compared the two today out of curiosity. The difference in transparency and true resolution becomes more and more apparent, as is the difference in natural timbre.
 
Before, the HE500 with velour or pleathers was still meh, but the Jergpads unlocked it pretty much. Sure HE400 also sounds fantastic with the modded pads, not even close to the level the HE500s got to though.
 
I'll still keep the HE400 around and tinker more with it I suppose.

Well what do you expect from the 300 usd/euro price difference

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Well what do you expect from the 300 usd/euro price difference

Not much, since I barely paid an extra $50 for the HE500 

 Gotta snipe those FT/S deals man.

 

[Okamoto]

Quote:

 
I've only owned the mk1. All I can say is that I liked the pairing with the mk1. And yes the jumper on that amp is internal. 

Just one more question. That amperex orange globe tube you recommended, would it work with the Little Dot MKIII aswell?

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Just one more question. That amperex orange globe tube you recommended, would it work with the Little Dot MKIII aswell?

 
I've had some Mullards, not to mention the Bugles, during my short stint with the MKIII a few years back. Vaguely remember someone mentioning the Globes on these (not a common tube), but it could have just been the MK1. 

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

Not much, since I barely paid an extra $50 for the HE500 

 Gotta snipe those FT/S deals man.

Not if you're doing all the sniping! But that also means you could've paid much less for the he-400. So that would still leave a big difference in price.

 

[Okamoto]

Quote:

 
I've had some Mullards, not to mention the Bugles, during my short stint with the MKIII a few years back. Vaguely remember someone mentioning the Globes on these (not a common tube), but it could have just been the MK1. 

How did those sound with your MKIII? Have you used it with the HE-400's? Did they pair well?
 
I want to smooth the treble a little.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Not if you're doing all the sniping! But that also means you could've paid much less for the he-400. So that would still leave a big difference in price.

Eh I've never seen 2nd hand HE400 sold less than $350 (maybe once) here. Usually it stays around $360-380.
 
2nd hand HE500s were on the other hand VERY cheap for a while last year, lowest I saw was $350 for a mint condition one, other than that there were a couple of $450-500 deals that got snatched fast as well. I went through the trouble of buying a defective HE500 for cheap, then replacing it with Head-Direct for a fee, but in the end it's a new pair of HE500 for $450 so I ain't complaining.
 
For some reason used HE500 prices skyrocketed recently though, probably because of supply vs demand. Not many people want to sell their HE500s because they are pleased with them, while others want to get HE500 without paying full price.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okamoto /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
How did those sound with your MKIII? Have you used it with the HE-400's? Did they pair well?
 
I want to smooth the treble a little.

Had the Mullard 8161 and the 8100. Between the two, the 8161 added bass. That's about it. You might want to avoid the Bugles, they make the notes leaner, gives out a sense of more "width". Impressions on Orange Globes seem to indicate it's what you're looking for (it's a warmer tube)....
 
Take with a grain of salt though. Honestly, the tube thing gets old after a while. It's fun, but not at all an accurate sound, upkeep is a bit annoying, and with some exceptions, a lot of the differences in swapping tubes are negligible. Gonna stick with boring old SS

 

[Okamoto]

Quote:

Had the Mullard 8161 and the 8100. Between the two, the 8161 added bass. That's about it. You might want to avoid the Bugles, they make the notes leaner, gives out a sense of more "width". Impressions on Orange Globes seem to indicate it's what you're looking for (it's a warmer tube)....
 
Take with a grain of salt though. Honestly, the tube thing gets old after a while. It's fun, but not at all an accurate sound, upkeep is a bit annoying, and with some exceptions, a lot of the differences in swapping tubes are negligible. Gonna stick with boring old SS

HE-400's not exactly an "accurate" kind of headphone either. I just wanted an amp that smooths/tame the treble a little, because they're a little harsh sometimes, though i got used to it. I may be wrong, but from what i've researched, tube amps are the way to go if i want what i'm looking for.

 

[FlySweep]

This sweet, bouncy track sounds fantastic.. especially through the HE-400!

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

HE-400's not exactly an "accurate" kind of headphone either. I just wanted an amp that smooths/tame the treble a little, because they're a little harsh sometimes, though i got used to it. I may be wrong, but from what i've researched, tube amps are the way to go if i want what i'm looking for.

 
To each their own. Personally mods and EQ do it well enough that I'm not going to mess with the chain. The MKIII might be exactly what you're looking for anyways (dark tinge, a lot of mids with some tubes), so it's all good  
 
And I find them pretty accurate technicality-wise, it's just the top half of the frequency that cinches it.

 

[Marleybob217]

Quote:

Eh I've never seen 2nd hand HE400 sold less than $350 (maybe once) here. Usually it stays around $360-380.
 
2nd hand HE500s were on the other hand VERY cheap for a while last year, lowest I saw was $350 for a mint condition one, other than that there were a couple of $450-500 deals that got snatched fast as well. I went through the trouble of buying a defective HE500 for cheap, then replacing it with Head-Direct for a fee, but in the end it's a new pair of HE500 for $450 so I ain't complaining.
 
For some reason used HE500 prices skyrocketed recently though, probably because of supply vs demand. Not many people want to sell their HE500s because they are pleased with them, while others want to get HE500 without paying full price.

That is a pretty sweet deal! I guess those good days are over  
How would you compare your HE-500 with a lcd2 (if you've ever heard one, cause I haven't).

 

[jerg]

Quote:

That is a pretty sweet deal! I guess those good days are over  
How would you compare your HE-500 with a lcd2 (if you've ever heard one, cause I haven't).

I had some good head time auditioning LCD2 (both revisions) and LCD3 back in August last year, along with all the Hifiman planars.
 
I'd say LCD2r2 is much better balanced than LCD2r1, but r2 still doesn't have the magic that HE500 treble has; there is something sweet about HE500's treble that makes LCD2r2's treble sound a tad harsh and lacking in fluidity.
 
In terms of midrange LCD2r2 is more aggressive and thick, while HE500's is more open and bloomed.
 
Bass-wise LCD2 is thick and juicy and tactile, while HE500's bass is more rumbly and textured and open-sounding. 
 
With jergpads, HE500s are terrifically balanced and natural-sounding, and extremely extremely engaging (way more engaging than with any other earpads). I can't pick out any flaws basically. Sure soundstage and resolution could still be pushed a bit more with some proper amping in the future but to me this is as good as it gets without doubling or tripling the expense.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Okamoto, those tube amps seem to favor higher impedance if youre getting such a low amount of power at 32ohm. I would look into something that favors higher current, low impedance which would be better suited for planar magnetics. Maybe OTL tube amps? I will eventually get one too, not too expensive.