[PeteSTRADAMUS]

To be honest, if something is expensive does not mean it is good enough, Odin crazy buy iem for $3K no way, Audeze is fine but LCD4 is similar example..

I'm not talking about costs here. But the Odin easily matched over ear headphones. I always been a full-size headphones only kind of person. But to get back on topic this is my favorite setup i owned so far. Key word "so-far" lol

 

[donato]

To be honest, if something is expensive does not mean it is good enough, Odin crazy buy iem for $3K no way, Audeze is fine but LCD4 is similar example..

True, expensive does not always mean better, like in all things in life. That being said, I think the LCD-4 is an amazing headphone when EQd and driven properly. Susvara is also more expensive, but is stunning when driven properly.

Edit: However, my HEK SE driven with my main setup (May KTE DAC, Pass XP-12, Pass XA25) sounds better than my Susvara on my secondary setup (May KTE, Pass HPA-1) which is underpowered for the Susvara.

 

[donato]

The higher up you go in the chain, the worst bad recordings will sound.

I'm not sure that better gear makes bad recordings actually sound worse, but it's true it will more reveal the shortcomings in a recording (e.g. compression/dynamics, lack of bass extension or detail, etc.). So hearing something with greater fidelity (revealing warts and all) could be better or worse depending on your perspective.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

I'm not sure that better gear makes bad recordings actually sound worse, but it's true it will more reveal the shortcomings in a recording (e.g. compression/dynamics, lack of bass extension or detail, etc.). So hearing something with greater fidelity (revealing warts and all) could be better or worse depending on your perspective.

After hearing some songs that sounded like pooh on other things actually sounded better now. To my ears. It's weird. Lol

 

[UntilThen]

Had the SPL Phonitor X in my home today with He1000se. By now I am well and truly in love with this headphone.

 

[sahmen]

Had the SPL Phonitor X in my home today with He1000se. By now I am well and truly in love with this headphone.

You don't say! I have almost never linked a headphone and a wedding in the same thought, but I am almost tempted to make an exception... So congrats and enjoy!

Btw, you're right about the HekSE. It s the only headphone I am tempted to re-buy and re-own, after being kinda forced to resell mine.

 

[UntilThen]

Thanks @sahmen . . for the wedding bells.

Hekse stuns me each time I hear it with a different amp. I did not think much about the SPL Phonitor X before because I've not heard it until today with Hekse.... very impressed honestly.

Also another amp came - the Schiit Mjolnir 2. Again I had Ragnarok before but not the Mjolnir 2. Pleasantly surprise that I really like it with Hekse. I'm using Amperex Orange globes tubes.

Not to going to give much feed back now because I'm still processing and enjoying what I'm hearing. I thought I've sampled a lot of gear already but the end is not in sight !

 

[xtr4]

Had the SPL Phonitor X in my home today with He1000se. By now I am well and truly in love with this headphone.

Hahahaha I too own the Phonitor X, in black no less hahaha

 

[TheAttorney]

I'm not sure that better gear makes bad recordings actually sound worse, but it's true it will more reveal the shortcomings in a recording (e.g. compression/dynamics, lack of bass extension or detail, etc.). So hearing something with greater fidelity (revealing warts and all) could be better or worse depending on your perspective.

IMO, if better gear makes bad recordings sound worse then it's not better gear - or at least it's not better across all parameters.
What I think is true though, is that better gear will always increase the distance between good and bad recordings, so that bad recordings can become relatively more disappointing after listening to the good ones. To counteract this effect, I've found it best to keep mixing it up so that your ears don't get too spoiled by a constant supply of only good recordings.

As an aside, I've come to a point in my system whereby it is so balanced that good recordings sound fantastic and bad recordings sound sufficiently acceptable than I can quickly get lost in the music after a few seconds of acclimatization. And the last few tweaks that tipped the balance were entirely free (hyperthreading and core isolation changes on my Euphony Stylus NUC, and the port mod and height adjustment on my HEKse's. Seemingly trivial changes that prove that everything matters). And absolutely no yearnings to retry any EQ.

Speaking of the port mod, I'm surprised that more people haven't tried this. Free, easy, reversible, what's not to like?

 

[UntilThen]

Hahahaha I too own the Phonitor X, in black no less hahaha

I didn't buy the Phonitor X. A friend brought it over. I did buy his Mjolnir 2 because I like it with the Hekse.

 

[GU1DO]

Hi ,, did any body had the chance to compare the Stax 009 to the HEKse ?

 

[TheAttorney]

I didn't buy the Phonitor X. A friend brought it over. I did buy his Mjolnir 2 because I like it with the Hekse.

What did you think of the Phonitor's cross-feed function? I still find DAVE's cross-feed essential to get the best soundstage out of my HEKse, and the Phonitor equivalent is reputedly a very good one.

 

[TheAttorney]

Hi ,, did any body had the chance to compare the Stax 009 to the HEKse ?

I used to own a BHSE and 009 - and loved this combo.
But a HEK V2 directly driven by DAVE DAC had it's own charms, which I felt was equally enjoyable in different ways, by demonstrating the gains in transparency that can be achieved by removing a complete amplifier from the path - even a very good one. And as the SE is a step above the V2, I have no desire to go back to electrostatics.

 

[xtr4]

What did you think of the Phonitor's cross-feed function? I still find DAVE's cross-feed essential to get the best soundstage out of my HEKse, and the Phonitor equivalent is reputedly a very good one.

Ironically, the Phonitor cross-feed function "shrinks" the soundstage width ever so slightly and also lowers the output BUT once you listen to it, it's very hard to go back. The impact is rather subtle but lasting. Or at least, that's to my own ears. I use the 3/40° setting.

 

[TheAttorney]

Ironically, the Phonitor cross-feed function "shrinks" the soundstage width ever so slightly and also lowers the output BUT once you listen to it, it's very hard to go back. The impact is rather subtle but lasting. Or at least, that's to my own ears. I use the 3/40° setting.

Yes, cross-feed does reduce soundstage width, but this is more than compensated by the increased depth, more focused, solid images and overall a more natural presentation.
It's not the same as listening to loudspeakers, but it doesn't need to be.

I don't like the type of DSP enhancements that expand the soundstage by, say, adding more reverb, or pseudo-surround sound, because you lose that focus and solidity. The 3D function on my ifi Micro iDSD is an example of expanding the soundstage that doesn't work for me.