[quantx]

A picture taken yesterday of my choice of gear from my stable of amps. Yggdrasil > Taurus > HE1000se. At this level, this headphone is already very spectacular... imo.

Was going to sell the Taurus but it didn't happen and I decided to keep it.

Which cable is it ?

 

[UntilThen]

Which cable is it ?

Forza Audioworks Noir Hybrid HPC. Blend of copper and silver. It's good imo.

 

[UntilThen]

There was a 4 person 'Meet' at my home on Sunday afternoon. We had McChanson KT88 / KT77 / EL34 SET amp that is both for headphones and speakers. Also a Questyle CMA 12 and a Woo Audio Wa22.

There were a selection of headphones:-
HE1000 v2, He6se Mk2, ZMF Auteur, Aeolous, HD800S, HD800, LCD-3f.

Apologies from Susvara, Utopia and the McChanson 300b amp. They couldn't make it last minute. Next round!

IMO all the headphones sounded good with the KT77 amp but 2 headphones stood out for me. HE1000 v2 and He6se Mk2. I personally have the HE1000se and I love it but when I heard the v2 yesterday, I know I could live with both ! Similar and yet distinct enough to be different and interesting.

He6se of course has been on my radar to hear it one day and I did yesterday and will live with this headphone for the next 3 weeks. The KT77 amp is very powerful. From the headphone output socket, both xlr and rca, only a quarter turn or at most at 10 am was sufficient to make He6se clearly heard and loud. Power was not an issue here to drive the He6se. The KT77 amp has lots of it and it make the He6se sound so good that it's on my next to buy list !

I even try out the He6se on the KT77 with speaker taps cable.... can't say I detect much difference between speaker taps and the headphone 8 ohms output xlr socket.

 

[thecrow]

my replacement hekse arrived today (after a failed driver) and it's great to have them back

even though I also have the susvaras these hekse will also keep getting used - though not extremely different they do offer differences

the hekse distinctly/obviously tight and precise in all elements with high level of detail and a somewhat forward presentation and the susvara more natural/rounded with higher level of detail and nuances
the susvara needing a dedicated setup and the hekse playing well with anything

I would say somewhat complementary though in the same ball park and not extremely different, but if you like what hifiman offers.....


now I could be totally fooling myself but after owning my first pair of hekse for a few months I felt that the top end's brightness was tamed a bit (in a good way - particularly in me trying silver cables with it which initially sounded a bit too bright). maybe it's hp burn in, maybe it is my brain's burn in/my adjustment to the hekse. maybe it never changed. I am open to any of those three options being correct.
and i am thinking with this replacement pair that again, though ok, the top end is a little bit brighter than i remember it before my driver failed.
But that is me making a loose assessment after not having any hekse here for about 5 weeks so I may indeed be kidding myself

i shall see how my ears unfold all of this

 

[UntilThen]

@thecrow you have describe the Hekse accurately imo. In replying to @joseph69 on the differences between Hekse and Hekv2, I posted in the Oblivion thread instead. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/oblivion-ultrasonic-studios.902926/post-16253018

I did not bring my Hekse to Sydney this week and had left it in Canberra. Whilst back in Sydney, I was able to sample the Hekv2 on Sunday when friends came over to my place for a social meet. I wish I had brought my Hekse back with me for a direct a/b but after 2.5 months of usage, I can say that I know the Hekse very well. It has been my mainstay headphone in that period. LCD-3f taking up only 20% of my time. Hekse the other 80%.

Having heard the Hekv2 and He6se with McChanson KT77 set amp on Sunday, I was wondering if those headphones could sound any better. Last night I found out that it can when I was loan Eric's (Mr McChanson) 300b amp for a week and I was listening to the He6se the whole night. Tonight I will pick up the Hekv2 for a week till Sat. Eric has produce 2 great sounding SET amps that are equally good with headphones as well as speakers. Headphones connections are tapped to the speakers internally hence they will sound the same. These are powerful beasts. 300b amp ~ 8 watts and KT77 ~ 10 watts (triode mode) for speakers. Not sure how many watts for headphones but for He6se, I only need a quarter turn of the volume knob. Imo, Eric's amps though they wouldn't win any beauty contest, are the cheapest means to sample 300b and KT77 amps. Years of experience and he has perfected the art of producing these amps to sound their best. You could check out his ebay prices for these amps and see how 'budget' in price they are. I'm in no way related to Eric, having met him for the 1st time last night when I went there to pick up the 300b amp with @xtiva, who owns the McChanson KT77 amp.

So a week ahead working from home... I'm very busy during the day but at night I am rewarded with the usage of Hekv2, He6se and McChanson 300b amp.

 

[angpsi]

I swore I'd be done with tubes after the Elise (spent over €1000 on tube rolling), but sure enough a 300b amp should fit the bill for a mouth-watering experience! About a year ago I joked around on the possibility of building an Elekit TU-8600 but I think I will sit on the safe side with my Phonitor X for some time —that is at least until I find my favourite taste in HPs. Btw, a while ago a reviewer friend of mine explored options for powering his Susvara and one of the better amps for the job was the Acoustic Masterpiece AM-201H —an offspring of Japan's AirTight—, which is a push-pull integrated with a headphone output that draws directly from the main circuit (current draw is regulated by the HP's impedance)...

HEKse do seem like the real deal (that is, until you audition the Susvara, which I have); I wonder whether the Arya I'm eyeing could be satisfying enough for a mid-tier option.

 

[UntilThen]

You know Angpsi, you shouldn't have come back because you'll be suck in big time and it'll be more than 1000 euro this time. Also you should have build that Elekit TU-8600 because I have the TU-8500 / 8200 combo and it's stellar. Forget about Acoustic Masterpiece... it might as well be Agnostic Masterpiece.

Immerse yourself in 300b or KT88 / EL34 set amps and Susvara will become Husqvarna.

 

[angpsi]

You know Angpsi, you shouldn't have come back because you'll be suck in big time and it'll be more than 1000 euro this time. Also you should have build that Elekit TU-8600 because I have the TU-8500 / 8200 combo and it's stellar. Forget about Acoustic Masterpiece... it might as well be Agnostic Masterpiece.

Immerse yourself in 300b or KT88 / EL34 set amps and Susvara will become Husqvarna.

That's gonna be my next-level game when I settle matching my Phonitor X with a nice and safe pair of HPs!...

 

[UntilThen]

That's gonna be my next-level game when I settle matching my Phonitor X with a nice and safe pair of HPs!...

Phonication X was in my home for a day and I was listening to .... what else but the HE1000se and while it's good, I much prefer the 300b amp now with it.... no with the He1000 v2. The Se is in Canberra for crying out loud. I need a carrying case so I can carry my Se with me everywhere I go.

 

[xtiva]

what a beautiful Phonitor X you have there

Phonication X was in my home for a day and I was listening to .... what else but the HE1000se and while it's good, I much prefer the 300b amp now with it.... no with the He1000 v2. The Se is in Canberra for crying out loud. I need a carrying case so I can carry my Se with me everywhere I go.

 

[UntilThen]

what a beautiful Phonitor X you have there

Yes yours. Not gimme your KT77 amp.

Now with 300b amp and HE1000 v2. There's something about this combination. Such an airy, spacious stage and the euphony of 300b tubes. I did not expect the v2 to surprise me but it did. I not only like it. I love it ! In 2 weeks time I'll have the Se and v2 side by side for a direct comparison.

 

[thecrow]

Phonication X was in my home for a day and I was listening to .... what else but the HE1000se and while it's good, I much prefer the 300b amp now with it.... no with the He1000 v2. The Se is in Canberra for crying out loud. I need a carrying case so I can carry my Se with me everywhere I go.

Hi Matt

if your hekse did not come with the original box, i can sell you mine for $50 plus postage
(i only received it yesterday when my replacement hekse arrived)

if so let me know

it's the same /similar box that the hekv2 would have come in - from memory

here's a pic form the internet (i can send through a photo of mine)

 

[UntilThen]

I've the same box Peter. However is that the standard cable for v2? You can sell me the pads though.

 

[UntilThen]

My box Looks the same. No not quite. The interior is not the same.

 

[thecrow]

I've the same box Peter. However is that the standard cable for v2? You can sell me the pads though.

That's not a photo of my unit

and i was allowed to keep the v2 pads when upgrading to se - so they are packed away, and i haven't bothered trying them