HiFiMAN HE-500 Headphones and EF5 Headphone Amplifier

John Crossett has posted a review of the HiFiMAN HE-500 headphones ($699) and EF5 headphone amplifier ($499) at The Audio Beat. His conclusions:

“Taken together, the HiFiMAN EF5 headphone amplifier and HE-500 planar headphones displayed what real synergy is all about. While each piece is wonderful on its own, brought together they shine brighter than one has any right to expect, especially given their modest cost. In one sense they won’t wow you right out of the gate, simply because they sound so balanced and natural — as opposed to hi-fi spectacular. But this is an insidious pairing, sounding so complete that the longer you listen the more you’ll find yourself getting lost in the musical performance, as opposed to the hi-fi performance of the equipment. They just get the music — and so will you. Every time I fired up this pairing was akin to slipping on my favorite pair of jeans — it just made me feel relaxed, comfortable and right. From jazz to classical to rock to whatever else I played, the HiFiMAN duo took the “It’s doing this or that” reviewer-think right out of the equation. Instead they allowed — almost forced — me to relax and enjoy my time with my favorite music — and I can’t give higher praise than that. Given their more than affordable price, I consider that this pairing could very well be the go-to choice for a personal listening system for those who can’t shell out big bucks for a headphone setup.”

You can read the full review here.