[Hun7er]

HE6 and HD800 can be sound dark and dull with dark and dull amp.

 

[wewewho77]

I NEVER understood the love for the LCD-2 (I only had the Rev 1)

How anybody can think that a headphone with almost an entire spectrum missing was good mystified me

Couldn't say it any better. Me too. LOL

 

[snapple10]

never tried any Hifiman  
but  my curiosity is getting the best of me . Can somebody tell me how many version of HE 6 exists? thanks in advance
 
and then the amp 

 

[brunk]

  HE-6 dark?  Not to my ears, not at all.  Unlike a LCD-2.2, or LCD-3.  I agree the T1s are a good all rounder.  It's just the HE-6 excels in the mids over the T1 and the notes are more full - maybe that's where people call them dark - not sure.
 
Yes the Planars are not that great in the sound stage area, but it's good enough as I value that less than other things.  For large orchestra ensembles I still would pick the HD800s but the HE-6 is not that far behind.  For a nice Jazz Trio piece I'd pick the HE-6 all day long.  For me the HE-6 is the best jack of all trade headphone out.  The LCD-X is said to be a good one as well.

You and I have very similar findings lol. I only prefer the HD-800 for classical, and everything else HE-6. Soundstage is just about the last factor I look for in headphone, it has to be transparent first and have a wide neutral extension second. Basically, it has to play music darn good first before i get fancy with soundstage 

 The HE-6 plays music the best to my ears.

 

[knopi]

  I NEVER understood the love for the LCD-2 (I only had the Rev 1)
 
How anybody can think that a headphone with almost an entire spectrum missing was good mystified me

As owner of LCD2rev1 I have to agree with you. Rev1 sounds somewhat as closed cans against top open cans. System have to be very transparent and than it is still not ideal. But overall I Iike them, it is strange because I do not like warm muddy headphone. 
I have big hopes in LCDX or their future top, in my opinion Audeze have really big potencial to create fantastic headphone (maybe even evolutionary one day) if it will be carefully balanced, designed etc.

 

[Silent One]

Originally Posted by brunk /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
 
You and I have very similar findings lol. I only prefer the HD-800 for classical, and everything else HE-6. Soundstage is just about the last factor I look for in headphone, it has to be transparent first and have a wide neutral extension second. Basically, it has to play music darn good first before i get fancy with soundstage 

 The HE-6 plays music the best to my ears.

 

 

[NZtechfreak]

From my point of view I certainly did not find the HE-6 dark, not at all. 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I think it was just how DB made her statement , at least its what I think was meant. remember db said the bios was low and changes were made to.
 when I first rec my HE6  I used it on a underpowered amp and it was brittle bright . I have tried other amps and it calmed down some and the low end came up.  now I did try a SS amp and it was way darker then all the rest, so dark it was like the lcd,s .  I just spent two hours A/B ing   the HE6 with the woo WA 5 all in.  compared to the M8 with increased gain tweaked. the M7 dac with both.  And the two are very close at both low and high volume.  no clipping on both of them. I was looking for  an increase in bass, as others here make claims that SS has more bass or deeper , stronger what ever change than tubes. I know the woo amp is 3 times the price of the M8 but it is what I had to compare. well they sound very close to the same in all details I could hear, although there is a difference but its to small to describe. but the one thing I am sure of the bass lows whatever has no change.  Even the tonal bal was the same something that is very hard to duplicate with alt products. trash if you wish lol
 
sorry for the grammar

 

[dukeskd]

Problem with sound stage is that it is overrated, especially with headphones. When I first started this journey for the best cans for myself, I always looked at the sound stage and HD800 reigned supreme in this regard. But with experience I've come to understand that all headphone sound stages are artificial and will never match speakers, even with crossfeed, and I've tried the best crossfeed out there with the Phonitor.
 
I haven't tried the Smyth Realizer but I have the prediction that it still would not sound like a real speaker setup. .
 
Most important thing is the overall separation that you can extract from the music and great quality control over all the frequency ranges and I believe HE6 ranks very highly in these points.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  Problem with sound stage is that it is overrated, especially with headphones. When I first started this journey for the best cans for myself, I always looked at the sound stage and HD800 reigned supreme in this regard. But with experience I've come to understand that all headphone sound stages are artificial and will never match speakers, even with crossfeed, and I've tried the best crossfeed out there with the Phonitor.
 
I haven't tried the Smyth Realizer but I have the prediction that it still would not sound like a real speaker setup. .
 
Most important thing is the overall separation that you can extract from the music and great quality control over all the frequency ranges and I believe HE6 ranks very highly in these points.

 
 
the realizer actually does sound like speakers, but im still not too big on the crossfeed. it actually fools you, but it does have an artificial thing to it, as well as less bass. 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

I totally agree duke.    the HE 6 when amped well is just great, but we all spend a lot of time and money trying to get them correct.  that is the part I do regret and I cannot get that back..
 
al D

 

[manbear]

I find imaging and layering more exciting than just soundstage size, so planars work well for me in this regard. Don't have an HE-6 though.... yet 

 

[ALRAINBOW]

Well when you are read. Read till your eyes hurt and buy the right amp first. What planers do you have ??

 

[manbear]

Well when you are read. Read till your eyes hurt and buy the right amp first. What planers do you have ??

I have the HE-400 and the Emotiva Mini-X amp, so I'm set in the amp department. My DAC is now the most expensive part of my chain, so I'm good there too. I just need to take it slow and save up a bunch. I'm also interested in waiting for Hifiman's next generation. 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

anyways the HE-6 isn't dark maybe im not explaining it right, it just has that odd midrange thats not thick, full, recessed, or laid back, just kinda pushed back in a way. maybe its not even the midrange, some part of the frequency is forward, so rock music sounds great, but some parts of the mids and treble are pushed back, in a way different to the HE-500, in a way that the HE-500 sounds more immediate in the upper vocal region, giving it a sense of more openness, but the HE-6 has more extended treble and not as smooth of a presentation, its more neutral. but then again, it has a different tonality to it. and the HE-6, well that midrange, it sounds closer to the HE-5LE than it does the HE-500. and the HE-500 might actually have a nicer midrange, but the HE-6 is more transparent. it sounds a little dark, but its completely transparent, unlike the HE-500 where you hear a little more, but it sounds like theres a lack of resolutions somewhere in the sound, like the drivers are restrained. its really hard to explain, but maybe this clears it up a bit.
 
for example, i just put my lcd-3 back on, and they definitely have a better midrange, but they lack the bass and the lcd-3 didnt sound dark, but rather warm, very smooth and warm, which the he-6 aren't. and they have less treble.. just the midrange is easier to listen to. 
 
the thing that no headphone really comes close to the HE-6 is the bass. the beyerdynamic t1 comes the closest to having that awesome bass presentation as well as the LCD-2 or X. but the X still lacks tightness and speed and the beyerdynamic lacks slam and punch