HIFIMAN Headphone Compendium

Discussion in 'Headphone Measurements' started by purr1n, Mar 24, 2016.

  1. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    for HE-500, are the Alpha pads as easy to install as the Focus-A pads?
    links or guide appreciated.
     
  2. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    They're a bit big/loose, but if you have the stock pads OR just the mounting rings for the old, stock pads, slip the alpha pads around that like any other pad, and attach to headphone. You may want to consider a bit of tape to hold them in place on the bottom of the mounting ring. Alternatively, you could do what guys do for the vegan Audeze pads and HE-6 and just tape the pads right to the headphone cups/baffle.

    Focus Pads have the same mounting ring, more or less, but come glued to it.

    Using the mounting ring, it's just a matter of putting some pressure on one of the plastic latch pieces to pop it out of place. There are 4 of them keeping it on the headphone.

    I'm sure most of this you're familiar with already, but just throwing it all out there.

    I have not tried them, but I would also not rule out the Brainwavz pads. They have velour, pleather, angled pleather, and a hybrid pad that looks like a thicker version of the Focus Pad. Would need to be installed like the alpha pads. I think these are a bit tighter, though, so might need some stretching to fit easily around the mounting ring.
     
  3. tiger

    tiger New

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    Actually I am a bit surprised that I couldn't find anyone who tried to use the Ether-C angled pads with HFM cans. The cup sizes look like very close.
     
  4. Ray

    Ray Friend

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    Just scored a he500 today. Currently using the kennerton he pads. Been a while since I've heard these. Coming from he6 & 560, everything kind of sounds right in your face. Definitely will do some mods over the weekend.
     
  5. BleaK

    BleaK Friend

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    Does the BW drive HE-6 well, or do you need to go bigger ?
     
  6. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    Just borrowed a pair of HE500 ( Stock, velours pads) , Here are my measurements :

    FR
    HE500_FR_AVG.png

    FR left vs RIght
    HE500_FR_ Left_Right.png

    Disto (%)
    HE500_Disto_R_95db.png

    Disto (compared to FR)
    HE500_95db_Disto.png

    CSD Right
    HE500_Waterfall_Right.png

    CSD Left
    HE500_Waterfall_Left.png

    Spectro Right

    HE500_Spectro_Right.png

    Spectro Left
    HE500_Spectro_Left.png

    IR Left
    IR Left.png

    IR right
    IR_Right.png

    Looks more or less in line With Marv's measurements.
     
  7. Serious

    Serious Inquisitive Frequency Response Plot

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    What's up with the channel imbalance on that pair? I thought HE 500 drivers were reasonably well matched, Could that maybe be explained by pad differences or are the drivers just off? Otherwise yes, FR looks in line with Marv's measurements.
     
  8. borrego

    borrego Incessant Audio-GD #1 Fan Boy

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    For HE-500 measurement with stock velour pads, one shall include the physical measure of the pad using ruler. My pair of HE-500 came with velour pads of clearly different thickness, one is perhaps 2mm thicker than the other.
     
  9. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I could be pads, it could be drivers, it could be typical variances introduced by the measurement process.
     
  10. Valolilol

    Valolilol Acquaintance

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    Thank you very much Marvey for this Hifiman compilation. I own the HE400i and the HE350. I personally feel that the bass's response of the HE400i stands out too much and this emphases when you compare to the HE350. Once I noticed too much bass I have a really hard time analyzing the rest of the frequencies, as if it corrupted everything...
    I was wondering if you grabbed a pair of HE350 for measurement ? To me they sound a lot like an AKG Q701 with a bit less of high treble and I got to say that I do not recognize the bass signature because it sounds like a non-ortho o_O. Does anybody already heard them ?
    Apart from that, I do like the HE350, more than the HE400 actually, but not for the same reasons too.
     
  11. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    Hi there, not Marv but I do own the 350 as well. I did do one mod recommended by @Will on the Massdrop website. If you open up the back of the headphones (by removing the retaining plastic ring and the grill), you will see a small black dot. It has been adhered to the driver and you can easily pry it off with your fingers. If you do that you will find the bass "problem" to be largely resolved. Be careful with the retaining plastic ring. It has 4 plastic tabs so be careful not to break them. One of our members @Bill-P has also modded the front of the driver cup to reduce the treble. This is again available on the Massdrop website. I have not done that yet.

    Good luck.
     
  12. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    HE-350 and the older HE-300 are dynamic drivers not orthos. That's probably wby they present audio differently. Marv has measured and posted impressions on the HE-350 just check a page or two back. At the end of the day, headphone sound signature is purely user preference. Some people might not be able to stand tbe treble or the HE-350 where others like you find it completely acceptable.
     
  13. Valolilol

    Valolilol Acquaintance

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    @cskippy I don't know where I came to the point that those are orthos headphones, my bad, it is clearly stated in the Massdrop's HE350 website page. Regarding measurements and impressions, I went though the whole conversation before posting anything and did it once again when you posted your reply and I cannot find those impressions and measurements from Marv. Can you help me on that point ?
    @Koth Ganesh thank you for this material, I am going to try it soon, at least the one for the bass response because it is the sensitive point for me so far, trebles look fine to my taste.
     
  14. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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  15. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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  16. Valolilol

    Valolilol Acquaintance

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    @cskippy thank you for the link. I was mislead by the
    sentence, I thought you were talking about this thread and not the whole category.
     
  17. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    No worries, I could have been clearer.
     
  18. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Adding @Bill-P 's Modded HE-5s. Only one channel was measured as the XLR to TRS converter used had some issues with one of the channels.

    Frequency Response

    Bill_P_HE_5_fr.png

    CSD

    Bill_P_HE_5_csd_right.png

    Impulse Response

    Bill_P_HE_5_impulse.png
     
  19. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    And Shiorisekine modded "HE 500 frankenstein"

    Frequency Response

    HE500_shiori_fr.png

    CSD Right

    HE500_shiori_csd_right.png

    CSD Left

    HE500_shiori_csd_left.png

    Impulse Response Right

    HE500_shiori_ir_right.png

    Impulse Response Left

    HE500_shiori_ir_left.png
     
  20. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    That's a very peculiar looking impulse response... like there's a physical bounce of the diaphragm happening.
     

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