[FYFL]

2020 X. It certainly competes. Which one is better? Depends on your personal taste and setup. If you EQ, X might be the way to go. Without, I think HE has the edge. And than comes amplifier requirements. X is super easy to drive. On the contrary, HE needs a ton of power.

 

[ufospls2]

I just got these in the mail and immediately put on the balanced cable I use for my Sundara.
Plugged into my XI Broadway the sound was instantly very nice. Wide, clean, detailed, nice textures, dynamic.
The Broadway only outputs 1.5w but its a really, really nice 1.5w (if that even makes sense)

I thought my iFi Diablo was overkill for even my Diana V2 but it really came in handy with the HE6se.
The bass slightly fuller and it still gets loud af below 12 o'clock. Its a small and accessible pairing and now Im pretty glad I kept it since these play very well together.
But now Im wondering about speaker taps cause these still feel restrained. I was slightly worried my amps would make it sound thin but thankfully that's not the case.

For $660 new, post-tax this headphone is definitely a must buy if you like your Sundara and have been eyeing an upgrade like an Arya.
Of course the caveat is the power requirement but picking up say a Diablo on the used market and ordering a pentaconn cable from say Audiophile Ninja for about $70 youre still under a new Arya.

Ive only had them for 30 minutes but so far these are almost giving my Diana V2 a run for the money.

PS Just used the Roon EQ settings provided by ASR and they sound great. Theres some clipping though with that EQ with really low frequencies. The sub bass distorts horribly with deep/heavy music.

Overall, Im really happy with my purchase. My Sundara will probably be relegated to gaming for now.

Thats probably due to lack of power. If you are going to do any sort of bass boost via EQ with the HE6/6se/Susvara you need a lot of power to back it up and not run into clipping or distortion. This is especially true when you are reducing the EQ's preamp volume the same amount of the bass boost.

 

[Rolesium]

Has anyone here compared the sound of the he6se v2 with the Audeze LCD-X ?

There was a comparison done here:

 

[firesign]

I hate that Adorama does not send to Europe... It seems that they send to the most remote countries, but to no European country.
It seems incredible to me. Other stores like Musicteck are able to send you anything in 2 days to Spain with DHL.

 

[Sebbai]

I had no issues when ordering from Adorama, I live in Norway..

Was 80$ for shipping and 185$ import tax. (Have asked adorama to lower the value, but they won’t help you because of insurance)

Received the HE6SE 2 days after purchasing

 

[firesign]

I had no issues when ordering from Adorama, I live in Norway..

Was 80$ for shipping and 185$ import tax. (Have asked adorama to lower the value, but they won’t help you because of insurance)

Received the HE6SE 2 days after purchasing

Norway seems to be allowed. But if you try to find countries like Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium... you won't find any of them.

And $ 80 for shipping seems like too much to me, too. Other stores charge $ 50 for DHL Express, and they have no problem lowering the declared value.

 

[Sebbai]

Norway seems to be allowed. But if you try to find countries like Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium... you won't find any of them.

And $ 80 for shipping seems like too much to me, too. Other stores charge $ 50 for DHL Express, and they have no problem lowering the declared value.

I agree, but still HE6SE for a total of 950$ is a amazing price. 600$ is just ridiculous IMO. I’ve tested a lot of cans, and the HE6SE have always been the cans I come back to. They beat everything up to 2k in all areas except soundstage.

Remember not to throw them away if you don’t like it on your current headfi setup. As they reveal your amps tonality, and only get better with upgrades in you system.
I powered them from my A90 without any issues, but after listening to them from Burson Soloist 3x, i found some savings to buy that amp. (But the improvement are not worth the 3xPRICE) Sub-bass was better controlled, and that corresponds to my music taste.

HE6 is my all time favourite headphone for enjoying my library. And Sonoma is great for technical listening.

Also HE6 reveals everything in your system, and for the first time let me hear the difference in cobber vs silver cables (I was a non believer before)

(I’ve had 8 pairs of HE6-models)

EDIT: I have used some kind of package forward service when companies didn’t ship to Norway before, can’t remember atm. But that would increase the price I little, (ask other audiophiles in your country to buy together to save some money)

or

Look for a used HE6SE in the classified section.

(I have a brand new HE6SE I’m willing to sell, but it would be 900$, with shipping included)

 

[393699]

I currently own a DT 1990. Has anyone here compared this headphone with the he6se V2 ?

 

[theangelboy]

I currently own a DT 1990. Has anyone here compared this headphone with the he6se V2 ?

I own both. They have a similar sort of signature (they both lean neutral to bright depending on your definition), but it's not a close fight and the HE6se V2 is a solid step above in just about every way except maybe imaging. The 1990 Pro also has a sizable 8khz peak that some can't stand although it doesn't really bother me too much unless recordings are sibilant/bright.

The Hifiman has better:

• Detail
• Overall timbre
• Bass quality, tightness, impact, and texture (although quantity is similar)
• Midrange and vocal presence (made better with Round Velours or equivalent pads [both pads sound very similar and measure the same despite the Ali ones being way softer])
• Soundstage (especially with a modded/custom grille)
• Treble evenness, timbre, and less sibilant (especially with a modded/custom grille)
• Ability to take EQ
• At being used for all types of music and actually more forgiving than the 1990 with poor recording despite the abundant detail

DT 1990 has better:

• Imaging (maybe)
• It's way easier to drive

They are similar at:

• Bass quantity (using "Balanced" pads on the 1990)
• Comfort. I had to mod both to make them usable for me for more than an hour. But after modding I would say the HE6se is more comfortable now, although heavier.

To summarize, I like the DT 1990, 8khz peak aside, it's good headphone, although I don't think it's really worth the $600 asking price. Performance-wise I would put it at $300-$400. However, the HE6se V2 is a phenomenal headphone and is the only headphone that still gives me that "wow" factor every time I put it on despite using it more than enough for my brain to "burn in" and get used to it. It also gets the most head time out of any headphone in my decently sized collection. I paid $650 for mine but I would say it's worth it up to a grand. At $600 it's a no brainer if you have a clean amp that can push 2+ watts (sounds great with my THX789).

If there are specific songs/genres you would like me to compare, I can. However, I would say just go for a HE6se V2, it's very unlikely you will regret it unless you are trying to drive it off of a phone.

 

[393699]

I have more than enough power to drive it. My headphone amp is an Audio-GD C2 (2017 Edition). It has a massive power output. The music I listen to is hard rock and heavy metal. It sounds like this headhone is the perfect upgrade from my DT 1990.

Headphone output power

25Ω 9900mW / 40Ω 8000mW / 100Ω 3500mW / 300Ω 1200mW / 600Ω 600mW

 

[Sebbai]

I have more than enough power to drive it. My headphone amp is an Audio-GD C2 (2017 Edition). It has a massive power output. The music I listen to is hard rock and heavy metal. It sounds like this headhone is the perfect upgrade from my DT 1990.

Headphone output power

25Ω 9900mW / 40Ω 8000mW / 100Ω 3500mW / 300Ω 1200mW / 600Ω 600mW

Just order the He6se already! Your set bro..

 

[chi2]

I hate that Adorama does not send to Europe... It seems that they send to the most remote countries, but to no European country.
It seems incredible to me. Other stores like Musicteck are able to send you anything in 2 days to Spain with DHL.

No problem having the HE6SE shipped to Switzerland.

 

[firesign]

No problem having the HE6SE shipped to Switzerland.

Switzerland is different

As I said before, if you try to find UE countries like Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium... you won't find any of them.

 

[chi2]

Switzerland is different

As I said before, if you try to find UE countries like Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium... you won't find any of them.

So, for once, lucky, we're not in the EU .

 

[E8ArmyDiver]

I'm on fire today!!!HE6SEv2 Adorama's & a NIB Audio GD R28 PreAmp/Head amp/DAC ordered..I think I'm as close to end game now as I am ever likely to get except for maybe 1 more pair of cans,most likely Senn 800S...