[bagwell359]

My JDS Labs O2 & Subjective3 equalizer = $230.00. Some people may scoff at this but let me tell you that, (a) the O2 drives the HE500 w/ ease, &, (b) this amp is very, very underrated due to it's size & price; this amp is dynamic and detailed. The analog Subjective3 equalizer is an excellent complimentary to the O2. I use it mainly to give my music either a bit more bass or treble or both. My suggestion for an excellent sound at an amazing price.

Review: JDS Labs Objective2 | The Master Switch, dated July, 2018

https://www.themasterswitch.com/review-jds-labs-objective2

This EQ does well with phase and some other important things but seems channel to channel tracking is an issue:

http://melp242.blogspot.com/2018/02/jds-labs-subjective3-tone-control.html

Given the cost, it's pretty nice.

At a gross level a 3 band can have some positive effects, but its unlikely to correct most real world situations in a complete way - even the 4 way Loki can do only so much. If you have a LCD2 2C:

treble up +2db

That's going to get you closer to flat, except the upper mids.

But the 500 has ample output across the board (exept the upper mids). At least going by my HE-500 and my ears. If I could guess what mine might like to become flat it might be:

20Hz - +2.5db
90Hz - -1.5db
180 Hz - -1db
2500-4000 Hz +2db
4000-6000 Hz +3db
9-10 KHz -3db
18 KHz +3db

If I'm right I'd need about a 12 band to make that flat.

How do you set yours?

 

[BobG55]

This EQ does well with phase and some other important things but seems channel to channel tracking is an issue:

http://melp242.blogspot.com/2018/02/jds-labs-subjective3-tone-control.html

Given the cost, it's pretty nice.

At a gross level a 3 band can have some positive effects, but its unlikely to correct most real world situations in a complete way - even the 4 way Loki can do only so much. If you have a LCD2 2C:

treble up +2db

That's going to get you closer to flat, except the upper mids.

But the 500 has ample output across the board (exept the upper mids). At least going by my HE-500 and my ears. If I could guess what mine might like to become flat it might be:

20Hz - +2.5db
90Hz - -1.5db
180 Hz - -1db
2500-4000 Hz +2db
4000-6000 Hz +3db
9-10 KHz -3db
18 KHz +3db

If I'm right I'd need about a 12 band to make that flat.

How do you set yours?

I'm not being flippant at all here in my response. I don't understand any of what you've written. I've never understood the technical part of audio. I tried, God knows I did but it was the same with math in school. I never grasped it. My brain isn't wired that way. I'm subjective, not objective and not by choice but by necessity.
Sorry I can't adequately reply. I also listen to CDs and have never downloaded music.

Also, I don't know what "channel to channel tracking" means.

I do know that with the set up I have the sound is excellent, especially with well produced/ recorded music.

 

[bagwell359]

I'm not being flippant at all here in my response. I don't understand any of what you've written. I've never understood the technical part of audio. I tried, God knows I did but it was the same with math in school. I never grasped it. My brain isn't wired that way. I'm subjective, not objective and not by choice but by necessity.
Sorry I can't adequately reply. I also listen to CDs and have never downloaded music.

Also, I don't know what "channel to channel tracking" means.

I do know that with the set up I have the sound is excellent, especially with well produced/ recorded music.

I was trying to be clear, sorry I appeared to fail on that. Channel to Channel means that the EQ was found not to have the same output between L channel and R channel as you turn one of the EQ controls around.

 

[BobG55]

I was trying to be clear, sorry I appeared to fail on that. Channel to Channel means that the EQ was found not to have the same output between L channel and R channel as you turn one of the EQ controls around.

No, I doubt you failed. Someone who understands the technical aspect of audio would have understood you quite clearly, I'm sure. Ok, I understand what you're sayijng now about the EQ & the output difference in the L & R channels except that I haven't noticed that myself. After reading what your reply and explanation I listened to some music and played with the EQ controls a bit. I paid extra attention trying to detect any channel imbalance & failed to find any. But saying that, I also don't have a practiced ear for detecting such things which also means that it would have to be quite evident for me to notice any channel imbalance. It's not the case, in my experience that the my Sub3 creates any. There is a slight boost in sound loudness but, again, no channel imbalance.

 

[bagwell359]

No, I doubt you failed. Someone who understands the technical aspect of audio would have understood you quite clearly, I'm sure. Ok, I understand what you're sayijng now about the EQ & the output difference in the L & R channels except that I haven't noticed that myself. After reading what your reply and explanation I listened to some music and played with the EQ controls a bit. I paid extra attention trying to detect any channel imbalance & failed to find any. But saying that, I also don't have a practiced ear for detecting such things which also means that it would have to be quite evident for me to notice any channel imbalance. It's not the case, in my experience that the my Sub3 creates any. There is a slight boost in sound loudness but, again, no channel imbalance.

If the difference is 1db, it's pretty tough to tell. Almost no set of headphones agree from right to left. At frequency extremes they can be off 2 or 3 db. Then there is hearing. So it's not clear what might be going on - if anything notable. if it sounds good, then forget it.

 

[BobG55]

Then there is hearing.

Good point. I will be 64 in a couple of months. There's no denying my hearing is well passed it's prime.

 

[bagwell359]

Good point. I will be 64 in a couple of months. There's no denying my hearing is well passed it's prime.

Yeah I'm 62, and I can't hear above 11KHz in my right ear, and just scrape to low 14 in the left. I'm in the race for one pure can, and then an end to the reviews, discussions, and mods to full time immersive/subjective enjoyment. See you there.

 

[sikki-six]

Just bought and received a grey 1,25m Color series cable (with old-skool HFM screw-in connectors) from Forza Audioworks. It works great vs that piece of you-know-what HFM thought was okay for one great headphone like this. There's minimal microphonic noise, it's very malleable and has totally trustworthy Neutrik plugs. 39€ plus shipping was a good price - I have to give a shout-out when it's due.

 

[bagwell359]

Just bought and received a grey 1,25m Color series cable (with old-skool HFM screw-in connectors) from Forza Audioworks. It works great vs that piece of you-know-what HFM thought was okay for one great headphone like this. There's minimal microphonic noise, it's very malleable and has totally trustworthy Neutrik plugs. 39€ plus shipping was a good price - I have to give a shout-out when it's due.

That's great. I never paid much mind to cables before - esp when there are pads, fuzzor mods, etc, to look into. But about 2 weeks ago I got a Black Dragon v1 as part of a deal and said - what the heck. Took a lot of the phony shimmer off. Changed the bass to be firmer. I'm sure its a diff in the 3 measurables and not some magic property - but it works.

 

[bagwell359]

OK, my recipe book of HE-500 mods, use them or not as the spirit moves you. Ranked in order of my opinion of positive effect.

1. fuzzor mod: radically cuts down amusical reflections on ear facing side. Recently, I changed the short thick one at each end (left & right) from felt to dynamat. I also added a thin felt strip over the middle bar that sits just between the edges of the pad (visible to the ear). The dynamat damps the physical structure so bass notes don't rattle, smear, or drown out what's above/near them musically.

2. pads - when I looked at them (MrSpeakers Ether Flow Closed) the first time, I wondered how it could be any good - blocking so much of the membrane. The reason I got them is the measurement of the HE-6 and HE-500. Sr members of Head-FI and (that other site) both agreed they measured flatest and best with these pads. My take is that the membranes are slightly out of time sync from outer edge to the middle. This is clearly heard as less time smear, less cruft - more blackness and more true harmonics and more stage cues when you make the change. Soundstage also got deeper - but its the almost HD600 like clarity around the notes that grabs your attention. I tried six other pads including the usual suspects, and odd stuff like Delkoni fenestrated (meh) and Fostex FH500 (neh) - nothing was close.

3. change backing screen to one with much greater open space. Lose a bit of signal from about 350 Hz down, but that whole hollow/reverb low mid into the upper bass thing - which is essentially amusical is gone. the width of the stage goes from 210 degrees with two big posts getting the way about 50 and -50 degress to an open and full 230 degrees. It's got a good rectangular size and is pretty deep too.

4. cable. the stock cable actually is awful. I bought a black dragon v1 as part of another deal, and was amazed at how good it was. Less microphonic, seemed to cut down the false sheen of things like cymbals, any decently made O2 free non microphonic cable is liable to do the trick.

5. rear damping. More dynamat, more felt. The dynamat is very helpful for the bass, and the screen not rattling (even with the retainer ring in). make a fairly small snake out of the dynamat, and press it in good at the intersection of the driver surround and the side, and than do a small felt strip around higher up on the cup. after the screen is in, you can do small dynamat around the edge at the intersection of the screen and the cup - do that after you are sure you won't be going in again - a mess to remove. I wouldn't do the felt on the rear again, it has virtually no effect.

 

[jaker782]

HE-500 and the Ether Angled pads, a great match. I've tried six pads and that's the one. More sound comes from the middle of the membrane than the edges. Not only that, I think that there is a delay between the two which gives a subtle smear to them. Because the ear hole of the EAP is narrower then than the membrane what you get is more time aligned, and you'll be shocked at how much cleaner the mids and highs are.

Those pads also go hand in hand with two other crucial mods.

1. The fuzzor mod (most crucial mod). Basically cuts down amusical reflections using felt on the stators (well documented here).
2. Remove the screens and replacing with nothing, or a 1/2" grid screen (essentially open). This cuts down upper bass/lower mid echo/ thickness, increases soundstage width a great deal. Lose a bit of bass, but its much tighter in the mid bass.

Not part of the trio above, but, highly useful mod:

3. The stock cable is microphonic, and sibilant in the treble, get (or make) a O2 free cable with an SE or XLR termination (depending on which choice gives you the most juice from your amp)

There are mods with felt and dynamat which have less payoff, I've written on too.

Moving this to the proper thread... So the HE-500 I just bought already has the fuzzor mod installed and I have an aftermarket cable, so the screens and pads are next. Are the 1/2" screens more of a DIY thing, or is there a specific screen I can buy online that will work? And for the pads, it sounds like I should just bite the bullet and get the Ether pads now rather than wasting time trying others and not being satisfied. You've done the hard work for us! Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!

 

[bagwell359]

Moving this to the proper thread... So the HE-500 I just bought already has the fuzzor mod installed and I have an aftermarket cable, so the screens and pads are next. Are the 1/2" screens more of a DIY thing, or is there a specific screen I can buy online that will work? And for the pads, it sounds like I should just bite the bullet and get the Ether pads now rather than wasting time trying others and not being satisfied. You've done the hard work for us! Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!

Thanks, but just about everything I learned I got from the '12-'15 time frame from some of the best posters this place has seen.

I tried all sorts of screen replacements, the cheapest was the best (steel hardware cloth) in 1/2" (1/4" is actually audible). It's cheap at HD. You have to be careful cutting it to size so it fits well enough for the ring to fit over, and the ends are sharp, so patience and care needed to be safe. I went ahead and spray painted them so they'd look a bit nicer - just black gloss.

I think the HE-6 and HE-500 are among the best drivers ever. I don't think they really thought about the rest of the can much or at al, which is why mods have such a profound effect on them.

I don't think even modded that they can stand against the HE-6 or the HEX V2, but considering the costs used are roughly: $375, $950, $700, they still remain at the top of the class for used cans under $600.

 

[jaker782]

I tried all sorts of screen replacements, the cheapest was the best (steel hardware cloth) in 1/2" (1/4" is actually audible). It's cheap at HD. You have to be careful cutting it to size so it fits well enough for the ring to fit over, and the ends are sharp, so patience and care needed to be safe. I went ahead and spray painted them so they'd look a bit nicer - just black gloss.

Doing a quick search, it looks like the 1/2" cloth is common in 19 gauge, but isn't this too thick to fit under the retainer ring? Alternatively, I could do 1/4" in 23 gauge. Both are relatively cheap and probably worth a try.

 

[bagwell359]

Doing a quick search, it looks like the 1/2" cloth is common in 19 gauge, but isn't this too thick to fit under the retainer ring? Alternatively, I could do 1/4" in 23 gauge. Both are relatively cheap and probably worth a try.

It's not easy, you have to make sure the ends don't end up in the flange holes meant for the rings, or they will not fit. Around 3-6 months back I posted some pics of the various items I tried in this thread. The 1/4" does handle better, but, at least to me it was quite audible.

 

[maul]

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