DROP.com + HiFiMan HE5XX Planar Magnetic Headphones

The cheapest way to become an audiophile is to get some good headphones (AKA “cans”). Fortunately, audiophile headphones can be purchased for under $100. The easiest and cheapest audiophile solution is good headphones, a portable DAC, a smartphone, and a high-resolution streaming service.

Recently I decided to upgrade my Grado SR80 that are part of the Desert Sessions:

The Grados are a great example of an inexpensive audiophile headphone – they are $125 and they sound great. However, they are a bit uncomfortable – not terrible – they are fine for about an hour. I have had them for several years and I am curious to try some other cans so I decided to get some new headphones and double the budget to $250.

I have had good luck in the past with Drop.com. I bought the Drop + Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones a few years back and loved the quality and reasonable price combination. I considered repurchasing the Sennheisers, but I wanted to taste a different flavor. For similar reasons, I dismissed upgrading with the Grado product line. I have been intrigued by the HiFiMan brand, specifically the He5XX model. Per the Drop website:

“…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.

I was also intrigued that the HiFiMan were magnetic planar vs dynamic speakers. I will not try to explain the difference between magnetic planar and traditional dynamic speakers. I realize the quote above is subjective marketing BS, but speakers and headphones are subjective. Planar cans are intriguing, per the website HomeAudioBasics.com:

…planar magnetic headphones offer several advantages over dynamic headphones, including more natural sound reproduction, enhanced realism, a wider soundstage, better resolution, improved bass response, and superior instrument timbre.

I purchased the HiFiMan HE5XX and auditioned them with two sources: high-resolution streaming and vinyl for the Desert Sessions rig described above. I listened to a variety of genres. Here are my impressions:

• First, they are the most comfortable headphones I have ever used.
• They are an open-back style which means they are not very sound proof and they are audible to anyone sitting nearby. My experience is that despite these “features,” open-back headphones sound more natural than closed-back-back cans and so it is worth it.
• As suggested in the above quote: they do have a “natural sound reproduction, enhanced realism, a wider soundstage, better resolution, improved bass response, and superior instrument timbre.”
• These are the closest headphones to the loudspeaker experience – it feels like you’re listening in a room rather than the normal headphone bubble.
• They don’t need a lot of power. I only need my Schitt Vali 2 headphone amplifier set at low gain and only a quarter of a turn on the volume control.
• I hate too much bass and the HiFiMan is just right. With bass-heavy music, like hip hop, they still have plenty of punch, but not the artificial boom of popular headphones like Beats.
• I tried the cans with a portable DAC hooked to my iPhone. There was a noticeable fidelity drop. I see this as a positive feature of the HiFiMan as they are brutally honest – the portable rig is an inferior configuration to the Desert Sessions rig and so the headphones should pick up the difference. This is not as noticeable on the Grados and Sennheisers.
• Finally, the cans are low fatigue. Often between lack of physical comfort and having speakers blasting directly into your ears, I get hearing fatigue. I have listened with the HiFiMan cans for several hours without fatigue.

For a $250* purchase (including shipping and tax) these are great cans. They sound better and are way more comfortable than my Grados (not fair as they are twice the money). They sound better and are more comfortable than my similarly priced Sennheisers (a conventional dynamic headphone).

*Postscript: A few days after the headphones arrived in the mail, I noticed on the Drop.com site that the headphones were now on sale. I contacted Drop.com customer service and they quickly got back to me and let me know they would credit me for the difference. Wow – that is some great customer service.