[Benny-x]

We had a iDAC-6 and iHA-6 tour in Mainland China recently but unfortunately then event has completed and we do not have a plan to re-run the tour in near future.

Shows is a good place to explore new products but not necessarily the ideal location to formulate a final judgement on the audio performance. Shop audition actually can be better, especially when are dealing with the more reputable shops who knows what they are doing, and home audition is always the most reliable path, that is if home audition is a feasible option.

I guess missed the boat on the mainland China tour before. Too bad I didn't hear anything about it.

Hopefully those who get to listen on the US tour with the HE-6 post their thoughts in here.

When i tested the iHA-6 at one of the best shops in Shanghai, I tested it along side the new Audio-Technica HA-5050 in DAC+amp mode and in amp only mode, a Bryston BHA1, and with the Auralic Taurus MkII. All were DAC'ed by the Auralic Vega, which was fed via the Auralic Aries + LPS.

The HA-5050 and the Taurus MkII mopped the floor with the other amps. The level of engagement was totally different with them and after tripling back to confirm, my mind was made that I'd need one of those 2 amps in my stable.

I tested with my own HEK and Pioneer SE Master-1, the shop's HEX, and for <5mins with another guy's pair of HE-6.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Ok...isn't that too hot, Biki?

 

[TonyNewman]

Just posted the spiel below in the Glenn custom amp thread. I am expecting/inviting some abuse as a result, my conclusion after 3+ years and a hefty amount of $$ in this hobby, my conclusion is firm. A modded HE6 driven from a high quality power amp beats anything else I have encountered. High end SS or tube amps don't compare.
 
Even a beautifully crafted custom Glenn 300B amp chucking out 8W of class A audio goodness does not cut it compared to my Hegel P20 preamp + Accuphase P-4200 power amp speaker tap driver modded HE6.
 
**************************************************************************************************************
Feel free to call me some very rude names for what I am about to post. I completely "get it" and will wear it with a manly smile and good humour (spelt with a "u" - you bloody Yanks have inflicted untold suffering on the English language). If you want to get completely off the charts, PM me and thrown some abuse my way. I have a thick skin and can deal with it. I have been called the 'c' word more often than most folks have had hot dinners - so go for it. I have been sworn at by tempered professionals (RSMs - for those that know what that means).
 
OK - here we go. I have been playing about with my rig, using my very best performing headphone I have ever encountered - a modded HE6. Those that have not heard a modded HE6 have no idea what they are missing. I own a HD800S and Ether C (and before I sold them, an LCD-X) - none of which come anywhere close to the SQ of the modded HE6. Deep and powerful bass, glorious mids, extended and sweet treble. I would set fire to all my other other HPs to keep my HE6.
 
This is my rig:
 

 
PC (USB) or i170 transport (SPDIF) -> Bricasti M1 -> Hegel P20 -> Accuphase P-4200 -> HiFiMan adapter box (modded to a straight through device - no resistors for tube amp usage) -> modded HE6.
 
My V281 amp is MIA due to a PY500-shorting-induced power surge that took it out of the game, pending repair. That's another sad story for another post. The God of tubes hates me with a passion, based on my history of blown equipment

 
I am comparing the HE6 driven directly from my power amp speaker taps vs the Glenn 300B amp.
 
My conclusion? And keep in mind that I LOVE my Glenn amp with a passion that is almost incestuous - I think I would marry my Glenn amp if it had breasts and other pink bits - I get serious wood from the glow of my RCA PY500s every time I power up my tube amp - is that my P20 / P-4200 setup KILLS the Glenn 300B. Absolutely KILLS it in terms of SQ performance.
 
It freaken HURTS me to type this, but it is a sad fact. I am left scratching my head as to why I spent close to 4K USD on a tube amp (plus shipping to NZ) that does not do better than the power amp I already have, and that cost excludes any tubes. Keep in mind that I am not using the best available 300B tubes - my TA300Bs are still on the way - but I am using "decent" tubes - EML Plate 300B. They simple do not cut it compared to my power amp powering the HE6. Not even a contest. Absolute slaughter.
 
Glenn - no disrespect intended - I love your amps very much and have nothing but respect for your workmanship and commitment to making the very best tube gear that money can buy.
 
So here is my proposition - as much as I love the romance and allure of tubes - and I have a tube lust that is almost certifiable - for sheer performance and on any rational dollar vs performance basis - SS wins. It's not a rational discussion IMHO. I have spent enough cash on tubes, and tube amps, over the past 3 years to cover my mortgage and then some - SS wins. There is a small, a very small, SQ benefit that tubes deliver. That holographic effect, for example, but there are SS amps like the V281 that deliver exactly that, in spades.
 
So there it is. After 3+ years of spending large amounts of $$$ on tubes and tubes amps I am left with the conclusion that SS wins in any rational discussion. In the Glenn 300B I have no doubt that I have the very best tube amp that money can buy (or very close to it) - I have nothing but deep respect for Glenn and the amps he makes - but the sad fact is that my SS rig beats it. Consistently. So why bother with the expense and reliability issues inherent in tube gear? There is no rational answer to that that I can formulate. I LOVE the glow of my tube rig and will keep using it for that reason, but it is not a rational or logical decision. For audio performance I will use my P20 + P-4200 / V281 amp setup and know that I am getting the very best performance my budget will allow.
 
A quick word on DAC performance - the Auralic Vega and Hegel HD30 had some fine qualities - but upgrading to the Bricasti M1 was something I will never regret. Amazing DAC. It does everything superbly, as you would expect at the price.
 
OK - said my bit - let lose the dogs of war and unleash the abuse. I am braced for impact

 

 

[TonyNewman]

... The HA-5050 and the Taurus MkII mopped the floor with the other amps. ...

 
I mean this with the utmost respect - as a a former Auralic Taurus Mk2 owner I feel qualified to say this - the Auralic Taurus does NOT drive the HE6 to its limits of performance. Not even close. It throws around 4W into 50 ohms. Not enough. Not nearly enough.
 
I have used headphone amps that throw about double that into the HE6 (Custom 300B amps and V281 and 430HA, all around 8W+) and please trust me when I say that they do a much better job of driving this headphone. Still not ideal. If you want to get the absolute best from the HE6 hook it up to the speaker taps of high end power amp. Put 100W behind the (modded) HE6 and it will blow your mind in ways that the Taurus Mk2 will never even approach.
 
The Taurus gives you a taste of what the HE6 can do. Nothing more.

 

[ohhgourami]

Well...that is no surprise to me. From my experience, tube vs SS is irrelevant in this discussion. The important thing is that it's high end SPEAKER amps which completely trounces these purpose built (purposely neutered) headamps. I've been thumping this for years and years.

 

[TonyNewman]

  Well...that is no surprise to me. From my experience, tube vs SS is irrelevant in this discussion. The important thing is that it's high end SPEAKER amps which completely trounces these purpose built (purposely neutered) headamps. I've been thumping this for years and years.

 
After living in that river in Egypt for quite a while, I can only agree, wholeheartedly 

I can only hang my head in embarrassment for once upon a time saying, in this thread, that the Auralic Taurus is adequate to drive the HE6. Wrong. Very wrong. I didn't know any better. Now I do.
 
I was experiencing some minor flaws in my re-modded HE6 when driven from my 300B amp - slightly recessed mids and some weirdness around the upper mids / lower treble region. Then I hooked it up to my power amp again for a bit of fun. Bugger me with a pitchfork, but those flaws disappeared. This is a brilliant headphone, but you need a speaker amp to hear it, and you need to mod the heck out of it. The rewards are AWESOME.
 
Sorry, but even the most powerful headamps don't cut it. I have used my HE6 with Taurus Mk2 / 430HA / V281. They just don't make the HE6 sing to its potential. The speaker taps of my P-4200 put about 100W of headphone melting goodness behind the HE6 - THAT DOES IT!! The flaws fade away, and I am left with a brilliant headphone that transcends the HD800S/Ether C in a way that is frankly insulting. Those other headphones just don't even rate a mention. The modded HE6 trashes them, severely. Smashed and bashed.
 
Only minor quible is that dedicated headamps have a built-in treble attenuation to compensate for the short transmission path to your ear drum - power amps don't have that. So either use some EQ, or in my case fiddle with the filter options on the DAC to get some (moderate) treble attenuation.
 
EDIT - Have put a maximum treble attenuation filter on my Bricasti DAC. Result is just SUBLIME. My custom 300B amp just isn't in the game. It pains me to say that, it really does, but that is the reality. Put 100+W behind the modded HE6 and it will do things that will amaze you.

 

[Rossliew]

Anyone tried driving the he6 straight off the speaker taps of a Naim supernait 2 integrated amp?

 

[Benny-x]

I mean this with the utmost respect - as a a former Auralic Taurus Mk2 owner I feel qualified to say this - the Auralic Taurus does NOT drive the HE6 to its limits of performance. Not even close. It throws around 4W into 50 ohms. Not enough. Not nearly enough.

I have used headphone amps that throw about double that into the HE6 (Custom 300B amps and V281 and 430HA, all around 8W+) and please trust me when I say that they do a much better job of driving this headphone. Still not ideal. If you want to get the absolute best from the HE6 hook it up to the speaker taps of high end power amp. Put 100W behind the (modded) HE6 and it will blow your mind in ways that the Taurus Mk2 will never even approach.

The Taurus gives you a taste of what the HE6 can do. Nothing more.

I shared fairly detailed results of a shootout I did on this already. I bought an 80W Class A, 160W AB integrated amp that I have dedicated to my HEK and future HE-6, both of which I tried it with. I agree with your point limited to that, but otherwise those 2 headphone amps were better classed products than the rest i tried.

You'll see in that comment that I said I got <5 mins on the amps with some other guy's HE-6, but that the bulk of the time was spent with other headphones. That was to qualify that an HE-6 focused answer should be taken with a grain of salt. The focus of that comment was to provide some additional feedback that the Cayin iHA-6 did not power the HE-6 well, compared to the other headphone amps listed. That was in reference to what some people have been saying here along with the Cayin rep.

If we throw in speaker amps too, you're right, they're not in the same league at all. That's why I bought the Xindak A600 integrated amp after all that testing and not the Taurus MkII. I did have a VERY positive feeling about it though, and I'll be getting one for the office.

I guess if you hadn't been following what people had been saying recently or looked into my profile before trying to swing me on switching over to the big daddy amps you wouldn't have known all that though.

 

[Articnoise]

I don’t know anything about the Glenn 300B amp, but if it use 300B tubes I guess that it can deliver 8 watt at 8 Ohms. That is like 1.5 watt at 50 ohms. Tube watt is not the same as SS watt, but 1.5 watt is probably on the low side for ultimate paring with the HE6 IMO.

 

[Happy Camper]

Anyone tried driving the he6 straight off the speaker taps of a Naim supernait 2 integrated amp?

When I was doing some amp trials, I was in love with the Simaudio amps. The dealer told me they were going to Naim and said they out performed the Sims. I bet it would sound good as I trust this dealer.

 

[Happy Camper]

Well...that is no surprise to me. From my experience, tube vs SS is irrelevant in this discussion. The important thing is that it's high end SPEAKER amps which completely trounces these purpose built (purposely neutered) headamps. I've been thumping this for years and years.

Agreed. When the HE became popular, all the usual suspects were making small speaker amps, putting them in pretty boxes and charging thousands. Reality, old iron with updated caps still make these headtoys out to be wantabee amps. But the fanboys will have you think they are new marvels.

 

[Rossliew]

When I was doing some amp trials, I was in love with the Simaudio amps. The dealer told me they were going to Naim and said they out performed the Sims. I bet it would sound good as I trust this dealer.

Being current monsters I suppose in theory the Naims should be more than capable to drive the He6.

Btw which sim audio integrated did you find a good pairing with the 6? Would the moon 250i integrated be sufficient you reckon?

 

[Happy Camper]

Being current monsters I suppose in theory the Naims should be more than capable to drive the He6.

Btw which sim audio integrated did you find a good pairing with the 6? Would the moon 250i integrated be sufficient you reckon?

The I600. The presentation was not matched by anything I have heard. 3d with speaker performance.

 

[Happy Camper]

Tony, I am in full agreement sir. The modded 6 is a world beater. Those whose opinion I respect felt the modded 6 beat out the newer HEK. The only things he felt did better was the top end stats and the Abyss.

 

[Takeanidea]

I prefer the focus a pads myself. The regular ones seemed a tad brighter to me and, in my opinion the HE-6 has enough treble as it is. Both are much comfier than the stock pleather and velour. Never tried the velpads on the HE-6 but they were really comfy on my HE-300. Basically, unless you prefer the sound of the stock pads, almost anything would be a better alternative.

I like the velour pads that came with mine. They had a highly cushioned headband which offsets any discomfort from the slightly harder feel of the pads.
EQing the HE-6s changes the sound coming into my ears far more dramatically than changing the pads.