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Sherv
147
Oct 30, 2018
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Perfect... I've been looking to replace my focal elear... I've given them a year, not impressed. My HE-500 is still my go to with my E-mu Teak + dekoni + norn cable for a close 2nd. The Elear is a good sounding heaphone... Just not when I listen to my HE-500. My he-500 always blow me away every time. Music sounds fun, female vocals are deliciously velvety, and bass sounds so good without being offensive. It makes the Elear sound a lot more neutral/boring. Listening to the same tracks I've heard 100s of times... With the he-500 on it makes me day dream and start jamming my head... The elear doesn't do that for me.
Oct 30, 2018
alvarg
235
Oct 30, 2018
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ShervWouldnt the elex be a more logical choice then?
Oct 30, 2018
Squee
183
Oct 30, 2018
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ShervMy, how very similar my tastes are...
Oct 30, 2018
Squee
183
Oct 30, 2018
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alvargHe wasn't much of a fan of the elear, so I don't know why he'd double down with the elex...
Oct 30, 2018
johnq1118
24
Nov 1, 2018
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ShervI have a he500, how does the emu teak compare to it?
Nov 1, 2018
Sherv
147
Nov 1, 2018
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johnq1118HE-500 + Schiit Lyr + Telefunken tubes + Bifrost + norne vanquish cables vs Emu-teak stock cable + o2 dac/amp Teak sounds more neutral compared to he-500, treble not as high, mid bass not as hard hitting, and its slightly warm sound. Sound stage is good but not as wide sounding as he-500. Teak + Vanquish cables I couldn't believe how much better they are than stock. Teak sounds warmer, smoother, mid bass is more, and bass has that same smoothness as an he-500. Best description I can give is like he-500 closed/lite when it comes to bass and vocals. For me to appreciate them, I had to listen to them 30 days at a time with a specific play list so I kept hearing the same songs. When I added the vanquish cables, I really started to enjoy my teak. After getting the Elear I even appreciated the Teak more. I couldn't get the Teak to sound as great on any set of tubes I had for the lyr. It sounded better on the o2 dac/amp and great on my jds labs element
Nov 1, 2018
qu11355
169
Nov 1, 2018
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ShervWhat do you think of this drop vs the he500
Nov 1, 2018
Sherv
147
Nov 1, 2018
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qu11355I'm not a very technical audiophile, I just appreciate (or at least try to) good sound. But I have wanted to purchase another hifiman headphone. I like good deals and my he-500, when it was in production, I got it for 499 brand new. Got a good deal on the emu teak, got the Elear the day it hit 699 and I got my sure se535 iems for 350. I've been waiting for a good deal on another mid/upper range hifiman planar headphone. The HE-500 dont sound that great with most of my amps. It sounds its best with my Schiit Lyr. For example it sounds good with my jds labs element. Listened to it on that amp for a month. Switched back to my lyr and immediately I could tell the different. There was more detail in songs I listen to all the time. The rule of thumb is high impedance for mobile headphones and low impedance using them on a dedicated amp (harder to drive). Some say cables do nothing (i tend to agree) and some say its night an day different. I've tried multiple cables with my Q701 and I honestly couldn't tell a difference. But my he-500 sounded drastically different with the 5 cables I have ranging from copper, silver, occ litz, and so on. There is science/physics in play but audio is also very subjective. I may find a warm sounding headphone pleasing and one may not. I've played around with many cables of different brands/materials, tried many amps, and so on. I don't know what to expect honestly. But one thing I am pretty confident on is that I really like the speed/sound/bass of planar headphones and I also tend to like most electro static headphones I've heard. The Fostex line is one of the few dynamic headphones I've heard that I truly enjoy. This is an expensive hobby so it is hard to test/hear many models, the biggest downside imo. Like earlier I said I wasn't impressed with the Elear. They sound great, they just don't sound as good as my other headphones. And When I say they dont sound as good, I mean they don't sound the way I enjoy/want it to sound. I can hear the details and it is a well built great performer. But it lacks the joy for me that me he-500 and teak provide. I have heard some of my fav tracks over a thousand times and everytime i hear it on my he-500 I start to jam or feel like I'm listening to it for the first time... Like when your ears are cleaned of blockage and you can hear better or when you put on prescription glasses for the first time... It is that kind of an experience for me.
Nov 1, 2018
darksliv
20
Nov 7, 2018
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ShervI have Emu Teak which i use for movies+ story driven games , I was thinking trying something new , should I go for Massdrop x Focal Elex or HIFIMAN Edition XX
Nov 7, 2018
Sherv
147
Nov 7, 2018
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darkslivTeak is liquid sounding, laid back highs, loose bass, and just friendly sounding. The elex, from what I have been told, is even more neutral sounding than my elear. I cant recommend the hifiman yet since I haven't heard it, but if you like the teak sound then you will most likely enjoy most planar magnetic drivers. I would wait for reviews before buying the hifiman unless you know you like the teak sound a lot and wouldn't enjoy a more neutral headphone.
Nov 7, 2018
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