[marhol]

well ufospls2 do just as me : sell your master 9 and buy the HE-9 that is a much better amp that could satisfy your needs

Is HE-9 really worth to buy over Master 9 ? Is it comparable or even better than V281 or MHA 100 you have tested before ? Have you tried it also as a preamp ? I would like to use it with my active speakers...

 

[fradoca]

absolutely worth it.I'ts my main amp in my mastering studio and i use it with the LCD-X 2017 Creator Package and Sonaworks 4.Previously i had a master 9 which i sold for the He-9 which has more transparency more power and speed when compared to the master 9. It's WAY better than the V281 which i had and then sold.The MHA 100 is not worthy all that money and i also had it in my studio for one month.No regrets about it.
Never tested with speakers...

 

[marhol]

absolutely worth it.I'ts my main amp in my mastering studio and i use it with the LCD-X 2017 Creator Package and Sonaworks 4.Previously i had a master 9 which i sold for the He-9 which has more transparency more power and speed when compared to the master 9. It's WAY better than the V281 which i had and then sold.The MHA 100 is not worthy all that money and i also had it in my studio for one month.No regrets about it.
Never tested with speakers...

Well at present time I am set on HE 9 as my endgame amp/preamp. I know its kind of overkill for my current HE-400i but I would like to add some planar flagship to my collection in the future (probably HE -1000 v2 which I liked very much both in terms of sound quality and comfort.) If HE-9 truly is " wire with gain " then (I believe) it should pair very well with my musical sounding network player/DAC Lumin A1 and Hifiman planar headphones.

 

[ufospls2]

well ufospls2 do just as me : sell your master 9 and buy the HE-9 that is a much better amp that could satisfy your needs

The M9 suits my needs for now. If I wanted to get that last say 5-10% of performance out of my system (which I will, eventually anyhow once my wallet recuperates) at the price of the HE9, I'd just save for a while more and look at used high end integrated speaker amps. I'm sure the HE-9 is great though

 

[ufospls2]

Well at present time I am set on HE 9 as my endgame amp/preamp. I know its kind of overkill for my current HE-400i but I would like to add some planar flagship to my collection in the future (probably HE -1000 v2 which I liked very much both in terms of sound quality and comfort.) If HE-9 truly is " wire with gain " then (I believe) it should pair very well with my musical sounding network player/DAC Lumin A1 and Hifiman planar headphones.

To be honest, spending HE-9 money on a headphone amp when your headphones are the HE-400i (which I really like, don't get me wrong)is a bit backwards. I'd buy the HE1000V2 first, and then concentrate on getting an amp you like.

 

[Rayzilla]

I do indeed still have this amp with my Abyss Phi. I think it would pair well with the original Abyss in terms of power and ability to drive them with authority. Whether or not the sound signature would be right for you is a matter personal preference. After quite a long time now with the M9, I'm not as enthused about it as I was those first few days when I originally purchased it and made that post, but I do still enjoy it. It doesn't do anything wrong in my opinion, but it also doesn't do anything amazingly well. Its hard to explain, but it doesn't really excel in any particular area. Its just a "good" amp, that has lots of power, and will drive harder to drive headphone well.

Would you or any members here have any experience or idea if the M9 can run the HE6 headphone and if so, does it pair well? Thanks.

 

[marhol]

To be honest, spending HE-9 money on a headphone amp when your headphones are the HE-400i (which I really like, don't get me wrong)is a bit backwards. I'd buy the HE1000V2 first, and then concentrate on getting an amp you like.

I see your point but right now my priority is amp/preamp as I dont have anything suitable to pair with my active speakers. HE-9 and Master 9 are very versatile as amps and preamps so they offer a bigger value than HEK in my case.
And HE-400i (older version with
backplate) is imo an underrated headphone. Definitely not worse than legendary HD 650 (which usually gets the most praise in this price range). I often listen music with prominent male vocals and electric guitars (rock) a here I prefer HE-400i over many more expensive headphones e.g. HE-560, PM 1 or Focal Elear to name a few.

 

[borrego]

If it is my choice I will get a HE-350 + Master-9 combo. This way you can also have the benefit of having the HE-350 powering your DAC, DDC, CD Player, another tube amp in the future, etc.

 

[smodtactical]

How does the HE9 compare to the Ragnarok and Moon Neo 430 HA ?

 

[marcan]

How does the HE9 compare to the Ragnarok and Moon Neo 430 HA ?

I don't know for the others but the HE9 is a gorgeous amp.
Which hp do you have?

 

[Kyle 491]

A question for anyone that has driven the TH900 balanced from this amp. Does the stage open up and sound less muddy and closed in than on single ended? I much prefer my TH900 on my cheaper Matrix M-Stage on single ended mode because the staging is wider and the bass more controlled. Or is the Master 9 not a good amp for the TH900 in general? I originally thought that the mild treble roll off on this amp would pair well with this headphone's edginess in the high end, but it seems to make them sound too closed in and boomy.

 

[smodtactical]

I don't know for the others but the HE9 is a gorgeous amp.
Which hp do you have?

HD800S

 

[fradoca]

How does the HE9 compare to the Ragnarok and Moon Neo 430 HA ?

if you want to read about a comparison between the master 9 and the moon neo 430 HA please refer to this link :

https://headmania.org/2015/03/08/simaudio-moon-430ha-headphone-amplifier-review/

the HE-9 is even better than the Master 9 so you won't regret it if you buy it.
I have the HE-9 as a reference amp in my mastering studio and i couldn't be happier.

 

[ardilla]

A question for anyone that has driven the TH900 balanced from this amp. Does the stage open up and sound less muddy and closed in than on single ended? I much prefer my TH900 on my cheaper Matrix M-Stage on single ended mode because the staging is wider and the bass more controlled. Or is the Master 9 not a good amp for the TH900 in general? I originally thought that the mild treble roll off on this amp would pair well with this headphone's edginess in the high end, but it seems to make them sound too closed in and boomy.

I find the m9 to be a different beast in balanced mode with all headphones I have tried. I would be very surprised if it wasn't so with the TH900 too

 

[smodtactical]

if you want to read about a comparison between the master 9 and the moon neo 430 HA please refer to this link :

https://headmania.org/2015/03/08/simaudio-moon-430ha-headphone-amplifier-review/

the HE-9 is even better than the Master 9 so you won't regret it if you buy it.
I have the HE-9 as a reference amp in my mastering studio and i couldn't be happier.

Sounds like both are great but the 430 is a bit warmer and richer whereas the M9 is more sparkly and precise. Interesting. Im thinking maybe the 430 sound signature would fit better with the HD 800S. Especially because I wouldnt mind a little more lower end presence / weight.