[eke2k6]

HD600's reminds me of a brighter HE-400 wtih less bass, bigger soundstage, and less intimate/natural mids.

 
 
Perhaps look at my main review again and tell me what you disagree with. Perhaps listen to the test tracks and refute my points that I made under each one. 

 

[Poetic]

Then tell me what exactly you find better about it vs the HD600. If you're going to refute my argument, I at least expect you to fully back it up. That's the way disagreements work.

Faster headphone, Much Noticable Bass and much accurate bass. The LushessMids is definately something noticeable the HE-500 have over the HD-600. The overall engaging presentation of the HE-500 is similar to the HE-400 and i just don't seem to feel that with the HD-600. The HE-500 does every genre exceptionally well. Especially Jazz, Vocals and Rock

To me the HD600 can sound very boring sometimes. It doesn't seem to do anything special except soundstage. If anything the HD650's can sound much more boring than the HD600. It seems to be way to dry at times.

 

[Poetic]

Perhaps look at my main review again and tell me what you disagree with. Perhaps listen to the test tracks and refute my points that I made under each one. 

I really dont even listen to the HE-500 much anymore after i recieved the HE-6. I still like to listen to the He-500 for jazz but theres a new king in town

 

[eke2k6]

Faster headphone, Much Noticable Bass and much accurate bass. The LushessMids is definately something noticeable the HE-500 have over the HD-600. The overall engaging presentation of the HE-500 is similar to the HE-400 and i just don't seem to feel that with the HD-600. The HE-500 does every genre exceptionally well. Especially Jazz, Vocals and Rock

To me the HD600 can sound very boring sometimes. It doesn't seem to do anything special except soundstage. If anything the HD650's can sound much more boring than the HD600. It seems to be way to dry at times.

 
 
And I agree that the HE-500's mids are more forward, I just find them one dimensional, and lacking the depth that the HD600 provides. The HD600 lets me see into the vocals with better  dynamic range, etc. while  the HE-500's mids remind of loudness war produced tracks...always blaring. The bass, I'll give you. I agree on that point.
 
Then talking about the mid-treble transition of the HE-500 that is so off to my ears. That may add spice for you, but to me it's a deal breaker. The HD600 sounds more boring because it's more correct.

 

[rpaul]

I think the HD600 is one of those rare headphones in that it might not possess the technicalities and more engaging sound of newer and/or more expensive headphones, but there's a certain comfort factor (sound, physical comfort) in what it does present that makes it such a great value (as others have stated) and therefore hard to replace for its fans.
 
I found myself in a situation where I wanted an "upgrade" from the HD600, and really wanted to like the HE-500. It does a lot right, and its overall sound quality is fantastic. With certain works vocals sounded better than they did on the HD600 but with others they didn't. In the end though, I think it was (what I felt) its weird soundstaging that caused me to return it. At $700 I couldn't afford not to totally love everything about it and still keep it.
 
I appreciate the effort that members on this site and others like it put into doing comparison reviews. I can see why potential buyers might rely heavily on them and the the comments that follow, especially when they don't have an opportunity to personally audition many (if any) models before obligating funds to a hobby that many people just don't get. In the end though, obviously, everyone's preferences are their own.
 
I just recently sold my amp, so I hope the next HiFiMAN releases are more efficient and can be adequately driven by the new wave of portable DAC gizmos such as my HRT microstreamer. I've read that the LCD-2 sounds great powered by such devices, so hopefully planars aren't totally out of my future plans. Until then, at least the HD600 performs well with the microstreamer.
 
For me, bottom line: If I still had a suitable amp and could keep only one, I would take the HE-500 over the HD650, but not over the HD600.

 

[Mani ATH 87]

To me the HD600 can sound very boring sometimes. It doesn't seem to do anything special except soundstage. If anything the HD650's can sound much more boring than the HD600. It seems to be way to dry at times.

Sennheiser headphones are boring in general (at least to me). I 100% agree that the HD600 and HD650 are boring headphones. I find all Senn's from the HD600 and up to be boring, all the way up to the 800's.

I think they make some good headphones, and I certainly see why people like them. But they don't present a signature I look for. The analytical/neutral sound isn't my cup of tea.

I prefer the HE-400 to the HD600 or 650, and I prefer the HE-500 to the HE-400.

 

 

[jerg]

   
 
And I agree that the HE-500's mids are more forward, I just find them one dimensional, and lacking the depth that the HD600 provides. The HD600 lets me see into the vocals with better  dynamic range, etc. while  the HE-500's mids remind of loudness war produced tracks...always blaring. The bass, I'll give you. I agree on that point.
 
Then talking about the mid-treble transition of the HE-500 that is so off to my ears. That may add spice for you, but to me it's a deal breaker. The HD600 sounds more boring because it's more correct.

 
You mean the dip at 5kHz?
 

 
Or something else in its frequency response?
 
 
The latest Jergpad mod corrects the FR fully 

 

 

[eke2k6]

   
You mean the dip at 5kHz?
 

 
Or something else in its frequency response?
 
 
The latest Jergpad mod corrects the FR fully 

 

 
 
Lol, that's more like a deep V from 5k to 8k. Thanks for the visual representation though, I've never seen the HE-500 graphed.
 
Do the Jerg pads also correct the soundstage? 

 
 
I just got a pair of Mad Dogs in, and it further cements my thoughts for me. It sounds overall more correct than the HE-500 to my ears, with a soundstage that is centered and as deep and tall as it is wide. So, it's not just me disliking the "ortho" sound.

 

[jerg]

   
 
Lol, that's more like a deep V from 5k to 8k. Thanks for the visual representation though, I've never seen the HE-500 graphed.
 
Do the Jerg pads also correct the soundstage? 

 
 
I just got a pair of Mad Dogs in, and it further cements my thoughts for me. It sounds overall more correct than the HE-500 to my ears, with a soundstage that is centered and as deep and tall as it is wide. So, it's not just me disliking the "ortho" sound.

 
The backvents step really helps make the soundstage more open, and the slight angling due to it introduces some depth. The regrilling mod (separate from the pad modifications) again helps with openness which helps imaging. Ditto with the damping holes. Overall the soundstage is pretty damn realistic all said and done. I will admit, no aggressive changes to the shapes of the soundstage have been attempted, mainly because I don't have the resources to actually MAKE earpads. Earpad shapes are everything when it comes to soundstage, after the drivers themselves; unfortunately Hifiman earpads are just flat shallow donuts.
 
With all these changes the soundstage-related trait I tried to improve is sheer "openness", meaning lack of any semblance of chamber resonance / cupped-ness, just sound from the drivers and nothing reflected or resonated, while maintaining a desirable frequency response.
 
In the end these are just my words. Quite a number of people are getting Modulor's jergpads in the near future so maybe you could find a pair of HE500 with modded pads in a future meet.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

HE-6 seems to be more balanced than the HE-500. But i definately prefer the sweet mids of the HE-500 over the HE-6. The HE-6 of course is on an entire different level and it seems like the perfect headphone for everything. For Jazz i think i still prefer the HE-500.

 
i'm still undecided on selling HE-500 or not.
 
cause i haven't listened to them much. but the HE-500 are also very good.

 

[eke2k6]

   
The backvents step really helps make the soundstage more open, and the slight angling due to it introduces some depth. The regrilling mod (separate from the pad modifications) again helps with openness which helps imaging. Ditto with the damping holes. Overall the soundstage is pretty damn realistic all said and done. I will admit, no aggressive changes to the shapes of the soundstage have been attempted, mainly because I don't have the resources to actually MAKE earpads. Earpad shapes are everything when it comes to soundstage, after the drivers themselves; unfortunately Hifiman earpads are just flat shallow donuts.
 
With all these changes the soundstage-related trait I tried to improve is sheer "openness", meaning lack of any semblance of chamber resonance / cupped-ness, just sound from the drivers and nothing reflected or resonated, while maintaining a desirable frequency response.
 
In the end these are just my words. Quite a number of people are getting Modulor's jergpads in the near future so maybe you could find a pair of HE500 with modded pads in a future meet.

 
 
Nice. I might grab a pair of pads to try out on a set of 500s at the next meet.

 

[squallkiercosa]

Hifiman should make a cheaper model easy to drive to beat all the competition and save my wallet and my bank account from the flames of debt...

 

[ThurstonX]

Hope this won't be considered too OT.  If so, I'll delete and move to a separate thread.
 
I've been thinking hard about the HE-500 lately.  I've read a lot of comparison threads, so I know where all you "usual suspects" stand 

  And I appreciate all the opinions.  Currently I own (and will continue to own) the Q701 ("bass port foam mod" + stock and K712 pads) and K550.  I want a different sound, so thought, why not orthos.  Then I started reading about the LCD 2.2.  I'll even say I'm intrigued by eke's love of the HD600, though I still think if I were to get new cans, it'd be the He-500 or LCD 2.2.
 
Hopefully some of you can speak to the following:
 
Is the HE-500 stock cable really that bad?  I've read horror stories about little movements and bumps being picked up.  If that's true, what's a good upgrade cable?  I just read a brief discussion from six months ago where jerg really likes SPC vs. copper, esp. with his modded pads (I think you sold me on trying that before I even own the damn things!).  I can go that route, no prob.  But even if I got one off eBay, that's another $80.  If I go to Moon, that's a minimum $160.
 
Why is that relevant?  It puts the HE-500 that much closer to the LCD 2.2 in price.
 
I read an interesting Amazon review wherein there is a fairly detailed comparison to Leather vs. "vegan" (microsuede).  The conclusion was that the vegan pads slightly improved the treble response and eased the congestion he heard, but slightly compromised the bass and overall warmth.  It does sound like there's low end to spare with the LCD 2.2.
 
Here's my quandary:
HE-500 with cable upgrade and jergmod'd pads (pretty sure I'd do it myself, so I wouldn't have to buy and wait), and probably the grill mod, as it's reversible.  All this adding to cost and effort of getting the HE-500 up to their optimum.
 
LCD 2.2 stock with vegan pads.  Oh, and bamboo, cuz I like bamboo, and it's less expensive.
 
If anyone can give a direct comparison, right on, but I'm mostly looking for educated opinions of long-term headfiers.
 
Or am I nuts, and I should save the $$$ and get the HD600, cuz they totally rule over my modded Q701???  Tongue in cheek, mostly, but why not consider them, eh?
 
I should mention that I'll almost certainly be upgrading my amp, possibly to the Lyr, as I've read it runs well with the HE-500, and I was interested in it even before I thought about those cans.
 
Music:
mostly rock (classic, indie, prog varieties; no metal to speak of), some jazz (generally instrumental), a little Ninja Tune-style (Amon Tobin, esp.), classical, someday, if I ever grow up 

 
Thanks for reading and indulging.

 

[tuna47]

I had my stock cable cut to 6 ft and covered in a nice silk inexpensive and love the way they sound. I love the way the 500s sound once you do orthos you will never go back
If you have questions pm me
DHC did the covering

 

[antikryst]

I had my stock cable cut to 6 ft and covered in a nice silk inexpensive and love the way they sound. I love the way the 500s sound once you do orthos you will never go back
If you have questions pm me
DHC did the covering

Pictures? And where to get the supplies for it? :-D