HifiMAN HE-6 Planar Magnetic Headphone - Page 462

Quote:

Originally Posted by .Sup 


My advice: if you have a powerful enough amp then go with HE-6 if you have a tube amp then go with HD-800 and if you have neither then don't get either!

Thanks, yeah I'm gonna stick with what I've got for a while, I've had a complete change of rig and headphones this year and I need to just sit back and enjoy it instead of constantly looking for improvement. I'm defo ruling out the HD800's. I've spent a bit of time with tube amps with the 650's and although it was fun I don't want to go back to that. I much prefer SS amps now as they are much more reliable and don't need half an our to warm up every time you switch on. Plus I really don't think they are going to be pleasing to me as my prefered signature is dark. The LCD2's have been my fave headphone so far. I still want to check the HE6's at some though. I've had a few intergrated amps through the years including an old powerful denon... wish I'd kept a hold of that one. But thats something to look forward to in the long run. For now I'm gonna try and enjoy the music without nitpicking too much... (easier said than done!)

I

If you want dark you are looking at the HE6 to provide a different signature?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawrster 

If you want dark you are looking at the HE6 to provide a different signature?

Yeah, just for a bit of light and shade. I've got the HE500's aswell as the LCD's and the HE6's would replace the 500's. From what I've read they are a technicaly better but still have the hifiman orthos sound. Probably my ulitmate hp will be in the form of the LCD3's but it will be a long time before I can even think about getting those.

All though my liking is for dark, its always nice to be able to change to a brighter sound for different music types especially classical. I've owned the RS1's and K702's aswell and they offered a much lighter shade to the 650's when all I owned was dynamics. The fact that owned the 650's for 7 year when a lot of hps came and went says a lot about my preferences I think. I sold the 650's when I first got my HE500's as I just couldn't enjoy them the same way after hearing a such an improvement in all areas apart from comfort. Then I got the LCD2's and I was never blown away with them, but they just grew and grew on me. I think Audeze have nailed it for a pure natural sound sig that is brilliant for hours on end. I can understand people finding them dull and flat compared to other phones, but imo they let the music and source speak rather than showing off with what they can do to the music.   

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper 


I agree with you completely. We take initial impressions with us when we don't live with them and do the headphones injustice. The LCDs are so goshdarn seductive. Tweaking and matching gives them so much flexibility. Being easier to drive, getting them set up properly is much easier than these 6s. Getting the bass right is the hardest part for most headphones and they have done that brilliantly. Both my RS-1 and K70x are lonely beasts and the tube headphone amp hasn't seen power on it since I got it back from loan months ago. But the most valuable advice is accepting a decision and living with it. In that, both the LCD and HE camps have a headphone they can live with and not feel a loss. I get a feeling that the big players are going to come with a rush of better gear to keep their prestige. Senns being probably the biggest. Good times for us headphone listeners.

Prestige yes.  "Better" may be a bit premature.  All the brands are pushing so deeply into diminishing returns at this point that I think "better" is going to amount to another steep plateau in price.  I see Senn doing the stat thing and competing with Stax....but I don't see them pushing a new dynamic/planar/whatever at the <$2k point and dethroning the value of R&D they're returning on the 800's for a few years out.  They sunk fortunes into those things and are really turning a profit there.  The stat avenue they have going gives them an alternate market for the prestige thing until competition forces them to shake up their "mainstream non-mainstream" flagship range.  They don't even have their "official HD800 amp" out yet....I don't see them being in a rush to start a new product cycle this year...probably not next year either.  And potentially not for several. I could be wrong of course!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LugBug1 

All though my liking is for dark, its always nice to be able to change to a brighter sound for different music types especially classical. I've owned the RS1's and K702's aswell and they offered a much lighter shade to the 650's when all I owned was dynamics. The fact that owned the 650's for 7 year when a lot of hps came and went says a lot about my preferences I think. I sold the 650's when I first got my HE500's as I just couldn't enjoy them the same way after hearing a such an improvement in all areas apart from comfort. Then I got the LCD2's and I was never blown away with them, but they just grew and grew on me. I think Audeze have nailed it for a pure natural sound sig that is brilliant for hours on end. I can understand people finding them dull and flat compared to other phones, but imo they let the music and source speak rather than showing off with what they can do to the music.   

Got it in one bro 

I like my LCD2r2s more and more every time I hear them and the only word that ever comes to mind when I'm asked to describe the sound is "natural". Not dark, but effortless and full of authority and realism. I use them for mixing/remastering and would do so over pretty much any other headphone that comes to mind. 

The HE-6s would make it a good upgrade for the HE-500s and an excellent compliment to the LCDs as well. I know I'd be tempted, but we gotta work on that source thing first IMO (though the LCD-3 door is always open  )

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkbeat 

 

Got it in one bro 

 

I like my LCD2r2s more and more every time I hear them and the only word that ever comes to mind when I'm asked to describe the sound is "natural". Not dark, but effortless and full of authority and realism. I use them for mixing/remastering and would do so over pretty much any other headphone that comes to mind. 

 

The HE-6s would make it a good upgrade for the HE-500s and an excellent compliment to the LCDs as well. I know I'd be tempted, but we gotta work on that source thing first IMO (though the LCD-3 door is always open  )

I know I know... I'm in denial haha  

(I would be inclined to close that LCD3 door for now if I was you. At least until I can afford them )

 Regarding some new source, must say the Mdac looks good. I keep thinking about that one..  

Quote:

Originally Posted by LugBug1 

I know I know... I'm in denial haha  

(I would be inclined to close that LCD3 door for now if I was you. At least until I can afford them )

 

 Regarding some new source, must say the Mdac looks good. I keep thinking about that one..  

By then I'll be begging at the LCD-5 door and probably divorced 

I've been interested in the M-DAC too, can get it for £450 here on Head-fi (there's a few active atm) and it's generally considered one of if not the best DAC sub-$1000, though Gungnir might steal the show now (but it's £850). The Sabre DAC would be a good match with the Audezes IMO and a big upgrade in pretty much every way over what we use right now.

Anyways, sorry HE-6 fans for the thread derail.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkbeat 

 

Got it in one bro 

 

I like my LCD2r2s more and more every time I hear them and the only word that ever comes to mind when I'm asked to describe the sound is "natural". Not dark, but effortless and full of authority and realism. I use them for mixing/remastering and would do so over pretty much any other headphone that comes to mind. 

 

The HE-6s would make it a good upgrade for the HE-500s and an excellent compliment to the LCDs as well. I know I'd be tempted, but we gotta work on that source thing first IMO (though the LCD-3 door is always open  )

I thought the HE-6 were 'bright' until I got them properly amplified. Now I see them as very neutral. I owned a pair of LCD-2 and HE-6 at the same time and took them to a meet. I think about 80% of people that compared them picked the HE-6. I honestly didn't think the LCD-3 was a big step up from the LCD-2. The differences were very very subtle, and honestly I wasn't super impressed with them overall. I'd wait around for the next pair (LCD-4???) that they said would be introduced before they introduced the LCD-3. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by IEMCrazy 

 

Prestige yes.  "Better" may be a bit premature.  All the brands are pushing so deeply into diminishing returns at this point that I think "better" is going to amount to another steep plateau in price.  I see Senn doing the stat thing and competing with Stax....but I don't see them pushing a new dynamic/planar/whatever at the <$2k point and dethroning the value of R&D they're returning on the 800's for a few years out.  They sunk fortunes into those things and are really turning a profit there.  The stat avenue they have going gives them an alternate market for the prestige thing until competition forces them to shake up their "mainstream non-mainstream" flagship range.  They don't even have their "official HD800 amp" out yet....I don't see them being in a rush to start a new product cycle this year...probably not next year either.  And potentially not for several. I could be wrong of course!

Excellent comments here. Orthodynamic technology that was recently introduced was a big step in terms of headphone technology. I don't know how many big steps there will be from here out. 

I just watched a video on the front page of this thread. I am both shocked and offended, and believe we should cast Tyll out of this thread for breaking a pair of HE-6. BLASPHEMY

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper 


I don't read anything stating ortho technology was the point but . If the rumor of a new Senn stat and dynamic amp comes true, I'd say that fits the statement. I wasn't suggesting a deluge of gear hits the streets Friday. There is more gear crossing our forums than ever but I see your logic.

No doubt the new Senn stat is true, and if you mean the pair of amps, then it isn't a rumor, it's in their product listings as "coming soon"   Haven't the prototypes been at shows?  Certainly there's some new gear there, but I don't see either of those items as a major shakeup or flood of gear.  If anything the amp is a few years late   I thought you meant a refresh of the headphone lineups which I doubt is coming any time soon.  HD700 was their big new thing...and that's somewhere between "meh" and openly insulting

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwappo99 

I just watched a video on the front page of this thread. I am both shocked and offended, and believe we should cast Tyll out of this thread for breaking a pair of HE-6. BLASPHEMY

LOL, Tyll's worst crime was doing his tests/graphs on a headphone amp and coming away with a so-so review of HE-6.  We can forgive the vivisection of an HE-6 for science!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens 

 

For science! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens 

 

I saw it at some obscene time in the morning and I had a serious uncontrolled laugh at the picture with a wrench and a screwdriver and something else when the magnets lined up. 

I actually feel a little unsettled knowing  that there is so much power sitting next to my head.