[preproman]

  The He-500 is a headphone without faults, better yet, it does everything well and somethings amazingly. But its lack of aggressiveness can make you forget that you're listening to music. I sometimes find myself wondering why my neck hurts and then I remember I had my He-500's on. I find myself skipping through entire songs unaware of its presence.

 
Then why the jerg pad mod?

 

[Zuckfun]

Then why the jerg pad mod?

BTW, if there are any doubters left (not likely) of just how effective Jerg's mod is, can we see another picture of the EF-6 sent by Dr. Fang?

 

[headphonatic]

   
Then why the jerg pad mod?

True; then in other words, my He-500's have no faults

. 
Psst; take that with a hint of sarcasm

 

[jerg]

  True; then in other words, my He-500's have no faults

. 

Or you have forgiving ears.

 

[davidsh]

Ha - people get so hasty around here  

'I would prefer not to discuss it further",  " blame my this or that I don't care"  Yeah right - what are you here for?  To talk about headphone audio, Try talking about something your not so defensive about then..  

The problem is - you are not aware "what the signature is" on an inferior amp.  I well aware of the signature of a well driven HE-5LE compared to the 500s.  However, it's all IMO anyway....

I can only talk from my experiences, so really there is nothing more to say except what has been said. Even my he-500 carries the same traits when comparing with my iPhone and my desktop amps. That is my experience. Yours may be different but please don't bitch over my opinion.
For now I see the signature as off with my system and my ears.

 

[headphonatic]

You know, I think it's the weather. We can all be very honest here, and we know the statement/closer "well that's just for you" or "that's your opinion" is complete bull. We like the hype and bias, that's what make these headphone sound good. Since this is an He-500's thread it's best if we get back on topic. As for me, I do feel like a complete hypocrite in saying these headphones have no faults, I am very sorry to those I may have offended. The He-500's have a very unoffensive sound signature, and thus can handle most if not all types of music (unless you listen to frequencies above 50,000 hz or below 15 hz) IMO.

 

[hifimanrookie]

BTW, if there are any doubters left (not likely) of just how effective Jerg's mod is, can we see another picture of the EF-6 sent by Dr. Fang?

Yep that the biggest proof that the jerg mods work..if the inventor (and genius in headphone engineering in general) of a hifiman gives u one of his TOTL amp as gift is recognition enough for me that the jergpads actually work.. Case closed...try it urself...i had the modulor pads on my he500.. And my he500 went from very good to excellent..ofcourse it still wasnt perfect..but really balanced..worth every penny i paid for them... But i now found out that u can get better, even within the hifiman range.

davidsh. My friend..hope we can one meet on a headfi meet and then u can try ur he5le on my new amp..and then u maybe will change ur opinion a bit..but as u say ursefl..its always a personal opinion and ur rig that makes or breaks a good phone... I think we all agree on that..no matter if that amp is high end or budget...its all about finding the right pair...a phone on itself is not on its best if u dont get the right rig (dac/amp/cables/ around it..IMHO ofcourse... Even a multi 1000 usd amp can be worse to drive a he500 then lets say a emotiva.. (Personal Experiences from DSG and KOILOCO with their wooaudio wa22)... Its all about finding the best pairings..and not about how much u can spend on ur rig... Ofcourse best thing is letting a rig being (hand) built to the specs of that particular headphone (like i do)..but for the rest..go out and wander through the world trying out many amps until u find that amp that makes u get goosebumps when listening to ur favorite music..i had that with my 337.. U dont need to believe me..but i did..and it was affordable! That proves u dont need to pay premium prices to get the best out of ur headphone..but dont cut urself short in buying an expensive phone and then drive it with a budget amp that for sure wont drive ur headphone to its best...better get a lesser phone and get ur rig more balanced...imho ofourse..like this example..i found a (now very AFFORDABLE) hd650 with toxic cables SW cable (of a friend of mine) on my 337 better sounding then my he500 (with toxic cables BW) on an expensive and powerful burson conductor... And my friend agreed with me...
Its all about synergy..not about money or watts output..its about quality of the total rig and the balance between the components as a whole.

headphonatic my friend..if u find them faultless then enjoy them..thats most important..let others just talk...its all about u and u enjoying ur he500..

But honest tip..contact modulor by pm...his pads and the open grill mod will make ur jaw fall on the floor if u already find the he500 so good already... it was best money spend on any audio thingie i ever bought! As its very affordable!!

 

[davidsh]

You know, I think it's the weather. We can all be very honest here, and we know the statement/closer "well that's just for you" or "that's your opinion" is complete bull. We like the hype and bias, that's what make these headphone sound good. Since this is an He-500's thread it's best if we get back on topic. As for me, I do feel like a complete hypocrite in saying these headphones have no faults, I am very sorry to those I may have offended. The He-500's have a very unoffensive sound signature, and thus can handle most if not all types of music (unless you listen to frequencies above 50,000 hz or below 15 hz) IMO.

I know exactly what you mean. To me, the he-500 was the first headphone with no obvious bigger flaws back when I got them, which is exactly what I think make them step out of mid-fi and into a category called hi-fi

 

[Radioking59]

Looks like the HE-500 isn't dead yet. From the Hifiman customer service thread.

Eventually, the HE-500 will be phased out and the two models will likely overlap for a while so it will be with us for a while longer. 

Peter

 

[davidsh]

I am using my x-can v8p and mini-x in all sorts of weird combinations for those who missed that. Mainly with the x-can as pre amp for the emotiva.
 
Not sure whether I prefer HE-500 or HE-5le, is to early to say. They have pros and cons, some which have been discussed (hehe). I really like the open and more airy sound of the 5le.

 

[dfarina]

I just purchased a new HE-500 online,they are reduced to $599,so I figured it would be a good time to jump in.Right now I have a HD-650 and wanted an upgrade without spending too much $$,hoping this is a good choice.I also previously had a Audeze LCD 2.2 that I sold and have been kicking myself ever since,really enjoyed them but would have liked a tad bit more sparkle in the uppers so that brought me to the HE-500.Now the waiting game for them to arrive

 

[hifimanrookie]

I was going to jump in here and talk about the HE-500 I just purchased,looks like I would be off topic and on the wrong wrong forum

Ur on the right forum..just dont listen to all those alpha males acting bossy here
Welcome!! Just share with us, what is ur first impression? And what amp/dac u use it with?

 

[davidsh]

We have spent a lot of the time comparing the HE-5le with the HE-500 which is not completely OT, and maybe also a tiny bit of discussion 

 

[jibzilla]

   
Then why the jerg pad mod?

 

[dfarina]

Thanks guys,if they can sound like the LCD 2.2's but with a slight bit more treble in the upper range,I will be a happy boy.They will be powered with a Yulong A18/D18 stack which are known for being very smooth,I am quite sensitive against harsh treble so I hope to achieve nice detail without any of that harshness!!