Looking for HE-500 alternatives that aren't HE-500's (If I ended up double posting, I'm sorry. I thought my topic never got posted)

[TumbleButt]

Backstory in spoilers:

Shit happened with three second-hand sellers. Two of them couldn't really maintain it properly, with one of them having a broken driver and another that fell apart internally, while the last one blew it up because he tried it with a speaker amp. No money was lost from my end... other than gas and cash on commuting. Contacted other sellers, but alot of them decided not to sell it, while the rest of have sold theirs to another before I contacted them...

The stores I trust no longer want to restock them... so, that makes it harder for me. I don't trust a fair lot of local sellers here since some of them overprice it and majority of the audio products here are greymarket anyways... so, as far as I'm told, manufacturer issued warranties are bound to be given no fucks if the product was from the greymarket.

No Audio Technica MX0/X recommendation, please. If thats your recommendation, I'll send you a dick pic.

Budget? $600-650, no more than that. I already have two dac and amp combos. Please, maximize the budget in terms of recommendations. I don't want to go to Head-fi because I know I'm bound to be f*cked around with in that forum.

Headphones I've tried? I'm too lazy to type them down since my post didn't really "post" earlier.



I'm basically looking for something that sounds as close as the HE-500's but is NOT the HE-500. I want my headphone cocaine back...

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

You are in luck I would get these while they are on sale

 

Beyerdynamic T1 Tesla, currently $650

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/432067-focuscamera-via-ebay-beyerdynamic-t1-tesla-headphones-650-most-places-740/

[TumbleButt]

You are in luck I would get these while they are on sale

 

Beyerdynamic T1 Tesla, currently $650

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/432067-focuscamera-via-ebay-beyerdynamic-t1-tesla-headphones-650-most-places-740/

Okay, thats one suggestion...

[ShadowCaptain]

Okay, thats one suggestion...

 

HD650s

Hmm trying to think what else is in that price bracket

 

The HE500s are hard to beat

[TumbleButt]

HD650s

Hmm trying to think what else is in that price bracket

 

The HE500s are hard to beat

I already have the HD600 and have tried the HD650. The HD650 is basically the same as the HD600 except it has a substantially more existent soundstage.

I'm willing to go for a distant second to the HE-500, but I want to go with something thats closer to the HE-500.

[ShadowCaptain]

I already have the HD600 and have tried the HD650. The HD650 is basically the same as the HD600 except it has a substantially more existent soundstage.

I'm willing to go for a distant second to the HE-500, but I want to go with something thats closer to the HE-500.

 

thats hard to do, the HE500s are quite unique being planar magnetic 

 

What about the Fostex TH500 or something

[Captain_Slow]

audio technica w1000x?

 

or you must have open back

[TumbleButt]

thats hard to do, the HE500s are quite unique being planar magnetic 

 

What about the Fostex TH500 or something

The Fostex HE500 kinda doesn't cut it for me. They sound like a slightly worse version of Audeze LCD-2's for the lack of a more fitting description.

 

audio technica w1000x?

 

or you must have open back

I almost wanted to send you a dick pic the moment I read Audio Technica.

Open or closed, doesn't matter. I'll give the W1000x a shot. So, there's suggestion #2.

[SSL]

The HE-500 has a singular sound, not sure how close you'll be able to get. T1 wouldn't be terrible, but I don't think it would be much of a HE-500 sound-alike.

 

Other thoughts, maybe MrSpeakers or Oppo? Probably good but in different ways.

[TumbleButt]

The HE-500 has a singular sound, not sure how close you'll be able to get. T1 wouldn't be terrible, but I don't think it would be much of a HE-500 sound-alike.

 

Other thoughts, maybe MrSpeakers or Oppo? Probably good but in different ways.

I have no idea where to buy Oppo PM-1's/2's/3's locally, thats one concern I have with Oppo. MrSpeakers? Same concern as well and knowing that the Alpha Dogs are closing into discontinuation. Ordering would be another concern, but oh well.

[TumbleButt]

I'm still open for suggestions.

[ShadowCaptain]

The Fostex HE500 kinda doesn't cut it for me. They sound like a slightly worse version of Audeze LCD-2's for the lack of a more fitting description.

 

I almost wanted to send you a dick pic the moment I read Audio Technica.

Open or closed, doesn't matter. I'll give the W1000x a shot. So, there's suggestion #2.

 

They might sound worse but they are half the price

 

Yeah ive head good things about the W1000x

[TumbleButt]

They might sound worse but they are half the price

 

Yeah ive head good things about the W1000x

Well, the LCD-2's sound nice... but its not cocaine-nice like the HE-500's.

[ShadowCaptain]

Well, the LCD-2's sound nice... but its not cocaine-nice like the HE-500's.

 

Just go buy some HE500s new

[TumbleButt]

Just go buy some HE500s new

If you read the spoiler, you'd know why I can't really buy a brand new one. Plus (which I forgot to add) the stores I don't trust that have a manufacturer's issued warranty that won't be snubbed are 12 hours or an airplane trip away (locally)... and I hate travelling that long (and annoyingly, they don't ship... thanks to alot of other douchebags who gave them a good reason to stop shipping to customers who are that far away). I'd like to buy one from Amazon, but thanks to my country's fucked up laws and thinkin' 99% of us are idiots, they can, could, AND WOULD tax us high enough on imports (even if it was sent as a gift) that we bought or received, making one product as expensive as the price of three of them... plus VAT.

I'm still trying to find a way to get out of this country without losing an arm and a leg... legally. But oh well.

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

I did read it

 

Where are you from?

[TumbleButt]

I did read it

 

Where are you from?

Philippines...

[ShadowCaptain]

Philippines...

 

http://www.dutycalculator.com/country-guides/Import-duty-taxes-when-importing-into-Philippines/

 

According to this electronics are duty free, and VAT is only 12% which seams reasonable if you bought them new

[TumbleButt]

http://www.dutycalculator.com/country-guides/Import-duty-taxes-when-importing-into-Philippines/

 

According to this electronics are duty free, and VAT is only 12% which seams reasonable if you bought them new

Trust me, thats just whats written there. Once it gets here, its a different story. Our government thinks we don't read our laws, when there's a 0-65% handling fee (but tax it like cars, in which, by law, we have a 200% tax on cars, which is reasonable for cars since we have some shitty roads and somewhat unorganized and congested traffic)... thats where they triple the intended value of the imported package/product by basing the value of the product. How it happens? Once it gets here, they have a tendency to check the value of the package via googling that shit, send it to the post office, and there, the one incharge will say "You owe us PhpXXX (depends on how much they wanna tax it)" and shit.

Happens from time to time. My friends have been through this shit a few times when ordering camera lenses that isn't in our market, some of them get that treatment, some of them only pay for shipping at VAT.

Funny how a friend of mine bought a Zeiss Otus 85mm 1.4 and ended up costing almost as much as the Leica Noctilux 0.95 for some reason. Doesn't make sense, tbh. Mind you, he got it second hand.

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

Thats shit and crazy

 

You need to get somebody to buy and ship it as a generic package to you then you wont get taxed

[TumbleButt]

Thats shit and crazy

 

You need to get somebody to buy and ship it as a generic package to you then you wont get taxed

I did that with a Phanteks Enthoo Luxe thanks to my uncle, straight from a store in Philadelphia. I still got taxed that hard.

[TumbleButt]

Someone just messaged me to just fly to the US or Hong Kong just to buy a pair of HE-500's or HE-500 alternatives.

Well, I'm not gonna mention that user's name, but oh well. Just saying, if I have to take a trip to a country just to buy it, it would be a waste of time and money if that was just the sole purpose. Maybe if I'm gonna go on a vacation and have that as one of my objectives, then okay. But as of now, I don't have the time and the most of a vacation I can really have is playing video games, hanging around in the forums, and/or some audio-enthusiast meetups to hang out and discuss music and gear.

[ShadowCaptain]

Someone just messaged me to just fly to the US or Hong Kong just to buy a pair of HE-500's or HE-500 alternatives.

 

 

Ive done that before but its fun to visit places

[TumbleButt]

Ive done that before but its fun to visit places

I wish I never let my brother house sit that week. He left the door unlocked as he fell asleep and my HE-500's were robbed. I've owned those headphones for a month and was excited to get back home and get a buzz with those cans... now its been almost a year (atleast it feels like a year) has passed since that was taken from me. I somewhat hate Hifiman for discontinuing those cans (or so I'm told, its nearing its discontinuation...), but I hate the local market more...

Oh god... I feel like a crack head...

[SSL]

I wish I never let my brother house sit that week. He left the door unlocked as he fell asleep and my HE-500's were robbed. I've owned those headphones for a month and was excited to get back home and get a buzz with those cans... now its been almost a year (atleast it feels like a year) has passed since that was taken from me. I somewhat hate Hifiman for discontinuing those cans (or so I'm told, its nearing its discontinuation...), but I hate the local market more...

Oh god... I feel like a crack head...

 

It's a sad tale.