[ohhgourami]

Quote:

 
One is also comparing an s/s DAC to a balanced s/s out compared to a s/s DAC to a tube s/e out... But since you asked, the NFB10 out holds its own Balanced. With the ES chip and increased gain (x4 according to Kingwa over s/e) it pulls the details out and separates the instruments. This works well with the HE-500, but makes the HE-6 prone to a hotter high end. 
 
Between you and me, what I tried with the HE-6 was to set the NFB-10 to high gain and feed that signal into the EF-5 also on high gain. It was sweet.

 
Really?  I don't find the NFB-10ES + HE-6 setup too bright...a bit on the bright side but nothing unpleasant
 
 

 

[MrQ]

Quote:

 
Really?  I don't find the NFB-10ES + HE-6 setup too bright...a bit on the bright side but nothing unpleasant
 
 

I wouldn't use the word unpleasant myself. In comparison to the HE-500 it's 'hotter'.
 
Out of interest, how do you find the HE6 compared to the HE-500 for metal?
 

 

[ohhgourami]

Quote:

I wouldn't use the word unpleasant myself. In comparison to the HE-500 it's 'hotter'.
 
Out of interest, how do you find the HE6 compared to the HE-500 for metal?
 

I haven't listened to the HE-500 yet sorry if I might have led you think that...
 
But I do like the HE-6 for metal.  Before getting my HE-6, I thought the T1 was the best metal can although the HE-6 seems better.  The better midrange presentation of the HE-6 with slight treble emphasis gives guitars a lot of attack.  The transparency and layering brings out all the instruments.
 
Based on reviews, the HE-500 might as be as good for metal if the mids are smoother and the treble was cut back...
 
TBH, I'm glad the HE-500 isn't quite as good as the HE-6 so I don't need to spend more money

 

 

[jamato8]

I starting listening to the HE-500 today single ended through the iBasso DB-2 dac and the fi.Q. I am not sure but I might like this better than balanced. I hadn't listened to the DB-2 single ended and realize how good it is both balanced and SE. 

 

[Happy Camper]

I hooked them up to the Xin/Ipod and listened to them a bit last night. They still sound decent but they scale better with better amping. They even sound ok directly from the ipod.They were darker than on the speaker amp but not offensive. Today they get put on the headphone amp.

After warming up on the SP a couple hours, the 500s are making a serious stand. I still prefer the 6s but the 500s are the logical choice for those using a headphone amp. If I hadn't already had spare speaker amps, the 500s would be a keeper. 

 

[Skylab]

[size=11.0pt]Listening this morning to the combination of the MP 301 Mk2 and the HifiMan HE-500.  [/size][size=11.0pt]Diana Krall’s sultry semi-hushed vocals on “Black Crow” from “The Girl In The Other Room” were just beautifully rendered, and was the attack of her piano.  In fact, this excellent recording was well rendered in general [/size]by this combination.  Very, very nice.

 

[jamato8]

I am not sure that I am getting less bass from the HE-500 when compared to the HE-6. I am playing Hotel California from "Hell Freezes Over", and the resounding bass is only done well on good amps and phones that go deep enough and control this bass. There is a certain impact I hear when it is done right and a lack of when it is not. This is with the balanced and single ended using the 71B as the amp and the DB-2 for the balanced dac. 

 

[Skylab]

The HE-500 has more upper bass, and I think that makes the HE-6 sound like it has more deep bass, but if you referenced both back to 1kHz, you might be right, they might have the same deep bass. But an even slightly elevated upper bass can make it seem like there is less deep bass.

 

[jamato8]

I ran 16hz test tones and got that same type of rumbling with both the HE-500 and HE-6 so they are both going deep. I don't have any way to check the audible frequencies above that as far as db reproduced with each. Anyway, I am surprised they are as good at bass as they are as I was expecting less from what Fang has stated and some other postings I have read. 

 

[b0ck3n]

InnerFidelity.com graphs on the HE-500 are here. Comparing it to HE-6 graphs tells us the 500 bass roll-off descends slightly faster, but I would expect the toned down treble masks this pretty well.

 

[svyr]

InnerFidelity.com graphs on the HE-500 are here. Comparing it to HE-6 graphs tells us the 500 bass roll-off descends slightly faster, but I would expect the toned down treble masks this pretty well.

the bass could well be the same (for some reason on HE-6 one of the channels is louder in the roll-off, but I presume that's a glitch of some sort)

 

[Skylab]

Yes, that would indicate that the very deep bass rolls off ever so slightly faster with the HE-500, although given how small and low the roll-off is, that will be basically inconsequential.

 

[svyr]

Yes, that would indicate that the very deep bass rolls off ever so slightly faster with the HE-500, although given how small and low the roll-off is, that will be basically inconsequential.

lol... again, how can you two conclude that, when there is a possible measurement glitch/ when because of the graphed difference for the two channels it could go either way for HE-6? (either the same roll-off or slightly less, but we can't really tell from the graphs)

 

[b0ck3n]

They seem to be tuned identically - what, if any, are the differences in driver design?

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

They seem to be tuned identically - what, if any, are the differences in driver design?

The HE-500 uses aluminum traces and the HE-6 uses gold. 
 
I still hear changes in the 500 in more resolution and transparency. Others have reported they hear no real change after a couple of hours so I don't know why I am. I could suspect my ears but this is in comparing to other phones. I like very much what I am hearing so the change is good but I am a little baffled as these are orthos and my other two had no changes after a couple of hours.