Closer Examination

The HE-5LEs still look stunning even though Head-Direct have moved away from using wooden cups. Design wise this construction is very simple. The basic, perhaps a little bulky, cup design and headband assembly make the headphones feel very solid. And this is quite remarkable since the headphones weigh in at around 400 grams cable excluded. The old HE5 headphones featured beautiful wooden cups however these had a tendency to crack over time. The HE-5LE features very well made plastic cups, which makes them look less classy but ultimately more durable.

When it comes to cable design I think Head-Direct are on the right path. The user swappable cable connects to the headphones via two small coax plugs, and you even get spares for making your own cable. As noted in the introduction, this set of headphones features Neutrik jacks which can only be applauded, these are widely used in the audio industry and are known for their quality both sound and design wise. The ability to choose between balanced XLR and 1/4" termination is yet another treat for those considering going balanced with their headphone setup.


Padding on the HE-5LEs is adequate. On the inside of the leather (yes leather) covered headband you find a slim yet very supporting half oval shaped pad. The pads on the cups are very lush and reminds me of what are featured on a set of BeyerDynamic DT880. The clamping force of the headband is quite low, but sufficient to make the headphones stay on your head even when looking straight down or up. Size wise I think the HE-5LEs will cover just about any head. I have a normal sized European head (size 58-59) and with the size adjusters pulled out about 5 mm both the headphones fit me just fine.


Driver wise the HE-5LEs are pretty special. The once forgotten orthodynamic driver principle is now all the rage at various headphone forums, including Head-fi.

When taking a peek behind the drivers with the cloth removed you can see the relative complex magnet layout and just see the size of the driver. Also worth noticing is the star shaped dampening material, which is there to eliminate reflections from the driver housing.


Head-Direct have a guide that shows you how to remove the thin cloth that is glued to the metal grill. Removing this piece of cloth has its pros and cons, in my opinion the cons outweigh the pros many times over. In return for a little added upper midrange and more prominent treble, everything else becomes much less pleasing. Bass control is diminished and vocals sound a tad odd. If you want to alter the sound somewhat I recommend you going the SPC route even though the other cable will set you back $25 in shipping.


Just like its predecessor the HE-5 the HE-5LE uses two coax adapters for hooking up the cable to the cups. This solution is very sturdy and allows for easy removal and installation of cables.