[LCMusicLover]

The HE1000se sound their best when driven by the ecp DSHA-3F.
Midrange is the best I have heard.

Which transformers in 3F?

Thanks

 

[pataburd]

Lundahl amorphous.
Running with the Qutest dac [white filter], a PS Audio P300 and Neotech UPOCC silver/copper re-cable.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Lundahl amorphous.
Running with the Qutest dac [white filter], a PS Audio P300 and Neotech UPOCC silver/copper re-cable.

Thanks -- I've been enjoying the Nickel transformers w/ my Utopia (as well as my HEKv2), but I'll switch back to Amorphous and try my HEKse with them. To my ears the transformer swap makes a small but notable difference. Maybe a bit less than tube swaps in my Liquid Platinum.

HEKse play very well from my LP w/ Brimar tubes rolled in. So I expect I'll like the Amorphous transformers very much.

 

[pataburd]

Have been looking at the Liquid Platinum and wondering whether it would be worth my while.
[I have boxes of 6SN7, but few 6922.]

 

[LCMusicLover]

Have been looking at the Liquid Platinum and wondering whether it would be worth my while.
[I have boxes of 6SN7, but few 6922.]

LP is a good amp. That said, it's a tube-hybrid, so you're not going to get a huge amount of 'tubiness' from it. Honestly, my 3F gets waaaaayyyyy more headtime than my LP at this point. I mostly swap tubes so it's 'opposite' my 3F (Siemens tubes when the Amorphous transformers are in the 3F, Brimar / Nickel). That way I always have 1 amp set up for 'open, airy, detailed, bright' while the other is more 'warm, thick, impactful'. Mind, 'warm' and 'bright' are relative. Neither of these amps strays a long way from neutral no matter which tubes/transformers are installed. 3F/Amorphous gets a bit airier than LP/Brimar, while LP/Siemens leans a bit warmer than 3F/Nickel.

Actually, you've got me wondering -- gonna swap the 3F transformers, leave the Brimar in the LP and have a shoot-out w/ my HEKse..

 

[LCMusicLover]

LP is a good amp. That said, it's a tube-hybrid, so you're not going to get a huge amount of 'tubiness' from it. Honestly, my 3F gets waaaaayyyyy more headtime than my LP at this point. I mostly swap tubes so it's 'opposite' my 3F (Siemens tubes when the Amorphous transformers are in the 3F, Brimar / Nickel). That way I always have 1 amp set up for 'open, airy, detailed, bright' while the other is more 'warm, thick, impactful'. Mind, 'warm' and 'bright' are relative. Neither of these amps strays a long way from neutral no matter which tubes/transformers are installed. 3F/Amorphous gets a bit airier than LP/Brimar, while LP/Siemens leans a bit warmer than 3F/Nickel.

Actually, you've got me wondering -- gonna swap the 3F transformers, leave the Brimar in the LP and have a shoot-out w/ my HEKse..

Quick impressions -- LP/Brimar CV-2492 compared with DSHA-3F/Amorphous Core Transfomers:

Surprisingly small difference -- I hear more difference when comparing those amps w/ Auteur. But overall, 3F is a bit airier, a little 'crisper'/more detailed, with at least as impactful bass which can seem a bit more visceral. 3F really excels w/ female vocals. Gretchen Peters & Joni Mitchell both have some warmth but also some sharp/brightness which can seem a bit sibilant from some chains. 3F manages to produce both without allowing either aspect to dominate, and with no sibilance.

Chain is NUC PC (running FooBar) ==> SU-1 ==> A2 Gumby ==> Hattor passive preamp ==> amps ==> HEKse

Now I guess I have to compare 3F/Nickel to LP/Siemens.

 

[pataburd]

Am holding up on the LP for now.
Thank you.

 

[Focux]

prob found my "endgame" setup, amp perhaps could be something else

 

[jlbrach]

endgame until the next thing comes along, better not to kid yourself there is no such thing as end game in this hobby

 

[ThanatosVI]

endgame until the next thing comes along, better not to kid yourself there is no such thing as end game in this hobby

I honestly Think there is, and for the headphones I found mine.

Not for the amp and DAC yet but at least for one component

 

[Slim1970]

I honestly Think there is, and for the headphones I found mine.

Not for the amp and DAC yet but at least for one component

The amp and DAC are the hardest to nail down. Simply because they can sound so different depending on the headphone being paired with it. Sometimes I think I want neutral sounding, yet musical amp when I listen to warmer headphones. Then when I listen to headphones like my HEkse's, I think it would be nice to have a slightly warmer amp with a little more bass kick much like the V281. Finding the right balance is a lot tougher than it sounds as I'm finding out.

 

[Law87]

woo audio wa6-se is an awesome tube amp, in case anyone care.

 

[kdphan]

So I’ve had a chance to sit down and listen to the HEKSE, Utopia and Verite Closed for the past 3 days. Here is my short assessment so far between the 3 paired with my WA22 amp

The SE has the most details of the 3, most likely due to the brighter sounding signature of the 3. SE has the better bass details and least quantity. It’s also the most natural and neutral sounding. The Utopia is slightly warmer than the SE with added bass quantity, and less detail in higher frequencies. VC is more musical due to added coloration, and is very enjoyable. The SE has the largest soundstage of the 3 with Utopia being slightly ahead of the VC (very surprising).

If I had to let one go at this point, it would probably be the Utopia. It sits in between the SE and VC. But since they’re all unique sounding I plan to keep all 3. My VO should be arriving in the next week and this should complete my collection.

 

[Law87]

So I’ve had a chance to sit down and listen to the HEKSE, Utopia and Verite Closed for the past 3 days. Here is my short assessment so far between the 3 paired with my WA22 amp

The SE has the most details of the 3, most likely due to the brighter sounding signature of the 3. SE has the better bass details and least quantity. It’s also the most natural and neutral sounding. The Utopia is slightly warmer than the SE with added bass quantity, and less detail in higher frequencies. VC is more musical due to added coloration, and is very enjoyable. The SE has the largest soundstage of the 3 with Utopia being slightly ahead of the VC (very surprising).

If I had to let one go at this point, it would probably be the Utopia. It sits in between the SE and VC. But since they’re all unique sounding I plan to keep all 3. My VO should be arriving in the next week and this should complete my collection.

Utopia? eww... not even in this league...tiring mids, brighter than HD800. This headphone base solely on hype, nothing else.

 

[471724]

woo audio wa6-se is an awesome tube amp, in case anyone care.

Agree. The WA6-SE, especially with good 6FD7s and a 5Z4 rectifier, punches way above its weight class (that is, cost).