[maguire]

Anyway its nice to see there are still original owners who are still enjoying them.
Personally, i find mine to be very enjoyable, wether its Rock, Jazz, electronica, accoustic, ambient etc, they put a smile on my face. Isnt it great to have such a versatile pair of phones..........

 

[revolink24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullseye /img/forum/go_quote.gif I noticed that since I got them. I got one of the first batches sent

My #326 has it as well.

 

[BushGuy]

I got 3 HF-2 and eventually had them all modded into Vixen - and they are keepers.....along with my RS-1, and HP-2.....besides my Beyer mods. The only thing possibly left for me would be T1.

 

[Wilashort]

Are keepers in that?. Can you please elaborate?; how is the sound in general (soundstage, image, hghs, etc) with your Vixens?.
Can you compare it with your Beyerdynamic DT990s?

Thank you
P.S: I want to create one, with my Beyerdynamic DT990 housing, using a pair of SR325is drivers, and a Denon D5000 cable. But i am afraid of the brightness in the sound, with the velour pads (what i don't have anymore), and also, of not getting an bigger soundstage as i want.
I do a new thread here to post your impressions if you want (and if you have experience with other pads)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushGuy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I got 3 HF-2 and eventually had them all modded into Vixen - and they are keepers.....

 

[chinesekiwi]

Time to bump this thread as me and fraserboy have done a loaner of sorts as I borrow his HF2 for a week.
 
Very brief initial impressions vs. the DT880/600:
 
System: Computer --> Musiland Monitor 02 US --> Rockhopper M^3 --> headphone:
 
* Comfort is definitely better on the DT880/600. The comfort isn't really bad on the HF2 but more the DT880/600 is more comfortable. EDIT: Ok, the comfort factor is rather annoying tbh. To get the best sound out of the HF2s, the cups must sit right on th ear = rather annoying. Not to mention there look and feel more fragile than the DT880/600 build quality wise.
* Isolates less than the DT880/600 (that's saying something!) Honestly, there's zero isolation. Also leaks like a sieve.
* Noticeably easier to drive with my Rockhopper m^3 than the DT880/600
* Does sound slower transient wise with fast paced music 
* Bass is rather interesting: Although the DT880/600 reaches lower / rolls off less than the HF2, the bass reverb is more prominent with the HF2's than the DT880/600
* Soundstage is rather interesting as well: I would describe the HF2's soundstage as rather flat. This isn't a bad thing but rather it doesn't sound as airy as the DT880/600. it tweaks at the edges of the soundstage like the AKG K701 but it isn't     excessive like the K701. Soundstage depth is slightly better than the DT880/600. An airy soundstage is much more suited to some songs than others and it shows with some songs. Soundstage is smaller in area. For songs with some melody, the smaller and flatter soundstage can congest the vocals a bit. 
* As is the Grado reputation, focus is defiantely on the mids and rock/ metal sounds great on these as per the Grado reputation as well.
* Even though the mids are impressive, what struck at me most is the treble. Such liquid treble.This isn't 'treble on 11', it's perfectly done treble. I know what piecing treble can sound like and this doesn't offer that fortunately.
* Detail wise: Well, it's not surprising the due to the Grado mids emphasis, that the mid detail is better but I do feel overall, over the entire spectrum, that the DT880/600's detail is better overall.
* Well, the HF2 do really deliver a significantly more forward presentation than the DT880/600. This can be problematic at times when combined with the mid emphasis as it can be fatiguing.
* Timbre in terms of natural sound  much favour the DT880/600's. Violins do sound off-key compared to the DT880/600. Tbh, I feel the HF2 has rather average timbre.
 
More impressions later as they come.

 

[azncookiecutter]

Good stuff! Thanks for the impressions, keep 'em coming.

 

[Bilavideo]

When I purchased jumbo pads for my HF2, I found they narrowed the differences between it and the PS1000 substantially.  The HF2 is the "baby PS1000."  It is designed to provide the listener the closest bowl-pad equivalent to the presentation of the PS1000.  It can't duplicate the spacious soundstage of the PS1000 - not with bowl pads.  But once you make the switch, the differences between these two cans remain subtle.  With my PS1000, I heard more bass with the jumbos.  The HF2 provides roughly  the same level of bass, but only with the bowls.  Once you switch to the jumbos, the HF2 finds itself slightly outgunned.  On the other hand, if you have a powerful amp - especially one with variable bass boost - you can get all the bass you need.  

 

[stang]

I love my HF-2 if I haven't heard the DT880 for a couple of days. If I listen to the DT880 first, then the HF-2, I cannot stand its forward mid presentation and how bright it sounds.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Well, HF2 does shine with one sub-genre: light Americana rock. It is fantastic for it. Vocals, guitars shine with the HF2 but what's interesting is the drum detail. But yeah, the 'Grado sound' and it's one-dimensional-ably of this light rock doesn't suit my music taste but it is great for that genre. Perfect treble.

 

[iponderous]

^ I think that it sounds fine with jazz too.

 

[3X0]

Has anyone had any problems with the cable? Besides the garden hose thickness of it?
 
 
I ask because recently I was going to sell my pair, but it turns out the left channel is dead. I hadn't tested them since moving out of my apartment in Manhattan, so I suspect the move had jostled them enough to ruin the connection to the diaphragm. In retrospect I felt that my pair was never cabled correctly -- no matter how many times I rotated either cup in either direction, the cable always wound up feeling twisted somewhere between the Y-joint and each cup.
 
I certainly had not expected a cheap earphone problem to affect these babies.

Oh well, off to Grado she goes.

 

[stang]

I only have a problem with the Y split and I also have a few 'kinks' in the cable. Other than that, no issues tbh. I still wonder if getting them Vixenised would be a good idea or not. They are very uncomfortable (idk what is wrong with me, I found my sr-225 fine. Not bright sounding nor uncomfortable. Then came the dt880 and wow, I can't stand grado's). More comfort and less brightness (I think it is the mid/mid-high frequencies). My main ussue with their sound is that when the vocalist sings a note for a couple of seconds or more, my face almost cringes because it hurts my ears a bit. Not high notes being sung, I am not sure what it is.  

 

[iponderous]

Quote:

Has anyone had any problems with the cable? Besides the garden hose thickness of it?
 
 
I ask because recently I was going to sell my pair, but it turns out the left channel is dead. I hadn't tested them since moving out of my apartment in Manhattan, so I suspect the move had jostled them enough to ruin the connection to the diaphragm. In retrospect I felt that my pair was never cabled correctly -- no matter how many times I rotated either cup in either direction, the cable always wound up feeling twisted somewhere between the Y-joint and each cup.
 
I certainly had not expected a cheap earphone problem to affect these babies.

Oh well, off to Grado she goes.

No problems with mine.
 

 

[K3cT]

Quote:

I only have a problem with the Y split and I also have a few 'kinks' in the cable. Other than that, no issues tbh. I still wonder if getting them Vixenised would be a good idea or not. They are very uncomfortable (idk what is wrong with me, I found my sr-225 fine. Not bright sounding nor uncomfortable. Then came the dt880 and wow, I can't stand grado's). More comfort and less brightness (I think it is the mid/mid-high frequencies). My main ussue with their sound is that when the vocalist sings a note for a couple of seconds or more, my face almost cringes because it hurts my ears a bit. Not high notes being sung, I am not sure what it is.  

 
That's really strange as I find whatever flavor of DT880 to be brighter than the HF2. Assuming you use the MAD Ear+ HD, the strange "echo" could be caused by bad tubes or simply a bad synergy with the Grado.

 

[Bilavideo]

I don't find these cans particularly fatiguing.  Maybe, if what you listen to is darker than irish ale, and you really like to crank it to ear-blistering levels, but I find the bottom-end thunk just visceral enough to make these fun to listen to at a reasonable volume.