Head-Direct HiFiMAN HE-500 Headphones

Frederik S · May 21, 2011, 07:43 PM

To read this review go to: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Head-Direct/HE-500/

Ra97oR · Jun 21, 2011, 04:45 PM

Soundstage wise the orthodynamic are at a disadvantage, one of the downside of the driver design itself. I found them still better than the LCD2 in that area. The worst thing about the LCD2 is the way they sounds totally boxed in with lack of air, soundstage is small but with decent accuracy, slightly congested though. Other than soundstage and the lack of "air", overall performance of the LCD2 is impressive, I wonder if you are going to review them. If you don't mind the lack of air and slightly bassy signature, you are in for a treat. Unfortunately I am not one of them, Audio Technicas limiteds and STAX for me.

I found the EF1 with HEs and LCD is less than optimal, a high power SS amp like a B22 is far more impressive sounding than running off the EF1. However, I found the EF1 and D7000 pair pretty nice.

STCNE · Jun 21, 2011, 04:50 PM

Someone should make an ortho with angled drivers, that would be able to help on the soundstage front. Of course I'm no engineer there probably is a reason they aren't already doing that. I love the E.A.R. technology Senn uses in the 500 series, I just wish they had angled drivers on more exciting phones.

Ra97oR · Jun 21, 2011, 04:55 PM

The LCD2's driver and (maybe, couldn't remember) the HE series is angled by the pads. Where the LCD2 for sure have pads thicker at the back and thinner at the front.

Frederik S · Jun 22, 2011, 10:01 AM

The HE-series headphones feature flat pads unlike the LCD-2s. The HE-500s do not need an insane amplifier to sound their best unlike the HE-6s which clip and sound odd out of a normal headphone amplifier.

The LCD-2s are according to others just as power hungry as the HE-6s.

Ra97oR · Jun 22, 2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frederik S

The HE-series headphones feature flat pads unlike the LCD-2s. The HE-500s do not need an insane amplifier to sound their best unlike the HE-6s which clip and sound odd out of a normal headphone amplifier.

The LCD-2s are according to others just as power hungry as the HE-6s.

That is 100% false, LCD2 ran off portable amp and receiver headphone outs fine. Yep, portable amps. Where the HE-6 can clip many desktop amps.

Frederik S · Jun 22, 2011, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ra97oR

That is 100% false, LCD2 ran off portable amp and receiver headphone outs fine. Yep, portable amps. Where the HE-6 can clip many desktop amps.

Just read a mixed up review at head-fi which led me to believe that it was power limited, but after reading replies it was not a power limitation, but definition which improved with bigger/better amplifiers.

From Audeze site they claim 91 dB / 1 mW which is high.

May 21, 2011, 07:43 PM	#1
Frederik S Staff Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Søllerød, Denmark Posts: 1,033 (0.40/day) Thanks: 44 Thanked 297 Times in 204 Posts System Specs	Head-Direct HiFiMAN HE-500 Headphones To read this review go to: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Head-Direct/HE-500/ Last edited by Frederik S; Jul 21, 2011 at 01:10 PM.

Processor:	C2D E8200 @ 3.4
Motherboard:	Gigabyte P35C-DS3R
Cooling:	3DMercury
Memory:	Corsair 4-4-4-12 4 GB DDR-1066
Video Card:	Inno3D 8800GTS 320MB @ 648 Mhz Core / 1000 MHz RAM
Hard Disk:	WD Raptor 2 x 150GB RAID 0, Hitachi Deskstar 400 GB
Optical Drive:	Pioneer DVD-RW
CRT/LCD Model:	HP LP2475w
Case:	Gigabyte 3DMercury
Sound Card:	On-board, Travagan's Green, Octavart "The One" AMP & DAC
PSU:	480 Watt Tagan
Software:	WinXP Pro SP2

System Name:	ARiA
Processor:	Intel Core i7-2600K CPU @ 4.50GHz
Motherboard:	ASUS P8P67 Pro
Cooling:	Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme
Memory:	16GB Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz CL-9 DDR3 (4x4GB)
Video Card:	NVIDIA GTX470
Hard Disk:	2 x Samsung F3 1TB RAID 0, Samsung F4 2TB
CRT/LCD Model:	BenQ FP92W
Case:	Fractal Design Define R3
Sound Card:	ASUS Xonar Essence ST to ATH-AD1000PRM/STAX SR-404LE
PSU:	Antec Signature 650W
Software:	Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Benchmarks:	CPU Max Stable OC (ATM, just got this): 4.7Ghz Prime95 stable

Jun 21, 2011, 04:50 PM	#3
STCNE Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Connecticut USA Posts: 236 (0.24/day) Thanks: 40 Thanked 42 Times in 30 Posts System Specs	Someone should make an ortho with angled drivers, that would be able to help on the soundstage front. Of course I'm no engineer there probably is a reason they aren't already doing that. I love the E.A.R. technology Senn uses in the 500 series, I just wish they had angled drivers on more exciting phones. __________________ I used to be proud to be an audiophile, but when you go from "isn't $50 a bit much for a headphone" to "cool, only a few hundred" and you start selling off parts of your PC to get your next fix... oh well. It's still cheaper than being a car guy.

System Name:	Lycanthropy
Processor:	i5 2500K
Motherboard:	ECS p67-h2a2
Memory:	8GB Muskin Radioactive Series
Video Card:	MSI R7770
Case:	Lancool K62
Sound Card:	Ultra-Fi Dac41, Vintage Sherwood amp, STAX SR-5 Headphones
PSU:	XFX 850W
Software:	Win 7 64-Bit(Tried Win8 and never going back)
Benchmarks:	Reboots in 35 seconds flat, with a standard HDD. I'm a bit of an OCD tweaker. Using less than 100GB

Jun 21, 2011, 04:45 PM	#2
Ra97oR Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 304 (0.20/day) Thanks: 7 Thanked 60 Times in 55 Posts System Specs	Soundstage wise the orthodynamic are at a disadvantage, one of the downside of the driver design itself. I found them still better than the LCD2 in that area. The worst thing about the LCD2 is the way they sounds totally boxed in with lack of air, soundstage is small but with decent accuracy, slightly congested though. Other than soundstage and the lack of "air", overall performance of the LCD2 is impressive, I wonder if you are going to review them. If you don't mind the lack of air and slightly bassy signature, you are in for a treat. Unfortunately I am not one of them, Audio Technicas limiteds and STAX for me. I found the EF1 with HEs and LCD is less than optimal, a high power SS amp like a B22 is far more impressive sounding than running off the EF1. However, I found the EF1 and D7000 pair pretty nice.

Jun 21, 2011, 04:55 PM	#4
Ra97oR Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 304 (0.20/day) Thanks: 7 Thanked 60 Times in 55 Posts System Specs	The LCD2's driver and (maybe, couldn't remember) the HE series is angled by the pads. Where the LCD2 for sure have pads thicker at the back and thinner at the front.

Jun 22, 2011, 10:01 AM	#5
Frederik S Staff Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Søllerød, Denmark Posts: 1,033 (0.40/day) Thanks: 44 Thanked 297 Times in 204 Posts System Specs	The HE-series headphones feature flat pads unlike the LCD-2s. The HE-500s do not need an insane amplifier to sound their best unlike the HE-6s which clip and sound odd out of a normal headphone amplifier. The LCD-2s are according to others just as power hungry as the HE-6s.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Head-Direct HiFiMAN HE-6	Frederik S	Reviews	17	May 18, 2011 03:51 AM
Head-Direct Displays New HiFiman Headphones, Prototypes	btarunr	News	1	Jan 14, 2011 04:03 AM
Head-Direct HiFiMAN RE-ZERO	Frederik S	Reviews	0	Jul 5, 2010 09:00 PM
Head-Direct HiFiMAN HE-5LE Orthodynamic Headphones	Frederik S	Reviews	12	Jun 24, 2010 07:36 PM
Head-Direct Launches HE-5LE Headphones	btarunr	News	10	Apr 25, 2010 12:18 PM