[UntilThen]

First comparison of wa22 vs v280 with Hekse. Always with Hekse. That's what all this is about.

On 1st listen, they almost sound the same but my ears pick up the softer shades of the wa22 while the v280 though very akin to the tube like tone of the wa22, sound a touch more lively, more energetic and tighter. I was going to give them a tie but I need to listen more over different songs.

wa22 sporting just ordinary Sylvania 6sn7gtb chrome top, Tung Sol 5998 and Cossor 53ku.

Both are better to my ears than the Questyle CMA Twelve amp. CMA 12 just sound brighter than the other 2 and not as smooth. If I didn't compare, I could have love CMA12 with Hekse. That's just me though.

Making a sweeping statement like this isn't being fair to the Questyle. The difference is actually very slight. CMA 12 does sound great with Hekse.

 

[Slim1970]

Outstanding collection of amps you have there. I might even upgrade the v280 to a v281 because it's still available for sale at A2A, simply because I'm getting to like the cube face more and more. Can't believe I chose Ragnarok over v281 three years ago. To be fair though, there was also something that I heard in Ragnarok then. It's just brighter than v281.

Your headphones are well served with those amps. You didn't talk about the Chord Hugo TT 2 and M Scaler. How does that compare with the other 2 amps with Hekse.

Seriously though I would have been content with v280 driving Hekse. It's not much of a looker. Slim, long in depth and not much in the way of buttons but there's power a plenty and it's how it sounds. I think the best is still yet to come for me.

A picture of my Yggdrasil and Ragnarok the day I brought it home and pick the Ragnarok over the v281 back in 2017. Bought the HD800 at the same time too. That was before I got my balance cable. That's the Feliks Euforia next to it.

The TT2's headphone output is not on the level of either amp. It's good enough for most headphones, but can't really compete with TOTL dedicated headphone amps. As a DAC, it's hard to beat what I'm hearing musically with the V281 or Formula S with the TT2/HMS on DAC duty, it's just next level. Not only with the HEKse's but with any headphone. The TT2 is just a much better DAC than amp to my ears. It's not even a debate with what I've experiencing.

 

[UntilThen]

Thanks for the feedback Slim. I had only heard Utopia out of the original Chord Hugo TT and that was some years ago at a meet. My impression then was that it sounded linear and very neutral. That was to be expected because I brought my Feliks Euforia to that meet and had listen to Utopia on Euforia just before I switch Utopia to Hugo TT. Going from a tube amp to the Hugo TT sure makes a difference. Besides yours is the TT 2 with M Scaler. I need to audition that at Minidisc at the next opportunity.

Today is the 7th Jan. About 7 days since I had Hekse and I've to say today the listening experience went up another notch. The reason being my xlr balance interconnect cables arrived today and I had it connected between the Questyle CMA 12 to v280 in balance mode and Hekse connected using 4-pin xlr balance cable as well. That made a difference. I could hear the difference straight away because yesterday I had those 2 units connected via RCA cables.

For me, I had the opportunity to try out different amps with Hekse. So far the best experience has been with Questyle dac > v280 into Hekse. Even the wa22 came a close second.

Next I need to hear Hekse from Yggdrasil > Oblivion or LF339 or v280 but that will have to wait till I can get back to Canberra.

You have lovely gear there Slim. It must be heavenly using your Hekse with those gear ... as well as your other headphones of course.

 

[UntilThen]

Now I need to go and camp myself at the Violectric v590 thread because that has piqued my interest.

 

[Slim1970]

Thanks for the feedback Slim. I had only heard Utopia out of the original Chord Hugo TT and that was some years ago at a meet. My impression then was that it sounded linear and very neutral. That was to be expected because I brought my Feliks Euforia to that meet and had listen to Utopia on Euforia just before I switch Utopia to Hugo TT. Going from a tube amp to the Hugo TT sure makes a difference. Besides yours is the TT 2 with M Scaler. I need to audition that at Minidisc at the next opportunity.

Today is the 7th Jan. About 7 days since I had Hekse and I've to say today the listening experience went up another notch. The reason being my xlr balance interconnect cables arrived today and I had it connected between the Questyle CMA 12 to v280 in balance mode and Hekse connected using 4-pin xlr balance cable as well. That made a difference. I could hear the difference straight away because yesterday I had those 2 units connected via RCA cables.

For me, I had the opportunity to try out different amps with Hekse. So far the best experience has been with Questyle dac > v280 into Hekse. Even the wa22 came a close second.

Next I need to hear Hekse from Yggdrasil > Oblivion or LF339 or v280 but that will have to wait till I can get back to Canberra.

You have lovely gear there Slim. It must be heavenly using your Hekse with those gear ... as well as your other headphones of course.

Thanks, these two amps are letting me hear what the TT2/HMS can really do. I use a splitter so I can power them both at the same time off the TT2. The bad part is this setup is so revealing that it makes listening to bad recordings tough. I can't believe how many compressed recordings are still being made.

Oddly enough I still want to try an R2R DAC. Tops on my list are Rockna Wavelight, Holo Audio May KTE edition, or the Sonnet Morpheus. I'm not sure which direction I want to go. What I do know is I want an alternative sound to the TT2.

 

[UntilThen]

The higher up you go in the chain, the worst bad recordings will sound. Abyss ab-1266 phi tc + The Formula S + Powerman has been known as a perfect coupling. Abys 1266 has sat on my head at a meet some years ago - not the TC version. Tried it with my Yggy and Raggy combo and also with the Woo WA5le. It's good but that shape just don't agree with me.

Those are some heavy weights (price) r2r dacs you mention and no I don't know anything about them except I have heard a lot of Holo Audio Spring II Kitsune dac. I had Yggdrasil since 2017 and that's a record for me. All my other gear have come and gone. Still haven't upgraded to Analog 2 and Unison USB. Just using it with a Schiit Eitr. Not a priority for me to upgrade because I like what I'm hearing from the original Yggdrasil.

Well I hope you get your r2r dac and then tell me how you feel about it against the Chord stack.

Hekse can sound good from an iPhone but it's sound is a big step up when it's heard with a classy setup and there are so many options out there. Even the v280 driving the Hekse has raise my eyebrows. Of course I feel very relaxed now and am feeling the musical flow.

 

[UsoppNoKami]

Oh gosh @UsoppNoKami where have you been my long lost friend.

Found a new love in Hekse. HD800 I don't know. I won't sell it but I hardly use it. Don't know why I still keep it. Maybe it looks unique? I sold Verite LTD because I polished it too hard and left a blemish and the OCD in me say don't keep it, just sell it cheap. So maybe later I might get another after I try all the other wallet eating headphones, which is probably never because Hekse is just so good. What else do I need?

I'll have to come and visit you so I can hear Hekse out of that Audio Gd combo of yours. It's Kingwa's latest and greatest.

And do tell me private or publicly who this friend of yours is? Haha. Happy New New !

he's here on this thread... owner of HE1000SE, Final D8000 Pro, Holo May, Studio Six and more ... @xtr4

 

[UntilThen]

he's here on this thread... owner of HE1000SE, Final D8000 Pro, Holo May, Studio Six and more ... @xtr4

Hahaha... I should have known. We have a lot of gear in common. Just a few post earlier, I said we could have been brothers

Ken you have a lot of posts on this thread in the past. Time you update it with new pictures of your Hekse and gear. You know like a 2 years progress report of Hekse. Whether it's still good, mediocre or crap.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

I would like to thank @vtvu For hooking me up with that new Danacable Lazuli Ultralite for my He1000se. After the first hour and brand new cable it truly is a world of difference compared to stock. Can't wait to fully break this in.

 

[UntilThen]

Looks awesome too. That's an expensive cable.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

Looks awesome too. That's an expensive cable.

Not that expensive compared to their upper models.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

I truly hate this hobby. Lol. I thought the Odin was awesome with my dap. After this Danacable it absolutely wipes the floor with the Odin. In every imaginable way. No lie, now I wonder what that Nirvana cable can bring to the party. What a portable "transportable" setup this has become. The synergy is better than my old Milo with tt2 I had at home with the lcd4 and d8000pro.

 

[UsoppNoKami]

Hahaha... I should have known. We have a lot of gear in common. Just a few post earlier, I said we could have been brothers

Ken you have a lot of posts on this thread in the past. Time you update it with new pictures of your Hekse and gear. You know like a 2 years progress report of Hekse. Whether it's still good, mediocre or crap.

Headphones have not changed for a while, I really don't foresee buying anymore. The HEKSE, Verite and HD800S are all keepers for me, and the LCD-3 is still around when the odd mood for Audeze bass strikes. After getting the GOTL to match the Verite, the AudioGD HE-9 for the HEKSE was my last upgrade for the rig. Might move homes later this year, if it works out I will be reorganising around a speaker system and building a dedicated AV room hehe.

 

[knopi]

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..

 

[UntilThen]

Headphones have not changed for a while, I really don't foresee buying anymore. The HEKSE, Verite and HD800S are all keepers for me, and the LCD-3 is still around when the odd mood for Audeze bass strikes. After getting the GOTL to match the Verite, the AudioGD HE-9 for the HEKSE was my last upgrade for the rig. Might move homes later this year, if it works out I will be reorganising around a speaker system and building a dedicated AV room hehe.

We have a lot of gear in common there if I didn't sell off the Glenn OTL amp and Verite Open LTD Pheasant wood which is the same as yours. Your rack is bigger than mine now.

I tend to change up some of my gear every 6 months to a year. Eventually I'll settle down. However I remember you're always telling me about the Hekse in the past and I'm like..'What's this guy going on about?' Now it's my turn to tell all my friends about the Hekse. It's been 9 days and the crazy love affair is still going strong.