[teofilrocks]

This past weekend, there was a pair that was in excellent shape and sold by a member of the forum here for $300, including shipping and PayPal fees.  The headphones included the original cardboard box, the black Canare cable, the pleather pads and a pair of velour pads.

Haha, that was me. I got hit with PMs so fast I started to wonder whether I was charging enough

 

[soundeffect]

Okay just got the HE400 earlier today and have been playing around with them. Man, when you guys say the pleather sucks, it really does sucks.  They are a sticky mess as in it gets my face sweaty quick, just from that I like the velour pads more. 
 
Quick question for those who have the schiit magni/modi, at what volume level can I reach without ruining my hearing?  I have problem gauging at what volume is a good general safe volume as I keep thinking it's good enough until that sudden random treble peak makes me turn it back down.

 

[TMRaven]

I average at around 9 o'clock with the magni/modi.

 

[soundeffect]

Okay, I've been bouncing around 10-12 O'clock

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Okay just got the HE400 earlier today and have been playing around with them. Man, when you guys say the pleather sucks, it really does sucks.  They are a sticky mess as in it gets my face sweaty quick, just from that I like the velour pads more. 
 
Quick question for those who have the schiit magni/modi, at what volume level can I reach without ruining my hearing?  I have problem gauging at what volume is a good general safe volume as I keep thinking it's good enough until that sudden random treble peak makes me turn it back down.

Find the absolute lowest volume with which you can still feel most of the excitement in the music. Then turn it down a tad more. That's the best compromise between your hearing and enjoyment.

 

[soundeffect]

Quote:

Find the absolute lowest volume with which you can still feel most of the excitement in the music. Then turn it down a tad more. That's the best compromise between your hearing and enjoyment.

Nah, if I do that, I'll will be at around 1:30.  These headphones makes me want to keep turning it up

  I know better though, I'll probable stick around 11.  I just want to make sure that is not too loud also.

 

[kothganesh]

Quote:

Nah, if I do that, I'll will be at around 1:30.  These headphones makes me want to keep turning it up

  I know better though, I'll probable stick around 11.  I just want to make sure that is not too loud also.

I know the feeling. I have been disciplined enough thus far to keep the dial between 10 and 11 on the Asgard. I got the Lyr yesterday and cranked it out to 12 before retreating hastily.

 

[TMRaven]

Hearingloss-fi.

 

[Marleybob217]

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I generally listen to lossless files from CD rips and high resolution files from HD Tracks. I can covert from lossless to lossy mp3 files or other formats and hear if the ..twaack..  sound is there. I have some doubt that the lossless format causes this. Think Beaver316 has spotted a repeatable means that this phenomena can be invested further, i.e. pause/re-start with low frequency / sub-base music.
 
The best description of this sound - as if the planar driver is being suddenly twisted then spring back into shape.
 
I'm wondering if the higher end models, i.e. HE-500, HE-6 would have this phenomenan.
 
Steve

Yeah, like I said, this isn't uncommon. I've heard this with the HD650 too actually. Just run a 50hz (or so) sinus wave, pause it and you will hear it with just about anything.

 

[steveting99]

Quote:

One week on, I'm beginning to love these headphones more now. I don't think I be returning them. I'm definitely getting used to their sound and appreciating that, despite them definitely not having a neutral or honest representation of the sounds given to them, they do allow one to enjoy a vast array of music in a very vivid way, which I can be nothing but pleased about.


I must add that I recently bought a cheap Bravo Audio Ocean tube amp. This was my first foray into tubes and was purchased especially to drive a used vintage pair of AKG K240 DFs (600 ohms) that I received just days before the HifiMans. Well, as it turned out, this little blue bundle is amazing and drives all my cans beautifully. I swapped the stock valve for a used Mullard from eBay and the difference was surprising to say the least. Aside from it bringing out the bottom end and filling the mids out on my AKGs (intended purpose), I found that they really tamed down that 'tizziness' at the very top end on the HE-400s. This was my single biggest issue with these headphones and I am over the moon with this pairing with the little valve amp! This very match stopped me from returning them. I just thought people might like to know that, in case they fancied a relatively low cost tip-toe into valve amplification..


http://bravoaudio.com/Bravo%20Ocean.html

 
Went to the website to check out the Ocean tube amp and noticed the specs are the same as the model down Bravo V3. For under USD$90, might tempt me to trying out the tube sound. The spec that looks worrying is the variable output impedance of 20 to 600 Ohms driving the headphone

 . Might have an impedance mis-match with the HE-400 which has an impedance of 35 Ohms. 
 
Would also like to know power rating the unit can safely produce without distortion at HE-400 nominal impedance

. 
 
Steve

 

[davidsh]

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Quote:

I personally don't think the HE-500 is technically superior to HE-400. Except I found the HE-500 to have a bit more of a controlled sound all the way around (not bass, though)

Hey ... what's with the circular reference in your post?

Thought that was obvious

 

[davidsh]

Quote:

Find the absolute lowest volume with which you can still feel most of the excitement in the music. Then turn it down a tad more. That's the best compromise between your hearing and enjoyment.

Jerg, can you post some song, and your according volume level with the e17 on the HE-500? Because I can't grasp what a proper volume is, and from what I have heard a sound pressure meter that is somewhat correct is quite expensive.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Jerg, can you post some song, and your according volume level with the e17 on the HE-500? Because I can't grasp what a proper volume is, and from what I have heard a sound pressure meter that is somewhat correct is quite expensive.

With the HE500? Sure.
 
https://soundcloud.com/tracebundy/bristlecone-trace-bundy ; make sure to set the site volume to max (top right-hand corner) before playback.
 
On the E17, set it to +12 Gain, and volume to 25/60.
 
That kind of loudness is about how loud I listen to most of the time. If I want to boogie a bit more, I turn up the vol 3 or 4 higher on the E17.
 
 
 
This kind of information is really not that useful though, everyone has different hearing sensitivities to start with.

 

[kothganesh]

Quote:

With the HE500? Sure.
 
https://soundcloud.com/tracebundy/bristlecone-trace-bundy ; make sure to set the site volume to max (top right-hand corner) before playback.
 
On the E17, set it to +12 Gain, and volume to 25/60.
 
That kind of loudness is about how loud I listen to most of the time. If I want to boogie a bit more, I turn up the vol 3 or 4 higher on the E17.
 
 
 
This kind of information is really not that useful though, everyone has different hearing sensitivities to start with.

Jerg,
is a comparison between HE 400 with J$ and a HE-500 with velours even fair ? I'm listening to the Electric Light Orchestra "Don't Bring Me Down" which has its periods of sibilance. I find little to no difference between the two HPs. I thought the treble was relatively tamed in the 500.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

Find the absolute lowest volume with which you can still feel most of the excitement in the music. Then turn it down a tad more. That's the best compromise between your hearing and enjoyment.

 
I'd strongly encourage listeners here to heed this advice. After about 5 years of listening to hp's at what I considered a very modest or medium level, I know have developed tinnitus/ringing in the ears. It's constant permanent and incurable. I have no hearing loss as of yet. But this is a real problem that I feel needs more attention.