[bl42ed0]

I'm currently using a pair of HiFiMan HE-500s with a EF-5/Bifrost combo. I mainly listen to electronic with the occasional rock or classical song. Would the LCD-2 with current amp/dac combo or the Stax SRS-3170 (no clue on dac yet) system be a better upgrade? I've had the HE-500 for about a year now and I'm looking for an upgrade..again lol.
 
I'm hesitant on the LCD2 as a few friends of mine have heard the LCD-2 after using the HE-500s and actually liked the 500s better!
 
Ideas?

 

[ohhgourami]

Doesn't sound like any of those options are upgrades. All of them seem like side-grades.
 
Is there something about the HE-500 that you don't like? Can you elaborate what you want out of a headphone?

 

[M-13]

LCD-2 is a sidegrade. I've owned both for years. I would say get a speaker amp and get the HE-6 or the LCD-3 with a nice amp like the Mjolner if you can swing the money.

 

[ohhgourami]

  LCD-2 is a sidegrade. I've owned both for years. I would say get a speaker amp and get the HE-6 or the LCD-3 with a nice amp like the Mjolner if you can swing the money.

 
Yup! Quality speaker amp + HE-6 is really really up there. Almost matches the SR-009.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  Doesn't sound like any of those options are upgrades. All of them seem like side-grades.
 
Is there something about the HE-500 that you don't like? Can you elaborate what you want out of a headphone?

 
 
+1
 
LCD-3 would be more of an upgrade, or HE-6, or maybe even HD 800 with a GOOD amp.

 

[MohawkUS]

Electronic is a tricky one. What's more important to you: good bass, or good treble? STAX is great for the genre assuming you're not a basshead.

You could also look at some TOTL dynamics. I know Orthos and Stats are all the rage but I really wasn't impressed with the HE-6 when I owned them.

 

[ohhgourami]

Electronic is a tricky one. What's more important to you: good bass, or good treble? STAX is great for the genre assuming you're not a basshead.

You could also look at some TOTL dynamics. I know Orthos and Stats are all the rage but I really wasn't impressed with the HE-6 when I owned them.

 
I'm going to assume you were way underpowering the HE-6.

 

[MohawkUS]

I'm going to assume you were way underpowering the HE-6.

Might be that my amplifier was a bad match, but it certainly wasn't underpowered. I'm using a vintage receiver that has about 50W per channel.

 

[bl42ed0]

Electronic is a tricky one. What's more important to you: good bass, or good treble? STAX is great for the genre assuming you're not a basshead.

You could also look at some TOTL dynamics. I know Orthos and Stats are all the rage but I really wasn't impressed with the HE-6 when I owned them.

 
Definitely not a basshead although I do love the rich sub-bass the he-500 has. I love everything about the headphones but I want to try something different.

 

[Happy Camper]

For a different flavor you should go after the stats. I really liked the 800s with the GS-X II though.