[bmiamihk]

Quote:

What?

Hard for you to compute?

 

[jerg]

How good are the pairing/matching for L/R HE-500 drivers?
 
Wondering about this because my HE-400 drivers are not terrifically well-matched, and are a little uneven (~1dB off) at a few frequency sections. If the higher-up Hifiman models have more vigilant manual driver pairing then there's one more incentive for future upgrade.

 

[Yuceka]

Quote:

Hard for you to compute?

Yes I'm mentally challenged. 

 

[wdahm519]

Quote:

How good are the pairing/matching for L/R HE-500 drivers?
 
Wondering about this because my HE-400 drivers are not terrifically well-matched, and are a little uneven (~1dB off) at a few frequency sections. If the higher-up Hifiman models have more vigilant manual driver pairing then there's one more incentive for future upgrade.

Your' brain is tuned all the way into 1dB?  I find that when I start hearing difference in drivers left to right, its about 2.5 or 3dB (did some crude measurements to figure that out).  I haven't read anything online about people having driver mismatching issues with the HE-series headphones at all.  Hopefully it stays that way.
 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Your' brain is tuned all the way into 1dB?  I find that when I start hearing difference in drivers left to right, its about 2.5 or 3dB (did some crude measurements to figure that out).  I haven't read anything online about people having driver mismatching issues with the HE-series headphones at all.  Hopefully it stays that way.
 

It's VERY easy to distinguish even 0.5 dB with the right tools. Right tools being a Sinewave generator program.
 
Just broadcast a tone with a specific frequency from that, and close your eyes and try to pinpoint if the tone is dead center or deviating away to one side. a 0.5 dB difference is about 2 degrees to whatever side is louder (subtle but you WILL notice it is off-center by a pinch), 1 dB difference more like 5~10 degrees and is easily perceived. To see how well 2 drivers are paired in a headphone, just slowly go through the entire freq range from 20~20k Hz, and see if it's all dead-center (unlikely), and where it veers off, and by how much (can be accurately gauged by not "linking" the volume of the two sides at that frequency, and fine-tuning one side to match the other, and subtract to get dB difference).

 

[krash3x]

I payed to have my he-500s shipped overnight on a tuesday morning and on friday they finally decide to ship them out and on monday I finally got them.  When I first opened my HE-500's my cable was broke right where the strain reliefs were.  I called Audio direct the same day and was told to send hifiman an email and they would send me a new cable.  Nope didn't happen. After multiple attempts at emailing them and getting no response I called them again.  This time the lady was ready to do her job and "personally contact" Hifiman.  I asked her to have cables overnighted since they dropped the ball the first time, she agreed.  Again it didn't happen.  I finally got the cable the thursday 2 weeks after.  The first thing I did after getting them was put shrink tubing around the strain reliefs.  The silver cables just plain suck.  On ebay there are some good deals on some custom cables you can have made and thats what I would suggest http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-HiFiMAN-HE-300-4-500-5LE-6-Headphone-Cable-CARDAS-/270844999300?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0f9eb684#ht_1094wt_1396.  They are copper but I doubt there is going to be much change in sound.  

 

[bmiamihk]

The material used in the cable will change the sound.
 
Quote:

I payed to have my he-500s shipped overnight on a tuesday morning and on friday they finally decide to ship them out and on monday I finally got them.  When I first opened my HE-500's my cable was broke right where the strain reliefs were.  I called Audio direct the same day and was told to send hifiman an email and they would send me a new cable.  Nope didn't happen. After multiple attempts at emailing them and getting no response I called them again.  This time the lady was ready to do her job and "personally contact" Hifiman.  I asked her to have cables overnighted since they dropped the ball the first time, she agreed.  Again it didn't happen.  I finally got the cable the thursday 2 weeks after.  The first thing I did after getting them was put shrink tubing around the strain reliefs.  The silver cables just plain suck.  On ebay there are some good deals on some custom cables you can have made and thats what I would suggest http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-HiFiMAN-HE-300-4-500-5LE-6-Headphone-Cable-CARDAS-/270844999300?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0f9eb684#ht_1094wt_1396.  They are copper but I doubt there is going to be much change in sound.  

 

 

[Ultrainferno]

Quote:

I payed to have my he-500s shipped overnight on a tuesday morning and on friday they finally decide to ship them out and on monday I finally got them.  When I first opened my HE-500's my cable was broke right where the strain reliefs were.  I called Audio direct the same day and was told to send hifiman an email and they would send me a new cable.  Nope didn't happen. After multiple attempts at emailing them and getting no response I called them again.  This time the lady was ready to do her job and "personally contact" Hifiman.  I asked her to have cables overnighted since they dropped the ball the first time, she agreed.  Again it didn't happen.  I finally got the cable the thursday 2 weeks after.  The first thing I did after getting them was put shrink tubing around the strain reliefs.  The silver cables just plain suck.  On ebay there are some good deals on some custom cables you can have made and thats what I would suggest http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-HiFiMAN-HE-300-4-500-5LE-6-Headphone-Cable-CARDAS-/270844999300?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0f9eb684#ht_1094wt_1396.  They are copper but I doubt there is going to be much change in sound.  

So how do you like them?
 

 

[mac336]

Quote:

I payed to have my he-500s shipped overnight on a tuesday morning and on friday they finally decide to ship them out and on monday I finally got them.  When I first opened my HE-500's my cable was broke right where the strain reliefs were.  I called Audio direct the same day and was told to send hifiman an email and they would send me a new cable.  Nope didn't happen. After multiple attempts at emailing them and getting no response I called them again.  This time the lady was ready to do her job and "personally contact" Hifiman.  I asked her to have cables overnighted since they dropped the ball the first time, she agreed.  Again it didn't happen.  I finally got the cable the thursday 2 weeks after.  The first thing I did after getting them was put shrink tubing around the strain reliefs.  The silver cables just plain suck.  On ebay there are some good deals on some custom cables you can have made and thats what I would suggest http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-HiFiMAN-HE-300-4-500-5LE-6-Headphone-Cable-CARDAS-/270844999300?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0f9eb684#ht_1094wt_1396.  They are copper but I doubt there is going to be much change in sound.  

no way in hell im paying 170 for a cable
 

 

[.Sup]

Quote:

How good are the pairing/matching for L/R HE-500 drivers?
 
Wondering about this because my HE-400 drivers are not terrifically well-matched, and are a little uneven (~1dB off) at a few frequency sections. If the higher-up Hifiman models have more vigilant manual driver pairing then there's one more incentive for future upgrade.

I don't measure my headphones but to my ears they seem well balanced.

 

[bmiamihk]

There are people who spend over $1,000 US Dollars for a cable. I spent $120
Quote:

no way in hell im paying 170 for a cable
 

 

 

[hasanyuceer]

Mine has serious problems with impedance. Right is 38 ohm and the left one is 27 ohm.
 
I dont realize there is a volume difference between, but I will send it back to Head-Direct for my peace of mind.
 
Quote:

How good are the pairing/matching for L/R HE-500 drivers?
 
Wondering about this because my HE-400 drivers are not terrifically well-matched, and are a little uneven (~1dB off) at a few frequency sections. If the higher-up Hifiman models have more vigilant manual driver pairing then there's one more incentive for future upgrade.

 

 

[plin]

Quote:

Mine has serious problems with impedance. Right is 38 ohm and the left one is 27 ohm.
 
I dont realize there is a volume difference between, but I will send it back to Head-Direct for my peace of mind.
 


 

I would do the same if I were in the same situation. This is serious resistance mismatch (more than 40%)!
 

 

[Il Mostro]

Quote:

I payed to have my he-500s shipped overnight on a tuesday morning and on friday they finally decide to ship them out and on monday I finally got them.  When I first opened my HE-500's my cable was broke right where the strain reliefs were.  I called Audio direct the same day and was told to send hifiman an email and they would send me a new cable.  Nope didn't happen. After multiple attempts at emailing them and getting no response I called them again.  This time the lady was ready to do her job and "personally contact" Hifiman.  I asked her to have cables overnighted since they dropped the ball the first time, she agreed.  Again it didn't happen.  I finally got the cable the thursday 2 weeks after.  The first thing I did after getting them was put shrink tubing around the strain reliefs.  The silver cables just plain suck.  On ebay there are some good deals on some custom cables you can have made and thats what I would suggest http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-HiFiMAN-HE-300-4-500-5LE-6-Headphone-Cable-CARDAS-/270844999300?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0f9eb684#ht_1094wt_1396.  They are copper but I doubt there is going to be much change in sound.  

I ordered that exact same cable over the weekend.  I get the feeling that silver may not be the best material match for HE-500's and want to try copper flavor.  Plus, the HFM cables kink like crazy and there is sketchy integrity at the connector stress points as others have pointed out.  
 

 

[Llloyd]

I own both silver and copper and there is no obvious difference that I can tell.  Idk about all this flavor stuff.  I don't think it's worth the cost unless you diy the cable and even then, still probably not worth the money.  Youd be better off tube rolling with a tube amp than paying that much for cables to try to change the sound.