[Stillhart]

   
Well, stuffs. 

 
I'd release details, but it would only apply to my specific pair of LCD-2 due to some variance in tonality and frequency response between different LCD-2 units, and also channel imbalance (my pair is 3-5dB louder on the left versus the right, and I've also measured that). I guess I just got lucky, and mine is... well, I'd say "somewhat" better than the average LCD-2. Innerfidelity also has some data on this... where a bunch of LCD-2 units were measured and almost all of them are different, and they may even sound different.
 
And right now, I wouldn't say it's better than the modded HE-560 decidedly. It's just better for my taste and the music I listen to. Note: I care more about vocals than any other range, then bass comes second, details are next, and treble + airiness + soundstage are dead last, so that should give you an idea.

I think he was asking what mods you do to the HE-560 (since this is the 560 thread, after all).  It sounds like your mods aren't the same as the Jerg mods.  Care to elaborate?  Or have you posted them already and I just need to flex my search-fu?

 

[Bill-P]

  I think he was asking what mods you do to the HE-560 (since this is the 560 thread, after all).  It sounds like your mods aren't the same as the Jerg mods.  Care to elaborate?  Or have you posted them already and I just need to flex my search-fu?

Oh, my bad.
 
Well, I haven't released details yet. Will send the modded pair back for some actual measurements before releasing details.
 
I'm not a number nazi, but I like to have some numbers to either back up my sanity, or prove my insanity.
 
I personally feel the modded HE-560 sounds very different compared to stock, but it may just be my expectation bias, so... hence the measurements.
 
Will hopefully have more details after next week. I do plan on releasing the mods I've done for the HE-560 after all. And... yeah, I took some ideas from Jerg's mods, and then I did a few things differently. Jerg's mods do wondrous to improve the HE-560, but I felt like exploring a bit more.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I am in full agreement with SD here, my speaker taps work very well with my 560's, though like Drjazz, I don't want to be tied to my office system. So my "portable" reference system is and iFi iDSD Nano strapped to an Apex Glacier and Grado PS6500e's, soon to add Alclair's RSM CIEM. Both are wonderfully musical, love them both.

Long time no hear from. How have you been? I've been buying toys lately (foolish use of work bonus, but it was a bonus so ...) I've got a pair of ZMF x Vibros coming with nice balanced cable, just picked up the very fun and engaging sounding Sony MDR 1A as well as a Sony DAP, the A17. The two Sony's were pretty damn good deals. A girlfriend was selling off Christmas gifts from her ex, both unopened! I know in the US these prices might sound high, but here they are decent. Paid $225 for the DAP (probably could have been cheesy and gotten it for $200) and the headphones were $200. In stores here on top of full retail prices, both $300 I would have had to pay 13% sales tax so a decent savings. I'll likely flip the MDR 1A out in about 6 months, but it is a really nice looking and sounding headphone. Not sure about the ZMF, unless it sucks I'll keep it at least a year.

 

[mandrake50]

 
That is quite the turn from a few months ago when you were saying the modded 560 was as good as it can get almost. What gives? I'm having a hard time keeping up with you.

+1
 
I heard Bill say the 560 was real close to end game...??

 

[cs098]

 
+1
 
I heard Bill say the 560 was real close to end game...??

Bill prefers the stock 560 (let alone modded) to the stock lcd 2, but he managed to mod the lcd 2 and even though it;s not necessarily better than the 560, he prefers the modded lcd 2 in a few areas to his modded 560s. Which is why he sold the hifimans.
 
Anyways I'm interested in bill's mods, simply because he said it far less time, and (hopefully) it's a bit less risky.

 

[olegausany]

I am in full agreement with SD here, my speaker taps work very well with my 560's, though like Drjazz, I don't want to be tied to my office system. So my "portable" reference system is and iFi iDSD Nano strapped to an Apex Glacier and Grado PS6500e's, soon to add Alclair's RSM CIEM. Both are wonderfully musical, love them both.

Long time no hear from. How have you been? I've been buying toys lately (foolish use of work bonus, but it was a bonus so ...) I've got a pair of ZMF x Vibros coming with nice balanced cable, just picked up the very fun and engaging sounding Sony MDR 1A as well as a Sony DAP, the A17. The two Sony's were pretty damn good deals. A girlfriend was selling off Christmas gifts from her ex, both unopened! I know in the US these prices might sound high, but here they are decent. Paid $225 for the DAP (probably could have been cheesy and gotten it for $200) and the headphones were $200. In stores here on top of full retail prices, both $300 I would have had to pay 13% sales tax so a decent savings. I'll likely flip the MDR 1A out in about 6 months, but it is a really nice looking and sounding headphone. Not sure about the ZMF, unless it sucks I'll keep it at least a year.

If you like Alpha Dogs you should like Xbox vibro unless he made new changes after recent NYC meet which I'm not aware about

 

[Sonic Defender]

If you like Alpha Dogs you should like Xbox vibro unless he made new changes after recent NYC meet which I'm not aware about

I have never hear any closed planar designs, but I have read quite a few threads and felt that if I wanted a new quality closed headphone, the ZMF was right up there. I am lucky in that the former owner lives close to Zach who builds the ZMF line and it was just recently upgraded to the newest specs so I should be in for a treat. likely it will arrive round Friday.

 

[Bill-P]

  +1
 
I heard Bill say the 560 was real close to end game...??

 
Modded HE-560 is close to end-game.
 
Modded LCD-2 is pretty much the other spectrum of that "close to end-game".
 

 (so they are kinda very comparable)
 
Both headphones are at the threshold of what I'd consider "okay" for me to listen to long-term. Something like the SR-009 and HD800 is more impressive on first demo, but wears me out fast thanks to the extra brightness. Plus neither of them has enough impact. If I were to get the 009, I'd have to amp it pretty hardcore to tame the brightness.
 
If I didn't know how to mod, or didn't want to bother, I'd easily take stock HE-560 over LCD-2 any day. In fact, if I knew modding the LCD-2 was more tedious, and required me to take measurements more often, I'd have just gone with the HE-560.
 

  Bill prefers the stock 560 (let alone modded) to the stock lcd 2, but he managed to mod the lcd 2 and even though it;s not necessarily better than the 560, he prefers the modded lcd 2 in a few areas to his modded 560s. Which is why he sold the hifimans.
 
Anyways I'm interested in bill's mods, simply because he said it far less time, and (hopefully) it's a bit less risky.

 
Fun fact: I didn't sell the HE-560 because of the LCD-2. In fact, I only got the LCD-2 due to pure dumb luck and curiosity way after I pushed the HE-560 away. Main reason: I'm traveling in the summer, so it doesn't make much sense to carry along the HE-560 and expose it to the extra humidity and dust. But I didn't want to leave it at home anyway. I tore down most of my portable rigs.
 
Then I got the LCD-2 at a good price, and... well, why not, right? It was mostly out of curiosity. I may even sell the LCD-2 at some point because... well, they are more a compulsive buy, and still not quite end-game... yet. Unless I discover something new.
 
Meanwhile, the HE-560's mod is pretty much complete IMO, and it does sound very very good. Whether it is different from stock is what I'm trying to find out before I release it. 

 

[money4me247]

shlda modded the lcd-3 or lcd-2 bill-p =P

 

[Exacoustatowner]

 I was just at a live Symphony performance (2nd this year).  Then I came home and popped on my HE-560. All I can say is that I was NOT let down by the headphones!

 

[nos024]

80 hours burn-in on the HE-560.  So far the sound has not change by much, except I feel like it "sounds louder" at the same volume setting.  I was listening to a recording of She's the One by James Brown, and oh man, it was fantastic.  It felt like I was in the room with the performance.  I turned around a few times to check if the music was coming from each sides of me.
 
I've only tried the headphones with the Xonar Essence STX II.  I will hook it up to my DacMagic Plus sometime later.  The ultimate test for me will be hooking it up to my TT - I'll wait for another week of burn-in.
 
So far, the HE-560 has exceeded my expectations for PC gaming using the STX II.  It's unbelievable how much enjoyable the experience can be with proper sounds.  
 
Regarding the STX II, it is so much better than the Realtek 1150 on-board.  Although the motherboard I am using, ASRock Z97 Extreme 6, claims to have their "Purity Sound 2" to improve on-board sound, it's nowhere near the STX II - but the STX II should be better.  The soundcard itself cost more than the motherboard!  I had the STX for awhile and sold it with the computer that houses it to a friend.  I don't think the STX II is a significant upgrade to justify the $80-100 premium over the STX. So if you already have the STX, I don't see a reason to upgrade to STX II unless you have money lying around.  The STX II is going for around $265 for the version without the daughter card, and the STX around $175.  I thought about getting the Omega Claro, but unfortunately I don't have any PCI slots on my mobo.

 

[Da1go]

  80 hours burn-in on the HE-560.  So far the sound has not change by much, except I feel like it "sounds louder" at the same volume setting.  I was listening to a recording of She's the One by James Brown, and oh man, it was fantastic.  It felt like I was in the room with the performance.  I turned around a few times to check if the music was coming from each sides of me.
 
I've only tried the headphones with the Xonar Essence STX II.  I will hook it up to my DacMagic Plus sometime later.  The ultimate test for me will be hooking it up to my TT - I'll wait for another week of burn-in.
 
So far, the HE-560 has exceeded my expectations for PC gaming using the STX II.  It's unbelievable how much enjoyable the experience can be with proper sounds.  
 
Regarding the STX II, it is so much better than the Realtek 1150 on-board.  Although the motherboard I am using, ASRock Z97 Extreme 6, claims to have their "Purity Sound 2" to improve on-board sound, it's nowhere near the STX II - but the STX II should be better.  The soundcard itself cost more than the motherboard!  I had the STX for awhile and sold it with the computer that houses it to a friend.  I don't think the STX II is a significant upgrade to justify the $80-100 premium over the STX. So if you already have the STX, I don't see a reason to upgrade to STX II unless you have money lying around.  The STX II is going for around $265 for the version without the daughter card, and the STX around $175.  I thought about getting the Omega Claro, but unfortunately I don't have any PCI slots on my mobo.

 
 
Same experience here. The STX II was a big improvement over the motherboard sound. I use the HE-500 for gaming sometimes and they performs superb. But I had to sell the STX II because I preferred the gaming experiences with the Soundblaster ZXR (sound was more realistic in games). That was the only reason. Nevertheless the STX II and ZXR are sound wise really close to each other.

I've often heard/read that there are no really improvements from STX up to STX II. I think the goal was an "upgraded STX" for NEW customers. I wouldn't buy one, if I have had the STX before.

 

[rflail]

So I recently purchased a pair of HE-560's.  Previously I had been using a Maverick Audio TubeMagic A1 to power my HD650's, which worked well.  I'm afraid the TubeMagic just isn't powerful enough for the HE-560's.  I'm trying to determine what the best sub $500 amp would be for the HE-560's.  Below are the amps i'm considering (in no particular order), but am open to any suggestions.
 
-Schiit Lyr
-Schiit Lyr2
-Emotiva Mini-X a-100
-Hifiman EF-5
-Garage1217 Polaris
-Garage 1217 Ember
 
What does everyone suggest? 

 

[Sonic Defender]

  So I recently purchased a pair of HE-560's.  Previously I had been using a Maverick Audio TubeMagic A1 to power my HD650's, which worked well.  I'm afraid the TubeMagic just isn't powerful enough for the HE-560's.  I'm trying to determine what the best sub $500 amp would be for the HE-560's.  Below are the amps i'm considering (in no particular order), but am open to any suggestions.
 
-Schiit Lyr
-Schiit Lyr2
-Emotiva Mini-X a-100
-Hifiman EF-5
-Garage1217 Polaris
-Garage 1217 Ember
 
What does everyone suggest? 

Are you looking in the for sale forum? If you are considering used then your $500ish spend can buy you more. I'm not sure, but my experience with the Yulong A18 was quite positive paired with the 560. Audio-gd gear is typically well reviewed as is Violectric and Lake People. If you are considering used those are all good companies, including those you mentioned. Within reason of course, find the amp you can best afford that provides decent current. I'm not sure how long you have had the 560, but it must be quite the shock after having the 650 sound signature, but give your brain time to acclimate to the 560 as it is a very engaging headphone, and while controversial many 560s users feel it benefits from some extra current meaning it seems to scale well. Anyway, welcome to the 560 club, hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

[4Real]

  So I recently purchased a pair of HE-560's.  Previously I had been using a Maverick Audio TubeMagic A1 to power my HD650's, which worked well.  I'm afraid the TubeMagic just isn't powerful enough for the HE-560's.  I'm trying to determine what the best sub $500 amp would be for the HE-560's.  Below are the amps i'm considering (in no particular order), but am open to any suggestions.
 
-Schiit Lyr
-Schiit Lyr2
-Emotiva Mini-X a-100
-Hifiman EF-5
-Garage1217 Polaris
-Garage 1217 Ember
 
What does everyone suggest? 

 
You might want to consider the Gustard H10, its meant to be great with the HE-560's.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/735828/gustard-h10-high-current-discrete-class-a-output-stage-headphone-amplifier