I seriously, seriously doubt that the HEK 2 is worth the upgrade hassle. You're way better off spending $300 on a custom cable from a company like Norne. 

An amazing headphone gets even better. If the new pads do seem to be well-regarded, I might give them a shot. Very happy with my v1 for now, bought used here for closer to $2000 than $3000 about 5 months ago.

I've been using the Audeze Deckard and its an incredible value for the money. Compared to other amps in that price point and it's no contest.

Ok, here's my initial impressions about this mod. Caveats: I have been into headphones/high-end gear for a couple years now but I am by no means an expert. I am not an engineer-type. Previously I removed the cloth on the grill of my 400i, but I am not comfortable opening up my headphones...

The Gumby has sadly few videos/video reviews compared to other gear, will check it out tonight! Thanks!

Just wanted to add another happy customer post! My Zoetic cable for my HE1000 continues to amaze me. I was quite skeptical going from the stock cable to my first custom cable, which I loved, and I was even more skeptical about going from that to the Zoetic. (Norne's refund policy was a big...

Have you been in touch with him? Not defending the fact you have to, but getting periodic updates from Trevor (his response times were quite good) helped me not get too frustrated with the process. Mine took about 41 days total from ordering, and I got a very basic customization.

The Fulla sounds better. Personally I don't understand the popularity of FiiO products. I've done a comparison between the two and the DAC portion of the Fulla is definitely superior.

Interesting news, I wonder if they'll offer them for sale for current owners. Or whether the difference matters much at all.

Vertical Sticker on the back should tell you

Looking for an update on my Zoetic, should be finished soon according to my original order!

Dang. That sounds amazing. I think it's going to be awhile before I can justify getting the Yggy. Here's hoping the eventual next Gumby upgrade gets some of that sound!

Did you go from Gungnir Multibit to Yggy? Curious to hear how the HEK sound changes based on that. All I've heard is that the Yggy is a bit more 'analytical' vs. musical. 

Thanks @Ishcabible for hosting and @JoshMo @Hi-Fi EDU for the detailed write-ups! I got to finally try some cool gear I was curious about hearing and everyone was really nice.   Like I said at the meet, I'm still learning how to articulate my thoughts on headphone differences without it...

I've also heard on this forum of people owning hifi gear for decades that was left on and works great still. So who know really haha

Not sure how volume correlates to softness. Some headphones require more power than others, hence they would necessitate turning the amp up a little more to get to the same listening level as another headphone. A CD recording with higher dynamic range vs the same album, but more compressed...

 I don't think they're particularly soft. To echo other people's sentiments, I think the HE1000 pairs well with a non-colored, neutral SS amp that can properly drive them. I wouldn't use a tube amp due to its warming characteristics but I have little experience in that venue so someone may...

I keep the Gumby on all the time and turn my amp and Wyrd off when not in use, just FYI

I posted in the other HE1000 thread, but I recently purchased an ELA audio cable off of eBay and it absolutely makes a difference. I'm able to listen to music at volume levels I'm accustomed to with such a smoother presentation. I think it cleaned up any harshness, big or small, the stock cable...

So far the ELA cable really seems to smooth out any digital source harshness the HE1000 displayed at higher gain/volume settings. The treble and mids seem smoother as well. It's hard to describe the overall improvement beyond making things feel warmer and more musical without losing any detail...

Well when it comes to cables, I'm currently testing out a 1/6-inch plug braided cable from eBay seller ELA Audio. You pick the color, termination and length all at the cost of $91. It feels excellently made and the connectors are all high quality. I think I hear a sound different (smoother, bit...

(Looks up price of 430HAD)   Wowee Zowee, I sure hope it does! That's awesome you get to use such a TOTL amp with a TOTL headphone.

Oooh someone who has directly compared the Deckard to the Valhalla! I was wondering about the Lyr 2 in comparison since both are solid state and in a similar price range, just out of curiosity. But I haven't found anyone yet who has heard both.

At first when I got my Gumby I was a little upset my amp didn't have balanced output (Audeze Deckard), but I really don't think it makes much of a difference if your gear is relatively close to you. Use it if you have it, if not don't worry about it.

Yup, the Deckard is a beast at $700 (or $600 as a lot of retailers seem to be discounting it to). It has a fantastic delta sigma DAC. I'm just saying that to me personally, Schiit's multibit DACs are a big upgrade if you're looking to get that much more performance out of the Deckard.