[Zulkr9]

lol. I respect the respect for stock. I personally really like the Focus-a, grill mod and fuzzor, but they also sound wonderful at stock.

I find the grill mod to make the HE-500 too bright for my tastes but it does make it sound more open (increases soundstage). haven't tried the fuzzor and I doin't really like the focus-a pads 

 

[taddraughn]

I can't get my head around this, but if you're happy with the results that's fine.

Yeah I think I agree with you here. Could modifying the phones completely change the way someone hears them like that? Of course sound is super subjective, but I've always thought my HE-500 were the exact opposite of dull. Been running them from my Lyr for close to a year and a half and just switched to a Burson Soloist that i got for my TH600 and like the HE500 with the Soloist much better than with the Lyr (kinda surprised me)

 

[Liu Junyuan]

I find the grill mod to make the HE-500 too bright for my tastes but it does make it sound more open (increases soundstage). haven't tried the fuzzor and I doin't really like the focus-a pads 

Thats okay. I am glad you can enjoy the HE-500s.

 

[taddraughn]

  I find the grill mod to make the HE-500 too bright for my tastes but it does make it sound more open (increases soundstage). haven't tried the fuzzor and I doin't really like the focus-a pads 

 
 
How did you find the focus pads changed the sound? I thought about getting them because they looked to be more comfy than the stock pads, but I think I like the sound just fine as it is.

 

[Zulkr9]

Thats okay. I am glad you can enjoy the HE-500s.

You should try mr speakers alpha pads on them, btw how would you say the fuzzor mod affects the sound ?

 

[Liu Junyuan]

You should try mr speakers alpha pads on them, btw how would you say the fuzzor mod affects the sound ?

Well, I would welcome the chance to try those. I am a bit wary because of their price, which eats into other upgrades in my setup I am seeking (in particular an otl amp for my high Z cans).

The fuzzor mod tames the measured 5-7 kHz peak found in most HiFiMANs by addressing the tendency for dual magnets to emit backwave reflections. All of this is explained in Jerg's opening post to the fuzzor mod thread on headfi. It is the most direct mod of them all and is a stroke of utter genius on Jerg's behalf. He was inspired by Audeze's own implementation of fazor technology. Hence, fazor became fuzzor due to the use of adhesive felt instead of Audeze's metal plate.

HE-500 is still enjoyable without the mod though. I am not the person who will say the headphone is terrible without mods. I think that is the best way to turn someone away from a product and it highly frustrates me reading it on other threads about other products too.

 

[whatup69]

HE-500 is still enjoyable without the mod though. I am not the person who will say the headphone is terrible without mods. I think that is the best way to turn someone away from a product and it highly frustrates me reading it on other threads about other products too.

Agreed. I love mine stock and find it ridiculous that people claim the HE500 NEEDS mods to sound good. Because it doesnt and i think you'll find the majority feel the same. It is an amazing headphone and a true giant killer. 

 

[Tobes]

Agreed. I love mine stock and find it ridiculous that people claim the HE500 NEEDS mods to sound good. Because it doesnt and i think you'll find the majority feel the same. It is an amazing headphone and a true giant killer. 

+1 Awesome headphones for sure. Stock with the velour earpads works for me.

 

[daltonlanny]

  Agreed. I love mine stock and find it ridiculous that people claim the HE500 NEEDS mods to sound good. Because it doesnt and i think you'll find the majority feel the same. It is an amazing headphone and a true giant killer. 

+ 2 on being a giant killer!
One of my favorite headphones of all time.

 

[pcbr]

Hi. I'm new here.
What do you think about match HE-500 with Pathos Aurium amp?

 

[mikey1964]

+1 Awesome headphones for sure. Stock with the velour earpads works for me.

Agreed, I ain't changing anything about the HE500 other than the pad. Should be getting a pair of Focus pad A in a few days' time. Then I can compare it against the HE400i.....

 

[Rockcoon]

+Another one for the stock. Yesterday aplied fuzzzor mod and... nothing, same sound. Well, atleast it's an aditional dust protection.
The only thing i belive-he500s need horsepower balance amp
to unleash the fury

pcbr

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

http://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/equipment-menu/551-pathos-acoustics-aurium-headphone-amplifier

Perhaps most impressive was how the Aurium was able to drive the Audeze LCD-3s -- open-backed planar headphones that can sound veiled and bass-heavy with lower-powered amplification. With a listed sensitivity of 91dB at 1mW, the LCD-3s are pretty hard to drive -- Audeze lists their optimal power requirement as 1-4W. The Aurium’s generous 3.6W lit them up so well that I found the LCD-3s close enough in resolution to the HD 650s, and superior in richness, bass, and overall slam and impact. The Audezes’ claimed frequency response is prodigious -- 5Hz-50kHz -- and their nominal impedance is 45 ohms, purely resistive. The rest of the listening observations in this section all refer to what I heard with the Pathos Aurium driving the Audeze LCD-3s

.

Great match for planars it's seems

 

[mikey1964]

Oh yeah, I forgot to add, I'd gotten my HE500 (which looks like new) from a seller locally, he'd misplaced the stock HE500 cable, but as replacement, he'd given me the HE560 cable instead. Also, for the price I'd paid, an Audeze Q Cable + HiFiMan adapters was included for that purchase price. Hence, should you guys see pics of myHE500, it'd be with the Q Cable, NOT because I believe it'd make much of a difference sonically, more owing to the fact that it's short and 'coz I'd paid a bundle price for it.

 

[Zulkr9]

Quo

Well, I would welcome the chance to try those. I am a bit wary because of their price, which eats into other upgrades in my setup I am seeking (in particular an otl amp for my high Z cans).

The fuzzor mod tames the measured 5-7 kHz peak found in most HiFiMANs by addressing the tendency for dual magnets to emit backwave reflections. All of this is explained in Jerg's opening post to the fuzzor mod thread on headfi. It is the most direct mod of them all and is a stroke of utter genius on Jerg's behalf. He was inspired by Audeze's own implementation of fazor technology. Hence, fazor became fuzzor due to the use of adhesive felt instead of Audeze's metal plate.

HE-500 is still enjoyable without the mod though. I am not the person who will say the headphone is terrible without mods. I think that is the best way to turn someone away from a product and it highly frustrates me reading it on other threads about other products too.

Jergs awesome no doubt about that, but I feel like his preferences are different from mine as I really don't like the effects that are brought about when you do the grill mod. I did try a he-500 fuzzor and I don't think that it does effect the sound as much as fazor but it does smoothen out the sound a bit , more like the mr speakers doggie treats (to a lesser extent though).

 

[Zulkr9]

Well, I would welcome the chance to try those. I am a bit wary because of their price, which eats into other upgrades in my setup I am seeking (in particular an otl amp for my high Z cans).

The fuzzor mod tames the measured 5-7 kHz peak found in most HiFiMANs by addressing the tendency for dual magnets to emit backwave reflections. All of this is explained in Jerg's opening post to the fuzzor mod thread on headfi. It is the most direct mod of them all and is a stroke of utter genius on Jerg's behalf. He was inspired by Audeze's own implementation of fazor technology. Hence, fazor became fuzzor due to the use of adhesive felt instead of Audeze's metal plate.

HE-500 is still enjoyable without the mod though. I am not the person who will say the headphone is terrible without mods. I think that is the best way to turn someone away from a product and it highly frustrates me reading it on other threads about other products too.

If you are looking for an OTL amp try the 339 by la figaro its great with the HE-500 as well, you will need to do some tube rolling though