[7S Cameron]

Quote:

I don't find them lacking in the mids at all.  I wonder if we have different ideas as to what constitutes lows, mids and highs? 

Okay, I'll explain what I'm hearing in a more subjective way. With the S500s I feel like the vocals are very forward, they are louder than the rest of the spectrum (which isn't a bad thing in my opinion, it makes them more lively). The bass and the drums stick out nicely; the cymbals aren't bad either. Everything else seems to be behind a veil. When I listen to metal music guitars are almost non-existent. If you listen to metal through the S400s, guitars have more of a presence.
 
There's a little more going on, but I'm about to get some food and I don't want to do a direct A/B at the moment. I could be wrong in what I think the mids are, I've always been into sound, but I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile until around 6 or 7 months ago.

 

[Gyrael]

I got my pair yesterday!

I've only used them a bit so far, but my initial impressions are really good.
 
I'm not well versed in terms of experience with headphones at all; as a college student, I don't have money to buy a lot of pairs, or really expensive ones for that matter. However, I've always been obsessive about reproduction fidelity and quality, both in terms of audio and video. I considered my "initiation" to be when I got my old pair of HD 485s. I don't really remember the moment I decided to seek audiophile-grade headphones, but I did some research and these had really good reviews. So I got them for sale at 70 bucks, and they showed me what audio reproduction could be like. As it happens, I never looked back.

That said, I've only tested two "proper" headphones before the S500s: my previously mentioned 485s and my current 558s. I don't have much to compare to, but I loved the sound of my 485s at the time, and I adore my 558s, so I guess you could say I'm a fan of their sound signature.

Now of course the S500s can't match my 558s, but they're damn impressive for how portable they are. As I said, I haven't used them extensively yet, but the sound feels surprisingly full bodied. The bass response feels really good, and you can definitely tell they're the S500s strength. They're very punchy and satisfying, and have good quantity. The S500s definitely have a tilt towards the lows, but that's not to say they're at all lacking in other departments. I've tested some hip hop with Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music, which sounded fantastic. I also tested Yeah Yeah Yeah's new Mosquito, which also sounded vibrant and satisfying. Finally, (well, actually, this is what I first listened to) I went with The Uncluded's freshly released Hokey Fright, which is an album with a lot of different sounds. Kimya Dawson's strings sounded great, as did herself and Aesop Rock's vocals. The latter's boomy beats also shone through, and the album's different textures were super nicely presented by these cans. They certainly blow my cheap (but serviceable!) pair of Sony earbuds out of the water. They're more bass-heavy than my 558s, and they're also muddier, which is to be expected. But I have to give it to the hype for these, because they aren't too far back from them at all, and for only 40-50 bucks, that's amazing.

So yeah, so far I'm really pleased with how these sound. But it's also worth noting how well built they are! Its portable-friendly functionalities work flawlessly, and it's very versatile in the ways you can fold it. Really digging that, because as I mentioned previously I bought these exclusively for when I'm on the go. Finally, I love its aesthetics! I'm really picky about that', and these fit the bill. They look so slick in person.
 
So, big thumbs up to these so far.
 
Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to say I use these with my iPod, no amp. I use my 558s with my PC, through an X-Fi XtremeMusic. I compared the two on both platforms.

 

[jamie090]

Does anyone have any experience buying these off amazon sellers? NewItemExpress and Japan Premium seem to be the cheapest. Any success/horror stories?

 

[daleb]

I bought off of amazon from alexlicious. I ordered it on a thursday, and it showed up the thursday after. It was in perfect condition, but someone at customs opened up the box and stole the gift(origami).

 

[Gyrael]

Quote:

Does anyone have any experience buying these off amazon sellers? NewItemExpress and Japan Premium seem to be the cheapest. Any success/horror stories?

 
I bought from Japan Import and it was a flawless service. I got the headphones in only 6 business days, even though the estimate was 10-20. In the box they included a nice thank you letter from who I'm assuming is the business runner, as well as a cool origami gift. The headphone box came wrapped in a page of Japanese newspaper, which is cool if you're into that.

 

[jamie090]

Thanks guys. Couldn't find either of those suppliers shipping to the uk but the other ones had pretty good reviews so I've ordered from one of those. After everything I've read on this forum I can't wait to get my hands on them!! It;s going to be a long week or so...
In the mean time I have to go and learn about burning in and swapping the pads if i need to. As this is my first set of 'proper' headphones it seems I have a lot to learn!

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Thanks guys. Couldn't find either of those suppliers shipping to the uk but the other ones had pretty good reviews so I've ordered from one of those. After everything I've read on this forum I can't wait to get my hands on them!! It;s going to be a long week or so...
In the mean time I have to go and learn about burning in and swapping the pads if i need to. As this is my first set of 'proper' headphones it seems I have a lot to learn!

You could have just got them from a seller called jp-ken on ebay, he's a good Japanese friend of mine and did my S500 cheap sent to UK.

 

[jamie090]

Quote:

You could have just got them from a seller called jp-ken on ebay, he's a good Japanese friend of mine and did my S500 cheap sent to UK.

Oh really?? Do you know how much? My order from amazon hasn't been dispatched yet so I could cancel if its going to be cheaper or more reliable with your friend. 

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Oh really?? Do you know how much? My order from amazon hasn't been dispatched yet so I could cancel if its going to be cheaper or more reliable with your friend. 

Can't even remember how much it was in total with EMS shipping, but it was the cheapest on ebay for sure.

Its up to you though mate, just write him a message on ebay and say that Andrei recommended him. He'll know.

Might not reply till later tonight or tomorrow tho since there is a bug time difference with Japan.

 

[jamie090]

Quote:

Can't even remember how much it was in total with EMS shipping, but it was the cheapest on ebay for sure.

Its up to you though mate, just write him a message on ebay and say that Andrei recommended him. He'll know.

Might not reply till later tonight or tomorrow tho since there is a bug time difference with Japan.

Thanks for the help. I have emailed him so I will see what he says. I've cancelled the ones from amazon on the off chance he will do them cheaper but can just re order tomorrow if not. 

 

[chib]

In my opinion it's all based on luck when you order online.

My s500's got here in 4 days from china, My hm5 pads took 2 weeks, My mh1 took 4 days, And my hifimediy took 3 and a half weeks.

I find that customs in Canada is a joke, takes forever for items to clear.
 

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Thanks for the help. I have emailed him so I will see what he says. I've cancelled the ones from amazon on the off chance he will do them cheaper but can just re order tomorrow if not. 

Ah that's cool, I'm sure he'll message you back in the early hours of the morning as that's when it's daytime in Japan lol

 

[RyzeHD]

Been out of the headphone game for a bit, been happy w/ my daily cans at home (Senn HD580) but now I'm looking for a more portable set w/ out sacrificing sound. I was considering getting a pair of Grado SR60/80/MS1's but after seeing this thread I wanted to give these a try. Ordered them from Amazon w/ Prime Shipping. Can't wait for them to come in on Tues!

 

[Leagg]

Anyone know where i can get a good deal on a headband to fit these like the beyers(canada). The damn thing constantly rips out my hair

 

[TrollDragon]

Quote:

Anyone know where i can get a good deal on a headband to fit these like the beyers(canada). The damn thing constantly rips out my hair

The Universal Headband from eBay $12 fits these fine.