[preproman]

   
Makes me wonder how much further the HE6 can go from the WA5 K1K output using speaker taps. Anyone out there that can compare the WA5 K1K output to speaker taps for the HE6?
 
The specs from the owner's manual for the WA5 give the K1K output as 8W into 120 Ohm.
 
I am using my WA5 to drive a set of Monitor Audio BR5 floorstanders (6 Ohm, 90dB) and it does this perfectly well up to moderately loud levels (louder than I want to go).
 
The power supply unit on the WA5 weighs in at around 30lbs - there's plenty of transformer iron sitting behind those 8W.

 
Do you have some photos of the insides?  One thing I like about Audio-gd is that he shows the insides of all his amps on his web site.

 

[TonyNewman]

   
Do you have some photos of the insides?  One thing I like about Audio-gd is that he shows the insides of all his amps on his web site.

 
I'm not game to remove the covers unless absolutely necessary - I know there are 2 thumping big transformers in each unit (4 total).
 
This is from the web - power unit on right, amp unit on the left:
 

 

[rlawli]

Ok let's say I have $600 to spend on an amp and DAC for the HE-6, or just amp alone (computer I'll be building has good onboard audio). What should I get?

 

 
Quote:

 
Skip all the conventional heaI don't want to dissilusion you abdphone amps. None of them will do it. What you're looking for is something that can drive speakers. For $600, I'd look for a used Crest CA2 on ebay. I don't think the Mini-X can touch this pro amp. I've had one before and was very please for paying $300. The only caveat is the loud fans which you can disconnect. For the loads you will be running, I think it can run passive. If not, you could always swap out the fans for low RPM Noctuas.

 
+1: 3x the power than a new direct digital amp in $500 price range. Also consider a vintage Threshold or Yamaha M-60 or M-65

I don't want to disillusion you about the quality of onboard audio you can expect from the gaming computer you are planning to build but the reality is that there are really no motherboard manufacturers whose audio implementations even begin to approach the quality of the most inexpensive outboard DACs.  Only Asus has seriously attempted to deal with sound and they use the Realtek 1150 and Cirrus Logic CS4398 (definitely a step up) codecs on their motherboards. Asus also sells both sound cards and an external DAC, and for good reason: these are much better sounding than their motherboard implementations. Just look at the power supply quality, component counts, component costs and shielding on motherboard DACs. The inescapable problem here is that it is virtually impossible to isolate motherboard based audio processing from the NOISE (RFI and EMI) generated by a high powered, gaming computer. The least expensive, reasonable quality asynchronous USB DACs start around $150; e.g. Audioquest Dragonfly, and go up from there. Another alternative is to bypass the need for a DAC altogether and get a direct digital amp. Either way, I wouldn't spend extra money on a motherboard sound implementation; spend it on the features that affect gaming performance: cpu speed & cores, graphics card cores & memory, SSD drives, and lots of high speed ram. Now, if you are into multi-channel sound, that's a different set of problems but you wouldn't be looking at the HE-6s in the first place.

 

[hifimanrookie]

Skip all the conventional headphone amps. None of them will do it. What you're looking for is something that can drive speakers. For $600, I'd look for a used Crest CA2 on ebay. I don't think the Mini-X can touch this pro amp. I've had one before and was very please for paying $300. The only caveat is the loud fans which you can disconnect. For the loads you will be running, I think it can run passive. If not, you could always swap out the fans for low RPM Noctuas.

What u mean with conventional? Standard versions? As for sure certain brands make excellent custom headphone (well..based on their speakeramps!) amps for the he6

 

[mthucs]

I've heard from many a people that the Violectric V200 actually does a very good job. Especially if you can source one for cheap.
I ended up biting the bullet and bypassed the EF-6 for the Ragnarok. Just having to decide on a DAC to go with it.
 
And honestly dude, I think it sounds like you want a dedicated headphone amp to power these but with your budget, I'd go for another option such as the HE-560/LCD-3/2/X/HD800.
 
The HE-6 don't sound like the right headphones for you if you don't want to use speaker taps.

 

[erikfreedom]

forget the v200 for the he-6 end of story and I d'ont need to explain myself. it is simply not enough. d'ont waste your time.

 

[mthucs]

  forget the v200 for the he-6 end of story and I d'ont need to explain myself. it is simply not enough. d'ont waste your time.

God forbid you have to explain things.
 
I have actually spoken to a few reputable people on here who vouch for that combination as a good get-me-by. Never said it was the end all product but it's pretty decent for a sub 1k dedicated headphone amp. It further supports the point that it's almost impossible to get a super cheap headphone amp to power these.
 
These same people said no to the Mjolnir, Soloist, etc etc which others have said were good.
 
Either way man, you can either choose to try it or not. No biggie.

 

[ohhgourami]

I've heard from many a people that the Violectric V200 actually does a very good job. Especially if you can source one for cheap.
I ended up biting the bullet and bypassed the EF-6 for the Ragnarok. Just having to decide on a DAC to go with it.

And honestly dude, I think it sounds like you want a dedicated headphone amp to power these but with your budget, I'd go for another option such as the HE-560/LCD-3/2/X/HD800.

The HE-6 don't sound like the right headphones for you if you don't want to use speaker taps.

V200 isn't enough. Plain and simple. Good thing you passed on the EF6 too as it's a very very mediocre amp and that's as kindly as I'll put it.

Seems like the Rag is a great amp from trusted ears though.

Enjoy your HE-6. I made sure purplegoat did a good job with the mods.

 

[mthucs]

V200 isn't enough. Plain and simple. Good thing you passed on the EF6 too as it's a very very mediocre amp and that's as kindly as I'll put it.

Seems like the Rag is a great amp from trusted ears though.

Enjoy your HE-6. I made sure purplegoat did a good job with the mods.

Haha yeah. I heard from goat that you hated the EF-6. Never really understood why but that doesn't matter now anyway.
 
Cheers.

 

[ericfarrell85]

[quote name="Canadian411"
I hope you are not serious, getting a LCD2 is downgrading, big time.
If you are getting LCD2 just save money get SR80i, you will have 80% of LCD2.2.

And in terms of amps, just get the vintage amps I did.[/quote]


Wow, I've heard Audeze disrespected before, but this is vitriolic. I think it's fairer to say you don't find the LCD's agreeable due to your own bias. It's certainly more, and plenty more at that, than what you get from a Grado SR80 (no disrespect to the SR80, which is where many of us started).

 

[Canadian411]

[quote name="Canadian411"

I hope you are not serious, getting a LCD2 is downgrading, big time.

If you are getting LCD2 just save money get SR80i, you will have 80% of LCD2.2.



And in terms of amps, just get the vintage amps

I did.

Wow, I've heard Audeze disrespected before, but this is vitriolic. I think it's fairer to say you don't find the LCD's agreeable due to your own bias. It's certainly more, and plenty more at that, than what you get from a Grado SR80 (no disrespect to the SR80, which is where many of us started).[/quote]

 


No No, I have no disrespect on Audezes, all I am saying SR80i/e are quiet good for the money you pay.
I use SR80i everyday and for any mp3/low quality songs it's remarkably good.
If you like I can argue that SR80i is about 50% HD800 for my ears. And I believe HD800 is far superior than LCD2 IMO.

Just my opinion, you have more gears and more audiophile experiences so don't really consider what I say.

 

[Xenophon]

  God forbid you have to explain things.
 
I have actually spoken to a few reputable people on here who vouch for that combination as a good get-me-by. Never said it was the end all product but it's pretty decent for a sub 1k dedicated headphone amp. It further supports the point that it's almost impossible to get a super cheap headphone amp to power these.
 
These same people said no to the Mjolnir, Soloist, etc etc which others have said were good.
 
Either way man, you can either choose to try it or not. No biggie.

I own a V200 and several other amps (see sig).  The V200 does a decent enough job with the HE-6, you certainly won't run away screaming.  But there's better to be had, that's for sure.  I prefer both my F5 clone and SX-1280 receiver with the HE-6.
 
Violectric now sells a new -balanced- amp, the V281, which produces substantially more power (> 4.5 W into 50 Ohm if memory serves) and which is said to drive the HE-6 nicely.  Haven't tried it myself and don't immediately intend to.  The Violectric amps are very good, price/quality wise but they do have a 'house signature' and are a bit on the warm/beefy side, with less detail retrieval. Not a fault but a matter of taste, I prefer a lighter/airier but more detailed touch.
 
My advice if you want to keep costs down are to go with a selected piece of vintage kit or build yourself a clone of one of the Pass amps and use a good (passive) pre or in a pinch, your DAC's volume control.  I'm not a big fan of the Schiit products but if I have the possibility to do so I'd like to try it.  Tried the EF-6 once and didn't like it at all, it sounded to me like  a quickly slapped together and massively overpriced amp, detail retrieval with some classical pieces I auditioned it with was really below par. 

 

[screwdriver]

ill have an odyssey stratos extreme coming  next week - illpair with decware csp2+ as pre amp and HE-6 . i hope it works out well.......

 

[preproman]

Should be very nice.  Klaus does excellent work on his amps.

 

[kothganesh]

  ill have an odyssey stratos extreme coming  next week - illpair with decware csp2+ as pre amp and HE-6 . i hope it works out well.......

Oh man, I'd love to hear from you. Preproman advised me to look into Odyssey two months ago but I was waiting for details on the Ragnarok.