HiFiman HE-500 (HE as in High End) Proving to be an enjoyable experience in listening.
Apr 1, 2013 at 8:35 AM Post #4,066 of 20,414
Apr 1, 2013 at 10:15 AM Post #4,068 of 20,414
Quote:
I used the term forward reflecting the reduction of depth of stage. More accurately, forward could be replaced by a "not as deep stage". That of course makes instruments come closer to you. I will edit the post. HE-500s do sound much less forward (more laid back) than Grado 325is for example do. Cheers for the hint.


Okay. To most forward sounding means, that the high mids are accentuated as far as I know.
 
Apr 1, 2013 at 5:16 PM Post #4,072 of 20,414
okay i see that you have a balanced one... what about the single ended one?? there shouldn't be much of a difference i think...


I would agree that it doesn't make much of a difference.
 
Apr 1, 2013 at 5:44 PM Post #4,073 of 20,414
Quote:
okay i see that you have a balanced one... what about the single ended one?? there shouldn't be much of a difference i think...

 
IMO: it depends on what headphones you use.  Some scale higher than others.  Some are very sensitive and don't scale well at all.  The HE-6 and many other orthos would do better with a balanced connection.  Other headphones like the HD800 IMO does better as well.  Most will say it's just louder.  I don't really agree.  For example.  It should be double the current / voltage going into the heaphones.  Some headphones will benefit from this.  
 
Note:  The differences if any are very small..
 
I know this will open a can of worms.  This is not the thread for this.  Here come the flames..
 
 

 
Apr 1, 2013 at 8:04 PM Post #4,074 of 20,414
Quote:
 
IMO: it depends on what headphones you use.  Some scale higher than others.  Some are very sensitive and don't scale well at all.  The HE-6 and many other orthos would do better with a balanced connection.  Other headphones like the HD800 IMO does better as well.  Most will say it's just louder.  I don't really agree.  For example.  It should be double the current / voltage going into the heaphones.  Some headphones will benefit from this.  
 
Note:  The differences if any are very small..
 
I know this will open a can of worms.  This is not the thread for this.  Here come the flames..
 
 


according to what i have read, balanced means more control especially with the bass and their is not much difference after that... anyhow, i plan to use it for my he500 and hd650s
 
Apr 1, 2013 at 8:07 PM Post #4,075 of 20,414
Got the Beyer DT880 pads in the mail today and attached them to the HE500.
 
Initial impressions are as follows: It's ugly. But man, these babies are comfortable. It's more comfortable than my HD598. Finally some relief.
 
The sound is almost identical to the stock velours. At first I tried it without the foam inserts that came with the Beyer pads and the sound was very harsh and bright. After inserting the foam, the treble calmed down quite significantly. They are still slightly brighter than the stock velours but the difference is minimal. Still has that buttery-smooth HE500 sound. It's just enough to give it a little extra sparkle and provide a slightly airier sound. Bass and mids do not appear to have changed at all.
 
I used the plastic connector rings from the pleather pads. I had to trim them slightly around the edges to fit the Beyer pads on. I didn't want to use the foam pieces that came with the Beyer pads so I cut some pieces of pantyhose to use as a dust screen and glued them directly onto the plastic ring with a hot glue gun, but I ended up inserting the foam later. After that I just attached the pads the same way the pleathers do and inserted the foam spacers from the pleather pads.
 
Here's some photos:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
Apr 1, 2013 at 9:23 PM Post #4,076 of 20,414
Quote:
 
Hi Pasquale, Do you mind describing the sound signature of the Soloist? If it helps, I have heard the HE-500 with the HA-160.
Cheers

 
Hello Acapella11:
 
I am hardly qualified to write a review of the Soloist.  But, I can say that I am thoroughly satisfied with the Soloist driving the HE500.  My impression is consistent with a number of reviews.  As for the sound signature, the Soloist exhibits a great deal of control over the entire sound spectrum without sounding forced or etched (good texture throughout).  Because the amp handles the entire spectrum effortlessly, it imparts good PRaT (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing) - quite dynamic.  The amp has quite good bass, but does not drag or overhang (as some tubes might).  It is quite fast.  At the same time, the mid range (my favorite part of the spectrum) is mellow - not too forward (bright/etched) or recessed.  It has really good 3 dimensional sound.  This helps the HE500 since it has a fairly narrow soundstage compared to my AKG K702.  With my K702, I am consistently looking around as if something happened in the house - but, it is just the music.  I get less of that with the HE500.  With the Soloist, I get more instances of the sound originating outside my head or even outside the phones if that is in fact how the song was recorded.  I like the Soloist with the HE500 in particular.  I can tell when I am listening via the K702 that the Soloist can be a quite detailed - tracing every transient.  The amp does not miss much and given the K702 can be a bit thread-bare (bass shy), everything gets picked up.  It can become distracting if passive listening is the goal.  The HE500 (good planars in general somewhat) rounds things out quite well.
 
My point of comparison currently is the amp section of my Benchmark DAC1.  The amp section of the DAC1 is good and detailed, but is as neutral and flat as its reputation says.  The Soloist simply has more BOOGIE!  
 
BTW, the Soloist also makes for a good pre-amp if you have a pair of powered speakers.
 
Check out some of the reviews.  Almost every review addresses the pairing of the Soloist with the HE500.
 
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2012/07/burson-soloist-test-review.html
 
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/burson9/1.html
 
Apr 2, 2013 at 12:28 AM Post #4,077 of 20,414
I'm loving the HE-500, 
 
came from the He-400 but decided to give the HE-500 a try and I don't regret it one bit, Now I'm sort of in a limbo on whether I should sell of my HD650 or keep them as a secondary rig. 
 
The HE-500 definitely don't have as much bass as the HE-400, but everything else is balanced out in the mids. I think I'm at the end of the road with hifi, I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon. The only other headphone I want to get are the Mad dogs (to make a portable rig). 
 
I'm a happy man :D 
 
Apr 2, 2013 at 4:52 AM Post #4,078 of 20,414
Quote:
I'm loving the HE-500, 
 
came from the He-400 but decided to give the HE-500 a try and I don't regret it one bit, Now I'm sort of in a limbo on whether I should sell of my HD650 or keep them as a secondary rig. 
 
The HE-500 definitely don't have as much bass as the HE-400, but everything else is balanced out in the mids. I think I'm at the end of the road with hifi, I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon. The only other headphone I want to get are the Mad dogs (to make a portable rig). 
 
I'm a happy man :D 


Do you feel just the same coming from the HD 650?  Also have those and the HE-400.  I have a pair of HE-500's coming soon and I have to get rid of one of them to make room.  Can't decide on which!
 
Apr 2, 2013 at 5:32 AM Post #4,079 of 20,414
To me, the he-500 are kinda like a fusion of the hd650 and he-400. If you extended the bass of the  hd650 a bit more, with a bit more treble as well (characteristics of the he-400) that's how the he-500 is to me. 
 
Its definitely my main headphones at my computer, I have the hd650 in the box in my closet with the schiit Valhalla amp. The hd650 is easier to fall asleep to though lol 
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top