REVIEW: HiFiman HM-601

[hotsport]

Well, the clip could be more accurate DAP but what is the point
I didn't ask for a accurate player. All I wanted is just a good sounding player. (That's the reason why I prefer se530 over UM3x)
The eq in the clip could help but it wouldn't be much use since they have only 10 bands, right?
 
Ps
Anyway I still think it is funny when people usually said they like flat respond
but now they are saying they prefer the hm601
 
 

 

[Antony6555]

I basically agree with this opinion. If you like it, that's fine. Just don't claim it's high-fidelity or something
Quote:

Well, the clip could be more accurate DAP but what is the point
I didn't ask for a accurate player. All I wanted is just a good sounding player. (That's the reason why I prefer se530 over UM3x)
The eq in the clip could help but it wouldn't be much use since they have only 10 bands, right?
 
Ps
Anyway I still think it is funny when people usually said they like flat respond
but now they are saying they prefer the hm601
 
 

 

[yooss]

.

 

[LFF]

Guys...please take my review for what it is....a review of a quality product. If I get something that I think is utter crap, I won't review it. I'll inform the manufacturer very politely and tell him/her that his/her product is crap and that I won't review it. Simple.
 
As I said in my review...this comes down to sound signature preference. In the end, the sound you prefer is completely dependent on your imagination and subjectivity. Imagination and Subjectivity are paths into perceiving reality. Mindless philosophy and materialistic individualism result in nothing good and bind us to a limited "sense world" where the blind lead the blind, or in this case, the deaf lead the deaf. These reviews and all others are simply starter guide maps - not final destinations. Listen to these things for yourselves and come up with your own conclusions for yourself! Music is here for us to enjoy and inspire us...not argue for or against.
 
If Einstein developed and worked on general relativity by playing the violin and listening to Mozart, can't we agree and work on the fact that some sound signatures work for some and not for others? Neutral, Colored, Dark or Bright...these basic sound signatures are there to please us as an individual to share music as a collective whole. I like my music to sound neutral and natural. Am I absolutely right in this preference? No. It's just my individual preference.
 
Stop arguing and accept that there are different strokes for different folks. If it helps, consider music and it's rituals an individual religion.

 

[yooss]

 
Quote:

Listen to these things for yourselves and come up with your own conclusions for yourself! Music is here for us to enjoy and inspire us...not argue for or against.

Definitely. 
 
 
Just a question. Have you heard the 601 LO+Mystify? Does it improve much(or in other words, do you think it will worth the cost if I already have the player)?
 
I'm getting the FA-003 this week (at least I hope I get it this week). Can't wait!

 

[LFF]

Quote:

 
Quote:

Listen to these things for yourselves and come up with your own conclusions for yourself! Music is here for us to enjoy and inspire us...not argue for or against.

Definitely. 
 
 
Just a question. Have you heard the 601 LO+Mystify? Does it improve much(or in other words, do you think it will worth the cost if I already have the player)?
 
I'm getting the FA-003 this week (at least I hope I get it this week). Can't wait!

 
If you're getting the FA-003...yes, you need the Mystify.
 
If you have the 601...you don't really need another amp but the Mystify isn't just another amp.

 

 

[SaigonGrandFunk]

Guys...It's all about taste and preferences. We join the forum/ discussion that are educational, useful for knowledge and helpful with decision making process, of course all contructive and friendly contributions are encouraged.
 
Moving forward, we love to have any member impression about the product we like so we can think till bravely getting the product, and then hope that our ears can tell if we will love the sound or not, it is a Head Fi process!
 
Well I ordered and love the HM602 sound, and yesterday just ordered the HM601 for outdoor!

 

[129207]

 
[size=medium]

Quote:

 
If you have the 601...you don't really need another amp but the Mystify isn't just another amp. 

 

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[/size]

Hahaha LFF stop talking me into the Mystify. It's bad enough already I fell for the Arrow (which I love!). I won't be able to justify another portable amp to anyone. Any sane one, anyway.

 

[proedros]

The man said it all in 1 post.
 
Bravo.
 
Quote:

Guys...please take my review for what it is....a review of a quality product. If I get something that I think is utter crap, I won't review it. I'll inform the manufacturer very politely and tell him/her that his/her product is crap and that I won't review it. Simple.
 
As I said in my review...this comes down to sound signature preference. In the end, the sound you prefer is completely dependent on your imagination and subjectivity. Imagination and Subjectivity are paths into perceiving reality. Mindless philosophy and materialistic individualism result in nothing good and bind us to a limited "sense world" where the blind lead the blind, or in this case, the deaf lead the deaf. These reviews and all others are simply starter guide maps - not final destinations. Listen to these things for yourselves and come up with your own conclusions for yourself! Music is here for us to enjoy and inspire us...not argue for or against.
 
If Einstein developed and worked on general relativity by playing the violin and listening to Mozart, can't we agree and work on the fact that some sound signatures work for some and not for others? Neutral, Colored, Dark or Bright...these basic sound signatures are there to please us as an individual to share music as a collective whole. I like my music to sound neutral and natural. Am I absolutely right in this preference? No. It's just my individual preference.
 
Stop arguing and accept that there are different strokes for different folks. If it helps, consider music and it's rituals an individual religion.

 

[Nankai]

Digital audio data need to be converted to analog before we listen to it because digital signal is actually high freq noise to human ears. After D/A process, there will be a lot of digital signals, which is actually high freq noise, staying in the analog signal.  In audio industry, engineers use digital filter and analog filter to solve this problem. Digital filters are like scissors, which can easily shave the freq curve, but it need help from analog signal to kick out high freq noise completely. Most consumer grade mp3 player designs are to set up 20- 20K flat in digital filter (normally the digital filter, d/a converter and cpu controller are build in one $5 to $10 mp3 player chip, such as sigma-tel 3770), and do not build the analog filter. Analog low pass filter actually is the key to eluminate most digital noise. This is the important reason why normal mp3 player are "digital sound", "lean, sharp, dry, ...," : they do not have a real, well designed analog filter. Setup a flat line between 20 to 20k in digital filter is deceiving oneself as well as others because too much digital signal will pass through D/A convertor and stay with analog signal, end with "digital sound". Most hifi grade DAC have high freq roll-off because they do have a well-designed low pass filter. If you carefully check hifi player or DAC's freq curve, you will find that they normally are one of the types in the following four filter types: butterworth, chebyshev or Elliptic".
 
For a digital player or DAC, filtering digital high freq noise is more important task than make 20-20k flat because the bottle neck of not to be flat actually is in speaker/headphones. It is well known that the final sigal getting to human ears from headphone/speakers is far from flat. However, digital high freq noise is the killer to sound quality because it will make sound signature "lean, dry, not natural".
 
We are using a special butterworth filter in our players because such filter can keep high-freq digital noise at a lower level. Benefiting from this, our products have very analogue and natural sound signature. For anybody who is really interested in what's going on about rolloff, pls go to sound science and discuss the following link:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterworth_filter
 

 

[Kernmac]

deleted

 

[yooss]

.

 

[Kernmac]

HiFIMan HM-601 is a sexy looking brick, with function without excess written allover it.  Looking forward to listening to the retro based sound signature.

 

[alyanm]

This is a great thread, thanks for the review LFF!  I've been eying the Hifiman 801/602 for a while but balking at the price tag.  Now I'm thinking seriously about the 601.
 
I sure would like to see a comparison of the S:Flo2 and 601.  I just pulled the trigger for the S:Flo2 so that will give me a reference point to decide if I want to keep it or move on to the 601
 
I get the impression nobody uses an amp with the 601, is that true? It sounds like the built in amp is more than adequate for a pair of JH16s...

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

 
Well I ordered and love the HM602 sound, and yesterday just ordered the HM601 for outdoor!

Oh man, please post your impressions between the two!  I know the 601 is supposed to have more bass extension but I wonder how different the mids and highs are.  
 
 
Quote:

Digital audio data need to be converted to analog before we listen to it because digital signal is actually high freq noise to human ears. After D/A process, there will be a lot of digital signals, which is actually high freq noise, staying in the analog signal.  In audio industry, engineers use digital filter and analog filter to solve this problem. Digital filters are like scissors, which can easily shave the freq curve, but it need help from analog signal to kick out high freq noise completely. Most consumer grade mp3 player designs are to set up 20- 20K flat in digital filter (normally the digital filter, d/a converter and cpu controller are build in one $5 to $10 mp3 player chip, such as sigma-tel 3770), and do not build the analog filter. Analog low pass filter actually is the key to eluminate most digital noise. This is the important reason why normal mp3 player are "digital sound", "lean, sharp, dry, ...," : they do not have a real, well designed analog filter. Setup a flat line between 20 to 20k in digital filter is deceiving oneself as well as others because too much digital signal will pass through D/A convertor and stay with analog signal, end with "digital sound". Most hifi grade DAC have high freq roll-off because they do have a well-designed low pass filter. If you carefully check hifi player or DAC's freq curve, you will find that they normally are one of the types in the following four filter types: butterworth, chebyshev or Elliptic".
 
For a digital player or DAC, filtering digital high freq noise is more important task than make 20-20k flat because the bottle neck of not to be flat actually is in speaker/headphones. It is well known that the final sigal getting to human ears from headphone/speakers is far from flat. However, digital high freq noise is the killer to sound quality because it will make sound signature "lean, dry, not natural".
 
We are using a special butterworth filter in our players because such filter can keep high-freq digital noise at a lower level. Benefiting from this, our products have very analogue and natural sound signature. For anybody who is really interested in what's going on about rolloff, pls go to sound science and discuss the following link:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterworth_filter
 

@ LFF.  I think this would be a great post to add to the front IMO.