[lojay]

   
I have some nice tubes on the way for the WA5: EML 274B / SP 274B / SP 300B. Might go the Sophia Royal Princess eventually. Not sure about driver tubes yet.
 
It took me about 30 minutes to do the 'Fuzzor Lite' mod - it's easy and quick.

 
The best driver tubes bar none are the Tungsol 6SN7GT Black Glass Round Plates. I think they make a bigger difference on sound than the power tubes (though I've splurged a fortune on those). 
 

 
Stiff sticky backed felt from Amazon. Cheap and easy to work with.
 

 
Might sound stupid, but are there any links to the Fuzzor lite mod? Much appreciated! 

 

[TonyNewman]

   
The best driver tubes bar none are the Tungsol 6SN7GT Black Glass Round Plates. I think they make a bigger difference on sound than the power tubes (though I've splurged a fortune on those). 
 
 
Might sound stupid, but are there any links to the Fuzzor lite mod? Much appreciated! 

 
I am still feeling my way in the dark and murky world of NOS 6SN7 driver tubes...

 
I posted some pics of my HE6 mod and some hints earlier in this thread. It's an 'unofficial' mod, as far as I know. Link

 

[lojay]

Thanks! What are you using to drive the HE6s now?

 

[TonyNewman]

  Thanks! What are you using to drive the HE6s now?

 
Auralic Vega + Taurus. Seems to do the job very nicely

 

[wuwhere]

The only mod I did is I removed the cotton. Why mess with a good thing? The tube amp is just perfect.

 

[ohhgourami]

New flash!
 
My HE-6 rig and another friend's HD800 rig beat out an SR-009 with a BHSE! 009 is the faster headphone, but does not have the same bite when it comes to guitars. 009 is also very etchy on a lot of recordings.
 
I truly do not believe that Hifiman and Sennheiser expected the drivers to have this much potential when they were initially designed.

 

[TonyNewman]

  My HE-6 rig and another friend's HD800 rig beat out an SR-009 with a BHSE! 009 is the faster headphone, but does not have the same bite when it comes to guitars. 009 is also very etchy on a lot of recordings.
 

 
Nice one! My modded HE-6 impresses the hell out of me. Good to know it play with the biggest boys on the block and open a can of whup-ass

 
Do you recall any details of your friend's HD800 rig? DAC? Amp?

 

[lojay]

  New flash!
 
My HE-6 rig and another friend's HD800 rig beat out an SR-009 with a BHSE! 009 is the faster headphone, but does not have the same bite when it comes to guitars. 009 is also very etchy on a lot of recordings.
 
I truly do not believe that Hifiman and Sennheiser expected the drivers to have this much potential when they were initially designed.

 
I doubt that the HD800 could ever beat SR009 apart from soundstage. The SR009 is an improved version of the HD800.
 
The HE6 puts up a very good fight against the SR009. The SR009 is the pair of cans I use for background / easy listening as it is feathery and effortless. HE6 is for the punch and excitement. Both are excellent but very very different. Solution: get both P

 

[purplegoat]

I heard the set up and I definitely give the nod to the SR-009, sorry ohhgourami. The HD800's sounded very very good and coherent but the SR-009 had an incredible tactility without any heaviness..

 

[ohhgourami]

   
Nice one! My modded HE-6 impresses the hell out of me. Good to know it play with the biggest boys on the block and open a can of whup-ass

 
Do you recall any details of your friend's HD800 rig? DAC? Amp?

 
HD800 with Anax mod 2.5 with Eddie Current Leviathan through Audio-gd Master-7 with OR5 (dedicated PSU+options) and a Wyrd. (It was a combination of Purrin's and Anax's gear).

   
I doubt that the HD800 could ever beat SR009 apart from soundstage. The SR009 is an improved version of the HD800.
 
The HE6 puts up a very good fight against the SR009. The SR009 is the pair of cans I use for background / easy listening as it is feathery and effortless. HE6 is for the punch and excitement. Both are excellent but very very different. Solution: get both P

 
The feathery-ness is exactly whats wrong with the 009. The etchy brightness doesn't help its cause either. Something about it can't trick me that what I'm listening to is real.
 

  I heard the set up and I definitely give the nod to the SR-009, sorry ohhgourami. The HD800's sounded very very good and coherent but the SR-009 had an incredible tactility without any heaviness..

SR-009 can't trick me. Also fatiguing to listen for long periods of time. The imaging and depth is not there either.

 

[lojay]

   
HD800 with Anax mod 2.5 with Eddie Current Leviathan through Audio-gd Master-7 with OR5 (dedicated PSU+options) and a Wyrd. (It was a combination of Purrin's and Anax's gear).
 
The feathery-ness is exactly whats wrong with the 009. The etchy brightness doesn't help its cause either. Something about it can't trick me that what I'm listening to is real.
 
SR-009 can't trick me. Also fatiguing to listen for long periods of time. The imaging and depth is not there either.

 
I think you will have to live with the SR009 for a while to appreciate it. I was let down the first time it arrived too, thinking "where did the $4000 go?" Yet, while I was impressed by the HD800 at the start and in fact have lived with it for a long time, I can't really bear to listen to it nowadays. That being said, I hope to buy some EC gear some day... just to see how far the HD800 can go. I know the limits of the WA5.

 

[purplegoat]

Why do you dislike the HD800 now? It was my first time hearing both headphones and I placed the Stax above the HD800 immediately. Wasn't just on the hype train either, I didn't dig the Abyss as much.

 

[kothganesh]

  New flash!
 
My HE-6 rig and another friend's HD800 rig beat out an SR-009 with a BHSE! 009 is the faster headphone, but does not have the same bite when it comes to guitars. 009 is also very etchy on a lot of recordings.
 
I truly do not believe that Hifiman and Sennheiser expected the drivers to have this much potential when they were initially designed.

 

   
I doubt that the HD800 could ever beat SR009 apart from soundstage. The SR009 is an improved version of the HD800.
 
The HE6 puts up a very good fight against the SR009. The SR009 is the pair of cans I use for background / easy listening as it is feathery and effortless. HE6 is for the punch and excitement. Both are excellent but very very different. Solution: get both P

This is funny. This is the weekend where quire a few folks are comparing the HE 6, the HD 800 and the SR 009. Several thousand miles away, I am doing the same thing. HE 6 (grill mod only) with my JVC receiver, 800 with the BH Crack with Speedball, and the SR 009 with the KGSShv.
 
When it comes to a meaty, wanna toss my head and stomp my foot playing the air guitar response, the HE 6 is the winner. Oooh, that bass ! But with the smallest soundstage of the 3 HPs. The SR 009 is effortless and ethereal and one relaxes into the music without missing any detail. The HD 800 had the biggest soundstage (surprise 

) but this is where I noticed the (in)famous treble issue with it. Not an irritant but definitely noticeable. My 800 is unmodded so..... my 3 cents!

 

[lojay]

  Why do you dislike the HD800 now? It was my first time hearing both headphones and I placed the Stax above the HD800 immediately. Wasn't just on the hype train either, I didn't dig the Abyss as much.

 
HD800s (unmodded) are etched, sibilant and never draw you into the music. They render voices unnaturally even with pure copper cables. If I want detail I get the SR009. If I want realistic tone and timbre I get the SR009. If I want transient speed I get the SR009. If I want musicality I get either the SR009 (and tube amps + tube DAC) or the HE6. If I want punch or meat or air guitar inducing fun I grab the HE6. Unless I am a soundstage addict, why would I reach for the HD800 at all?
 
I note that when I had the SAA Endorphin I used the HD800 a bit more than now. But the cable had died on me weeks ago. 
 
Of course, we can go on to talk about how my amp is not a good pairing with the HD800, how I have not done the Anax mod or how my cables are not fit for the HD800. I am happy if some one funds me to buy the top end EC amp, to re-cable my HD800 and do the Anax mod for me. At the end of the day, I am only answering a factual question, why is the HD800 falling into disuse and why I can't bear listening to it now.
 

  This is funny. This is the weekend where quire a few folks are comparing the HE 6, the HD 800 and the SR 009. Several thousand miles away, I am doing the same thing. HE 6 (grill mod only) with my JVC receiver, 800 with the BH Crack with Speedball, and the SR 009 with the KGSShv.
 
When it comes to a meaty, wanna toss my head and stomp my foot playing the air guitar response, the HE 6 is the winner. Oooh, that bass ! But with the smallest soundstage of the 3 HPs. The SR 009 is effortless and ethereal and one relaxes into the music without missing any detail. The HD 800 had the biggest soundstage (surprise 

) but this is where I noticed the (in)famous treble issue with it. Not an irritant but definitely noticeable. My 800 is unmodded so..... my 3 cents!

 
And I am doing the comparison now (albeit with "only" the WA5) with my own rig Agreed with your observations. Might be time to try the Anax mod!

 

[Silent One]

  New flash!
 
My HE-6 rig and another friend's HD800 rig beat out an SR-009 with a BHSE! 009 is the faster headphone, but does not have the same bite when it comes to guitars. 009 is also very etchy on a lot of recordings.
 
I truly do not believe that Hifiman and Sennheiser expected the drivers to have this much potential when they were initially designed.

I simply could not attend this time around but was there in spirit for you and warrenpchi. I long to catch you at a mini-meet. Clemmaster knows he owes us a visit up here!