[Kanto]

Can anyone please give me reliable comparisons between the following phones:
 
JVC HA-S500
JVC HA-S400 (oddly enough, direct comparisons seem hard to find even though they're in the same line)
Philips CitiScape Downtown
Philips CitiScape Uptown
Noontec Zoro
Incipio F38/Fischer Audio FA-004/Brainwavz HM3 (they're all the same phone, just rebranded)
 
 
I've narrowed my list down to these but it's impossible to make a choice without some head to head comparisons. The small amount of comparisons I've been able to find have been very mixed. I've only really been able to find comparisons between the HA-S500 and the Incipio, with some claiming they like the HA-S500 better and others claiming the Incipio is better than the HA-S500 and the much loved ATH-M50 (and the Incipio is a $30 phone shipped). Finally, if there are any significantly more expensive phones (talking $100+ here) that offer major improvements over this grouping, please let me know about those, as well.

 

[TrollDragon]

The JVC HA-S500.. Appreciation, fan thread.
 
Nothing compares HERE to the S500 they are the only headphones you'll ever need... The JVC HA-S500's 

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Quote:

The JVC HA-S500.. Appreciation, fan thread.
 
Nothing compares HERE to the S500 they are the only headphones you'll ever need... The JVC HA-S500's 

 
Unless you dont have money to buy them...
 
Trolololol 

 

[shockdoc]

Quote:

Can anyone please give me reliable comparisons between the following phones:
 
JVC HA-S500
JVC HA-S400 (oddly enough, direct comparisons seem hard to find even though they're in the same line)
Philips CitiScape Downtown
Philips CitiScape Uptown
Noontec Zoro
Incipio F38/Fischer Audio FA-004/Brainwavz HM3 (they're all the same phone, just rebranded)
 
 
I've narrowed my list down to these but it's impossible to make a choice without some head to head comparisons. The small amount of comparisons I've been able to find have been very mixed. I've only really been able to find comparisons between the HA-S500 and the Incipio, with some claiming they like the HA-S500 better and others claiming the Incipio is better than the HA-S500 and the much loved ATH-M50 (and the Incipio is a $30 phone shipped). Finally, if there are any significantly more expensive phones (talking $100+ here) that offer major improvements over this grouping, please let me know about those, as well.

And asking other people will not necessarily make making a choice any easier as everyone hears differently and has different preferences based on real and/or imagined criteria. If you can't listen to each of them personally before buying you should probably just blindly pick one by throwing a dart or something. My favorite IEM's never received much love here on Head-Fi and others I own that got rave reviews sound like junk to me. Sorry, I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear.

 

[MrEleventy]

And asking other people will not necessarily make making a choice any easier as everyone hears differently and has different preferences based on real and/or imagined criteria. If you can't listen to each of them personally before buying you should probably just blindly pick one by throwing a dart or something. My favorite IEM's never received much love here on Head-Fi and others I own that got rave reviews sound like junk to me. Sorry, I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear.

+1

Impressions and reviews will only get you so far. It gives you an expectation that sometimes the actual product won't live up to or something that doesn't irk the reviewer will be claws on chalkboard to you. As much as I respect joker's reviews, his tolerance of sibliance is much higher than mine so the HD25-ii which I had high expectations for, was a total let down for me. Treble spike was too harsh and sounded far too artificial on my setup.

I would suggest buying the S500 or the Zoro, not because they sound better but because they resell here rather quickly. So if you don't like it, you can just sell it to someone here at a slight loss. Not sure about the others but I have seen a pair of s400s floating in the FS for quite a while now... just my .02s and gl w/ the journey.

 

[RoMee]

Quote:

And asking other people will not necessarily make making a choice any easier as everyone hears differently and has different preferences based on real and/or imagined criteria. If you can't listen to each of them personally before buying you should probably just blindly pick one by throwing a dart or something. My favorite IEM's never received much love here on Head-Fi and others I own that got rave reviews sound like junk to me. Sorry, I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear.

I don't think he should just blindly pick one. There's lots of review on the headphones he listed, just read up on the reviews and pick the one that excel in your prefered music genre of choice.

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

Can anyone please give me reliable comparisons between the following phones:
 
JVC HA-S500
JVC HA-S400 (oddly enough, direct comparisons seem hard to find even though they're in the same line)
Philips CitiScape Downtown
Philips CitiScape Uptown
Noontec Zoro
Incipio F38/Fischer Audio FA-004/Brainwavz HM3 (they're all the same phone, just rebranded)
 
 
I've narrowed my list down to these but it's impossible to make a choice without some head to head comparisons. The small amount of comparisons I've been able to find have been very mixed. I've only really been able to find comparisons between the HA-S500 and the Incipio, with some claiming they like the HA-S500 better and others claiming the Incipio is better than the HA-S500 and the much loved ATH-M50 (and the Incipio is a $30 phone shipped). Finally, if there are any significantly more expensive phones (talking $100+ here) that offer major improvements over this grouping, please let me know about those, as well.

 
A lot depends on your preferred sound signature or musical preferences.  The S500's have very forward bass and treble, with slightly less forward mids. A very aggressive, in your face, detailed and exciting sound. The stock pads are "on ears", and I don't find them to be very comfortable. But if you get the HM5 pads, they become very comfortable "over the ears" phones, and the bass/treble is slightly reduced (which to me actually works better). Based on what I have read, the S500's are an upgrade to the S400's.
 
The Uptowns are very comfortable over the ears phones. Warmer and more balanced, but the sound is more recessed so it sounds farther away and more laid back. Also, it doesn't sound as detailed as the S500's. The soundstage is a bit wider though. They have a pleasant signature, but not as engaging or exciting as the S500's. I tried the Downtowns for a while also, and they were pretty good, but you really have to be into the design of them and their pads.
 
I'm not familiar with the other ones.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

S500 + ATH WS55 pads = On ear heaven!!! 

 

[shockdoc]

Quote:

I don't think he should just blindly pick one. There's lots of review on the headphones he listed, just read up on the reviews and pick the one that excel in your prefered music genre of choice.

Poor choice of words, perhaps, on my part. I meant "blindly" pick one after reading as many reviews and getting as much info as possible of course. My point was that it's essentially blind if he hasn't personally heard a can and is relying on what other's hear in a particular headphone. And I agree in picking from those that seem to have a following in his preferred genre. 

 

[Kanto]

Quote:

+1

Impressions and reviews will only get you so far. It gives you an expectation that sometimes the actual product won't live up to or something that doesn't irk the reviewer will be claws on chalkboard to you. As much as I respect joker's reviews, his tolerance of sibliance is much higher than mine so the HD25-ii which I had high expectations for, was a total let down for me. Treble spike was too harsh and sounded far too artificial on my setup.

I would suggest buying the S500 or the Zoro, not because they sound better but because they resell here rather quickly. So if you don't like it, you can just sell it to someone here at a slight loss. Not sure about the others but I have seen a pair of s400s floating in the FS for quite a while now... just my .02s and gl w/ the journey.

 


I know sound is a very subjective thing. The reason I posted here is because I'm heavily considering the HA-S500 and I'm looking for people who've done head to head comparisons with the other cans on my list. Most of the phones on my list are well known as "giant killers" for budget prices, but nobody seems to actually compare the giant killers to see if any are objectively better than others (in the same way that M50's are objectively better than Beats; extreme example, yes, but it's the type of comparison I'm looking for). Also, it really doesn't help that some of the cans on my list are really obscure (namely the Incipio and Noontec) and finding any meaningful comparisons between them and other phones has been basically impossible. And on a more specific note, I'd like some comparisons between the S400 and S500 because the S500 should be objectively better, but it's hard to find direct comparisons between the two.
 
To put it more succinctly, I'm looking for direct comparisons between the so called giant killers on my list because I'm not that knowledgeable on headphones myself yet (so I'm willing to take advice of other headfi-ers), and I want to expand my sound horizons so I can find out which sound signature is the best for me. That's why it's helpful for me to have direct comparisons; because it helps me narrow my list down. Thanks again to everyone who can offer advice and/or give direct comparisons.

 

[gopanthersgo1]

I should buy some more budget headphones and start reviewing (And ask for donations, of course, to pay for my test gear, like the DAC 2 which will be used for only "Testing purposes... :veryevil: ) I did get a new, standard portable amp (E7) to start reviewing those, and I can compare the DAC to my Titanium HDs!

 

[shdl83]

Hi, I wad wondering how you would mod these to make them over ear???

 

[RoMee]

Quote:

Hi, I wad wondering how you would mod these to make them over ear???

Here you go, http://www.head-fi.org/t/621063/the-jvc-ha-s500-appreciation-fan-thread/4080#post_9023880

 

[Seekky]

for me, with ws55 pads, they're over ear already.

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

for me, with ws55 pads, they're over ear already.

You must have tiny ears!