I've been switching between my two main (and new) headphones for a bit, and I thought I'd post my comparison of the two:
Hifiman HE-6SE V2 vs Focal Elex
I'm using high/resolution Progressive Rock music files for this comparison (24/96 and 24/192), as well as some High-Res and some vinyl rips of Metal albums (Heavy/Doom/Thrash).
The chain: PC -> USB -> Soncoz LA-QXD1 -> XLR -> Topping A90 -> XLR. The Hifiman plays at 12 to 2 o'clock on med gain, the Focal Elex at 9 to 11 o'clock on low gain.
Hifiman HE-6SE advantages
- CLEAN and NEUTRAL: It is very impressive how clean and neutral the HE-6SE sounds. There is little to no peaks or valleys to be had here. Bass could be a touch more powerful (
Antdroid's measurements are on point), especially compared to the Elex.
- TRANSIENTS and DECAY: The impacts on drums and cymbals come out strong and clear, making the easy to follow. Decay is also very quick, which leads to the next point:
- INSTRUMENT SEPARATION: I have absolutely no trouble hearing every instrument in the mix.The Elex is more congested on complex, layered passages.
- VOCALS: Vocals come out clearer and more natural on the HE-6SE. The Elex is thicker sounding.
- EXTENSION: Both Treble and bass are well-extended and every sound is present and clear.
- LESS FATIGUING: I don't know exactly what causes this, but moving from the HE-6SE to the Elex, I feel the Elex sound is more fatiguing on long periods.I'm not talking about comfort here (that's a latter point): there is something in the sound that fatigues me. Maybe a resonance on a particular frequency, maybe the slightly stronger bass, higher air pressure, I just don't know.
Focal Elex advantages
- BASS: The Focal Elex has a stronger bass and lower midrange bass presence than the HE-6SE. It gives a warmer sound, but it makes it more congested and thicker in complex passages.
- SOUNDSTAGE: The Elex feels like speakers on your ears, and really give a good, enveloping sound. The HE-6SE's soundstage is a bit... tall: it feels as though sounds are coming above and below my ears sometimes, or at other times it feels like a wall.
- BUILD QUALITY: The Elex looks and feels premium. The HE-6SE looks nearly identical to the 400i.
- LOWER VOLUME: The HE-6SE does not like to play at low volume it seems: when I lower the volume lower than where I feel is the appropriate volume, the HE-6SE seems to lose some parts of the music, making it sound very dry. It's particular and I've never really noted something like this in my other headphones.
- GF FACTOR: Both headphones are open, but the HE-6SE is completely open, and my girlfriend can hear it from the living room. Not so with the Elex, which doesn't project outwards as much.
± COMFORT: Comfort is a wash between the two. The Elex is lighter, but the headband touches only the top part of my head. The HE-6SE is heavier, but the headband touches a wider part of my head and the weight is better distributed. Some days I prefer one over the other, some it's the other way around, and some I just put on the DCA Aeon Flow Closed RT which is more comfortable than both.
Conclusion
The HE-6SE is the more proficient headphone of the two: it has a fantastic transient response, has a very clear and neutral sound. It is amazing at critical listening, and plays very well with the genres I prefer (complex, layered Progressive Rock and energetic, guitar-driven Metal). The Elex is a great headphone as well, and has a speaker-like quality to its sound, but it is simply not as proficient as the HE-6SE when it comes to the complex music I enjoy.