[daerron]

  The 500's are going for 499 on amazon right now. Is that the best buy i'll come across or do they go for cheaper?

I think that is a wonderful deal. You'll often find HE-500s going for that price in the classifieds. You might get one there now with an upgraded cable that might be worthwhile. The stock HE-500 cable is rather garbage.

 

[BuLLeT_BaiT]

  The 500's are going for 499 on amazon right now. Is that the best buy i'll come across or do they go for cheaper?

 
I just picked up a 8.5/10 pair with spare cables on an Australian classified site for ~$370USD. I was browsing the classifieds daily for a month or so before I bit the bullet and they usually go for $420-500 depending on age and condition. Based on my brief experience on their sound, its a great deal at that price.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

You'll also want to consider buying the Focus-A or Focus Pads from Headdirect (Hifiman's online store) because they far outclass the stock pads. I picked up the Focus-As, and they are much better than both pairs that came with the headphones. I would consider this upgrade absolute mandatory. And to answer your question, yes, I do think it's worth the price, but you might find a nice pair on the classifieds here as well.
 
Best, 

 

[paladinm]

You'll also want to consider buying the Focus-A or Focus Pads from Headdirect (Hifiman's online store) because they far outclass the stock pads. I picked up the Focus-As, and they are much better than both pairs that came with the headphones. I would consider this upgrade absolute mandatory. And to answer your question, yes, I do think it's worth the price, but you might find a nice pair on the classifieds here as well.

Best, 

I'm also considering picking up a pair of focuspad or focuspad-a, but don't know which one to go...

 

[borrego]

There has been talking in the HE560 thread of a possible newer, thicker version of the Focus pads to give a darker, thicker, smoother sound. There will be photos of that new pads posted in the HE560 thread.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

There has been talking in the HE560 thread of a possible newer, thicker version of the Focus pads to give a darker, thicker, smoother sound. There will be photos of that new pads posted in the HE560 thread.

Very interesting!

 

[JoeDoe]

+1 for the Focus pads. I've been comparing the 500s to the 400i and I'm pretty sure if I had the stock velours on the 500s it would skew the comparison as the uncomfortability would be almost unbearable.

 

[daerron]

I still find the velour pads more comfortable than the focus pads, because they are more spacious and less scratchy. The focus pads does sound more balanced and "focussed" so to speak. I'm still waiting to see whether my copper upgrade cable tames a bit of the high end along with a warmer SS amp. If not, some darker sounding pads would be welcome as long as it doesn't sound like the pleathers.

 

[ThurstonX]

I think it's worth looking at the new memory foam HM5 pads for the HE-500s.  The velours are fantastic, FME (that's like IMO; For My Ears  and outclass the FocusPads by a long way.  YMMV, of course, but they're about half the price of either FocusPad.  Oh, and they are very comfortable FME.
 
The only caveat is that you need the mounting rings, but if you have the HE-500s, you should have at least one pair of HFM pads, and probably two.  That takes care of that.

 

[ThurstonX]

  I still find the velour pads more comfortable than the focus pads, because they are more spacious and less scratchy. The focus pads does sound more balanced and "focussed" so to speak. I'm still waiting to see whether my copper upgrade cable tames a bit of the high end along with a warmer SS amp. If not, some darker sounding pads would be welcome as long as it doesn't sound like the pleathers.

 
See my previous post (last on the previous page).  Sounds like what you're going for sound-wise.

 

[marios_mar]

I think that the HE500s have some sort of metallic sound on vocals. Can't really explain it, but it was not warm and full sounding on the vocals.
 
It was the only thing along with the huge weight that drove me away from those headphones. Otherwise I think they are amazon for their money.

 

[hifimanrookie]

I think that the HE500s have some sort of metallic sound on vocals. Can't really explain it, but it was not warm and full sounding on the vocals.

It was the only thing along with the huge weight that drove me away from those headphones. Otherwise I think they are amazon for their money.

Thats a new one for me..the he500 sounding thin and not warm with vocals..as that phone was imho one of the best sounding can for vocals...not cold at all...probably to do with the amp ur using: O2 maybe, or another colder sounding powerlacking more affordable SS amp?

 

[daerron]

  I think that the HE500s have some sort of metallic sound on vocals. Can't really explain it, but it was not warm and full sounding on the vocals.
 
It was the only thing along with the huge weight that drove me away from those headphones. Otherwise I think they are amazon for their money.

The most metallic cans I've heard for vocals were the Audio Technica M50s and the Sennheiser HD700s? That is like adding raw iron to your diet. I imagine the HD700 would fair better with a valve amp. I can only imagine that your experience with the HE-500 must have been an system mismatch somewhere? The mids and vocals are what motivates me to deliberately keep my neck muscles in shape so I can wear these happily for long periods of time. I've listened to the Focal Spirit Pro's this week and far prefer the comfort of the HE-500. Now there is an excellent headphone marred marred by poor ergonomics and build.

 

[marios_mar]

They were driven by a Fiio Mont Blanc mostly. 
 
My comparison was based on the SR404 and SR313 as well as HD600s and HD650s which were lush with mids and the RS1 that I was using a lot lately.
 
Not trying to stir up a debate, but IMO the kids were metallic compared to the aforementioned pairs of headphones.  But maybe it was my system or my ears.

 

[borrego]

  I think it's worth looking at the new memory foam HM5 pads for the HE-500s.  The velours are fantastic, FME (that's like IMO; For My Ears  and outclass the FocusPads by a long way.  YMMV, of course, but they're about half the price of either FocusPad.  Oh, and they are very comfortable FME.
 
The only caveat is that you need the mounting rings, but if you have the HE-500s, you should have at least one pair of HFM pads, and probably two.  That takes care of that.

 
How do you find the imaging of the HM5 pads? I think they are not angled like the Focus pads?
 
I always think the Hifiman phones could use some more extreme angled pad to bring the sound stage forward. I am already using the angled pads, plus the crossfeed function of my Corda Classic amp to bring the sound stage forward of my head. But with most music I still have this weird sound stage feeling of having the singer/guitarist on stage in front of me, but with the drummer playing beside/behind me. I think this is because of the relatively large hifiman drivers which makes a large amount of sound behind ears.
 
My Sony SA3000, and the newly acquired SR325e (being on-ears) both have their drivers placed in front of ears to have the correct bass image.