judson_w
100+ Head-Fier
My Hel 2 arrived Saturday and I quickly put in my system to replace the Fulla 2 I have been using for a couple years. Overall, I was quite impressed. It definitely made my Audio Technica ATH-M70x headphones come to life in a way I did not know they could. These are not headphones known for their bass, but it was more prominent, and the details of everything else were clearer as well. Some of this could be due to the Hel 2 having so much more power, and I admit I only ever used the Fulla 2 with it being powered by the laptop. Not sure if using a different power source would have helped or not.
Since there is a gain switch, I decided to test out my Sennheiser HD600s and found that they sounded good as well. I think I prefer the Valhalla 2 still, but it is nice to know that I have a more portable option should I want one.
As for the mic, I had to fiddle a bit with it. I do think the quality is better than using the mic in of my laptop, but I also feel that Windows runs the analog mic in input through some sort of filter. My laptop has a fan that can be loud but is useful when playing certain games. I had the fans turn on max and when using the mic in, there was no fan noise. When using the Hel 2, the fans were audible through the mic. This could be because the Hel 2 allows for that much sensitivity and details or that Windows did not touch that signal. Either ways, I managed to get it to a good setting.
Oh, the mic I am using is an Audio Technica ATGM2 that attaches to the side of headphones to make them work like headsets. I feel I should have moved the mic forward more, but I do not feel like redoing it. Also, it is only going to be attached to the Audio Technical headphones since they are closed back. I do not feel like attaching it to my Sennheisers.
Since there is a gain switch, I decided to test out my Sennheiser HD600s and found that they sounded good as well. I think I prefer the Valhalla 2 still, but it is nice to know that I have a more portable option should I want one.
As for the mic, I had to fiddle a bit with it. I do think the quality is better than using the mic in of my laptop, but I also feel that Windows runs the analog mic in input through some sort of filter. My laptop has a fan that can be loud but is useful when playing certain games. I had the fans turn on max and when using the mic in, there was no fan noise. When using the Hel 2, the fans were audible through the mic. This could be because the Hel 2 allows for that much sensitivity and details or that Windows did not touch that signal. Either ways, I managed to get it to a good setting.
Oh, the mic I am using is an Audio Technica ATGM2 that attaches to the side of headphones to make them work like headsets. I feel I should have moved the mic forward more, but I do not feel like redoing it. Also, it is only going to be attached to the Audio Technical headphones since they are closed back. I do not feel like attaching it to my Sennheisers.