HiFiman HE-500 (HE as in High End) Proving to be an enjoyable experience in listening.

[Llloyd]

Experimenting with using blutac to attach the focus pads on with 4 pieces per pad. It really really brings out the bass (especially the subbass) but pulls back the mids and extends the highs. Makes them kind of U-shaped and awesome for EDM

 
Interesting.  To my ears the HE-500 never really had sub bass, decent extension but not into the sub region.  Not sure what the measurements say, or what frequencies qualify as sub, but other headphones known for their bass seem to do better in terms of sub for electronic music.  Not at all bashing here, just what I have heard.  
 
Lots of dynamic headphones (at all price ranges) seem to extend further into bass to get a nice sub while sacrificing a lot.  The HE-500 is the best value in headphones and one of the best EDM cans at any price.  It's just not a headphone that ever struck me as having amazing sub bass.  The bass it does have is excellent as far as it extends.

 

[spurxiii]

Interesting.  To my ears the HE-500 never really had sub bass, decent extension but not into the sub region.  Not sure what the measurements say, or what frequencies qualify as sub, but other headphones known for their bass seem to do better in terms of sub for electronic music.  Not at all bashing here, just what I have heard.  

Lots of dynamic headphones (at all price ranges) seem to extend further into bass to get a nice sub while sacrificing a lot.  The HE-500 is the best value in headphones and one of the best EDM cans at any price.  It's just not a headphone that ever struck me as having amazing sub bass.  The bass it does have is excellent as far as it extends.

Now that I've had a chance to hear it out of the M9 I'm liking the Blu tac a lot. It's really worth a try and fully reversible. Just 4 pieces each pad which leaves 4 gaps. Wider soundstage, more sub bass (and it is definitely more sub bass, and not mid bass)

 

[bavinck]

I sure get lots of sub bass out of my Gustard H10.

 

[BeatsWork]

Now that I've had a chance to hear it out of the M9 I'm liking the Blu tac a lot. It's really worth a try and fully reversible. Just 4 pieces each pad which leaves 4 gaps. Wider soundstage, more sub bass (and it is definitely more sub bass, and not mid bass)

 
How adhesive is the blu tac? Are you using just to create seal or actually hold cups in place? Sounds great for sealing but I've got the very large Alpha Mad Dog pads and afraid they'd fall off without tabs.
 
I have an idea to create a collar from hard plastic matching outside diameter of cups - creating a donut from lexan and then gluing that to collar. Bass ports would be cut in to collar where joined to donut. Then again I tend to over-engineer things

 

[joespride]

I thought sub bass was pretty much anything below 20hz,  using tones my stock 500's would reproduce down to 15 in my setup,  I took 1 piece of the tacper cup , rolled it out into a long thin snake and went all the way around with no ports
 
there is improvement but have not tested with tones yet may try and put a small port and see if it is a more definitive improvement in bass

 

[ThurstonX]

  I thought sub bass was pretty much anything below 20hz,  using tones my stock 500's would reproduce down to 15 in my setup,  I took 1 piece of the tacper cup , rolled it out into a long thin snake and went all the way around with no ports
 
there is improvement but have not tested with tones yet may try and put a small port and see if it is a more definitive improvement in bass

 
FWIW...
 

Sub-Bass

 - The audio frequencies between about 20Hz and 80Hz
 
Article: http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
 
Discussion: http://www.head-fi.org/t/220770/describing-sound-a-glossary

 

[joespride]

thanks Thurston 

 

[StanD]

I don't think the HE-500 or any of these Hifiman cans are lacking in sub bass.
 

 

[genclaymore]

  I don't think the HE-500 or any of these Hifiman cans are lacking in sub bass.
 

I agree I listen to dubstep and that tend to have alot of sub bass which is a shock some times,these cans are open and have this much sub bass. Makes you feel like you have closed back headphones on but you know you dont.

 

[StanD]

 
I agree I listen to dubstep and that tend to have alot of sub bass which is a shock some times,these cans are open and have this much sub bass. Makes you feel like you have closed back headphones on but you know you dont.

And they have fantastic transient response, evidenced by the tremendous impact of percussion and bass slam.

 

[bavinck]

  And they have fantastic transient response, evidenced by the tremendous impact of percussion and bass slam.

Yup. These cans are absolutely phenomenal for electronic music.

 

[goropeza]

  Yup. These cans are absolutely phenomenal for electronic music.

IDK, for me they were decent for electronic but not phenomenal by any means. The HE 500's are great all rounders and can do everything pretty well, but other cans like the HD 700 and AH-D X000 (modded versions included) do electronic better imo.

 

[illitirit]

New HE500 owner here.
 
Absolutely love the headphone.  I however, hate the crap stock silver cable.
 
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good custom cable?  I would like to keep the price around 50$ if possible.  Are the ones from ebay / china around 30$ bucks bad?
 
I have gotten a recommendation for bestintheverse cables, but would like to hear anyone else opinion before I buy something like an expensive cable.

 

[bavinck]

I have one of the $30 deals from eBay, excellent cable. Much better than stock.

 

[Rockcoon]

None a bit of silver in cable should be. That's the most important. Everything else is optional.

P.S
Have the question to the DIY makers. Is it able to reterminate balanced conector on aftermarket cable to TRS?
Thought i will go with audio gd nfb 10.33. But now i'm about to order violectric v200 :rolleyes: