[leadbythemelody]

So I decided to order a Sennheiser HD650 and it was supposed to come today but it didn't. But I'm glad it didn't come because I changed my mind and want to get a HE-500 for a little more money. I read a review today that stated the HE-500's can compete with a $2000 Magnepan 1.7 and the reviewer himself stated that he preferred it over headphones like the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Sennheiser HD 800, Grado PS-1000, and Ultrasone Edition 8 (the reviewer was Steve Guttenberg on CNET). What do you guys think?

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

So I decided to order a Sennheiser HD650 and it was supposed to come today but it didn't. But I'm glad it didn't come because I changed my mind and want to get a HE-500 for a little more money. I read a review today that stated the HE-500's can compete with a $2000 Magnepan 1.7 and the reviewer himself stated that he preferred it over headphones like the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Sennheiser HD 800, Grado PS-1000, and Ultrasone Edition 8 (the reviewer was Steve Guttenberg on CNET). What do you guys think?

 
Steve Guttenberg, at times he can....
 
HE-500 is the closest headphone I have that resembles a speaker like presentation. It's a great all rounder so yea I'd recommend getting them. I don't have the D7000, but have the D2000. The HE-500 are definitely far better than D2000. A lot of people have told me they also prefer the HE-500 to D7000.  No experience with AT and Grado's.
 
While these are quite good, I'll still take a speakers rig anytime over these or in fact any other headphone I have listened to so far. Your taste can vary. Although for headphone purposes, HE-500 is definitely a safe and good bet. Also high resale value in case you don't like it (pretty sure you will though 

)

 

[leadbythemelody]

 

 

[leadbythemelody]

How does it do with the O2 amp? I've got one haha.

 

[Flognuts]

Quote:

So I decided to order a Sennheiser HD650 and it was supposed to come today but it didn't. But I'm glad it didn't come because I changed my mind and want to get a HE-500 for a little more money. I read a review today that stated the HE-500's can compete with a $2000 Magnepan 1.7 and the reviewer himself stated that he preferred it over headphones like the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Sennheiser HD 800, Grado PS-1000, and Ultrasone Edition 8 (the reviewer was Steve Guttenberg on CNET). What do you guys think?

I went from the HD650's to the HE500.s 
 
They are not even close imo, if your source and amp are up to scratch the HE-500 might be the last high end headphone you ever buy.....they are absolutely end game for me, while the HD-650 were a big dissapointment 

 

[M-13]

I believe Steve Guttenberg is on some kind of audiphile hit list. He'll be shot on sight by audiphile pirates. So remember to take others' opinions with a grain of salt and gather info from multiple sources.
 
I REALLY hate it when people say Skylab, Mike at Headfonia, said this and that and so it's gospel and the truth. There are a lot of informed opinions on this site, check relevent threads and do a little bit of reading. May take a few hours to understand the general consensus, and get through all the impressions/opinions but it'll be worth your time as you'll make a more informed decision.
 
That being said, I don't think anyone will argue that the HE-500 isn't better than all of the phones you mentioned other than the HD800. If you have the amp to drive them, it's easily better than the HD650 (IMO, YMMV, etc, etc...)

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

How does it do with the O2 amp? I've got one haha.

 
I have had the O2 for 8 months now. I used it with HE-500 for couple of months last year. Then I got the Emotiva and haven't used the O2 with planars. It was a good combination to use for a while, especially if you are trying to save up some money for another amp. The O2 lacks the bass quantity and impact  that HE-500 has with other amps. Also, missing some body and fullness. You can definitely get the HE-500 and use it with O2. See if you like it or not for yourself.

 

[leadbythemelody]

LOL audiophile pirates. Does the O2 amp do the HE-500's some justice?

 

[leadbythemelody]

How's the soundstage on these suckers compared to other high end open headphones (e.g. HD800's)?

 

[M-13]

Quote:

LOL audiophile pirates. Does the O2 amp do the HE-500's some justice?

IMO?
 
Just get a Schiit Magni. or the Emotiva min-X. BTW the Emotiva mini-X is on sale for $189 right now.

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by leadbythemelody /img/forum/go_quote.gif

How's the soundstage on these suckers compared to other high end open headphones (e.g. HD800's)?

 
Soundstage/imaging wise, they would get crushed by the HD800. Even the HD650 has a wider soundstage.

 

[Zoom25]

Quote:

I believe Steve Guttenberg is on some kind of audiphile hit list. He'll be shot on sight by audiphile pirates. So remember to take others' opinions with a grain of salt and gather info from multiple sources.
 
I REALLY hate it when people say Skylab, Mike at Headfonia, said this and that and so it's gospel and the truth. There are a lot of informed opinions on this site, check relevent threads and do a little bit of reading. May take a few hours to understand the general consensus, and get through all the impressions/opinions but it'll be worth your time as you'll make a more informed decision.
 
That being said, I don't think anyone will argue that the HE-500 isn't better than all of the phones you mentioned other than the HD800. If you have the amp to drive them, it's easily better than the HD650 (IMO, YMMV, etc, etc...)

 
Yup. Agreed.
 
Regarding Steve, here's one of his many insightful comments: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20029913-47.html
 
"So while lossless audio compression (FLAC or Apple Lossless for example) can be "expanded" to produce an exact digital duplicate of the original audio stream, that's not necessarily the same thing as sounding exactly like an uncompressed WAV file or a CD. To my ears lossless files add a glare or edge to the music and flatten the soundstage. Please don't misunderstand, I think FLAC or Apple Lossless sound perfectly fine, just not on par with a CD, when played on a high-end audio system"
 
Yeaaaaahhhhh...
 
lossless is lossless. Compression is only for storage. After decoding, the raw files are the same.

 

[leadbythemelody]

Magni vs O2? Sound?

 

[Spiderman]

I recently got a chance to listen to the he-500's properly amped, I sold mine locally after I ran them off my avr and they didn't sound all that great, and honestly even with the lyr I found the sound stage to be extremely narrow. Another thing was that even though the mids sound great they aren't as forward or engaging as I would have liked them to be.

 

[Limniscate]

Quote:

I recently got a chance to listen to the he-500's properly amped, I sold mine locally after I ran them off my avr and they didn't sound all that great, and honestly even with the lyr I found the sound stage to be extremely narrow. Another thing was that even though the mids sound great they aren't as forward or engaging as I would have liked them to be.

The sound stage is definitely not as wide as some other cans, e.g., DT880, but I wouldn't call it narrow either.  

 

[Stalker81598]

The soundstage is what I would describe as "intimate" but the separation and imaging are quite fantastic.