[Rhamnetin]

I briefly compared my 007Mk1 with Mr. Speaker's ES on a BHSE in Colorado last year, and I thought they were very similar. Not an evolution. There are speaker companies making planar magnetic drivers, like Wisdom Audio, even doing some R&D. I'm sure they can make headphones too if they want to. Frankly, these should not be this expensive.

Electrostatic tech exists in the speaker world too, and is closely related to what microphones use unlike planar magnetic and dynamic drivers. All of them will thus continue to evolve. Stax is actually one of the better headphone companies at evolving their own lineup with technology and manufacturing processes, hence the time it takes for them to release a new product (kind of like Sennheiser with the HD 800). Though the SR-009S isn't the best example of that hence the name, it's more of a retuned SR-009 as far as I can tell (like the HD 800 S).

I commend HiFiMan for the evolution they showcased with the HE1000 but now I don't like what they're doing.

 

[wuwhere]

Electrostatic tech exists in the speaker world too, and is closely related to what microphones use unlike planar magnetic and dynamic drivers. All of them will thus continue to evolve. Stax is actually one of the better headphone companies at evolving their own lineup with technology and manufacturing processes, hence the time it takes for them to release a new product (kind of like Sennheiser with the HD 800). Though the SR-009S isn't the best example of that hence the name, it's more of a retuned SR-009 as far as I can tell (like the HD 800 S).

I commend HiFiMan for the evolution they showcased with the HE1000 but now I don't like what they're doing.

Yea, I almost bought some Martin Logans instead I settled for Apogees in my speaker days. They lack bass.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I am listening to my HE6 (purchased about 2 weeks ago from a UK Headphone company as ex-demo headphones) connected to the HiFiMan Adapter Box which is linked to my Chord Electronics Choral Mezzo 140 amp. The Mezzo is connected to my Chord Electronics Choral Prima Pre-amp which is connected to my Chord Electronics Choral QBD76 DAC which is connected to my Chord Electronics Choral MKI Blu CD Transporter. It sounds amazing for all genres of music. I want to listen to music all the time through this set-up. I have listened to music through the HE6's for +2 hours with no discomfort at all. I'm enjoying the music that much I forget I'm wearing headphones. The great thing about this hifi system setup is I can also listen to music or the TV through speakers as well.

Before having the HE6's, I had the BHSE and 009's linked to my QBD76 DAC and MKI Blu CD Transporter. The sound was great but I found the detail and sparkly trebles a bit too much for long listening periods and kept analyzing the music all the time rather than just enjoy the music and sound as I am now able to do with the HE6's.

The Bass from the HE6's is also far superior than the BHSE & 009's. The system I now have is also easier to live with (easier to dust and doesn't get as hot as the BHSE) and looks great in the Chord Choral rack. I don't have to bother with tubes either. Also as well as the big plus of also having a speaker system I can also use different high impedence headphones too.

I liked the BHSE and 009's very much, but with the system I now have, I don't feel I am missing anything musically, in fact I like the sound more now, plus I had extra funds to spend after selling the BHSE and 009's which helped towards financing the Mezzo 140 and the new speakers (will buy the Focal Electra 1008 Be's). I also have a full Chord Choral (with two Mezzo 140's mono-blocked) speaker (Focal Electra 1038 Be's) system in Spain and playing the smaller version of the Chord Choral system in the UK through the HE6's the Chord Electronics Choral sound signature is still there as I hear in Spain.

So all in all I am very happy switching to the HE6's with no regrets at all.

 

[Rhamnetin]

The variety of impressions and opinions in this hobby are always interesting. Complete opposite impressions are not rare. I went from a modded HE-6 (Code-6) to an SR-009. I will say that DAC can make or break the SR-009. With mid tier DACs and seemingly any R2R DAC, the bass is only slightly better than the Code-6 to my ears (using a KGSSHV Carbon which does best BHSE in bass).

But with a Chord Hugo 2 it makes the Code-6 sound like a headphone worth 1/10th the cost in comparison (bass and everywhere else). Best headphone bass I have ever witnessed by far, easily surpassing even the LCD-4 overall to my ears.

Granted no HiFiMan headphone has impressive bass to me. Perhaps it's their magnet design compared to Audeze, the LCD bass is many leagues ahead of any HiFiMan I have used (never used the Susvara but I don't imagine it being an exception).

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

The variety of impressions and opinions in this hobby are always interesting. Complete opposite impressions are not rare. I went from a modded HE-6 (Code-6) to an SR-009. I will say that DAC can make or break the SR-009. With mid tier DACs and seemingly any R2R DAC, the bass is only slightly better than the Code-6 to my ears (using a KGSSHV Carbon which does best BHSE in bass).

But with a Chord Hugo 2 it makes the Code-6 sound like a headphone worth 1/10th the cost in comparison (bass and everywhere else). Best headphone bass I have ever witnessed by far, easily surpassing even the LCD-4 overall to my ears.

Granted no HiFiMan headphone has impressive bass to me. Perhaps it's their magnet design compared to Audeze, the LCD bass is many leagues ahead of any HiFiMan I have used (never used the Susvara but I don't imagine it being an exception).

A lot is to do with synergy of the equipment and components with HiFi much like most other things in life particularly engineering related i.e. cars, motorbikes etc. etc.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I am listening to my HE6 (purchased about 2 weeks ago from a UK Headphone company as ex-demo headphones) connected to the HiFiMan Adapter Box which is linked to my Chord Electronics Choral Mezzo 140 amp. The Mezzo is connected to my Chord Electronics Choral Prima Pre-amp which is connected to my Chord Electronics Choral QBD76 DAC which is connected to my Chord Electronics Choral MKI Blu CD Transporter. It sounds amazing for all genres of music. I want to listen to music all the time through this set-up. I have listened to music through the HE6's for +2 hours with no discomfort at all. I'm enjoying the music that much I forget I'm wearing headphones. The great thing about this hifi system setup is I can also listen to music or the TV through speakers as well.

Before having the HE6's, I had the BHSE and 009's linked to my QBD76 DAC and MKI Blu CD Transporter. The sound was great but I found the detail and sparkly trebles a bit too much for long listening periods and kept analyzing the music all the time rather than just enjoy the music and sound as I am now able to do with the HE6's.

The Bass from the HE6's is also far superior than the BHSE & 009's. The system I now have is also easier to live with (easier to dust and doesn't get as hot as the BHSE) and looks great in the Chord Choral rack. I don't have to bother with tubes either. Also as well as the big plus of also having a speaker system I can also use different high impedence headphones too.

I liked the BHSE and 009's very much, but with the system I now have, I don't feel I am missing anything musically, in fact I like the sound more now, plus I had extra funds to spend after selling the BHSE and 009's which helped towards financing the Mezzo 140 and the new speakers (will buy the Focal Electra 1008 Be's). I also have a full Chord Choral (with two Mezzo 140's mono-blocked) speaker (Focal Electra 1038 Be's) system in Spain and playing the smaller version of the Chord Choral system in the UK through the HE6's the Chord Electronics Choral sound signature is still there as I hear in Spain.

So all in all I am very happy switching to the HE6's with no regrets at all.

Sorry HeadFi members. Just realised I posted my post on the HE6-SE thread and it should have been on the HE6 thread.

 

[wuwhere]

A lot is to do with synergy of the equipment and components with HiFi much like most other things in life particularly engineering related i.e. cars, motorbikes etc. etc.

+1, even down to the ICs.

 

[bagwell359]

Granted no HiFiMan headphone has impressive bass to me. Perhaps it's their magnet design compared to Audeze, the LCD bass is many leagues ahead of any HiFiMan I have used (never used the Susvara but I don't imagine it being an exception).

Are you just talking quantity, or quality? LCD-2 is louder then the HE-500, deeper too. But, with two bass instruments one quick (roto toms) and one with longer sustain (bass), The LCD-2 gets wompy and ill defined, the 500 can be thick too - try around :22 into "the fish" on Fragile by Yes. Also the upper bass bleeds into the lower mids on the LCD-2. So while the LCD-2 has some particular advantages, it's nothing I want to live with. The 4xx with my rubber tubing mod has more pleasing bass then the LCD-2, and certainly the HD-600 is tonally far more correct, even if it is over damped.

I'm in the market for a used 6SE....

 

[phaeton70]

As already said, the variety of impressions is impressive in this hobby, must be that it's all related to personal and subjective sensations, so standard deviation is very wide

Me too have since long time an unmodded HE6 (one of the first 6 screws build, bought many years ago), I drive it with a Pass X150.5 (direct attached, no resistors box) + a Spectral 30SL G2 (and some other tubed amplifications). I honestly find the 009 driven by the oldie T1W (recapped by Stax, Clear Top tubes) vastly superior in each and every aspect. bass extention and texture, punch, timbre, speed, transaprency, mids liquidity, smothness of the highs, whatever you name the 009 is much better.

I'm using an MSB Analog for both, but the relative results don't change so much if I use an SD dac (Vega, M2Tech, some other dacs I have around at my place), even if I must admit that 009 scales much better with R2R.

of course, the above is just IMVVVVVVVHO and YMMV a lot

coming back to the HE6Se, I will give it a listen in late september, but talking with the importer he said the driver are not the original HE6, would have been too expensive to start again the production, but rather a scaled down Susvara driver. which honestly seems very promising

 

[wuwhere]

... a scaled down Susvara driver...

What is a scaled down Susvara driver? He should mention that in the description and show an image of both drivers.

 

[phaeton70]

actually I have absolutely no idea but hopefully it will sound close to the Susvara

 

[wuwhere]

A poor man's Susvara?

 

[Rhamnetin]

Are you just talking quantity, or quality? LCD-2 is louder then the HE-500, deeper too. But, with two bass instruments one quick (roto toms) and one with longer sustain (bass), The LCD-2 gets wompy and ill defined, the 500 can be thick too - try around :22 into "the fish" on Fragile by Yes. Also the upper bass bleeds into the lower mids on the LCD-2. So while the LCD-2 has some particular advantages, it's nothing I want to live with. The 4xx with my rubber tubing mod has more pleasing bass then the LCD-2, and certainly the HD-600 is tonally far more correct, even if it is over damped.

I'm in the market for a used 6SE....

I think upper bass bleeding into the mids on the LCD-2 depends heavily on the LCD-2 model in question. I've only listened to the Fazor model. I was talking about quality and quantity. Though admittedly I have much less LCD-2 experience than LCD-X, LCD-3F, and LCD-4, which were all much better than the LCD-2.

As already said, the variety of impressions is impressive in this hobby, must be that it's all related to personal and subjective sensations, so standard deviation is very wide

Me too have since long time an unmodded HE6 (one of the first 6 screws build, bought many years ago), I drive it with a Pass X150.5 (direct attached, no resistors box) + a Spectral 30SL G2 (and some other tubed amplifications). I honestly find the 009 driven by the oldie T1W (recapped by Stax, Clear Top tubes) vastly superior in each and every aspect. bass extention and texture, punch, timbre, speed, transaprency, mids liquidity, smothness of the highs, whatever you name the 009 is much better.

I'm using an MSB Analog for both, but the relative results don't change so much if I use an SD dac (Vega, M2Tech, some other dacs I have around at my place), even if I must admit that 009 scales much better with R2R.

of course, the above is just IMVVVVVVVHO and YMMV a lot

coming back to the HE6Se, I will give it a listen in late september, but talking with the importer he said the driver are not the original HE6, would have been too expensive to start again the production, but rather a scaled down Susvara driver. which honestly seems very promising

No doubt it is very subjective. For example, I'm never touching an R2R DAC again.

Pass X150.5? Nice...

 

[bagwell359]

I think upper bass bleeding into the mids on the LCD-2 depends heavily on the LCD-2 model in question. I've only listened to the Fazor model. I was talking about quality and quantity. Though admittedly I have much less LCD-2 experience than LCD-X, LCD-3F, and LCD-4, which were all much better than the LCD-2.

I heard the LCD-3 briefly and it's a good cut above the LCD-2 '14 Fazor I owned I imagine the LCD-4 is better, but that's boku bucks.

It says here you are from NYC? Any thoughts on Audio46? I'm taking a trip to NYC soon and it appears to be a good way to sample some higher end cans.

Pass X-150.0, .5, .8 all great amps, everything Pass has ever done on the amp side is great minus the Aleph Series which is a matter of need/taste. All the X's will drive anything.

 

[bagwell359]

actually I have absolutely no idea but hopefully it will sound close to the Susvara

If true some HE-6 fans may not be too happy. But why would they invoke the name? Calling an $1800 can Susvara Jr. would seem to get more attention - although anything priced above it might lose sales quickly if the new "Jr" proves to be well loved. People have bought it, a pic or two should be about someplace.