I have spent the last month or so comparing modded T50RPs to HE-6s, here is my review.
I purchased HDMan’s T50RP a while ago, reading that modded T50RPs come close to LCD2s. I made one additional modification, shortening the cable and terminating it into a 4 pin XLR connection.
HE-6 are unmodified but using the Hifiman Leather Pads
You can read up on HDMan's modifications here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/583371/t50-response
http://www.head-fi.org/t/452404/just-listened-to-some-fostex-t50rps-today-wow/5175#post_7932721
err I just noticed he is now Banned...hopefully I'm not breaking any rules.
Source is Windows 7 64bit--> Foobar --> Audio GD DI --> Audio GD NFB-11 via BNC --> Yamaha RX-v1067 using Zone 2 speaker taps -->Hifiman HE-Adapter (4 pin XLR) --> Headphones
Let’s start with comfort, headphones are comfy to wear, they are both light weight, and I can wear them for hours on end without any comfort issues, but after a while with the T50RP, my ears can get a little sweaty, where this does not happen with the HE-6.The cabling on the modded T50RP is much more substantial than the HE-6 Cable which is very thin and seems fragile in comparison.
The HE-6 is also much harder to drive, requiring much more power than the T50RP, I have read that the T50RP when modded are less efficient, but when compared to the HE-6 they are very efficient. However, the T50RP might not be usable for portable use, I originally bought them to be used on the go, but I couldn’t find anything short of large “transportable” amps that could power them to reasonable levels, and that just makes it too much of a hassle to carry around IMO.
Songs I used to A/B. This is for information purposes only, as going into details about each song does nothing to change the overall sound signature from each headphone.
Karl Wolf – DJ Gonna Save Us
Charice – Reset
Charice – One Day
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Santana – Maria Maria
Far East Movement – Live My Life
Nelly – Just a Dream
Eminem ft Rihanna – Love the way you lie
Bruno Mars – Just the way you are
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Legend of Zelda Suite
Sound impressions:
Listening to the T50RP first, I can say I felt these headphones sound amazing. Everything feels balanced, there is quite a bit of energy, and there are a good amount of details. Vocals are amazing, instruments have good separation, and they sound neutral to my ears. The T50RP sound similar in a way to the HE-6 in that they are neutral, and have good energy, and convey a good amount of details.
But when doing an A/B comparison with the HE-6 the first things you notice as soon as you plug the HE-6 in is…that it’s much quieter…oops going to need to turn up the volume. Once you do that though, everything is better with the HE-6. The T50RPare like having slightly dirty glasses, everything looks fine still, but as soon as you clean them, things are just that much better, and that’s the HE-6. Soundstage is far wider, there is a more 3D-like sound, the sound envelops you, there are some details in the music that were *just* there with the T50RP that are now crystal clear with the HE-6. The T50RP feels compressed and restricted compared to the HE-6, this is the best I can describe the sound.
The HE-6 when directly compared to the T50RP can be said to be a brighter headphone, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. The HE-6 are brighter and more sibilant (the T50RP are as well, but the HE-6 are noticeably more sibilant), but it doesn’t lose any impact from the bass or energy in the low and mid-range when compared to the T50RP, in fact in some songs, it has *more* impact. It’s like the T50RP is rolled off in the higher frequencies when compared to the HE-6. I do not have any graphs, so I can’t really say 100% this is just based on my ears.
Now it is clear that I much prefer the HE-6, and the HE-6 seem to respond very well to EQ, which can tone down some of the brightness which could be the only flaw when compared to the T50RP, where there is no EQ that can bring the T50RP up to the level of the HE-6.
Does that mean the T50RP are a bad headphone? No in fact I think this was an unfair comparison, the HE-6 are far more expensive than the T50RP even when modded, and although IMO the differences are quite obvious, the price difference may not be worth the level of improvement.
I decided to conduct a little social experiment. I gathered a bunch of my friends that I would describe as “music lovers” but not “audiophiles” I had them try on the T50RP (using their own music), and basically all of them were blown away. Then I had them try on the HE-6 and they were once again blown away although some mentioned the brightness (which when tuned with EQ) they were very happy. Then I presented the prices of each headphones, basically everyone said yeah they would pay the price that I paid for the T50RP, or the cost of new T50RP + mods (don’t forget in Australia T50RPs are far more expensive than they are overseas!) but not one person said they would pay what the HE-6 costs. Their reasoning the T50RP sounds better than basically everything else they’ve listened to, and cheaper than some of the stuff they’ve already bought ($500 Dr. Dre beats anyone?)
Based on this little social experiment, I feel the modded T50RP are some of the best value if not the best value headphones you can get, esp if you can get the North American pricing on them.
