[cammoni]

Anyone tried driving HE6 with Fiio m17? M17 has 2W in battery mode and 3 watts if connected to power outlet.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Anyone tried driving HE6 with Fiio m17? M17 has 2W in battery mode and 3 watts if connected to power outlet.

From https://www.fiio.com/m17_parameters

PO balanced output parameters（Over-ear headphone mode）
Output power ≥1.5W（16Ω / THD+N＜1%) Output impedance ≤2Ω（32Ω）
Output power ≥3W（32Ω /THD+N＜1%） THD+N ≤0.0007%（1kHz/32Ω）
Output power ≥250mW（300Ω /THD+N＜1%) Crosstalk ≥108dB（1kHz/32Ω）
Noise floor ≤7μV（dbA） SNR ≥121dB（dbA）
Frequency response 5Hz~80kHz（-3dB） Peak output voltage 19.7 Vp-p

That's less than 2 watts at 50 ohms, and it says <1% THD+N so despite impressive specs for a DAP...

 

[deafenears]

That's less than 2 watts at 50 ohms, and it says <1% THD+N so despite impressive specs for a DAP...

@cammoni , is that OG HE-6 or one of the newer SEs? I just wanted to point out that for the newer SE's, it's worth noting that while HiFiMAN specs says 50 ohm, Amir from ASR tested a pair to be 60 Ohm and less sensitive that OG HE-6 (or more power hungry).

 

[gimmeheadroom]

@cammoni , is that OG HE-6 or one of the newer SEs? I just wanted to point out that for the newer SE's, it's worth noting that while HiFiMAN specs says 50 ohm, Amir from ASR tested a pair to be 60 Ohm and less sensitive that OG HE-6 (or more power hungry).

It doesn't matter. Even in the best case, 1% THD is too much, 1.92W is not nearly enough. There is no way this is ok.

 

[cammoni]

I am talking about the newer model v2 that Adorama sells for 550$. If Fiio M17 can’t drive it to the fullest , there is no point in buying he6 and not driving with the right gear. I will look for getting desktop amp or get edition xs call it a day.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I am talking about the newer model v2 that Adorama sells for 550$. If Fiio M17 can’t drive it to the fullest , there is no point in buying he6 and not driving with the right gear. I will look for getting desktop amp or get edition xs call it a day.

Yes, there is no point in buying any HE6 and expecting it to be a good match for any DAP. Even most desktop amps probably don't have enough horsepower. And this is partly why the HE6 is famous.

There are enough good headphones designed for portable devices, this is not one of them.

 

[Hellhammer]

Continuous power draw is probably no more than a watt or two for most people, but those transient peaks can easily shoot it up. Every 3 dB is another x2 power. Even a modest +12 dB peak in the music will pull x16 more power. A strong 21 dB (not uncommon with percussion for example) peak is x128 the power, and now we're suddenly into triple digits

This is not to say that one *must* have gobs and gobs of power, but it's deceptive how quickly those power requirements go up. If you don't have it, well maybe it mushes some of those transients, maybe if it's a soft clip you don't even notice and it adds a nice character to the sound which might otherwise by harsh, I dunno.

As with all things, there are drawbacks to the big amps too. Higher noise floor, sacrificing nuance for muscle, blah blah blah. I've literally used kilowatt amps on my HE-6 for fun in the past.

What amp would you recommend for HE-6?

I have the 6 Screw version

 

[Armaegis]

What amp would you recommend for HE-6?

I have the 6 Screw version

That's such a broad question so I'll throw equally broad recommendations:

Bryston 2B - budget power amp, short but wide form factor
Bryston BHA-1 - I'm a fan of Bryston in general, good value at used prices, not so much at MSRP
Benchmark AHB2 - power amp, super clean
SPL Phonitor X - great preamp, and enough power for non-headbanging usage
SPL s800 - another power amp, less clean, more body and fun factor (my current amp)
NAD D3020 - surprise entry and super compact
Schiit Lyr 3 - it gets loud enough
RAAL HSA-1b - amazing amp, but your wallet will cry

 

[slazhx]

That's such a broad question so I'll throw equally broad recommendations:

Bryston 2B - budget power amp, short but wide form factor
Bryston BHA-1 - I'm a fan of Bryston in general, good value at used prices, not so much at MSRP
Benchmark AHB2 - power amp, super clean
SPL Phonitor X - great preamp, and enough power for non-headbanging usage
SPL s800 - another power amp, less clean, more body and fun factor (my current amp)
NAD D3020 - surprise entry and super compact
Schiit Lyr 3 - it gets loud enough
RAAL HSA-1b - amazing amp, but your wallet will cry

Any comment on First Watt J2 or any Pass Labs X models? How will you rank them among the list above?

Thank you.

 

[Armaegis]

I've heard good things about Pass stuff, but as I have not had any personal experience with them I can't really rank them. The only thing I can say is the extremely generic statement of "good but expensive".

 

[Hellhammer]

That's such a broad question so I'll throw equally broad recommendations:

Bryston 2B - budget power amp, short but wide form factor
Bryston BHA-1 - I'm a fan of Bryston in general, good value at used prices, not so much at MSRP
Benchmark AHB2 - power amp, super clean
SPL Phonitor X - great preamp, and enough power for non-headbanging usage
SPL s800 - another power amp, less clean, more body and fun factor (my current amp)
NAD D3020 - surprise entry and super compact
Schiit Lyr 3 - it gets loud enough
RAAL HSA-1b - amazing amp, but your wallet will cry

Hey thanks for the recommendations!

I'm considering Raal PDA-1A or Cavalli Liquid Gold but still undecided which way I'll go

 

[Shane D]

What amp would you recommend for HE-6?

I have the 6 Screw version

I have a new HE6se V2. My Violectric V220 couldn't drive it all ALL. My Liquid Platinum drove them OK, but better with Schiit Loki engaged.

I did however hit paydirt with the iFi Pro iCAN. And they love the bass boost and 3D features. I max out at mid-gain around 12:00, but I am a quiet listener (never go past 75Db's).

 

[Hellhammer]

I have a new HE6se V2. My Violectric V220 couldn't drive it all ALL. My Liquid Platinum drove them OK, but better with Schiit Loki engaged.

I did however hit paydirt with the iFi Pro iCAN. And they love the bass boost and 3D features. I max out at mid-gain around 12:00, but I am a quiet listener (never go past 75Db's).

I currently am using my fully restored and upgraded Harman Kardon hk-770 + hk-725 stack. The sound is very reference but not boring at all... Think of neutral but fun with a lushy and highly resolving treble

My second set up is a Cayin HA-1A MK2 which surprisingly can drive my HE-6 (6 Screw). Volume knob is usually around 11-12 o' clock as well

The HA-1A MK2 has that warm but still resolving lush presentation that tube amps are typically known for but the soundstage isn't as big as my Harman Kardon hk-770/725 stack

 

[Hellhammer]

But if you are looking for vintage mass-produced amps that performed admirably with the HE-6, I will mention the Harman Kardon HK 775 (135 w monoblocks) , HK 770 (65 w x 2 stereo amp) and HK750 (65 w x 2 integrated amp) using the superb design of Dr. Matti Otala (the Japanese guru of T.I.M. and I.I.M. distorsions). Despite the crappy components inside, these HK 7 series amps have the outstanding mid-range and smooth treble to match the HE-6 high resolution and plenty of power. They can be bought for $100-$200 on ebay. Unfortunately, they are over a quarter of a century old so a full restoration is in order--the bias with these amps tend to notoriously drift. The whole restoration/repair/upgrade should cost you about $300 and you have then a superb HE-6's headphone amp that will last another 15 years.

While it's nice knowing I might have the only amp I really need... I still can't help but being very curious about other more contemporary amping options for HE-6

 

[MaceHane2]

I have quite a few amps and many cans, including the HE-6. i was fortunate to find a brand new EF-6 and it drives the HE-6 wonderfully.
I haven’t turned it on in months, even though I use my HE-6 several nights a week. That’s because I bought the M17 and against all the odds I was amazed that it drives the HE-6 stunningly well. I have to set the volume to between 90 minimum and 115 (out of 120) maximum.
This is astonishing to me every time I listen because it sounds every bit as great as with the EF-6. Possibly a tiny bit less dramatic-sounding, but if so it’s not by much.
I now intend to sell my desktop gear - which includes my HE-6 setup of the EF-6 and Auralic Vega.
From HiFiMan I own the HE-6, the wonderful HE-4, HE-500, HE-400s(which sounds amazing with different pads), HE-400, 400i and 300.
Excepting the 300 all these planars sound great but the 6 and the 4 are stunning. A few steps below is the evergreen 500.