[HeadphoneAddict]

Should be good news for anyone who was hoping for impressions from me: I've decided I'll write something about the HE-6. It's going into my current review file which originally started as a file for a review of just the LCD-2 but there's so much in the file now, I might as well call it a multi-way comparison review of the LCD-2, HE-6, Qualia 010, Stax OII MKI, Grado HP1000, Senn HD800, Audio-Technica AD2000, and AKG K701 (and the JH13 thrown in for good measure). Plus the Stax SR-507, which I just ordered yesterday and should be here in time for me to add something about that headphone too.
 
I'm self-imposing a deadline of 4/11 on this review so it won't be too much longer btw.

Feel free to keep the HE-6 longer than planned. I'm not in a big rush to get them back, since I have too many headphones.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

IPad double posted after server error...

 

[Rally555]

Hello,
 
Jesse here in San Antonio, I'm hoping someone here can help me.  I would like contact Fang directly by email about the Hifiman headphone 6, 5, and 4.  Does anyone have his direct email?  I'm wanting some additional information on them.  
 
Sincerely,
Jesse Anderson
rally555@msn.com

 

[LarsHP]

You can contact him via PM here on Head-Fi.
His username is Nankai.

 

[fe3836]

I'm currently driving He-6 from Benchmark DAC1 directly.
I got an old 4 channel Adcom GFA2535. Can I use Benchmark's XLR out to drive it as a balanced stereo amp for the phone? Where can i get the necessary cables?
Thanks.

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

You can contact him via PM here on Head-Fi.
His username is Nankai.

Better off emailing him. I got no response from his PM

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

I'm currently driving He-6 from Benchmark DAC1 directly.
I got an old 4 channel Adcom GFA2535. Can I use Benchmark's XLR out to drive it as a balanced stereo amp for the phone? Where can i get the necessary cables?
Thanks.

i can't say for sure, but i'd think that with the appropriate connections that you could indeed do so. not quite knowing what you're connectors look like, i'm not sure if you can buy something just off the shelf, or if you'd need a custom job. you could try any # of cable manufacturers (Blue Jeans cables is popular around here. they can work with you and their prices aren't very high) or perhaps some of the diy guys on the list (eg. HiFlight, though he may actually be a MoT).
 


Quote:

a
Better off emailing him. I got no response from his PM

 
PM should go to his email, but do you have his email addy?
 
 

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

 
PM should go to his email, but do you have his email addy?
 

Maybe try sifting through their list. Looks like they took head-direct@ every major free email provider..
 
http://www.head-direct.com/aboutus.php
 

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

I'm currently driving He-6 from Benchmark DAC1 directly.
I got an old 4 channel Adcom GFA2535. Can I use Benchmark's XLR out to drive it as a balanced stereo amp for the phone? Where can i get the necessary cables?
Thanks.

No, only two of the GFA-2535's channels can be bridged together (balanced) - but you can use it single-ended, and that is honestly the better way to use it anyway.  Nor is the 2535 designed to take a balanced input - there's little point anyway for short cable runs.  Just use the RCA output from the DAC1.

 

[grokit]

 
Quote:

I'm currently driving He-6 from Benchmark DAC1 directly.
I got an old 4 channel Adcom GFA2535. Can I use Benchmark's XLR out to drive it as a balanced stereo amp for the phone? Where can i get the necessary cables?
Thanks.

 
Does it have balanced inputs? If not, just use it single-ended with RCA cables. I see that BB beat me to it, cheers!

 

[fe3836]

Quote:

No, only two of the GFA-2535's channels can be bridged together (balanced) - but you can use it single-ended, and that is honestly the better way to use it anyway.  Nor is the 2535 designed to take a balanced input - there's little point anyway for short cable runs.  Just use the RCA output from the DAC1.

I believe when bridged it is still single ended, just higher power.
What I was contemplating is to use all 4 channels independently, for L+, L-, R+ and R- respectively. Is there an advantage to that, apart from double the power?

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

I believe when bridged it is still single ended, just higher power.
What I was contemplating is to use all 4 channels independently, for L+, L-, R+ and R- respectively. Is there an advantage to that, apart from double the power?

No no no, that's not how it works.  Bridging = balanced amplifier output from an unbalanced signal.  You can read my explanation (pardon the snarkiness) here.
 
Now that I understand what you're trying to do, you may be right - you might potentially be able to run all four channels if you split each balanced connection into a regular polarity and an inverse polarity RCA connection.  That sort of cable would have to be a DIY project.
 
The thing is, there's no significant benefit to doing this though.  If you had speakers and you wanted to bridge both channels for more power, perhaps.  But the 2535 has plenty of voltage swing.

 

[somestranger26]

Quote:

Better off emailing him. I got no response from his PM

He will answer PMs on here, but it takes a few days. I have contacted him directly several times and always gotten a response within a few days, he is a busy man after all.  I have also talked to him by email, in which case he was contacting me from head.direct <at> gmail <dot> com but I believe that is a shared address with several of his employees.

 

[fe3836]

 
Quote:

No no no, that's not how it works.  Bridging = balanced amplifier output from an unbalanced signal.  You can read my explanation (pardon the snarkiness) here.
 
Now that I understand what you're trying to do, you may be right - you might potentially be able to run all four channels if you split each balanced connection into a regular polarity and an inverse polarity RCA connection.  That sort of cable would have to be a DIY project.
 
The thing is, there's no significant benefit to doing this though.  If you had speakers and you wanted to bridge both channels for more power, perhaps.  But the 2535 has plenty of voltage swing.

OK, got it.
Makes me wonder what people meant by balanced headphone cables though. If separate return path counts as 'balanced', aren't all regular speaker connections 'balanced'?
 

 

[LarsHP]

Anyone who has impressions with thicker cables than the stock ones?
I am thinking since HE-6 likes a lot of current / power it might improve in bass control if recabled with something like thin speaker cables.
This applies to speakers - thicker cables gives more control on the woofers. So maybe also with these powerhungry phones?
F.i. 1,5 mm2 thick in stead of the stock about 0,5 mm2.