Heir Audio - The Appreciation Thread - Page 327

If you are looking for a bassy signature the 3A or better yet the 8A will suite those needs.

And if you want something more neutral the the 4.A is the way to go.

So if I understand correctly, it is like this?...

 

3A is "bassy" - lower-tier

4A is "natural" - mid tier

8A is "____" - high-tier

 

I wouldn't call the 3A/3.Ai lower-tier.  They are bassy, but I would categorize them as V-shaped.  Personally, I feel the 4.Ai would be warm, smooth, lush, and inviting.  Calm if you will.  

Excuse my lack of audiophile terminology but which series would have the best midrange? My Ssextetts are the best things I've ever heard so something close to them would be ideal and I wouldn't have to look back for a long time.

The 4.A has a solid mid-range. It's a neutral headphone which means the emphasis was on accuracy. They're the best if what you're looking for is to hear exactly what's in the recording. That means if there is bass you will hear it, otherwise you won't. I found my 4.A to be a great all rounder.

I have the 8.A as it is The One for me. Simply astonishing headphone that will blow my brains no matter what I use them with - Ravel or Rammstein? They don't care, they'll make it sound amazing without ever being too dull. Only one, minor downside: Price.

 

I have the Tzar 350, a sonic katana. 100% mercilessly revealing of poor source, amp or material. Recordings must be perfect, source and amp must be flawless as these will put a spotlight on any and all flaws in the chain. Feed them quality, and you will be rewarded.

 

I have the 4.Ai as it will make just about anything sound good out of just about anything. Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to The Dark Knight Rises in pristine 24/192 from my $830 Ibasso DX100? Sounds great on the 4.Ai. Lady Gaga in 320kbps Mp3 from my wife's $200 phone? Sounds great on the 4.Ai. 

 

I had the 3.Ai and they will have you grinning from ear to ear with pop, rock and electro. Think of them as in-ear Grados - Great fun, but beware of cymbals! 

 

Edit: I consider the very-limited-edition Heir 6.A (11 units ever made) to be "The One That Got Away". The 6.A and Tzar 90 are the only Heir products I've never heard. But nope, I'm not a fanboy, no siree, not at all. I just happen to really like what I've heard from them so far. I'd consider the 4.Ai the best buy from their lineup.

Edited by Sorensiim - 2/1/13 at 12:38am

I have the 4.A and the K240 Sextett. I haven't compared them side-by-side but I'm familiar with both. I'd say the 4.A has more detail and balanced response across the sound spectrum and the Sextett is a bit smoother and comparatively rolled off at the extremes.

If you like the Sextett for a range of musical styles, you will like the 4.A.
Edited by ardgedee - 2/1/13 at 3:59am

hey guys, so my 8.A will leave from hk to mumbai on monday. and im thinking about DAP's now...  what do u guys recomend

 

AK100 vs DX100 ??? which one has best synergy with the 8.A, i mainly listen to 320K mp3s... but will definately be listening to some high quality files once i get a player that plays them.

 

are there any other options. Sony F/A  series?? Ipod Classic? .. if so what amp/dac combo do u suggest. i dont mind goin with a dap+amp combo as long as its worth it.. portable one though. ( even if it means a carrying a big bag) lol but the smaller the better. i have around 900$ as a budget for everything. .. just want something that will drive the 8.A properly. please help! sorry for the OT ... but i thought id ask here cuz most of those who own a 8.A keep checking this thread :)

I'm sure Sorensiim will recommend the DX100 + 8.A combo as he is really pleased with that setup!

Damn right! Reviews of the AK100 haven't been too favorable, even the RWA version with the output impedance fixed but I haven't heard it myself.

The DX100 however, is utterly brilliant with anything you throw at it. I've tried it with a very wide range of headphones, from the 12ohm UM Merlins to the 600 ohm Beyer T1... Senn HD650 and the Beyer T1 like a bit more power than the DX100 can supply by itself but still sound good straight from the HP out. All this while sounding perfectly clean with IEMs :-)

haha i knew that staal, already pm'd him for more input! thanks guys for the suggestions, i havent demo'd any of them so thoughts n reviews are what going with, still open to ideas! :)

I can vouch for this combo based on Sorensim's recommendation :)

I have my money on the Centrance HiFi M8.  I just realized that to combine (I had the word mate here) the Heir 8a with the M8 has the advantage of potentially being extremely lucky with all of those 8's.  Too bad there is not yet an 8th generation iPod to go with it. 

its apple compatible meaning all ipods should work with it 

you need to supply your own cable for the newer ipods though