[Mediahound]

I posted this elsewhere but applies for the HE6Se too:

For those of you who are on a budget after buying the Susvara and need an amp to drive this beast, you might check out the Emotiva BasX A100 mini integrated amplifier.

The 6.35mm headphone socket on this is wired directly to the speaker terminals. Emotiva includes a bypass jumper switch and instructions so that you can bypass the resistor on the headphone output which effectively gives you 50W per channel into 8 ohms at the headphone output. At 50 ohms this equates to about 8.5w per channel.

It's only a few hundred dollar amp and seems well made, compact but heavy. Internally it is mainly point to point wiring. It has been tuned to sound similar to a 1980s or 1990s amp/receiver.

https://emotiva.com/collections/basx-series/products/a-100

 

[hp4fun]

I have a great experience with my Marantz MM 7025. I just want to add some tube warmth so I used a Figaro 339i as a preamp. However the humming noise is killing this combination

Checked a couple of issues and pretty sure it is not group loop issue, so it is likely the tube amp (or maybe just the tubes) does not work well with MM7025.

 

[sennfan83261]

I have a great experience with my Marantz MM 7025. I just want to add some tube warmth so I used a Figaro 339i as a preamp. However the humming noise is killing this combination

Checked a couple of issues and pretty sure it is not group loop issue, so it is likely the tube amp (or maybe just the tubes) does not work well with MM7025.

The Marantz MM7025 is already a bit warm as far as solid states go.

 

[hp4fun]

The Marantz MM7025 is already a bit warm as far as solid states go.

Yeah, cannot agree more. I probably just want the bass to be slightly more, and tube->sp200->Ether Flow works great so I just want to try a tube preamp.

That said, it might just be the headphone differences. The HE6 bass is very tight so it is nice already.

 

[ksorota]

Saga + is a great way to add a little tube flavor to the HE6SE...I used one for a while with Vidar and might pick one up again just for that reason.

 

[bagwell359]

Do you use adhesive or the HFM ring to attach the Ether angled pads?

No, raw - aka rings only.

 

[YtseJamer]

Here's the EQ that I'm using with the HE-6SE and the Pali pads:

550 Hz | -2.0 dB | Q=2.0
1750 Hz | +6.0 dB | Q=2.0
3700 Hz | -7.0 dB | Q=3.0
7000 Hz | -3.0 dB | Q=2.0
8400 Hz | +3.0 dB | Q=4.0
Gain: -6.0 dB

I highly recommended you to try this EQ if you don't want to modify the headphones or if you don't want to replace the pads.

BTW, thanks for the settings @alphatak

 

[Benny-x]

But again HFM fibbed by saying they were the same as the 6. Magnet, gold traces, and rear screen the same - but: pads, size of magnets, material used for the can itself, cable, headband - all different and all contributing to a big change in sound.

Sorry to pull this one back up.

But are you saying that the new HE-6se are not actually the same driver as the "original" HE-6 6-screw? I own the real original 4-screw, but I follow the other designs closely because I always liked the model.

 

[ksorota]

Direct comparison from the original 6-screw and the new HE6SE drivers show many visible differences and as @bagwell359 says, they can all lead to changes in the overall character of the sound. The new drivers are more refined looking as their manufacturing has no doubt improved.

If you send your headphones in for driver replacements then they will give you a new set of HE6 drivers...I tried to find out if they would be NOS or the new version and they would not say. The lack of clarity leads me to believe that they just pop in the new drivers.

 

[bagwell359]

Sorry to pull this one back up.

But are you saying that the new HE-6se are not actually the same driver as the "original" HE-6 6-screw? I own the real original 4-screw, but I follow the other designs closely because I always liked the model.

First of all I have not seen the the 6se v2, so I have no opinion on that. I do have the 6se that Adorama first sold for $699 like 2 years ago.

As for the driver/magnet structure of that version - it looks just like the 6 screw - if there are differences in magnet strength or thickness of some element - I do not know.

I do know that the membrane is much thinner that either the 4 or 6 screw, cables, pads, frame, strap - all different.

The 5se which was before the 6se for me was totally different (despite their claims to the contrary) not one thing the same and it sounded like hot crap.

 

[bagwell359]

Direct comparison from the original 6-screw and the new HE6SE drivers show many visible differences and as @bagwell359 says, they can all lead to changes in the overall character of the sound. The new drivers are more refined looking as their manufacturing has no doubt improved.

If you send your headphones in for driver replacements then they will give you a new set of HE6 drivers...I tried to find out if they would be NOS or the new version and they would not say. The lack of clarity leads me to believe that they just pop in the new drivers.

I'd say that's a for sure.

 

[Bhk1004]

He6se driver are not the same as 6 screw drivers. There are rumors going on that the new he6se v2 drivers have been "tuned" as well. That makes possibly 5 different drivers since the he6 originally released I believe. I say possibly because 2 of the drivers I dont believe have been 100% confirmed. The earl he6 4 screw vs later he6 4 screw drivers and now the he6se v1 vs he6se v2. I have heard the fr measurements are leaning towards the v2 has some changes in fr vs v1. Havent dug through them but I'm sure itll be released later for everyone to dissect.

 

[ksorota]

I'd say that's a for sure.

Where it gets complicated/not clear is that I was quoted a price, asked for clarification that they were HE6 original drivers. Their response was that the quoted cost was to replace the entire headphone and send it to me. They had to confirm that they still had models in stock, which they do in the New York warehouse. Again, they would not state original HE6, nor did they say HE6SE so, I am tempted to find out, just need to find a good deal on some blown driver HE6's...Anyone?

 

[hp4fun]

Not to shift the latest conversation, but anyone worries about the new cable? It can be bended easily (and might break later?)

 

[ksorota]

Not to shift the latest conversation, but anyone worries about the new cable? It can be bended easily (and might break later?)

Yeah, they wear out very quickly. I replaced my stock cable very quickly.

When i was on the loaner tour last year. The cable had a few splits in it already, not sure how long the tour went on for, but it was less than a year. The cable works fine and sounds good, but feels terrible and is not going to last.