Custom IEM Review: Hidition NT-6 Pro – Clear & Precise Fun
Oct 8, 2014 at 5:42 PM Post #437 of 527
Just placed my order for the NT6 Pro! Now the wait begins...
For some reason, the dealer was nice enough to let me borrow his universal demo until mine is done and WOW :eek:  they are simply stunning! (with the Calyx M). Can't imagine how good the customs will be.


Wow, I would love to hear my nt6pros with the calyx m. Can you describe the sound a bit? I saw you also had the 901, could you compare the SQ and sound stage difference? I am hoping to finally hear the calyx m with my nt6pro at CANJAM this weekend, but cannot find anyone showing one there.
 
Oct 9, 2014 at 12:36 AM Post #439 of 527
Wow, I would love to hear my nt6pros with the calyx m. Can you describe the sound a bit? I saw you also had the 901, could you compare the SQ and sound stage difference? I am hoping to finally hear the calyx m with my nt6pro at CANJAM this weekend, but cannot find anyone showing one there.

Give me a few days :)
 
As for 901 (w/balanced amp) vs M, I sold my 901 way before the purchase of the M so I never got to compare them side by side. IIRC the 901 sounds more weighty and has more emphasis on the bass, although I don't find the bass lacking on the M though, and especially with the NT6 Pro. Soundstage-wise, I think the M may be a little wider but the difference isn't large. Detail extraction may be similar.
 
The M has very poor battery life even with easy-to-drive phones (only 4-5 hours with the Roxanne) so it could be even shorter with the NT6 Pro. Another consideration is that the UI is a laggy. I'd definitely wait until the firmware hits 1.0 (said to be coming in a few weeks).
 
I have pre-ordered a Geek Wave 64 and am hoping that it will be a good match for my NT6 Pro!
 
Oct 9, 2014 at 1:46 AM Post #440 of 527
Wow, I would love to hear my nt6pros with the calyx m. Can you describe the sound a bit? I saw you also had the 901, could you compare the SQ and sound stage difference? I am hoping to finally hear the calyx m with my nt6pro at CANJAM this weekend, but cannot find anyone showing one there.

Give me a few days :)

As for 901 (w/balanced amp) vs M, I sold my 901 way before the purchase of the M so I never got to compare them side by side. IIRC the 901 sounds more weighty and has more emphasis on the bass, although I don't find the bass lacking on the M though, and especially with the NT6 Pro. Soundstage-wise, I think the M may be a little wider but the difference isn't large. Detail extraction may be similar.

The M has very poor battery life even with easy-to-drive phones (only 4-5 hours with the Roxanne) so it could be even shorter with the NT6 Pro. Another consideration is that the UI is a laggy. I'd definitely wait until the firmware hits 1.0 (said to be coming in a few weeks).

I have pre-ordered a Geek Wave 64 and am hoping that it will be a good match for my NT6 Pro!


The nt6 pro does have a way of draining batteries quickly, even more than some full sized, but it is worth it for the sound. I have high hopes for the wave 64 as well. After hearing a friends go1000 with my nt6 pros, I ended up buying the go720 even though I could use another dac/amp like I could use another hole in my head - but I loved the sound and like how it changed the nt6pro signature. Ism going to CANJAM this weekend and really hope that lh has a wave 64 prototype floating around.

I keep thinking about getting a 901 but cannot get past its looks or its up, but will finally get to hear one this weekend to decide its merits for myself. Why did you sell yours?
 
Oct 9, 2014 at 9:05 AM Post #441 of 527
The nt6 pro does have a way of draining batteries quickly, even more than some full sized, but it is worth it for the sound. I have high hopes for the wave 64 as well. After hearing a friends go1000 with my nt6 pros, I ended up buying the go720 even though I could use another dac/amp like I could use another hole in my head - but I loved the sound and like how it changed the nt6pro signature. Ism going to CANJAM this weekend and really hope that lh has a wave 64 prototype floating around.

I keep thinking about getting a 901 but cannot get past its looks or its up, but will finally get to hear one this weekend to decide its merits for myself. Why did you sell yours?

 
Mainly because of unstable firmware/hardware.. mine kept freezing for no reason. Anyway, don't get the 901 since HIFIMAN are going to release a slightly improved version (the 901s) which features faster boot time, better scroll wheel etc.
 
Have you tried the Geek Out 100 with your NT6pros?
 
Oct 9, 2014 at 11:00 AM Post #442 of 527
The nt6 pro does have a way of draining batteries quickly, even more than some full sized, but it is worth it for the sound. I have high hopes for the wave 64 as well. After hearing a friends go1000 with my nt6 pros, I ended up buying the go720 even though I could use another dac/amp like I could use another hole in my head - but I loved the sound and like how it changed the nt6pro signature. Ism going to CANJAM this weekend and really hope that lh has a wave 64 prototype floating around.


I keep thinking about getting a 901 but cannot get past its looks or its up, but will finally get to hear one this weekend to decide its merits for myself. Why did you sell yours?


Mainly because of unstable firmware/hardware.. mine kept freezing for no reason. Anyway, don't get the 901 since HIFIMAN are going to release a slightly improved version (the 901s) which features faster boot time, better scroll wheel etc.

Have you tried the Geek Out 100 with your NT6pros?


Just heard my friend's go1000 and my new go720. They may be overkill, but sound wonderful, plus drive my lcd2 and hd700s nicely. This was just a stop gap in my wait to hear the wave, but couldn't resist when I saw it for sale. What I like is the way they totally change the nt6pro signature to a warmer thicker tube like sound for variety. Was eying the se5, but the new signature sounds liked a se5 description.
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 2:15 AM Post #444 of 527
@Barra I have read your impressions of the AK DAPs at RMAF 2014. Do you think the difference in SQ between the 120II and the 100II is very noticeable with the NT6 Pro?
 
I still haven't got the time to try the AK's myself..
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 12:33 PM Post #445 of 527
  @Barra I have read your impressions of the AK DAPs at RMAF 2014. Do you think the difference in SQ between the 120II and the 100II is very noticeable with the NT6 Pro?
 
I still haven't got the time to try the AK's myself..

Anyone can split hairs and claim to hear differences between even two identical DAPs. But there is a point of good enough for me where others might want to pay double for that extra half percent in SQ. For me the move between the AK100 II and the AK120 II was just that when using my NT6pro. Having the same exact signature, the only difference is the AMP which make the 120 slightly more lush and effortless which amounted to turning up the 100 II a little more to get the same sound. So using the NT6pro exclusively, I can not justify the upgrade. Please keep in mind that the jump in SQ between my current X5 and the AK100 II was significant enough that it would take time to acclimate to the improved sound to slit hairs further. In addition, I didn't have a way to test balanced with my NT6pros which could possibly have made a difference where the second DAC and greater power come into play. I should have asked as they were displaying a wide selection of Crystal cable configurations for the AK lineup. But I doubt I would ever bother getting a balanced cable for the NT6pro given a few reports that it didn't make a significant difference for those that have tried with other DAPs. So I would have to be in a situation to hear it first or just have money to burn.
 
Being a Audeze fan and the X being my favorite headphone ever - and now the XC after hearing it at CANJAM - there is a more significant difference when using that can in balanced mode. The AK120 II pairing with the LCD-XC balanced is a match made in heaven and an end game setup for me. I will eventually upgrade my LCD2 and might consider the upgrade at that time. However, again, the XC sounds incredible with the 100 II as well so it is only a few percentage point in SQ here as well. But at least here it is more noticeable. In splitting hairs, I hear more dynamics in the XC at lower volumes where I normally listen with the more powerful AK120 II. Knowing myself, I will be happy with the AK100 II even with the XC saying good enough knowing in a few months something even better in a DAP will jump out on the market. That way I feel less locked in and able to jump on the next greatest thing if I can hear a difference.
 
Hope that helps.
 
Oct 16, 2014 at 12:41 PM Post #446 of 527
 
they totally change the nt6pro signature to a warmer thicker tube like sound for variety.

 
Oh dear! If that's what the Geek Wave XD 128 is going to sound like, then that's going to be a deal breaker for me. :frowning2:

I never made it upstairs to meet Larry at CANJAM, but my tube like description set off bells at the LH Labs table in CANJAM with the staff telling me that Larry is a tube nut with lots of tubes all over their facilities. It seems that a tube sound was one of Larry's goals in creating all his products. However, I should point out that the signature changed quite a bit with the last firmware upgrade to be fairly close to the HUGO sound that - I guess you don't like as well. I guess my point is that the sound seems to be changing, but at CANJAM, I did hear some of the coldest tubes I have ever heard. So you never know.
 
As I mentioned in the CANJAM thread, I see why you didn't like the balanced 901 matchup with the NT6pro as it was the thickest pairing I have heard. But again, the music selection was horrible and I didn't get to hear my own selection on it having forgotten a SD converter card. But I could never live with the usability issues and thought the AK100 II sounded much better.
 
Oct 21, 2014 at 4:19 PM Post #448 of 527
I feel your pain malifact as I wasn't able to hear a demo either. AJ, may be able to help you out with a comparison, but I am convinced that it is the 5-way design that gives the NT6pro its stellar and very unique capabilities. Until lately, only the NT6pro and the SE5 share the 5-way design with both topping both AJ and Tupac's lists. I had to take a leap of faith based on AJ's reviews.
 
In retrospect, I am happy to say that my NT6pro makes all the IEMs and some of the CIEMs I have tried sound like toys. Also unique to the NT6pro is its ability to keep scaling higher were a lot of the other TOTL CIEMs I have listened to seem to top out early. Listening to the NT6pro plugged into the new Rag/Ygg Schiit stack at CANJAM this year took me to a new level of audio bliss.
 
Oct 21, 2014 at 4:33 PM Post #449 of 527
  So I'm trying to decide between the NT-6 PRO and another CIEM for my next purchase.  Since I can't demo the NT-6 PRO, is there a universal IEM it has a similar sound to?  Thanks.

 
When I was in a headphone store in Taiwan, they had a universal NT-6 Pro demo. It sounded almost the exact same as my custom NT-6 Pro other than my custom having slightly better soundstage than the universal demo.
 
I would try emailing Hidition to see if they could send you a demo to try out!
 
But if you do end up getting the NT-6 Pro I can almost guarantee you will love it. But to get the best out of them you really do need a good source and amp because they do scale quite a bit.
 
Oct 28, 2014 at 9:10 AM Post #450 of 527
My NT6 Pro's have arrived!
Mine is noticeably better in terms of soundstaging and has more bass quantity probably due to a much better seal. Other than those they too sound pretty much the same to me. The universal demo was a little too large for my ears so the fit wasn't really ideal.
 
I'll post some pictures tomorrow.
 
Quote:
   
When I was in a headphone store in Taiwan, they had a universal NT-6 Pro demo. It sounded almost the exact same as my custom NT-6 Pro other than my custom having slightly better soundstage than the universal demo.
 
[snip]

 

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