My Sennheiser HE90 Orpheus impression
Mar 30, 2011 at 2:33 PM Post #16 of 47
I envy you had a great time listening to all those headphones and I always enjoy the read about the O2 and the HE90,eventhough I will never have a chance to have the HE90  (too far out of my league :p ).
By the way I think I should find the way to Khun Kiertijaib's house someday,I'm going to steal all of his headphones heh heh
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Mar 30, 2011 at 8:56 PM Post #17 of 47
I envy you had a great time listening to all those headphones and I always enjoy the read about the O2 and the HE90,eventhough I will never have a chance to have the HE90  (too far out of my league :p ).
By the way I think I should find the way to Khun Kiertijaib's house someday,I'm going to steal all of his headphones heh heh
tongue.gif
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That 's what I'm thinking at the moment right after having a chance to listen to he90. It's sound kept haunting me til now. What a king of headphone!
 
Apr 2, 2011 at 11:07 PM Post #18 of 47
Having heard the OII a lot, and owning the he-60 (a confirmed bias), hearing the he-90 is a real treat. While I also have a decided distaste for the hev-90 (which will not drive the OII for squat), in a head to head comparison, I simply could only spend a minute or two listening to the OII, but literally an hour with the he-90. I truly regret not hearing the he-90 with a better amp.
 
Oh, and unless you hear the he-90 with a REALLY good source... I was fortunate enough to be listening to a Shanling t300. Just fab.
 
That all said, not sure what my opinion would be with a better amp than the hev-90 and the he-90 vs the he-60. Until I hear those two head to head, not sure.
 
 
 
Apr 3, 2011 at 3:12 AM Post #19 of 47
I have both HE90 and HE60/HEV70.  I would say that HE60 is in no way a good match with the HE90.
Woo Wee Max that we used is one of the better amplifier to drive the HE90.  I will have the Aristaeus
coming (HEV90 with better parts) and could provide more info probably by June this year.  We have to
wait more  to hear the O2 or SR009 with BHSE.
 
Apr 3, 2011 at 11:59 AM Post #20 of 47
I simply said MY preference... not that it would be universally shared. It is also highly dependent on the source material.
 
Also note that the hev-70 is worthless, and NOT part of this conversation.
 
I'll go further and say I preferred the he-60 / Blue Hawaii to the he-90 / hev-90, which only shows the (almost) equal dislike for the hev90 and hev70. Just a shame Senn couldn't develop a really great headphone amp. Hev90 is all show.
 
Apr 3, 2011 at 3:46 PM Post #21 of 47
To be fair, the HEV90 is a great match for the HE90, insofar as the HEV90 IS a flawed amplifier. 
 
I have heard the HE90s through the BHSE, a true powerhouse of the "wire-with-gain" philosophy, and the result was pure garbage.  Whether a lucky combination of two flawed devices, or a genius implementation of carefully measured psychoacoustics, the he90/hev90 is a combo in which the two pieces truly do go hand-in-hand. 
 
At the same time, I preferred the HE90s out of the WES.  The WES still offered a slightly bloated bass and neat coloration in the highs (no doubt, at least in part, to the AC-coupled design), just like the HEV90, but did so with more grace and authority - definitely more controlled than the HEV90. 
 
Quote:
I simply said MY preference... not that it would be universally shared. It is also highly dependent on the source material.
 
Also note that the hev-70 is worthless, and NOT part of this conversation.
 
I'll go further and say I preferred the he-60 / Blue Hawaii to the he-90 / hev-90, which only shows the (almost) equal dislike for the hev90 and hev70. Just a shame Senn couldn't develop a really great headphone amp. Hev90 is all show.



 
 
Apr 3, 2011 at 8:04 PM Post #22 of 47


Quote:
To be fair, the HEV90 is a great match for the HE90, insofar as the HEV90 IS a flawed amplifier. 
 
I have heard the HE90s through the BHSE, a true powerhouse of the "wire-with-gain" philosophy, and the result was pure garbage.  Whether a lucky combination of two flawed devices, or a genius implementation of carefully measured psychoacoustics, the he90/hev90 is a combo in which the two pieces truly do go hand-in-hand. 
 
At the same time, I preferred the HE90s out of the WES.  The WES still offered a slightly bloated bass and neat coloration in the highs (no doubt, at least in part, to the AC-coupled design), just like the HEV90, but did so with more grace and authority - definitely more controlled than the HEV90. 
 



Since HE90 and HEV90 are made as a combo, I will say hev90 is NOT flawed. Just as different speakers will have different driving characteristics, different headphones need to be driven differently too. HE90 itself is not hard to drive and properly damped, so BHSE is not a very good match. I will say BHSE is a very well engineered amp, but not just not suitable for HE90.
 
btw, I respectthe wire with gain philosophy, but is not a fan of it. When we are listen to music, we are not just trying to reproduce it, but trying to recreate the music. HE90 recreates it better than any other headphones I have heard. That is why I like it. Hopefully, SR-009J will surpass it
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Apr 3, 2011 at 8:46 PM Post #23 of 47
What I really want to see is how the he90 sounds with the eXStatA. Gotta ping Wayne about a summer loaner program.
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 12:24 AM Post #24 of 47
I'm using the HE90 with a BHSE and think it sounds superb.  I'm waiting on an Aristaeus but I'd be pretty shocked if the difference is so great that the HE90/BHSE somehow becomes "crap".  I'm actually using the HE90 out of the low bias Stax socket though.  The HE90 on the BHSE sounds way better than I've heard it from the A10 previously...almost like a different headphone but then I'm going by memory which isn't always best.  I'm not sure how the HE90 would pair with the exstata...the HE90 is great because it is incredibly clear sounding; I'd hate for the loads of distortion from the exstata to come through and ruin that.
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 12:25 AM Post #25 of 47


Quote:
The WES still offered a slightly bloated bass and neat coloration in the highs (no doubt, at least in part, to the AC-coupled design), just like the HEV90, but did so with more grace and authority 


 
Couldn't agree more El_Doug, to pairs with my O2 MkI instead of the great DC-coupled amp as BHSE coloration is why I placed an order on WES, relaxation is what I really want from my system.
 
 
Never have my chance audition HE90 with it's made to be combo HEV90, no doubts the amp will synergy to an Orpheus, and yet, I'm also sure beside HEV90 Woo Audio's WES is one of the good combination as well.
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 12:33 AM Post #27 of 47

 
Quote:
 
Couldn't agree more El_Doug, to pairs with my O2 MkI instead of the great DC-coupled amp as BHSE coloration is why I placed an order on WES, relaxation is what I really want from my system.
 
 
Never have my chance audition HE90 with it's made to be combo HEV90, no doubts the amp will synergy to an Orpheus, and yet, I'm also sure beside HEV90 Woo Audio's WES is one of the good combination as well.


I never auditioned the HE90 with the Woo Wes, but the HE90 out of the SP ES-1 is still best headphones system I've heard to date.  The ES-1 really bumped up the dynamic considerably on the Orpheus headphone and did so very convincingly.  The improvement was at least 15% from the HEV90 amplifier in my system.  Sadly the amp was not stable, so I get a refunded from Mikhail.  Speaking of Mikhail, I miss him from time to time.  The guy really amazing at voicing equipment.  Sadly thing didn't work out with him and many headfier at the end.  I still wish he is man up and make it right with several of his customer. 
 
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 12:37 AM Post #28 of 47
sorry ...double posted!
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 12:51 AM Post #29 of 47
Maybe that is possible with my eXStatA and Kiertjai's HE90.  But that won't happen so soon.  I also like to know how my DIY version compares with HE90.  :)
 
Wachara C.
 
 
Yes, I think in May or June,  when we have the SR009. we
can compare the SR009, HE90, SR Omega, O2mkI with the
Woo Wes, your DiY exXStatA, my Aristaeus (hope it will come
around middle of May), 727A modded
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 10:05 AM Post #30 of 47
 
Quote:
Yes, I think in May or June,  when we have the SR009. we
can comopare the SR009, HE90, SR Omega, O2mkI with the
Woo Wes, your DiY exXStatA, my Aristaeus (hope it will comea
round middle of May), 727A modded

Drool City...................................
 
Have heard the HE90/HEV90 twice. Still keeps me dreaming about one.
 
 

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