have any more FR charts surfaced to show itās signature is different than the Deva, cause that is one cause of all the hate. that and they led everyone on thinking this would be a refresh of the beloved HE-500, which it is not.
I doubt the level of criticism would have been as high if the collaboration was called āDevXā or āDevaXā and marketed as a Drop-retuned Deva (wired version). I donāt know if the Deva (wired) is selling well at all since the Deva (wireless) is cheaper and comes with added functionality (wireless audio). Furthermore, I never knew that there was wired version of the Deva being sold until yesterdayās discussions.
But yeah, Crinacleās FR chart of the Deva against the HE5XX did give more credence to the ārebadged Devaā accusations.
Wellā¦ Iāve noticed there is a LOT of hate towards the brand in general. Iām not gonna say the brand doesnāt have bad eggs. Hell, just about every company does, if not every company. cough Samsung cough
I really just donāt understand what Hifiman and Drop are doing with this product. Why call it the 5XX if it is just a retuned black Deva? Like with the 6XX, 4XX, 7XX and even the Elex, those were all based off a headphone with the same number or letter in the beginning of the name, and they even said so in the description. Why not call it a DEVX or something? Because itās clearly not an HE-500, or even an HE-560.
Anyway, I already have a Sundara so Iāll be passing on the 5XX, but my point still stands. If they end up sounding amazing, then thatās great. But according to Josh Valour, the treble is forward and peaky.
Can we definitively prove it though?
Already had my say on that number.
Iām sitting here going through Zās review, thinking āif these are really as open as I keep hearing they are supposed to be, they may be exactly what Iāve been wanting for a few songs that I can hear crave to be this great, open wide experienceā and then I hit 14:08 and hear āMy eyes are bleeding, but this is great!ā and canāt help but to remember the live version of The Bleeding by FFDP on The Wrong Side of Heaven and The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1 āAwe, donāt boo. Iāve been up here bleeding out of my fuckinā eyes for an hour and a half, gimme a break.ā
I may look into having my 4XX and TA-10 shipped to me (scary AF, yes, butā¦ I miss my tubesā¦)
if the 560 driver is more expensive to make than a deva driver and are able to rebadge it and sell it at a similar price but the selling point is that itās supposed to sound like a more expensive headphone and somehow get away with it I dont see why they wouldnāt do it. I do hope these are good but the exchange rate adnd duties I have to pay for them to get over the border and looking at frequencyy charts doesnt look like it has the reason for me to get it over a sundara which is the bass response of the 560
So now itās either the HE5XX or the DT 880 600ohm.
Both apparently amp dependant, pressure pulvurizing with the details and in the 200s range.
The 5XXs seem to have more imaging and stage by default, but I can use the DarkVoice on the DT 880s.
Both seem to compliment the HD 600s. The heck is this man. A month ago I was sure to buy the DT880s. Nowā¦ Iām not sure.
Aināt this a B.
2 Likes
3 Likes
Iām liking the sound of this more and more, a wide sound stage planar.
The HE-5XX stator, cup shape, and measured behavior indicates it is a very close relative to the Deva.
An examination vs the HE-500 indicates:
headband
cup (shape & material)
cable
pads
stator (shape, mass, material)
mylar 500 much thicker
are all very different which means no matter the tuning they are not sonic clones or even brothers.
HFM has invoked the HE-500, but also chortled that its faster, lighter, and more efficient than the 500. I notice that HFM didnāt note that the 5XX is down 5 db at 35 Hz and 10 db at 20 Hz - thatās similar to the HD-600 on transistor amps and the HE-5se. Thatās not the 500.
It may be a fine can for the price, but invoking the HE-500 sets a high bar. HFM Marketing bald faced lied about the HE5se and HE6se. I know, I bought both and compared them to the said original, and they were vastly incorrect. Donāt reward HFM falsehoods yet again, BTW my 6se is my best can, but its not the HE-6 (4 or 6 screw), and the HE5se was nothing like the HE-5 or HE5-LE, it was a brutal dog.
According to DMS apparently an L30 does the headphone justice
I think in this thread we can put this to bed. Yes it is a rebadged Deva and turns out the wired Deva does sound pretty good. Personally Iām not so sure as I already own big planars. But for someone looking to get their first one and looks like a great start for someone to get into the hobby I think its hard to argue with the price as well $220. [From DMS looks like an amp like an L30 is suitable]
I think the general price point is now filling out:
6XX [On tubes]
DT 880 600ohm
Sundara
5XX
4XX [Cheapest but it sounds great]
HD 560ās
Sivga Pheonix
Sivga P2 [This is the biggest stretch for price point]
Second hand X00 [Honerable mention] / EMU [Rosewood cups]
harmonicdyne Helios
T50 Argons
TYGR 300
1 Like
Maybe replace this with the E-Mus? Even used X00 series are getting really pricey now.
5 Likes
Late replay but someone was excited for a wide stage planar. Well if you take off the rear screens and put on a pair of āEther Angledā pads on a HE-500 and tune in some Doug Sax mastering/engineered female vocals over a 3-5 piece, and close your eyes, you should have a 230 degree stage all outside of your head. Iām quite sure it;s yet another way that the HE-5XX doesnāt stack up to a HE-500, albeit modded.
- that was me.
- I was excited for a BIG open sounding headphone. There are some songs, like Ashes from the Promare sound track, that sound like they want to be this great, huge, out of body experience to loose yourself in. Iāll admit, they are very few and far between in my library, but I donāt think any of the headphones I currently own can quite achieve the effect I can hear the song trying to reach.
I agree with that and the cups are sexier in my opinion [Rosewood cup gang rise up]
Iām heavily considering buying these and the Sen 6xx and seeing which I like better for gaming.
I have a few NOOB questions and was hoping someone could help me out:
-
What amp should I get to try these 2 out?
-
Are there better in the sub 300-500 range if I want to get immersed in whatever world Iām gaming in? I play competitive games too, but I much more prefer better sound for being engulfed in a single player experience. Currently using Fidelio x2ās, didnāt like the 598ās as much (I have no amp).
-
Forgive me for my newb questions, but is a dac/amp + HE-5xx or the Sennheiser 6xx not doable on a console like PS5? Iām going to be doing half my gaming on PS5, so would that mean I need headphones that do not require an amp? Also, would something like PS5 3d audio be possible with this combo?
From my understanding, thatās not exactly a cut and dry answer, as theyāre both very amp dependent and respond to different amps differently.
It is doable, and no it does not mean that. One of the seemingly preferred methods of hooking up your DAC or combo unit is via optical. No drivers, no interference, able to handle much longer runs. Downsides? It can get rather expensive quickly for longer runs, and can be more fragile.
1 Like