[Flognuts]

Velours all the way, Pleathers are way more comfy though....how much that factors is in is upto the user I guess. 

 

[rapzoo]

Quote:

Weird. I find the HE-500 beats the HD650 in everything but sound-stage width and depth. Oddly, I can hear the distinctions in instruments better with the HE-500 as well.

I completely agree. I used the HD650 for years and recently added the HE-500. IMO the HE-500 easily beats the HD650 for instrumentals and vocals. I am not sure how much head time the 650s are going to get.

 

[jerg]

A lot of people are unfamiliar with hands-on modding, so modifying earpads is out of the question for them. If that is presupposed, then I would agree that the stock velour pads do give HE500 more finesse to the sound than stock pleather earpads. But of course, musicality is not just about finesse.

 

[BleaK]

Have someone here tried the DAC1 as DAC/AMP combo with the HE500? I have maybe a really good deal that I want to grab, but I want to hear with you guys if you have heard it with the Hifiman.
 

 

[MickeyVee]

Just to clarify.. My original comment was with the HD700.. it's been a while since I've had the HD650.  The HD700 provides greater detail /dynamics and is stunning with male/female vocals. When it comes to stuff like Deamou5, it's the HE500 for me.
Quote:

Weird. I find the HE-500 beats the HD650 in everything but sound-stage width and depth. Oddly, I can hear the distinctions in instruments better with the HE-500 as well.

 

[davidsh]

I did not like the HD700, but I am one of many, right? Weird tonality...

 

[Headphoner]

Quote:

One drawback, though. at the moment the volumes is BELOW 9'oclock, due to the output of the DAC being 2.5 V, I guess.

 
Try a line level attenuator.
 
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=266-244

 

[OldSkool]

Quote:

Weird. I find the HE-500 beats the HD650 in everything but sound-stage width and depth. Oddly, I can hear the distinctions in instruments better with the HE-500 as well.

Much like some people look better in baseball caps than others, please realize no two ears or audio chains are the same and I can only describe things as I hear them in my rig. 

 
When I first bought my HE-500, I felt it sounded better than the HD650 in every way. A definite upgrade! However, in the last year I have come to notice that I preferred my HD650 when listening to female vocals. While both cans have a tremendous, silky-smooth midrange, I found the HD650 has a certain lushness (is that a word?) that I find both familiar and engaging. It's as if the notes just sound slightly...fatter.  Ok, you can stop giggling now.

 
FWIW, I'm listening to both cans thru the Lyr with Amperex tubes. Maybe it's ortho vs dynamic. Maybe the 650's just respond better to the Lyr/tubes...who knows?
 
What I do know is that when I want to listen to music, I always choose the HE500. When I want to hear the vocalist, I grab the HD650. I will sell neither.
 
YMMV.
 

 

[Zoom25]

Not really related to this thread but thought of sharing this still...
 
Today I bought the new Retina Macbook Pro 15 inch. I was just playing some music while doing the updates and it just blew my mind away. At one point, it was so crazy I thought I was plugged into speakers and had to make sure I wasn't.
 
I have a lot of Apple products including 2008 IMac, 2010 Macbook Pro, Ipad 4th gen, Ipod touch 2 and 3rd gen. In comparison to the older macbook pro (2010), this was a whole different beast. This is like the first audiophile level built in speakers, hands down. It was leagues above the last generations. Can get much louder with very, very little distortion. Really good FR overall. Plenty of air, good imaging. Great treble extension. Decent punch, no real bass but it doesn't try to fake it either. It kind of reminds me of the Audioengine A2 in that sense. Healthy dose of depth, far better than anything I've seen. Not too wide, but more than acceptable.
 
Easily more height than HE-500 for example.
 
Maybe I'm just losing it, but this was the best surprise ever considering I was only looking at the retina screen for the main highlight.
 
Okay, now back to the regular HE-500 thread. 

 

[davidsh]

Quote:

 
Try a line level attenuator.
 

Thank you for the tip.

 

[gonzfi]

I felt compelled to mention that having just changed the HE-500 pads to the velours, I am genuinely staggered by how much better they sound. The clarity is leagues better.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

I felt compelled to mention that having just changed the HE-500 pads to the velours, I am genuinely staggered by how much better they sound. The clarity is leagues better.

It's no surprise really, stock pleather earpads are plagued by glare in the midrange compounded by fairly muddy treble which lacks air, so clarity takes 2 big hits compared to stock velours. People like the pleather earpads despite this clarity deficit, because they have a more "correct" musical timbre.
 
If you want the best of both worlds (both the clarity and the timbre) you'll have to mod the pleather earpads. 

 

[pp312]

Quote:

For all those who actually prefer the pleather sound regardless of it being inferior to velours
 
 

 
Isn't this a bit like, "When did you stop beating your wife?"--an unproved assumption. Some of us are saying that to our ears the pleather sound isn't inferior.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

 
Isn't this a bit like, "When did you stop beating your wife?"--an unproved assumption. Some of us are saying that to our ears the pleather sound isn't inferior.

I was under the impression that those who liked the pleather sound weren't saying that it was better, just that it was preferred. 

 

[davidsh]

Quote:

 
Isn't this a bit like, "When did you stop beating your wife?"--an unproved assumption. Some of us are saying that to our ears the pleather sound isn't inferior.

Then the mod isn't for you 

 
The general consensus is, as I see it, that the pleather is technically (note that word, I guess that was what I meant from the beginning) inferior.