[SwanSong]

  I just got my freedom cable a few days ago and it's awesome!

E,  Give me some feedback on your setup.  I am waiting for my HE-500 to arrive and plan to add the EF-5 soon too.  I've been researching cables now in preparation for the HE-500 upgrade since I like a fuller warmer sound instead of the bright & lean silver sound.  
Are you happy with the HE & EF combo?
Did you compare the HE's with any other amp? 
What was the difference when you added the CablePro to this setup?
 
Sorry for the interrogation but your using the exact rig I'm planning!!
 
 
Too others?
If anyone else has upgrade cable recommendations to balance out the HE-500 sound over the silver coated copper that it ships with would be appreciated!!!!!
I keep reading that Silver Dragon cable is pure silver but some users like it over Copper for warmth?  That confuses me regarding what silver and copper are known to sound like.
 
Thanks

 

[SwanSong]

   
Sound
 
The HE500 comes  shipped with the  silver stock cable from Hifiman and I felt that the silver cable was very grainy and hard sounding.  It was also bright.  Silver has the tendency to sound bright to my ears in most configurations I have heard them used with.  The Freedom cable immediately transformed the hE500. The sound went from being bright to being more natural.  The brightness disappeared and the musicality starting to come through with the Freedom cable in the system.   I started to completely forget about the cable and became  involved with the music. The tone of the instruments became much more like live music.  I could hear deep into the sound stage. The delicate brushes used on drum recordings became very  noticeable.  I could hear in a very clear and non congested manner everything that was going on with the recording.  The focus of the sound stage was more 3D and you could see a clear picture into the sound stage.  The grain completely disappeared.  It was like using windex on a dirty window.  The veil was lifted.  The cable made the HE500 go from a pretender to a contender for one of the best headphones on the planet.  The LCD 2.2  has a ribbon type copper cable that comes stock with the headphone. The stock cable is an OFC copper design  and has a warmer sound signature than the silver cable used with the hE500.   The cable is a decent cable and the sound is good.  The Freedom cable increased the transparency.  It also made the music listening experience more enjoyable. The differences were subtle but the Freedom cable had a little more transparency and a grain free presentation.   The Freedom cable did step up the performance of the LCD2.2 a notch.  The  differences with the LCD2 were not as drastic as I had heard with the he500 but an improvement  over the stock cable nonetheless.
 
 

 
 

How would you compare the freedom cable with the old HE-500 cable the Canare???

 

[Enomino801]

Hey,

The only amps that I have used with my HE-500 have been the Hifiman EF5 and the Schiit Audio Magni/Modi stack. I would say the sound of the HE-500 with the custom cable became less shrill and a lot more warmer. Then I again, I did not put enough hours on this headphone before I I bought the cable upgrade but I have read posts about the sound getting better after 150hrs playing using the silver cable. Overall though you can't go wrong with this cable, it has great build quality and it sounds awesome too. Good luck!

Ciao

 

 

[Frank I]

  How would you compare the freedom cable with the old HE-500 cable the Canare???

sorry i did not have the canard when I did the comparison

 

[AudioHammer]

  ...
 
Sound
 
The HE500 comes  shipped with the  silver stock cable from Hifiman and I felt that the silver cable was very grainy and hard sounding.  It was also bright.  Silver has the tendency to sound bright to my ears in most configurations I have heard them used with.  The Freedom cable immediately transformed the hE500. The sound went from being bright to being more natural.  The brightness disappeared and the musicality starting to come through with the Freedom cable in the system.   I started to completely forget about the cable and became  involved with the music. The tone of the instruments became much more like live music.  I could hear deep into the sound stage. The delicate brushes used on drum recordings became very  noticeable.  I could hear in a very clear and non congested manner everything that was going on with the recording.  The focus of the sound stage was more 3D and you could see a clear picture into the sound stage.  The grain completely disappeared.  It was like using windex on a dirty window.  The veil was lifted.  The cable made the HE500 go from a pretender to a contender for one of the best headphones on the planet.  ...
 

 
x2
 
Thanks for this review.  I am usually somewhat skeptical about cable claims but your description about the stock HE-500 silver cable exactly mimicked my experience with it so I decided to take a chance on The CablePro Freedom UP-OCC Upgrade Cable and bought a 10' length.  Wow.  What a phenomenal improvement.  Exactly as you wrote - the HE-500 was transformed with my equipment.  Gone was the former harshness.  I actually laughed at how much more realistic instruments sounded and how easy it was to notice subtleties in recordings.  I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.  IMHO this cable upgrade is a no-brainer for anyone looking to improve the coherency of the HE-500. 
 
I want to give kudos to Ted at The CabePro.  He was a breath of fresh air to work with.  Promptly answered all of my questions, and assembled a high quality product for me.  I ordered it on a Saturday and it shipped on Monday.  Can't beat that.  I've had the pleasure of re-discovering and enjoying my library of music all over again.

 

[Frank I]

Glad you liked the cable and Ted is a real professional and easy to work with.

 

[NyctophiliA]

Nice review. Exactly what I want. This is the final push I needed towards being 100% sure I'm spending my money on the product that really is what I'm looking for...and I'm a very particular kind of snob

 

[Frank I]

Glad you liked the review they are nice cables for sure

 

[Acesn8s]

I added HFM HE-500's to my open Sennheiser 590's and Mark Lawton-modified closed Denon 5000's to see what the buzz about planars was all about. After initially being gobsmacked by the soundstage, imaging, air between instruments and tight bass I became fatigued during critical listening sessions by the bright treble and the fast but ultimately over-dry bass. The standard HFM silver cable also is somewhat microphonic and impossible to roll up without kinking. The modded Denon's remained my go-to headphones for musicality.

Then I read the above reviews and arranged for Ted to fabricate a 5m CablePro Freedom Upgrade Cable with Amphenol jumbo plug. The Freedom changes everything regarding the HE-500's. Playing hi rez files through a TEAC UD-501 DAC into a Ray Samuels Audio XP-7/power supply headphone amp, these cans retain their superior imaging and soundstage but now have lush highs and more tube-like bass. The overall presentation is warmer and far more musical than stock. And despite their length and weight the Freedoms are quiet, relaxed and easy to store.

I have a limited budget, so a word about value in the audiophile universe: The Freedom's are less than half the price of "flagship" cables from CablePro and its competitors, but do precisely the high end work that they're asked to perform. Their purchase reminds me of my acquisition of deep discounted, demo Usher Audio Mini Dancer Two DMD floorstander's, which are universally acclaimed at their full list price as the equal of loudspeakers sold at twice their MSRP. The CablePro Freedm Upgrade Cables provide a similarly great value in my system!

 

 

[buson160man]

I am auditioning cable pros top dog reverie cable under lcd2 cable upgrade . I have put around thirty five hours on the cable so far and they are really sounding great already . The price is not exactly cheap but it does work extremely well in my set up . While hitherto the lcd2 v2 is  a pretty decent sounding headphone it has sounded somewhat too laid back in my set ups .Well I think I have found the right cable to awaken the sleeping giant . I had initially hoped that the lcd2 would have already sound like it does with the cable upgrade but thus far it has not at least in my way of thinking stepped up to the plate .But the price for admission is a bit steep at about 640 usd for a ten foot cable. But it really does sound excellent with what time I have on the cable thus far.

 

[buson160man]

 Well now that  I have a bit more time on the reverie headphone cable on my lcd 2 v2 . Things are really changing for sure. For one I never thought my lcd 2 could reproduce soundstage like it is now . I have not read anywhere that the audezes were particularly good at soundstage. But with the reverie leash they definitely have a soundstage. There seems to be clarity to the sound as well . They still never seem to cross over the brightness line even with the reverie but I do not feel like the high end is missing in action like it was with the stock leash . There is enough high end on most material to
satisfy my tastes. My old akg 701s still have more energy at the top but they are more revealing of flaws in the source be it the recording or the equipment with the 701s. But the 701s are more of a studio type headphone from the warts and all school of sound .
    I am not that familiar with the magnepan speakers but from what I have read or heard about  them the audezes are sounding kind of like the maggies a bit but with probably better bass .
Bass is definitely not an issue with the lcd 2 v2 .
     In any case I am very happy with my cable pro reverie headphone cable for my lcd2 v2.

 

[fortunate son]

Well now that I have a bit more time on the reverie headphone cable on my lcd 2 v2 . Things are really changing for sure. For one I never thought my lcd 2 could reproduce soundstage like it is now . I have not read anywhere that the audezes were particularly good at soundstage. But with the reverie leash they definitely have a soundstage. There seems to be clarity to the sound as well . They still never seem to cross over the brightness line even with the reverie but I do not feel like the high end is missing in action like it was with the stock leash . There is enough high end on most material to
satisfy my tastes. My old akg 701s still have more energy at the top but they are more revealing of flaws in the source be it the recording or the equipment with the 701s. But the 701s are more of a studio type headphone from the warts and all school of sound .
I am not that familiar with the magnepan speakers but from what I have read or heard about them the audezes are sounding kind of like the maggies a bit but with probably better bass .
Bass is definitely not an issue with the lcd 2 v2 .
In any case I am very happy with my cable pro reverie headphone cable for my lcd2 v2.

Old thread, I know, and the cable appears to be out of production But if you get a chance to pick up a used Freedom for your HiFiMan HE5, Fischer FA-002W Master Series or Sennheiser HD800, it could possibly smooth the response out more to your liking. Just sayin' ,,,