[MorbidToaster]

I'm also not a fan of the HE-500 cable.  It's too stiff.  I prefer the cable that came with my HE-6.  By a wide margin.

 

Oh really? Hmmm...

I'll have to consider that then. I don't mind stiffness too much, but if it's that bad I'll have to look at them.

Also, I of course noticed that the conclusion was different, but their explanations of the difference in sound is very similar.

 

[jronan2]

Just wondering, what would be the problem with a stiff cord? I'm just going by like my d7000 which is anything from stiff and a pain in the ass sometimes.
 

 

[Skylab]

Just personal preference, I guess. But it's not that big a deal.

The HE-500 are really excellent sounding, though. I don't have them anymore, but they sound much much better than I recall the HE-5LE sounding, and I liked those. They are very close to the HE-6 overall. And some will indeed like their tonal balance better. In some ways I myself like the tonal balance better, but the transparency of the HE-6 is a little better, and I've always found the HE-6's transparency very attractive and beguiling.

I'm having to problem driving the HE-500 from the Woo WA-6 Maxxed. In fact they sound very good on the WA6. I did need a little more rotation on the volume control with the HE-500 than I do with the LCD-2, but it's still driving the HE-500 without difficulty.

I freely admit that I have become a huge fan of planar headphones - I find the HifiMan and Audeze planars to sound more natural than any current production dynamic driver headphone, including the HD800 and T1. And the HE-500 to me is a better sounding headphone than either of those. It has a naturalness through the frequency spectrum that I don't find with other dynamic headphones.

 

[shinn]

Quote:

Just personal preference, I guess. But it's not that big a deal.

The HE-500 are really excellent sounding, though. I don't have them anymore, but they sound much much better than I recall the HE-5LE sounding, and I liked those. They are very close to the HE-6 overall. And some will indeed like their tonal balance better. In some ways I myself like the tonal balance better, but the transparency of the HE-6 is a little better, and I've always found the HE-6's transparency very attractive and beguiling.

I'm having to problem driving the HE-500 from the Woo WA-6 Maxxed. In fact they sound very good on the WA6. I did need a little more rotation on the volume control with the HE-500 than I do with the LCD-2, but it's still driving the HE-500 without difficulty.

I freely admit that I have become a huge fan of planar headphones - I find the HifiMan and Audeze planars to sound more natural than any current production dynamic driver headphone, including the HD800 and T1. And the HE-500 to me is a better sounding headphone than either of those. It has a naturalness through the frequency spectrum that I don't find with other dynamic headphones.

Nice impression, Skylab.
 
Don't you think the warmer sound of the HE-500 makes it sound closer to the LCD-2 ?
Have you got any chance to compare the new planar to the LCD-2 ?
Price and efficiency wise, they are quite close together than the HE-6.

 

[Happy Camper]

I was at work when DHL came by. Guess I'll find out how they sound Monday.
 
If they can compare with my current setup, I'll be honestly shocked. The HE-500 will fit the bill for transportables. The HE-6 are strictly a home set.

 

[blitz-dice]

interesting...

 

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Nice impression, Skylab.
 
Don't you think the warmer sound of the HE-500 makes it sound closer to the LCD-2 ?
Have you got any chance to compare the new planar to the LCD-2 ?
Price and efficiency wise, they are quite close together than the HE-6.

Hmmmm...I see where you are coming from, but the HE-500 don't really sound like the LCD-2, though.  They sound more like them than the HE-6 do, but the HE-500 are closer in overall sound to the HE-6 than they are to the LCD-2, IMO.  But It has always been very hard for me to decide which I prefer between the LCD-2 and the HE-6, in that I think very highly of them both.  There is a line of thinking that says the HE-500 is the ideal compromise position between the two, and I think some will find it to be so.  The HE-500 are definitely going to appeal to a lot of people - they sound very, very good, and if $899 really is the price (I have no idea, since mine are a loaner pair for review), then that will be a very attractive proposition.
 
That said, I'm still hearing just a little less transparency from the LCD-2 or HE-6.  I want to put that in perspective, though.  I think the HE-500 are slightly MORE transparent sounding than the HD-800 or Beyer T1.  Transparency is one of the real strengths of planar magnetic headphones.  It may be just a shade less transparent than the LCD-2 or HE-6, but it is slightly more transparent than even the best of my dynamic-driver headphones.
 
 

 

[brasewel]

$899 is an attractive price indeed. Skylab how about soundstage and comfort?

 

[Skylab]

Soundstage is excellent.  As with the HE-6, great image specificity, and great width, but not the deepest soundstage there has ever been (although not too shabby).  I find the comfort to be very good, but I had no issues with the HE-6 either.  Not the lightest headphones ever, but a comfortable headband, very comfortable earpads, and good weight distribution mean a nice comfy fit for me.
 

 

[brasewel]

Thanks. Sounds good.

 

[shinn]

Quote:

Hmmmm...I see where you are coming from, but the HE-500 don't really sound like the LCD-2, though.  They sound more like them than the HE-6 do, but the HE-500 are closer in overall sound to the HE-6 than they are to the LCD-2, IMO.  But It has always been very hard for me to decide which I prefer between the LCD-2 and the HE-6, in that I think very highly of them both.  There is a line of thinking that says the HE-500 is the ideal compromise position between the two, and I think some will find it to be so.  The HE-500 are definitely going to appeal to a lot of people - they sound very, very good, and if $899 really is the price (I have no idea, since mine are a loaner pair for review), then that will be a very attractive proposition.
 
That said, I'm still hearing just a little less transparency from the LCD-2 or HE-6.  I want to put that in perspective, though.  I think the HE-500 are slightly MORE transparent sounding than the HD-800 or Beyer T1.  Transparency is one of the real strengths of planar magnetic headphones.  It may be just a shade less transparent than the LCD-2 or HE-6, but it is slightly more transparent than even the best of my dynamic-driver headphones.
 
 

Thanks for answering, Skylab.
 
How's the soundstage performance compared to the LCD-2 and the T1?
I'm aware that the HD800 is still the king of soundstage & imaging.
 
What's your opinion of its mids and vocals reproduction? Quite forward/intimate?
 

 

[Methadrol]

Skylab, would you say the HE-500 is more or less comfortable than the LCD-2?

 

[Katun]

Ah man, these are looking super tempting. I don't care about the price, I just need to get more orthos on my head! Especially ones of this caliber.
 
Hoping they are $899. I am wondering if these would scale well with the EF5, or if there is a different amp that would suit them better.

 

[Skylab]

I would say the HE-500 are slightly more comfortable than the LCD-2, although the current gen LCD-2 are quite comfortable IMO.

I'm not going to be able to answer every detailed question about these right now guys - some stuff will have to wait for the full review it takes time to make all the comparisons.

 

[jamato8]

I find the HE-500 quite transparent with a good sense of depth and excellent width to the sound. The male and female voice have a fullness that brings real life into the sound. In a number of respects, the tonal balance for one, I like them somewhat better than the HE-6. Bass reproduction is better than what I thought it would be after having read some of the comments. Also high frequency response is natural, extended and realistic. I have found that violin is sweet, not syrupy and some of the best I have heard on headphones or speakers. I love Hendrix on them. Nothing ever congests or collapses but stays open dynamic and the way I love to hear Hendrix.