[newworld666]

The 2nd and 3rd of these three amps of yours have power in the moderate range, similar to my Moon IHA-1, Woo WA6SE and A&K Kann Cube. Your experience seems to completely differ from that stated just now by Macedonian Hero and Headphone Guru. How to make sense of this?

I bought these 3 amps just to understand what would be noticeable as improvement between 1W et 6W headphones amps et Balanced or Unbalanced amp.
I am still imagining, that if after a few months using daily the heddphones with those amps (in different sitting places in my home or office), I can hear a real improvement with more power available amps or not, I will give a try to some TOTL amp like a Viva Egoista or Auris Audio Headonia which are both available for testing purposes not really far from where I live. And I will be able to try them with my personal Heddphone and DACs.

Maybe the benefit of more power avalible is also something concerned with the level people are listening to music .. and their resilience to bear background recording breath on old recordings ?.
I forgot to say that at my office I use an electrostatic Headphone (KS-01 + M10) which is really limited when I increase too much the volume (Distortion becomes really annoying in low frequencies).
But after 3 weeks using around 4 to 6 hours a day the Heddphones, my feeling is that they are not really impacted with the power available of the amp (in those tag of price and power, I don't know about TOTL amps). It seems I just loose some margin with some DSD with low level recordings for classical chamber music, but, listening is still very enjoyable in all cases till now.

So, around next September, I will evaluate if it's worth imagining spending some (lot) money in a TOTL amp, as I can afford it, but, I have learned in the last decades, that the best is to spend enough time to evaluate slowly by myself where it's worth to spend my money..

In conclusion, till now, as soon as there is enough power from the amp (at least 1W or more for sure) pleasure is really there with the Heddphone and I feel no real need of more power. With TOTL amp, it's really possible, regarding other people experience, that their enjoyment can be significantly improved with those amps, I just imagine it's probably due to other factors than just available power of the headphone amp.

 

[eimis]

I can't wear them throughout an album - headband hurts my head too much. I'm almost thinking how I could fix the whole headband fiasco myself. Maybe find a replacement headband for another headphone, one that could comfortably hold this much weight, and adapt it to these massive cups by 3d printing a couple of adapter parts...dunno

 

[armani006]

I can't wear them throughout an album - headband hurts my head too much

Same effect, thought to write this here or not.. but headband not only short, it also makes much pressure on sides of my head, after half an hour I feel headache and can't listen them anymore. Sold them also because of this reason. They sounds fantastic but because of this effect I cant enjoy them more than 30 mins. This is not acceptable by me. Headphones must be also comfortable. I couldn't adjust HEDDs to make less pressure cus they built solid, so buy this version, waiting for something more comfortable and tuning friendly..

 

[pataburd]

The HEDDphone create discomfort right where they bear upon the top of my skull.
Like a "chronic noogie".

. . . another minor peeve [now that we are commiserating]: the ear pads tend to peel off, and "unwrap" from around the edges of the driver housing, as if they are a tad short-sheeted. I have had to reattach the pads several times, but do not recall handling them roughly [which would disengage the pads].

So, noogies and spontaneously detached ear pads . . . still, a relatively small price to pay just to "hear them HORNS!"
[. . . smile . . . ouch! . . . smile . . . ouch! . . . smile . . .]

 

[pataburd]

Some Ennio Morricone for y'all (enjoy the monaural):



[Tidal Masters also has a great remaster/transfer of the original soundtrack to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ]

 

[mixman]

Same effect, thought to write this here or not.. but headband not only short, it also makes much pressure on sides of my head, after half an hour I feel headache and can't listen them anymore. Sold them also because of this reason. They sounds fantastic but because of this effect I cant enjoy them more than 30 mins. This is not acceptable by me. Headphones must be also comfortable. I couldn't adjust HEDDs to make less pressure cus they built solid, so buy this version, waiting for something more comfortable and tuning friendly..

I stretch my headband both physically and by putting on my CPU tower which loosens them up. They now have less clamping force to them. A bendable, lightweight, magnesium band like ZMF’s would have been nice but I am sure that would have increased costs somewhat.

 

[AudioPowerHead]

That goes with all TOTL headphones...at this territory to get the most out of their potential, it is about the full chain (amplification, DAC, source, cables, etc...). It isn't for the faint of heart.

Agree it's not for the faint-hearted. This hobby is highly addictive and damaging to the wallet. As one thing will lead to another and so on (the chain's synergy and the upgrades). There is no end to high end. However, it does move one closer to the land of audio nirvana.

 

[armani006]

I stretch my headband both physically and by putting on my CPU tower which loosens them up.

I didn't risk to do this )). I had fear to damage them, don't know how big is metal band's resistance..

 

[Uebelkraehe]

I stretch my headband both physically and by putting on my CPU tower which loosens them up. They now have less clamping force to them.

Can confirm, mine has become much more comfortable over time, too.

 

[fiiom11pro]

I agree with this. It is a matter of "getting used to it". After sometime of using it, my focal utopia seems like a cheap headphone on the feel after trying it once more. I'm now looking for the hugeness feel and sturdiness built of the HEDD.

 

[471724]

The Ultrasone Ed15 veritas is for one year, the best I could hear and compared in closed headphones

As a matter of curiosity (since I have been considering the Ultrasone Edition 15 open back), did you get the opportunity to compare the Veritas Edition 15 (closed back) with the open back version of the Edition 15?

 

[newworld666]

No ... as I needed a high end headphone for travel purpose, I only looked last year at closed back heaphones to replace the Z7M2.

Actually, for open back, I have more mind to use different technology with an electrostaic Kingsound KS-H4 + M10 in my office for 2 years now , and for home use, I just gave a try to heddphone instead of the Ultrasone ed15 open back..
For sure, I really hesitated with the Ultrasone ed15 open back (As the veritas edition is really enjoyable and I have no mind to change), but I followed the actual hype just to see and hear what could be that AMT technlolgy applied to an headphone for the next months.

 

[471724]

No ... as I needed a high end headphone for travel purpose, I only looked last year at closed back heaphones to replace the Z7M2.

Actually, for open back, I have more mind to use different technology with an electrostaic Kingsound KS-H4 + M10 in my office for 2 years now , and for home use, I just gave a try to heddphone instead of the Ultrasone ed15 open back..
For sure, I really hesitated with the Ultrasone ed15 open back (As the veritas edition is really enjoyable and I have no mind to change), but I followed the actual hype just to see and hear what could be that AMT technlolgy applied to an headphone for the next months.

Thanks. I'm also interested in the Focal Stellia. Have you been able to compare it with the Ultrasone Edition 15 Verite?

 

[mixman]

After going back and forth with Stephen Ruhl from HEDD, he insists that the HEDD does not need any additional burn in time. He says that they are tested and QA is done for them to make sure there are up to spec before leaving the factory.

 

[pataburd]

For me, it was at least 5-10 hours before the HEDD just started to come into their own.
They sounded thin and confined the first time through.