[grokit]

I will start HE6 pad rolling soon; I am using the old velours ATM, and have the new velours, the pleathers, and the HM5 pleathers on the way.
 
OT, but all three pairs of pads come to $44, or about the same $ as a single pair of the big Grado foamies

 

[wuwhere]

I prefer the old, original velour too over the pleather.
Interested in the comparison between the old and new velours.

 

[IEMCrazy]

I on the other hand, prefer the leather pads from Audeeze and the stuffed HM-5 pleather pads from mp4nation.com. Having said that I am inclined towards a darker signature and have been trying to replicate the smoothness of the LCD-2 r1 with the clarity and soundstage of the HE-6.
To each his own I guess. Regardless of pads though, feed them well with speaker taps.

Interesting , I too tend to prefer darker headphones overall. But I got the HE-6 instead of LCDs largely to get something different....the brigghter more detailed end of the spectrum for my high end rig. But it's intriguing that you like the leather Audezes for that reason.

Makes more more prone to try the Audeze leathers (I have a pair incoming) that I previously had been, though I suspect I'm still going to prefer the velour given the other responses here

The leather's certainly prettier...

I've only used the velour pads.  I've not used the pleather pads.  What amp are you going to use on the HE-6s?

Marantz PM6004. It's not exotic, but it'll hopefully get the job done at least so I can decide what direction I want to go from there. I'm not making any larger amp/DAC moves until I know what Schiit's coming out with next year.. I don't have the HE-6 in yet, but I did get the amp in. I got to try the headphone amp section and was impresesed wit the performance and signature with my D5k and HD650. I still preffer the Lyr with some nice tubes for those, but it did a pretty good job with both, if a little overzealous with the midbass. Definitively more pleasing to the ear than the ultra analytial O2.

^^^ My HE-6 also sounds better with the velour pads than with the pleather - more even across the spectrum, mostly. And my HE-6 has the quarter-field foam dampening only in the forward portion of the left earpiece. It's probably different from yours; Drew Baird told me each one has some dampening in different places. If that's custom-tuning, then I have to say "Well Done", because my HE-6 seems perfectly balanced, with a 3D soundstage that fills out very well with a good track.

Oh, and yes, it can produce more realistic transients driven by the 100wpc ss Odyssey Cyclops, but using a solid silver RSS cable from DHC, now that my HE-6 is well-burned-in (>400 hrs) it can provide plenty of detail, realism and emotion driven by my new Stratus 2A3 tube amp (~1.8wpc). 

Interesting about the custom damping. Drew didn't tell ME that Also interesting about the 3D soundstage. Though I wonder how much of that comes from the tubes? Is it 3D meaning "around the head without a clear center image" or 3D meaning "holographic" have some tubes for the Lyr that do some great holographics on HE-400. HE-400 is also 3D "around the head" though I know HFM's pads don't lend for a center image


So from the replies here, I'm leaning toward either my bumped up HFM velour with the foam spacers from the pleather, or the Audeze vegan. I popped a set of those on my HE-400 this morning. Comfort wise, they're amazing. It's like pillows on the head compared to the HFM pads. Looks wise it's steampunk hideous and even worse. Sound wise I dont't have a firm conclusion yet, though HE-400 owners universally like velour. The center image is definitely helped by the wedge, though I think the driver distance (on those) removes some of the treble end making it more laid back, which is weird. But they seem more balanced....whic is also weird. Yet I kind of like the effect

Trouble is they're a complete PITA to install. THey go in fine but since you cant crush in the pad edges like HFM pads, it takes some fancy handling. On the HE-6 I only want to have to deal with those pads once I figure if folks prefer HFM velour, the vegans go on first, if everyone prefers HFM pleather the leathers do.

Leather is nicer looking, and much more durable, I don't know how long these Audeze vegans will last for the price...and the warmth is intriguing, but it seems like HE400 most of you guys like velour. The darrk tone of the leather is interesting though especially with an SS amp...

So I gave up tube rolling to go with HE-6 only to pick up pad rolling! More irritating to install than tubes, but more cheaper options exist!

 

[drez]

Quote:

So, while I wait for my HE-6 arrival sometime this week, I keep pondering earpads for them. Is there a consensus among HE-6 owners regarding the pleather versus velour pads? I know in the HE-400 circles, he pleather pads are seen as horrendously bad sounding with recessed mids compared to the velour pads, and the velour is suggested to every new owner as the best upgrade they'll ever do. I know the pleather is also horribly uncomfortable, and my one pair of HE-400 have such a strong clamping force that even the velour gets crushed a little too flat too soon. I suspect the HE-6 has a slightly more recessed interior grlle than the HE-400. 400 was noted as shallow when it first was released
But in terms of sound quality is there as strong a preference for velour amonth HE-6 owners? OR does the more baanced HE-6 sound proper with pleather as well?
That said I may be going with one flavor or the other of Audeze pads. I got a pair of vegans for my HE-400 and the comfort is out of this world. I have a leather on the way too to experiment with. I know I like my Lawton leathers on D5k. But I've always viewed cloth/velour pads as being more tonally neutral. But I'm not running a tube amp on the HE-6 as I do for HE-400 so perhaps the smoothing of leather/pleather would be advantageous?
HFM is one of the only cans where "pad rolling" is a standard practice

 
That sounds about right - velour is the way to go for the HE-6, the midrange sounds sucked out with the pleather, and velour sounds more open and airy.  Leather Audeze to me sounded a bit overdamped and very cold and tilted to the treble - has a sort of "repressed" quality to it.  It may be a tad more controlled but the FR is seriously flawed.

 

[IEMCrazy]

That sounds about right - velour is the way to go for the HE-6, the midrange sounds sucked out with the pleather, and velour sounds more open and airy.  Leather Audeze to me sounded a bit overdamped and very cold and tilted to the treble - has a sort of "repressed" quality to it.  It may be a tad more controlled but the FR is seriously flawed.

That sounds like leather.... That also makes me wonder how dark LCD2 would be without the brightness-tilting pads

Sounds like HFM velour or Audeze vegan will be my route!

 

[IEMCrazy]

And one more pre-delivery round of "poll the HE-6 owners club"!

What cables are you guys using, and what's your overall opinion of the stock cable? Stock looks far more interesting than the other HFM cables....I perused the HE-6 cables thread, but I'm curious what the folks active in this thread are using at the moment and the overall attitude is toward stock

I know the Canare black type that came with HE-400 is a better stock than most, but my Blue Dragon still sounds better with them....this one is more interesting though, being an OCC in the spiffy "naked braid" cable look.

I'd thought that the "silver cable" that infamously comes with the failure built right in that ships with HE-500 was the same that came with HE-6, but apparently this one's a big more interesting

My banana adapter will be Moon Black Dragon....but for the body cable, I have a lot of Dragon stuff, so I was considering using something different for my "summit' can.....either the stock cable or something from Q or DH. Mix it up a bid, and the fabric/nylon (or naked braid) coverings somehow seem more refined for the HE-6 than a normal PVC jacket

But looks-wise stock is snazzy enough....if it sounds good enough!

 

[Shahrose]

Honestly, any of the UPOCC copper cables out there will be good. They all have a similar sound.
 
Go for silver if you want a faster, more up-front, transparent and cooler signature.

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

Honestly, any of the UPOCC copper cables out there will be good. They all have a similar sound.
 
Go for silver if you want a faster, more up-front, transparent and cooler signature.

 
Q-Cable isn't UPOCC is it? Something about the ergonomics and simple understated elegance of those cables seem right at home with HE-6, but AFAIK it's only OFC litz...lower grade copper than the stock cable (better soldering though I imagine...I think the cheap solder held back then Canare black cables that HFM ships with other cans.)
 
The Norse cable intrigues me, but the thing looks ginomrous! I haven't seen the simple 4-conductor version.  I'm not sure the point of 8 conductor cables...isn't that just bi-wiring?  Which is one of the most crazy stereo loudspeaker ideas out there (bi-amping is great, bi-wiring is pointless.)  On the other hand, if any headphone benefited from huge gauge cables it's got to be HE-6. 

 

[sluker]

Quote:

 
Q-Cable isn't UPOCC is it? Something about the ergonomics and simple understated elegance of those cables seem right at home with HE-6, but AFAIK it's only OFC litz...lower grade copper than the stock cable (better soldering though I imagine...I think the cheap solder held back then Canare black cables that HFM ships with other cans.)
 
The Norse cable intrigues me, but the thing looks ginomrous! I haven't seen the simple 4-conductor version.  I'm not sure the point of 8 conductor cables...isn't that just bi-wiring?  Which is one of the most crazy stereo loudspeaker ideas out there (bi-amping is great, bi-wiring is pointless.)  On the other hand, if any headphone benefited from huge gauge cables it's got to be HE-6. 

Q- cables are the only ones I would pay for after-market as I have decent enough soldering skills to make my own with any wire available (and have made many). However, Steve Eddy's cables have had the effect of "lifting a veil" like peeling back the screen protector on your new phone. Plus the ergonomics are phenomenal, they literally feel like a set of thick shoe laces.
 
But having said that, the stock cable with the HE-6 is damn good although it is starting to oxidize now after six months or so.

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

Q- cables are the only ones I would pay for after-market as I have decent enough soldering skills to make my own with any wire available (and have made many). However, Steve Eddy's cables have had the effect of "lifting a veil" like peeling back the screen protector on your new phone. Plus the ergonomics are phenomenal, they literally feel like a set of thick shoe laces.
 
But having said that, the stock cable with the HE-6 is damn good although it is starting to oxidize now after six months or so.

 
Interesting info, thanks!  Shame about the stock cable...a $150 retail cable shouldn't oxidize in 6 months!  That kind of sucks.
 
I'm seriously considering a Q....Norse also intrigues me...similar to Q...uses an OCC version, similar ergonomics via a woven cotton sleeve, but all I've seen pictures of is that humungous 8 conductor weave that looks like boat rope coming out of headphones. I'd assume the 4-conductor version looks much like Steve's.  I have an email into both of them with some questions for them.
 
I love Moon's Dragon cables...I have one for my HD650s and one for my HE-400s.  But the HE-6 demands a bit more elegance to go with it!

 

[wotts]

I have the Silver Dragon on my HE-6, but have been saving for hard wire done with Zeus OCC. I like the Silver Dragon fine, but when I heard the hard wire version, I was sold.

 

[sluker]

Quote:

I have the Silver Dragon on my HE-6, but have been saving for hard wire done with Zeus OCC. I like the Silver Dragon fine, but when I heard the hard wire version, I was sold.

Do you know if hard-wiring will result in voiding your warranty?

 

[wuwhere]

I bet it would, 3 years of warranty down the drain.

 

[wotts]

I haven't thought about that really. I would have to ask the cat doing the work for me.

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

 
Q-Cable isn't UPOCC is it? Something about the ergonomics and simple understated elegance of those cables seem right at home with HE-6, but AFAIK it's only OFC litz...lower grade copper than the stock cable (better soldering though I imagine...I think the cheap solder held back then Canare black cables that HFM ships with other cans.)
 
The Norse cable intrigues me, but the thing looks ginomrous! I haven't seen the simple 4-conductor version.  I'm not sure the point of 8 conductor cables...isn't that just bi-wiring?  Which is one of the most crazy stereo loudspeaker ideas out there (bi-amping is great, bi-wiring is pointless.)  On the other hand, if any headphone benefited from huge gauge cables it's got to be HE-6. 

 
Yea the Q is decent quality copper, but UPOCC I don't think. Steve will have to clarify. It's a good cable, but there are several other great ones out there, some of which IMO are better (but also more expensive).