[zxc]

Somehow I have the impression that a lot more R&D goes into the He-560 than a $900 cable. I could be wrong. But I mean, the pad, baffle, headband, diaphragm, traces, magnets, their configuration, etc. A looot of work. Cable business sound like dark magic, relatively of course...

And cables companies do get rich. Why do we have monster headphones? Weren't they just a cable company? I know that Best Buy pushed many people getting HD TV sets and players purchase premium cables, though they probably made more money on the cable than the TV itself.

Hifi existed for decades. Why are top of the line Stax cables still conservative. I mean, do these people not know how to design an appropriate cable for their amazing and expensive products?

 

[TooPoor]

Speaking of cables... I got my Norne cable to work. It just needed a little nut manipulation

and some steady hands. Is it better than stock? Probably, but I didn't buy the cable in the first place for sonic improvements. I bought it because of the stock HE-500 (not HE-560) cable was horribly microphonic and liked to twist itself into unique shapes. HiFiMan retained the same connectors, so I kept the cable.

 

[Maxx134]

... The mixing and matching of components is an art unto itself...

I really like that statement

..as i am waiting for the next phone that for sure will outperform my code-x..the new jade...already knowthat i need a WEE to get it working with my PaG.

Ok then when it outperform your code-x then you can sell it to me
Lol

Somehow I have the impression that a lot more R&D goes into the He-560 than a $900 cable. I could be wrong....
..

Haha yes point out the ridiculous.
These cable companies are probably making profit a hundred fold. ..

Wow, a company selling $900 headphone cables. :rolleyes: Thanks, I just appreciated the stock cable that much more...

IMHO no cable should cost more than $300 unless it was solid gold..
And Companies that sell $900 on cable are blatant rip off to me.
They play to the customer placibo effect.
Anyway that should be obvious.

....the stock cable is worth less than $30, on a $899 headphone? 

I don't like stock cable
because it is stiff and too short, BUT it supposed to be good quality OCC copper, correct?

Anyway stock cables is a total waste as is because of it,
and Hifiman should have offered a choice of wire length and termination, like how ZMF headphone website offers this choice. .
Given a choice I doubt anyone would select the stock cable in it's current form. .

..
Let's get back to discussing the fantastic HE-560. it's marvelous!

OMG a positive comment from Cute!

 

[SBranson]

 
I've sent 3 international items at the same time. Canada, Spain, and Sweden. The Spain and Sweden ones got there in 7 days. Meanwhile Canada took 3 weeks, SMOKE BREAAAK.

 
Whenever I get upset about Canada's postal system, which is quite often I must say, I think of the size of the country and the logistics involved.  Even somewhere like tiny Sweden still has a much larger density and I'm sure not so terribly spread out like we are.  With our small population comes the smaller tax base etc etc...  It's a giant snowball (pun intended) that means I can't get tools anywhere in the whole damn country that guys in the US can find used in their hometowns.  You guys can get anything anytime..  I wanted to get a dozen endmills totalling about $80 from the US and shipping was going to be $129...  So, I have to pay double the price per endmill here in Canada.. along with high taxes and shipping.. 
A digression to bet sure but I've written this much so I'm going to post it anyway.. Ha..
 
 
USA - 9 629 091 sq. km  population: 313.9 million (2012)  density-  32.6 people/km^2

Canada - 9 984 670 sq. km   population: 34.88 million (2012) density- 3.49 people/km^2
 

Canada is ​

19.73​

 times as big as ​

Spain​

 ​

(505992 km²)

. pop: ​

47.27 million (2012)  density - 93.42 people/km^2
 

Canada is ​

22.62​

 times as big as ​

Sweden​

 ​

(441370 km²)

.  pop: ​

9.517 million (2012)  density - 21.6 people/km^2
 
If you took Alaska off of the US then the density jumps up to 39.6 people/km^2

 

[uncola]

I'm asking here because it's the most active hifiman thread.  Did they announce plans to update the HE-300?  Seems like he-300 wasn't so succesful so maybe they are dropping it from the family?

 

[tinyman392]

  I'm asking here because it's the most active hifiman thread.  Did they announce plans to update the HE-300?  Seems like he-300 wasn't so succesful so maybe they are dropping it from the family?

 
They have no made any announcements about that. 

 

[boirefish]

Just received my he560 today. It was a demo version so may have had some burn in previously. Comparing with the lcd 2.2 unfazored, it may require more burn-in, but overall the sound signature is quite different to the lcd's.
 
Both of these headphones have been run through my burson conductor.
 
Compared to the LCD's, the he560's are/have:
 
Crisp and clean, reminding me of the dt880
Clear, especially with vocals
Airy
Distinct treble presence
Wider soundstage
 
Compared to the he 560's, the LCD's are/have:
Much more PraT
Smaller but more concentrated soundstage
Less crisp, not because it is missing anything, there is just more accompanying music
Rolled off treble - I am biased in that I prefer it this way
 
As you can probably see, the he560 has not blown me away yet. In my opinion, it sounds more like the T1's than the LCD-2.2, and this may be due to the fact that the conductor is a better match for the audeze's. Will be burning in much more over the next few days to see how things change.

 

[mlxx]

  Just received my he560 today. It was a demo version so may have had some burn in previously. Comparing with the lcd 2.2 unfazored, it may require more burn-in, but overall the sound signature is quite different to the lcd's.
 
Both of these headphones have been run through my burson conductor.
 
Compared to the LCD's, the he560's are/have:
 
Crisp and clean, reminding me of the dt880
Clear, especially with vocals
Airy
Distinct treble presence
Wider soundstage
 
Compared to the he 560's, the LCD's are/have:
Much more PraT
Smaller but more concentrated soundstage
Less crisp, not because it is missing anything, there is just more accompanying music
Rolled off treble - I am biased in that I prefer it this way
 
As you can probably see, the he560 has not blown me away yet. In my opinion, it sounds more like the T1's than the LCD-2.2, and this may be due to the fact that the conductor is a better match for the audeze's. Will be burning in much more over the next few days to see how things change.

 
Thanks for that, how does the bass compare?

 

[boirefish]

   
Thanks for that, how does the bass compare?

I'm listening by plugging both into my NFB10.32 with the dir9001 chip filter 1 now, and the bass is more succinct on the HE560 compared to the LCD-2. For fast tracks with orchestral + digital + vocal, ie. anime theme music, bass would be clear but slightly recessed on the he560, and present but slightly disorganised on the LCD-2. These are not grand differences though, just pointing out the things I notice as I go along.
 
The only thing I can stand by at the moment is that these two headphones each have their own character, and I like both of them at the moment.
 
An additional note is the he560 is a lot smaller than the lcd-2, and the fluffly velour lined pads make them feel small, less grand possibly even claustrophobic on my head, which may contribute to feeling like they're not making as much "music". I may have big ears, but as a 5" 8' Asian guy, my ears are touching the corners of the pads enough to warrant comment.

 
sorry about the messy desk, but that's the pair playing off my nfb

 

[conquerator2]

I was not expecting to say this but do give this headphone time.
For some reason I am appreciating them the more I listen.
Call it burn in or brain adjustment... I wasn't blown away initially either but overtime I am feeling the headphone is fleshing out or my brain is adjusting... From soundstage to treble delicacy. Bass is very special and I am gonna need more time to make final judgment in this category... Still I find the bass impressive for what it does right for now.

 

[boirefish]

I was not expecting to say this but do give this headphone time.
For some reason I am appreciating them the more I listen.
Call it burn in or brain adjustment... I wasn't blown away initially either but overtime I am feeling the headphone is fleshing out or my brain is adjusting... From soundstage to treble delicacy. Bass is very special and I am gonna need more time to make final judgment in this category... Still I find the bass impressive for what it does right for now.

I'm very much looking forward to that. Will be burning this in on my nfb in a spare room 24/7. been listening to music all day

 

[davidsh]

HE-560 is indeed comparable to he-5le in sensitivity, less sensitive than he-500

 

[zxc]

Bass improved significantly after burn in, but still feels somehow weak and mushy on some tracks, but significantly present on others. Weird. It's as if mid-bass is interpreted and reproduced as low-bass by the HE-560. I rarely experience hard hitting bass with these headphones. Every other aspect of the headphone is pretty competent though.

 

[boirefish]

Yeah, I've noticed the bass standing out on some tracks as well. Usually if there is substantial bass, then the he560 will reproduce it well. If it's suble, then they won't give you that spine tingling background-rumble.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

+1 When I first got it I was worried the bass was non existent unlike they're older models but after using Chesky's latest album you can hear bass in the 20hz region quite well and with better control than both the he4 and he500. Using the 560 on movies will show you just how much bass the headphone can produce when called for.

Yeah, I've noticed the bass standing out on some tracks as well. Usually if there is substantial bass, then the he560 will reproduce it well. If it's suble, then they won't give you that spine tingling background-rumble.