[rawrster]

He500 for 500 is actually a pretty good price. I liked them a lot when I had them but their weight was too much for me. Of course at that time I was running them with a small speaker amp. The couple of times I heard the Lyr I wasn't impressed if used with this level of headphone.

 

[ubs28]

   
But a headphone shouldn't have a different sound signature! Instruments and voices have a sound in real life and the headphone should aim to produce those sounds as close to real life as possible. YMMV.

Can't be done. The sounds you hear in music is heavily altered with effects such as equalisers and compressors. 

 

[ubs28]

The more you pay, the smaller the improvements get. A $500 headphone isn't 300% better than a $150 headphone. If money is tight, then stick with the $150 headphone.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

You want too much, but you don't think that you do, nor do you have the life experience to understand that you want too much.

You are bass obsessed as most young people are.
More bass==better sound quality, less bass==poor sound quality.
This is an age-related value, and nothing will fix it.

You don't appreciate subtley, soundstage, nuance, or fine detail - I don't even think you understand what those concepts mean and how they manifest when comparing audio components. Certainly your review displayed no awareness of them. Those qualities are ones that the 500 has.

You liked the M50's and thought that something that cost 3X their price would be the same SQ, but 3x more of what they offer. The 50's are basshead cans, so you are looking for skull rattling bass.

I will be honest - I hold a low opinion of bass head addicts who equate massive bass with a high quality headphone, so the fact that you are 17, ask the world, don't appreciate the finer qualities of a good headphone, want MOAR BASSSS, and want excitement - it's just a review that reminds me that the opinions of a 17 year old are something that I ignore when shopping for and comparing fine audio components.

The fact that you do not like the 500 is a plus for me - it reinforces my opinion that picking up this d/c can on the market would be a wise choice for me as anything that a 17 year old child dislikes so much would be well suited to an adult. That they are now available at a discount is a plus.

I suggest you read the basshead thread. Their values seem more in line with yours.

 
 

 

[KG Jag]

If you want to hear an excellent reproduction of the Track as it was laid down, go to a can like a properly driven HE 500.  See:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared-update-audeze-lcd-2-revision-2-6-4-13#user_HE500
 
If you want to hear that same track through your preferred thick filter, go to a can like the M50.

 

[Koolpep]

You want too much, but you don't think that you do, nor do you have the life experience to understand that you want too much.

You are bass obsessed as most young people are.
More bass==better sound quality, less bass==poor sound quality.
This is an age-related value, and nothing will fix it.

You don't appreciate subtley, soundstage, nuance, or fine detail - I don't even think you understand what those concepts mean and how they manifest when comparing audio components. Certainly your review displayed no awareness of them. Those qualities are ones that the 500 has.

You liked the M50's and thought that something that cost 3X their price would be the same SQ, but 3x more of what they offer. The 50's are basshead cans, so you are looking for skull rattling bass.

I will be honest - I hold a low opinion of bass head addicts who equate massive bass with a high quality headphone, so the fact that you are 17, ask the world, don't appreciate the finer qualities of a good headphone, want MOAR BASSSS, and want excitement - it's just a review that reminds me that the opinions of a 17 year old are something that I ignore when shopping for and comparing fine audio components.

The fact that you do not like the 500 is a plus for me - it reinforces my opinion that picking up this d/c can on the market would be a wise choice for me as anything that a 17 year old child dislikes so much would be well suited to an adult. That they are now available at a discount is a plus.

I suggest you read the basshead thread. Their values seem more in line with yours.

Wow, so many assumptions....

I think the OP has expressed himself very well for a 17 year old with limited exposure to costly equipment. From my experience a Momentum with a C5D (that amazing bass switch) would be the best....

However, your response shows some deeper issues with young people in general. Your response was not helpful, nice, understanding or respectful but vile, and hurtful. I wonder what was in your coffee this morning.

Am glad young people post their opinions here and not just grumpy old men.

Cheers,
K

 

[Insatiable One]

You want too much, but you don't think that you do, nor do you have the life experience to understand that you want too much.

You are bass obsessed as most young people are.
More bass==better sound quality, less bass==poor sound quality.
This is an age-related value, and nothing will fix it.

You don't appreciate subtley, soundstage, nuance, or fine detail - I don't even think you understand what those concepts mean and how they manifest when comparing audio components. Certainly your review displayed no awareness of them. Those qualities are ones that the 500 has.

You liked the M50's and thought that something that cost 3X their price would be the same SQ, but 3x more of what they offer. The 50's are basshead cans, so you are looking for skull rattling bass.

I will be honest - I hold a low opinion of bass head addicts who equate massive bass with a high quality headphone, so the fact that you are 17, ask the world, don't appreciate the finer qualities of a good headphone, want MOAR BASSSS, and want excitement - it's just a review that reminds me that the opinions of a 17 year old are something that I ignore when shopping for and comparing fine audio components.

The fact that you do not like the 500 is a plus for me - it reinforces my opinion that picking up this d/c can on the market would be a wise choice for me as anything that a 17 year old child dislikes so much would be well suited to an adult. That they are now available at a discount is a plus.

I suggest you read the basshead thread. Their values seem more in line with yours.

Bite Me <3

 

[whatup69]

Hey bro ignore that long winded and pretty negative comment earlier. I think its great a 17 year old is into head fi gear. Can only imagine if i had a pair of he500s or similar level can in high school! Dont be afraid to post to your hearts content on forums, be open minded, mature and willing to learn. Also maybe hit up the r/headphones subreddit for a more 'youth' friendly community? Also may i suggest picking up a set of audiotechnica ath a900x as they may wow you indeed...

 

[thoughtcriminal]

You want too much, but you don't think that you do, nor do you have the life experience to understand that you want too much.

You are bass obsessed as most young people are.
More bass==better sound quality, less bass==poor sound quality.
This is an age-related value, and nothing will fix it.

You don't appreciate subtley, soundstage, nuance, or fine detail - I don't even think you understand what those concepts mean and how they manifest when comparing audio components. Certainly your review displayed no awareness of them. Those qualities are ones that the 500 has.

You liked the M50's and thought that something that cost 3X their price would be the same SQ, but 3x more of what they offer. The 50's are basshead cans, so you are looking for skull rattling bass.

I will be honest - I hold a low opinion of bass head addicts who equate massive bass with a high quality headphone, so the fact that you are 17, ask the world, don't appreciate the finer qualities of a good headphone, want MOAR BASSSS, and want excitement - it's just a review that reminds me that the opinions of a 17 year old are something that I ignore when shopping for and comparing fine audio components.

The fact that you do not like the 500 is a plus for me - it reinforces my opinion that picking up this d/c can on the market would be a wise choice for me as anything that a 17 year old child dislikes so much would be well suited to an adult. That they are now available at a discount is a plus.

I suggest you read the basshead thread. Their values seem more in line with yours.

Thats a bit narrow minded don't you think. Op's ears may very well be drastically better than us older folks. And in fact hearing loss has turned me more into a bass head than I used to be. When you can't hear the highs well, you focus more on the mids and lows.
He500 doesn't sound like your cup of tea insatiable one, but you have grasped the idea of why people like it. And I can certainly sympathize, its hard to spend money on small upgrades when funds are tight. Don't give up on HiFi, there's something out there for you, just try all you can so you know what you like for your next upgrade

 

[Insatiable One]

You want too much, but you don't think that you do, nor do you have the life experience to understand that you want too much.

You are bass obsessed as most young people are.
More bass==better sound quality, less bass==poor sound quality.
This is an age-related value, and nothing will fix it.

You don't appreciate subtley, soundstage, nuance, or fine detail - I don't even think you understand what those concepts mean and how they manifest when comparing audio components. Certainly your review displayed no awareness of them. Those qualities are ones that the 500 has.

*clears throat* ehrm, on a more serious and mature note, here is my reply:
 
This is not an age-related value, but more of a era or generation related value. I am 17, so I wasn't born in the time when music was still clean, well mastered, and not overloaded with bass. I am growing up in the time of the Loudness Wars, brick wall mastering, and a time of much misconception of what is good quality sound.
 
As with most stereotypes, while the stereotype may be correct, a stereotype is still a generalization and not all fall under it. That is where I come in. If you read the beginning of my original post I begin by saying, "I'm not an 'audiophile'. Let's start off by making that clear. I just like music, like most people. However, unlike the majority of people nowadays, the quality of my music listening experience matters to me." It's not really my fault that I grew up becoming accustomed to overly bassy sound and whatnot. It's what I grew up with, and it was all that was around me. So excuse me if that is what I tend to prefer, but do acknowledge that I have realized that kind of sound is not really good and that I am looking for an alternative. 
 
This review that I wrote was me making an observation and forming an opinion that this was not what I expected of this headphone, and based on what I read in reviews and what I was expecting I was disappointed by what I heard. Also, because this was a significantly large investment for me as a student, maybe I have set my expectations too high. 
 
I actually do have an appreciation for subtlety, soundstage, nuance, and fine detail, or at least I am trying to. If you read my review and my responses to other posts, you would find that I talk about how I am having trouble finding that in this headphone, and I am having trouble finding all the things that people say about this headphone when I am listening to it, if that makes any sense. I am not saying that those qualities are not there, or that I don't care for them. I want those qualities in a headphone, it's what I was looking for. I don't like a lot of bass and I don't like the large amount of bass the M50s have, but I felt that the HE-500s were really anemic. Also, I said that I really enjoyed the speed and quality of the bass on the HE-500 but it's the small quantity of that bass that I didn't like.
 
I feel like I am just repeating myself so I will stop.

 

[Pirakaphile]

*shrug*
 
I just got my 500s a week ago and I think they're fantastic. Compared to my Beyer 990 PRO, they have more tiny details and a flatter response that allows them to work well with any music I've got. Compared to the Grado SR80i, they have a much wider soundstage, extended sub-bass, and a lot cleaner sound overall. These few details aren't massive, but they're noticeable to someone who has a keen ear like me. Would I consider the HiFiMAN worth $400 more than the Grados? In my opinion, yeah, but I think the Beyers, which I picked up for $125 or so refurbished, blow both of them out of the water in terms of money/sound ratio, as well as comfort, and style. Once you get a $100 can that is built around the sound it outputs, like the Audio-Technica M50, the increases in sound quality are much smaller than you might expect unless you're a nutcase looking for the miniscule differences like any audiophile in the world.  
So, in short, chill out, sell your HiFiMANs to an audiophile and get something marketed towards your taste or something. 

 

[Brooko]

@Insatiable One - I can appreciate where you're coming from, and it's great you've been able to articulate your thoughts so clearly.
 
If you don't mind an experiment, this has helped me a lot when evaluating new headphones. The issue is that it is sometimes very hard when we get a new headphone to adjust to its different nuances - especially it we're continually comparing it to a headphone with a sound signature we know well. Basically we never give our brains time to adjust properly.
 
If you're game - stop listening to any other headphone for 4-5 days, and only listen to the HE500 during that period.  Your brain will automatically adjust your expectations to that headphone (basically dial it in).  After the 4-5 days, then try your M50s again.  If at that stage you are still very underwhelmed, then it definitely is time to sell the HE500 and try something that may be more suited to your tastes. However you may find that those 4-5 days will possibly let you focus on the strengths of the HE500, and then the superiority over the M50 may become more apparent.
 
At the end of the day though - forget what everyone else says about the comparison between the two. The important thing is what makes you happy with the music you listen to. If that ends up being the M50 - then use it  

 

[ftf286]

Personally it sounds like, to me, you should just stick with the m50s and sell the HE-500s. Though I would point out that if you really think there's a 30% difference between the two, that's quite a lot in my mind. 

 

[24grant24]

Have you tried going back to the audio technica after using the he500. I find that can be the real "ah ha" moment for a lot of people to hear what this new high end experience brings to the equation.

 

[whatup69]

Also, what are you using to drive the hifimans, just outta curiosity