[Rossliew]

The I600. The presentation was not matched by anything I have heard. 3d with speaker performance.

That's one of the higher end models..sadly out of my price range

 

[Happy Camper]

That's one of the higher end models..sadly out of my price range

Mine too. That's why I went to the audio stores when trying out amps.

 

[LarsHP]

   
I mean this with the utmost respect - as a a former Auralic Taurus Mk2 owner I feel qualified to say this - the Auralic Taurus does NOT drive the HE6 to its limits of performance. Not even close. It throws around 4W into 50 ohms. Not enough. Not nearly enough.
 
I have used headphone amps that throw about double that into the HE6 (Custom 300B amps and V281 and 430HA, all around 8W+) and please trust me when I say that they do a much better job of driving this headphone. Still not ideal. If you want to get the absolute best from the HE6 hook it up to the speaker taps of high end power amp. Put 100W behind the (modded) HE6 and it will blow your mind in ways that the Taurus Mk2 will never even approach.
 
The Taurus gives you a taste of what the HE6 can do. Nothing more.

While there is some truth to your points about a certain amount of power, more power is not necessarily always better, and 4W in 50 Ohms should be enough. How the amp in question performs is unfortunately not so easy to predict from it's specs.
 
I remember that Head-Fi member "preproman" (a former HE-6 user) first bought the Nelson Pass INT-150, but later returned it in favor of the INT-30. These two amps are almost identical except that the first is 150W in class A/B and the latter is 30W in class A. In other words he felt that the class A and much lower powered amp was better than the high powered class A/B version. He and others have also raved and recommended the First Watt F1J, which is even lower in power (10W in 8 Ohm, which is 1.6W in 50 Ohm). My own impressions mirror this: I don't see more power yielding better sound quality in all cases - not even considering bass quality.
 
BTW - like you - I also found that I much prefer solid state over tube with HE-6, since bass quality was clearly better with SS.

 

[Jozurr]

I have a combination of a tube preamp into the A21 power amp which yields the best results for me. Best of both worlds.

 

[Happy Camper]

The power supply determines the performance of an amp. I can't tell you what the particulars are to search for but the better amps are ones that put the investment in it's components and not in cabinets and meters. The First Watt amps are known for their speed and accuracy (and weight). The F1J would give all the bass and impact at low volumes. Other amps don't sound as good until you put more power into it. That's because the performance isn't linear from the first sound to the loudest. Another thing that I have noticed is the higher performance amps could give an airy, well positioned soundstage that isn't there with lesser amps. The I600 I mentioned above gave the most realistic positioning and sense of depth I've only heard with well positioned high end speakers. I was stunned that a headphone could do that.

As Lars mentioned, the amount of power certainly isn't the target in this formula. But I will make a general comment saying the higher the wattage, the better the power supply. preproman can chime in but headphone amps with sufficient wattage rarely compared and I suspect it's because the power supply used components to maximize their output for a headphone load and didn't have enough reserves to open the sound like the bigger power supplies.

Just a hobbyist's opinion. No engineering based background in this.

 

[Rossliew]

Naim has also prided itself in exceptional power supply over-engineering and power supply upgrades for its components. Very keen to try it with a pair of HE6s or other headphones for that matter.

 

[LancerFIN]

Anyone heard the Focal Elear yet? Curious how it would compare. I am quite tempted to order it. Actually already pulled the trigger but received a call saying it'll be shipped in October so I cancelled.

 

[Hansotek]

Anyone heard the Focal Elear yet? Curious how it would compare. I am quite tempted to order it. Actually already pulled the trigger but received a call saying it'll be shipped in October so I cancelled.

They are going to have it at the Chicago meet this weekend, so I'll be giving it a whirl.

 

[jarnopp]

They are going to have it at the Chicago meet this weekend, so I'll be giving it a whirl.

@Hansotek, would be interested in any specific impressions of the HE-6 vs Elear I terms of what each does well or lacks, if you can. Assuming, per your other post, that the HE-6 is well amped and cabled. Thanks!

 

[Hansotek]

@Hansotek, would be interested in any specific impressions of the HE-6 vs Elear I terms of what each does well or lacks, if you can. Assuming, per your other post, that the HE-6 is well amped and cabled. Thanks!

 
How much you like the Elear will be directly proportional to how much you like the HD650. The Elear sounds like a slightly improved version of a very well amped HD650, but with a little more air up top. If you love the HD650, but want more amping flexibility, the Elear is going to be a godsend for you.
 
Personally, I cannot stand the HD650, so the Elear was very much not for me. There is something about the midrange in both of them that irritates my ears. For the vast, vast majority of people, it is the exact opposite, and they will find both headphones extremely non-fatiguing.
 
Vs. the HE-6, I definitely prefer the HE-6, no question.
 
The Utopia, however, is a very different story. Of all the uber-priced flagships I have heard, the Utopia is my current favorite. Too bad it's $4,000, which is way more than I can afford. :/ But, damn, it is as close to perfection as I have heard. In terms of "hi-fi revelation moments" hearing the Utopia right up there with the first time I heard the HE-6. YMMV, but I loved it.

 

[jarnopp]

How much you like the Elear will be directly proportional to how much you like the HD650. The Elear sounds like a slightly improved version of a very well amped HD650, but with a little more air up top. If you love the HD650, but want more amping flexibility, the Elear is going to be a godsend for you.

Personally, I cannot stand the HD650, so the Elear was very much not for me. There is something about the midrange in both of them that irritates my ears. For the vast, vast majority of people, it is the exact opposite, and they will find both headphones extremely non-fatiguing.

Vs. the HE-6, I definitely prefer the HE-6, no question.

The Utopia, however, is a very different story. Of all the uber-priced flagships I have heard, the Utopia is my current favorite. Too bad it's $4,000, which is way more than I can afford. :/ But, damn, it is as close to perfection as I have heard. In terms of "hi-fi revelation moments" hearing the Utopia right up there with the first time I heard the HE-6. YMMV, but I loved it.

Thanks much! I'll need to hear the Elear. I'll put the Utopia in the same category as Chord Dave - don't listen until lottery has been won.

 

[Hansotek]

Thanks much! I'll need to hear the Elear. I'll put the Utopia in the same category as Chord Dave - don't listen until lottery has been won.

 
That's a pretty safe plan, IMO. LOL, it's way too good!

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

Does anyone have a template for the Fuzzor mod i can possibly use to print out and trace on for my HE6?

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

   
OK - said my bit - let lose the dogs of war and unleash the abuse. I am braced for impact

 

Here's a question: would you prefer your modded HE-6 with the Glenn, or a stock HE-6 with your power amp?

 

[KewlMunky]

Does anyone have a template for the Fuzzor mod i can possibly use to print out and trace on for my HE6?

 
I believe Jerg has one in his original thread for it.