[TonyNewman]

  So which mod brings out that He-6 bass so well?

 
Blu-Tak mod did the most for bass performance for me.

 

[sahmen]

Thanks. I have heard it referred to many times on these He-6 threads.  I wish there were some place I could find a complete and comprehensive description of it.   One problem is that it seems there are different ways of doing it, and the results may not be the same. I would like the one that brings out the best in the bass.  I shall research it and hope google is my friend in this 

 

[TonyNewman]

  Thanks. I have heard it referred to many times on these He-6 threads.  I wish there were some place I could find a complete and comprehensive description of it.   One problem is that it seems there are different ways of doing it, and the results may not be the same. I would like the one that brings out the best in the bass.  I shall research it and hope google is my friend in this 

 
There should be some details somewhere in this thread with some pictures. It isn't hard to do, just be very careful when dissembling/reassembling the driver housing. This mod tightened up the bass significantly for me. I was pretty generous with the Blu-Tak and it all worked out OK.
 
I would suggest doing the mods as a package - they seem to work best together. This thread is a goldmine of information.
 
My HE6 is currently modded as follows:

1. Vegan Pads
2. Open backed
3. Felt rings under the earpads
4. Blu-Tak mod

Not sure if that is even the latest 'state of the art' for HE6 modding. I lost some interest once I got the Utopia, so haven't kept up with the latest play.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

How does the LCD-X bass measure up against HE-6?

 

[TonyNewman]

  How does the LCD-X bass measure up against HE-6?

 
I sold off my LCD-X some months ago, so my memory is a bit rusty, but my response is "it doesn't". Modded HE6 has more detail, texture, impact. Better all around IMHO.
 
The bass of the LCD-X was its best feature to my ears, and it couldn't even measure up in that department to the modded HE6. Not a great headphone. Heavy, bulky, wildly over-priced, veiled and with broken treble. One of the most over-rated headphones I have had the misfortune to purchase. A well-driven + modded HE6 kills it.
 
As always, YMMV.

 

[canthearyou]

Quote:

My Utopias had a lingering rough edge in the treble that lasted quite a while. The initial 50 or so hours gets the Utopias 90% of the way there, but that treble issue lasted a LONG time. Another 200+ hours in my case for the top end to smooth out and the headphone to fully open up and do all it can do.

I am keeping my modded HE6 as my 'reserve' headphone in case anything unthinkable happens to the Utopias, but really it is an insurance policy only. The Utopia does almost everything noticeable better (IMHO). About the only area I will defer to the modded HE6 is in the bass. The HE6 will go lower and punch harder than the Utopia. I still think that the Utopia bass is 'better' (more detailed and accurate), but the HE6 certainly has more of it, if that is your thing.

Mids/vocals I give to the Utopia, rather easily.

The HE6 treble is not nice to my ears. Prone to go glassy or steely much too often. Utopia is simply better here.

As always YMMV, but I am going to say this - for me, the Utopia has made my modded HE6 irrelevant, except as a backup headphone in case of catastrophe.

I have previously owned LCD-X / HD800 / HD800S / Ether C / Ether Flow. Sold them all. Kept the modded HE6. Use the Utopia.

A brief note on my rig - driving the Utopia direct from an Uber DAC lifts its performance significantly in my experience. Due to its low efficiency this cannot be done with the HE6 (not with any DAC I know of). My modded HE6 was much more competitive with my Utopia when I was driving the Utopia from a V281. I still preferred the Utopia, but the gap was much narrower and that made me question the 4K investment in the Utopia. Then I tried my harness to direct drive the Utopia from the DAC - that rendered the modded HE6 irrelevant in an instant (for me). I no longer own a dedicated headamp. They simply get in the way and degrade the performance of the Utopia in my experience, as long as your DAC is up to the task of direct driving headphones (not all DACs support this - check with the manufacturer if unsure).

What DAC do you have?

 

[cskippy]

Unless he's changed it, check his signature...it says Bricasti M1.

 

[canthearyou]

Unless he's changed it, check his signature...it says Bricasti M1.

Thanks! Looks like a nice piece of gear.

 

[TonyNewman]

Thanks! Looks like a nice piece of gear.

 
I am very happy with it. The folks at Bricasti have endorsed using it to direct drive headphones - not all DACs support that. Delta-sigma DACs seem to be more robust in this respect than ladder / R2R type DACs (that's a generalisation - owner should be check with the DAC manufacturer if unsure).
 
Running direct from the DAC highlights how much SQ you lose by using a headamp - even a very good headamp like the V281 degrades the SQ to a surprising degree. The SQ difference between running direct from the DAC and running via a headamp was significantly greater than any difference I have experienced from swapping out my headamps (I have owned the Taurus, 430HA and V281 over the past 3 years). The differences between these 3 amps fade into irrelevance compared to the benefits of running direct from the DAC. At least, that was my experience.
 
My suggestion for just about any headphone other than the HE6 - get a high end DAC that supports the direct drive of headphones and throw your cash at that. Why bother with a dedicated headamp? (at least in terms of solid state options - tubes do their own thing). I no longer own a dedicated solid state headamp in my primary rig. My HE6 is driven from my power amp and everything else direct from the DAC.
 
Sorry for going a little OT here. This isn't very relevant to the HE6 as it is so inefficient that it doesn't work directly from my DAC, and doubt it would from any at all. I did try it and the results were interesting - the mids and treble benefited to a similar degree that the Utopia did, but the bass was just missing. My DAC throws about 3V via the XLR outputs - not enough juice to drive the HE6 bass. The HE6 is such a power hungry beast.

 

[Jozurr]

I am very happy with it. The folks at Bricasti have endorsed using it to direct drive headphones - not all DACs support that. Delta-sigma DACs seem to be more robust in this respect than ladder / R2R type DACs (that's a generalisation - owner should be check with the DAC manufacturer if unsure).

Running direct from the DAC highlights how much SQ you lose by using a headamp - even a very good headamp like the V281 degrades the SQ to a surprising degree. The SQ difference between running direct from the DAC and running via a headamp was significantly greater than any difference I have experienced from swapping out my headamps (I have owned the Taurus, 430HA and V281 over the past 3 years). The differences between these 3 amps fade into irrelevance compared to the benefits of running direct from the DAC. At least, that was my experience.

My suggestion for just about any headphone other than the HE6 - get a high end DAC that supports the direct drive of headphones and throw your cash at that. Why bother with a dedicated headamp? (at least in terms of solid state options - tubes do their own thing). I no longer own a dedicated solid state headamp in my primary rig. My HE6 is driven from my power amp and everything else direct from the DAC.

Sorry for going a little OT here. This isn't very relevant to the HE6 as it is so inefficient that it doesn't work directly from my DAC, and doubt it would from any at all. I did try it and the results were interesting - the mids and treble benefited to a similar degree that the Utopia did, but the bass was just missing. My DAC throws about 3V via the XLR outputs - not enough juice to drive the HE6 bass. The HE6 is such a power hungry beast.

What other dacs can do this?

 

[negura]

   

 
Was it to you I mentioned on this thread a while ago that I feel the V281 is a very dissapointing amp? While at that I also felt quite poorly about the Taurus and 430HA in regards to transparency and sound quality in general. Hearing the source direct helps a lot, but I still think a high performing amplifier is needed, especially for HE-6s. Finding an amplifier that can keep up with these high-end DACs though - good luck.
 

What other dacs can do this?

 
Some MSB and TotalDAC for R2R.

 

[jarnopp]

What other dacs can do this?

Look at Chord DACs: Mojo, Hugo and Dave. Great sound and very transparent as either a DAC only or directly driving your phones/iems.

 

[TonyNewman]

What other dacs can do this?

 
I don't know - that would be a case by case situation, and always check with the manufacturer if unsure. The Bricasti is the only DAC I have specifically checked out because that is the DAC I own.
 
I believe the MSB DACs are also OK with this, but please don't quote me on that. Please check with the experts, otherwise you might risk damage to the DAC.

 

[TonyNewman]

   
Was it to you I mentioned on this thread a while ago that I feel the V281 is a very dissapointing amp? While at that I also felt quite poorly about the Taurus and 430HA in regards to transparency and sound quality in general. Hearing the source direct helps a lot, but I still think a high performing amplifier is needed, especially for HE-6s. Finding an amplifier that can keep up with these high-end DACs though - good luck.
 
 
Some MSB and TotalDAC for R2R.

 
Gotta say the V281 was the best of the 3 for me out of V281 / Taurus / 430HA, but they all have their flaws. What I found really surprising was how much sonic goodness the headamp takes out of the SQ compared to running direct from the DAC. As mentioned, it was far more significant than any differences between the 3 amps for me. That wasn't an outcome I was expecting. So even these TOTL headamps are doing more bad things to the SQ than many folks might suspect. The only way to hear this difference is to go 'naked' and drive the headphone direct from the DAC.
 
Personally, I would not invest in another SS headamp again. If I really wanted something to drive my headphones, other than direct from the DAC, I would look at a high end premap with that rare mix of dynamics / detail / musicality. Something like an Accuphase, but that gear is pricey. Still not an answer for the HE6 as that beast needs the juice of a power amp, but should do fine for just about everything else.

 

[sahmen]

   
Gotta say the V281 was the best of the 3 for me out of V281 / Taurus / 430HA, but they all have their flaws. What I found really surprising was how much sonic goodness the headamp takes out of the SQ compared to running direct from the DAC. As mentioned, it was far more significant than any differences between the 3 amps for me. That wasn't an outcome I was expecting. So even these TOTL headamps are doing more bad things to the SQ than many folks might suspect. The only way to hear this difference is to go 'naked' and drive the headphone direct from the DAC.
 
Personally, I would not invest in another SS headamp again. If I really wanted something to drive my headphones, other than direct from the DAC, I would look at a high end premap with that rare mix of dynamics / detail / musicality. Something like an Accuphase, but that gear is pricey. Still not an answer for the HE6 as that beast needs the juice of a power amp, but should do fine for just about everything else.

How do you connect your utopia with the Bricasti? I mean what connectors do you use on the Utopia's cable?