HE60 to STAX Amp Adaptor

[Dinan]

At the advice of some wise HE60 owners, I had a few of these HE60 to STAX amp adaptor cables made:

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I can't even begin to explain the massive improvement of HE60 running it off an SRM-717 over the HEV70. How Sennheiser could have packaged this amp with such a great headphone is beyond me. All my complaints with the HE60 were fixed....the top end is now silky smooth with no trace of brightness and enhanced detail, the mids are super detailed with perfect balance, transparency is awesome making them disappear, stage is improved, midbass is quick and has authority, bass is super tight with perfect definition and more extension.

It has by no means turned the HE60 into a bass machine but the bass is now livable. The HE60 has now been transformed from average to what I would consider the best can that I have heard for Classical and Jazz. It isn't bad on Rock or Pop but I would prefer more bass extension.

I have one extra adaptor available if anyone wants it for $164 delivered which hardly covers the cost of parts and labor to build it. PM me if you are interested. I made one for myself, one for another forum member, and one extra. I can't foresee making any more of these as it was a real PITA and wouldn't have been remotely worth the trouble if I didn't need one for myself.

Well worth the effort though and I would highly recommend that all HE60 owners get rid of their HEV70 and go to a real amp!

This has put my on the prowl for an Orpheus system...must have HE90.

 

[spritzer]

The Stax connector is out of absolute phase. Not a huge deal but should be noted.

 

[krmathis]

Nice! These adaptor cables seems to be in demand, so I doubt you will have any problems selling it.

 

[Dinan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Stax connector is out of absolute phase. Not a huge deal but should be noted.

Yes, and mine were built to the proper phase and left to right phase is also correct. We used an HE60 and Stax service manual to figure out the proper phase.

 

[spritzer]

Good to know.

 

[struts]

You have a PM

 

[Dinan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good to know.

It is very confusing as it is wrong in so many places and maybe right in one.

 

[spritzer]

Indeed but if the phase is the same on both channels then it isn't a big deal.

 

[Dinan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Indeed but if the phase is the same on both channels then it isn't a big deal.

This is very true BUT I would prefer that absolute phase is correct as some people claim to be able to hear absolute phase in a system.

I have been into high-end for 22 years and really can't tell absolute phase myself.

 

[Dinan]

BTW, The extra adaptors are all gone.

I got the parts here today to do something really crazy to the HE60's that I will post when I have done.

 

[boomana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dinan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I got the parts here today to do something really crazy to the HE60's that I will post when I have done.

If you want to get really radical with those HE60s, maybe try a better amp. Just saying.....

 

[Dinan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want to get really radical with those HE60s, maybe try a better amp. Just saying.....

That was the whole point of all this!

The SRM-717 flattens the HEV-70. I am going to give some of the custom amps a try at the next meet and will probably mod up the 717 in the meantime but for now it MORE than does the job for the HE60 on O2 I am using.