[Hedonism]

I've had the HE-500 for a while, but does anyone think that it lacks a little bite? I feel like I was able to become more emotionally invested into the music (especially rock) more frequently with my old Denon D2000s, because they felt more energetic somehow. Obviously, the HE500 kick the D2000's ass in every single way, but I find it a little harder to just rock out with the HE500s.

 

[h4mm3r 0f th0r]

  I've had the HE-500 for a while, but does anyone think that it lacks a little bite? I feel like I was able to become more emotionally invested into the music (especially rock) more frequently with my old Denon D2000s, because they felt more energetic somehow. Obviously, the HE500 kick the D2000's ass in every single way, but I find it a little harder to just rock out with the HE500s.

it might be possible that the "smooth" and silky sound signature feels that way compared to a d2k... i also felt the more whispery sound of hd650 was more intimate and more involving that the liquidy sound of he500 but it is a matter of getting used to the sound signature and these things disappear after a week or two as you get more accustomed to the sound signature

 

[kothganesh]

  I've had the HE-500 for a while, but does anyone think that it lacks a little bite? I feel like I was able to become more emotionally invested into the music (especially rock) more frequently with my old Denon D2000s, because they felt more energetic somehow. Obviously, the HE500 kick the D2000's ass in every single way, but I find it a little harder to just rock out with the HE500s.

 
IMO, the HE 500 will not be able to "rock you". I think the 400 is more energetic in comparison. Or, with the Schiit equipment you have, you could consider the LCD 2.2 to get the adrenalin going. Please note that I don't own any dynamic headphone (i have the TH 900 on the way) so my suggestions are restricted only to the planars.

 

[pdrm360]

  I'm thinking about upgrading my HD650 to HE-500. Will it be a considerable improvement? Will the HRT Streamer II+ > O2 drive them well? I feel like I reached very close to the peak as far as headphones go, but I would like to be proven otherwise...

 
 
IMHO, the HE-500 is a step up on both sound quality and weight (it’s heavy), also you need a better amp.  If you like the HD650 sound signature, I think the LCD-2 is a better upgrade from HD650.

 

[tuna47]

I had the 600 and 650 for a number. Of yrs I feel that the 500 with right amp kids their butts much more involving and enjoyable love them

 

[daerron]

I found the HE-500 to sound very energetic when I still had the Audiolab M-DAC and Lehmann Black Cube Linear, but I found it got fatiguing after a while. Personally I prefer the HE-500 with more musical and smoother sounding DACs, but my taste in music has changed quite a bit over the last couple of years from being completely rock/alternative dominated to listening to many genres nowadays where the HE-500 makes for a supreme allrounder.

 

[kenshinhimura]

  I've had the HE-500 for a while, but does anyone think that it lacks a little bite? I feel like I was able to become more emotionally invested into the music (especially rock) more frequently with my old Denon D2000s, because they felt more energetic somehow. Obviously, the HE500 kick the D2000's ass in every single way, but I find it a little harder to just rock out with the HE500s.

i felt the exact way. got a pair of he-5le and got the kick i was looking for with a trade off of slightly less bass impact. it was worth it for me and i never looked back.

 

[VTV]

Got my HE-500 and here are my first impressions..
 
Looks - 
 
Smell - What, Smell? Yes you hear it right. . Well I don't know why, but you open the box and it smells cheap. I don't know. This is the smell that I associate with cheap toys and other cheap packaging. May be it is the foam pads. Not sure. The leather box looks tacky too.
Appearance - Well, this won't be China's official entry to beauty pageants. Still the headphone is more than presentable. Seem to be well made, but don't fancy the cable connections much.
 
Comfort -
 
Initial response was, well these are heavy but they are not uncomfortable. I wear glasses and it is not posing me any problems. At the end of my 4 hours listening, I feel the clamping to be a problem and the glasses do cause a problem. I need to something about the clamping.
 
Sound -
 
Well my current system is a speaker based system. I have Focal 826W and PSB Image T2 driven by a Denon 3312 and fed off PS3 and Dune HD D1. My audio sources are BD movies/concerts mainly followed by WAV/FLAC HD music etc. I am using the headphone jack on the Denon receiver, which may not be the ideal way to listen to this cns. I have no problem attaining high volumes though, but I have to dial up the volume more than I do for the speakers.
 
I listened to the first BD disk and I am disappointed. Well, my Focals can really sing. HE-500 is no slouch, but it sound less involving. I start going through my concert disks which ranges from rock concerts, Jazz, Musicals, classicals, Bollywood musicals, Flamego, Vocals etc.  
 
Bass.....The bass is not going to touch the 12" SVS woofer. I was not expecting it either. There is something to the visceral feeling of the bass from woofer compared to the honest imitations from a headphone. Unrealistic expectations, really. Subjectively, the mid bass has the slam that I have not heard in other headphones. So realistically speaking these phones make the bass sound, but they cannot do the bass feel the woofers are capable of. Again no one expects them to, right? LFE channel is going to show any headphone is poor light. I accept it. Still as the listening sessions progressed, I am amazed by the bass. The Focal sans the woofer might still still trump the HE-500 for bass, but HE-500 looks quite capable and has better separation and is more resolving. 
 
The treble...well these seems sibilant than the speakers on source bordering on sibilant. Often harshly so. Need to see how they fare with a matching amp. The Focal themselves get the tag or being bright, but their brightness is something I have come to accept and enjoy. They make some really nice tweeters. These cans perhaps need a warm amp. 
 
Mids - I was expecting to be blown off by the mids. Nothing wrong there. Nothing exciting there either. The speakers in full volume still sound a lot better. 
 
So whats good? Well the separation is really excellent. I can hear each and every instrument more clearly than I can with the speakers. With the classical music on 24/192 sources, the HE-500 clearly shows the advantage. In fact with classical BD, HE-500 is the clear winner. So not all is lost. HE-500 also conveys the atmosphere (concert hall etc.) far better than the speakers.
 
I give the BDs a break now. Probably the 2.1/5.1/7.1 sources are never mastered with a headphone in mind. I go to stereo sources now. I start listening the WAV/FLAC music inventory that has some 24/192 files.  Wow, the music that I could barely listen for more than 5 minutes now seems more intimate and immensely listenable. The bass is tight, mids flows like honey and treble so nice. Hmm. It is nearly 4 hours since I began and I am coming to like the sound. I wont call it that the cans have broken in, just that I am getting used to the cans. On the downside, the can feels uncomfortable now. The glass has started to pain and the vice like grip of the headphone clamping is getting a bit suffocating. I need to adjust the cans somehow. May be tomorrow. 
 
So all in all a mixed feeling review that ended in a positive note. 
 
I do wonder if the Denon can drive them loud enough, a dedicated DAC/AMP like Audio GD is going to sound hugely better.
 
More comments later. 

 

[Hedonism]

   
IMO, the HE 500 will not be able to "rock you". I think the 400 is more energetic in comparison. Or, with the Schiit equipment you have, you could consider the LCD 2.2 to get the adrenalin going. Please note that I don't own any dynamic headphone (i have the TH 900 on the way) so my suggestions are restricted only to the planars.

 
Ah, would you say that the LCD-2 has that impact that I'm looking for which the HE-500 is missing?

 

[VTV]

   
Ah, would you say that the LCD-2 has that impact that I'm looking for which the HE-500 is missing?

 
It is not a missing in HE-500, but found LCD-2 thing that he he had in mind I guess. It is just that he is suggesting LCD-2 signature will more to your tune. 

 

[koiloco]

  it might be possible that the "smooth" and silky sound signature feels that way compared to a d2k... i also felt the more whispery sound of hd650 was more intimate and more involving that the liquidy sound of he500 but it is a matter of getting used to the sound signature and these things disappear after a week or two as you get more accustomed to the sound signature

 
Dead on answer.  

To bring that much needed distortion back when listening to genre such as rock, maybe a little tube amp might help?  or running the HE500 off speaker taps also will open it up a touch more.   I've had experienced both of suggested personally though TBO, the difference is not huge.

 

[koiloco]

   
Ah, would you say that the LCD-2 has that impact that I'm looking for which the HE-500 is missing?

 
IMO, If you are not getting a kick from HE500, you won't get one from LCD-2, or even LCD-3.  Not because they are inferior to HE500 in anyway but to me their sound signature is even on the smoother side, neutral, a touch less airy (LCD-2).  So if that's what define your "bite", you won't find it in audeze.  Bass in Audeze, according to people, is better than HE500 but so far that's not my personal experience and a few others who compared bass/sub-bass between HE500, LCD2, LCD3 recently at a meet.  Our ears are all very different.  Graphs/measurements can only tell so much.
Your amp is very capable of driving the HE500 properly.  Give your ears some time to adjust first then decide afterward.

 

[ethan7000]

IMO, the HE 500 will not be able to "rock you". I think the 400 is more energetic in comparison. Or, with the Schiit equipment you have, you could consider the LCD 2.2 to get the adrenalin going. Please note that I don't own any dynamic headphone (i have the TH 900 on the way) so my suggestions are restricted only to the planars.

Would love to hear some 500/TH900 impressions when they come in.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  Got my HE-500 and here are my first impressions..
 
 
The treble...well these seems sibilant than the speakers on source bordering on sibilant. Often harshly so. Need to see how they fare with a matching amp. The Focal themselves get the tag or being bright, but their brightness is something I have come to accept and enjoy. They make some really nice tweeters. These cans perhaps need a warm amp. 
 

 
try pleathers if the velours are a little bright.
 
anyways, u should of seen my first posts when i got HE-500, i thought i was gonna return them. they where very bright and the mids where sucked out. but out of all my headphones, burn-in was very noticeable on the hifimans. the treble will smoothen out soon and there shouldn't be any sibilance.

 

[zeromacro]

   
try pleathers if the velours are a little bright.
 
anyways, u should of seen my first posts when i got HE-500, i thought i was gonna return them. they where very bright and the mids where sucked out. but out of all my headphones, burn-in was very noticeable on the hifimans. the treble will smoothen out soon and there shouldn't be any sibilance.

 
+1 and I wanna mention that I also couldn't stand the sibilant highs of the HE-500's with the stock 6BZ7 tubes in the Lyr, but it really tamed the highs with different tubes making the sound overall warmer and more laid back. The HE500 seems to sound quite dramatically different with different Amp/Source's signature.