[LarsHP]

I certainly don't think my HE-6 sounds clinical. It sounds warm, maybe even lush, and extremely transparent.
At the same time it doesn't sound ruthless with poor recordings or agressive with somewhat jittery sources.
The frequency balance is very near prefect to me.
Sometimes I would have liked a little more bass or a little less upper mids / lower treble, but that's details to me.
 
I feel quite sure I wouldn't like f.i. the LCD-3 (judging from the freq graph compared to HE-6 and using EQ to make it sound like that).
HE-400 is has that little extra bass, but then it suffers from a smaller soundstage and has a spike at 8kHz and again at 11-12kHz.
 

 

[musicman59]

Quote:

I think they look great like that !
Can you tell me the name of the (holder ?) you are using in the photo.
Thanks

 


 

That is a Sennheiser headphones holder. You can order it directly from thier website. It is really cheap and works great I have 7 of them positioned around my audio rack holding all my headphones.
 
 

 

[kfscoll]

Yep, it's a Sennheiser HH-10 headphone holder. Since I posted those pictures I ordered two more of 'em (one from B&H, one from Sennheiser). I placed the Sennheiser order over a week ago and haven't heard anything from them so there's no telling if or when they'll ever ship.

 

[qwasqasw]

I want gold with Swarovski crystals.

 

[ginster6]

Well..  After a month of owning the HE6.   I found, yes the amps really make a different.  
 
My Top 10 amp .  All from Speaker terminal connection, into HE-Adapter.
 
1. Nagra PMA Mono-blocks
2. Ayre V3 
3. Byston 4B-SST.
4. Prima Luma ProLogue Premiun Intergrated - ( So Sweet Sounding )
5. Byston B100sst
6. Anthem MRX-500  - through speaker terminals.
7. NAD C315
8. Old School Pioneer integrated
9. Onkyo TN-908
10. Pioneer Elite SC-55
 
 
sources from either 
Nagra CD-C
Logitech Transporter
PS Audio PerfectWaveDAC/Network.
 
 
 
Now the question is Headphone amp make any different than what I am using.  beside way lower power.
 
 
 
 

 

[Magick Man]

Well..  After a month of owning the HE6.   I found, yes the amps really make a different.  

My Top 10 amp .  All from Speaker terminal connection, into HE-Adapter.

1. Nagra PMA Mono-blocks
2. Ayre V3 
3. Byston 4B-SST.
4. Prima Luma ProLogue Premiun Intergrated - ( So Sweet Sounding )
5. Byston B100sst
6. Anthem MRX-500  - through speaker terminals.
7. NAD C315
8. Old School Pioneer integrated
9. Onkyo TN-908
10. Pioneer Elite SC-55


sources from either 
Nagra CD-C
Logitech Transporter
PS Audio PerfectWaveDAC/Network.



Now the question is Headphone amp make any different than what I am using.  beside way lower power.

That's ironic, I'm finding that amps really don't make that much difference at all, as long as it isn't clipping or distorting in some other manner. Now, I like the harmonics of tubes with the HE-6, but insofar as ability to drive the them, my EF-5 is just as capable as my M2A or my McIntosh MA6100. There doesn't appear much difference between well built SS amps, however.

I'm starting to think of SS amps the same way as cables; if it works, it works. There's not going to be very much discernible difference, if any at all. In some ways I wish I weren't so much of a skeptic, but at least it's better for my wallet.

 

[musicman59]

Quote:

Well..  After a month of owning the HE6.   I found, yes the amps really make a different.  
 
My Top 10 amp .  All from Speaker terminal connection, into HE-Adapter.
 
1. Nagra PMA Mono-blocks
2. Ayre V3 
3. Byston 4B-SST.
4. Prima Luma ProLogue Premiun Intergrated - ( So Sweet Sounding )
5. Byston B100sst
6. Anthem MRX-500  - through speaker terminals.
7. NAD C315
8. Old School Pioneer integrated
9. Onkyo TN-908
10. Pioneer Elite SC-55
 
 
sources from either 
Nagra CD-C
Logitech Transporter
PS Audio PerfectWaveDAC/Network.
 
 
 
Now the question is Headphone amp make any different than what I am using.  beside way lower power.
 
 
 
 

I personally could not hear any difference between the Aleph 3, Threshold T50 and the Dark Star.
 
 

 

[wotts]

I have not heard the T50, but I agree about the Aleph and Dark Star. I will still end up buying the DS so I can dedicate the Aleph to speakers. I love that amp!

 
Quote:

I personally could not hear any difference between the Aleph 3, Threshold T50 and the Dark Star.
 
 

 

 

[ginster6]

Quote:

That's ironic, I'm finding that amps really don't make that much difference at all, as long as it isn't clipping or distorting in some other manner. Now, I like the harmonics of tubes with the HE-6, but insofar as ability to drive the them, my EF-5 is just as capable as my M2A or my McIntosh MA6100. There doesn't appear much difference between well built SS amps, however.
I'm starting to think of SS amps the same way as cables; if it works, it works. There's not going to be very much discernible difference, if any at all. In some ways I wish I weren't so much of a skeptic, but at least it's better for my wallet.

I was not worry about the power as all those amp has enough juice.   what I heard different, was the tonally out each equipment.  at the beginning it was quite hard..  but slowly I start to heard each one a little different.   ex. some would be "warmer, brighter, bass tighter, speed, voice chestier...etc."    but in term of image...  there was no different.  all was the same unless it had a heavier vocal..    
But nevertheless...  I love the HE6.      I was mostly wondering if headphone amp like "dark star, SPL...etc.." would make any more different. or is it worth the $$ since I have all those amps laying around.  Or have anyone tried the SPL with "crosstalk" for more speaker like sound. ??
 
 
 

 

[drez]

Quote:

I was not worry about the power as all those amp has enough juice.   what I heard different, was the tonally out each equipment.  at the beginning it was quite hard..  but slowly I start to heard each one a little different.   ex. some would be "warmer, brighter, bass tighter, speed, voice chestier...etc."    but in term of image...  there was no different.  all was the same unless it had a heavier vocal..    
But nevertheless...  I love the HE6.      I was mostly wondering if headphone amp like "dark star, SPL...etc.." would make any more different. or is it worth the $$ since I have all those amps laying around.  Or have anyone tried the SPL with "crosstalk" for more speaker like sound. ??

Do you think there would be much of a difference between single ended and balanced amplifiers for imaging?  I mean if some people say there is not much between a high end speaker amp and RS Darkstar.
 
If there isn't I would be better off upgrading my computer transport system than messing with amplifiers if the above is the case.

 

[musicman59]

Quote:

Do you think there would be much of a difference between single ended and balanced amplifiers for imaging?  I mean if some people say there is not much between a high end speaker amp and RS Darkstar.
 
If there isn't I would be better off upgrading my computer transport system than messing with amplifiers if the above is the case.

In theory going balanced you are providing double the power to the drivers in a push pull way having the positive signal and the negative being the inverted positive. The extra power and being push/pull should provide more control of the voice coil therefore cleaner sound but I don't know about imaging. My experience with speaker system is that going fully balanced make a huge difference in power and resolution but the best imaging is done going with monoblock amplifiers compared to two channel one.
 
 

 

[wuwhere]

When I had a speaker system I was using monoblock amps, even my tube preamp then was mono in a single chassis, each channel had its own vol control.
 
I have 3 speaker amps I use with my 6, two tubes, one class-D. They all sound different through the 6.

 

[gurus]

I have never heard two  amplifiers sound the same (if they are good) on any decent speakers or headphones . Yeah, if they  sound bad that's another story, you cannot tell the difference.
 
I have 6 amps/integrateds (another one on the way) and all of them sound different with the HE-6 even though two of them are from the same manufacturer.
 
Balanced vs SE amps- the major difference is rejection of noise and better current delivery in balanced mode over SE. You remove noise and have better current delivery everything ends up sounding better.

 

[sunneebear]

I have tried eight speaker amp with the 6 no two sound closely alike.  
 
I have a LD MKVII+ that has both SE and balance out and the balance out does cast a wider stage and a little better imaging.  That is with any headphone and not just the 6.  Both sides do have the same sound and characteristics aside from the whats already mentioned like increase power, control and the stage being bigger.  That being said, the LD is IMO very capable of driving the 6 to deafening levels but the LCD2 sounds better with the LD because it can't quite tame the beast that is the 6.  Hooked up to a good SESS power amp, the sound stage, imaging and headroom can easily blow away the headroom and imaging of the LCD2 on the balanced side of the LD.

 

[ginster6]

Has NE1 tried tried SPL Phonitor with HE6.    I am really interested in the crossfeed...  and of course if there enough power for it.