[preproman]

Quote:

I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make, but Mike is using the Bifrost as his DAC. He will be upgrading to the Gungnir, so perhaps going fully balanced
will help out the HE-6. The Lyr could drive the HE-6, however it wasn't ideal. I suspect Mjolnir will do fine (will find out tomorrow hopefully), but what needs to be hammered home
is headphone amps v speaker amps. 8w into 50 ohms is plenty to drive the HE-6, but comparatively to a speaker amp it will suffer in soundstage, details, and overall smoothness.
 
Those t-amps are good for the HE-6, but as far as how clarity and detail show through compared to Mjolnir...no one's commented.
 
I've heard a t-amp drive the HE-6 and it almost got the job done, then I heard some monoblocks and that revealed everything that was missing.
Mjolnir will mostly be used for my LCD's and Mad Dog's in mind, however I of course plan to try out the HE-6 just to see how livable that combo would be.
 
As good as a headphone amp can be with the HE-6 (which can be completely fine) a speaker amp opens up "another world" as far as performance.

 
 
Very True.
 
The point I'm trying to make is to just try out a "good" speaker amp, pure class A is possible.  Compare the two.  I'm not saying one is better than the other - although for "me" that is what i've come up with.  However, I've tried many amps with the HE-6.  Speaker amps and headphone amps.  Nothing out did a good class A speaker amp for "me"

 

[Happy Camper]

I don't like trolling vendor threads so I do this with reservation but having some experience with the HE-6s, perfection hasn't been found yet. Of those that feel they've found enough performance to be content, the overwhelming number have them on speaker amps. Just having the power in numbers doesn't mean you've reached the promised land (though it gets you through the clouds). I hope to see (not really) some true ortho amps that can drive these wonderful headphones better than the speaker amps I've heard. The budget conscience me says "why" when these speaker amps are available that already drive them effortlessly.

 

[paradoxper]

Quote:

 
 
Very True.
 
The point I'm trying to make is to just try out a "good" speaker amp, pure class A is possible.  Compare the two.  I'm not saying one is better than the other - although for "me" that is what i've come up with.  However, I've tried many amps with the HE-6.  Speaker amps and headphone amps.  Nothing out did a good class A speaker amp for "me"

No argument there. Mike is handcuffed as far as space goes. I'm sure he could swing it, but it's a PITA.
 
Never hearing any of the Emotiva stuff he's looking at, how hot goes it get?

 

[mikek200]

Thanks Papar,
 
I will re-arrange some things on my desktop-the issue was depth{if you remebr in our converstion},& it will work..I'l have room to spare.
 
The heat question is another story--if I'm going to be dripping wet after a few hours,then,what I have,... will have to do.
The main issue is...will the emotiva mini ,give me better SQ 
 
I will not be investing in a new dac,till sometime next year,after the signature series gear comes out??

 

[sphinxvc]

You would have to get a 50 watt speaker amp to equal the power of the Mjolnir into the HE-6.  It's plenty powerful enough.

 

[Rebel975]

Quote:

The heat question is another story--if I'm going to be dripping wet after a few hours,then,what I have,... will have to do.
The main issue is...will the emotiva mini ,give me better SQ

 
 
 
I have the Emotiva a100, and don't ever notice it getting hot. I'm pretty sure it has a built in fan to deal with the heat. The fan in mine has never turned on, even during 100 degree summer weather (or it's so quiet I don't notice it). Either way, the Lyr was the real heat factory in my room.

 

[Happy Camper]

I sit a foot away from two 125w monoblocks with no problem but when I fire up the Singlepower tube amp, I put a barrier between me and it to direct the heat away.

 

[mikek200]

Quote:

 
 
 
I have the Emotiva a100, and don't ever notice it getting hot. I'm pretty sure it has a built in fan to deal with the heat. The fan in mine has never turned on, even during 100 degree summer weather (or it's so quiet I don't notice it). Either way, the Lyr was the real heat factory in my room.

Are you using the emotiva with the he-6's.
Can you give me some impressions?...likes...dislikes..pro's ..con's?
 
Thanks
Mike

 

[Rebel975]

No, I never hooked my headphones up to it. I had (recently sold) a pair of HE-500's that I powered with a Lyr. I use the a100 to power some speakers. I was just commenting to say that the a100 doesn't get hot like the Lyr does.

 

[grokit]

Quote:

I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make, but Mike is using the Bifrost as his DAC. He will be upgrading to the Gungnir, so perhaps going fully balanced
will help out the HE-6. The Lyr could drive the HE-6, however it wasn't ideal. I suspect Mjolnir will do fine (will find out tomorrow hopefully), but what needs to be hammered home
is headphone amps v speaker amps. 8w into 50 ohms is plenty to drive the HE-6, but comparatively to a speaker amp it will suffer in soundstage, details, and overall smoothness.
 
Those t-amps are good for the HE-6, but as far as how clarity and detail show through compared to Mjolnir...no one's commented.
 
I've heard a t-amp drive the HE-6 and it almost got the job done, then I heard some monoblocks and that revealed everything that was missing.
Mjolnir will mostly be used for my LCD's and Mad Dog's in mind, however I of course plan to try out the HE-6 just to see how livable that combo would be.
 
As good as a headphone amp can be with the HE-6 (which can be completely fine) a speaker amp opens up "another world" as far as performance.

 
Not just the fact that it's balanced, but the Gungnirs' XLR outputs should offer twice the voltage as the Bifrosts' SE outs, so twice the gain into the Mjolnir should make the most significant difference with the HE6.
 
As far as T-amps go, you get what you pay for. The good ones aren't cheap, and the cheap ones aren't good.
 
 
Quote:

You would have to get a 50 watt speaker amp to equal the power of the Mjolnir into the HE-6.  It's plenty powerful enough.

 
Interesting, I thought it was 5 into 50 for some reason. As you said 8 watts should be fine, my 45 wpc speaker amp is 7.2 into 50 ohms and I can drive the HE6 well at 9-10 am. That's with a balanced DAC, or an SE DAC and tube stage which increases the gain as well so it will be interesting when the DAC is upgraded.
 
 
Quote:

No, I never hooked my headphones up to it. I had (recently sold) a pair of HE-500's that I powered with a Lyr. I use the a100 to power some speakers. I was just commenting to say that the a100 doesn't get hot like the Lyr does.

 
That Emotiva looks like it would match up well with the HE6, have there been any impressions of that pairing?
 
edit: thanks for the reminder (below)!

 

[sphinxvc]

Quote:

Interesting, I thought it was 5 into 50 for some reason. As you said 8 watts should be fine, my 45 wpc speaker amp is 7.2 into 50 ohms and I can drive the HE6 well at 9-10 am. That's with a balanced DAC, or an SE DAC and tube stage which increases the gain as well so it will be interesting when the DAC is upgraded.

 
My fault, you're absolutely right, it's 5 into 50.  So in a speaker amp you would need something like 30-32WPC.  
 
For those wondering, that's still good enough.

 

[mikek200]

Grokit,
Thanks for your reply & input
Yes,see here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/493214/hifiman-he-6-planar-magnetic-headphone/5715#post_8579287
 
Grokit,I'd like your input on this review,if you can?Please.
 
Thanks
Mike

 

[grokit]

I haven't heard any of those amps but I remember that review (now), and I thought it was very useful. I would say that the LD MKVI+ and the A-100 could be comparable to my WA22 and RA150, and that the added detail perceived with the LD could be because of the more prominent treble with that combo.
 
This is from the 6moons Lyr review, I've always liked this comparison as it's an excellent illustration of how input voltage and amplifier power can impact different headphones (including the HE6):
 

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/schiit/11.html

 

[preproman]

Emotiva Sale:​

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Save 10% with code LOVE2012​ ​

 

[rawrster]

So I got an email saying my amp has shipped. I'm hoping that means wednesday or thursday it arrives in the mail. I'm off both those days so they are both good for me I just need my balanced cable to come in now..