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Guys,
I'm going to Capital Audio Fest at the end of August. Taking my DAC/Pre/HP amp (Nuprime DAC 10H which I use as the brain/nerve center for my speaker system
http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/index.php/pages/the-team/home-audio-dacs/dac-10h.html).
I'm hoping to audition some of the big players with the DAC 10H. So, looking for that one set of good cans for my mains.
You guys have me intrigued by the HE-6 which previously wasn't even a thought for me. But a lot of you love it for metal. I found the following review on Inner Fidelity which is pretty critical I would say:
HiFiMAN HE-6 ($1199)
Description - These are full size, open, planar magnetic headphones at the top of the HiFiMAN line.
Pink Noise - Very even through bass and mids; slightly uneven and overall slightly accentuated treble with a moderate low to mid-treble peak (think: "shhh").
Bass Texture/Extension - Very good in both texture and extension with slight bloom to sound.
Bass Slam - Planar magnetic cans typically have the best bass as a class of all headphone types. I found the HE-6 to do quite well in bass slam, but the slight bloom and strong treble to somewhat hinder their ability to hit the low notes hard.
Midrange - I found it a bit difficult to focus on the mids with these cans because of the mildly accentuated treble. The mids are very good, but I couldn't quite get interested with the distraction.
Treble - I find the treble here not only a bit too emphasized, but also having a bit too much "tizz," which obscures the natural sound of cymbals and brushwork.
Dynamics - These are very punchy sounding cans, as planar magnetics tend to be, but unfortunately it seems to me that too much impact is coming from excess treble energy.
Imaging - These deliver a strong sense of space and depth, but image specificity (the ability to separate instruments in space) is not so good. The zazzy highs are simply preventing it.
In defense of the HE-6 would anyone be willing to offer a counter to the claims of accentuated tizzy mid-treble peak that hinder low end slam?
I'm guessing the treble translates well to a lot of extreme metal. But, I need cans that can do genres besides metal.
Thoughts?
Apprec
Mark
I disagree with his findings. I really can't speak to his test gear as far as the pairing goes. Though I have a hard time believing that the $10,000 Apex Pinnacle is at fault, his comments seem to align with some remarks I have read about the headphone when it is under powered. I did have some issues with mid-treble tizz on the HE-500 when I first got it, but Jerg's very clever Fuzzor mod cleans that up very nicely. Not sure if that's what he was hearing. (However, I will say, the HE-6 I tried was totally stock, and I didn't notice the same issue.)
Tyll likes his "Warm and yummy" sounding headphones, and that's okay, but I really can't agree with him on the "tizz and zazz" issue with the HE-6. Honestly, I think the HE-6 is the best headphone I've heard, top to bottom. The mids are probably the most elegant and romantic I've ever heard. The lows punch harder than just about anything (and somehow, miraculously don't invade on the other frequencies). And the treble is, to my ears, perfectly neutral and detailed in every way. The combination of clarity and emotion is quite unique.
Keep in mind, I only tried the HE-6 through the DNA Stratus (in the balanced K1K input). This headphone is extremely sensitive to amp pairing, so YMMV, big time. I have no idea how your NuPrime will fare with it. It seems to be a little short on overall power (2.6w/ch... 5w/ch is recommended), but without a good understanding of the actual topology, it's hard to say if (or how much) that will hinder it. It's really more about swinging large amounts of current than anything, which is why so many people prefer pairing the HE-6 with class-A designs.
On your very last point, I also tested the HE-6 with an array of non-metal stuff (at least Deadmau5, Pearl Jam and Rush... maybe some other stuff I don't remember), and it totally rocked with everything.