[Textfeud]

   
Yeah. That's pretty much the decision I've already made. If I wait for the G109-S, which should, by all accounts drive them with room to spare and therefore not 'compromise' their sound quality, I'll probably miss the window for returning them to the retailer.
 
Decisions, decisions...

They might be defective.. Is there a hifi store nearby where you can listen to the HE-500 with a amp?

 

[i019791]

Originally Posted by Stonephace
 
Originally Posted by koiloco /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
^ return your HE500 and get something else.  If they are not defective, they might not be for you and your sonic preference.  It's simple as that.
Gluck!

+1
And do not bother with other amps, it will be a waste of time & money

 

[koiloco]

Any local head-fiers around with a hefty amp that could drive HE500?  Honestly, even with the amps you have, you should not be lacking bass and having such bad high to the extent you are experiencing.  On high gain, my little Fiio E17 DAC/amp can do ok with the HE500 though it can't be compared to speaker amps or more pwrful HP amps.
 
The other thing is to have someone else you know/trust to listen to the HE500 and see what he/she thinks.  Do you consider yourself a "bass head" in anyway?

 

[Stonephace]

  Any local head-fiers around with a hefty amp that could drive HE500?  Honestly, even with the amps you have, you should not be lacking bass and having such bad high to the extent you are experiencing.  On high gain, my little Fiio E17 DAC/amp can do ok with the HE500 though it can't be compared to speaker amps or more pwrful HP amps.
 
The other thing is to have someone else you know/trust to listen to the HE500 and see what he/she thinks.  Do you consider yourself a "bass head" in anyway?

 
I wish there was someone local who could listen to them and give me a second opinion, but sadly, there isn't anyone like that. All I have to go on is my own flawed, subjective opinion.
 
'Bass head'? Not sure - based on my reaction to the '500s compared to (my understanding of) the consensus view, I must be...
 
So where do I go from here? Suppose I do still have £750/$1250 to spend (though probably quite a bit less now), what are the 'bass head' phones at that price point?

 

[StanD]

  Any local head-fiers around with a hefty amp that could drive HE500?  Honestly, even with the amps you have, you should not be lacking bass and having such bad high to the extent you are experiencing.  On high gain, my little Fiio E17 DAC/amp can do ok with the HE500 though it can't be compared to speaker amps or more pwrful HP amps.
 
The other thing is to have someone else you know/trust to listen to the HE500 and see what he/she thinks.  Do you consider yourself a "bass head" in anyway?

My FiiO E12 can drive them well. I put them on the speaker taps of my 65 Watts RMS/Channel Technics last night and one wrong turn of the volume control and there'd be nothing left of me except a pair of smoking shoes. In either case I get gobs of bass. I wonder what went awry for Stonephace????

 

[Textfeud]

   
I wish there was someone local who could listen to them and give me a second opinion, but sadly, there isn't anyone like that. All I have to go on is my own flawed, subjective opinion.
 
'Bass head'? Not sure - based on my reaction to the '500s compared to (my understanding of) the consensus view, I must be...
 
So where do I go from here? Suppose I do still have £750/$1250 to spend (though probably quite a bit less now), what are the 'bass head' phones at that price point?

Probably get a closed can instead of a open can. Maybe Fostex Th600/900?

 

[StanD]

   
I wish there was someone local who could listen to them and give me a second opinion, but sadly, there isn't anyone like that. All I have to go on is my own flawed, subjective opinion.
 
'Bass head'? Not sure - based on my reaction to the '500s compared to (my understanding of) the consensus view, I must be...
 
So where do I go from here? Suppose I do still have £750/$1250 to spend (though probably quite a bit less now), what are the 'bass head' phones at that price point?

I think that once you up the ante you're looking more at audiophile cans then basshead cans. Perhaps you might be happier with a less expensive closed back design that pumps out more bass. Although you might miss the soundstage of open back cans. Got to get what makes you happy, not the wiseguys on Head-Fi 

 Before you toss in the towel, did you try to EQ up the bass below 100hz?

 

[tuna47]

I love the he500 was wondering if the he600 was a much better phone anyone compare the 2

 

[i019791]

  Probably get a closed can instead of a open can. Maybe Fostex Th600/900?

Or a (used) Denon 2000

 

[Textfeud]

  Or a (used) Denon 2000

I have a Denon D5000 coming that I might sell if I don't like it, so better wait for that one then 

 

[davidsh]

Tried sinegen to check the bass extension?

 

[Okamoto]

  tl:dr I can't handle the apparent lack of bass and piercing treble of my new HE-500s. What do I replace them with, or should everyone just point and laugh at me because of what I'm driving them with, or are my pair 'broken'?
 
For Christmas I thought I'd treat myself to a set of expensive-ish 'phones - always good, right? 2013 was crap, and I can't listen to music though speakers, so I need some good Head-Fi 
 
Please note, these are my subjective opinions. I'm trying to describe my experiences, I'm not criticising you, your kit, your tastes or your ears I genuinely want to get to the bottom of my issues with the HE-500s...
 
I'd looked at the threads on the Audeze LCD-3/2/X and the Senn HD-800, but the consensus (and some suggestions/recommendations from folks here) pointed me towards the HE-500s, based on the music I mostly listen to (guitars, indie/alternative/rock/folk, mix of male/female vocals - in no way the ultimate in 'fidelity'), plus my too-much-loud-music-as-a-youth screwed up hearing.
 
They arrived the day after Boxing Day (27th) and I eagerly strapped them on. Initial thoughts - 1. they're not as heavy/uncomfortable as I thought they might be. 2. these cables are *appalling* I can hear every single bit of contact they make with, well, anything and everything. 3. Where's the bass? Seriously, where's the bass? I *know* these tracks I'm listening to have drums and bass guitar on them, but I'm struggling to hear it. 4. The treble. Oh.My.God. It's actually making me wince. I can't listen to this.
 
So. I 'burn them in'. Four days straight of playing classical/operatic music at a decent volume through them while they're wrapped in a duvet. Let's call it 100 hours all in.
 
There's still no bass.The treble is still wince-inducing - too often tinny/metallic/sibilant/piercing/ or sounding like I'm listening with my head in a bucket. There's a track by a folk singer named Georgia Ruth called 'Week of Pines'. It's lovely, sweet, melodic, tuneful and with a good bass 'thump'. Until I listen to it through the '500s. I'd almost go as far as to say the treble hurts. I've now listened to a lot of stuff through them (Queen, Replacements, Blondie, Ezio, Beatles, My Bloody Valentine, even Sibelius, for example), and it pretty much all sounds subjectively less 'musical'/'enjoyable' than through my DX50/JDS C5/V-Moda M-80 portable kit. If I crank up the volume 'til I can hear some bass, the volume makes my ears ring.
 
Listening through my cheaper kit gets my foot tapping. Listening through the '500s puts my teeth on edge.
 
So here we are. Looks like someone in the UK is going to get a very good deal on a nearly-new pair of '500s in the classifieds. But what do I replace them with? It looks like I need something less 'accurate' than the '500s are. Less - - - and more \__, or maybe even |__, if that makes sense
 
Or do I just need to try and get them replaced as they seem to sound so different to how other people hear them?
 
(Bit of background - all music is FLAC, ripped by me from CD using EAC/AccurateRip. Music is stored on a NAS connected by wired ethernet to a Squeezbox Touch. Amps have included Schiit Asgard mk1, JDS Labs O2, Graham Slee Solo. I've got a Lake People G109-S on the way. If they sound this bad through that they're getting sold, no matter what. Other 'phones I've heard include M-80, HD600, UM3X, ATH-W1000X, Apple Earpods(!))
 
BTW, I have a feeling that the phrase 'Emotiva mini-X a-100' may be used at least once in any replies to this . Please note that I'm not paying what will turn out to be >$400 for an amp that you can get for $169 in the US (postage+tax+customs+FedEx 'charges' for me over here in the UK). If the '500s are that sensitive to choice of amp then I'm selling them on principle - and serves me right.

 
I may be wrong, but my guess is that or you're not getting a good seal, or your pair is defective. I'm saying this because I have a V-moda M-80 too, and there's no comparison: HE-500's bass is in a completely different league. When the music asks for it, it delivers with visceral impact and texture.

 

[bhazard]

   
I wish there was someone local who could listen to them and give me a second opinion, but sadly, there isn't anyone like that. All I have to go on is my own flawed, subjective opinion.
 
'Bass head'? Not sure - based on my reaction to the '500s compared to (my understanding of) the consensus view, I must be...
 
So where do I go from here? Suppose I do still have £750/$1250 to spend (though probably quite a bit less now), what are the 'bass head' phones at that price point?

Don't get rid of them yet. Find something with a bass knob, or EQ a bass boost into them. I find the HE-500 very bass lacking and treble wincing myself at times.
 
The HE-500 sounds good on my Aune T1 amp, but it sounds excellent off my Lepai 2020+ speaker amp with bass boost engaged. If you can get or make speaker tap cables, try the Lepai for $20 before you get rid of them.

 

[koiloco]

  Don't get rid of them yet. Find something with a bass knob, or EQ a bass boost into them. I find the HE-500 very bass lacking and treble wincing myself at times.
 
The HE-500 sounds good on my Aune T1 amp, but it sounds excellent off my Lepai 2020+ speaker amp with bass boost engaged. If you can get or make speaker tap cables, try the Lepai for $20 before you get rid of them.

 
Another great example of "we all hear so differently". 

 

 

[Okamoto]

Just listened to that song he mentioned (Georgia Ruth - Week of Pines) on both my M-80 and HE-500 with a Burson HA-160. The bass is much, much deeper and texturized and everything sounds more natural on the HE-500. Her voice sounds truly beautiful on the HiFiMAN and I hear no sibilance or harshness(it seems like a well recorded song). I'm almost convinced that he's not getting a good seal.