[MattTCG]

  I bought my HE-500 for close to $500 back in 2012. I sold my HE-500 last year for around the same price. HE-500 have always been around that price. Typical price was $525. $550 was pretty much the max. Closer to $500 for the past 3 years I've dealt with Hifiman.
 
Anyways, are the new Hifimans using the same awful stock cables and/or screw connectors?

 
The cable is reportedly reworked on both new model. But the connectors are the same. 

 I tried to argue that it was time to make a change and got no support from anyone on that point. Go figure. 

 

[M-13]

I sold my HE-500 for $499 to someone on Head-Fi. Haha.

 
Does anybody know which side the magnets are on? What I mean by this is that the HE-4 and Abyss have magnets on opposite sides. The side the Abyss chose makes more sense as it has the reflecting waves going away from the ear and not toward.

 

[M-13]

   
The cable is reportedly reworked on both new model. But the connectors are the same. 

 I tried to argue that it was time to make a change and got no support from anyone on that point. Go figure. 

I have this weird feeling that Hifiman will update the connectors later this year and we'll get a "version 2" of the HE-560 and HE-400i. I think they just have a lot of leftover connectors and don't want to throw them out (just a guess of course)

 

[conquerator2]

I have this weird feeling that Hifiman will update the connectors later this year and we'll get a "version 2" of the HE-560 and HE-400i. I think they just have a lot of leftover connectors and don't want to throw them out (just a guess of course)

They did say they will change them with their next line. Simply that the 400i / 560 did not make it.
I'd doubt them changing the cable midway through though, that'd cause a bit of an outrage possibly xD
Next Hifiman confirmed! xP

 

[M-13]

They did say they will change them with their next line. Simply that the 400i / 560 did not make it.
I'd doubt them changing the cable midway through though, that'd cause a bit of an outrage possibly xD
Next Hifiman confirmed! xP

I think when they make the switch all of the current production headphones will get the new connectors. It's much simpler from a business prospective, than continuing to stock the old connectors for those two specific models.
 
This of course is just my thoughts on the matter. I don't know about "outrage" haha. I guess people get pissed off for anything. The old connectors are "fine" but I wouldn't mind them going mini-XLR.

 

[Zoom25]

   
The cable is reportedly reworked on both new model. But the connectors are the same. 

 I tried to argue that it was time to make a change and got no support from anyone on that point. Go figure. 

 
Yeah the stock silver cable is an absolute mess. So maybe just a normal canare that doesn't get tangled. I like the mini XLR design on the Audeze a lot. Even the snap and twist on my KRK KNS 8400 works like a charm.

 

[Zoom25]

Due to the increased sensitivity, I might be willing to consider these as well in the running between TH-600 and TH-900. Going to be interested on how the sound compares between the four.
 
Also, is Hifiman leaving HE-6 as flagship or do they have another model coming out for flagship?...Jade 2 aside.

 

[Nimzerz]

  Due to the increased sensitivity, I might be willing to consider these as well in the running between TH-600 and TH-900. Going to be interested on how the sound compares between the four.
 
Also, is Hifiman leaving HE-6 as flagship or do they have another model coming out for flagship?...Jade 2 aside.

No news yet for a new flagship.

 

[jerg]

  Due to the increased sensitivity, I might be willing to consider these as well in the running between TH-600 and TH-900. Going to be interested on how the sound compares between the four.
 
Also, is Hifiman leaving HE-6 as flagship or do they have another model coming out for flagship?...Jade 2 aside.

HFM definitively confirmed that the true HE-6 replacer is under development, but it won't be out before HE560/400i/'Jade 2'. So for the time being HE-6 stays as their flagship ortho.

 

[adidino]

Who sells replacement/upgrade cables for HIFIMAN? Didn't see much out there besides Cardas.

 

[MattTCG]

Steve Eddy at Q Audio makes a very nice cable.

 

[Amleth]

 
....yes. Lol.

LOL all you want, it's easy to miss actual facts in the 170 pages of endless speculation. I recall plenty of posts asking about this with no response, but didn't see the one where it finally got nailed down.
 
I hope they're much deeper magnets at least, if they're going to be single-sided. Although seeing as they should be cheaper to make as a result, I don't know how they justify selling the 560 for almost double the 500, with a more complicated design. Where does the cost go? Does it have a gold coil like the HE-6 instead of aluminium like the 500? The wood cups can't cost all that much, especially manufactured in bulk...

 

[kyuuketsuki]

 
LOL all you want, it's easy to miss actual facts in the 170 pages of endless speculation. I recall plenty of posts asking about this with no response, but didn't see the one where it finally got nailed down.
 
I hope they're much deeper magnets at least, if they're going to be single-sided. Although seeing as they should be cheaper to make as a result, I don't know how they justify selling the 560 for almost double the 500, with a more complicated design. Where does the cost go? Does it have a gold coil like the HE-6 instead of aluminium like the 500? The wood cups can't cost all that much, especially manufactured in bulk...

 
I honestly don't know what they did, but all I do know is that from my short demo they sounded good and were really comfortable. Also, more complicated design does not always equate to cost. Sophistication usually can translate to higher cost, while the actual look of the design could be overall simplicity. I won't make guesses to material or comparisons to HE-6, because I don't know either (I demoed each the 560 and 6 too far apart to even consider making a comparison). But I'd say hold your criticism until you've had them on your head. I'm sure the weight and sound they achieved is not an easy task to accomplish in tandem. 

 

[Nimzerz]

LOL all you want, it's easy to miss actual facts in the 170 pages of endless speculation. I recall plenty of posts asking about this with no response, but didn't see the one where it finally got nailed down.

I hope they're much deeper magnets at least, if they're going to be single-sided. Although seeing as they should be cheaper to make as a result, I don't know how they justify selling the 560 for almost double the 500, with a more complicated design. Where does the cost go? Does it have a gold coil like the HE-6 instead of aluminium like the 500? The wood cups can't cost all that much, especially manufactured in bulk...

this is EXACTLY what I was trying to tell people too.

 

[tinyman392]

 
LOL all you want, it's easy to miss actual facts in the 170 pages of endless speculation. I recall plenty of posts asking about this with no response, but didn't see the one where it finally got nailed down.
 
I hope they're much deeper magnets at least, if they're going to be single-sided. Although seeing as they should be cheaper to make as a result, I don't know how they justify selling the 560 for almost double the 500, with a more complicated design. Where does the cost go? Does it have a gold coil like the HE-6 instead of aluminium like the 500? The wood cups can't cost all that much, especially manufactured in bulk...

 
The costs went into tuning the single-sided magnet to having more sensitivity than the dual magnet...  That's not the easiest thing to do.  HiFiMan could have easily went with a dual-magnet design to get this (the easier route out), but wanted to lighten the headphones as well.  A lot of R&D went into this...  Fang is probably still tuning and adding the final touches as we speak...  The costs tend not to come from materials, but the R&D that goes into getting the sound just right with that setup and hitting the goals that wouldn't seem possible.  I don't think I know of any planar that could be driven on an iPhone alone (no amp) before HiFiMan did it, let a lone a single-magnet model... 
 
You're not just paying for the materials that makeup the headphone, you're paying for the skill and work that went into it.  That includes the R&D, and everything else.