[bagwell359]

A few possibilities:

- If you are using the Jotunheim single ended, you likely aren't powering the HE-500's enough. Using the balanced output will fix that.

I would expect every planar to do better on the Jot XLR over SE

- If you are using balanced and still having issues with the treble, both the the stock Velours and silver plated cable will lean out some parts of the sound. The cheapest fix will be to get the Velpads, and a cheap OFC or OCC cable from Amazon or similar.

Don't agree on silver over copper - cost and sonics both

Cheapest fix in this case

1 XLR out
2 PEQ
3 Fuzzor (see a huge aount of detail on that in earlier posts)
4 Pads (pref DCA Ether Angled)

4a Rear screen - Arctic open or none (goes hand in hand w pads)
5 cables - any OFC free XLR over that stock dreck - including DIY

 

[bagwell359]

HE6se highs sounded much peakier than 500 so 6se got the treatment first

Than add to 500 - don't take away 6SE just extra work in the long run - plus per ear the 500 has issues above and beyond over the 6 SE re: cancellations and reflections which PEQ - pads - cables etc can't address

The effect is extra clarity and specificity over a fuzzier less focused sound

 

[Philimon]

Than add to 500 - don't take away 6SE just extra work in the long run

I hadnt realized that the stattors were that much different.

Ill try fuzzor mod on 500 eventually for sure.

 

[bagwell359]

Good evening! Please tell me, do open grills remove overtones at high frequencies?

No it takes away excess reverb - as I hear it

 

[bagwell359]

HE500, 6-screw HE6 (tungsten modded, 3.5mm & NAN headband), 4-screw EP HE6 (Audeze Carbon headband, 3.5mm & arctic airflow grills) & in the back HE1000se)

I’ve owned most headphones available, but few have come close to what the HE500 and the HE6 delivers. Their dynamics are just unmatched!

Wow a 4 screw - would really like to hear one and the LFF 6 screw or 4 screw

 

[bagwell359]

What overtones? HE500 shouldn’t have bothersome treble. If it does try the TP MOD (TP = Toilet Paper) or check your source, low power could make the inefficient HIFIMAN’s sound bright

the concern I have with the 500 treble is excess percussion decay - worst with the stock cable - the peak in the low treble (3-4k) and that ringing (or at least not still very narrow band around 9k (have to tune by ear) is brought to heel by: fuzzor and PEQ

 

[Phenom24]

I have native velor ear cushions, unknown conductor cable, possibly silver, schiit Jotunheim 1 amplifier, may be weak?

I have a balanced silver cable and I connected it, but on this cable the sound becomes more transparent, but the density in the middle and low frequencies is lost. The unbalanced output pulls out the headphones quite well, the sound is accurate and the bass is deep, the volume is 20%. Do I understand pure copper that way? Because I see them as a variety.

 

[bagwell359]

I have a balanced silver cable and I connected it, but on this cable the sound becomes more transparent, but the density in the middle and low frequencies is lost. The unbalanced output pulls out the headphones quite well, the sound is accurate and the bass is deep, the volume is 20%. Do I understand pure copper that way? Because I see them as a variety.

I had had enough of cable "wars" by '95 but since '18 FB's HE headphone cables proved to actually be sub-standard I've tried quite a few copper and silver plate cables The HEX v2 "likes" the plated silver better than copper but all the others (HE-5LE; 6 screw; 400i; 500; 4XX; 5 SE; 6 SE; Arya Stealth; HEK v2; 5XX; HEK Stealth) favored copper - sighted and blind testing

The absolute worst stock cable - was the stock HE-500 plated silver

All cans I use have XLR's which for the Rag 1 is well ahead of the SE output

 

[TWerk]

I have a balanced silver cable and I connected it, but on this cable the sound becomes more transparent, but the density in the middle and low frequencies is lost. The unbalanced output pulls out the headphones quite well, the sound is accurate and the bass is deep, the volume is 20%. Do I understand pure copper that way? Because I see them as a variety.

A good summary of what the silver cables do. I always found they lean out the sound a bit accentuating the treble harshness and thinning mids and bass warmth and body. Density being lost is another way of putting it, never liked the compromise - like @bagwell359 I almost always go for copper cable instead.

I also think this is why I REALLY like my pair of HE-500 this time around. I got it with a non-stock cable. Previous pairs I had always had the standard white cable that comes with them stock.

 

[Dramlin]

I have a balanced silver cable and I connected it, but on this cable the sound becomes more transparent, but the density in the middle and low frequencies is lost. The unbalanced output pulls out the headphones quite well, the sound is accurate and the bass is deep, the volume is 20%. Do I understand pure copper that way? Because I see them as a variety.

No faster way for people to point their pitchforks at each other than cable talk, but yes, I've had the same experience as well. Silver tends to make the sound cleaner by removing some of the mid presence which adds perceived clarity. Since the mids are being reduced you end up with more treble presence and sub bass definition by default. In the end everything "cleaner" against a blacker background, but you lose a lot in the mids. OFC doesn't inherently take anything away, but depending on the cable it can add some additional unwanted warmth by way of distortion. Some OFC cables can sound fuzzy, canny, or lack that desired clarity. It really does depend on the cable though. True OCC/PCOCC is sort of the middle ground, adding that little bit of clarity without taking too much away, and is usually cleaner sounding than OFC. All have their applications depending on the headphone though; none are wrong or bad by default. That's all just generalized info though. The cable connectors and the soldering work color the sound as much as the wire type, which makes it impossible to know how a cable will sound until you try it.

In the case of the HE-500's I've enjoyed both silver & copper. With the stock Velour pads a silver (or the stock) cable is a lot of fun, adding more perceived slam and contrast to an already vivid sound. It's really only good for electronic music though, as vocals are nowhere near accurate. For all other pads on the HE-500's I prefer OCC/PCOCC as it takes just a little of the warmth away to add some additional perceived resolution, but not too much to mess with the overall balance.

There's the other side of this though, those that say that all cables sound exactly the same. They'll chime in now to say I'm crazy for hearing a difference between cables, and thats a-ok.

 

[TWerk]

There's the other side of this though, those that say that all cables sound exactly the same. They'll chime in now to say I'm crazy for hearing a difference between cables, and thats a-ok.

You're not - there are absolutely audible differences (I've heard across different headphones over my time here) and in many times it can really change a H/P for the better or worse. Whats more is that we all seem to be describing similar audible differences.

A good example also is our Ultrasones. That mobile silver colored cable absolutely changes the sound vs. the black cable they include. It is a fatter/boomier sound and warmer overall with that silver colored short mobile cable. I think in the Ultrasone thread we agreed we prefer running the black colored cable on them.

 

[Phenom24]

Good day! The problem of the flatness and dryness of the sound is that the connectors of the mini smc headphones were contaminated with grease, it was a dielectric and because of this the sound was bad, and I cleaned the connectors with alcohol and oh wonder!! That's how I understood then why everyone loves 500 and why!! So, these headphones are not at all dry and flat, but on the contrary, they are very musical. I will think about replacing the connectors, will the mini xlr fit?

 

[Fegefeuer]

3.5mm is easiest.

 

[SeanHasAPairOfDuals]

Good day! The problem of the flatness and dryness of the sound is that the connectors of the mini smc headphones were contaminated with grease, it was a dielectric and because of this the sound was bad, and I cleaned the connectors with alcohol and oh wonder!! That's how I understood then why everyone loves 500 and why!! So, these headphones are not at all dry and flat, but on the contrary, they are very musical. I will think about replacing the connectors, will the mini xlr fit?

Great news!
Sometimes the most satisfying fixes are the easiest, and the least expected. I agree, 3.5mm would be the best option, just because you'll have the widest choice, and best range of prices.
But the weekend is fast approaching, so go and make some time to enjoy your 'new' headphones!
I'm pretty sure there are guides in this thread how to convert from SMC to 3.5mm. If not, Google would be able to help.

 

[Phenom24]

3.5mm is easiest.

why them