[gimmeheadroom]

Sadly no.. but I would love to have a chance to listen to such a collection of HE6

I'm going to sell my Susvara because I prefer the HE6 more. It's just more fun to listen to, Susvara might be better at some things, like stage, detail, and "realism?" But they get boring faster. HE6 always surprises me with that ****ing slam, and energetic treble.

It's a great article, thanks for the link

 

[chrismoyer]

Sadly no.. but I would love to have a chance to listen to such a collection of HE6

I'm going to sell my Susvara because I prefer the HE6 more. It's just more fun to listen to, Susvara might be better at some things, like stage, detail, and "realism?" But they get boring faster. HE6 always surprises me with that ****ing slam, and energetic treble.

I'll trade the LP 4 screw for that Susvara...

 

[elwappo99]

HE-6 6-screw is currently my most resolving headphone. I’m interested in comparing its performance to the new Arya Stealth. I never heard an Arya but many say that its resolution is equivalent to Sennheiser HD800, which I do have. IMO, HD800 is less resolving than an HE-6, so I’m not sure how the Arya Stealth would fit in that lineup.

If you have experience with these headphones, what is your opinion on Arya Stealth resolution in comparison to HE-6?

I had a pair of the V2 Arya and they didn't really compare to the HE-6 in terms of raw resolution and bass slam/impact. I had a pair of HE1000 and would also say the same thing. They both didn't really have the same low level detail the HE-6 has. They do have a great sense of space and that "holographic" sound, but the trade off seems to be a thinner and less impactful sound (especially bass).

In the headphones I own to start to match / exceed a fully driven HE-6 I'm looking at the Audeze LCD-4 or Stax SR009. At that point the headphone is starting to reveal everything in the chain so you really have to look at the entire system before you'll start to hear even the minor differences. For me this is addressing: Music file -> playback software -> digital converter -> DAC -> amp

I have a LP 4-screw HE6 and a HE6SEV2 powered via a Rag 2. I also listen to an HD-6XX through both the Rag2 and a Valhalla 2.

I'm toying around with the idea of a Focal Clear OG since headphones.com is selling them for $890. Can anyone with on-ears experience tell me how the Clear might compare to the OG HE6 or SEV2? Trying to talk myself out of spending money...

I'd say the Clear is a downgrade from the HE-6. They're an interesting and fun headphone, but don't hold up to the technical performance of a fully driven HE-6. If you want a different sound flavor I'd suggest the Elex which isn't that far off for technicalities and can be found for $400-$500 used

 

[Arjestin]

I have a LP 4-screw HE6 and a HE6SEV2 powered via a Rag 2. I also listen to an HD-6XX through both the Rag2 and a Valhalla 2.

I'm toying around with the idea of a Focal Clear OG since headphones.com is selling them for $890. Can anyone with on-ears experience tell me how the Clear might compare to the OG HE6 or SEV2? Trying to talk myself out of spending money...

Clear OG is a jack of all trades. It is very good in most categories, but it does not excel in any of them. In comparison to HE6, I'd say that Clear OG has a more full-bodied midrange and more natural timbre. Both headphones are equally punchy, but HE6 has tighter quicker bass. In terms of details/resolution, HE6 is in a different league.

For Jazz and vocal-centric music I prefer Clear OG on a tube amp. Everything else sounds more fun and engaging with HE6.

 

[Sebbai]

I had a pair of the V2 Arya and they didn't really compare to the HE-6 in terms of raw resolution and bass slam/impact. I had a pair of HE1000 and would also say the same thing. They both didn't really have the same low level detail the HE-6 has. They do have a great sense of space and that "holographic" sound, but the trade off seems to be a thinner and less impactful sound (especially bass).

In the headphones I own to start to match / exceed a fully driven HE-6 I'm looking at the Audeze LCD-4 or Stax SR009. At that point the headphone is starting to reveal everything in the chain so you really have to look at the entire system before you'll start to hear even the minor differences. For me this is addressing: Music file -> playback software -> digital converter -> DAC -> amp




I'd say the Clear is a downgrade from the HE-6. They're an interesting and fun headphone, but don't hold up to the technical performance of a fully driven HE-6. If you want a different sound flavor I'd suggest the Elex which isn't that far off for technicalities and can be found for $400-$500 used

My wallet …..

I need to audition the LCD-4, if it one ups the LCD-5 we might have a new bass king of the HE6 era. JK

Long live the HE6 (please bring it back HIFIMAN)

EDIT: OG HE6 that is. Fang

 

[Sebbai]

I'll trade the LP 4 screw for that Susvara...

I’m sure you would

 

[sennfan83261]

Sadly no.. but I would love to have a chance to listen to such a collection of HE6

I'm going to sell my Susvara because I prefer the HE6 more. It's just more fun to listen to, Susvara might be better at some things, like stage, detail, and "realism?" But they get boring faster. HE6 always surprises me with that ****ing slam, and energetic treble.

A dude at CanJam scoffed at me when he overheard my conversation with someone else about my preference for my modded HE-6 4S-EP over the Sus, the latter driven by either a Ferum stack or that dCS three-headed monster. To me, the Sus sounded too much like my HEKv1, the former sounding more holographic than the latter (but not thousands of dollars more). Unfortunately, the show floor was too loud to determine how much the Sus outdetailed it. What was apparent to me was how the Sus simply didn't have the liveliness/dynamism that a well-driven HE-6 brings to the table. In my limited experience with the Sus, it (like the HEKv1) is a kickback-and-relax kind of headphone while the HE-6 makes me feel like I'm in middle of a concert at times.

 

[lambdastorm]

These days the more I listen to the HE6 the more I felt like they weren't giant killers, even back in the day they were the giants themselves. They sound so direct, so focused, so full of life. There's this alive quality that I have yet to hear from any other headphone bar the 009 and the Abyss. The former will never slam as hard and the latter can get a bit too V-shaped at times.

 

[dleblanc343]

Is that your writeup?

I was present with Svstem ahead of his blog write-up - he's a great local friend, and a very good ear too!

If you have any questions, please feel free as I've heard all variants of HE6 several times and also owned 3 different 6 screws


Great headphones!

 

[Feilong4]

Has anyone tried the HE6 with the updated (>2020) Audeze leather and/or leather-free earpads?

 

[Sebbai]

Has anyone tried the HE6 with the updated (>2020) Audeze leather and/or leather-free earpads?

What is different with their latest pads? I like the old microsuede vegan pads on mine.



But my latest favourite pads is actually the Susvara pads. The fit the HE6 without any modifications. Same circular mount system on both.




I also frequently use the original Velour pads that came only with the EP 4-screw. (They have a different foam, softer. And the inner diameter is also larger, which i think is very important for bringing the HE6 imaging capabilities to 110%)

These pads from AliExpress comes close, and has a slight angle to them. Use those a lot too. (Angled Velvet)
https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0T68ak
(Needs some effort… just use double sided tape, and make the tape weaker by stamping it on some clothing)

 

[Feilong4]

What is different with their latest pads? I like the old microsuede vegan pads on mine.



But my latest favourite pads is actually the Susvara pads. The fit the HE6 without any modifications. Same circular mount system on both.




I also frequently use the original Velour pads that came only with the EP 4-screw. (They have a different foam, softer. And the inner diameter is also larger, which i think is very important for bringing the HE6 imaging capabilities to 110%)

These pads from AliExpress comes close, and has a slight angle to them. Use those a lot too. (Angled Velvet)
https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0T68ak
(Needs some effort… just use double sided tape, and make the tape weaker by stamping it on some clothing)

The new Audeze leather/leather-free pads use a softer foam and IIRC it's more of a quick-recovery foam rather than a dense memory foam used in their older leather pads. The pads are also not as thick as the older pads. I briefly owned the revised LCD-XC with the leather-free pads. I didn't try to take them off though because the pads were adhered on and I didn't plan to keep them. I also had already sold my HE-6 OG at the time. Now I have a HE6SE that I recently acquired.

 

[Armaegis]

I have my EP4S with unobtanium J$ leather pads, twaron angel hair damping, and Norse (before they became Norne) hardwired cable... because I'm fancy
Sadly it barely gets used these days.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Its been 7 years and they still are my favorites, really perfect sound I've found with the HE-6 and my amps (WA5, GSX MK2,FW J2), no flaws and they are my endgame. That said, I can't really wear them anymore, so they are now listed for sale if anyone is looking for a good pair

 

[B Manoj Kumar]

Good People.
Need your inputs regarding HE6 6screw. Is it worth spending 1500 USD on the 6screw HE6? I already have a HE6SEv1 and need your recommendation. Given that it’s an old pair, I am worried about driver failure.
Thanks.