[M-13]

Quote:

With the Alpha Dogs (woof, woof), are they using the same Fostex T50RP planar drivers?

Yes

 

[Nimzerz]

Quote:

I would say don't return them. It'll be a big mistake. Even if the Alphas are in the same league you can always save up money and buy the Alphas at a later time. Remember, they're not even out until the end of September. Product launches have been known to be delayed on Head-Fi. Not saying it's going to happen with the Alphas, but you never know. It's not out until Dan starts shipping. I can totally imagine a scenerio where Dan tells us due to circumstances beyond his control the Alphas will be delayed till end of October instead of September.
 
Once they're out we have to wait a few months to see all the various impressions/reviews/measurements until the hype dies down to a manageable level and we get some sort of consenous to the sound vs the HE-500. The HE-500s are world class phones; when they were released they were being compared to the HD800/T1/HE-6 and coming up on top often. This of course no longer happens as people have downgraded the HE-500/LCD-2 for some reason I can't fathom...
 
For the money the HE-500s are a steal. No doubt. Even if something better comes along it'll be worth keeping in the stable for a long time.

Thanks for that

 

[Nimzerz]

Chrome Sparks - Marijuana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUX4OMkSRpI
 
Listen to it.... LOL

 

[Stalker81598]

Quote:

 
HE500 with velour sounded terrible....the meat of the midrange is thin and completely drowned out by upper mids/ treble. I tried it a bit last week to give me some refreshed perspective vs Modulor's jergpads, and my ears couldn't stand the velours on vocal music.

 
I think this is just because you are used to the Jergpads. I use Beyer velours, which if anything, enhance the characteristics of the stock velours. My HE-500 is anything but "thin". Compared to my other cans, I find the mids of the HE-500 wet and lush and the upper mids actually a bit recessed. Treble is definitely more forward than the pleathers but not even close to my HD800. I like the velours for the more natural (to my ears) and airy presentation.
 
Quote:

I would say don't return them. It'll be a big mistake. Even if the Alphas are in the same league you can always save up money and buy the Alphas at a later time. Remember, they're not even out until the end of September. Product launches have been known to be delayed on Head-Fi. Not saying it's going to happen with the Alphas, but you never know. It's not out until Dan starts shipping. I can totally imagine a scenerio where Dan tells us due to circumstances beyond his control the Alphas will be delayed till end of October instead of September.
 
Once they're out we have to wait a few months to see all the various impressions/reviews/measurements until the hype dies down to a manageable level and we get some sort of consenous to the sound vs the HE-500. The HE-500s are world class phones; when they were released they were being compared to the HD800/T1/HE-6 and coming up on top often. This of course no longer happens as people have downgraded the HE-500/LCD-2 for some reason I can't fathom...
 
For the money the HE-500s are a steal. No doubt. Even if something better comes along it'll be worth keeping in the stable for a long time.

 
It's because the price was reduced. Everybody knows that sound quality is directly proportional to cost. 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

 
I think this is just because you are used to the Jergpads. I use Beyer velours, which if anything, enhance the characteristics of the stock velours. My HE-500 is anything but "thin". Compared to my other cans, I find the mids of the HE-500 wet and lush and the upper mids actually a bit recessed. Treble is definitely more forward than the pleathers but not even close to my HD800. I like the velours for the more natural (to my ears) and airy presentation.
 
 
It's because the price was reduced. Everybody knows that sound quality is directly proportional to cost. 

My benchmark has always been the imaginary sound signature in my head, that is perfectly natural / coherent. Subjective, I know, but it's pretty darn helpful in tuning things like modding / EQing. It's the grail I want to reach (without breaking my bank).
 
 
From that basis, velour pads have always been thin and bright-sounding which accentuated the treble hump and really attenuates its midrange bloom and bass growl, relative to the "ideal sound" in my head. It has nothing to do with being used to jergpads (I swapped frequently between pleather pads and velour pads earlier this year, before I bought J$ pads and started pad modding experiments, because both stock pads just bracketed my imaginary ideal sound).
 
I would venture forth and say that stock velour pads are much more airy AND more realistic-sounding than stock pleathers, but stock pleathers are MUCH more coherent in terms of lower end - upper end balance. Subjectively to my ears, there is a slight upward tilt to the velour pads, and a disconnection between bass/midrange and upper-upper-midrange/treble.

 

[Nimzerz]

To me, the velours are 
1) uncomfortable
2) thin sounding
3) bad in the midrange in terms of natural sounding

 

[MattTCG]

That may be how you view them, but I wouldn't say that those comments are a consensus. 
 
1. They are itchy to stiff to some but I think that with the warm water bath trick, they are quite supple and comfy.
 
2. Thin? Hmm...what is your source/amp?
 
3. The midrange will certainly improve with the jergpads but I just can't call the pleathers "bad" at all.

 

[Nimzerz]

Quote:

That may be how you view them, but I wouldn't say that those comments are a consensus. 
 
1. They are itchy to stiff to some but I think that with the warm water bath trick, they are quite supple and comfy.
 
2. Thin? Hmm...what is your source/amp?
 
3. The midrange will certainly improve with the jergpads but I just can't call the pleathers "bad" at all.

Good point, I find them thin when COMPARED with the pleathers off the same amp. Not saying that they are powered properly AT ALL, or EVEN CLOSE to being powered properly yet I still need to discover what gem they turn into when powered correctly

 

[M-13]

Quote:

It's because the price was reduced. Everybody knows that sound quality is directly proportional to cost. 

This is so true on Head-Fi. More $ often means it has to sound better. It's an expectation that's hard to overcome for most people.
 
Now that the LCD-2 is in the house again. I'm thinking about adding the HD800 as my next phone. In a month or two once I have more money saved up. I'm debating between getting the Vahalla or just getting the Lyr again. I miss the sound of tubes... those Orange Globes you have... drool.... I'm looking at those Pope tubes that are supposed to be the South American equivalent of the Orange Globes.
 
What's funny is that I used to think the Vahalla was a completely unnecessary product from Schiit, but now I'm looking at it for the HD800 because I already have a crazy beefy amp for my planars.

 

[Nimzerz]

I just wish there was a way to maybe increase the treble in the 12khz area of the he500 pleathers by a few db. very slight change, but somewhere around there I feel like is a bit too quite for my tastes, otherwise I love the pleathers

 

[TMRaven]

Eq it.

 

[Stalker81598]

Quote:

This is so true on Head-Fi. More $ often means it has to sound better. It's an expectation that's hard to overcome for most people.
 
Now that the LCD-2 is in the house again. I'm thinking about adding the HD800 as my next phone. In a month or two once I have more money saved up. I'm debating between getting the Vahalla or just getting the Lyr again. I miss the sound of tubes... those Orange Globes you have... drool.... I'm looking at those Pope tubes that are supposed to be the South American equivalent of the Orange Globes.
 
What's funny is that I used to think the Vahalla was a completely unnecessary product from Schiit, but now I'm looking at it for the HD800 because I already have a crazy beefy amp for my planars.

 
I really like the Lyr with the HD800. The HD800 is, by design, a really quick headphone. The Lyr slows down the attack a little bit and lushes up the mids and bass. There are other amps that are more "transparent" or "detailed" or whatever other Head-Fi cliché you can think of, but I think the Lyr really makes the HD800 much more enjoyable to listen to. I haven't had an opportunity to hear the Valhalla so unfortunately I can't make a comparison to the Lyr.

 

[koiloco]

Quote:

 
These are certainly in the same league. If they were the same money I'd still pick the AD. The he500 has a really lush and sweet mid range but is matched by the AD. With regards to overall bass presence and quality the AD presents an impressive linear response that can go very deep and with tangible weight to match ANY material that I've used with it. The he500 is not quite as linear and it not able to match the natural texture of instruments like the AD. 
 
 
The treble extension and accuracy is good on both. The AD will have a hint of darkness where the he500 will retain a hint of brightness. But overall they are very close. The he500 will reign over the AD in overall spaciousness of sound stage but the margin is not as big as you might think. 
 
Both are excellent. The AD is $100 less and more comfortable by a fair margin IMO. The fact that the AD is closed but sounds open is a huge plus for me...ymmv on this issue. 

Respectfully disagree after listening to both for quite a bit at the CA meet.  I was ready with credit card in hand to buy the MD to use at work (not sold at the show though).  Then I found out about the AD.  For the money, IMO, MD is much a better perf/price value.  To my ear, the improvements are there in the AD over MD especially in the open sound and sound stage area but at double the price, I would stick with MD 3.2 personally.  The AD is getting close to the HE500 but not quite there yet, IMO.  Maybe, AD2 or AD3 could be but there's only so much tweaking you can do to the same driver, right?
 
...The AD is $100 less and more comfortable by a fair margin IMO..... 
+1 Agree 100%

 

[koiloco]

Quote:

Main reason I'm asking is I can still return my he500... I don't really want to but if it truly does outperform them then...

In your dream...  At least for now.  But if you want to save $100, then go ahead.  You won't be missin much since you haven't had your HE500 for that long to really find out what it can do.
Don't get sucked into new product hype.

 

[koiloco]

Quote:

There is no question that the he500 is a very fine hp. But to say that it will "smoke" the AD might be a little strong. I'm excited to have another contender in this bracket that brings some wonderful things to the table. The fact that it's closed can mean all the difference to those of us who need that benefit. 

Agree but to say AD is in the same league as HE500 is also just as strong, from my experience with both.  I am excited too but will buy some used MD 3.2 instead.