[Sonic Defender]

Last night it was Stevie Nick's crystal visions and days of Future past to start... I am in love....

Glad that you are enjoying the HEX2. Stevie Nick's voice must sound sublime with the HEX. What other gear is in your chain. Welcome to the smooth, but never boring world of the HEX2.

 

[conquerator2]

Glad that you are enjoying the HEX2. Stevie Nick's voice must sound sublime with the HEX. What other gear is in your chain. Welcome to the smooth, but never boring world of the HEX2.

It's still the R2R11. It's an incredibly rounded piece of kit, well suited for most types of headphones. Given the smoothness, it takes a little edge off things but not excessively so, so it still works reasonably well with the HEX.

 

[bagwell359]

Last night it was Stevie Nick's crystal visions and days of Future past to start... I am in love....

"Crystal" is an all time fav of mine on a lot of levels.

 

[dgindlespergerd]

Yes, landslide live is soooooo good

 

[conquerator2]

So, I sat down today with all the three headphones I currently own and proceeded on to compare them on a couple of my favorite tracks, dipping into other media as well.

The TLR takeaway is that the HEX has a beautifully soft, marshmallowy sound, with a nicely enveloping (sub) bass and some body to boot, but an overall presentation which might not be ideal for every single track or occasion.

To break this into a lot more detail, let's start with the bass. The HEX has a very tasteful sub-bass that sounds nicely potent but well integrated with the rest of the frequencies. It gets a little softer as we move higher up away from the sub where some of the softness of the sound takes away a bit of the punch in mid and high bass, but still preserving good weight overall. The degree of which this actually has effect is song dependent; songs where bass is focused lower sounds marvelous (including sub in movies and games as well!) whereas where a tighter, higher and punchier bass is needed the HEX stumbles a little. In comparison, the 4XX has a tighter, punchier response with less impressive sub-frequencies and overall weight. The CB-1 is pretty much all bass, all day, every day, as much as you want. It is not complete bass-head, but it is very tastefully tilted, with decent tightness and great heft.

Mids continue to be deliciously smooth with the EdX. instruments sound very inviting with a tiny bit of warmth to them, but very realistic feel as far as body and timbre goes. Instruments that rely on attack however, are softened to a degree (guitars, aux percussion are most obvious) and lose a bit of presence in the mix. Vocals either sound excellent (when mastered neutral - bright) or soft, lacking in plosives and syllables (when mastered dark). In general, bright mixes sound excellent, while dark mixes usually lose too much energy on the HEX. In comparison, the HE4XX and CB-1s have more energy across the mids but also sound less even. They both sound best with darker to warm-ish mixes and in general guitars and perc never lose energy; if anything, it can sometimes get overbearing.

The treble is very well done on the X IMO. I don't perceive any deficiencies that would strike me, and they can sound nice and airy when a recording has that. They do still impart some softness up there as well, so instruments that have harmonics into the highs and cymbals lose an additional bit of presence there. The 4XX and CB-1 are on the treble happy side in comparison and they have no problem extending high, with the HE4XX more so having a certain sheen to things which can be either a curse or a blessing, depending on recording.

In regards to soundstage, the EdX deviates a lot from the other two as far as it is portrayed. Whereas the 4XX and CB1 have decent width but lack depth and height, the X is the flip-side of that, somewhat limited in width but very deep and high. This either sounds great or not so great. In some songs I still get a fairly spacious, well-rounded experience while in songs that are recorded to sound intimate or just don't have much width, the image collapses inward to the center a bit. It is certainly a different experience from my two budget headphones, though so far I am not sure how I feel about it and I probably prefer more width over depth when all is set and done.

Separation of sounds is generally excellent on the HEX, save for those songs that don't have even panning distribution. The experience is generally very detailed but wholesome and showcases a lot of the strengths of the headphone; that is a very smooth, breathy and musical presentation that is very easy to enjoy. The HE4XX does reasonably well in separation and so do the CB1 but it is nowhere near as effortless or natural as the HEX.

Finally, the timbre of the HEX then is one of flow, naturalness and musicality. It is virtually impossible for the headphone to sound harsh and it can bring some gut to the bass too which makes it great for movies and games (getting used to the staging does take some time) as well. The HE4XX is mostly reference sounding, but has nowhere the smoothness or overall finesse of the HEX and can get bright and edgy. The CB1 has great grunt in the bass and brilliant focus in the treble, but can sound a bit splashy (not unlike the HE4XX) and nasal in the mids, with a bit of a V-curve to the presentation.

In terms of value, the HEX certainly brings something new to the table that neither of the other headphones have, though I find myself wishing it imagined closer to conventional headphones which might be my main issue with it, with the somewhat selective dynamics possibly tied to this in a way (being focused more inward than outward).

As things stand, I am still not quite sure whether the X stays or goes. I will continue to listen and will update you guys accordingly :]

UPDATE - soundstage shenanigans should be disregarded. Almost all my criticisms disappear by switching back to the stock cable... The details don't stand out as much anymore (more diffuse before) but the tonality is awesome!

UPDATE 2 -with the stock cable, it is almost like a different headphone. Bass now punches rather well, there are improved dynamics, the vocals have a tiny bit more edge to them too, but they're still nice and smooth... I think I learnt a big lesson about cables today and honestly, it almost made me sell the headphone because of that. Really glad I did not.

 

[conquerator2]

I've decided to put up a classified tomorrow. I think I could love the tonality enough to overcome the overall smoothness, but the way they do soundstage just doesn't jive well with me. Given I also wanted to use these for reference work, this poses an additional challenge I'd rather not deal with. I do hope they find a home full of love; I think they're deserving of that :]

EDIT - Lol. I decided to switch back to the stock cable, just to see it works okay (or a secret last ditch effort to see whether the cable wasn't goofing up the sound). Well, I like the headphone's staging a lot more listening to it now (I think there hasn't been a change though, maybe? The h-)... So, I guess I'll sleep on it some more

EDIT 2 -Yeah, definitely more dynamic. I think the aftermarket cable is fine, but copper really wasn't a great match, me thinks. Suits something like the 4XX a lot. The stock does shrink the soundstage a bit, so it is a lot less diffused now; the details also don't stand out as much... But in turn it now sounds a lot closer to what I'd expect and the tonality is a bit more extended up top as well. Yummy!

EDIT 3 - THIS HEADPHONE LEAVES ONLY OVER MY DEAD BODY NOW. No more sales. I am in <3*

* I take the right to redact any of this

 

[bagwell359]

Last night I put up my new HE6SE vs the HEX v2, and I was struck by how close the timbre from 200Hz-6000H was, other things were different, but that was interesting

Today at a meet I heard the E2 on the Rag 2 for about :30. It's in the HEX v2 mode. Except the bass is faster, deeper, and more tactile, but the highs are reticent for sure. It weighs about 2 oz - amazing. If I could sell my HEX v2 for $700, and snag an E2 for $1150, I'd do it. Nobody has said this, but I am expecting MrSpeakers to come out with an E2.1 to solve the treble issue. If they do, it would be a stone cold winner at the price.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Last night I put up my new HE6SE vs the HEX v2, and I was struck by how close the timbre from 200Hz-6000H was, other things were different, but that was interesting

Today at a meet I heard the E2 on the Rag 2 for about :30. It's in the HEX v2 mode. Except the bass is faster, deeper, and more tactile, but the highs are reticent for sure. It weighs about 2 oz - amazing. If I could sell my HEX v2 for $700, and snag an E2 for $1150, I'd do it. Nobody has said this, but I am expecting MrSpeakers to come out with an E2.1 to solve the treble issue. If they do, it would be a stone cold winner at the price.

Be careful, though, about the Ether 2. You need to listen to it for a longer amount of time to hear its shortcomings. It is very dynamically dead. That’s its main downfall. I’d take the HEX V2 over the Ether 2 all day, every day.

 

[bagwell359]

Be careful, though, about the Ether 2. You need to listen to it for a longer amount of time to hear it’s shortcomings. It is very dynamically dead. That’s its main downfall. I’d take the HEX V2 over the Ether 2 all day, every day.

You said that before. The Rag seemed like a good match. But after the 6SE I have to practice good husbandhood for awhile,

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

You said that before. The Rag seemed like a good match. But after the 6SE I have to practice good husbandhood for awhile,

Any more comparisons between the 6se and HEX? Also, is the 6se comfortable with the smaller round pads?

 

[bagwell359]

Any more comparisons between the 6se and HEX? Also, is the 6se comfortable with the smaller round pads?

The HE6SE is maybe 20 grams lighter then the HE-6, and more comfortable on top of that. I'm already using the MrSpeakers Ether Angled pads (1st and only mod so far) which are more comfortable than stock and sound better.

HEX v2 has more sub bass then the 6. Other people that heard the HE6SE v HE6 thought they were similar but I maintain the bass isn't nearly intense with the SE. The SE has that HFM treble, but it doesn't ring as much.

The SE seemed to be more dynamic in the upper mids vs the HEX v2 - partially due to stronger response in the overtones above.

I'm amazed the SE rivals the HEX v2 in cohesion. The HE-6 is v shaped, and the bass and treble are stark - almost at times an audible schythe. The SE is not a V headphone in any way I can tell, and the mids are no longer lost - hence cohesion.

 

[mixman]

Be careful, though, about the Ether 2. You need to listen to it for a longer amount of time to hear it’s shortcomings. It is very dynamically dead. That’s its main downfall. I’d take the HEX V2 over the Ether 2 all day, every day.

Not a fan of the Ether 2 either or Mr Speakers in general. They measure well but sound.....Meh. Maybe Dan Clark Audio will improve?

The HE6SE is maybe 20 grams lighter then the HE-6, and more comfortable on top of that. I'm already using the MrSpeakers Ether Angled pads (1st and only mod so far) which are more comfortable than stock and sound better.

HEX v2 has more sub bass then the 6. Other people that heard the HE6SE v HE6 thought they were similar but I maintain the bass isn't nearly intense with the SE. The SE has that HFM treble, but it doesn't ring as much.

The SE seemed to be more dynamic in the upper mids vs the HEX v2 - partially due to stronger response in the overtones above.

I'm amazed the SE rivals the HEX v2 in cohesion. The HE-6 is v shaped, and the bass and treble are stark - almost at times an audible schythe. The SE is not a V headphone in any way I can tell, and the mids are no longer lost - hence cohesion.

I would hope with the cost the HE6 SE does improve in most areas over the HEX? Also I would hope the SE with burn in improves the sub bass more since the HEX midbass is more it's strong suit over it's sub bass.

 

[bagwell359]

I would hope with the cost the HE6 SE does improve in most areas over the HEX? Also I would hope the SE with burn in improves the sub bass more since the HEX midbass is more it's strong suit over it's sub bass.

The HEX v2 and 6SE both started out at $1799, right? I paid $712 for the HEX and $699 for the 6SE.

I dunno, I actually like the HEX sub bass, because no can I have goes that deep.

 

[Sonic Defender]

The more I listen to the HEX2, and the more I read others impressions the more sure I am that I made a great call grabbing it. I had to pay fairly close to top dollar, but I managed to get a virtually new unit (the seller showed me the receipt as he had bought it new). My rationale was that it was a very well tuned, special signature that offered an engaging liquidity and effortlessness. As we have all noted, it comes at the expense of some dynamics, but even this trade-off at times is actually an advantage so for me, this eminently listenable signature is a keeper. I also believe that the HEX2 will be one of the better HiFiMan models in terms of holding value. I could be wrong, but it didn't seem to be produced for very long, and if I am correct in that impression the numbers out in the wild are modest which helps hold value.

I have a general good sense of what I respond to and enough experience now that just reading about the HEX2 suggested that it would fit well within the variety of signatures that I like. So with that in mind, and noting that I did not actually see a mint HEX2 come up used often, despite paying top dollar I had to take the chance. They say we regret the things in life that we don't do more than those we do and certainly where the HEX2 is concerned that is the case. I know the softened dynamics won't be everybody's cup of tea, but the overall tonality is certainly to my ear very positive. I find it more difficult to listen to overly dynamic headphones now as they feel like they are trying hard to render everything as much as possible.

There is a saying that I like, if everything is emphasized than nothing is emphasized. Using that as a metaphor I suggest the HEX2 works because it isn't trying to emphasize everything, or spotlight any one region at the expense of it's neighbours. The signature is cohesive, slightly euphoric and relaxing. I don't find it boring; however, I always listen to music rather loudly so maybe I find it more dynamic than someone who listens at moderate volume might. It will not punch you in the head with bass, but the bass is not without impact, it is just a more diffused sound field, but it is also very textured which is important to me. I think the rolled back dynamics allows for the fantastic imaging and separation.

Anyway, so many great headphones out there, and I would never want to have just the HEX2, I would always desire some very dynamic signature as well, but the HEX2 continues to earn my respect and headtime. I am sure over time as is always the case, something else will come along and unseat it for headtime dominance, that is the way of things, but for now I simply love what the HEX2 brings to my table.

 

[conquerator2]

The more I listen to the HEX2, and the more I read others impressions the more sure I am that I made a great call grabbing it. I had to pay fairly close to top dollar, but I managed to get a virtually new unit (the seller showed me the receipt as he had bought it new). My rationale was that it was a very well tuned, special signature that offered an engaging liquidity and effortlessness. As we have all noted, it comes at the expense of some dynamics, but even this trade-off at times is actually an advantage so for me, this eminently listenable signature is a keeper. I also believe that the HEX2 will be one of the better HiFiMan models in terms of holding value. I could be wrong, but it didn't seem to be produced for very long, and if I am correct in that impression the numbers out in the wild are modest which helps hold value.

I have a general good sense of what I respond to and enough experience now that just reading about the HEX2 suggested that it would fit well within the variety of signatures that I like. So with that in mind, and noting that I did not actually see a mint HEX2 come up used often, despite paying top dollar I had to take the chance. They say we regret the things in life that we don't do more than those we do and certainly where the HEX2 is concerned that is the case. I know the softened dynamics won't be everybody's cup of tea, but the overall tonality is certainly to my ear very positive. I find it more difficult to listen to overly dynamic headphones now as they feel like they are trying hard to render everything as much as possible.

There is a saying that I like, if everything is emphasized than nothing is emphasized. Using that as a metaphor I suggest the HEX2 works because it isn't trying to emphasize everything, or spotlight any one region at the expense of it's neighbours. The signature is cohesive, slightly euphoric and relaxing. I don't find it boring; however, I always listen to music rather loudly so maybe I find it more dynamic than someone who listens at moderate volume might. It will not punch you in the head with bass, but the bass is not without impact, it is just a more diffused sound field, but it is also very textured which is important to me. I think the rolled back dynamics allows for the fantastic imaging and separation.

Anyway, so many great headphones out there, and I would never want to have just the HEX2, I would always desire some very dynamic signature as well, but the HEX2 continues to earn my respect and headtime. I am sure over time as is always the case, something else will come along and unseat it for headtime dominance, that is the way of things, but for now I simply love what the HEX2 brings to my table.

I agree completely now, given the cable circumstances, it sounds much like what you say with the stock cable. It is a very special headphone, one that there aren't many quite like it if at all.

There have been lot of interesting headphones coming out lately both rich and cheap, so there are things to listen to for sure, though I snagged my pair at a great price so finding something that competences under a grand will likely prove difficult.

Anyway, it is a great main headphone for sure, and goes very well with a complementary, dynamic headphone.

For what it's worth, I am really glad I gave it a listen again yesterday, thanks for projecting such a great picture of these cans