[lojay]

one on sale now..

http://www.head-fi.org/t/748013/first-watt-f1j-amplifier

this is preproman's old F1J. Why did prep sell it?

 

[preproman]

this is preproman's old F1J. Why did prep sell it?

   
one on sale now..
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/748013/first-watt-f1j-amplifier

 
 
Yup - That's the one I owned.  I wanted to try different amps - although it can be considered as an endgame amp.  So can the Master 10 (2015 edition)..

 

[rawrster]

I think a few other amps you have owned can be considered endgame for many

 

[shayson1357]

there is no endgame, it's all about settling with the performance that you're getting... had a similar discussion on projectors, you can always pay more to get more performance,a better image,better contrast and brightness and resolution..etc...etc... but how much you're willing to pay for "more" is the real question 

 

[wuwhere]

There are so many speaker amps out there, ss and tubes. Threshold and Pass amps are not end game amps. I like Mark Levinson amps.

 

[preproman]

Endgame is relative to the individual.  What might be endgame for me may not be for others..  It's all good..
 
However, Pass Labs got some heavy hitters as well now..

 

[wuwhere]

There are so many good ss amps out there, not just Pass / Threshold. Classe, Cello, Quad, Spectral, Rowland, Linn, besides Mark Levinson , just to name a few.
 
 The only Threshold equipment I had was the preamp FET 10 which to me sounded lean so I replaced it quickly with a VTL Ultimate preamp.

 

[preproman]

Speaking of Rowland.  I like the look of his amps, but never heard one.  But yeah, it's a lot of amps out there that cost lots of money. 

 

[Kremer930]

I have just read about 20 pages of this discussion after being out of the headfi scene for over a year and it is great to read about the same power discussions and now the Ragnarok as a somewhat affordable option to give the HE6 the power they deserve and crave.

I previously had the Lyr and the Bifrost and was pretty happy with that setup but realised that the HE6 had lots more to give. I sold it in readiness for the Schiit statement rig but life has moved on and I can't really splash for it now.

I tried the Moljnir rig too and even this wasn't enough for the HE6.

I have offered my HE6 locally for sale for now but if they haven't sold within the next few days I will put them up in the for sale area.

These are the original release batch and would have no more than 125 hours on them. They are unmarked and unmodded.

I am in Australia. Hopefully I can find a good home for them.

 

[lojay]

I have just read about 20 pages of this discussion after being out of the headfi scene for over a year and it is great to read about the same power discussions and now the Ragnarok as a somewhat affordable option to give the HE6 the power they deserve and crave.

I previously had the Lyr and the Bifrost and was pretty happy with that setup but realised that the HE6 had lots more to give. I sold it in readiness for the Schiit statement rig but life has moved on and I can't really splash for it now.

I tried the Moljnir rig too and even this wasn't enough for the HE6.

I have offered my HE6 locally for sale for now but if they haven't sold within the next few days I will put them up in the for sale area.

These are the original release batch and would have no more than 125 hours on them. They are unmarked and unmodded.

I am in Australia. Hopefully I can find a good home for them.

 
I cannot say whether the Ragnarok is "end-game" (as others have said, "end-game" or not is relative to the individual) but I must say that the HE-6 is very properly driven by the Ragnarok. Power or voltage swing or what not - no problemo.
 
Some indicia of a properly driven HE-6 are: 

1. Taut and well-controlled bass extended to the lowest notes 
2. Widest soundstage I've heard on the HE-6 so far
3. Sheer musicality
4. No hint of any brightness in the treble unless the track is inherently treble heavy (this has more to do with the fact that I've removed the Fuzzor mods)
5. Nothing sounds "wrong" at all

 
In fact I've gone back and forth with the 4-45, the differences in each aspect are subtle but when summed up as a whole the Ragnarok makes for a much better and more enjoyable experience. The bass goes deeper, the soundstage is wider, the sound is less lean, there is more visceral impact or "punch", and I could go on.
 
I do not have the WA5 anymore but I do not feel that I miss much from the WA5. I think the WA5 has a bit more heft, perhaps due to its noticeable bass-bloom, is certainly more euphonic (tube vs ss) but the soundstage is wider on the Rag and as far as I know, no less shoetapping musical or engaging. And I do not have to worry about tubes dying on me.  
 
That said, the combination simply cannot compare with the realism I get from the HD800 + EC 4-45 combination. It is out of the world with classical and live instrumentals. But a lot of the music I listen to consists of modern-ish music that the HE-6 makes much more enjoyable and fun to listen to.

 

[lojay]

Rag is very 2D compared to my Krell. Missing that spacial realism.

 
I can see where you are coming from. Compared to the HD800 + 4-45 combo, the Ragnarok + HE6/ HD800 lacks front-back stage depth. Still a really fine amp that I'm happy with for the money. Especially since nothing really beats the 3D excellence of the HD800 + 4-45 IMHO. The Ragnarok + HE6 combo rocks pretty hard.

 

[preproman]

How is the headroom compared to the WA5?  What gain do you use?

 

[lojay]

  How is the headroom compared to the WA5?  What gain do you use?

 
I'm using the highest gain setting for the HE-6. Let me check how far the attenuator is when I return to office tomorrow (I have placed the Rag in them middle shelf of my hifi rack so the attenuator is not visible from where I sit in the office). I had to reduce gain on my pre-amp in the MSB Analog so as to volume match the 4-45 and Rag (since my 4-45 attenuator is at full volume), this means the position of the attenuator may not really be of interest to most of you. Let's just say that I can turn the knob way up before it reaches the maximum volume.
 
I haven't tested for headroom but I perceive no clipping at all on any tracks including some rather dynamic tracks. The WA5 had no perceivable issues in this regard as well. But the 4-45 clearly has problems with clipping and a limited headroom, as I think you can attest to.

 

[Xenophon]

Would you mind PM'ing me details of the genuine J-Fets? I know where to get the board. Ta!

PM sent.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Just received on update on the 560 Thread, HiFiman just announced the launch of the HE1000 Flagship, super thin transducer and single sided magnets!!!!