[Lupino]

Amps like the Krell KSA (not the baby), FPB and Pass X Series I would not lose one second of sleep wondering if they pump an appropriate amount of current using 4 or 8 ohms as the starting point of figuring wpc at 50 or 600 ohms. But these are mighty overbuilt tanks that cost an insane amount of money - new or used.

However, most receivers in particular before the 1972 period probably were not tested from the speaker taps for loads like these. I bet quite a few are unstable into loads like that, and some may not produce 20-20k accurately.

You get to 1976 or so and brands like Kenwood, Marantz, Pioneer - the higher power ones that have caps that don't leak and healthy power supplies would be nice.

Even the NAD's with more juice after the 1978 debut of the 3020 going into the mid 80's may not do it.

If I were doing this i'd look for class a or ab, not H or D. Then i'd look at the specs at 4 and 8 ohms. If the 4 is 150% or more of 8 i'd bet it'll work if the number at 50 ohms is 3+ wpc with no big issues coming in for stuff like odd/higher order harmonics spiking.

If it's very well built caps might hang on for 35 years but normal quality - over 20 you could be cooked. Changing large caps in xovers is a piece of cake. A good sized int amp that's all discrete might have 30+ coupling caps and 25 others all packed on a board that is quit dense. Unless you are very good at this the chance of lifting pads and roasting temp sensitive parts is very high. That means if the piece is not special - make sure it's under 20 yrs old and just use it (others saying it works well would be good to know). If it's high test and over 30 years old consider having a pro (so few good ones compared to 20 yrs ago) clean it up well.

Or just buy a Schiit Jot 2 or the upcoming new Lyr. You can still hit yard sales and hope you get a gem for peanuts.

Would a Schiit Asgard 3 be up to the task?

 

[screwdriver]

Would a Schiit Asgard 3 be up to the task?

I don't think so

 

[bagwell359]

Would a Schiit Asgard 3 be up to the task?

Never heard any of that line. But by spec it seems a bit under. However if you were planning on an upgrade soon using the dough from selling it - you'd get a pretty good idea of what you'll get - perhaps bass impact might be down a bit.

 

[hottyson]

Would a Schiit Asgard 3 be up to the task?

I own the Schiit Asgard 3. It does not drive the HifiMan HE6se V2 anywhere near it's capable potential. When trying to drive HE6se V2 with the Asgard 3, one gets underwhelming results and an abundance of treble. To my ears, the Jotunheim 2 is the minimum amp for the job when trying to drive HE6se V2.

 

[ksb643]

I own the Schiit Asgard 3. It does not drive the HifiMan HE6se V2 anywhere near it's capable potential. When trying to drive HE6se V2 with the Asgard 3, one gets underwhelming results and an abundance of treble. To my ears, the Jotunheim 2 is the minimum amp for the job when trying to drive HE6se V2.

Agreed

 

[malenak]

I like them also on Lyr 3. Sadly, the protective circuit of my piece is sometimes turning off the amp when I pushed them little harder. It just can't handle their gluttony...

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I have my Lyr 2 boxed up for sale. I put it away before I got my HE6s...

 

[MeshuggahFan]

I

The HE-4, HE-5LE, HE-6 4 & 6 screws all ring a great deal more than the latest generation of round and long cup HFM's. The HE-6se v2 is IMO my pick for best value mid/high end can between $700 and $1250 and possibly all HFM cans ever released, not that it can compete directly with the Susvara or HEK v2 or se on an absolute level. HE-500 with mods would be my other choice for best value.

I am interested in a comparison between he-4 and he-6se v2. I was saving up for he-6sev2 but i've found a used he-4 for 1/3 of the he6sev2 price.
Edition XS is my daily driver right now.
I do not care about FR as i a proud EQ enjoyer and HifiMan headphones eq well.
I care about technical performance: soundstage size, imaging, speed, micro and macrodynamics, bass extention, tone.
I really do care about the soundstage form.
My he-400s were bad in every way possible, but they had a perfect sphere soundstage going through my head and in front of me (just a little bit could it go behind my head).
Xs soundstage is tall and somewhat wide but isnt deep enough, so it looks like a vertical ovale. I hope he-4 and he-6 sev2 soundstages are spherical.

 

[bagwell359]

I

I am interested in a comparison between he-4 and he-6se v2. I was saving up for he-6sev2 but i've found a used he-4 for 1/3 of the he6sev2 price.
Edition XS is my daily driver right now.
I do not care about FR as i a proud EQ enjoyer and HifiMan headphones eq well.
I care about technical performance: soundstage size, imaging, speed, micro and macrodynamics, bass extention, tone.
I really do care about the soundstage form.
My he-400s were bad in every way possible, but they had a perfect sphere soundstage going through my head and in front of me (just a little bit could it go behind my head).
KXs soundstage is tall and somewhat wide but isnt deep enough, so it looks like a vertical ovale. I hope he-4 and he-6 sev2 soundstages are spherical.

What price is the HE-4? What comes with it?

What sort of EQ - describe? There are problems in treble (5-7k and 10-12k) that an EQ can suppress but not fix - they ring a lot. It gives them a lively dynamic sound but they are fatiguing. I didn't hear them with OG cable or pads, and it was briefly. The soundstage is not that good but I can't remember details - just the judgement.

Do you/will you be willing to carry out mods? It's got to be 9-11 years old. It's the lowest end can from the early HFM days. The HE-500 is better as is the HE-6 SE v1 or v2.

At Adorama the v2 new is $499 which if you have at least 3 wpc @ 50 ohms is the unquestioned best bargain of all time in headphones. But you have to verify the driver sticks or doesn't issue - and if it does you have to jump on Adorama for a return. Also the pads and the cable bites - must replace

 

[MeshuggahFan]

What price is the HE-4? What comes with it?

What sort of EQ - describe? There are problems in treble (5-7k and 10-12k) that an EQ can suppress but not fix - they ring a lot. It gives them a lively dynamic sound but they are fatiguing. I didn't hear them with OG cable or pads, and it was briefly. The soundstage is not that good but I can't remember details - just the judgement.

Do you/will you be willing to carry out mods? It's got to be 9-11 years old. It's the lowest end can from the early HFM days. The HE-500 is better as is the HE-6 SE v1 or v2.

At Adorama the v2 new is $499 which if you have at least 3 wpc @ 50 ohms is the unquestioned best bargain of all time in headphones. But you have to verify the driver sticks or doesn't issue - and if it does you have to jump on Adorama for a return. Also the pads and the cable bites - must replace

Stock pads, stock cable
Where i live he-4 is 4 times cheaper then a used he-6sev2.
In the he-4 thread the he-500 is despised as beeing slower than he-4, worse impact and bass extention.
For me he-500 is almost twice the price of he-4.
I am willing to mode.
Had a pair of he-560v2. Changed pads to focus pads and removed grills.
Didn't like them due to weak impact ( macrodynamics)

 

[bagwell359]

Stock pads, stock cable
Where i live he-4 is 4 times cheaper then a used he-6sev2.
In the he-4 thread the he-500 is despised as beeing slower than he-4, worse impact and bass extention.
For me he-500 is almost twice the price of he-4.
I am willing to mode.
Had a pair of he-560v2. Changed pads to focus pads and removed grills.
Didn't like them due to weak impact ( macrodynamics)

More people like the 500 than the 4. The HE-4 thread and interest in that can is moribund compared to the 500. Of course many more 500's were built. The 500 has fine bass extension. A slightly raised mid bass that is well controlled by an amp with good damping and a touch of dynamat on the back of the cups and a slight bass boost leaves them with excellent timbre and only a bit less impact than the 4. If you want a HFM impact start with the OG HE-6, then to the HE-5 and HE-5LE. The bass on the 4 is quick but lacks the growl of those 3.

Since used is on the deck, consider the HE-6 SE (v1 w/o the designation of v1). It needs a bit more EQ in the 1.7k range and the fuzzor mod, and it likes a more minimal or no back screen. Get non HFM pads known to work well (Pali pad sucks), and an O2 free non HFM cable (they all suck) you're at 97% of a v2 w/o the stuck driver( very rare ) and at lower cost.

 

[bagwell359]

Is your EQ parametric? Trying to get HFM's EQ'd properly is almost impossible with fixed band EQ's.

Adorama FYI has a used v1 in Fair condition for $199 to help set the price.

 

[merinowool]

Hey folks,

I know QC is any issue with these, but how typical is it to have the headphones die completely?

Funnily enough, it was my first time listening to them amplified by more than a Mojo 2. I did have have EQ for bass applied (not 27 db at 10 Hz, tho) and was listening somewhat loudly, tho not uncomfortably, and things were sounding pretty good! Listened to a few songs, then all the sudden, the music went Tubby Bye-Bye. No pops or bangs, just silence. Checked other sources and cables to no avail.

They're only two weeks old so I'll be contacting Adorama/hifiman, I just want to see if both drivers dying seems feasible for the level of QC these have, or on the other hand, if applying a Harmon-esqe EQ for bass is problematic for them, which hopefully isn't the case!

Thanks

 

[dstarr3]

Hey folks,

I know QC is any issue with these, but how typical is it to have the headphones die completely?

Funnily enough, it was my first time listening to them amplified by more than a Mojo 2. I did have have EQ for bass applied (not 27 db at 10 Hz, tho) and was listening somewhat loudly, tho not uncomfortably, and things were sounding pretty good! Listened to a few songs, then all the sudden, the music went Tubby Bye-Bye. No pops or bangs, just silence. Checked other sources and cables to no avail.

They're only two weeks old so I'll be contacting Adorama/hifiman, I just want to see if both drivers dying seems feasible for the level of QC these have, or on the other hand, if applying a Harmon-esqe EQ for bass is problematic for them, which hopefully isn't the case!

Thanks

What amp were you using?

 

[Tex Irie]

I'm almost certain this may have been asked before but does anyone here know what the differences are between the HE6se and the HE6se V2 aside from the color and headband? I'm interested in purchasing one but I'm not certain which one. I'd appreciate any insight or comparisons from someone whom may have owned or had extensive listening hours with both versions.