[kenshinhimura]

i would do the hd700 for $325. heard it last year at NY meet with a hd800 and liked them both.

 

[Bill-P]

So I just got the Sonic Frontiers TransDAC (or it's also called the Assemblage DAC-1) via Craigslist... for $150. That's about "on par" with how much they usually go for. I think I have seen some go for $120-ish over the years, so fairly inexpensive. It uses a PCM1702 DAC chip, which is a ladder DAC that's all the rage these days.
 
Short version?
 
Grab 1 if you see it for sale, then buy a pair of OPA627 to replace the AD847 on the output stage. Total damage would probably be around around $200 at most.
 
You will NOT regret this decision. This is going to be the best $200 you have ever spent.
 
I almost thought nothing could best the Neko Audio in my audio chain, but this DAC is seriously making me think twice!

 

[cute]

I don't here sibilance with my HE-560, but I do hear a grainy/tizzy sound in the treble with a lot of vocals!  Is there a mod or something that will get rid of that?  I had the HE-560 several months ago when they were first out, and that was the reason I sold them.
 
Also, does anyone else have ear ringing after listening?

 

[Tony1110]

So I just got the Sonic Frontiers TransDAC (or it's also called the Assemblage DAC-1) via Craigslist... for $150. That's about "on par" with how much they usually go for. I think I have seen some go for $120-ish over the years, so fairly inexpensive. It uses a PCM1702 DAC chip, which is a ladder DAC that's all the rage these days.

Short version?

Grab 1 if you see it for sale, then buy a pair of OPA627 to replace the AD847 on the output stage. Total damage would probably be around around $200 at most.

You will NOT regret this decision. This is going to be the best $200 you have ever spent.

I almost thought nothing could best the Neko Audio in my audio chain, but this DAC is seriously making me think twice!

I searched eBay (UK) and found one listing for that DAC. £550 on the used market. Either you got a real bargain or the eBay seller is being very optimistic with his asking price.

 

[doctorjazz]

1)Sonic Frontiers went out of businesswas very well regarded when they were around in audiophile circles), I assume you have to find these somewhere like eBay, no? They were kits, but I assume the ones around now were already assembled.

I don't here sibilance with my HE-560, but I do hear a grainy/tizzy sound in the treble with a lot of vocals!  Is there a mod or something that will get rid of that?  I had the HE-560 several months ago when they were first out, and that was the reason I sold them.

Also, does anyone else have ear ringing after listening?

We're probably describing the same thing, my audio descriptions are not so precise, but, especially with records that are not such great quality recordings, that grain is there, to the point, as I said, I had to change to the FAD cans, and was able to enjoy the CD. I don't know if the mods will fix this, find it disappointing (a friend who has heard these and the400i much prefers the 400i). When the560's are good, they're great, but when they're not, they're really hard to listen to.

 

[Sonic Defender]

1)Sonic Frontiers went out of businesswas very well regarded when they were around in audiophile circles), I assume you have to find these somewhere like eBay, no? They were kits, but I assume the ones around now were already assembled.
We're probably describing the same thing, my audio descriptions are not so precise, but, especially with records that are not such great quality recordings, that grain is there, to the point, as I said, I had to change to the FAD cans, and was able to enjoy the CD. I don't know if the mods will fix this, find it disappointing (a friend who has heard these and the400i much prefers the 400i). When the560's are good, they're great, but when they're not, they're really hard to listen to.

The headphone is a constant, it can't change, the source and music changes. Headphones that sound good with a wider variety of material are likely to be rolled off in treble, or plumped up in the mids (or both) as warming usually helps make things sound well, warmer. We all have our preferences, and that is cool, but we need to be clear, the headphone is always the same correct, or am I missing something? I have some pretty edgy recordings, and they are always going to sound edgy, but it will be relative to the sound signature of the headphone. If I used my departed HD 650 I knew it would mellow the edge, my DT 880 might emphasis it.
 
For me, the 560 is well extended in both directions. Certainly there is a hint of crispness in the treble, but it is overall a very minor (to my ears anyway) crispness, and it is a risk reward thing. Risk if I play poorly recorded edgy material should I expect it to sound not that way? Nope, I know my material so I take the risk when I want (or I just use speakers and don't have the poor recordings right against my ears). Reward comes when I listen to good to excellent recorded material as the extended nature of the 560s will then be able to detail the texture and timbre very well as the micro details are allowed to be revealed.
 
I guess what I am saying, and it has been said by many in this thread, that you need to decide where your acceptable level of compromise is; because unless you are spending mega-bucks you will be making compromises plain and simple. Hell, even the mega-buck headphones have some compromises in their design and sound signature. The 560s seem to bring a significant portion of the flagship experience for quite a bit less money. Compromises such as they are, I'm pretty happy with the 560.

 

[taz23]

Hi all, I'm enjoying the HE-560 with Cayin C5 amp (800mW); it sounds great with depth and good separation. However, this is the best amp that I have, so I'm not sure if the HE-560 will improve with more powerful portable amp like the iBasso PB2 (up to 2.5W).

Anyone one uses both amps with the HE-560? I would love to hear some comments.

Many thanks!

 

[swspiers]

 
The headphone is a constant, it can't change, the source and music changes. Headphones that sound good with a wider variety of material are likely to be rolled off in treble, or plumped up in the mids (or both) as warming usually helps make things sound well, warmer. We all have our preferences, and that is cool, but we need to be clear, the headphone is always the same correct, or am I missing something? I have some pretty edgy recordings, and they are always going to sound edgy, but it will be relative to the sound signature of the headphone. If I used my departed HD 650 I knew it would mellow the edge, my DT 880 might emphasis it.
 
For me, the 560 is well extended in both directions. Certainly there is a hint of crispness in the treble, but it is overall a very minor (to my ears anyway) crispness, and it is a risk reward thing. Risk if I play poorly recorded edgy material should I expect it to sound not that way? Nope, I know my material so I take the risk when I want (or I just use speakers and don't have the poor recordings right against my ears). Reward comes when I listen to good to excellent recorded material as the extended nature of the 560s will then be able to detail the texture and timbre very well as the micro details are allowed to be revealed.
 
I guess what I am saying, and it has been said by many in this thread, that you need to decide where your acceptable level of compromise is; because unless you are spending mega-bucks you will be making compromises plain and simple. Hell, even the mega-buck headphones have some compromises in their design and sound signature. The 560s seem to bring a significant portion of the flagship experience for quite a bit less money. Compromises such as they are, I'm pretty happy with the 560.

I absolutely agree, and this is the major reason I passed on the 560's when I auditioned them, and went with the 400i instead.  At the time, I just wasn't willing to go through the growing pains I would have experienced.  The headphones don't magically change when I listen to great music.  The 560's are, IMO, very close to an end-game headphone.  Heck for me, they would be.  But I have learned over the past few years that end-game isn't the best option for the majority of my collection.  I now look at headphones as tools for a specific purpose, which is why I have the 400i's.

 

[doctorjazz]

I have the Cayin, but haven't used it for the560, usually at my computer and use Geek Out Special Edition. Also have used Ray Samuels HR-2 on occasion. Can compare those later when I finish work and ongoing Thanksgiving family stuff.
As for the grain/crispness, it is there, as I said, sometimes bothersome, sometimes don't notice it. I sometimes wonder if there is more unit to unit variability then we think there is...hey, mass produced things like cars can drive differently even though they are the same model and you'd expect them to be identical.

 

[doctorjazz]

Are the 400i more forgiving? That's the idea I get from DrBlue who auditioned both, bought the400i

 

[Ron12]

 
I don't here sibilance with my HE-560, but I do hear a grainy/tizzy sound in the treble with a lot of vocals!  Is there a mod or something that will get rid of that?  I had the HE-560 several months ago when they were first out, and that was the reason I sold them.
 
Also, does anyone else have ear ringing after listening?

 
Try different pads - I would suggest Hifiman velours but there may be other options out there. If you don't wanna pad-roll, buy a different headphone because I don't think you can mod the HE-560 to get completely rid of what you find disturbing about the headphone (I mean to be fully satisfied even after months of owning the headphone). Focuspad-A is more natural than FocusPad so if you absolutely must have these Hifiman hybrids, use FocusPad-A.
 
FocusPad as well as FocusPad-A sounded quite a bit grainy to me... I suspect there is something weird about what they do to the sound (FR but maybe to some other characteristic as well) because I have heard tons of velour, hybrid, pleather or leather pads that sounded more natural. Well, to give them some credit - I think they sounded more natural than LCD-2 rev1 pads but otherwise they are simply flawed IMHO.

 

[swspiers]

Are the 400i more forgiving? That's the idea I get from DrBlue who auditioned both, bought the400i

Oh yeah.  Way more forgiving, IME, but still detailed and versatile enough for audiophile jazz, classical, and when the time is right, the Ramones.  Not in the same league as the 560's in many ways, but closer than most headphones I have experience with.

 

[doctorjazz]

Hmmm...Light Harmonic had a great deal on the Geek Pulse and 401i, considered it but let it go, a bit sorry now

 

[mandrake50]

Hmmm...Light Harmonic had a great deal on the Geek Pulse and 401i, considered it but let it go, a bit sorry now

I bought into the Pulse and HE 560. At this point I am wondering if I did the right thing. Had I just bought them outright, I would have had them for a couple of weeks by now. LH "might" ship the 560 in December sometime... maybe.
The pulse is looking like maybe the first quarter of next year.
If one has lots of patience, and really wanted a Pulse, then perhaps it was a good deal. My money is gone and no end in sight...

 

[Bill-P]

  I don't here sibilance with my HE-560, but I do hear a grainy/tizzy sound in the treble with a lot of vocals!  Is there a mod or something that will get rid of that?  I had the HE-560 several months ago when they were first out, and that was the reason I sold them.
 
Also, does anyone else have ear ringing after listening?

 
A good R2R DAC does alleviate that issue significantly.
 
Both my Sonic Frontiers DAC and Neko DAC are both much less grainy/tizzy/sibilant than my Gamma2, and yet the Gamma 2 is darker. The other 2 DACs have much bigger soundstaging, much smoother sound, with much more air, and the Sonic Frontiers has better extended bass, too.
 
I get severe ringing after listening to the Gamma2, very minimal ringing after the Neko, and absolutely no ringing after the Sonic Frontiers.
 

I searched eBay (UK) and found one listing for that DAC. £550 on the used market. Either you got a real bargain or the eBay seller is being very optimistic with his asking price.

 
I think the eBay seller is being optimistic.
 
I have seen them pop up for sale at AudioGON, AudioMart, etc... for $125 - $200 over the years.
 
It is a very good DAC IMO. Even at $500, it's still a pretty good value, considering I think it can give the Neko a run for its money after a simple op-amp swap. I have more mods in mind, but for now, the OPA627 is 
 

Sonic Frontiers went out of businesswas very well regarded when they were around in audiophile circles), I assume you have to find these somewhere like eBay, no? They were kits, but I assume the ones around now were already assembled.

 
Yep. Pre-assembled. But still fairly mod-friendly from what I can see. At least the op amps are rollable, and they offer some insane improvements.