[MattTCG]

Here are my thoughts from a few weeks back:
 
 
I just don't hear the bass the same as some of the others hear. And I think it's good to have a variety of opinions. I've had the he400 for about 6 months and I just borrowed a pair of he500 from a member. I owned them before the he400 with the lyr, so I had a pretty good idea of what they sound like already.
 
I hear the he500 as a mid centric hp. Those mids are wonderfully textured and natural...some of the best that I've had the pleasure to hear. But the bass seems to loose focus from the equation. It's not bad but just not as good as the he400, which IMO opinion shifts the focus of the SQ equation somewhat away from the mids and to the bass. I listed over and over this morning to be sure that I didn't hear differently, but this is what I hear. He500=near perfect mids with more natural bass. He 400 good mids with slight emphasis on bass.
 
You might say that the he500 has a more natural accurate sound. I don't listen to hp's for that. I prefer a little more bass which is the very reason that I sold the he500 and bought the he400. For me, it's about perfect. And the truth is, these two hp's sound a lot alike. The differences are actually quite small. 
 
 
Hope this helps...

 

[daniel521]

Quote:

Here are my thoughts from a few weeks back:
 
 
I just don't hear the bass the same as some of the others hear. And I think it's good to have a variety of opinions. I've had the he400 for about 6 months and I just borrowed a pair of he500 from a member. I owned them before the he400 with the lyr, so I had a pretty good idea of what they sound like already.
 
I hear the he500 as a mid centric hp. Those mids are wonderfully textured and natural...some of the best that I've had the pleasure to hear. But the bass seems to loose focus from the equation. It's not bad but just not as good as the he400, which IMO opinion shifts the focus of the SQ equation somewhat away from the mids and to the bass. I listed over and over this morning to be sure that I didn't hear differently, but this is what I hear. He500=near perfect mids with more natural bass. He 400 good mids with slight emphasis on bass.
 
You might say that the he500 has a more natural accurate sound. I don't listen to hp's for that. I prefer a little more bass which is the very reason that I sold the he500 and bought the he400. For me, it's about perfect. And the truth is, these two hp's sound a lot alike. The differences are actually quite small. 
 
 
Hope this helps...

The HE400 is also really easy to drive. I'm starting to think the HE400 is a better bargain. I love mids though, do you think there's a very big difference in the mids between the two, or is it just a small difference? Another thing, I know I shouldn't trust graphs but by looking at the graph of the HE400, the upper mids seem very recessed, do they seem recessed while you listen?

 

[MattTCG]

For me, using Audio GD NFB-6 and odac...the difference was not that much. The mids on the he400 are very satisfying. The only "big" difference that I've heard when using the he400 for comparison is the he-6. But the he400 just hits too many check boxes for me to pass it up. 

 

[TMRaven]

Don't trust the graphs too much.  Looking at the HE-400 against something like say, a D2000, and you'd think the D2000 has more mid presence.  The opposite is true.

 

[daniel521]

Quote:

For me, using Audio GD NFB-6 and odac...the difference was not that much. The mids on the he400 are very satisfying. The only "big" difference that I've heard when using the he400 for comparison is the he-6. But the he400 just hits too many check boxes for me to pass it up. 

thats not enough for me to buy the HE500, Im getting the HE400 thanks for the help.

 

[MattTCG]

Welcome...good luck and let us know how it all turns out.

 

[daniel521]

Quote:

Welcome...good luck and let us know how it all turns out.

I'll post my impressions when I get them

 

[phanboy_iv]

at 450, I could also buy a different headphone... would the asgard be a good choice if I don't want to spend that much, or is there not that much difference between it and the e11?

Been looking at the Leckerton UHA-6 myself. Not sure if it'd make for a better desktop setup than my uDAC 2 in terms of amping power.

I did get the velours today. Definitely more comfy.

 

[the5chord]

Hi, I am very new to the head-fi world. I am posting this just posting this because I want to know if I am doing something wrong. I demoed a pair of he-400's today and found them sound a little different then I expected. Bass was great but I am a guitar player who thinks the greates sound in the world is bridge pickup through a tc2290 into a ac30 with alnico blues. So I like things bright and chimey. When I ran some of my favorite guitar driven songs through the 400's the guitar seemed rather laid back and not present enough in the music. Through the Grado Rs1i's it was exactly how I wanted to hear it. It's just the Grado's don't have that amazing bass I heard in the 400's. So am I doing it wrong? I was using an IPhone 4s through a fiio e11. Or do I have to compromise? Right now I would pick up the Grado because I could live without the low end.

 

[KneelJung]

Quote:

Hi, I am very new to the head-fi world. I am posting this just posting this because I want to know if I am doing something wrong. I demoed a pair of he-400's today and found them sound a little different then I expected. Bass was great but I am a guitar player who thinks the greates sound in the world is bridge pickup through a tc2290 into a ac30 with alnico blues. So I like things bright and chimey. When I ran some of my favorite guitar driven songs through the 400's the guitar seemed rather laid back and not present enough in the music. Through the Grado Rs1i's it was exactly how I wanted to hear it. It's just the Grado's don't have that amazing bass I heard in the 400's. So am I doing it wrong? I was using an IPhone 4s through a fiio e11. Or do I have to compromise? Right now I would pick up the Grado because I could live without the low end.

Welcome to head fi 5chord. You're not doing anything wrong. You listened to the headphone, you heard what you heard, and your perception was a signature that  didnt necessarily resonate. with you. I listen to a lot of guitar driven bluesy rock like Joe Bonamassa, Stevie, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, etc. The 400's didnt quite work for me either listening to that sort of stuff. I think you're instincts are right on. Grado's and guitars go together like peanut butter and jelly.

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

The HE400 is also really easy to drive. I'm starting to think the HE400 is a better bargain. I love mids though, do you think there's a very big difference in the mids between the two, or is it just a small difference? Another thing, I know I shouldn't trust graphs but by looking at the graph of the HE400, the upper mids seem very recessed, do they seem recessed while you listen?

Really easy to drive, but they respond well to power. I like them off of the M-stage, o2 and Burson, I love them off of the Lyr.

 

[phanboy_iv]

Quote:

Been looking at the Leckerton UHA-6 myself. Not sure if it'd make for a better desktop setup than my uDAC 2 in terms of amping power.
I did get the velours today. Definitely more comfy.

 
Scratch that. Decided on a Dr. DAC 2 MUSES.
 
Can work as a DAC, an amp, or both, $300, near-zero output impedance, good showing in RMAA graphs, plenty of power for the HE-400s, well regarded manufacturer.
 
Anybody wanna buy a uDAC -2?

 

[pseudolongino]

I've seen the light!
Now all that I've read on this thread finally makes sense. Only two words: velour pads!
And a question: why the hell aren't they the stock pads?
Im pretty happy with the RE0 as well, and it's definitely not hard to drive, I use it at 18-20 on my portable player (it goes to 31), totally different world than my other auricular
These chinese are definitely becoming my favorite audio company (and damn, are they fast to deliver!!!)

 

[eyal1983]

BTW
the DragonFly by itself wasn't enough for the HE400.
Amp. was needed, and this isn't a request

 

[MattTCG]

So what amp did you end up using? I hear good things about the dragonfly also.