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HiFiman HE-500 (HE as in High End) Proving to be an enjoyable experience in listening.
Mar 3, 2013 at 5:33 PM Post #3,481 of 20,386
Quote:
ultrainferno said:
Would 8W/channel be too much for the HE-500?
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Hifiman doesn't recommend using speaker amps for the HE-500 since it is much more sensitive than the HE-6 and other older siblings (saw this somewhere on their site).  Doesn't need near the watts that people like to think.  Wasn't a huge difference between 200mW and 2W to my ears (differences probably due to topology than anything else - SS vs tube).  
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 5:37 PM Post #3,482 of 20,386
Quote:
fraggler said:
Hifiman doesn't recommend using speaker amps for the HE-500 since it is much more sensitive than the HE-6 and other older siblings (saw this somewhere on their site).  Doesn't need near the watts that people like to think.  Wasn't a huge difference between 200mW and 2W to my ears (differences probably due to topology than anything else - SS vs tube).  
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I hope you're wrong or I just spent a whole bunch of money on a new Amp for nothing... 
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Mar 3, 2013 at 5:54 PM Post #3,483 of 20,386
He's not wrong at all.  The 500s don't need nearly as much juice as the 5LEs or the 6s or even the 4s.  However, that's not saying it wont work or wont sound good.  Lots of people are using the Emotiva a-100 speaker amp.  A very low wattage amp any more than that is not needed.
 
Happy Camper is using the 500s on a pair of 125wpc mono blocks.  He's says they open up really good.  
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 6:09 PM Post #3,484 of 20,386
Quote:
preproman said:
He's not wrong at all.  The 500s don't need nearly as much juice as the 5LEs or the 6s or even the 4s.  However, that's not saying it wont work or wont sound good.  Lots of people are using the Emotiva a-100 speaker amp.  A very low wattage amp any more than that is not needed.
 
Happy Camper is using the 500s on a pair of 125wpc mono blocks.  He's says they open up really good.  
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I was joking. I get that he means you don't need much power to run 500s but he also said he couldn't hear much difference between a Portable Amp and a full sized Desktop Amp with 8 times more power. I WISH that were true. Of course there's a difference or nobody would be buying Lyrs at the rate they are buying them.   
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Mar 3, 2013 at 6:52 PM Post #3,485 of 20,386
Quote:
bareyb said:
I was joking. I get that he means you don't need much power to run 500s but he also said he couldn't hear much difference between a Portable Amp and a full sized Desktop Amp with 8 times more power. I WISH that were true. Of course there's a difference or nobody would be buying Lyrs at the rate they are buying them.   
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In a hobby where diminishing returns rule and hyperbole runs rampant, I like to pipe up every now and then to try to keep things in perspective.  People who are new to the hobby worry about "getting the most" out of their headphones are too often pushed to get gear that won't make an appreciable difference in sound, especially to inexperienced ears.  More doesn't equate to better.  
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 6:53 PM Post #3,486 of 20,386
Definitely a difference between my Dragonfly and Lyr. The DF will drive them OK for very casual listening and the Lyr brings so much authority, body, air and much more.
Quote:
bareyb said:
I was joking. I get that he means you don't need much power to run 500s but he also said he couldn't hear much difference between a Portable Amp and a full sized Desktop Amp with 8 times more power. I WISH that were true. Of course there's a difference or nobody would be buying Lyrs at the rate they are buying them.   
wink.gif
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Mar 3, 2013 at 7:12 PM Post #3,487 of 20,386
Quote:
bareyb said:
I was joking. I get that he means you don't need much power to run 500s but he also said he couldn't hear much difference between a Portable Amp and a full sized Desktop Amp with 8 times more power. I WISH that were true. Of course there's a difference or nobody would be buying Lyrs at the rate they are buying them.   
wink.gif
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People buying up expensive products at a high rate doesn't necessarily equal the product being of much better quality. I'm not saying it isn't, but I certainly wouldn't swear by it. A large number of people being given both choices in a blind test and choosing the Lyr as the better of the two would be a far more convincing piece of information. 
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 10:13 PM Post #3,489 of 20,386
Quote:
pukeman said:
well I feel like an idiot now...
 
I ordered a 1/4inch to 3.5mm jack along with my HE500. The HE500s are here but the jack hasn't arrived yet. I only just now ordered the Lyr+Brifrost combo. So at the moment I have to settle for sniffing the fine leather headband (which smells great by the way)
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Cool, I am using the combo as well. Hope you will enjoy them. Dont worrry much about sniffing though. I too had my Lyr sent back for repair the next day after HE-500 arrived. And for the next few weeks, I had to settle with only staring at them.
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 11:13 PM Post #3,490 of 20,386
Quote:
mickeyvee said:
Definitely a difference between my Dragonfly and Lyr. The DF will drive them OK for very casual listening and the Lyr brings so much authority, body, air and much more.
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Oh, no doubt. I love my FiiO E17, but it doesn't hold a candle to my full sized Amps. It's amazing for what it is, but there's no substitute for raw power. In fact, I just bought a more powerful Amp to replace my DACMini. It has approximately 6 times the power of the E17 and even that wasn't enough power. Sure my 500s "worked" with it, but they needed more power to reach the undistorted volume levels that I desire. 
 
Mar 5, 2013 at 9:23 AM Post #3,491 of 20,386
Hehehe 
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Finally got myself something to truly open my HE-500 up.
 

Can you guess what it is? Obviously, it'll be too easy to guess :) (More pictures coming later)
 
Mar 5, 2013 at 9:28 AM Post #3,492 of 20,386
Quote:
vortexblast said:
Hehehe 
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Finally got myself something to truly open my HE-500 up.
 

Can you guess what it is? Obviously, it'll be too easy to guess :) (More pictures coming later)
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 A tube powered can opener?
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Mar 5, 2013 at 9:33 AM Post #3,493 of 20,386
Quote:
nigeljames said:
 A tube powered can opener?
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 Yes indeed! 
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Actually, I need to rectify a bit. Can you guess what amp is it just looking at the tubes?
 
Mar 5, 2013 at 9:41 AM Post #3,494 of 20,386
Quote:
vortexblast said:
Hehehe 
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Finally got myself something to truly open my HE-500 up.
 
 
Can you guess what it is? Obviously, it'll be too easy to guess :) (More pictures coming later)
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Looks like Lyr 6B27 stock tubes to me. No offense if I am wrong. :)
 
Mar 5, 2013 at 10:01 AM Post #3,495 of 20,386
Quote:
forsakenarcher said:
Looks like Lyr 6B27 stock tubes to me. No offense if I am wrong. :)
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Correct, you got one free internetz point!
 
This is my first tube amp and it does pair very well with the HE-500. I find that using the velour pads with the Lyr makes it balanced sounding. The pleathers with the Lyr make it sound a bit too warm.
 
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