[Saren]

I've heard a friends Planar speakers, and I still desire to stick to headphone listening. I own a 2 bedroom Unit and in the past I've had complaints about my old Pioneer stereo (nothing special) in the past. So for me headphones allow me to listen to music freely without worrying about such problems. I actually very much like the presentation of headphones and their intimate sound, as well as the crazy detail you can hear. Likewise I don't have much space and would rather not need to set up a room for speaker listening.
 
It is interesting to read your story in the other thread and the process you went through. You have certainly moved up the ladder fast. I wish you luck in the speaker world!

 

[Tony1110]

HE-500 don't have the speed of the T1. My only criticism of the HE-500 is that they can't separate complex passages of music with quite the same competence as some of the headphones I've had in the past - the T1 and Fostex TH-600 have exceptional speed.

 

[VTV]

Hmm how can someone go from speakers to headphones? How could you have been there and then come down here? I'd be so depressed lol. It would be like being forced to go back to earbuds for me. I think I'd rather not listen to music in that case.

 


Hmm, I did that and have not yet experienced the wow moment from the HE-500. It do bring up a smile often. I have the Focal 826 and PSB T2. Both are nice, Focals especially so with excellent imaging. However the caveat is not having a sound proof room, I am unable to listen at enjoyable levels (read loud) even during the day. So the headphones are the new diversion for some night time entertainment. Of course I am yet to drive the HE-500 off anything better than the Denon 3312 receiver's headphone jack. An Audio GD NFB 28 is on the way. Let's see how HE-500 sounds from a Audio GD.

Having said that HE-500 IS an excellent headphone, but just not a match for the speakers + SVS woofer. One particularly interesting discovery was that I do find watching the BD movies on HE-500 to be quite enjoyable. Not in imaging (not using any DSP), but overall enjoyment and clarity, even on bass heavy movies. I am not a bass fetish even with the speakers, so perhaps that helps.

 

[Henery]

I have a very strange problem with HE-500.Channel balance is ok,but somehow almost all of the airines is on the left channel.Right channel sounds clearly quieter.It´s very annoying and kills listening joy very quickly.My country´s importer told me that this pair was manufactured on the new unit,which was opened at the beginning of this year and doesn´t have the dust problem.My previous pair was manufactured in the old unit which had the dust problem.It developed channel imbalance,and yes,almost all of the audio was on the left side.
 
Recently i was on a hifi-exhibition and met Hifiman importer and told about this problem and asked if it is because the headphones are underpowered (i´m running them with CA Dacmagic Plus).He said that there may be dust in the right driver and more powerful amplifier may blow dust off.That explanation sounds somewhat odd.I fear that i have send this pair back too.
 
I have also going to order a balanced mini-xlr cable,so that i can connect HE-500 to Dacmagic plus´s xlr outputs.Yeah,and speaker amplifier is also considered as well.
 
Recently i read about these ultrasonic transducer thing called Echofone.Here´s a thread about it http://www.head-fi.org/t/278315/echofone-a-super-tweeter-for-headphone-users-or-the-hearing-impaired So basically these give you the treble detail,imaging accuracy and presence of air motion transformer transudcers in a form of sound transducers that you wear on your forehead with a cloth headband holding them in place.I´m thinking if i could use these with the HE-500 plugged to a speaker amplifier.Hmmm,if that works,it could be dream system.

 

[i019791]

  I have a very strange problem with HE-500.Channel balance is ok,but somehow almost all of the airines is on the left channel.Right channel sounds clearly quieter.It´s very annoying and kills listening joy very quickly.My country´s importer told me that this pair was manufactured on the new unit,which was opened at the beginning of this year and doesn´t have the dust problem.My previous pair was manufactured in the old unit which had the dust problem.It developed channel imbalance,and yes,almost all of the audio was on the left side.
 
Recently i was on a hifi-exhibition and met Hifiman importer and told about this problem and asked if it is because the headphones are underpowered (i´m running them with CA Dacmagic Plus).He said that there may be dust in the right driver and more powerful amplifier may blow dust off.That explanation sounds somewhat odd.I fear that i have send this pair back too.
 
I have also going to order a balanced mini-xlr cable,so that i can connect HE-500 to Dacmagic plus´s xlr outputs.Yeah,and speaker amplifier is also considered as well.
 
Recently i read about these ultrasonic transducer thing called Echofone.Here´s a thread about it http://www.head-fi.org/t/278315/echofone-a-super-tweeter-for-headphone-users-or-the-hearing-impaired So basically these give you the treble detail,imaging accuracy and presence of air motion transformer transudcers in a form of sound transducers that you wear on your forehead with a cloth headband holding them in place.I´m thinking if i could use these with the HE-500 plugged to a speaker amplifier.Hmmm,if that works,it could be dream system.

I have heard similar amusing theories of dust and insufficient amplifiers from the German distributor. I told them that the drivers were simply faulty and they finally replaced the cans. The new HE500 pair is nicely balanced.

 

[jerg]

HE-500 don't have the speed of the T1. My only criticism of the HE-500 is that they can't separate complex passages of music with quite the same competence as some of the headphones I've had in the past - the T1 and Fostex TH-600 have exceptional speed.

Big treble peaks tend to help with that 

 

[brunk]

  Big treble peaks tend to help with that 

Or the person's hearing too 

 

 

[potterma]

   
See if you can demo some Magnepan MMGs before you commit to dynamic speakers. I think they have a trial period program in the USA and cost around $600. There is something magical about Magnepans if you can accommodate them in a room that suit their characteristics. I had the MG12s on demo for a while and thought they sounded better than the CM9s (and the HE-500), but the Magnepans need a lot of horsepower to sound their best so needs a decent power amplifier. They are also lower on the bass scale (the MMG and MG12), but you can augment them with a bass panel or get a dedicated subwoofer later on. Unfortunately my listening area was too small and the sweet spot too narrow and the fact that they are dipoles also didn't work out that well (not to mentioned they failed the WAF test), but one day perhaps with a different house, I reckon the MG1.7s is all one needs to have a cracking stereo setup. I've also heard some ML ESLs and didn't like the sound much.

I'll vote for Magnepans, as well.  I've got Mini-Maggies on (and under ) my desk and am really glad I went with them.  

 

[kamalz]

Originally Posted by Sonido /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 For this reason alone, I think I prefer these $400 speakers to any of my headphones.

 
 I have a pair of  ~ 6 feet maggies speakers which are powered by pure class A amp & pre amp.
 But they are  not in real audio environment eg like the room is acoustically  treated or so.
 Of course the imaging  and that subtly low bass which  can send  a wave of energy
 caressing your arms are awesome.   But i never found it to be believable enough.
  I feel like it was colored too much to be believable but the music is alive.
  It does  touch my emotion but not like hd600 or HD800.
 It i want to completely lost in music world , i would choose headphones
 
 I think to fully tweak hifi system take a lot of money & many times  you may not get what you want  .
 To get the right touch is so difficult and can cost a fortune
 
 Maggies sound so much like he500

 

[koiloco]

   Maggies sound so much like he500

+1, finally, someone hears the same thing I do. 

 

[Austin Morrow]

You all should really hear James Newton's Howard composition of "The Village." It's simply stunning on the HE-500. In lossless obviously.

 

[daerron]

 
 Maggies sound so much like he500

 
+1 fully agree. The MG12s have a very similar sound signature. The wall of sound effect with maggies is quite impressive. Its a marked difference to go back to a speaker with a single point source for the treble.

 

[bhazard]

I and everyone else who had them moved on from Maggies. There are better speakers out there which can serve both music and home theater use.
 
BUT, it is a unique sound signature all its own, and its nice to have a reminder of it in the HE-500. 

 

[Angelbelow]

Was able to get a hold of a pair of HE500s for a few days.. only have the Asus essence stx right now though.
 
Have a woo audio wa7 coming in any day now.

 

[hifimanrookie]

Just sold my he500 jurgulors tomorrow it will depart to belgium to a lucky and happy new owner
And now starts the very hard time of waiting for my he5 code-x, without my beloved he500
Wish u well my friends..
Have fun when i am gone