Just a casual thread where everyone can share experiences vinyl related. From LP reviews, reference/audiophile recordings, labels, gear and setup. I think it could be fun. No egos, no judgment just cool place to be a part of.Look forward to it.
Looking for ( found )"end game" headphones in 2K ± price range.
- Thread starter FYFL
- Start date
Didn’t have much time to play with toys lately but I gave HE-6 SE V2 a quick listen.
They’re not a bad headphones.
Quite comfortable and easy to listen to. Certainly not a typical Hifiman house sound signature. Very well balanced and not fatiguing. Missing some of the decay/reverb that I am accustomed to. Especially on piano and string instruments. But it’s not a deal breaker. They also lock airiness and resolution of ADX5000. No, they’re not resolution/detail demons. But good enough. Tonality is very pleasing. Complexity is resolved with grace and sense of effortlessness. Again, very easy to listen to and relax to.
At $649, they’re quite a steal.
Phonitor2 with gain boosted by +24db seems to “handle” these difficult to drive headphones. Is it good enough? Don’t know. I don’t have other options available to me that could be used for comparison. For now, this will have to do.
PS
Cable that came with it, is probably the most atrocious cable I have ever seen. I would love to meet the person that came up with it and then talk to person who approved it.
They’re not a bad headphones.
Quite comfortable and easy to listen to. Certainly not a typical Hifiman house sound signature. Very well balanced and not fatiguing. Missing some of the decay/reverb that I am accustomed to. Especially on piano and string instruments. But it’s not a deal breaker. They also lock airiness and resolution of ADX5000. No, they’re not resolution/detail demons. But good enough. Tonality is very pleasing. Complexity is resolved with grace and sense of effortlessness. Again, very easy to listen to and relax to.
At $649, they’re quite a steal.
Phonitor2 with gain boosted by +24db seems to “handle” these difficult to drive headphones. Is it good enough? Don’t know. I don’t have other options available to me that could be used for comparison. For now, this will have to do.
PS
Cable that came with it, is probably the most atrocious cable I have ever seen. I would love to meet the person that came up with it and then talk to person who approved it.
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hakunamakaka
1000+ Head-Fier
I tried only Ananda from Hifiman line and was lest unimpressed, soundstage was large, though tonality and timbre a bit off. Unexciting sound in general.
I know that HE-6 needs a speaker amplifier to drive them properly. The lower tier equipment of hifiman are prone to failures, higher tier are interesting to try but cost of Susvara is not for my wallet.
While on holidays I've ordered Mojo for my portable use and was very impressed so far. I have plenty of portable dac/amps, but mojo really stands out. As well I've decided to upgrade my desktop equipment and ordered DIGIONE SIGNATURE PLAYER - streamer with clean power source. I have no experience with such devices, but many people claim that it will improve sound by a good margin. I would be very happy if it could replace my macbook air/Denafrips IRIS DDC
Is that a budget streamer thingy?
I like convenience so streamer option was always appealing one for me.
Susvara is probably on list of top 5 best headphones out there. I believe it. Not within my audio budget since I have to maneuver spending between headphone and speaker setup. And quite frankly, speaker rig is priority. Buying vinyl second. And than, headphones.
If you’re looking to be impressed, HE6 SE V2 are probably not the headphones for you. We all want something very specific to fit our taste and budget. As for the latter, HE6 are great value IMHO. And non of that “artificial” sound of hifiman that I am somewhat familiar with.
Very satisfying listening experience. At times, they seem to be more enjoyable than my LCDX. It was a brief, couple hrs listening so, I don’t want to jump to any premature conclusions. However, so far so good.
hakunamakaka
1000+ Head-Fier
Yes it is a streamer based on raspberri pi. With Linear Power supply and costs a bit less than 600$. I'm a bit sceptical about this decision, but it's not costing too much and I can give it a chance to try. My purchase of IRIS DDC made a significant improvement in audio quality coming from my macbooks usb interface so interested to see what a dedicated source could do.
Regards headphones my eager to try something new is gone once I spend more time with Utopias. A bit Intimate presentation is not bothering me as it is very technical sound, done in non offensive way. Glad I haven't rushed in selling them, what is basically left is to add more meat and bite as Utopia comes off a bit lean and tad to polite in my chain
Regards headphones my eager to try something new is gone once I spend more time with Utopias. A bit Intimate presentation is not bothering me as it is very technical sound, done in non offensive way. Glad I haven't rushed in selling them, what is basically left is to add more meat and bite as Utopia comes off a bit lean and tad to polite in my chain
I thought it was raspberry pi based gadget but I wasn’t 100 percent sure. I think it should work just fine. At least that’s what others who use that option for streaming are saying. And they get better with technology moving forward. Personally, I probably haven’t use PC in about a decade. Ever since I have moved away from photography/video venture.
Looks like you’re settling with a very nice and capable headphones. Good for you. Looks to me that what’s left is to fine-tune your audio chain to maximize Utopias and your personal taste and you’ll be set for a long term enjoyment.
I am also slowly getting to that point when I can retire from tireless chase of that next “best” dragon that industry has to offer.
Matter a fact, I’ll be thinning my headphone collection soon.
Probably Audeze and GL2000 GoldPlanar are going out the door. We will see.
After couple days of “breaking in” HE-6SE V2, I have gone through some familiar test tracks and made some comparison to both GoldPlanar GL2000 and Audeze LCDX.
Current nightstand setup (which still needs work) is very simple. Phonitor2 for amplification, Bluesound Node2 (latest 2021 version) as a source.
First, let me state the obvious and confirm that these headphones are power hungry. Some swear that dedicated, powerful, speaker amp is a necessity to get the most out of these but, I don’t think you need to go that far to enjoy HE6 SE V2s. But you need at least a couple, quality watts. Since powerful amps are easily obtainable these days, that shouldn’t be a reason to pass experience of owning these cans.
Phonitor2 has amazing flexibility as far as gain settings go. From increasing gain on input stage to four different output gain settings.
Switching dip switch 1 to ON = 12db gain. Dip 2 get you 22db gain. Dip switches 1+2 ON, equals to total of 24db gain.
I have tried boosting RCA input gain with dip switch nr.3, which equated to studio level XLR voltage (from -10 to 0). But that 10db gain wasn’t necessary and together with output gain boost, it appeared to introduce artificial glare (noise). So, after some experimentation, I have settled on 22db gain. Within my usually preferred listening volume, it meant that volume knob rested anywhere between 10:30 and 12:30 o’clock (depending on recording).
Comfort:
I would say that these are quite comfortable headphones, despite its weight. Most of the weight distribution falls on headband since HE6 SE don’t have much of a clamp force. Proper seal will be important factor IMO. And quality you get out of them might depend on your head-size/shape (I would say that I have oval, average to large size head). For me personally, fit is almost perfect.
Pads are fine but they get warm after a while. So, perhaps there are other options you might consider if you are sensitive to “warmish” pad types. Swivel and hight adjustability is adequate. Feel and finish is fine but not great. Darker navy blue might not be everybody's cup of tea but it’s actually quite nice IMO. They might not feel super premium but they are more than tolerable as far as quality and comfort is concern. Cable…… no comment. It’s bad. (Just to clarify No issues sonically. Ergonomics, feel are straight up awful tho)
Sound:
Treble is extremely smooth, somewhat detail and not fatiguing. I didn’t find any offensive peaks or dips in that part of frequency spectrum. I don’t think they have as much “detail”/resolution as far more expensive planars but it’s not really an issue. Detail and resolution is there. It’s just not as “exaggerated”/artificial as some other headphones out there.
Midrage is also great. Very well balanced. Not to forward, not too laid back. Not the greatest headphones for female vocal reproduction (that goes to ADX5K) but male vocals sound great. Full body, correct string tonality (could have slightly more decay tho) and most importantly, extremely accurate piano reproduction (which is rare).
Bass is king. These are probably one of the hardest hitting headphones that I have heard. Deep, articulated, engaging are the words that come to mind when describing it. Very satisfying experience to say the least. The only other headphones that had similar qualities were D8000, HE1000 and Empyreans.
Overall, great headphones for the price of $649. And I definitely prefer the sound over GL2000 and ……… probably LCDX. More direct comparison later.
Current nightstand setup (which still needs work) is very simple. Phonitor2 for amplification, Bluesound Node2 (latest 2021 version) as a source.
First, let me state the obvious and confirm that these headphones are power hungry. Some swear that dedicated, powerful, speaker amp is a necessity to get the most out of these but, I don’t think you need to go that far to enjoy HE6 SE V2s. But you need at least a couple, quality watts. Since powerful amps are easily obtainable these days, that shouldn’t be a reason to pass experience of owning these cans.
Phonitor2 has amazing flexibility as far as gain settings go. From increasing gain on input stage to four different output gain settings.
Switching dip switch 1 to ON = 12db gain. Dip 2 get you 22db gain. Dip switches 1+2 ON, equals to total of 24db gain.
I have tried boosting RCA input gain with dip switch nr.3, which equated to studio level XLR voltage (from -10 to 0). But that 10db gain wasn’t necessary and together with output gain boost, it appeared to introduce artificial glare (noise). So, after some experimentation, I have settled on 22db gain. Within my usually preferred listening volume, it meant that volume knob rested anywhere between 10:30 and 12:30 o’clock (depending on recording).
Comfort:
I would say that these are quite comfortable headphones, despite its weight. Most of the weight distribution falls on headband since HE6 SE don’t have much of a clamp force. Proper seal will be important factor IMO. And quality you get out of them might depend on your head-size/shape (I would say that I have oval, average to large size head). For me personally, fit is almost perfect.
Pads are fine but they get warm after a while. So, perhaps there are other options you might consider if you are sensitive to “warmish” pad types. Swivel and hight adjustability is adequate. Feel and finish is fine but not great. Darker navy blue might not be everybody's cup of tea but it’s actually quite nice IMO. They might not feel super premium but they are more than tolerable as far as quality and comfort is concern. Cable…… no comment. It’s bad. (Just to clarify No issues sonically. Ergonomics, feel are straight up awful tho)
Sound:
Treble is extremely smooth, somewhat detail and not fatiguing. I didn’t find any offensive peaks or dips in that part of frequency spectrum. I don’t think they have as much “detail”/resolution as far more expensive planars but it’s not really an issue. Detail and resolution is there. It’s just not as “exaggerated”/artificial as some other headphones out there.
Midrage is also great. Very well balanced. Not to forward, not too laid back. Not the greatest headphones for female vocal reproduction (that goes to ADX5K) but male vocals sound great. Full body, correct string tonality (could have slightly more decay tho) and most importantly, extremely accurate piano reproduction (which is rare).
Bass is king. These are probably one of the hardest hitting headphones that I have heard. Deep, articulated, engaging are the words that come to mind when describing it. Very satisfying experience to say the least. The only other headphones that had similar qualities were D8000, HE1000 and Empyreans.
Overall, great headphones for the price of $649. And I definitely prefer the sound over GL2000 and ……… probably LCDX. More direct comparison later.
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Just to to refresh my auditory memory, I have just shuffled through my music library. And did an hour long A/B between LCDX and HE6 SE V2 headphones.
Here’s the list of artists I have used for comparison:
Male vocal.
Frmale vocal, small assembly Jazz and big band/orchestra.
Rich rumbly voice of John Campbell had more weight and grunt on HE6SE headphones. Slightly richer and with more realistic/natural timbre. LCDX had more what I would call lip/tongue sibilance (especially with female vocals). Not necessary an artificial side effect of a headphone tuning or recording in itself but, it was certainly more noticeable with LCDX. While HE6SE appear to mask those characteristics quite a bit. Don’t ask me which is more truthful to the original recording session since I wasn’t there. But I believe ADX5000 is somewhat of a truth teller and truth is somewhere in between. It just so happens that ADX5000 reveals all that information but in more “tasteful”, tonally correct manner. However, in case of LCDX and HE6SE, I preferred less annoying character of the latter.
Guitar reproduction was a bit of a mixed bag but with HE6SE winning with substantial, overall margin. Decay, reverb was actually quite nice on LCDX however, at times it felt too aggressive, pushed/strained if you will. Even piecing at times. Which took me a bit out of my comfort zone and forced me to dial it down just a bit on the volume knob. HE6SE was more pleasant overall as well as more tonally right. I do wish thought that it had just a smidgen more air around the strings and more emphasized reverb/decay. It’s there, but you really need to dig deep to identify those qualities.
hi-hat, shakers and triangles are another example where differences between these two headphones are quite apparent.
Eventho, such instruments have quite a bit more presents and forwardness with LCDX, it seems a bit exaggerated and disproportionate to overall presentation. It sure sounds impressive at first. Lots of air and detail coming forward and in your face sort of sleek. Yet, it gets slightly districting and overwhelming. Even with new 2021 pleather pads which smooth things out quite a bit in FR range, it is apparent that those peaks in treble, still need to be addressed. At least based on this comparison. It’s certainly less noticeable if LCDX are your primary HP and there isn’t much to compare it with. I mean, … something tonally superior and with more realistic timbre. I sure haven’t noticed these flaws before. At least not to that degree. I do appreciate however, 3D-like quality that LCDX poses. Speciousness and scale is also better IMO than HE6SE. Even though soundstage of LCDX isn’t its best quality, it is still wider and more dimensional in comparison to more closed-in presentation of HE6SE headphones. LCDX seems to be more “diffused”/holographic while HE6SE is more intimate.
Next, I’ll touch on dynamic range. While both headphones can take quite a bit of beating, there’s a significant “but” when it comes to dynamics. I am not gonna lie, I do have a soft spot for dynamically capable presentation. And my stereo rig is my reference go to when it comes to that. But it would be unfair to compare headphones to air that 18” woofers can push/move with help of hornloaded midrange and tweeter.
So, no, neither headphone comes close. However, HE6SE seems like the next best thing. No matter how much I pushed them, they seem to take it with ease. And in non fatiguing way. Which surprised me quite a bit. The only other headphones that could take a bunch of punishment and still sound great or better at extreme volume were Meze Empyrean (extremely low distortion at stress point levels).
Dynamic swings, micro and macro dynamics, close to live peaks and speed were all very impressive with HE6SE. LCDX are no push arounds but there’s a limit to “comfortable” insanity. They do test your tolerance at those extreme circumstances. Simply speaking, their limits are clearly flashed out. And while HE6SE sails through with ease and pleasantries, LCDX get fussy and temperamental. It wasn’t my intent to push them hard, I was just trying to match dynamic range of the competitor. It did not work. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience. At the same time, HE6SE showed plenty of dynamic range at almost any level. And when played at extreme volume, it wasn’t fatiguing or unbearable. It was actually pretty cool experience.
This is getting a bit out of hand but I’ll end this follow up with comparison of piano reproduction.
Well, piano was never a strong suit of LCDX. Even ADX5000 struggles a bit with faithful interpretation of piano notes. Most headphones or speakers do. Piano is probably the single, most difficult thing to recreate by any type of transducer, period. HE6SE isn’t flawless in that department but at very least, it lies extremely skillfully and convincingly. Tonality is there. So is the timbre and range. LCDX sound a bit tin and boxy in comparison. Tonality is off and realism is skewed by quite a bit. With HE6SE, it is just easier to forget about challenges that piano reproduction entails. It’s just easier to listen to. I really, really appreciate that.
I’ll just say one more thing in regards to audio chain used in this comparison. Obviously Node2 as a source can’t match my reference DAC/streamer so there’s that. And Phonitor2 is not a “flavored” amp by any means. It’s rather quite neutral and extremely revealing. So, I don’t think there was any particular advantage or disadvantage with this setup for either headphone. Both headphones are quite good in their own right. If I had to choose one over the other, I think I would go with HE6SE V2 (if they cost the same amount). At $649, it’s not even an argument.
Here’s the list of artists I have used for comparison:
Male vocal.
Frmale vocal, small assembly Jazz and big band/orchestra.
Rich rumbly voice of John Campbell had more weight and grunt on HE6SE headphones. Slightly richer and with more realistic/natural timbre. LCDX had more what I would call lip/tongue sibilance (especially with female vocals). Not necessary an artificial side effect of a headphone tuning or recording in itself but, it was certainly more noticeable with LCDX. While HE6SE appear to mask those characteristics quite a bit. Don’t ask me which is more truthful to the original recording session since I wasn’t there. But I believe ADX5000 is somewhat of a truth teller and truth is somewhere in between. It just so happens that ADX5000 reveals all that information but in more “tasteful”, tonally correct manner. However, in case of LCDX and HE6SE, I preferred less annoying character of the latter.
Guitar reproduction was a bit of a mixed bag but with HE6SE winning with substantial, overall margin. Decay, reverb was actually quite nice on LCDX however, at times it felt too aggressive, pushed/strained if you will. Even piecing at times. Which took me a bit out of my comfort zone and forced me to dial it down just a bit on the volume knob. HE6SE was more pleasant overall as well as more tonally right. I do wish thought that it had just a smidgen more air around the strings and more emphasized reverb/decay. It’s there, but you really need to dig deep to identify those qualities.
hi-hat, shakers and triangles are another example where differences between these two headphones are quite apparent.
Eventho, such instruments have quite a bit more presents and forwardness with LCDX, it seems a bit exaggerated and disproportionate to overall presentation. It sure sounds impressive at first. Lots of air and detail coming forward and in your face sort of sleek. Yet, it gets slightly districting and overwhelming. Even with new 2021 pleather pads which smooth things out quite a bit in FR range, it is apparent that those peaks in treble, still need to be addressed. At least based on this comparison. It’s certainly less noticeable if LCDX are your primary HP and there isn’t much to compare it with. I mean, … something tonally superior and with more realistic timbre. I sure haven’t noticed these flaws before. At least not to that degree. I do appreciate however, 3D-like quality that LCDX poses. Speciousness and scale is also better IMO than HE6SE. Even though soundstage of LCDX isn’t its best quality, it is still wider and more dimensional in comparison to more closed-in presentation of HE6SE headphones. LCDX seems to be more “diffused”/holographic while HE6SE is more intimate.
Next, I’ll touch on dynamic range. While both headphones can take quite a bit of beating, there’s a significant “but” when it comes to dynamics. I am not gonna lie, I do have a soft spot for dynamically capable presentation. And my stereo rig is my reference go to when it comes to that. But it would be unfair to compare headphones to air that 18” woofers can push/move with help of hornloaded midrange and tweeter.
So, no, neither headphone comes close. However, HE6SE seems like the next best thing. No matter how much I pushed them, they seem to take it with ease. And in non fatiguing way. Which surprised me quite a bit. The only other headphones that could take a bunch of punishment and still sound great or better at extreme volume were Meze Empyrean (extremely low distortion at stress point levels).
Dynamic swings, micro and macro dynamics, close to live peaks and speed were all very impressive with HE6SE. LCDX are no push arounds but there’s a limit to “comfortable” insanity. They do test your tolerance at those extreme circumstances. Simply speaking, their limits are clearly flashed out. And while HE6SE sails through with ease and pleasantries, LCDX get fussy and temperamental. It wasn’t my intent to push them hard, I was just trying to match dynamic range of the competitor. It did not work. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience. At the same time, HE6SE showed plenty of dynamic range at almost any level. And when played at extreme volume, it wasn’t fatiguing or unbearable. It was actually pretty cool experience.
This is getting a bit out of hand but I’ll end this follow up with comparison of piano reproduction.
Well, piano was never a strong suit of LCDX. Even ADX5000 struggles a bit with faithful interpretation of piano notes. Most headphones or speakers do. Piano is probably the single, most difficult thing to recreate by any type of transducer, period. HE6SE isn’t flawless in that department but at very least, it lies extremely skillfully and convincingly. Tonality is there. So is the timbre and range. LCDX sound a bit tin and boxy in comparison. Tonality is off and realism is skewed by quite a bit. With HE6SE, it is just easier to forget about challenges that piano reproduction entails. It’s just easier to listen to. I really, really appreciate that.
I’ll just say one more thing in regards to audio chain used in this comparison. Obviously Node2 as a source can’t match my reference DAC/streamer so there’s that. And Phonitor2 is not a “flavored” amp by any means. It’s rather quite neutral and extremely revealing. So, I don’t think there was any particular advantage or disadvantage with this setup for either headphone. Both headphones are quite good in their own right. If I had to choose one over the other, I think I would go with HE6SE V2 (if they cost the same amount). At $649, it’s not even an argument.
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Very interesting stuff again here. I follow your story about HE6SE V2 but I want to say that I judge what I read about them at the full 1800 EUR price. The deal you had is nowhere available around.
Kammerat Rebekka
1000+ Head-Fier
Hifiman sells open box offers at that price directly from their own website…which is frustrating for those of us who live in the EU. I have to pay the Danish taxman 25% as well as dish out dineros for a fee to the postman.
Yup..they really don’t want us to spend money outside of our big sandcastle union.
Yup..they really don’t want us to spend money outside of our big sandcastle union.
I feel your pain. With taxes, total price was around $700. And at that price, they’re an absolute steal. If you can get them under 1K in EU, I would still consider it.
It is also important to note that comfort around your ears will vary from one person to another. My ears are on the small side and they fit me just right. Pads might rest on or at least touch larger ears.
They’re not the lightest headphones either. Around 500g. But they’re still rather comfortable.
Ergonomically, I can think of several minor complaints, however. HE6SE V2 performance let you easily forget about that. They’re that good.
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Close your eyes, listen (moderate level) and let me know if you took your headphones off your ears at any point. If so, I know why.
PS timbre and fluidity on HE6V2 is much better than LCDX. Soundscape ….. probably LCDX. Imaging, HE.
And my simple bedroom setup. It will change once I find appropriate solution to accommodate one of my turntables.
PS timbre and fluidity on HE6V2 is much better than LCDX. Soundscape ….. probably LCDX. Imaging, HE.
And my simple bedroom setup. It will change once I find appropriate solution to accommodate one of my turntables.
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Comparison of HE6-SE V2 vs ADX5000 was also interesting.
For such a low admission price and how HE6-SE initially impressed me, I was a little hesitant to actually go ahead and dive a little deeper into a proper AB shootout. Well, here it is. Keep in mind that as always, I don’t have a horse in this race. And this is just one guy’s opinion.
Unfortunately, I was too lazy to fuss around with moving my Phonitor2 setup to my main rig (with PS Audio DAC and tube amp that works so well with ADX5K) so entire comparison was done on Phonitor2/NODE2(2021) bedroom setup. Slight disadvantage to ADX5000 but nevertheless, it was easy to get the feel, character and strengths/weaknesses of both headphones.
Focus was mainly on the “usual suspects”. Resolution, micro/macro detail, dynamics range, ability to handle complex material, timbre, coherency and ability to emotionally connect with musical performance.
First of and probably the most important difference between these two headphones is diametrically different presentation approach and rendition of music.
While HE6-SE V2 is warmer, generally laid back with very pleasing tonality and timbre, ADX5000 is a complete opposite. It’s unforgiving, brutally revealing and unapologetic. In short, it’s a surgical scalpel that put you in the most intimate position while cutting through multiple layers of music. It’s in your face, front row, lifelike/“you’re there” experience. At times, it could be overwhelming and exhausting. Especially on less than pristine recordings. ADX5000 are intense and force you to digest every nuance and detail that is in the recording. It’s fascinating, refreshing but it is not for everyone. That’s for sure. If you want to just sit back and relax with understated hint of excitement, HE6-SE V2 might be a better choice for you. They are what I would call a safe, “consumer grade”, skillfully voiced headphones for long, careless listening sessions. It’s very easy to fall into melancholic limbo. And I believe that this is its biggest strength. They’re not particularly spectacular at any given category that we audiophiles care about. But there’s also very little to fault them for. They’re just easy to live with and just enjoy. Regardless of music genre or your mood, they won’t disappoint.
Not sure if I can paint the picture with audiophile slang when describing specific differences between them but I’ll try.
I chose Eivør for her incredible voice and unorthodox, modern take on Nordic folk music. Tone and strength of her voice is spellbinding. It’s so clear, crisp and lifelike that you could almost tell what she had for breakfast. All those qualities come wonderfully on ADX5000. It sounds super intimate and personal. ADX5000, literally put you on the stage while HE6 SE are more chilled, less transparent and quite a bit more distanced. It presents itself with DNA of a typical, recorded event. It’s not bad or unpleasant. Certainly not. But it sounds a touch muddy in comparison. Sibilance and nuances of notes coming through her lips are muted and muffled in comparison. Echos and reverb in this particular cut are also less pronounced. Feel for that recording space is difficult to imagine. Bass is tight on both headphones. HE6 SE seems to have more of it but articulation of it is better on ADX5K. Not only on this recording. This trend continues throughout this comparison.
You gotta love that dark voice of John Campbell. Not a bad track to evaluate male vocal. That’s why it’s listed here.
I won’t go into every detail of this recording. But this was an interesting song for a single reason. In my opinion, the way HE6 SE adds weight to male voices is more appealing and perhaps more accurate. It doesn’t have that crispness of ADX5K but, overall tonality seems to be almost spot on. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed that quality with HE6 SE headphones. Overall, ADX5K gets a lot more from this recording but message, emotions and intensity of this song is portrait better by newcomer.
Why so serious? Well,…… this is a serious torture track. I don’t think many headphone or speaker systems can handle intensity, dynamic swings, brute force that this track can impose. Nevertheless, it was worth to give it a shot. Could both headphones handle it? Nope. Not even close. Needless to say, there are probably two instances when I heard this track in systems that would be considered a passable attempt. And no, my speakers can’t handle it either. But I was interested to hear how both headphones will handle extreme dynamic range, sub-bass and complexity of this epic track. Both headphones went low, really low. Surprisingly, ADX5K can do low frequency rumble with grace. I actually liked it better due to more satisfying definition and texture. Something that was slightly glossed over by HE6 SE. Don’t get me wrong, HE6 had plenty of it, just not as articulated and tactile. Perhaps amp’s shortcomings kicked in… who knows
Again, percussion texture and articulation went to ADX5K. Same with specious cues. Even piano came with more realism. But from pure, laid back, musical enjoyment, HE6 was just as enjoyable. Hi hat crispness and speed was more laid back on HE. Trumpet was actually very nice and pleasant tonally.
Reverb and decay with most instruments here and other recordings is where my biggest beef is with HE6s. It’s barely there. Well, at least in comparison to ADX5000. Soundstage is not the most intimate but it’s also not the widest by any means.
It might sound that I am awfully critical of HE-6 SE V2 well, I don’t think I am. Just pointing out differences between these two headphones. If you fall in signature camp of HE-6, you probably gonna hate ADX5000 and vice versa. To me, they offer something different. Both can be easily enjoyed. Both sound great. If we consider the fact that HE-6 SE V2 (Adorama collaboration with HiFiman) can be had at promotional $649-$699 asking price, it seems a little unfair. Yet, it’s not like ADX5000 wiped the floor with HE6s. Not at all. It was actually a lot more competitive. Also, it’s not like ADX5000 is flawless. There are things that could be better and things I find less appealing. But they’re still my reference tool to decipher music. While HE6 SE V2 moved up and become my most favorite chill headphones with a bit of a bite when needed.
Later.
Also listened to but not talked about:
For such a low admission price and how HE6-SE initially impressed me, I was a little hesitant to actually go ahead and dive a little deeper into a proper AB shootout. Well, here it is. Keep in mind that as always, I don’t have a horse in this race. And this is just one guy’s opinion.
Unfortunately, I was too lazy to fuss around with moving my Phonitor2 setup to my main rig (with PS Audio DAC and tube amp that works so well with ADX5K) so entire comparison was done on Phonitor2/NODE2(2021) bedroom setup. Slight disadvantage to ADX5000 but nevertheless, it was easy to get the feel, character and strengths/weaknesses of both headphones.
Focus was mainly on the “usual suspects”. Resolution, micro/macro detail, dynamics range, ability to handle complex material, timbre, coherency and ability to emotionally connect with musical performance.
First of and probably the most important difference between these two headphones is diametrically different presentation approach and rendition of music.
While HE6-SE V2 is warmer, generally laid back with very pleasing tonality and timbre, ADX5000 is a complete opposite. It’s unforgiving, brutally revealing and unapologetic. In short, it’s a surgical scalpel that put you in the most intimate position while cutting through multiple layers of music. It’s in your face, front row, lifelike/“you’re there” experience. At times, it could be overwhelming and exhausting. Especially on less than pristine recordings. ADX5000 are intense and force you to digest every nuance and detail that is in the recording. It’s fascinating, refreshing but it is not for everyone. That’s for sure. If you want to just sit back and relax with understated hint of excitement, HE6-SE V2 might be a better choice for you. They are what I would call a safe, “consumer grade”, skillfully voiced headphones for long, careless listening sessions. It’s very easy to fall into melancholic limbo. And I believe that this is its biggest strength. They’re not particularly spectacular at any given category that we audiophiles care about. But there’s also very little to fault them for. They’re just easy to live with and just enjoy. Regardless of music genre or your mood, they won’t disappoint.
Not sure if I can paint the picture with audiophile slang when describing specific differences between them but I’ll try.
I chose Eivør for her incredible voice and unorthodox, modern take on Nordic folk music. Tone and strength of her voice is spellbinding. It’s so clear, crisp and lifelike that you could almost tell what she had for breakfast. All those qualities come wonderfully on ADX5000. It sounds super intimate and personal. ADX5000, literally put you on the stage while HE6 SE are more chilled, less transparent and quite a bit more distanced. It presents itself with DNA of a typical, recorded event. It’s not bad or unpleasant. Certainly not. But it sounds a touch muddy in comparison. Sibilance and nuances of notes coming through her lips are muted and muffled in comparison. Echos and reverb in this particular cut are also less pronounced. Feel for that recording space is difficult to imagine. Bass is tight on both headphones. HE6 SE seems to have more of it but articulation of it is better on ADX5K. Not only on this recording. This trend continues throughout this comparison.
You gotta love that dark voice of John Campbell. Not a bad track to evaluate male vocal. That’s why it’s listed here.
I won’t go into every detail of this recording. But this was an interesting song for a single reason. In my opinion, the way HE6 SE adds weight to male voices is more appealing and perhaps more accurate. It doesn’t have that crispness of ADX5K but, overall tonality seems to be almost spot on. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed that quality with HE6 SE headphones. Overall, ADX5K gets a lot more from this recording but message, emotions and intensity of this song is portrait better by newcomer.
Why so serious? Well,…… this is a serious torture track. I don’t think many headphone or speaker systems can handle intensity, dynamic swings, brute force that this track can impose. Nevertheless, it was worth to give it a shot. Could both headphones handle it? Nope. Not even close. Needless to say, there are probably two instances when I heard this track in systems that would be considered a passable attempt. And no, my speakers can’t handle it either. But I was interested to hear how both headphones will handle extreme dynamic range, sub-bass and complexity of this epic track. Both headphones went low, really low. Surprisingly, ADX5K can do low frequency rumble with grace. I actually liked it better due to more satisfying definition and texture. Something that was slightly glossed over by HE6 SE. Don’t get me wrong, HE6 had plenty of it, just not as articulated and tactile. Perhaps amp’s shortcomings kicked in… who knows
Again, percussion texture and articulation went to ADX5K. Same with specious cues. Even piano came with more realism. But from pure, laid back, musical enjoyment, HE6 was just as enjoyable. Hi hat crispness and speed was more laid back on HE. Trumpet was actually very nice and pleasant tonally.
Reverb and decay with most instruments here and other recordings is where my biggest beef is with HE6s. It’s barely there. Well, at least in comparison to ADX5000. Soundstage is not the most intimate but it’s also not the widest by any means.
It might sound that I am awfully critical of HE-6 SE V2 well, I don’t think I am. Just pointing out differences between these two headphones. If you fall in signature camp of HE-6, you probably gonna hate ADX5000 and vice versa. To me, they offer something different. Both can be easily enjoyed. Both sound great. If we consider the fact that HE-6 SE V2 (Adorama collaboration with HiFiman) can be had at promotional $649-$699 asking price, it seems a little unfair. Yet, it’s not like ADX5000 wiped the floor with HE6s. Not at all. It was actually a lot more competitive. Also, it’s not like ADX5000 is flawless. There are things that could be better and things I find less appealing. But they’re still my reference tool to decipher music. While HE6 SE V2 moved up and become my most favorite chill headphones with a bit of a bite when needed.
Later.
Also listened to but not talked about:
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Terriero
Headphoneus Supremus
@FYFL, have you seen the @ScornDefeat D8000's in the classifieds? He is interested in trading them, maybe he falls in love with one of your cans or give you a special offer... Who knows... 
just wanted to say also came to he6se v2 from the GL2000, and oh boy the he6se tonality is so much better. It’s only imperfection is it’s lower mids makes some vocals sound further away. The treble was surprisingly super smooth. he6se technicalities are quite amazing and very detailed with excellent imaging and separation. Only area it can’t beat GL2000 is soundstage, GL2000 can make sounds come from above easily. Hilariously GL2000 mids kind of sound better because it’s filled out and more forwardJust to to refresh my auditory memory, I have just shuffled through my music library. And did an hour long A/B between LCDX and HE6 SE V2 headphones.
Here’s the list of artists I have used for comparison:
Male vocal.
Frmale vocal, small assembly Jazz and big band/orchestra.
Rich rumbly voice of John Campbell had more weight and grunt on HE6SE headphones. Slightly richer and with more realistic/natural timbre. LCDX had more what I would call lip/tongue sibilance (especially with female vocals). Not necessary an artificial side effect of a headphone tuning or recording in itself but, it was certainly more noticeable with LCDX. While HE6SE appear to mask those characteristics quite a bit. Don’t ask me which is more truthful to the original recording session since I wasn’t there. But I believe ADX5000 is somewhat of a truth teller and truth is somewhere in between. It just so happens that ADX5000 reveals all that information but in more “tasteful”, tonally correct manner. However, in case of LCDX and HE6SE, I preferred less annoying character of the latter.
Guitar reproduction was a bit of a mixed bag but with HE6SE winning with substantial, overall margin. Decay, reverb was actually quite nice on LCDX however, at times it felt too aggressive, pushed/strained if you will. Even piecing at times. Which took me a bit out of my comfort zone and forced me to dial it down just a bit on the volume knob. HE6SE was more pleasant overall as well as more tonally right. I do wish thought that it had just a smidgen more air around the strings and more emphasized reverb/decay. It’s there, but you really need to dig deep to identify those qualities.
hi-hat, shakers and triangles are another example where differences between these two headphones are quite apparent.
Eventho, such instruments have quite a bit more presents and forwardness with LCDX, it seems a bit exaggerated and disproportionate to overall presentation. It sure sounds impressive at first. Lots of air and detail coming forward and in your face sort of sleek. Yet, it gets slightly districting and overwhelming. Even with new 2021 pleather pads which smooth things out quite a bit in FR range, it is apparent that those peaks in treble, still need to be addressed. At least based on this comparison. It’s certainly less noticeable if LCDX are your primary HP and there isn’t much to compare it with. I mean, … something tonally superior and with more realistic timbre. I sure haven’t noticed these flaws before. At least not to that degree. I do appreciate however, 3D-like quality that LCDX poses. Speciousness and scale is also better IMO than HE6SE. Even though soundstage of LCDX isn’t its best quality, it is still wider and more dimensional in comparison to more closed-in presentation of HE6SE headphones. LCDX seems to be more “diffused”/holographic while HE6SE is more intimate.
Next, I’ll touch on dynamic range. While both headphones can take quite a bit of beating, there’s a significant “but” when it comes to dynamics. I am not gonna lie, I do have a soft spot for dynamically capable presentation. And my stereo rig is my reference go to when it comes to that. But it would be unfair to compare headphones to air that 18” woofers can push/move with help of hornloaded midrange and tweeter.
So, no, neither headphone comes close. However, HE6SE seems like the next best thing. No matter how much I pushed them, they seem to take it with ease. And in non fatiguing way. Which surprised me quite a bit. The only other headphones that could take a bunch of punishment and still sound great or better at extreme volume were Meze Empyrean (extremely low distortion at stress point levels).
Dynamic swings, micro and macro dynamics, close to live peaks and speed were all very impressive with HE6SE. LCDX are no push arounds but there’s a limit to “comfortable” insanity. They do test your tolerance at those extreme circumstances. Simply speaking, their limits are clearly flashed out. And while HE6SE sails through with ease and pleasantries, LCDX get fussy and temperamental. It wasn’t my intent to push them hard, I was just trying to match dynamic range of the competitor. It did not work. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience. At the same time, HE6SE showed plenty of dynamic range at almost any level. And when played at extreme volume, it wasn’t fatiguing or unbearable. It was actually pretty cool experience.
This is getting a bit out of hand but I’ll end this follow up with comparison of piano reproduction.
Well, piano was never a strong suit of LCDX. Even ADX5000 struggles a bit with faithful interpretation of piano notes. Most headphones or speakers do. Piano is probably the single, most difficult thing to recreate by any type of transducer, period. HE6SE isn’t flawless in that department but at very least, it lies extremely skillfully and convincingly. Tonality is there. So is the timbre and range. LCDX sound a bit tin and boxy in comparison. Tonality is off and realism is skewed by quite a bit. With HE6SE, it is just easier to forget about challenges that piano reproduction entails. It’s just easier to listen to. I really, really appreciate that.
I’ll just say one more thing in regards to audio chain used in this comparison. Obviously Node2 as a source can’t match my reference DAC/streamer so there’s that. And Phonitor2 is not a “flavored” amp by any means. It’s rather quite neutral and extremely revealing. So, I don’t think there was any particular advantage or disadvantage with this setup for either headphone. Both headphones are quite good in their own right. If I had to choose one over the other, I think I would go with HE6SE V2 (if they cost the same amount). At $649, it’s not even an argument.
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