[majkel]

Hi. I've heard the HE-6 but not the HE-500. I thought that the HE-6 sounded fantastic and was tempted to spring for it but I don't have a head amp powerful enough to drive it. Would the HE-500 come close to the HE-6's level of performance powered by a Burson HA-160? Thanks.  

When talking about well driven HE-6, no amp will make the HE-500 equal to the former IMO.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

When talking about well driven HE-6, no amp will make the HE-500 equal to the former IMO.

 
 
What majkel said.

 

[paradoxper]

I also agree. However Spool was asking if it can come close, not equal. And it can, and it does.

 

[preproman]

Well I would have to yes - it does come close / maybe even equal - only when both are on a headphone amp.  But the HE-6 has the potential to pull way ahead on speaker amps.

 

[pataburd]

I don't think the HE-500 are ever the equal of the HE-6, under any amping conditions.  And if the HE-500 ever come "close"--whatever that might mean--the HE-5LE come closer, IMHO.  When I a/bed the 5LE and the 500, the latter came "close" to the former, but NEVER equaled them.  So the 500 are even further from the 6.

 

[LugBug1]

 

[majkel]

After listening to the HE-6 from a 1W per channel amp, the HE-500 from the same amp are something I refuse at once, however I don't know how it responds to word "close".

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

I don't think the HE-500 are ever the equal of the HE-6, under any amping conditions.  And if the HE-500 ever come "close"--whatever that might mean--the HE-5LE come closer, IMHO.  When I a/bed the 5LE and the 500, the latter came "close" to the former, but NEVER equaled them.  So the 500 are even further from the 6.

 
Quote for truth.  As for the thread's title question: yes, it's better, not sure what a league means, but it's better.

 

[tokendog]

Yes, the HE-6 is superior to the HE-500.  I did enjoy the HE-500 a great deal and of course it's far easier to amp, but when amped decently, the HE-6 is much better than the HE-500 in all regards except for cost.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

I don't think the HE-500 are ever the equal of the HE-6, under any amping conditions.  And if the HE-500 ever come "close"--whatever that might mean--the HE-5LE come closer, IMHO.  When I a/bed the 5LE and the 500, the latter came "close" to the former, but NEVER equaled them.  So the 500 are even further from the 6.

 
 
I saw that you rank them HE-6 > HE-5LE> HE-500.  I just recently got the HE-500.  I was impressed with them on my headphone amps.  My question to you is - What amp did you use during you testing?  My experience is that the HE-6 is very limiting when on any of my headphone amps this is where IMO the HE-500 will come very close if not equal it in performance. 
 
Putting the HE-6 on the right amp will distance it by a good margin IMHO.

 

[Happy Camper]

I know there isn't a way to formulate a % system for comparison but I've said if the 500s are powered with the 6s on the speaker amps, there's at least a 10% improvement to the 6s but enough to notice it. On lessor amps, the two become more alike than different. The 6s with sufficient power blossoms into a "wow" experience. There is something about this hobby and justification of lessor cost beating costlier that blocks logic. While there may be examples of contradiction, for the majority of the time, costlier gear will outperform the lessor. I know that goes against the grain of the determined hobbyist but there is a reason so many rigs at the pinnacle have a proportionate increase in cost. Otherwise our more fortunate members would also have the lessor gear. They don't spend their resources for status as much as people think. They are finding the best sound and that's where they've found it.

 

[paradoxper]

How about the HE-6 and HE-500 both on the ECBA. IIRC Purrin says it drives his HE-6 just fine. Although, he may have mods applied.
Still I'd be interested in that kind of comparison.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

I know there isn't a way to formulate a % system for comparison but I've said if the 500s are powered with the 6s on the speaker amps, there's at least a 10% improvement to the 6s but enough to notice it. On lessor amps, the two become more alike than different. The 6s with sufficient power blossoms into a "wow" experience. There is something about this hobby and justification of lessor cost beating costlier that blocks logic. While there may be examples of contradiction, for the majority of the time, costlier gear will outperform the lessor. I know that goes against the grain of the determined hobbyist but there is a reason so many rigs at the pinnacle have a proportionate increase in cost. Otherwise our more fortunate members would also have the lessor gear. They don't spend their resources for status as much as people think. They are finding the best sound and that's where they've found it.

Indeed.
 
I'd say the "wow" experience in this hobby is priceless, especially for someone who has been an audiophile for a while already.

 

[pataburd]

Quote:

 
 
I saw that you rank them HE-6 > HE-5LE> HE-500.  I just recently got the HE-500.  I was impressed with them on my headphone amps.  My question to you is - What amp did you use during you testing?  My experience is that the HE-6 is very limiting when on any of my headphone amps this is where IMO the HE-500 will come very close if not equal it in performance. 
 
Putting the HE-6 on the right amp will distance it by a good margin IMHO.

prepo,
I used the KMF solid state-an excellent amp, the Fitz-improved Bada PH-12--a hybrid, the Linn Intek--from both the headphone out and the speaker taps, the Denon AVR-1905--from both the headphone out and the speaker taps, and the Qinpu 1.0A-X--speaker taps only.  
 
Even with the over achieving KMF: an amp that really didn't have ample drive for the HE-6, but actually drove the HE-500 quite well, it was apparent that the level of detail retrieval with the 6 easily out-pointed the 500, as well as the HE-6's 3-dimensionality and overall size of the soundstage.  I will concede, however, that the overall "gestalt" due to more optimal matching might favor the 500, but to me it still was not enough to demonstrate that the 500 were the 6's "equal".  
 
My impressions of the 500 running from the speaker taps of various integrated amp was that they tended to sound a bit "hot", sharp and over driven, while the HE-6, by contrast, just seem to relax and take on an unflappable ease to their presentation; they come alive in another dimension of sound reproduction.  : ) 
 
I do agree with you that with more suitable amping, the HE-6 out-performs the HE-500 even more, winning by "yards"--with better amping, instead of by "feet"--with less that sufficient amping.

 

[unspool]

So it seems that I need a more powerful head amp to drive the HE-500 anyway. Apart from its amping requirements, the downside of the HE-6 for me was its wearability. It's one of the more uncomfortable phones that I've tried. Does the HE-500 improve upon the HE-6 in that area?