[cute]

 

 
 
Audio Gd Ref 10.32 - > Almarro 318B - > HE6
 
time to get some after market cables for the HE6.....

That Almarro is beautiful !   If I were you, I would get some after market pads, before the cable . . .     

What pads are recommended for the HE-6 other than the Audeze Vegan?  Best sound reproduction without any other mods?

 

[preproman]

Focus or Focus A pads..  

 

[gjc11028]

   
Oh yes.  I know exactly what you mean.  It sounds so sweet - just a tad bit warm and it sucks you right in.  Non fatiguing and has a holographic projection of the music, more of a stereoscopic 3 dimensional sound that enhances the depth perception of the stage.
 

Nope - the other way around.  It fits them like a glove.  The EC 445 a tube amp was to lean.  It was a really nice amp and maybe that's the nature of the tube, but I didn't like it at all.
 
The INT-150 leans more on the warm side compared to most amps, but not as warm as the Master 10.  It has more of a sweet sound.  

good to know.  i have read three threads this morning of people who sold their EC445.  makes you wonder

 

[cute]

  Focus or Focus A pads..  

 
I have those to try, do you use any other mods?

 

[NZtechfreak]

Thanks so much for the INT 150 review preproman, really appreciated. I presume you're running straight off the speaker taps there, no resistors? Are you also using it without resistors for the other headphones? If so, I'm picking the volume control is very precise?

 

[preproman]

   
I have those to try, do you use any other mods?

 
Yes - I run all the mods + a hardwire mod..  
 
 

Thanks so much for the INT 150 review preproman, really appreciated. I presume you're running straight off the speaker taps there, no resistors? Are you also using it without resistors for the other headphones? If so, I'm picking the volume control is very precise?

No resisters at all on no headphones.  The stepped volume control is very precise.  Not much from one step to the next.  Plus after each turn off and turn back on the amp rest set automatically to 0.  So there is no chance to blow your phones on startup.  I really like that little feature.  

 

[NZtechfreak]

Yes - I run all the mods + a hardwire mod..  



No resisters at all on no headphones.  The stepped volume control is very precise.  Not much from one step to the next.  Plus after each turn off and turn back on the amp rest set automatically to 0.  So there is no chance to blow your phones on startup.  I really like that little feature.  

Nice feature, and good to know that resistors are not needed with the other headphones. Thanks.

 

[shayson1357]

for everyone talking about the EC445, DO NOT generalize your personal experience with one tube amp to all tube amps in general with all configurations, that's foolish for obvious reasons other than the fact that there is almost 1.8x difference in price so no more flaming for that amp in this thread please 

 .
before drawing conclusions towards tube/SS amps you should try multiple REAL no-holds-barred amps(if cost really wasn't an object to them) from both SS/tube camps(either really costly DIY projects or REALLY costly current-manufacture amps like(from the top of my head) WAVAC or something) because as you know vacuum tubes are just the icing on the cake, if you want to pick the best parts you could get for your amp you could spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on capacitors alone, let alone transformers/resistors/hookup wire/sockets....etc. and at the very end come the actual tubes(one link in the chain).
note: tube tech+ dynamic/planar transducers work,beautifully at times, but I believe tubes belong to direct-drive electrostatics instead(where the real magic happens

)

 

[lojay]

good to know.  i have read three threads this morning of people who sold their EC445.  makes you wonder

Depends largely on musical references. It's the benchmark for a realistic 3D soundstage in live acoustic instrumentals and classical music. Better than my Teton and Rag and let's the HD800 rival the SR009 in transparency and openness.

But God is it lean-sounding. It is the driest amp I have heard. I cannot bear to listen to anything non classical (or most things with vocals) on it even with the modded HD800. And it lacks oomph and power for the HE6. So ultimately it depends on ones preferences. I do not see anyone crapping on the 445 including Preproman.

 

[gjc11028]

Depends largely on musical references. It's the benchmark for a realistic 3D soundstage in live acoustic instrumentals and classical music. Better than my Teton and Rag and let's the HD800 rival the SR009 in transparency and openness.

But God is it lean-sounding. It is the driest amp I have heard. I cannot bear to listen to anything non classical (or most things with vocals) on it even with the modded HD800. And it lacks oomph and power for the HE6. So ultimately it depends on ones preferences. I do not see anyone crapping on the 445 including Preproman.

i have not heard it so i do not have an opinion.  i was a little surprised as a read a couple of threads here and on another site about people selling it.   given its cost and some of the accolades that it has gotten, i was surprised and i wondered what it is about it that people do not want to live with.   you you have helped explain that.  

 

[Dopaminer]

Playing around with more grills:
 
This one needs fuzzoring, and is slightly heavy,, though not as heavy as the stock grill: 
 

 
This I think is my final solution - as best as I can tell it`s acoustically transparent and still provides protection, while looking the most . . neutral. It`s similar to the mesh around the HD800 driver, except stronger.  You can see how optically semi-transparant it is, too.  
 

 

[preproman]

I never crapped on the EC 445, I liked the amp for certain music that I rarely listen to.  I just happened to like the Master 10 and the INT-150 better with the HD800s than the EC 445.  I had no need for it at the end.  One thing it's not - is a GOD amp, that's for sure.

 

[lojay]

  I never crapped on the EC 445, I liked the amp for certain music that I rarely listen to.  I just happened to like the Master 10 and the INT-150 better with the HD800s than the EC 445.  I had no need for it at the end.  One thing it's not - is a GOD amp, that's for sure.

 
"I liked the amp for certain music that I rarely listen to" - spot on. I agree with this wholeheartedly. I might listen to such types of music more than you, and some might only listen to those types of music. YMMV.
 
I don't think it's the god amp either, I wonder if that amp exists at all! 

 

[Oregonian]

I got a sampling from Inspired Laser Designs. Like the openness.......

 

[Silent One]

Interesting, oregonian...