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ardgedee said:

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I have a Harmon/Kardon HK670 receiver with a manufacturer's claimed 60 WPC. The HE-6's sound through the headphone jack and speaker taps is similar. I prefer the sound off the speaker taps, but the qualitative difference is so subtle that I'll frequently use the headphone jack for the convenience and not feel like I'm missing anything.
 
To add to Skylab's explanation of the difference in headphone jacks, it's also worth remembering that manufacturers' claimed power ratings for their receivers were often conservative. And then again, sometimes they were exaggerated. When researching vintage receivers, power claims are useful as a general guide but should not be taken literally.

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I had a similar experience on a couple of receivers and amps.  Even with expensive resistors or the adapter box, I ended up going direct from the speaker taps which I thought sounded best.

sunneebear said:

I had a similar experience on a couple of receivers and amps.  Even with expensive resistors or the adapter box, I ended up going direct from the speaker taps which I thought sounded best.

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I suspected this but have been intimidated into keeping the resistors in the circuit to protect the headphones. This weekend, off they come.

You cannot really enjoy the HE-6 fully unless it's running off the speaker taps to exploit its full potential and that of the amp.

Yup, exactly!  I got mine through an adapter straight to the speaker taps of mine.  No resistor needed!  Also lower noise floor.

If you are using a moderately powered ss amp you really don't need the resistors. But if you are using a transformer-coupled tube amplifier, you need the resistors to protect the output transformers of the amplifier.

And while I can Maine the sound being better without the resistors, the noise floor should be quieter with them, not without them.

Getting to compare the HE-6 "stock" against a hard-wired Zues cabled pair.
(This is the same pair of headphones that Musicman59 did his comparison with)
 
Having a fun weekend, that's for sure. 
 

 

Looking forward to your impressions of the pair.

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thewuss said:

Getting to compare the HE-6 "stock" against a hard-wired Zues cabled pair.
(This is the same pair of headphones that Musicman59 did his comparison with)

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Looking forward to your report.

Can I ask how much it costs to have them hard wired? What are the risks? It certainly looks much cleaner. It would be a good chance to angle the cables forward too so that they dont hit your shoulders as much.

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thewuss said:

Getting to compare the HE-6 "stock" against a hard-wired Zues cabled pair.
(This is the same pair of headphones that Musicman59 did his comparison with)
 
Having a fun weekend, that's for sure. 

 
 

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Are you sure you have the right amp

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kremer930 said:

Can I ask how much it costs to have them hard wired? What are the risks? It certainly looks much cleaner. It would be a good chance to angle the cables forward too so that they dont hit your shoulders as much.

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I honestly don't remember how much ti was but just shoot an email to Robert and he will tell you how much he will charge. I don't think there is any risk. He has hardwire a few already including his own. They do not hit my shoulders at all.
 

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thewuss said:

Getting to compare the HE-6 "stock" against a hard-wired Zues cabled pair.
(This is the same pair of headphones that Musicman59 did his comparison with)
 
Having a fun weekend, that's for sure. 

 

 

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When I did my comparison was with my Threshold T50 because I did not have my DS yet. Let us know your impressions and when you are sending yours to be hardwired 
 
 
 

 
 
well, i'll try to keep it brief...
 
first off, i will reiterate one of Jose's (Musicman59) findings - that the hard-wired HE-6 plays louder than the stock HE-6.
not sure as to the exact cause of this - but my analytical mind tells me that the number of solder joints and connections on the stock pair do have a hand in making them so hard to drive.
 
also, when i first started listening to the Zeus recabled pair, i thought they soundstaged a little "smaller".  However, it's simply that the tonal balance is ever-so-slightly warmer overall.  and, as i've discovered, de-emphasizing treble (to whatever degree) will tend to make a slightly more intimate presentation.
 
so, the recabled pair has just a touch more warmth.  but i don't feel that any clarity or detail is lost.
otherwise, i find them quite similar in other aspects - imaging, depth of bass, etc.
 
i will admit that having them recabled is pricey.
if you're doing it for an improved sound, it's probably not worth it, as i find them to sound quite close in terms of overall sound.
but, the recabling does make them play louder.
and, the "peace of mind" of having the quality cable hard-wired to the drivers really sits well with me.
i've seen pictures of the inside of the stock HE-6 - and it does not inspire confidence...
 
also of note are the fit and finish differences between my early production pair and the pair i am auditioning.
my HE-6 has several nickel-metal finished parts, and on the newer pair those parts are powder coated in black...  a much sleeker look.  "murdered out" as they say on the streets...
also, the ear pads on the newer pair seem better, and the leather headband stitching looks a tad cleaner.
so, to reiterate what (i'm sure) has already been said many times on this thread, the finish quality of the HE-6 has varied throughout production. 
 

I recabled my 6 with the Norse Audio 8 conductor cable.  TheWuss's description of the change in sound is spot on to what I am hearing with my pair.  As for the change in volume, I am only guessing but the SMC connector is a RF connector and as in all other RF connectors they come with different ohm ratings.  Usually 50 and 75.  I am guessing this may have something to do with the change in volume level.