[dleblanc343]

Quote:

please do give impression how mcintosh drvies 6 and 800. thank you.

Effortlessly really. It makes me realize that things like the mjolnir aren't capable of doing the entire job for the HE-6; there's a lack of dynamics and low end extension. The McIntosh is also more detailed across the spectrum, the bass is visceral and so much more textured, mids aren't hollow or have any hint of artificiality like the BHA-1 sometimes has and anything past 2khz on the HE-6 is less grainy on the McIntosh vs the mjolnir especially.
 
Another big plus is sounstaging and image depth. The BHA-1 is very open sounding, noticeably more so than the mjolnir. The Mc225 is even more grandiose, and the image depth is dramatically deeper and more extended. Separation is crazy really, it's hard to believe I'm wearing headphones with most well recorded/ high res tracks.
 
The resolution is astonishing for such an old piece of kit/ tube amp. It's been well maintained for the last 50 years, and all solders are nice/redone, caps changed, transformer upgraded and a few more tweaks. The amp beats out all Woo's I've tried (up to WA-5"LE"), Super7, Zana Deux, Stratus and a few others.
 
It's hard to fault; the only disadvantage is that it's not going to work with many headphones; it's not meant for that. 300 ohms minimum (HD800's), and you better be careful when setting it up/ plugging headphones in last with volume at 0.
 
Also, to give you an idea; the footprint is smaller than the mjolnir, but it weighs 47 lbs vs 12 lbs for the mjolnir!
 
It's a much better amp in all regards, and that's saying a lot because the mjolnir and BHA-1 are fantastic amps. They're not for the HE-6 as much as the HD800 or LCD phones especially.

 

[Silent One]

After hearing McIntosh many many moons ago, you just brought it back into my consciousness as a head-amp. I've been going crazy the last 30 days, as my tea tins are starting to show the cash savings mounting.

 
Gonna start keeping an eye out for this vintage iron, in addition to a few other amps on my short list.

 

[figaro69]

Now that's HOT

Holy smokes! Looks like a monster from the primeval age. Looks beautiful. What year was this made in? So many tubes!!!

 

[Cante Ista]

Effortlessly really. It makes me realize that things like the mjolnir aren't capable of doing the entire job for the HE-6; there's a lack of dynamics and low end extension. The McIntosh is also more detailed across the spectrum, the bass is visceral and so much more textured, mids aren't hollow or have any hint of artificiality like the BHA-1 sometimes has and anything past 2khz on the HE-6 is less grainy on the McIntosh vs the mjolnir especially.

Another big plus is sounstaging and image depth. The BHA-1 is very open sounding, noticeably more so than the mjolnir. The Mc225 is even more grandiose, and the image depth is dramatically deeper and more extended. Separation is crazy really, it's hard to believe I'm wearing headphones with most well recorded/ high res tracks.

The resolution is astonishing for such an old piece of kit/ tube amp. It's been well maintained for the last 50 years, and all solders are nice/redone, caps changed, transformer upgraded and a few more tweaks. The amp beats out all Woo's I've tried (up to WA-5"LE"), Super7, Zana Deux, Stratus and a few others.

It's hard to fault; the only disadvantage is that it's not going to work with many headphones; it's not meant for that. 300 ohms minimum (HD800's), and you better be careful when setting it up/ plugging headphones in last with volume at 0.

Also, to give you an idea; the footprint is smaller than the mjolnir, but it weighs 47 lbs vs 12 lbs for the mjolnir!

It's a much better amp in all regards, and that's saying a lot because the mjolnir and BHA-1 are fantastic amps. They're not for the HE-6 as much as the HD800 or LCD phones especially.

That is quite a statement! However as I am getting to know the he6 and understating the McIntosh rep, I do not doubt it for a minute! Congrats! He6 are a special hp, ad are really in the running for the best one with my hd800. On the f3 the he6 provides so much crisp, extended detail that I am not sure whether the hd800 is the best detailed hp out there. Right now I am listening to Beethoven's 9th and I am hearing it all! Nothing is getting congested. Everything is layered out in front of me clearly and precisely. No smearing, just good extension and loads of detail!!! Oh, and no harsh treble what so ever. Those violins and wood winds sound smooth and beautiful - like they should..

 

[Cante Ista]

[size=10.0pt]I finally got around to writing the review. I have had the HE-6 for three months now and the F3 for about a month and a half. I have listened to them almost daily and thought that I should try to write up my impressions.  My source is MacMini which serves only as a music server with Amarra. That is connected to my NAD m51 DAC, which is then routed to the F3. The F3 is not a clone. It is the original thing I got used and then refurbished by Mr Pass. I have not modded the amp during the referb process  but I am extremely happy with its performance and I am not sure how much more performance I could squeeze out out of it. This is my first attempt at a review, so I would appreciate constructive criticism. High-fives are also welcome. [/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]HE 6 on the F3 has a very immediate presentation -- like you are sitting in the front row. The sounds are delivered with pinpoint accuracy. The focus is needle sharp. I think this is in part because every frequency is presented in a very clean and transparent fashion. I think clean is a good way to describe what’s going on here from top to bottom. What I love about the HE-6 and what sets it apart from many other headphones I have heard is how precise and detailed it is. Let’s start with the bass is. This is my favorite type of bass presentation. You just hear the notes, on the same level with all other frequencies -- noting added, nothing subtracted, nothing lacking! Just perfect! When I put on some IDM (i.e. apex twin, autechre or aufgang) and beat driven ambient music (i.e. pantha du prince or some shpongle, tripswitch), there is a very solid bass impact. Electronic music (I include hip-hop here) can contain some very low bass and the HE-6 on F3 delivers it. When some read this they may think I am talking about the “I can almost feel it in my chest type of bass”. But that is not exactly how this sounds.  It is rather brains than brawn. Lots of bass detail and low low low extension, but it is a headphone set up after all. I think that if you’d increased the bass impact you would lose all of the articulation, and, like I said before, this is the type of bass that draws me to the HE-6.  The beauty of this set up though is that all that bass is happening without taking anything away from other frequencies. The bass stands on its own, among other sounds or musicians on the stage, easily discernable from everything else, providing the basis on which the tracks stand. [/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]And the other frequencies are also all there. Everything layed out on a black background, coming out and letting you know it is there. This type of detail is very easy to see on electronic music,  which, when at its best (I am not taking about the mass-produced stuff you hear on the radio, which is bad – just like rock and even jazz can be made bad when produced for the lowest common denominator), layers many many sounds to create harmonies – sound upon sound upon sound upon sound. Same thing with orchestral music – every section has its place and instruments can be isolated from all other. Just pop in some Mahler or Beethoven, etc. No other types of music can match the complexity of symphonies overall. In places so much stuff can be happening all at once, and jump around across frequency spectrum, and F3 with the HE-6 don’t have issues.  The HE-6 and F3 rig just resolves these nuances and harmonies beautifully and allows you to see each layer separately but then also jump to a higher (aka more distant) layer of perception and apprehend all of them together as one piece. This for me is the pinnacle of good headphone set up. Having the ability to hear every little nuance separately, but then also have the ability to step back and ‘apprehend’ all those sounds together coherently in time. This is in part because the amp and headphones present a nice 3D stage. They aren’t speakers, but I can definitely see the sound stage and separate different sounds or musicians in space. The sound stage is not as big as HD800, but nothing there is missing. If I remember correctly, I think the sound stage is similar to the one I heard on the SR009 with BHSE and OPPO95. In fact, in my limited experience I think that the HE-6 with the F3 with HE-6 come very close to the electrostatic set up I head at a recent DC meet. It is not the same – for sure. But detail-wise and sound-stage wise, they are definitely comparable. Not the same level, but comparable.  [/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]I have read somewhere that the F3 is a tube lover’s solid state amp. I don’t about that that. While with the HE-6  the decay and whatever creates the meat on the bones experience in the bass and midrange is there slightly more than every other SS amp I have heard, I have also heard tube amps that the F3 cannot match in that regard. I also think that it has all the characteristics of a good SS amp, like awesome extension, control, and PRAT. I don’t know that tube lover would abandon tubes for F3 with the HE-6. Please mind my set up here, thou. There are no tubes anywhere in my signal path and perhaps this could be the culprit. Maybe F3 is just really good at amplifying tube preamp sound, etc. Maybe it is because HE-6 is adding/taking away something – I don’t know. While I would not call it tubey, I would also not call it cold and analytical. For SS amp, I think it is on warmer side. So for instance when I listen classical, strings and woodwinds retain a nice smooth presentation and voices are super natural. In fact, on one recording I turned around because I thought someone was with me in the room with me. But the presentation of highs is the kicker for me – the highs are not strident at all! Violins and flutes are smooth and detailed.  I know some have said that HE-6 can have strident highs. I have echo what others have said. This is likely system dependent. I also don’t think it’s all in the power. F3 packs 15WPC, so not gobs of power, but dives the HE-6 effortlessly. Like I already said, it is ALL there, balanced and beautifully laid out for you to enjoy, with no fatigue and no piercing highs.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]In summary, the biggest strength of the combination of the HE-6 with F3, is the level of detail and its incredibly precise layering. This is accomplished with great bass impact and smooth extended highs. This for me is what good headphone system exceeds at, and this one definitely does so. [/size]

 

[Silent One]

Bravo Cante Ista!

 
Reading your impressions, I was able to learn something about the components in play and what really matters to you, when you want musical enjoyment. 

 

[Cante Ista]

Thanks silent one. It was my goal to convey what I like. Sometimes people say 'something is great' but give little in terms of what that means. What I like may not be what you like.

Anyway, thank you for your kind words

 

[SHAHZADA123]

Nicely written, Cante Ista!!

 

[colour97]

i just got a krell ksa 150 a class to drive he-6. this is 20 years old monster. 
and for he-6, this monster gives very slightly, listenable hum sound. (like you sit close to the speaker
then you can hear the slightly hum sound).  i already plugged the power  cord
to individual wall plug. and added another ground wire to attach to dac, or pre-amp or amp. 
 
i am using audio-gd master-6 as pre amp. 
 
the sound is very very sweet.
 
if paired with he-6, i am ok but if paired with hd800, the hum sound will amplify  5 times more than he-6.
 
my question is : for 20 years old monster , is it normal to produce that hum sound?
 
i really love this monster but cant pair it with hd800.  the seller will accept return and cant make the decision.  and i dont have speaker, cant test how 
slightly it will be. 

 

[preproman]

Quote:

i just got a krell ksa 150 a class to drive he-6. this is 20 years old monster. 
and for he-6, this monster gives very slightly, listenable hum sound. (like you sit close to the speaker
then you can hear the slightly hum sound).  i already plugged the power  cord
to individual wall plug. and added another ground wire to attach to dac, or pre-amp or amp. 
 
i am using audio-gd master-6 as pre amp. 
 
the sound is very very sweet.
 
if paired with he-6, i am ok but if paired with hd800, the hum sound will amplify  5 times more than he-6.
 
my question is : for 20 years old monster , is it normal to produce that hum sound?
 
i really love this monster but cant pair it with hd800.  the seller will accept return and cant make the decision.  and i dont have speaker, cant test how 
slightly it will be. 

sounds like the gain is set really high.  Other than that,  I'm not sure what to tell you..  Is it a local repair shop you can take it to and have it looked at?

 

[catfish]

Any positives with SET amps like the 300B BA, the TTVJ 37A, The Pinnacle, the WA5, with w.out preampetc?   From reading the reviews it sounds like the only tube amp to satisfy were McIntosh P-P.   I am surprised no hum issues with McIntosh, very surprised as it has AC heat.
 
But there is good news for those without $3k for a McIntosh there is a modern DIY kit that et raves reviews for those who can't affor the brit amp: http://www.tubes4hifi.com/bob.htm#ST120
,  I've heard nothing but good things about these modern McIntosh type amps much better quality than the Yaquin's people are buying.
 
But I'm of the opinion if I have to resort to P-P I will use solid state output,  and the Lyr is a real bargain here.
 
So back to the original question,  any chance of an SET powering the HE-6's or should I stick with the HE-500's(which are fantastic) and wait for the next Hifiman flags\ship?

 

[ChrisB7605]

Has anyone used the Audio-gd Master 8 with the HE6? The high power mode outputs 7watts into 50ohms
 
I use an EF6, and have a stratus on the way that i sill at least try with the 6s, but i really want to upgrade in the near future and sell the EF6. 
 
I know there are a ton of recommendations for speaker amps, but is there a consensus for what dedicated headphone amp works best with these?

 

[blitzxgene]

Quote:

Has anyone used the Audio-gd Master 8 with the HE6? The high power mode outputs 7watts into 50ohms
 
I use an EF6, and have a stratus on the way that i sill at least try with the 6s, but i really want to upgrade in the near future and sell the EF6. 
 
I know there are a ton of recommendations for speaker amps, but is there a consensus for what dedicated headphone amp works best with these?

 
I'm also curious about how the HE6 would perform with a Reference 10, as it is capable of putting out 6 watts at 50ohms. LCD2s didnt quite do it for me.

 

[fejnomit]

I very much enjoy my HE-6s with the DNA Stratus.  The specs don't resemble most of the recommendations on this thread, but it sure do sound purdy...

 

[bareyb]

Quote:

Has anyone used the Audio-gd Master 8 with the HE6? The high power mode outputs 7watts into 50ohms
 
I use an EF6, and have a stratus on the way that i sill at least try with the 6s, but i really want to upgrade in the near future and sell the EF6. 
 
I know there are a ton of recommendations for speaker amps, but is there a consensus for what dedicated headphone amp works best with these?

I'm looking for a Powerhouse Amp too. That's a nice one and wow, it's got some serious power...