[ALRAINBOW]

Jude did what I would do. My music and my dac. He had a baseline.

 

[up late]

Fair enough. And the absolute best IMO would probably mean an external DAC, round and round we go..... 

yes, it's a circular argument and as you've alteady formed your opinion without having tried it, you can now seek out your "absolute best" elsewhere

 

[up late]

The DAC, the source, the amp the tubes are all important for the final sound. The more revealing the headphone the more important they are. Many times the difference between SOTA DACs is more about difference in presentation and tonally, than technically better - but those thing are important too, especially in the long run. For short blind tests not so much.


Jude used a Chord TT instead of the inbuilt DAC in his review. I wonder why :rolleyes:

Jude did what I would do. My music and my dac. He had a baseline.

yep, it's what he's familiar with. i can understand that but i wouldn't have bothered. i'm interested in experiencing sennheiser's sota integrated headphone system as the designers intended. i'd take my own music along tho.

 

[Articnoise]

Jude did what I would do. My music and my dac. He had a baseline.

 

To use your own music is one thing. To only describe the sound with an external DAC in a combo is another thing. Listening can be made with an external DAC, no problem. But if a reviewer doesn’t mention on one specific part of a combo it’s probably because of something, or it’s how I interpret it. It’s like someone review an integrated amp and only tell you how the power amp section sounds like together with another pre amp. 

 

[jude]

  To use your own music is one thing. To only describe the sound with an external DAC in a combo is another thing. Listening can be made with an external DAC, no problem. But if a reviewer doesn’t mention on one specific part of a combo it’s probably because of something, or it’s how I interpret it. It’s like someone review an integrated amp and only tell you how the power amp section sounds like together with another pre amp. 

 
You're reading too much into it: I had a day with the HE-1 in my hotel room. Unfortunately, the whole day with it wasn't spent listening, as I also had to shoot the video, photos, etc. With what time I did have to listen to it, I wanted to listen to the HE-1's headphone and amp using a source I was familiar with, which is why I didn't use the HE-1's built-in DAC at all. I brought the Chord Hugo TT because I was familiar with it, and I love the way it sounds. Again, the idea was to take the source variable out of the equation.

 

[Articnoise]

   
You're reading too much into it: I had a day with the HE-1 in my hotel room. Unfortunately, the whole day with it wasn't spent listening, as I also had to shoot the video, photos, etc. With what time I did have to listen to it, I wanted to listen to the HE-1's headphone and amp using a source I was familiar with, which is why I didn't use the HE-1's built-in DAC at all. I brought the Chord Hugo TT because I was familiar with it, and I love the way it sounds. Again, the idea was to take the source variable out of the equation.

 

Okay. If I test a combo the first thing I would do is to hear how it sounds like as a combo. For curiosity I would also listen how it sounds like with another DAC.

 

Have you had the time to hear it with the integrated DAC vs external DAC and did it sound different?

 

[jude]

 

Okay. If I test a combo the first thing I would do is to hear how it sounds like as a combo. For curiosity I would also listen how it sounds like with another DAC...

 
Yes, it seems you would have gone about it differently (sort of opposite of me)--I can understand that. Again, given the limited time I had, I was much more interested in the headphone and amp parts of the HE-1 system than its built-in DAC.
 

 

Have you had the time to hear it with the integrated DAC vs external DAC and did it sound different?

 
Yes I did, at CanJam Singapore a couple of weeks ago. And, yes, it did sound different than I remembered it previously, but I suspect it was more due to its move to final production tuning. I'll explain more later, as I'm severely time-limited at the moment.

 

[ardilla]

Dropping in to let you know I did a write up of my sessions with the HE 1 here, if anyone is interested

SENNHEISER HE 1 REVIEW
http://www.headphoneer.com/sennheiser-he-1-review/

 

[paradoxper]

You compare the 009 by memory using the 007tII. Sigh. Thanks for the effort.

 

[conquerator2]

Dropping in to let you know I did a write up of my sessions with the HE 1 here, if anyone is interested

SENNHEISER HE 1 REVIEW
http://www.headphoneer.com/sennheiser-he-1-review/

Spot on. Thank you

 

[ardilla]

You compare the 009 by memory using the 007tII. Sigh. Thanks for the effort.

I compared to what was available. And no - I didn't just compare by memory. I compared to the Stax rig at home, but also to the one in the adjoining room (so that was just like 50 sconds of inbetween time).

If you want to write a shootout with a maxed out Stax rig and the HE 1 or can point me to someone who had the chance to do that and did it, I can assure you I would read it with the utmost interest =)

 

[ardilla]

Spot on. Thank you

Thanks!

 

[paradoxper]

I compared to what was available. And no - I didn't just compare by memory. I compared to the Stax rig at home, but also to the one in the adjoining room (so that was just like 50 sconds of inbetween time).

If you want to write a shootout with a maxed out Stax rig and the HE 1 or can point me to someone who had the chance to do that and did it, I can assure you I would read it with the utmost interest =)

I have higher expectations of reviewers, shame on me, though.

 

[ardilla]

I have higher expectations of reviewers, shame on me, though.

Sorry you didn't like it. My goal was to describe the sound of the HE 1 with reference to gear that is commonly available. Someone else must write the review you are looking for.

 

[paradoxper]

Sorry you didn't like it. My goal was to describe the sound of the HE 1 with reference to gear that is commonly available. Someone else must write the review you are looking for.

The whole comparison is useless. You got your page views.