CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: ultrabike on November 08, 2013, 05:33:57 AM
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Towards the end of the SD meet two guys provided a re-cabled HE-300 and a modded ATH-AD700. Here are the measurements of the HE-300:
Frequency Response
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1217.0;attach=4466;image)
CSD right
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1217.0;attach=4468;image)
CSD left
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1217.0;attach=4470;image)
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Looking good.
All your measurements seem to have a dip in the 5-6khz region that isn't shown in the waterfalls. I'll assume that's just a measurement specific error.
Edit: actually I just noticed the CSD windows are different than I'm used to. Looks as though the midrange has a clean but slower decay.
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I think it's there:
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1217.0;attach=4482;image)
It just fills up quickly.
Also, there seems to be some ringing at 5.5 kHz, perhaps due to the FR notch.
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Now that's a nifty looking CSD.
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LOL! I zoomed a little. However, I try to keep it around 3.6 ms depth for comparison purposes with other cans that have more problematic CSDs.
Also, not all measurements show notches around the high mids area, but many do seem to have that problem. About 5 to 6 kHz seems to correspond to about 1.3 to 1.1 inches (half wavelength), which is close to the depth of some cups, and may indicate the presence of standing waves. There could also be driver limitations.
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LOL! I zoomed a little. However, I try to keep it around 3.6 ms depth for comparison purposes with other cans that have more problematic CSDs.
Maybe for very well-behaved headphones in terms of decay ('stats, most planars, some dynamics), you could do this stretchy-stretch with the timescale, so a clearer presentation of true treble decay can be presented?
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I could zoom in a little. Just be careful to read the depth of the CSD.
It is easy to make something look bad or good, when in fact things are just the opposite relative to it's peers.... Like changing the FR ranges from -1000 to 1000 dB or stuff like that.
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Not bad! Maybe Hifiman should make a high-end dynamic.
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That would be interesting.
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I like the look of those graphs. Makes me want to actually give these things a listen.
As for making a high end dynamic... ugh, I'd pay extra money just to have a headband that doesn't look like it was made in a high school shop class.
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Towards the end of the SD meet two guys provided a re-cabled HE-300 and a modded ATH-AD700. Here are the measurements of the HE-300:
Frequency Response
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1217.0;attach=4466;image)
Btw, is it just me, or is your HE300 FR measurement disturbingly similar to Marv's old HE500 FR plot?
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=101.0;attach=2712;image)
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:)p13 Yup that looks pretty close!!! ... Dunno :-Z
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Nice to see the he-300 getting some respect. Some people like to put them down(munch) but I enjoy mine a lot as a backup to my modded t50rp
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hey I like them I just thought since you got them so cheap you can sell without loss if you want an upgrade :P
definitely doesn't *sound* as good as HE-500 however. but not too bad.
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jerg, would these benefit from the jergpads and re-grilling? I'm considering these since I have no full-size headphones atm, just my customs and little speakers.
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jerg, would these benefit from the jergpads and re-grilling? I'm considering these since I have no full-size headphones atm, just my customs and little speakers.
I've fooled around with my HE300s in the recent past and here are my observations:
1) They do benefit from the jergpads, specifically the damping holes; they sound REALLY thin with velour pads (moreso than the planar brethren), but surprisingly sound decent with stock pleathers
2) There is a piece of felt glued to the drivers that you should rip off, as it really muffles the sound. Just take off the earpad and you'll see the felt.
3) Regrilling mod does nothing, in fact HE300 drivers barely leak anything, they might as well be implemented into a closed design.
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I'll probably go that route then, I've tried the HE-400 a bunch of times at the headphone store and meets and didn't really like it at all. It's cheaper too, so that's a plus.
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I just noticed that this is on sale on the hifiman website with an EF3 tube amp included. Has anyone heard about the amp? I'm seriously considering the deal but I have not heard the he300 nor any hifiman headphone before.
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What pads were on these? They look pretty solid, for sure.
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I tried checking the the graphs on innerfidelity and apparently there's a rev2 of the HE-300, presumably the one being sold now. However ultra's measurements seem to correspond with the first version that was measured by Tyll.
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I tried checking the the graphs on innerfidelity and apparently there's a rev2 of the HE-300, presumably the one being sold now. However ultra's measurements seem to correspond with the first version that was measured by Tyll.
Doubtful. IF plots use a different compensation compared to UB's, so instead of taking them by face value, you compare them by extrapolation (e.g. how HE500 FRs look here vs on Innerfidelity, and then infer the HE300 measurements). These definitely look to be r2 HE300s to me.
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I guess the deep null at 5-6Khz that showed up on the first he300 and ultra's measurements threw me off.
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I guess the deep null at 5-6Khz that showed up on the first he300 and ultra's measurements threw me off.
It (the null) seems to be a measurement artifact, as evident by the CSD where a few slices after the burst, that null area is completely filled, and then decays cleanly right afterward.
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Yes, it is possible the null is a measurement artifact. Similar measurements with some other orthos have it.
Consider the HE-500s
http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,101.msg606.html#msg606
That said, these (like the HE-500s) might improve with Jerg pads technology...
http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,1154.msg39774.html#msg39774
Also, that deal from Hifiman direct is pretty nice!
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Hmmm, taking that into account definitely makes the HE300s much more attractive. How does it perform with a wide range of music? Or does it suit a specific kind only? I've been debating getting this or the he400 since they're both below 300 usd now.
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Unfortunately I didn't spend that much time w the HE-300s. Measurements were done at the end of a meet and barely had time to listen to them. Others with more experience w them might chime in.
That said, I spend more time with the HE-400s and I thought they were pretty good in the bass area. Going by memory, the mids and treble might have not been very refined, but not too bad either.