Quote:
Originally Posted by gauchotodd 
There are a few things you should take into consideration:
Simca is very picky about what she recommends and at what price. And feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but what I'm getting is that for her, they may not be worth $700, $600, or possibly even $500, particularly when compared to something else that she considers better quality for the money, or the fluid thing most people call "value."
The amp on the STX will definitely power the HE-500 and it will probably sound amazing, assuming you're making an upgrade from the $100-200 product range. But as these are planar headphones, they excel when provided the proper power, which the STX cannot provide, at which point you will want to look into an amp to get the most (or at least close to the most) out of the headphones.
If you have read up on, compared, and have reasons for picking out the HE-500 over other (somewhat) similar products, I wouldn't necessarily jump to another model based on just this thread. Ideally, if you can listen to a few different models firsthand, that's the best way to make your decision. If, like me, you can't, try to find as much info from both professional and consumer reviews as possible, then come to a forum like this or head-fi with particular questions you may have to help finalize your decision.
So, sure the HE-400 may be a nice value as well, and the STX amp will power them as well, but it won't get the most detail out of them either. Hope that helps!
There are a few things you should take into consideration:
Simca is very picky about what she recommends and at what price. And feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but what I'm getting is that for her, they may not be worth $700, $600, or possibly even $500, particularly when compared to something else that she considers better quality for the money, or the fluid thing most people call "value."
The amp on the STX will definitely power the HE-500 and it will probably sound amazing, assuming you're making an upgrade from the $100-200 product range. But as these are planar headphones, they excel when provided the proper power, which the STX cannot provide, at which point you will want to look into an amp to get the most (or at least close to the most) out of the headphones.
If you have read up on, compared, and have reasons for picking out the HE-500 over other (somewhat) similar products, I wouldn't necessarily jump to another model based on just this thread. Ideally, if you can listen to a few different models firsthand, that's the best way to make your decision. If, like me, you can't, try to find as much info from both professional and consumer reviews as possible, then come to a forum like this or head-fi with particular questions you may have to help finalize your decision.
So, sure the HE-400 may be a nice value as well, and the STX amp will power them as well, but it won't get the most detail out of them either. Hope that helps!
Great points Gauchotodd, since I won't be able to try these headphones in any way that I can think of prior to buying (if I should end up getting these), I like reading why someone who has experienced them (and other headphones) considers it a bad idea.
I've been eyeing the Hifiman line for a while now, just wanted to hear/read counter arguments. I've been impressed with what I've been reading about Hifiman headphones, and while the lcd-2's may be a better can, Just based on this thread's comments regarding the used market [so not necessarily a serious question, but still personally curious nonetheless] I wonder why hifiman's are rarely resold while there seems to be an abundance of lcd-2's, not to mention the headaches of buying used compared to new...good points all around from Simca and others however, may need to ask questions over in the most recommended OCN gear thread...
Would be great to read more people's personal experiences with this pairing.
