[sumpao]

Well I love my HD6XX and will change any amp/dac before I change these headphones.

I already think the HD6XX vocals are forward as is and for some songs (e.g. Norah Jones) vocals are bit too forward so doesn't sound like I would like the R2R11 pairing. Thanks for your feedback.

Yeah I am considering tube amp (Valhalla 2) or tube hybrid (Cavalli Tube Hybrid) at the moment.

Matching is very important here so hope you find a good matching and tell us.

I think in other forum they tell what is good match for HD6xx

 

[Bruc3]

I own the NFB11.38 I combo it with my HD600 what i can tell is the sound is bright to the point if someone who love warmer sound would not like this combo

I use to think I was a treble head until I owned the HD6XX and now I definitely prefer warmer headphones so NFB might not be the way for me to go then, looks like I need to invest in a Tube amp then.

 

[USAFPharm86]

Hey USAFPharm86, I still think you should ask Kingwa about what you would be looking at to return your R2R 11, and seeing if you could pay the difference to upgrade to the NFB-11.38 Limited Edition. It is only 419 US, so not that much more than the R2R 11. It has the ES9038 in it, which should be far more articulate, and give you the more neutral sound signature you are looking for.

I plan to just upgrade headphones to a DT1990 or Amiron Home to pair with the R2R 11 in the next few weeks. I think it’s an amazing amp/dac, just not enjoying the combo with the HD6XX. I have only owned the HD6XX for a few weeks now and the sound just isn’t for me. Thanks again.

 

[sennsay]

Hello. I have only owned the HD6XX for a few weeks now and the R2R 11 for one week.

So far I am not enjoying the combo, mids sound extremely forward and only notice a small increase in soundstage. The mids are so forward I am getting ear fatigue. Some users love this combo, but for my sound signature preferences, I do not enjoy the HD6XX with the R2R 11.

No experience with the nfb 11.28, but it may produce more clarity and sound better with the HD6XX. The R2R 11 has a more musical sound. From going through the 100 pages on this forum, most users that own both say they sound almost the same.

I plan to sell the HD6XX and keep the R2R 11, the dac is amazing and amp is good as well. If you love the HD6XX sound, I would upgrade to a high end tube amp.

I would agree with your experiences re HD6xx and R2R-11, however, if you are using stock pads PLUS stock cable that mid forwardness is accentuated! Both of them push the mids and lower treble forward (that peak!). As mentioned here a number of times, I use the Mogami cable (you can buy it from Venus Audio on eBay, I made my own with Mogami 2893 mini quad cable) and that smooths (somewhat) the mid and treble, while extending the bass, filling out below the slight mid-bass lift. Also, the stage is opened up in a more 3D manner, although nowhere near as much as my beloved HD540 Ref1s.
The cheapest way forward for you - that's if you like the HD6xx at all! - may be to buy a set of the Dekoni pads, preferably the Elite Hybrid or fenestrated sheepskin versions, they seem to smooth that lower treble area without touching the upper reaches and extend the bass. They are also far more comfortable than the stock pads. The Elite Velour pads I bought dampen down the upper mids and top end too much for me, but you might absolutely love it like that. I have struggled with these headphones too (Again! After owning HD650s several years back), having almost sold them several times in the last 3 months, only the Mogami cable and R2R have saved them ..... so far. I'm not totally convinced, but may keep them until I gain a decent tube amp again, though not the Valhalla 2, been there, done that. I Ioved it for a while, but with the upgraded Ref1s, the Magni 3 outperformed it significantly.
Strangely ... or not .... the best results I've had with both the HD650 and the HD6xx are running them from a full size home amp, even with an old 20W Pioneer integrated they performed remarkably well with the vinyl input.

 

[393699]

I plan to just upgrade headphones to a DT1990 or Amiron Home to pair with the R2R 11 in the next few weeks. I think it’s an amazing amp/dac, just not enjoying the combo with the HD6XX. I have only owned the HD6XX for a few weeks now and the sound just isn’t for me. Thanks again.

The Amiron Home will blow your doors off. It is an upgrade to the HD6XX in every way.

 

[sennsay]

The Amiron Home will blow your doors off. It is an upgrade to the HD6XX in every way.

They look nice, have great reviews too, but too many $$ for me at this time Maybe they are something to look forward too ..... or finally sell off the HD6xx!
I should get what I paid for them here. Unfortunately, I can't get to hear a pair of the Amiron Home's first, I'd have to buy blind.
Wotcha reckon, USAFPharm86, we're pretty much in the same boat here?
They are anywhere between $700 and $900 here in OZ, so pretty exy and I suspect we're kinda ripped off by the middle man. The HD6xx cost me just $279 all up, so the much more expensive Amiron Home would want to be a significant leap in SQ. I might just make my HD6xx work for me for now ...... or sell them and buy that new Elekit tube preamp I've been wanting for some time!

 

[sumpao]

I use to think I was a treble head until I owned the HD6XX and now I definitely prefer warmer headphones so NFB might not be the way for me to go then, looks like I need to invest in a Tube amp then.

I heard that you can jump the board to make sound warmer for NFB.
And I heard people say HD6xx have a warmer sound than 600

For me it is fine combo but the tremble is noticeable.

 

[Anaz]

Well I love my HD6XX and will change any amp/dac before I change these headphones.

I already think the HD6XX vocals are forward as is and for some songs (e.g. Norah Jones) vocals are bit too forward so doesn't sound like I would like the R2R11 pairing. Thanks for your feedback.

Yeah I am considering tube amp (Valhalla 2) or tube hybrid (Cavalli Tube Hybrid) at the moment.

The HD 6XX paired with R2R 11 didn’t sound that good (hollow mids and lack of detail throughout the sound spectrum) and I wondered why people thought the HD 6XX/650 was a great pair of headphones. Then I bought a MCTH. Wow, the 6XX driven by the MCTH blew me away. (Source was an RME ADI-2 DAC).

The R2R 11 pairs extremely well with the Hifiman Sundara and HE 560 if anyone is interested in those headphones.

 

[USAFPharm86]

Hello again. Just had a question on adding another amp by RCA to the R2R 11 in the future.

Currently when using my old Matrix m-stage or Magni amp by RCA/dac out, I have to change the volume on both the amp and the R2R 11 to get the right balance in sound. I have tried switching from variable to fixed with no solution.

If I upgrade the amp in the future, I would like to just use the amp volume knob to control the master volume. There must be something I’m missing, I probably need to do more research.

Thanks for the help.

 

[USAFPharm86]

The HD 6XX paired with R2R 11 didn’t sound that good (hollow mids and lack of detail throughout the sound spectrum) and I wondered why people thought the HD 6XX/650 was a great pair of headphones. Then I bought a MCTH. Wow, the 6XX driven by the MCTH blew me away. (Source was an RME ADI-2 DAC).

The R2R 11 pairs extremely well with the Hifiman Sundara and HE 560 if anyone is interested in those headphones.

Great to know the Hifiman Sundara pairs well with the R2R 11. Can I ask how you would describe the comfort? Also the sound with the R2R 11?

I own the Hifiman HE-400s and Hifiman He-500, both pair well with the R2R 11, just can’t use for more than an hour and I have to switch headphones. Also upgraded the pads to the ZMF Ori’s, but still get a hot spot on the top of my head.

Thanks.

 

[Anaz]

Hello again. Just had a question on adding another amp by RCA to the R2R 11 in the future.

Currently when using my old Matrix m-stage or Magni amp by RCA/dac out, I have to change the volume on both the amp and the R2R 11 to get the right balance in sound. I have tried switching from variable to fixed with no solution.

If I upgrade the amp in the future, I would like to just use the amp volume knob to control the master volume. There must be something I’m missing, I probably need to do more research.

Thanks for the help.

There is a “jumper” inside the R2R 11 to enable fixed line level output - by default, the switch at “fixed” is actually variable. See the R2R 11 user manual page on the Audio-gd website for how to change the jumper.

 

[USAFPharm86]

There is a “jumper” inside the R2R 11 to enable fixed line level output - by default, the switch at “fixed” is actually variable. See the R2R 11 user manual page on the Audio-gd website for how to change the jumper.

Thanks for this info. I’ll check the Audio GD website.

This may be a a dumb question, but if you open the R2R 11 will this void any warranty? Also, don’t even know if it has a warranty haha.

Thanks again.

 

[Anaz]

Great to know the Hifiman Sundara pairs well with the R2R 11. Can I ask how you would describe the comfort? Also the sound with the R2R 11?

I own the Hifiman HE-400s and Hifiman He-500, both pair well with the R2R 11, just can’t use for more than an hour and I have to switch headphones. Also upgraded the pads to the ZMF Ori’s, but still get a hot spot on the top of my head.

Thanks.

I think comfortwise the Sundara is on par with the older Hifiman headband style on the HE 560 which is that same as on your headphones (I’ve read initial complaints about the Sundara because the earpiece doesn’t rotate about the vertical axis but I think most get accustomed to the fit).

Regarding the hotspot you’re getting, it’s strange because I don’t recall many people saying that about Hifiman headphones because they’re relatively light. A couple of things to try:
- try to place the headband strap on the flat (front to back) part of your head because ithe strap has no front to back curvature
- extend the earpieces a little more to relieve the tension at the top of your head
- carefully bend the headband to adjust the pressure on your ears

I hope this helps.

 

[dlmorgan999]

Thanks for this info. I’ll check the Audio GD website.

This may be a a dumb question, but if you open the R2R 11 will this void any warranty? Also, don’t even know if it has a warranty haha.

Thanks again.

This page shows how to set the jumper. I presume that if they show you how to do this, and it requires opening the case, that there is no warranty issue but I can't say for sure. Also per the main page, all Audio-GD products have a 10-year warranty.

 

[Anaz]

Thanks for this info. I’ll check the Audio GD website.

This may be a a dumb question, but if you open the R2R 11 will this void any warranty? Also, don’t even know if it has a warranty haha.

Thanks again.

No I don’t think so because of the instructions to change the jumper.

by the way, my jumper was fixed in place at the default position with a couple of drops of glue so be patient when you first try to take it out. You can then use a piece of Bluetac to secure the jumper in place. (Hot, melted wax is good as well, but it hurts if you use your finger to put it over the jumper LOL)