[FredrikT92]

  I think that one of the reasons that make the HE6 so popular, besides its good price and drivers, is the fact that it so easily can be modded. Different mods and different types of amps can be chosen to suite different sound preference. The core of the HE6 is a really good basic design with a neutral sound that can be tweaked to one’s liking or left as it is.

 

You can for example have a very light mod there you only open it up by removing the grill and pair it with a powerful and neutral dac/amp and get an open, punchy, neutral/borderline bright sound (think a bit like the sound of the HD800). You can also mod it by damping the heights a bit and pair it with a warmer and softer/forgiving sounded dac/amp and get a more natural/borderline rich sound, but with maybe a slightly loss in bite, transparency and articulation (think a bit like the sound of the LCD 3F). Then one has obviously also all the pairings and mods that will make it sound somewhere in between this two.

 

My own experience is quite limited in regard to different amps for the HE6, but I have my mind set on getting a really good one, just not sure which one yet. A used ARC, ML, Pass Labs or something like that probably.

Do u want a First Watt F6? Its in mint condition. 22k Norska 
Jag skal til sverige neste uke mest sannsynelig. 
I have bought a Pass Labs INT-150 aswell. 
I 

 

[Articnoise]

  Do u want a First Watt F6? Its in mint condition. 22k Norska 
Jag skal til sverige neste uke mest sannsynelig. 
I have bought a Pass Labs INT-150 aswell. 
I 

 

Ha ha that was quick. Didn’t you just have the F6?! But sure I understand the INT-150 has a pre in it so make sense. Probable better sounding to. Then I guess it’s your F6 that’s on sell on Hifisentralen. Schiit it a lot of First Watt on sell there right now, one F5 for only 5500 kr.

 

Fredrik sorry I have to decline your offer, but thank anyway! 

 

[FredrikT92]

Haha yeah I just bought it on friday... I never expected a INT-150 to come for sale cheap enough, or even for sale at all.
Cause the INT-150 was out some time ago for 38k. So then I bought the F6, and a freaking INT-150 shows up on sunday...
 
Its a tough market tho, I dont think neither would sell quick unless its more idiots like me. The F6 was out for 2 weeks.
My LCD-3Fs havent gotten 1 bid yet, and its not like they are priced very high at all. 

 

[Articnoise]

  Haha yeah I just bought it on friday... I never expected a INT-150 to come for sale cheap enough, or even for sale at all.
Cause the INT-150 was out some time ago for 38k. So then I bought the F6, and a freaking INT-150 shows up on sunday...
 
Its a tough market tho, I dont think neither would sell quick unless its more idiots like me. The F6 was out for 2 weeks.
My LCD-3Fs havent gotten 1 bid yet, and its not like they are priced very high at all. 

 

Yeah it can be hard to sell things on small markets like in Norway and Sweden. The good thing is you now have got a real virtuous amp, the INT-150 for a good price. Hell that thing cost like 80 000 kr new.

 

I would like an amp like that but preferably with two sets of speaker outputs and a switch so I can use it for both speakers and headphones without the need to connect and disconnect the cables.  

 

[ohhgourami]

Have you tried using the preamp out from the INT 150 for the F6?

 

[FredrikT92]

No I havent gotten the INT-150 yet. By the end of the week I will

 

[NZtechfreak]

No I havent gotten the INT-150 yet. By the end of the week I will

Wow, congrats man!

 

[NZtechfreak]

Hello.
I would like to buy these headphones, but don’t want to spend money for the headphone amplifier, because I already have int. amp and it’s not the worst one.
After I’ve red 15-20 pages of this thread, I’ve found some people using the integrated amplifiers to drive HE-6 and they were happy with the result.
My setup:
http://www.luxman.com/product.php?pid=2
http://www.luxman.com/product.php?pid=27
Connection - XLR.
The question is: Is it possible to connect headphones directly to the amplifier without resistors and adapters (I mean safe connection for both)? Have anyone had experience with a similar amplifier without consequences for headphones and amp?
Thanks and sorry for my bad English.

As per the earlier comments no resistors needed. The Luxman L507U was the first speaker amp I heard my HE6 from, really good sound.

 

[Clemmaster]

I wouldn't be so sure the INT-150 is an upgrade to the F6. It might be the only Pass amp that didn't get glowing reviews (just good/great).
 
Also, AFAIK, the INT are based on the older .5 power amps. Mark @ Reno told me the F6 is superior the old PASS class A line. That's a one man's opinion, of course, but he probably has more experience than anyone but M. Pass himself and (maybe) Srajan Ebaen. 
 
Anyway, I was looking into an INT myself (the 30) and certainly don't want to give anyone buyer's remorse. Just jump on that cheap F6! 

 

[FredrikT92]

Yeah I will compare them once I get it, unless the F6 get sold that quick, which I doubt it will. 
I've only read prep's comparison with INT-150, Master 10 and F1J.
Mark @ Reno told me this about the F6: 
"The sound is amazingly open and three-dimensional, highly detailed with excellent smoothness, a sound that makes the listener feel he’s in the live music event with all the emotion of the live performance, all while being non-fatiguing."

I can defently agree with that. I literally listened to music all day on saturday with minimal breaks. 
If it just had more bass punch/viscerality or whatever you wanna call it, it would be a 10/10
 
Isent the INT-30 also based on the older .5 power amps? 
 

 

[preproman]

From my experience the only First Watt amp I would put against any of the Pass Labs amps are the SIT amps.  Even then I would take any of the Pass Labs line of amps.  The SIT-1 is a good sounding amp thou.  The F1J is also a good amp - just a little lean compared to the above, but details galore. 
 
I would be very surprised if Mark would take any First Watt amp over the XA30.5 = INT-30A.  The F6 is more on the lean side crystal clear but on the lean side.  The INT-30A sounds more organic and has more full sounding bass, the F6 sounds more SSish - compared to each other.  
 
By the way if anyone is interested:  I'm thinking about selling my INT-30A / Abyss combo.  Only as a combo thou. 

 

[FredrikT92]

So then the INT-150 also sounds more organic and has more full sounding bass? Or?

 

[preproman]

  So then the INT-150 also sounds more organic and has more full sounding bass? Or?

Compared to the F6 I would say yes.  You really can't tell the difference between the INT-150 and the INT-30A with headphones.

 

[FredrikT92]

I guess the INT-150 stays pretty much class A with HE-6 unless u wanna go deaf very quick or?
 
Would be cool to try a INT-60

 

[Clemmaster]

 
Compared to the F6 I would say yes.  You really can't tell the difference between the INT-150 and the INT-30A with headphones.

With headphones, that makes sense as the INT-150 would still operate in full class A in any circumstances (up to 10W).
 
The reviews were with speakers, of course. They kinda say the INT-150 is a departure from the full class A line - being more edgy / lean. The F6 is not lean by any measure in my system(s), even with the bright-ish Electra 1007Be.
 
@Darryl: what preamp did you use with the F6 when comparing with the INTs?