Terja
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2012
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Just posted the conclusion to my HE-560 tour set review (see below). Also cleaned up some errant stuff in the review, spelling mistakes, etc. If you want to read the whole review you can find it here. Enjoy ..
SUSPENDED IN-BETWEEN: FUZZY LOGIC CONCLUSION
What ensued was a long back and forth comparison of the two headphones listening to different tracks one headphone after the other. This was fairly easy to do having both headphones strapped to the same amplifier but with dedicated outputs (thanks engineers for speaker amplifiers with two speaker outputs -
).
P.S. Placing the speaker output selection on A+B also made it obvious that the HE-560 required a little bit more attenuation to match the volume output of the HE-500, perhaps underscoring the fact that this particular HE-560 may be less sensitive than the HE-500 (at least my pair). But then again what is 90db/mW (HE-560) vs 89db/mw (HE-500). That means too close to call in my book.
Some random track impressions:
Jaga Jazzist (The Stix) - very challenging Nu-Jazz/Electronica track:
With HE-500 (Focus pads). Nice full robust sound. All those crazy details are there.
With HE-560 (Focus A pads). I am having a hard time telling the headphones apart. They are equally good, albeit with a nod for more detail retrieval going to the HE-560, but musically, they are equally convincing. One could get either, amplify it well and simply get lost in the music – which really is the goal at the end of the day.
Stee Downes (Movement):
This track highlighted how similar the HE-560 and HE-500 can sound (with the pad switches I made). I have to listen very closely to pinpoint the differences if any. The HE-500 sounds a little bit fuller whereas the HE-560 sounds a little more defined.
Maxwell (Welcome):
The HE-560 definitely wins this one. There is just more happening with it, not that much more but it's noticeable after coming from the HE-500. Again, very nice frequency balance, all the nuances are there and can be easily picked out. Yeah, oh that treble, no more troubles from it and I think credit goes to the Focus A pads on this.
With some genres the HE-500 simply shines. For example well-recorded and performed R&B/Neo-Soul. For example: Jill Scott (Golden), a track I felt the HE-500 out-performed the HE-560 on. Similar impressions on Brand New Heavies (Keep Together); Mark Rae (Medicine). The HE-560 doesn't seem to quite have the groove factor that these tracks and others like them call for.
Santana (Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas):
The warmer and fuller presentation of the HE-500 sounds better here too. Makes for a more enveloping and rocking sound. In comparison the HE-560 sounds like it's trying to be more proper when it's really time to let loose and really groove.
Ali Slaight (Kiss From A Rose):
Mmm ... The HE-560 sounds like the more accurate headphone of the two here. The overall warmth of the HE-500 is working against it. This is a somewhat acoustically based track and that kind of makes sense based on my other impressions: With acoustical music the HE-560 seems more accurate and better balanced overall. The HE-500 seems to bring a little more warmth to the tracks than is necessary resulting in less clarity within and between the various facets of the tracks, vocals and instruments. Still overally good but I would take the HE-560's presentation each time with acoustic based music – so much sweeter and nuanced – excellent performances.
Plantlife (When She Smiles):
HE-560 is clearer. Mmm ... sounds like the evidence is piling up. The HE-560 reproduces music with more clarity than the HE-500. I think the mid-centric character of the HE-500 may be its Achilles heel. Don't get me wrong, it still sounds world-class but it is outclassed by the HE-560 in this regard. (From Wikipedia: An Achilles heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, which can actually or potentially lead to downfall.)
And so forth and so forth, and so forth it went .... until ...
Conclusion inside the conclusion: When musical clarity is called for the HE-560s outperform the 500s, but where full musical grooviness is called for the HE-500s seem to have an edge. So I guess it pretty much comes down to choice of the wrong that's less wrong. In this case the less significant and infrequent shortcomings of the HE-560 are easier to fix and live with than the more apparent shortcomings of the HE-500, especially if you listen to a lot of acoustically grounded music. The HE-560 is the better headphone and is definitely an upgrade rather than simply a sidegrade to the HE-500. Would I upgrade then? Yes ... absolutely, strictly based on sound-quality improvements, and especially where money is not a consideration. With the HE-500 now just over half the price of the HE-560 does that make it half as good as the HE-560? Definitely not; I would place the HE-500's abilities at about 93-96% of the HE-560's sonic reproductive ability. Is that final 4-7% worth it? My answer – a resounding yes! With the HE-560 you would have a headphone that gives you less to stop and gripe about knowing in the end there was little you could do about it.
Well done Hifiman for taking your headphones further. I didn't think you could do it, especially with single-magnet transducers but you did. The HE-560 is definitely a worthy upgrade to the HE-500!
[Grill-modded HE-500 (Focus pads) ; Stock form HE-560 (Focus A pads]
SUSPENDED IN-BETWEEN: FUZZY LOGIC CONCLUSION
What ensued was a long back and forth comparison of the two headphones listening to different tracks one headphone after the other. This was fairly easy to do having both headphones strapped to the same amplifier but with dedicated outputs (thanks engineers for speaker amplifiers with two speaker outputs -
P.S. Placing the speaker output selection on A+B also made it obvious that the HE-560 required a little bit more attenuation to match the volume output of the HE-500, perhaps underscoring the fact that this particular HE-560 may be less sensitive than the HE-500 (at least my pair). But then again what is 90db/mW (HE-560) vs 89db/mw (HE-500). That means too close to call in my book.
Some random track impressions:
Jaga Jazzist (The Stix) - very challenging Nu-Jazz/Electronica track:
With HE-500 (Focus pads). Nice full robust sound. All those crazy details are there.
With HE-560 (Focus A pads). I am having a hard time telling the headphones apart. They are equally good, albeit with a nod for more detail retrieval going to the HE-560, but musically, they are equally convincing. One could get either, amplify it well and simply get lost in the music – which really is the goal at the end of the day.
Stee Downes (Movement):
This track highlighted how similar the HE-560 and HE-500 can sound (with the pad switches I made). I have to listen very closely to pinpoint the differences if any. The HE-500 sounds a little bit fuller whereas the HE-560 sounds a little more defined.
Maxwell (Welcome):
The HE-560 definitely wins this one. There is just more happening with it, not that much more but it's noticeable after coming from the HE-500. Again, very nice frequency balance, all the nuances are there and can be easily picked out. Yeah, oh that treble, no more troubles from it and I think credit goes to the Focus A pads on this.
With some genres the HE-500 simply shines. For example well-recorded and performed R&B/Neo-Soul. For example: Jill Scott (Golden), a track I felt the HE-500 out-performed the HE-560 on. Similar impressions on Brand New Heavies (Keep Together); Mark Rae (Medicine). The HE-560 doesn't seem to quite have the groove factor that these tracks and others like them call for.
Santana (Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas):
The warmer and fuller presentation of the HE-500 sounds better here too. Makes for a more enveloping and rocking sound. In comparison the HE-560 sounds like it's trying to be more proper when it's really time to let loose and really groove.
Ali Slaight (Kiss From A Rose):
Mmm ... The HE-560 sounds like the more accurate headphone of the two here. The overall warmth of the HE-500 is working against it. This is a somewhat acoustically based track and that kind of makes sense based on my other impressions: With acoustical music the HE-560 seems more accurate and better balanced overall. The HE-500 seems to bring a little more warmth to the tracks than is necessary resulting in less clarity within and between the various facets of the tracks, vocals and instruments. Still overally good but I would take the HE-560's presentation each time with acoustic based music – so much sweeter and nuanced – excellent performances.
Plantlife (When She Smiles):
HE-560 is clearer. Mmm ... sounds like the evidence is piling up. The HE-560 reproduces music with more clarity than the HE-500. I think the mid-centric character of the HE-500 may be its Achilles heel. Don't get me wrong, it still sounds world-class but it is outclassed by the HE-560 in this regard. (From Wikipedia: An Achilles heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, which can actually or potentially lead to downfall.)
And so forth and so forth, and so forth it went .... until ...
Conclusion inside the conclusion: When musical clarity is called for the HE-560s outperform the 500s, but where full musical grooviness is called for the HE-500s seem to have an edge. So I guess it pretty much comes down to choice of the wrong that's less wrong. In this case the less significant and infrequent shortcomings of the HE-560 are easier to fix and live with than the more apparent shortcomings of the HE-500, especially if you listen to a lot of acoustically grounded music. The HE-560 is the better headphone and is definitely an upgrade rather than simply a sidegrade to the HE-500. Would I upgrade then? Yes ... absolutely, strictly based on sound-quality improvements, and especially where money is not a consideration. With the HE-500 now just over half the price of the HE-560 does that make it half as good as the HE-560? Definitely not; I would place the HE-500's abilities at about 93-96% of the HE-560's sonic reproductive ability. Is that final 4-7% worth it? My answer – a resounding yes! With the HE-560 you would have a headphone that gives you less to stop and gripe about knowing in the end there was little you could do about it.
Well done Hifiman for taking your headphones further. I didn't think you could do it, especially with single-magnet transducers but you did. The HE-560 is definitely a worthy upgrade to the HE-500!
[Grill-modded HE-500 (Focus pads) ; Stock form HE-560 (Focus A pads]
. Soooooo, how does the Mani sound?!?!
