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Show us your Head-Fi station at it's current state. No old pictures please...
Jan 12, 2013 at 5:52 AM Post #10,501 of 41,132
Nevermind 
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Jan 12, 2013 at 6:21 AM Post #10,502 of 41,132
Sorry, i had to post this

Please don't Quote Pictures, instead use the Spoiler tool / Delete from Quote, Head-Fi'ers prefer not seeing pictures repeated multiple times. Thank you
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 6:35 AM Post #10,503 of 41,132
Quote:
feigeibomber said:
Sorry, i had to post this

Please don't Quote Pictures, instead use the Spoiler tool / Delete from Quote, Head-Fi'ers prefer not seeing pictures repeated multiple times. Thank you
Click to expand...


THANK YOU
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 1:17 PM Post #10,505 of 41,132
Quote:
jono454 said:
I am EXTREMELY curious as to what you think of the HE-500 paired together with the EF-5. I have the EF-5 and have been considering the HE-500s for a while but couldn't justify the price of it. I won't get to listen to them before buying them and I'm not sure they would be the best match.
 
How does it stack up against your HD650s?
Click to expand...


The EF-5 pairs wonderfully with the HE-500.  It gives them a very coherent sound stage, almost as if there was a "sphere" of audio around your head.  I've listened to many amps in multiple price ranges with the HE-500 and, while some high quality amps like the WA2 and Phonitor are fantastic and have a bit more detail and texture, the EF-5 is one of the few amps that makes me stop analyzing the music and just enjoy it. 
 
VS the HD 650.  This is a tough one for me to answer.  On one hand, the HE-500 is a clear step up from the HD 650.  It is sonically, a better performer with a much more balanced sound.  The bass detail (as with any good ortho) is excellent and treble is extended and completely non-fatiguing.  The mid range is where these cans really excel and you'd be hard pressed to find a genre of music that they don't "fit."  On the other end, the HD 650 sounds very good with good amping!  However, the characteristics of the overall HD 650 sound still exist; slightly recessed but detailed highs, warm lush sound, full mids, and a musical albeit sometimes slow presentation .  If I am doing a comparison, I usually pick 3 songs of different genres and listen to all 3 in a row with one set of phones and then listen to the same 3 songs with the other.  In this type of listening, I usually prefer the HE-500's sound and dynamic presentation hands down to the HD 650... but there is just something about that laid back HD 650 sound.  While the HE-500 is the better phone and I reach for it 65% of the time (the other 35% is divided between the HD 650 and DT 880), there are songs that I prefer on the HD 650.  For example, the 650's groove on RHCP's "Tell Me Baby" (listen loud!) and the trumpet on Jimmy Cobb Quartet's "My Foolish Heart" sounds extremely lifelike and controlled (even more so that the usually better HE-500). 
That's why, IMHO, you'll want to keep both
smily_headphones1.gif

 
Jan 12, 2013 at 2:07 PM Post #10,506 of 41,132
Thank you for the in-depth response. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question. It's not often I find people with a similar setup with the headphones I want in question. 
 
While I would love to have both the 650 and HE-500. If you had to keep just one between the 650 and HE-500, would it be safe to say you'd choose the HE-500?
 
I notice in your display pic you also have the Q701s. If you had them before, how do they stand against the HE-500s?
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 3:48 PM Post #10,508 of 41,132
Quote:
jono454 said:
Thank you for the in-depth response. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question. It's not often I find people with a similar setup with the headphones I want in question. 
 
While I would love to have both the 650 and HE-500. If you had to keep just one between the 650 and HE-500, would it be safe to say you'd choose the HE-500?
 
I notice in your display pic you also have the Q701s. If you had them before, how do they stand against the HE-500s?
Click to expand...

 
Yes, I would choose the HE-500 over the HD 650 if I were to keep just 1.  It just does so much right to my ears.
 
Regarding the Q701's:  I owned them for about a year.  They were an interesting phone with an airy and wide soundstage.  It made listening to large orchestral pieces, such as Holst's The Planets suite, very fun.  They were also a "quick" headphone that gave some speed to electronica and trance music.  I ended up selling them for a few reasons:  First, the treble was fatiguing.  It was not sibilant per say but the brightness peaks of this headphone made for short listening sessions.  However, the treble is what gives these phones some perceived detail; YMMV here as everyone's ears are different.  Second, the overall sound lacked coherence.  The sound was tilted towards bright with slightly recessed mids and mildly recessed bass.  The mids would improve with significant amping but the bass never really stood out in any song.  Lastly, the headphone was not that comfortable on my head.  The earpads are stiffly padded and tended to be a little scratchy over a longer listening session.  Other owners had mentioned that the bumps on the headband were uncomfortable; for me, it wasn't the bumps, but the pressure the headband exerted on the top of my head.  Overall, I can see why some would love the airy, detailed, and bright presentation of the phones but for me, the Q701 was not a match.   
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 5:12 PM Post #10,512 of 41,132
The taurus is the best amp I've heard. Works great with everything, sounded nice with the lcd-3's (sold) aswell. I havn't bothered with any balanced cables as I couldn't tell any difference when switching between balanaced and unbalanced cables on the lcd-3's.
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 9:30 PM Post #10,513 of 41,132
This is my current system as of today.. new MacMini 2012 i7, added the v-moda M100 and trying to figure out what to do with my new Schiit Magni. It doesn't seem to pair well with the HD-700 or M-100.  The only thing I want to do in 2013 in add a pair of HE-500 and some tube risers for the Lyr.
 

 
Jan 12, 2013 at 10:00 PM Post #10,514 of 41,132
Just picked up a nice little headphone stand from Best Buy on sale for $4.99. So here is my updated couch-side listening station. 
 
HP G60 (Win 7) laptop -> E17 -> Q701
 

 

 

 
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