[Dubstep Girl]

@Dubstep Girl
Which of your amps do you prefer with your HE6?

Consider selling everything myself, just keep the HE6’s

definitely worth it! i enjoy both my amps, wa5 completely maxed out with upgrades and western electric 300B / 596 / TS 6F8G and the J2 using a GSX Mk2 for pre-amp (for a perfect Solid state balanced Class A setup). you can’t go wrong with either, really depends on whether you like linear and clean, detailed, powerful tight fast accurate bass that doesnt miss a beat or the wa5 with that smooth and full and deep in the bass with that open sweet intimate touch your soul sound and holographic imaging that the 300b tubes give. both are perfect and cost about the same at the end of the day (wa5 might be a bit more but has speaker function too). they are full systems perfect for he-6, and just about most headphones out there today

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Thanks for answering what I've been curious about when it comes to the differences between them. I suspected that 6-screw was the smoother one of the two as well. I have heard the harsher sounding HE-6 in the past, but I didn't use Yggy as a DAC to smooth out the sound however.

HE-6SE is definitely a step down. It's not the same in terms of imaging and definition. With the Yggy, I can tell which images better.

aye, keeping he-6 then lol. i take real good care of the he-6 since i know they arent being made anymore, and the he-6sev2 is a second best

 

[Nimzerz]

Also consider the First Watt SIT-3

You would need a 5 or 10 ohm parallel resistor to bring the load impedance down under 8 ohms (necessary otherwise distortion transitions from nearly pure 2nd/3rd order harmonics to higher order harmonics). This reduces the output power of the amp to the headphones, but it’s still more than enough for the HE-6. It sounds incredible.

 

[Sebbai]

definitely worth it! i enjoy both my amps, wa5 completely maxed out with upgrades and western electric 300B / 596 / TS 6F8G and the J2 using a GSX Mk2 for pre-amp (for a perfect Solid state balanced Class A setup). you can’t go wrong with either, really depends on whether you like linear and clean, detailed, powerful tight fast accurate bass that doesnt miss a beat or the wa5 with that smooth and full and deep in the bass with that open sweet intimate touch your soul sound and holographic imaging that the 300b tubes give. both are perfect and cost about the same at the end of the day (wa5 might be a bit more but has speaker function too). they are full systems perfect for he-6, and just about most headphones out there today

Always wanted to try the FirstWatt amps… I do have a F5 Turbo available for sale on my local marketplace, only 800$. Do you have any experience with that line of Pass Amplifiers?

 

[JamieMcC]

Fwiw I used a Pass ACA with a dht tube pre amp Infront with my HE6 some years ago and it was a very nice combo.

Still have the he6 but use a 300B tube amp to drive it now.

 

[543933]

Just wanted to say hello with my pair of HE-6 6 screws version. I got them never touched by any mod before - pure stock.

What I have done :

• replacing SMA sockets to 3.5mm jack standard
• replace SMA plugs in original cable
• made metal grills with painting and material protecting drivers from dust
• printed and mounted full adapters which replaces original rings over drivers. They make possible to use any earpads from 100-107mm and make very good seal when plastic rings from original earpads makes to much sound leaking. Additionaly these adapters are covered by full permeable material
• sewed headband strap from real leather and double layer of 5mm thick foam
• for fun, inspired by @mrspeakers cutted felt inserts from various materials They can be inserted between adapter and earpad. You do not see them and feel them beuase of no contact with ears.

 

[Sebbai]

Just wanted to say hello with my pair of HE-6 6 screws version. I got them never touched by any mod before - pure stock.

What I have done :

• replacing SMA sockets to 3.5mm jack standard
• replace SMA plugs in original cable
• made metal grills with painting and material protecting drivers from dust
• printed and mounted full adapters which replaces original rings over drivers. They make possible to use any earpads from 100-107mm and make very good seal when plastic rings from original earpads makes to much sound leaking. Additionaly these adapters are covered by full permeable material
• sewed headband strap from real leather and double layer of 5mm thick foam
• for fun, inspired by @mrspeakers cutted felt inserts from various materials They can be inserted between adapter and earpad. You do not see them and feel them beuase of no contact with ears.

Nice, congratulations in securing the best headphone made ever.

Please post more pics of the earpad attachment mod.

Also, do you have any pictures of doing the 3.5mm mod? Did you have to cut the cups? What connector did you buy?

 

[543933]

Nice, congratulations in securing the best headphone made ever.

Thank you. Some people here have similar opinion That is my true end game and will never let them go.

Please post more pics of the earpad attachment mod.

I have some but didn't want to make a mess in the thread.

Also, do you have any pictures of doing the 3.5mm mod? Did you have to cut the cups? What connector did you buy?

Yep, I have them too but tutorial is in polish. Please have a look here for more details (use translator) :
https://forum.mp3store.pl/topic/207573-modowanie-hifiman-he-6-code-07/

Here are those adapters :
https://dropmefiles.com/YV3pI

 

[bagwell359]

Thanks for answering what I've been curious about when it comes to the differences between them. I suspected that 6-screw was the smoother one of the two as well. I have heard the harsher sounding HE-6 in the past, but I didn't use Yggy as a DAC to smooth out the sound however.

HE-6SE is definitely a step down. It's not the same in terms of imaging and definition. With the Yggy, I can tell which images better.

Hey... SE v2 or my v1? The 6 screw obviously has the bass impact in spades over either SE. I remember your 6 screw as having more def in the mids but a smaller soundstage than either SE v1 modded or v2 stock. I find less ringing in either SE than the 6 screw - that's some of the detail I think.

 

[bagwell359]

I currently have an OG 6 screw HE-6 and have owned HE-500, HE-400, HE-5LE, and OG 4 screw LP HE-6. Have heard HE560, have not tried any of the newer hifimans though as I have been mostly out of the headphone scene for a few years now, I found my endgame with the HE-6 and sold everything else once I completed my system for it.

the he-6 wins hands down. my old 4 screw had a driver fail which is why i ended up with a 6 screw, which has been perfectly fine since. the he-500 is great too but sonically a step down from he-6. he-6 is still TOTL whereas the he-500 is more like a 1k planar, though its easier to drive and cheaper, and has smoother treble if you don’t like treble or are easily fatigued.

he-560 was nice too. he-400 was a step down to mid fi, and he5le was a baby he-6 but dry sounding and having a zingy treble peak that is a quirk of the older hifiman headphones with weird tonalities.

he-6 4 screw was amazing, best decay out of all, hot treble, but lifelike bass, a bit flat sounding in the mids, but great resolution, obviously prone to failure / qc issues.

my 6 screw is smoother and slightly less resolving than the 4 screw when it comes to decay but it is more balanced and doesnt have the treble glare nearly as bad and has been fine for years now

that said i dont listen to headphones as much as i used to, and i know that these are getting older, collectible, rare, but also out of warranty and harder to come by for things. i have been considering selling them and down/sidegrading to a he6se v2, but it seems to be a step down. i dont know if ill go down this route. the he-6 is an og and the piano black finish is something i like too the new he6se seems cheaper but i guess u get a warranty? and it may be close enough to it to be worth?

anyways yeah, love og hifiman, theyre special headphones and all of them are worth trying, with he-6 and he-500 being at the top, and maybe the he5le, though good luck finding that one, its oooold

The 5LE does 95% of 6 screw bass impact about 8% of the time. I've been working on mods and EQ off and on - very idiosyncratic piece.

The stock 500 is a bit too chubby in the 90-160 area, and even modified and EQ'd never shows the bass impact of the 6 screw. 500 treble rings too but that can be tamed and if done well is cleaner and more defined than stock. But the modified mids - larger and wider stage and a warm but clear sound with a bit of even order harmonic touch that gives it a creamier but less accurate sound in the mids than the 600.

The Susvara is better than all of those IMO. If you don't mind less impact in the bass, then the HEK 2 or 3 depending on your treble taste is one fine can too. The Arya has some plusses over the SE's but overall i'd stick with the SE if you have the power.

 

[543933]

HE-6SE is definitely a step down. It's not the same in terms of imaging and definition.

Exactly. I have HE-6 OG and SEv2. Difference is significant. SEv2 are great headphones for it's price but if you want more in every aspect you have to go to oiriginal revision.

 

[SilverEars]

Yeah, the differences are not subtle. In terms of technicalities, HE6SE is really nothing special. Tonality is easier for sure, but there isn't much technicalities to it. The sound is smoothed out with the HE6SE that you really don't hear the details like in the level of the HE-6 OG. Personally I think HE6SE should be in the price bracket of the Sundara. Both different with Sundara much more aggressive forward in the upper-mids, and it sounds to have more details than the HE6SE. HE6SE has better tonality however.

For me, HE6 OG is worth the effort with beefy amp to getting to shine, but the HE6SE, not worth it since it doesn't sound like it really scales. The imaging is blunted out.

I'm gonna say that the original price of HE6SE was a rip-off for it's performance. What was it?! $1600? God, this hobby is a rip!

Resolve did a comparison as well. He see how much value there is in the HE-6 OG.

 

[jamato8]

I feel lucky to have a pair from the very first run. They sound very good out of the Z10e.

 

[Hellhammer]

The difficulty with painting anything is in blending the edges with the existing. The automotive paint pens aren't the easiest thing to control.

I've had moderate success with nail polish of all things. Also very handy for matching colours of various different headbands and cups.

Hey what nail polish color did you find that matches the OG HE-6 well?

Mine has only a couple I want to take care of

 

[Sebbai]

Susvara came back after a loan…. Can’t say I would justify the 6x price tag on these. Actually want to go so far to say that I prefer the HE6 over the Susvara. They are just more fun