In our sixth collaboration with famed audio brand HIFIMAN, we’re counting back down to five—5XX, that is. Introducing the Drop + HIFIMAN HE5XX planar magnetic headphones: a high-resolution exclusive with legendary lineage. Inspired by HIFIMAN’s iconic HE500 Series headphones, the open-back HE5XX pairs powerful, speaker-like audio with new ultra-light components to maximize both fidelity and comfort. We worked closely with Dr. Fang—founder and head engineer at HIFIMAN—to drastically reduce weight on the classic dual-sided planar magnetic design through thinner double magnets and Nano Diaphragm membranes. The result? A brighter, more neutral take on the trademark HE500 Series sound, with upgraded efficiency and a better fit than ever before.
It’s been nearly 10 years since HIFIMAN launched the Legacy HE500: the last pair of “classic” HIFIMAN headphones. Like other models in the HE500 Series, the Legacy featured a dual-sided planar magnetic design, which used magnets on both sides of a membrane to generate sound waves. This led to unrivaled sensitivity, but also extra weight. Newer single-sided magnet designs slimmed things down; but for many enthusiasts, something in the sound was lost. In the HE5XX, that sound is back—with improved clarity, and without the weight. Thanks to stronger double-sided magnets, 2-micron-thick Nano Diaphragm membranes, and other careful design adjustments, the HE5XX is 30-percent lighter than the Legacy HE500. What’s more, these same components (plus a newly designed conductor layer) greatly increase the efficiency of the HE5XX, making it easier to drive. For those that want to push to performance even further, the HE-5XX is also wired to work with a balanced cable.
Founded in New York City in 2007, HIFIMAN has always kept its ears close to the audiophile community. Case and point: Dr. Fang, company founder and head engineer. Dr. Fang started out as an active contributor on Head-Fi, regularly attending local meetups while pursuing his doctorate at Columbia. When he realized his PhD research could be relevant to his passion—the music-listening experience and the audiophile products that improve it—he started talking with forum members and meetup attendees about what they’d like to see in the next generation of headphones. With his first designs, HIFIMAN was born. In the few short years since its inception, HIFIMAN has released several highly regarded audio products, all while keeping close ties with the audiophile community. At Drop, we couldn’t imagine a better way of doing things.
Designed for entry-level listeners and enthusiasts in search of a refined feature set, the THX AAA ONE is a slimmed-down version of our beloved THX 789 linear amp. It does away with the 789’s balanced inputs and outputs in favor of a single-ended output and an all-new preamp output, which is perfect for connecting to powered speakers. Of course, it also features THX’s legendary AAA technology to deliver detailed amplification with next to no distortion, as well as three gain stages to drive headphones at all impedance levels. Finished in a sleek and strong aluminum housing, it makes an impressive pair with the HE5XX.
We get it. Sometimes what you ordered just doesn’t work out. If that’s the case for you, don’t fret! All customers (both US and international) may return this item in new, unused condition within 30 days of delivery.
Estimated ship date is Nov 4, 2024 PT.
Payment will be collected at checkout. Cancellations are accepted up to 2 hours after checkout for in-stock items, or up until pre-order ships.