HifiMAN HE-6 Planar Magnetic Headphone - Page 538

Quote:

Originally Posted by gurus 

Can you shed some light (HA) what your system set up is with the Warpspeed?

Gurus,

I have employed the Warpspeed VIII with good results using the following equipment and my HE-6 headphones:

Sources - Oppo BD95 with diy Burson discrete opamp mod, Squeezebox Touch, MacBookPro. 

Amps - Schiit Lyr, Threshold CAS-1, Threshold A400 w/ factory upgrade to e Series circuits (e.g., optocoupler bias circuit, etc.), Conrad Johnson M50, B&K ST202, modified B&O ICEPower ASP1000 monoblocks. (I have also inserted a vintage CJ and ARC preamp in the chain without issue.) 

The Warpseed has extremely fine grained resolution from dead silence through barely audible to max. Of note, the BD95's output impedance is around 80 ohms and the ASP's input impedance is 7.5k. With only the Warpspeed between them they match up with no problem, as do the other amps. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlawli 

 

Gurus,

 

I have employed the Warpspeed VIII with good results using the following equipment and my HE-6 headphones:

 

Sources - Oppo BD95 with diy Burson discrete opamp mod, Squeezebox Touch, MacBookPro. 

Amps - Schiit Lyr, Threshold CAS-1, Threshold A400 w/ factory upgrade to e Series circuits (e.g., optocoupler bias circuit, etc.), Conrad Johnson M50, B&K ST202, modified B&O ICEPower ASP1000 monoblocks. (I have also inserted a vintage CJ and ARC preamp in the chain without issue.) 

 

The Warpseed has extremely fine grained resolution from dead silence through barely audible to max. Of note, the BD95's output impedance is around 80 ohms and the ASP's input impedance is 7.5k. With only the Warpspeed between them they match up with no problem, as do the other amps. 

I'm also using an Oppo 95 feeding a tube amp with a 250kOhm input impedance. Which do you prefer, with or without the Warpspeed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuwhere 

 

I'm also using an Oppo 95 feeding a tube amp with a 250kOhm input impedance. Which do you prefer, with or without the Warpspeed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlawli 

 

Gurus,

 

I have employed the Warpspeed VIII with good results using the following equipment and my HE-6 headphones:

 

Sources - Oppo BD95 with diy Burson discrete opamp mod, Squeezebox Touch, MacBookPro. 

Amps - Schiit Lyr, Threshold CAS-1, Threshold A400 w/ factory upgrade to e Series circuits (e.g., optocoupler bias circuit, etc.), Conrad Johnson M50, B&K ST202, modified B&O ICEPower ASP1000 monoblocks. (I have also inserted a vintage CJ and ARC preamp in the chain without issue.) 

 

The Warpseed has extremely fine grained resolution from dead silence through barely audible to max. Of note, the BD95's output impedance is around 80 ohms and the ASP's input impedance is 7.5k. With only the Warpspeed between them they match up with no problem, as do the other amps. 

Ok. I am in.Ordered one.

Your turn Wuwhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gurus 

 

 

Ok. I am in.Ordered one.

 

Your turn Wuwhere.

My preference is a digital volume control, at the bit level. So I'm feeding the amp with analog converted from digital. More accurate than any resistive volume control.

I was just thinking about this last night.  What are your sources, digital and analog? My only source is digital.

Only Digital. 

Wadia DAC Bal => Warpspeed Bal => Accuphase Amp Bal Input

Metrum DAC SE => Warpspeed SE =>Accuphase Amp SE Input

Quote:

Originally Posted by gurus 

 

 

Ok. I am in.Ordered one.

 

Your turn Wuwhere.

where did you order from?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuwhere 

 

I'm also using an Oppo 95 feeding a tube amp with a 250kOhm input impedance. Which do you prefer, with or without the Warpspeed?

With the Warpspeed, no contest.  Consider: the ES9018 DAC's 32 bit volume control implementation in the Oppo has 20 steps from 0 to max. (I don't know if this is due to Oppo or a limition of the DAC.) There are at least one if not two orders of magnitude more "steps" to the Warpspeed's photon varied LDR resistance as implemented by Alan using his seemingly frictionless volume knob. While this latter claim is, of course, an exaggeration, the control does have three full turns lock to lock and I have not encountered an Oppo95/Amp combination, whether in a single ended or balanced signal path, where it didn't realize the volume variability I desired. To put it another way, you can seamlessly vary volume from silent to just barely audible incoherence (the audible lower level resolving limit of your ears or weakest signal path component) to just discernible coherence through clipping your ears or speakers/headphones (whichever comes first). As described, this range for me is usually realized in about one full turn. Have you had a similar of different experience with your Warpseed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by preproman 

 

where did you order from?

 You can contact Allan by email and he is very good at replying back

afdflores @ msn.com

Plus he is based in a suburb of Seattle, so just an hour and half drive for me.  Gives me another reason to drive to Seattle for some good sushi and chowder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gurus 

 You can contact Allan by email and he is very good at replying back

 

afdflores @ msn.com

 

Plus he is based in a suburb of Seattle, so just an hour and half drive for me.  Gives me another reason to drive to Seattle for some good sushi and chowder.

Thanks gurus..

Do you have any pictures?

Just what is on the six moons site.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/warpspeed/1.html

He sent me drawings of the new PSU ( essentially a battery holder) which got finalized like a few days ago.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/vendors-bazaar/176847-warpspeed-optocoupler-volume-control-28.html

Takes about two weeks to build one.
 

I see he is also offering a Linear PSU.

Six D cells last over a year so I am initially doing my own battery holder.

Also thinking about adding a few tubes in the chain..

http://primaluna-usa.com/product-main/prologue/prologue-three

http://www.analog.co.kr/prelude3n.htm

More suggestions are welcomed.

Hello,

Better a tube amp or SS amp ? 

I like textured sound, with clarity, well controlled bass, extended treble, fast transient, energy but without become too clean and cold.

Quote:

Originally Posted by preproman 

Also thinking about adding a few tubes in the chain..

 

http://primaluna-usa.com/product-main/prologue/prologue-three

 

http://www.analog.co.kr/prelude3n.htm

 

More suggestions are welcomed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hun7er 

Hello,

 

Better a tube amp or SS amp ? 

 

I like textured sound, with clarity, well controlled bass, extended treble, fast transient, energy but without become too clean and cold.

I thought I would never ever say this.

 I like my Class A amp better than anything I have heard in my system.  I sold my Pathos so fast it made  my head spin. (Anybody interested in $2000 worth of E88CC/6922 variant tubes?) I was very happy with the Pathos with all the tube rolling so was not looking for a new amp. When my Marantz went on the fritz my family decided to get me a vintage Accuphase as a surprise B'Day present. 

It feels like it has lot more power and drive capability. The bass is never lacking and the whole spectrum of sound is more full bodied with transparency and visceral impact I have not heard since my Krell/ Apogee days. Very organic and analogue with great dynamics. Part of it could be that I am currently listening to much higher volumes as the gain even in the first attenuator position is too high/loud. The very reason why I am getting the Warpspeed.

Downside is I cannot enjoy/listen to my computer system as the difference is night and day. I will go on record as saying a good transport +DAC will beat the pants of anything out of a computer based system. It is so obvious. So I am back to playing CD's (till I get tired because of the inconvenience)

Clarifying:

I'm keeping my First Watt F1J.  No question about that.  I was looking into tube preamps.

When you say transport.  Your not talking about a transporter (USB to Coax converter) - correct?