[bagwell359]

I wou

I'm with you and bagwell on this whole concept................I've auditioned/owned/tested/shared over 60 headphones over the last 10 years. It was a fun thing to keep trying new ones and I learned a lot...............mostly what I like, what I don't like and ended up with the HE-500, HE-6SE and a Denon LA7000 for the closed back side as the headphones I listen to regularly and am finally content. Still have a Denon MD2000 that I use at work occasionally and still love it as well as a Pioneer SE Master 1 that I'm going to sell as soon as I get off my ass and do it. Like it a lot but it gets no play..................as well as a Beats Studio 3 (yeah, I know, sacrilege) that I use for travel and for cutting the grass but the HFM pair get all my use at home through the speaker taps on my Pioneer Spec system.

Never thought I'd get to this point but it was tiring after a while to keep buying/selling/trading and maybe, just maybe, I'm good for the duration.

Very Meaningful post. You were one of the first people here I locked onto and have read a lot of your stuff over time. So this is a near epiphany for me.

Audiophile-ism can do things to you. Changes your tastes in music, perhaps even one's choice of friends and free time spent. Happens in a lot of fields too. It's a means to an end and if searching for the nth degree means warping pursuit of more important things - or balance in ones life - that's not good.

Some have innate wisdom on these matters and others have it thrust upon them - due to job loss, retirement, family, etc. What's that thing Taoists and Karmic Yogis say? "Eat when hungry, sleep when tired". Add to that listen to music, then put the equipment away until its needed again. Or maybe play some or hum to oneself....

Added: No transducer is perfect, but, does the music come through mostly as intended - that's the bar. Sins of omission easier to accept than sins of commission.

 

[bagwell359]

A Secret Brotherhood lives here on head-fi — the brotherhood of HE-500 aficionados. You need to have been around for some time to have gotten the HE-500 when it was the new thing from HiFiMAN. Latecomers have had to be convinced and educated by these senior HE-500 lovers. I feel privileged to have an HE-500. I feel particularly foolish to have sold my first one in a fit of headphone herd trimming, and I feel particularly fortunate to have been able to snag another one. I love this headphone!

It's 6 years since I got mine. Last I checked it was running in 2nd place in the what is the one headphone you'd never sell thread - HD-800/S in 1st.

I've said more than enough, either you're in or you're out. Good health to all remaining HE-500's and their owners.

 

[planx]

I've had mine for over 12 years now, actually went on HF retirement with them for about 10 years till recently where I got the Schiit Midgard to replace my dying EF5.

Brotherhood of HE-500 goes hard. Still a banging headphone today, somewhat feel obligated to bring the ol 500s to meets in order to spread the good word but I haven't done anything HF related in so long.

 

[jamato8]

Mine are still going strong, as is the HE6 4 screw. Party on!

 

[Phenom24]

I'm a little sorry to sell the he500, but for some reason they are bright on the HF with this Jotunheim amplifier, maybe there is a way to solve the issue with excessive brightness?

 

[Fegefeuer]

You are selling a unique, irreplacable headphone because of an amp that is easily replaced?

 

[Phenom24]

You are selling a unique, irreplacable headphone because of an amp that is easily replaced?

so I don't want to sell them) is this problem with high frequencies due to the amplifier? Could it be because of the ear pads native velor, they are already old and flattened maybe because of this? Is it possible via silver cable?

 

[Fegefeuer]

Can you take some pictures of your pads and cables? Jotunheim isn't the last word in timbre and can enhance steeliness slightly but the headphone and pad combination is most important right now.

 

[bagwell359]

I'm a little sorry to sell the he500, but for some reason they are bright on the HF with this Jotunheim amplifier, maybe there is a way to solve the issue with excessive brightness?

fuzzor mod, R2R dac, PEQ - any one, or all 3 like I do. Fresh pads will help too. Silver cable (plated or 100%) not recommended for these. Nice O2 free copper cable is the way - including DIY.

Wait - do you use the XLR or SE output to the 500's? That amp and almost all Schiit headphone amps put out a lot more power - and have lower output impedance in XLR than SE - something the 500 craves and could solve your issues alone. In the case of the current Jot the impedance is the same, but its 4 wpc@ 50 ohms vs 1.2 in SE.

 

[Phenom24]

Can you take some pictures of your pads and cables? Jotunheim isn't the last word in timbre and can enhance steeliness slightly but the headphone and pad combination is most important right now.

 

[Phenom24]

fuzzor mod, R2R dac, PEQ - any one, or all 3 like I do. Fresh pads will help too. Silver cable (plated or 100%) not recommended for these. Nice O2 free copper cable is the way - including DIY.

Wait - do you use the XLR or SE output to the 500's? That amp and almost all Schiit headphone amps put out a lot more power - and have lower input impedance in XLR than SE - something the 500 craves and could solve your issues alone.

 

[Phenom24]

i use R2R DAC on pcm56 along with Jotunheim and XLR,

 

[bagwell359]

i use R2R DAC on pcm56 along with Jotunheim and XLR,

OK - then back to:

PEQ
Fuzzor mod
Pads & rear screen removal/replacement - after testing 15 diff ones - the DCA Ether Angled Lambskin still rule - huge horizontal stage and very even sonics from low to high. The screens off (not good with infants or pets - or safer the Artic Cable screens - cheap and excellent looking and functioning. There are other pads folks like here, and the DCA's are expensive but few that have tried them prefer others - based on comments here.

Lots of details on all these mods in the thread

 

[Phenom24]

OK - then back to:

PEQ
Fuzzor mod
Pads & rear screen removal/replacement - after testing 15 diff ones - the DCA Ether Angled Lambskin still rule - huge horizontal stage and very even sonics from low to high. The screens off (not good with infants or pets - or safer the Artic Cable screens - cheap and excellent looking and functioning. There are other pads folks like here, and the DCA's are expensive but few that have tried them prefer others - based on comments here.

Lots of details on all these mods in the thread

can you link to these ear pads?

 

[SeanHasAPairOfDuals]

Official that I sold almost all of my collection now in favor of the HE-500 and HD600 combo. I have a few Ultrasones I kept as my closed backs.

I don't find myself feeling any regret or missing the other stuff.

These do the lions share of what the rest of the headphones can do out there, I've found through personal experience.

Your list almost replicates my collection. HE-500 (my Australian $200 bargain from original owner) & HE5-XX (my gateway to planars) and Ultrasone Signature DXP, Signature Studio, & Pro 2500 (semi-open or open?).

The Signatures are fun daily drivers. And if you want to take a bit of a risk, pad rolling can be interesting. I swapped the original DXP pads for some Brainwaves that are slightly thicker but sheepskin rather than that stiff vinyl. It works better with some genres/recordings than others. But you get used to it within a minute or 3. The Studios with original pads can be a little harsh after a while (again, for me, genre and recording dependant).

But the 500's, they're staying with me till my neck can't support them! Even got a thick gel headband cover to help distribute the weight better, that might give me a few more years.