[grokit]

Quote:

 Lots of talk about quality lately. Let’s bring things into perspective. Last night I decided to compare my not so much used HE-6 with my LCD-3(A). As I expected.

  Then I took the HE-6 off my head.  Kaboom! The left hanger cover (or whatever the correct name for it is) catapulted and hit the HD800 box a bit away! HE-6 is now broken into two pieces, see pic.
 

Spoiler: Disabled%20HE-6

 
 

 
 

 
Note that the strain of the headband is handled by plastic screwed into… plastic! After I get the headband replaced I don’t know if I ever dare to put the HE-6 on my big fat head again.

Man that sucks, I hope that never happens to mine! Please keep us posted (in the HE-6 thread) re how Head-Direct handles this.
 

 

[Devarika Woulf]

Wow. Is the HE-500 the same, construction wise (I assume it is)?

 

[TruBrew]

I am not sure if you posted this in the HE-6 thread, because I don't follow it, but people there may want to see this.
 
Quote:

 Lots of talk about quality lately. Let’s bring things into perspective. Last night I decided to compare my not so much used HE-6 with my LCD-3(A). As I expected.

  Then I took the HE-6 off my head.  Kaboom! The left hanger cover (or whatever the correct name for it is) catapulted and hit the HD800 box a bit away! HE-6 is now broken into two pieces, see pic.
 

Spoiler: Disabled%20HE-6

 
 

 
 

 
Note that the strain of the headband is handled by plastic screwed into… plastic! After I get the headband replaced I don’t know if I ever dare to put the HE-6 on my big fat head again.

Compared to HifiMan the LCD-2/3 construction is superior IMO, even though I know there have been some problems with LCD in the past(?).

BTW Do anyone know if HifiMan also have problems with their drivers sounding differently? Hm, I wonder how a veiled HE-6 sounds like… neutral?

 

 

 

[KingStyles]

Also look at the he400, drivers are going out at an alarming rate. It seems that orthos tend to have more problems right out of the box than other cans. Do you think this is because of quality control, wither it be because there small companies or lack of testing, or is it partly to do with how delicate an ortho driver may be?

 

[Maxvla]

Stax (and other stats) doesn't really have problems with durability and they are planar tech. They have been doing this for decades though.

 

[KingStyles]

Stax and orthos are two different technologies. Please correct me if I am wrong but how is stax a planar?. Orthos/planars use magnets around the diaphram  to create a magnetic field to move it and stax dont use any magnets at all. The diaphram is moved by the movement of a couple of electrodes. i will agree that stax has been doing it a lot longer than most of the ortho companies,but even then mistakes are made like the problem of diust under the diaphram of the 009.

 

[grokit]

Ortho-dynamic, electro-static, planar-magnetic.
 
I would like to know more about how these differ from dynamic drivers, besides the obvious direct application of electricity to the electrostatic ones.
They all seem to involve magnets and diaphragms...

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

Also look at the he400, drivers are going out at an alarming rate. It seems that orthos tend to have more problems right out of the box than other cans. Do you think this is because of quality control, wither it be because there small companies or lack of testing, or is it partly to do with how delicate an ortho driver may be?

There's lots of vintage orthos made in the 70's that are still going strong.  Some have strange corrosion problems or connection problems, but a lot are going strong still.  I definitely don't think it's accurate to judge the whole technology based on a very limited sample of the 2 companies currently making orthos for the audiophile market. 
 
Imagine if you judged all of dynamic technology as a whole based on Grado.  You'd think that dynamics were peaky and aggressive and had to be stored in huge piles in cardboard boxes. 
 
I'd say the most likely reason for what we're seeing (if we're actually seeing anything significant at all that is.  Hard to tell with such a biased, limited sample group) is that the 2 companies currently making audiophile orthos are very small, very new companies. 

 

[Maxvla]

Electrostatic speakers are still planar technology, it's just that the diaphragm is motivated by an electrical field instead of magnetic waves.

 

[Maxvla]

Ortho-dynamic, electro-static, planar-magnetic.

I would like to know more about how these differ from dynamic drivers, besides the obvious direct application of electricity to the electrostatic ones.
They all seem to involve magnets and diaphragms...

Orthodynamic = Planar Magnetic = Isodynamic:

http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Isodynamic_(aka_orthodynamic)

Electrostatic:

http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Electrostatic

Dynamic:

http://wiki.faust3d.com/wiki/index.php?title=Dynamic

 

[rhythmdevils]

Planar

 

[KingStyles]

 
Quote:

I'd say the most likely reason for what we're seeing (if we're actually seeing anything significant at all that is.  Hard to tell with such a biased, limited sample group) is that the 2 companies currently making audiophile orthos are very small, very new companies.

That was pretty much what I was thinking, but i havent enough experience in planar tech. to know for sure. Thanks for the links.

 

[rhythmdevils]

It would be interesting to know if Fostex has similar issues with their 50-75 dollar planar magnetics.  I don't think they do, the only issue I know of is the cable connection but that's easily fixed and has nothing to do with the technology. 
 
But maybe Fostex owners don't expect as much because of the price tag (and probably also just a less fussy customer base) and aren't as vocal when they get a dud.  Whereas when someone here gets one, they are fairly upset and fairly vocal. 
 
Hard to say really without Macedonianhero doing a study

 

[Draygonn]

...

 

[grokit]

Thanks, I feel much smarter now