That whole relax sounding thing disappears when you drive the HE-500 from speaker taps. They get aggressive as hell, not to mention explosive. Quite surprising actually once you hear it and just jaw-dropping amazing. Either that or hunt down vintage amps and use the headphone out if you don't want to do speaker taps.
thats a little more YMMV then anything. i had a pair that i ran from my sx-780, and they weren't agressive enough for me. now the he-5le that i have now is way more agressive and a better fit for me.
That's the main reason I spent the money on the Lyr, it will drive anything and I still get to play with tubes! I started with a Valhalla and was limited to what headphones I could drive to the potential of the amp, so I figured this is the way to go, I hear such great things about the Lyr with my 2 main cans and the ones I have my eye on (LCD2), so really excited to get it tomorrow! I ordered a nice set of tubes for it as well.
When I saw the pictures of the Emotiva i was like, wait a minute I thought that piece didn't have a headphone out? He did a great job, maybe he will post some details on what he did? Or did he? I need to check it again...
thats a little more YMMV then anything. i had a pair that i ran from my sx-780, and they weren't agressive enough for me. now the he-5le that i have now is way more agressive and a better fit for me.
Well everything anyone says on Head-Fi is YMMV. When you say aggressive I think you mean more treble energy, or a brighter sound which is what the 5LE is right?
When I say aggressive I was thinking of the dynamic range in both the bass end and the treble end of the frequency spectrum. Everything sounds faster/tighter and hits harder, but yes it's going to sound boring next to the 5LE/HE6 because those cans are brighter and offer "excitement' for some folks. Hell Grados are the most exciting thing out there if you go by treble energy. I find that kind of agression/excitement painful and annoying.
Seems like it would be a bit redundant both being ortho headphones. I think a headphone that is nothing like the LCD2 would be a better choice. That being said I have no idea how they sound! Maybe MattTGC will chime in, he's heard them both. If I get LCD2 then HE-400 would go bye bye...
it is brighter. i loved the he-500 but i always felt it was a little too polite. with the he-5le i feel the guitar now. as far as i can see, the he-500 has a bit better bass though.
Yes I am done with the debate as well. I do want to post this link however, if anyone wants to listen to samples of fundamental v. harmonics (and a useful resource in general):
based on my demo of the lcd2 and the he500, i would not get both. that said the 500 is waaaaaay less dark than the lcd2 but detail etc. is pretty similar (lcd2 better bass, which is saying something!)
if i had 2 high end cans i'd probably look at grado or even senn for my second uber-cans, IMO much better selection of sounds that way.
but to each their own, maybe you guys hear something special between the 500/lcd2 that i just didn't (they were both so killer, but unfortunately wallet killers too)
As was suggested here earlier, I'm planning to reorganize the initial post to this thread to give better access to information about the he400. For those who have done reviews, comparative or otherwise, please pm me a link to your review/post. This goes for guides, mods ect.
I'm looking for the senior members to step up and lend a hand. Thanks in advance guys!!
I own them both, there is nothing like the textured bass and intimacy of the LCD-2, but I would not want them as my only can, the comfort level leaves something to be desired.
If I had describe the difference between the two, I would say the HE-500 sounds to me like a good set of speakers playing in a room, the LCD-2 sounds like being up on stage.
Guys, I posted a quick comparison between HE-500 and HE-400 on the HE-500 thread. I'll post it here too, in case anyone is interested:
Just got my HE-500s. Some impressions (compared to HE-400):
- More forward mids and fuller sound(HE-400 is more spacious/airy and dynamic sounding)
- Smoother treble. Cymbals sound much better
- Voices are better portrayed. Female voices sound awesome, really.
- HE-400s have more(quantity) and better(quality) bass. But the bass on these is still pretty good.
I'm using the velours by the way. Didn't test it with the pleathers, but it'll probably change for worse, so I won't even bother.
By the way, first thing I noticed is that HE-500's atleast as loud as HE-400 at the same mark on my amp's volume pot(Burson HA-160). Actually I feel it's even louder. It's probably due to the less recessed mids, compared to HE-400. I can go further too without fearing the treble will hurt my ears.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with these. Although I'm not really sure yet if they're worth the $300 plus compared to HE-400, I don't regret buying it. Great headphones, really.
it is brighter. i loved the he-500 but i always felt it was a little too polite. with the he-5le i feel the guitar now. as far as i can see, the he-500 has a bit better bass though.
Yes I am done with the debate as well. I do want to post this link however, if anyone wants to listen to samples of fundamental v. harmonics (and a useful resource in general):
I realise that $1000 seems like a ludicrous about of money to spend on a pair of headphones for 99.9% of people, but given the amount one spends on other AV equipment like TVs and the like, it puts it into perspective. People don't bat an eyelid spending a few thousand on a car (even when a similarly suitable vehicle could be bought often for much less), so for someone who is driven by a love and passion of music being recreated beautifully and faithfully at home, to save and splash out a grand on some gorgeous cans is a justified treat, even if one isn't rich or fully flush with money.
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