HiFiMan HE5 Reissue - Surprise + Measurements

Thanks Marv! Mainly I'm looking to see if there are magnets on both sides or if they used the same damping as the HE-5LE. IIRC the main difference between the HE-5LE and HE-5 was that the HE-5LE used a single sided magnet array. You can see the lack of a magnet here:


Unless I'm mistaken, the HE-5 should look like the HE-6 and HE-5 with the magnet bar on each side:


I only ask because I'm seeing some similarities in the measurements and I would have expected a pad swap to change the midrange feature, unless it is inherent to the headphone like the HE-5LE:

HE-5LE


HE-5:

 

The HE-5LE was 400g without the cable, and the HE-5 is listed at 450g. Hard to say. This is also the company that lists the HE-6 at 83dB/mw when it is far, far less sensitive than that.

 

Before this gets out of hand. He-5 driver doesn’t have the bar across. That’s only on the he-6

 

Interesting, thank you. There literally are no rear HE-5 driver shots on the internet beside this that I could find. The magnet structure must be entirely different than the HE-500 and HE-6. What does the front side of the driver look like @Ray

I seem to stand somewhat corrected. I've found what appears to be a shot of the front of a stock HE-5:


No magnet bar in the middle either, so I'm guessing its a completely different magnet array design. Makes this all the more complicated.

 

"don't look a gift horse in the mouth" -- hifiman

 

I've got a pair on hand. I thought they sounded much more like the HE-5LE off the bat, but it has been many years since I've heard either one.

 

600$ is hardly a gift.

 

@frenchbat haha you don't need to tell me! I was quoting hifiman (or what I imagine hifiman saying in my head)

 

Pic from a Japanese site: http://sonove.angry.jp/HiFiMAN_HE_5.html

I guess Bill P or LFF can better say whether this is a 5 or 5LE

 

I'm going to send my HE5LE to Luis soon, so really wonder if these make enough of a different to warrant a purchase. (If I were to get these, they would go to him eventually anyway)

 

I sent one of the new HE-5's to @LFF, and it's supposed to arrive today in the mail. Perhaps he'll be able to shed some light on this new release.

 

Perfect. Luis will know what's what, please let us know what he says.

 

So first, a big thanks to @Marvey for sending these off to me to mess with. I got a surprise package before Christmas!

Unfortunately, I've been sick since so my modding and listening are not up to my usual standards.

I enjoyed these, as they do a lot right, especially for the price, but found that with extended listening they could become fatiguing. They also were a little hollow sounding with 2kHz area being so pushed down. This created a subtle v-shaped sound but isn't want I would consider natural. A warm chain certainly helps and my chain for these was Eitr>Gungnir Multibit>Aficionado (RCA 2A3/WE2C51) or BW.

The light weight was welcome coming from Code Sex and Auteur, they remind me of a lighter HE-500 from memory.

While my multimeter was not cooperating, I too believe these are HE5-LE NOT HE-5. The visual felt star over the drivers as well as the odd blip at 700Hz seem to confirm this.

Without further adieu:

Stock pads



Hifman Pleather pads (my personal favorite and recommended alternate pad):


Stock pads vs Pleather pads:

Alternate pads






Stock measurements using MiniDSP EARS coupler:

My coupler seems to have a channel imbalance at varying points across the frequency response. I'm sure it's very hard to get each ear to measure exactly the same but my compensation curves are not compensating for the differences. I might try and create my own individual curves for each ear.



Comparison to HD650:


To show the efficiency, at least compared to Code Sex (both measured at the same volume position on BW)



These will be shipped off to @Vansen by the end of the week to start the loaner tour. I will include the pleather pads for people interested in trying them.

 

I had a HE5LE two years ago. It was brighter sounding, had a higher impedance (40 ohm vs 30 ohm) and was a bit lighter (400g vs 430g).

HE5LE with velour pads:
HE-5 2017

 

Front side:

Notice front has the bolts..

Rear side:
The rear side has screw heads and wire attach.
The array is looks EXACTLY the same on both sides..

This unit was an LFF modified unit.
I never posted these pics,
and also the mod is not visible .
I respect fellow modders techniques.
Although I am not even sure what the stock would look like.

 

Just a point of clarification - my understanding is that the 5LE isn't equipped with single-sided magnets, but a dual-sided asymmetrical magnet configuration with strength reduced on one side of the driver. The HE-4 was the later single-sided variant of the drivers used in the 5LE, as far as I know.

From the above pictures and sonic descriptions it indeed seems like this re-release is more akin to the 5LE than the 5. But of course I'm sure Luis will have the final say on this matter. Regardless, both are still great candidates for LFF mods.