[mayurs]

I see that you have ADX5000, how does it compare to HE6se ?

The ADX5000 is a lot more mid forward and has much better resolution, is very fast for a DD can and even has better soundstage compared to the HE6SE. Jazz, classical., vocals, acoustic sound great out of the ADX5000. But I prefer the HE6Se for rock, pop, blues and even EDM which somehow don't sound very convincing on the ADX5000.

 

[Slim1970]

Do I ever...

Like wise, I’m almost to middle earth and still digging

 

[hawk13]

Like wise, I’m almost to middle earth and still digging

True story. (See Slim’s inventory)

 

[thefitz]

The truth is that I’m perfectly happy with HE6se but you know about this rabbit hole…
Maybe I should try speaker amp (my headphone amp is class A 2x10w @50 ohm however).

While I probably haven't tried your headphone amp, my speaker amp made my HE6se sound better, and all my other balanced headphones!

 

[cfranchi]

While I probably haven't tried your headphone amp, my speaker amp made my HE6se sound better, and all my other balanced headphones!

Just some practical questions:
Do you use hifiman adapter? Your dac is directly feeding the speaker amp ? Do you need a pre amp ?
Thank you

 

[thefitz]

Just some practical questions:
Do you use hifiman adapter? Your dac is directly feeding the speaker amp ? Do you need a pre amp ?
Thank you

I do not use the Hifiman adapter. I bought a 4-pin XLR to banana plugs adapter on eBay, plus I even made one myself that worked great (but looked ugly).

DAC is plugged into my preamp, which then feeds the speaker amp.

As a cheap-ass proof of concept, I once plugged my DAC into a Schiit Sys passive preamp, which was then plugged into a $50 speaker amp I got off eBay. Worked great.

Now, it's my Gumby -> Freya -> Speaker amp (Bryston 3B ST)

 

[tkddans]

As a cheap-ass proof of concept, I once plugged my DAC into a Schiit Sys passive preamp, which was then plugged into a $50 speaker amp I got off eBay. Worked great.

Now, it's my Gumby -> Freya -> Speaker amp (Bryston 3B ST)

I can second this arrangement. Except I use Schiit Sys to make my tube amp pump out a more approriate volume than the tube amp would do normally. My tube amp is actually powerful enough for most scenarios of playback except classical, or high dynamic range music, or music mastered a bit lower than most.

My chain is:

Schiit Bifrost DAC —> Schiit Sys —> Xduoo TA-30 (see signature for tubes used).

The HE6SE works great with plenty of headroom on the THX solid state amp (offered on Drop), but I’ve found the TA-30 tube amp to do well with the HE6SE, albeit with needing the Sys boost sometimes. I find the tubes gives slightly more energy somehow to things in a way I like, compared to solid state.

 

[cfranchi]

I do not use the Hifiman adapter. I bought a 4-pin XLR to banana plugs adapter on eBay, plus I even made one myself that worked great (but looked ugly).

DAC is plugged into my preamp, which then feeds the speaker amp.

As a cheap-ass proof of concept, I once plugged my DAC into a Schiit Sys passive preamp, which was then plugged into a $50 speaker amp I got off eBay. Worked great.

Now, it's my Gumby -> Freya -> Speaker amp (Bryston 3B ST)

So a preamp is mandatory ?

 

[thefitz]

... I’ve found the TA-30 tube amp to do well with the HE6SE, albeit with needing the Sys boost sometimes. I find the tubes gives slightly more energy somehow to things in a way I like, compared to solid state.

Huh? The Sys is passive. "Cranked" volume is the same as running a cable between the two devices. It's cut-only.

 

[thefitz]

So a preamp is mandatory ?

Yep. I mean, otherwise, you're supplying the headphones the full amount of volume without any way to attenuate. Unless you do so digitally, but even then that can fail.

Many headphone amps also double as preamps. I was using a Schiit Mjolnir 1, then Topping A90 to feed the power amp at one point.

 

[tkddans]

Huh? The Sys is passive. "Cranked" volume is the same as running a cable between the two devices. It's cut-only.

Say that to my much louder headphones!

EDIT:: Now I probably need to try comparing the two again just to be sure I’m not going crazy. But I’m pretty sure the volume knob on my tube amp only needs to go halfway or a bit over to get to similar volume of full rotation (with Sys in the chain).

 

[thefitz]

Say that to my much louder headphones!

EDIT:: Now I probably need to try comparing the two again just to be sure I’m not going crazy. But I’m pretty sure the volume knob on my tube amp only needs to go halfway or a bit over to get to similar volume of full rotation (with Sys in the chain).

The Sys is not powered and therefore cannot add volume. The knob cranked full is zero db. Cut only.

The Sys adding volume is impossible.

But then again, we have $1800 headphone cables so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[tkddans]

The Sys is not powered and therefore cannot add volume. The knob cranked full is zero db. Cut only.

The Sys adding volume is impossible.

But then again, we have $1800 headphone cables so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’ll be home soon to try it out. I feel a bit silly now after misunderstanding what the product was doing haha.

Now I’m a dingus with an unnecessary addition in my chain! Damn though. I really thought it was louder…probably just a severe lack of comparing and the fact that the TA-30 is loud in any case.

 

[thefitz]

I’ll be home soon to try it out. I feel a bit silly now after misunderstanding what the product was doing haha.

Now I’m a dingus with an unnecessary addition in my chain! Damn though. I really thought it was louder…probably just a severe lack of comparing and the fact that the TA-30 is loud in any case.

Well, there's absolutely a use case if, say, the volume at 9:00 is far too loud - it's a second, "in between" volume control that gives you more usable control.

In my experimenting, I had a Bryston preamp and I could barely get the volume past... off before I'd go deaf. It would be great for that kind of thing.

 

[cfranchi]

Yep. I mean, otherwise, you're supplying the headphones the full amount of volume without any way to attenuate. Unless you do so digitally, but even then that can fail

Ok I understood, I didn’t figure that speaker amp don’t have volume control.