The screenshot is from Amazon right? i could have sworn it sought of looks like Aliexpress and i always say that anything with wires shouldn't be bought from Aliexpress. Lol
Audio Equipment
- Thread starter ddrueding
- Start date
DrunkenBastard
Storage is cool
Correct, that's Amazon.com
Stereodude
Not really a
So my HD6XX headphone arrived on Friday. I gave them a quick listen yesterday just to make sure they worked. They seem to be working okay. Nothing immediately objectionable about the sound. As I expected they're a little different in sound from some of the other headphones I have (which don't all sound the same either). I'll give them a better listen in the near future.
Stereodude
Not really a
I had a pair of noise cancelling headphones from them many years ago that I no longer use, but that hardly counts. My office is too noisy for open headphones, so I use closed back headphones.
ddrueding
Fixture
On a pair of HD650 right now, and I'm quite happy with them. Lighter and slimmer than others I have of the same sound quality.
Stereodude
Not really a
So I've listened to them much closer and longer this morning from my Sony NW-A35 Walkman. They image very nicely and have good clarity and transparency without being overly bright or glaring. I do wish they had a little more low end thump at the very bottom though.
According to all accounts the HD6XX are the HD650's with a shorter cord and slightly different cosmetics.
ddrueding
Fixture
...and earlier reports of poor quality on HiFiMan equipment....totally on-point. The foam ear-cup on my 400i has separated completely. I'm sure I can just glue it back on, but c'mon....
Make sure you use $699/ounce audiophile glue and allow them to cure in an oxygen free environment.
ddrueding
Fixture
The trick is it needs to work with the metal mesh, foam inner, and leather(ish) outer at the same time. No CA because of the foam. Hot glue? Epoxy of some kind?
Stereodude
Not really a
Hot glue may melt the foam depending on the type of foam. What about a double sided tape or contact cement?
ddrueding
Fixture
The metal mesh might have a hard time with the tape, not a lot of surface area available. Contact cement is an interesting idea; is there a foam-melting concern there as well?
Stereodude
Not really a
That depends on the type. A water based one I would expect not. An oil based one, maybe.
I seriously doubt there would be enough energy to melt the foam. :lol:
Stereodude
Not really a
I highly doubt that's the melting he needs to be concerned about.
It may be an RMA or circular file situation.
Stereodude
Not really a
The HiFiman Sundara headphones sound amazing! They're quite comfortable too. I think a pair is in my future.
Stereodude
Not really a
Yes, I've seen the same complaining that they won't sell parts and that they're not so friendly with warranty claims. It wouldn't stop me from buying, but I would give it some consideration.
The products from them I do have held up well and still work.
Stereodude
Not really a
So I ordered up the HE-560 instead of the Sundara despite having not heard them. I saw a few people on HeadFi indicate they thought the HE-560 sounded better than the Sundara. I had been eyeballing the HE-560's for many months as an upgrade to my HE-500s when they first dropped to $499. Supposedly they're on their way to being discontinued with production already stopped and they are quite a bit cheaper than when they first came out. On the other hand, the Sundara is brand new and still at the opening price.
Does the older originally $899, now $499 model sound better than the new $499 model? I guess I will find out.
Does the older originally $899, now $499 model sound better than the new $499 model? I guess I will find out.
ddrueding
Fixture
The quality on my HE400i did dissapoint. The cables developed static when moving within a month and the foam earcup came off within 6 months of daily use. The sound is great, but I'll be going back to Sennheiser next time I buy.
German vs. Chinese, hmm.
ddrueding
Fixture
But only $80 more ($220 vs $300) and IMO the Sennheiser sounds better.
Stereodude
Not really a
Which Sennheisers?
Stereodude
Not really a
I'm not sure it's just perceived. This thread I read on Head-Fi is a total trainwreck.
I worded it that way because I've never owned any of their products and I'm only going based on angry comments online. I'm not surprised you were able to easily reference another example. If their products cost less I might gamble but if I'm going to spend $500+ for that risk.
ddrueding
Fixture
HD650
Or the Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX for $199 makes your argument even stronger given that it's the same as the HD650.
Stereodude
Not really a
The HD6XX sounds pretty good, but pale in comparison to the HE-500s I have. They are more comfortable though. Of course they were less than half the price.
I'm not sure what's going on with my HE-560 order. I guess buying from the cheapest place has its disadvantages as they haven't shipped and it's sitting pending.
Edit: I now have a tracking number.
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Not only are the HD6XX less than half the price, you also need less expensive supporting audio gear like amp/DAC to drive them reasonably well. I imagine that for you to get what you paid for out of the HE-500's you would want to purchase a decent amp/DAC to drive those. I carry my HD6xx in my computer bag and use them all day long without fatigue.
ddrueding
Fixture
At the moment I'm driving the HD650 with a Zoom UAC-2.
Stereodude
Not really a
I have the worst luck with USB DACs. The nice Grace m9XX unit I got from Massdrop doesn't play nice with my work PC (Lenovo T470s running Windows 7). In both the Class 1 mode (driverless) and the Class 2 mode (requires drivers) there are regular periodic glitches in the audio. The Audio-Gd DACs I have played nice with XP, but the chipset in them doesn't play nice with 7 or newer. I should just get my CM6631A USB to SPDIF board and feed the Grace M9XX that way. That's what I did with the Audio-Gd unit I had at my last job. It should be in the box of stuff I brought home...
Stereodude
Not really a
I mostly just use it to listen to a few podcasts while at work where the glitches aren't noticeable. I'm going to bring my CM6631A board and optical cable in though and see if it behaves any better that way. I expect it will be flawless.
I should also take the Grace m9XX unit home and confirm it doesn't glitch on other PCs. I didn't listen long enough when I first got it to say one way or another.