[MayorDomino]

yes, everything is fine just one of the bars has broken like that somehow

 

[LugBug1]

^^^ not sure how that could have happened without a knock of some sort..? Maybe get in touch with Hifiman.

I'm getting closer to selling off my HD800. I keep them because I tell myself you'll regret it! I then spend a night with them and I'm wowed again. Wowed by the soundstage and imaging. Spend a second night with them and then I'm itching for a more control, speed and natural sound. (arguable it may be my amps/sources - but I've tried approx 30 amps etc on these)

Thing that gets me, and this not a negative against the reviewer in question as I highly respect his opinion and have done so as long as I've been on here; but it does question what some highly respected reviewers base their objectivity on. The treble of the HEX is slightly rolled off at the very top - HD600 style. The HD800 is famously etched at the very top. I've never thought this as a negative - but neither have I for a moment thought it was natural or neutral. These (HEX) have been classed as upper mid-fi because they lack the upper extension of the very best.... Which obviously includes the HD800. (and S)

Hmmm...

Most serious audiophiles know that colour is not a high end attribute. The HD800 are a coloured headphone - I've Ioved them for years - but they are, and there's no getting away from this; they dip in the lower treble and highlight the top thus creating an airy sound (but often fatiguing sound). The HEX on the other foot is as neutral a headphone as I've heard (with the exception of the slight low bass emphasis). They seem to be flat as pancake to my ears. The amount of information that is missed with the HD800 in comparison (but is unnaturally highlighted from 6-8k) is quite a margin. The HD600 on the third hand have a very slight lower treble etch that can sound unnatural tyll you get used to it.

Just mentioning this as I think a lot of headfiers can be easily swayed by certain reviewers. I also wished they had tried them on something else than a Samsung phone... I own an S6 and they sound fantastic. But NOT $1500 fantastic! These like any other high end headphone require a serious source. I'm not going to be as bold as to state what can be classed as a serious source, but I do know that a Samsung phone is not. It's a great review! Just not a reflection of what this headphone is capable of as far as I'm concerned. I realise reviewers only have limited time etc and will no doubt deal with the info best they can about the efficiency, style, objectives etc in short notice. But my point is simply about what is classed as "high end" I personally don't think that highlighted treble is or should classed as an attribute. This is nothing less than colour. Now a headphone with the original price tag of the HEX should have been treated with everything else that comes with "high end". I personally would have/and have treated it as such. I've spent a lot of hard earned money on it. My lowly unprofessional review took onboard the efficiency as to what it is; either a bonus or a minus - a minus only if all you own are amps with ferrari engines (joke). The HEX are the future of high end as far I'm concerned. They're incredibly efficient for a planar design. Remarkably so.

My advice to anyone looking to desktop amp these, is to find a quality dac with built in amp (built in amps mean you don't have to go through a dac's analogue stage to go into another analogue stage. Keep the signal as pure as poss. These headphones are very rewarding without any added - anything.

Rant over (sorry Tyll love you x )

 

[User00]

Does anyone know where I could demo an edition x in denver colorado? I'm here visiting family and wanted to try out some high end stuff since there's nowhere to try out these things where I live. Thanks.

 

[grrorr76]

I have had my edition x v2's for a week now I am absolutely loving them. I have a balanced lead on order, Can anyone tell me how bigger difference these run in balanced as opposed to single ended? I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

[arielext]

Though I don't have a balanced set-up I don't expect much improvement if any due to the sensitivity of the phones. HE1k is another story though.

 

[doraymon]

I have had my edition x v2's for a week now I am absolutely loving them. I have a balanced lead on order, Can anyone tell me how bigger difference these run in balanced as opposed to single ended? I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

I asked myself the same question and found THIS interesting article.
Especially the following quite:
"This means that the two-wire transducers used in headphones always see fully-balanced current. It also means that the headphone drivers are completely ignorant of the difference between single-ended and balanced-drive voltages.

Let me spell this out again: Headphone transducers are balanced devices. They have two wires. The electrons that flow into one wire must flow out of the other. The current is always balanced. The headphone transducers cannot detect the difference between a single-ended drive and a voltage-balanced drive. The system is balanced with either type of voltage drive."

 

[punit]

I have had my edition x v2's for a week now I am absolutely loving them. I have a balanced lead on order, Can anyone tell me how bigger difference these run in balanced as opposed to single ended? I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

It depends on your amp. There is no general rule for this. If your amps balanced section is better implemented than the SE section then you will hear an improvement.But also keep in mind to volume match when comparing, generally the Balanced out tends to have more gain & this may give an illusion of improved sound.

 

[grrorr76]

It depends on your amp. There is no general rule for this. If your amps balanced section is better implemented than the SE section then you will hear an improvement.But also keep in mind to volume match when comparing, generally the Balanced out tends to have more gain & this may give an illusion of improved sound.

I have the Schiit Mjolnir . The balanced section sounds fantastic

 

[sahmen]

I have had my edition x v2's for a week now I am absolutely loving them. I have a balanced lead on order, Can anyone tell me how bigger difference these run in balanced as opposed to single ended? I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

It also depends on the cable you're using. I remember the first day I got my Edition X V2, and replaced the stock cable which only comes in single-ended form with my Sennheiser Hd 700's 4-pin balanced cable. The difference, as manifested via my GO2PROSE via its balanced connection, was immediately noticeable and far from subtle. Suffice it to say that I have not looked back since then, and the stock He-Xv2 stock cable has found its way into the "dustbin" of my forgotten cables on a permanent basis, as it is now replaced by more than two aftermarket cables, which are all 4-pin balanced. I positively felt, afterwards, that going back to using the stock single-ended cable would represent an egregious disservice to this pair of magnificent cans. I have no expertise to discuss the theoretical intricacies of what "balanced" and "unbalanced" does for this cable from the perspective of an electrical engineer. This is from my direct concrete experimentation.

What is cool is that you can verify this for yourself, by trying your unit on a balanced headphone amp, using balanced cables, and you can judge the results for yourself. And may you gain the sae enlightenment I gained and even more enjoyment for your efforts.

 

[grrorr76]

It also depends on the cable you're using. I remember the first day I got my Edition X V2, and replaced the stock cable which only comes in single-ended form with my Sennheiser Hd 700's 4-pin balanced cable. The difference, as manifested via my GO2PROSE via its balanced connection, was immediately noticeable and far from subtle. Suffice it to say that I have not looked back since then, and the stock He-Xv2 stock cable has found its way into the "dustbin" of my forgotten cables on a permanent basis, as it is now replaced by more than two aftermarket cables, which are all 4-pin balanced. I positively felt, afterwards, that going back to using the stock single-ended cable would represent an egregious disservice to this pair of magnificent cans. I have no expertise to discuss the theoretical intricacies of what "balanced" and "unbalanced" does for this cable from the perspective of an electrical engineer. This is from my direct concrete experimentation.

What is cool is that you can verify this for yourself, by trying your unit on a balanced headphone amp, using balanced cables, and you can judge the results for yourself. And may you gain the sae enlightenment I gained and even more enjoyment for your efforts.

I have ordered a none audio silver cable with 4 pin XLR for my edition x v2's . The stock cable is very weird. It sounds very good but I expect the upgrade should be magnificent .

 

[boxxi]

I have had my edition x v2's for a week now I am absolutely loving them. I have a balanced lead on order, Can anyone tell me how bigger difference these run in balanced as opposed to single ended? I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

That is a very generic question. If you want more detailed answers, you have to provide more context- What is your setup? Bal or SE may or may not matter based on gear. IMO cables make little/subtle differences but amps have a much larger impact.

 

[wmedrz]

Out of opus 2, 3, x7ii, dx200, plenue r these sound meh. Out of a proper amp they sound damn good. I had much the same experience with LCD x and other so called efficient open planars and Dynamics. I am now creating my own club called headfiers against using full sized headphones with daps, portable players and amps. Come join my club and bask in the glory of moar powaa. Let us protest "portable players are for iem$!!!"

I didn't know these were so efficient when I grabbed them. Then I thunks to myself why would anyone need efficient open portable cans with a headband that looks like a special needs head harness. Are people driving their car with these things on? Going to the store? Picking their kids up? "Dad what the hell not again you're embarrassing me!" Picking the crap up after their dogs? Working out?

Forget how strange one looks - what about the outside noise? Then I thunks, ok it's for those people who want to move from room to room while keeping their cans on. So I tried it. But when I went to the bathroom I could hear myself peeing and had to turn the sound up real loud....

And I keep reading about "energetic" and "sparkly" which to me started to translate to "hey, everytime you hear a cymbal or a word starting with the letter S it's going to painfully Pierce your eardrum! Fun!"

On the upside I can finally listen to U2 with these! Ohh the sweetest thing baby's got blue skies up ahead indeed.

Only thing, I feel these are going to depreciate crazy in price just like the 560s did.

 

[LugBug1]

Out of opus 2, 3, x7ii, dx200, plenue r these sound meh. Out of a proper amp they sound damn good. I had much the same experience with LCD x and other so called efficient open planars and Dynamics. I am now creating my own club called headfiers against using full sized headphones with daps, portable players and amps. Come join my club and bask in the glory of moar powaa. Let us protest "portable players are for iem$!!!"

I didn't know these were so efficient when I grabbed them. Then I thunks to myself why would anyone need efficient open portable cans with a headband that looks like a special needs head harness. Are people driving their car with these things on? Going to the store? Picking their kids up? "Dad what the hell not again you're embarrassing me!" Picking the crap up after their dogs? Working out?

Forget how strange one looks - what about the outside noise? Then I thunks, ok it's for those people who want to move from room to room while keeping their cans on. So I tried it. But when I went to the bathroom I could hear myself peeing and had to turn the sound up real loud....

And I keep reading about "energetic" and "sparkly" which to me started to translate to "hey, everytime you hear a cymbal or a word starting with the letter S it's going to painfully Pierce your eardrum! Fun!"

On the upside I can finally listen to U2 with these! Ohh the sweetest thing baby's got blue skies up ahead indeed.

Only thing, I feel these are going to depreciate crazy in price just like the 560s did.

haha that made me laugh

Pleased you're enjoying them. Actually the price has gone up since I bought mine here in the uk - I paid £1099 they are now £1299! :O I blame brexit.... ha

 

[Hedonism]

Out of opus 2, 3, x7ii, dx200, plenue r these sound meh. Out of a proper amp they sound damn good. I had much the same experience with LCD x and other so called efficient open planars and Dynamics. I am now creating my own club called headfiers against using full sized headphones with daps, portable players and amps. Come join my club and bask in the glory of moar powaa. Let us protest "portable players are for iem$!!!"

I didn't know these were so efficient when I grabbed them. Then I thunks to myself why would anyone need efficient open portable cans with a headband that looks like a special needs head harness. Are people driving their car with these things on? Going to the store? Picking their kids up? "Dad what the hell not again you're embarrassing me!" Picking the crap up after their dogs? Working out?

Forget how strange one looks - what about the outside noise? Then I thunks, ok it's for those people who want to move from room to room while keeping their cans on. So I tried it. But when I went to the bathroom I could hear myself peeing and had to turn the sound up real loud....

And I keep reading about "energetic" and "sparkly" which to me started to translate to "hey, everytime you hear a cymbal or a word starting with the letter S it's going to painfully Pierce your eardrum! Fun!"

On the upside I can finally listen to U2 with these! Ohh the sweetest thing baby's got blue skies up ahead indeed.

Only thing, I feel these are going to depreciate crazy in price just like the 560s did.

What amp did you use? And yes, the headphones look quite goofy on head hahaha, the new sundara looks much better in that regard

 

[wmedrz]

What amp did you use? And yes, the headphones look quite goofy on head hahaha, the new sundara looks much better in that regard

Is the Sundara out already? I tried three amps, M9, Lake People V220, and some large Fiio desktop amp - not sure the name. The Fiio and V220 I didn't A/B but confident they sounded better, but I did A/B with the M9 and it sounded much better.