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Amps that can drive the HiFiMan HE-6 planar headphones - Page 61

post #901 of 1258
2/19/13 at 2:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dleblanc343 View Post

My recently acquired McIntosh 225 literally obliterates anything else I owned prior. It made the Mjolnir and BHA-1 sound mid-fi within the first seconds of listening. I can tell you it was a pleasant surprise, my HE-6 are scaling a level above my HD800's right now; plus they're not aggressive (and this is with LCD3 pads which open up the sound but brighten things up because of loss of bass).

Would you kindly post a pix of your Mcintosh 225? Using speaker taps? Thanks.

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post #902 of 1258
2/19/13 at 3:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Camper View Post

Dear brother Figaro, take them to your choice of A/V stores with quality amping for speakers. If you like the extension of the soundfield to be held in place while all the band is fired up, that's the thing I find most rewarding about speaker amps. They have the current reserves to maintain that increased demand. The ability to present a speaker like presentation is what impresses me most with the 6s. There are a few other amps made for the 6s as well. http://www.audionotekits.com/he6headamp.html
Brother Figaro is confused. Why in God's green earth will someone peddle an amp that can supposedly drive the HE-6 (including Hifiman and Schiit) when they obviously are not up to the task? And how about the "famous" reviewers (read 6moons, the kings of hyperbole and flowery presumptuous language) who tout these products, praise them to the clouds, and obviously can't do the job? You guys are honest and upfront with your recommendations...I wish I had listened to you first. This is Figaro feeling browbeaten and dispirited.
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post #903 of 1258
2/19/13 at 4:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by figaro69 View Post

Brother Figaro is confused. Why in God's green earth will someone peddle an amp that can supposedly drive the HE-6 (including Hifiman and Schiit) when they obviously are not up to the task? And how about the "famous" reviewers (read 6moons, the kings of hyperbole and flowery presumptuous language) who tout these products, praise them to the clouds, and obviously can't do the job? You guys are honest and upfront with your recommendations...I wish I had listened to you first. This is Figaro feeling browbeaten and dispirited.
I think you will finally hear the 6s fully amped with the Dark Star. I've read mixed reviews on it but isn't that the case on all components? Power is the first part of the solution. The second is the quality of the power. The best I've heard these were presented two different ways with equal quality. The First Watt F1J for shear dynamics is a 10 watt amp but made for high current delivery. The other was a Simaudio I600 at 175 watts for finesse and imaging. I'm sure others that have them strapped to higher end speaker amps can comment on the scale of performance these headphones can provide. Don't give up just yet.
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post #904 of 1258
2/19/13 at 4:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Camper View Post

I think you will finally hear the 6s fully amped with the Dark Star. I've read mixed reviews on it but isn't that the case on all components? Power is the first part of the solution. The second is the quality of the power. The best I've heard these were presented two different ways with equal quality. The First Watt F1J for shear dynamics is a 10 watt amp but made for high current delivery. The other was a Simaudio I600 at 175 watts for finesse and imaging. I'm sure others that have them strapped to higher end speaker amps can comment on the scale of performance these headphones can provide. Don't give up just yet.
One thing's for sure...if the Darkstar is not up to snuff you guys will be the first to know. I'll be the first to admit my 3.5K mistake. Why is Ray's four day burn in taking so long?
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post #905 of 1258
2/19/13 at 10:27pm
Since Skylab loved the darkstar with the HE-6 and I truly respect his opinion (as does everyone else) I'm still have high hopes for the combo. I truly wish more of the "famous" reviewers would really stress the amps they review with large orchestral classical music recordings to let us know if the product will suit our needs. When I say that an amp clips with HE-6 it's usually with that type of music, not with rock or any other popular genres. It is worth pointing out that amps such as the EF-6 generally do great with chamber works with the HE-6, but such a performance limit the amp's versatility; moreover, the amp was specifically developed with that headphone in mind and for 1.5K should not blur and clip at all. Maybe the reviewers are listening to the music at very low volume levels and they sense that the amps drive the headphone "with authority". Maybe they fail to stress the amp with the Mahlers, Bruckners, and Wagners of the world. Frankly, I feel that the reviewers generally shortchange us classical music lovers. Lastly, am I the only one who thinks that the 6moons reviews are virtually worthless. Sometimes you read the reviews and you have no idea what's going on...it's like they're written in Esperanto...for sure it cannot be English. And what's with the pages and pages of history of the company and the litany of past products they have developed? I'm also sick of the guy's (yeah, the one with the funny name no one can pronounce) inclination to mention that he has a source worth 10K. That's it for me and that guy...from now on I just refuse to read anything written by him...he really rubs me the wrong way
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post #906 of 1258
2/19/13 at 11:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silent One View Post

Would you kindly post a pix of your Mcintosh 225? Using speaker taps? Thanks.

I have some pretty pics coming in tomorrow wink_face.gif

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post #907 of 1258
2/19/13 at 11:50pm

You mean real analog photographs developed on film stock? That's special!

popcorn.gif

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post #908 of 1258
2/19/13 at 11:58pm

Figaro69, May I ask why did you choose the Hifiman HE-6 as your 'ideal' headphone for large scale classical music. Why not for instance the Sennheiser HD800? They are much more sensitive and do well when dealing with complex music at dynamic peaks.

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post #909 of 1258
2/20/13 at 3:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by playitloud View Post

Figaro69, May I ask why did you choose the Hifiman HE-6 as your 'ideal' headphone for large scale classical music. Why not for instance the Sennheiser HD800? They are much more sensitive and do well when dealing with complex music at dynamic peaks.
the HE-6 may or may not be the ideal classical headphone...I just don't know yet because they haven't been properly driven yet. These headphones have great potential...they just haven't fulfilled it yet. What I hear with chamber
Music and pop music is wonderful...there's got to be a way to make them sing with large orchestral works. I'm obsessed with this headphone...he's gotten into my head. This headphone has become my Moby Dick that I just have to finally catch...but the critter is so elusive and cunning!!! By the way, I love the HD800s and T1s with the Decware CSP2 in large orchestral works...but I will only be able to dismiss the HE-6 as less than great for classical when I am finally able to hear them properly driven. But it will be the darkstar or bust since I'm not spending more money on the beast. If I'm unable to climb K2 I'm moving on to Mt. Everest (sr009 and blue Hawaii).
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post #910 of 1258
2/20/13 at 3:12pm

Thanks for sharing your journey, figaro69. I'm on the sideline watching with enthusiasm.

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post #911 of 1258
2/20/13 at 3:51pm
,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silent One View Post

Thanks for sharing your journey, figaro69. I'm on the sideline watching with enthusiasm.
The journey is long and tough (and awfully expensive), but what a ride it is. Ah...the life of the obsessive head-fier...I wouldn't change a thing about it.
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post #912 of 1258
2/20/13 at 3:51pm
,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silent One View Post

Thanks for sharing your journey, figaro69. I'm on the sideline watching with enthusiasm.
The journey is long and tough (and awfully expensive), but what a ride it is. Ah...the life of the obsessive head-fier...I wouldn't change a thing about it.
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post #913 of 1258
2/20/13 at 3:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by figaro69 View Post

,
The journey is long and tough (and awfully expensive), but what a ride it is. Ah...the life of the obsessive head-fier...I wouldn't change a thing about it.
oops...sorry for the double post...I'm trigger happy.
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post #914 of 1258
2/20/13 at 3:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by figaro69 View Post


the HE-6 may or may not be the ideal classical headphone...I just don't know yet because they haven't been properly driven yet. These headphones have great potential...they just haven't fulfilled it yet. What I hear with chamber
Music and pop music is wonderful...there's got to be a way to make them sing with large orchestral works. I'm obsessed with this headphone...he's gotten into my head. This headphone has become my Moby Dick that I just have to finally catch...but the critter is so elusive and cunning!!! By the way, I love the HD800s and T1s with the Decware CSP2 in large orchestral works...but I will only be able to dismiss the HE-6 as less than great for classical when I am finally able to hear them properly driven. But it will be the darkstar or bust since I'm not spending more money on the beast. If I'm unable to climb K2 I'm moving on to Mt. Everest (sr009 and blue Hawaii).

 

I drive my HE-6 with the Cavalli Liquid Glass and via the speaker taps of my modified Dynaco ST-70 (through the Hifiman speaker adapter).  I've found that the LG can handle it, but the HE-6 has triggered the protection on the LG a few times.  When it stays running, the LG can indeed rock some Mahler.  The ST-70 works too, but it can get a little bright with the tubes I'm currently using.  

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post #915 of 1258
2/20/13 at 4:12pm
obsessive
Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzerdave View Post

I drive my HE-6 with the Cavalli Liquid Glass and via the speaker taps of my modified Dynaco ST-70 (through the Hifiman speaker adapter).  I've found that the LG can handle it, but the HE-6 has triggered the protection on the LG a few times.  When it stays running, the LG can indeed rock some Mahler.  The ST-70 works too, but it can get a little bright with the tubes I'm currently using.  
so it sounds like the HE-6 induces a bad case of the hiccups in the cavalli...another case of this headphone performing voodoo magic on an amp. By the way...I've read that cavalli amps rule, be the way. What other headphone, if any, are you running through the LG? Hd800 must sound awesome through it.
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