[Armaegis]

Hey what nail polish color did you find that matches the OG HE-6 well?

Mine has only a couple I want to take care of

It's just a gloss black. Went to walmart and looked around at what was available.

 

[Hellhammer]

It's just a gloss black. Went to walmart and looked around at what was available.

Simple enough. Thanks

 

[Sebbai]

3.5mm and Audeze Carbon finer headband mod, 4 screw HIFIMAN HE6, but I retained original cups and headband. Used my 6 screw for part sourcing.

Total of 5grams lighter!

 

[Sebbai]

3.5mm and Audeze Carbon finer headband mod, 4 screw HIFIMAN HE6, but I retained original cups and headband. Used my 6 screw for part sourcing.

Total of 5grams lighter!

EDIT: Not sure what to do with 6 screw drivers. Any ideas?

This is my HE500 - HE5 tribute mod
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hif...-experience-in-listening.551345/post-17117925

 

[Sebbai]

Have a extra HE500 cup set, it does match better with the audeze carbon headband.

Would it be to much of modification? Or should I just go with it? (No plan to sell, so decision is mostly personally preferably, whit some weight on what he6 fanboys here think)

EDIT: OG HE6 4 screw cups will stay untouched either way if I do the mod or not

 

[Hellhammer]

I rarely take pictures of mine but here is my HE-6 (6 screw)

I had been using velipads for about 3 months straight but I still prefer Audeze vegan pads

 

[Betzy]

I got mine from Zynsonix and am satisfied; mine are a shorter version of this:



I would recommend going for bare wires at the speaker tap end. I shelled out for Zynsonics` Rhodium spade ends, for the big speaker taps of my Denon PMA-S1 amp, but then ended up getting a speaker selector box. The spades were too big for the selector box and I ended up chopping them off . . total waste. Works fantastic though . . .

I got mine from Zynsonix and am satisfied; mine are a shorter version of this:



I would recommend going for bare wires at the speaker tap end. I shelled out for Zynsonics` Rhodium spade ends, for the big speaker taps of my Denon PMA-S1 amp, but then ended up getting a speaker selector box. The spades were too big for the selector box and I ended up chopping them off . . total waste. Works fantastic though . . .

Yes, I also have the Zynsonics adapter box from Bryan...he is a master Engineer!

 

[Sebbai]

I rarely take pictures of mine but here is my HE-6 (6 screw)

I had been using velipads for about 3 months straight but I still prefer Audeze vegan pads

Would you mind sharing that grill design?

If anyone prefers the OG velour pads with their HE6 (like me) I highly recommend buying these pads from AliExpress:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mr1EN5i

“Colour” # 4 (Angled Velour)

They look and feel exactly as the pads that comes with the earlier 4 screw (which is softer, larger inner hole and better sounding than those who comes with the 6 screw)

 

[Arjestin]

Looks like most of you use a speaker amp to drive the HE6, understandably. I use an Emotiva A-100 myself.
But I wonder if more resolution can be squeezed out of the HE6 by driving it with a proper headphone amp.
If you do use a headphone amp to drive your HE6, which amp is it and would you recommend it over a speaker amp?

 

[musicinmymind]

Would you mind sharing that grill design?

If anyone prefers the OG velour pads with their HE6 (like me) I highly recommend buying these pads from AliExpress:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mr1EN5i

“Colour” # 4 (Angled Velour)

They look and feel exactly as the pads that comes with the earlier 4 screw (which is softer, larger inner hole and better sounding than those who comes with the 6 screw)

Where did you buy that grill, looks awesome.

 

[Hellhammer]

Would you mind sharing that grill design?

If anyone prefers the OG velour pads with their HE6 (like me) I highly recommend buying these pads from AliExpress:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mr1EN5i

“Colour” # 4 (Angled Velour)

They look and feel exactly as the pads that comes with the earlier 4 screw (which is softer, larger inner hole and better sounding than those who comes with the 6 screw)

Hey thanks for the pad recommendation. I'll give them a try. I'm always switching between velipads and the Audeze vegan pads anyway

As far as the grill, I've no clue where the previous owner got them from

@Joeyjoe26 maybe you can answer this one

 

[bagwell359]

Looks like most of you use a speaker amp to drive the HE6, understandably. I use an Emotiva A-100 myself.

Again I want to point out when these came out there were probably less than 5 headphone amps that could drive them - so amps, integrateds, and receivers were essentialy the choice then

Even today all the HE-6's and Susvara are @ 83.5 db, which is good deal lower than just about any other planars. So, I think a mystic aura has built up around the amp thing.

100 WPC, 200 WPC !!! Ummm, rated at 8 or 4 ohms. I have the first dual purpose headphone XLR / speaker integrated - the Ragnarok 1. 100 wpc into 4 ohms and 10 into 50 ohms. That's pretty good scaling. Your basic mega buck Krell would scale better, most would scale less.

So, how many receivers are designed, tested, and rated at 50 ohms? I've seen piles of specs and never seen a number claimed at that load.

A piece from say 1992 rated at 100 wpc at 4 ohms is liable to be over 4 wpc at 50 ohms.

But from 1978? Assuming the power supply, protection circuitry, and leaky caps do the job - 6 wpc, 2 wpc, or an explosion ?

I have the SE-6 SE rated at 83.5 db (and indeed very very close to th. Same efficiency of the 6 screw I was lent). I never get out of gain 2 on my Rag 1 which is 10.7 db less max output than Gain 3. And I'm at least 3-4 db under that max. So what is 14.2 db under 10 wpc?

There is no need for over 5 wpc @ 50 db no matter how badly one wants to fry their hearing. Unless you are handy with a multimeter and soldering in tight spaces or a collector of vintage pieces - consider that a Jot 2 using the balanced XLR out or the Lyr+ using either output are more than enough, will likely last 30+ years, and will by my estimate drive them better than than your average class AB receiver/integrated amp/separates.

But I wonder if more resolution can be squeezed out of the HE6 by driving it with a proper headphone amp.

Class A ( and A w/ sliding buas), from an amp designed for 38, 50, or 600 ohms without putting some discrete piece in the way to "match" the load.

If you do use a headphone amp to drive your HE6, which amp is it and would you recommend it over a speaker amp?

Rag 1 - used probably can find them under $800 now or the new Lyr+.

I know some will adhere to their Luxman, Sansui, Kenwood, stuff and that's fine. But if you are buying now - then look at the wide array of amps available and get a killer DAC to go with it

 

[elwappo99]

Looks like most of you use a speaker amp to drive the HE6, understandably. I use an Emotiva A-100 myself.
But I wonder if more resolution can be squeezed out of the HE6 by driving it with a proper headphone amp.
If you do use a headphone amp to drive your HE6, which amp is it and would you recommend it over a speaker amp?

Man.... I feel like I opened a can of worms with the A-100 and the HE-6 all those years ago. That was like 10 years ago, and literally headphone amplifiers didn't have enough power to get the HE-6 to a listenable volume. It was always meant to be an "intro" amp just to get the HE-6 going, not really a final or end-game amp if you decided the HE-6 was going to stick around.

There's only a handful of headphone amplifier that have had enough power to really grip the HE-6. Even though many manufacturer's claim their amplifiers can drive the HE-6 as a proof of how good their product is. Off the top of my head: Audio-GD Master 9, Audio-GD Precision, Cavalli Liquid Glass, Cavalli Liquid Gold, Schiit Rag. These are very expensive amplifiers and you're paying a high premium because they are "headphone amplifiers".

The reason why people went to speaker amps is it's cheaper for the performance. For example, a Schiit Aegir a few years ago was $800 and a Ragnarok 1 was $1700. IMO the Aegir sounds better than the Ragnarok. So you're paying an extra $900 for a "headphone amplifier" that didn't sound as good. In the high end amplifier range, the best I've heard the HE-6 was off of speaker amps.

So to loop back to your question - You can get more resolution and detail beyond the A100 from both headphone and speaker amps. Speaker amps will get you more "bang for your buck" and if you want to get into the multi-thousand dollar range, speaker amps will go beyond what any headphone amp can do.

Again I want to point out when these came out there were probably less than 5 headphone amps that could drive them - so amps, integrateds, and receivers were essentialy the choice then

Even today all the HE-6's and Susvara are @ 83.5 db, which is good deal lower than just about any other planars. So, I think a mystic aura has built up around the amp thing.

100 WPC, 200 WPC !!! Ummm, rated at 8 or 4 ohms. I have the first dual purpose headphone XLR / speaker integrated - the Ragnarok 1. 100 wpc into 4 ohms and 10 into 50 ohms. That's pretty good scaling. Your basic mega buck Krell would scale better, most would scale less.

So, how many receivers are designed, tested, and rated at 50 ohms? I've seen piles of specs and never seen a number claimed at that load.

A piece from say 1992 rated at 100 wpc at 4 ohms is liable to be over 4 wpc at 50 ohms.

But from 1978? Assuming the power supply, protection circuitry, and leaky caps do the job - 6 wpc, 2 wpc, or an explosion ?

I have the SE-6 SE rated at 83.5 db (and indeed very very close to th. Same efficiency of the 6 screw I was lent). I never get out of gain 2 on my Rag 1 which is 10.7 db less max output than Gain 3. And I'm at least 3-4 db under that max. So what is 14.2 db under 10 wpc?

There is no need for over 5 wpc @ 50 db no matter how badly one wants to fry their hearing. Unless you are handy with a multimeter and soldering in tight spaces or a collector of vintage pieces - consider that a Jot 2 using the balanced XLR out or the Lyr+ using either output are more than enough, will likely last 30+ years, and will by my estimate drive them better than than your average class AB receiver/integrated amp/separates.

Class A ( and A w/ sliding buas), from an amp designed for 38, 50, or 600 ohms without putting some discrete piece in the way to "match" the load.

Rag 1 - used probably can find them under $800 now or the new Lyr+.

I know some will adhere to their Luxman, Sansui, Kenwood, stuff and that's fine. But if you are buying now - then look at the wide array of amps available and get a killer DAC to go with it

A full size speaker amp won't publish power output for anything outside of 4-8ohms. Rarely 2ohms. But if you have power (watts) and resistance (ohms) you can easily find it. R1P1=R2P2. The real issue with "mainstream" amplifiers and integrated amplifiers, is they often exaggerate their power by providing maximum power even when distortion makes the music undiscernible.

 

[bagwell359]

Man.... I feel like I opened a can of worms with the A-100 and the HE-6 all those years ago. That was like 10 years ago, and literally headphone amplifiers didn't have enough power to get the HE-6 to a listenable volume. It was always meant to be an "intro" amp just to get the HE-6 going, not really a final or end-game amp if you decided the HE-6 was going to stick around.

Yes.

There's only a handful of headphone amplifier that have had enough power to really grip the HE-6. Even though many manufacturer's claim their amplifiers can drive the HE-6 as a proof of how good their product is. Off the top of my head: Audio-GD Master 9, Audio-GD Precision, Cavalli Liquid Glass, Cavalli Liquid Gold, Schiit Rag. These are very expensive amplifiers and you're paying a high premium because they are "headphone amplifiers".

More than that - Violectric and Bryston to name just two others I've heard.

The reason why people went to speaker amps is it's cheaper for the performance. For example, a Schiit Aegir a few years ago was $800 and a Ragnarok 1 was $1700. IMO the Aegir sounds better than the Ragnarok. So you're paying an extra $900 for a "headphone amplifier" that didn't sound as good. In the high end amplifier range, the best I've heard the HE-6 was off of speaker amps.

Sure a Pass X-150 toasts every (or almost every) headphone amp. Used ones still fetch close to $3k.

BTW, my Rag 1 is hardly just a headphone amp. I've driven Maggie .7i, KEF 50, BMR Philharmonic, several ProAc's just about as well as my former combo: Pass X-150 and GFP-750 - $5500 list.

Used Rag 1's going for under $700 these days. I think within its restrictions the Aegis is very good - better than the Rag 1. It came out some years after the Rag 1. And unlike the 1975-1995 period when I was a sales guy and later an investor in a shop owned at least 30 amps. But I don't do that anymore, had the Rag since '16. But if the new Raal is all I hope I may need an upgrade. Also Aegir's need a line stage or pre-amp last I checked, so not quite so cheap, and two to run the .7i to solid levels.

So to loop back to your question - You can get more resolution and detail beyond the A100 from both headphone and speaker amps. Speaker amps will get you more "bang for your buck" and if you want to get into the multi-thousand dollar range, speaker amps will go beyond what any headphone amp can do.

But amps are not standalone unless they are integrated. Two Aegirs and a proper Freya is better than a Rag 1. But the cost... Now just for headphones (I do have 3 sets of speakers) an Aegis and my taste in Freya yup better but no cheaper. And more if I get crazy with tubes. Also the Rag 2 is cheaper. But I like my class A to 4 wpc unlike the 1 of the Rag 2.

A full size speaker amp won't publish power output for anything outside of 4-8ohms. Rarely 2ohms. But if you have power (watts) and resistance (ohms) you can easily find it. R1P1=R2P2. The real issue with "mainstream" amplifiers and integrated amplifiers, is they often exaggerate their power by providing maximum power even when distortion makes the music undiscernible.

True, but the Aegir cannot be more than 5 WPC at 50 ohms unless you run it in mono. There are a lot of amps that can do that.

My real concern is equipment over 35 years old with original caps. Unless it's a classic, the price can be low, but recapping is expensive - more so if it's not DIY.

 

[Hellhammer]

@elwappo99

I see where you're coming from but I currently own a Cavalli Liquid Gold and also own a Harman Kardon stack; a restored pair of hk-770 and hk-725 and while I can agree the speaker amp set up is way more bang for buck, I still find my Cavalli amp better sounding

The bottleneck with the speaker amp set up is the hk-725 pre-amp. Therefore my point here is that if you're going the speaker amp route make sure it's a proper integrated amp or if you're going modular, make sure the pre-amp is up to par as well. Synergy between amp and pre-amp is veeeeery important if you're going the speaker amp route