[sup27606]

What would you recomend as a improvement to the e12? A amp/dac combo? I have been eying thr oppo ha 2 and the new schiit fulla 2 but i dont know if those would make my hd600 and dt770 80ohm better. I get a similar response to yours when using the e12. I get more volume but thats pretty much it. Maybe the sound gets a little tighter and cleaner on the dt770 but we are talking about really marginal stuff. I mostly use portable sources like my air 2. Very rarely use my conputer ad my listening source.... So if upgrading i would like something more geared towards portable sources....

I am myself looking for a suitable portable solution to use with the 6xx, but I think I am looking in vain. Maybe there isn't any, at least not at the price point we are considering. If I have to spend north of $500, I would rather spend it on a desktop amp. For now, I tend to resonate with whoever is saying, 6xx is not meant for portable use. For example, the Cayin C5 gives excellent micro detail and imaging with my lower impedance headphones and IEMs, but none of that is sensed with the 6xx. This means, there's simply not enough power, and C5 is one of the most powerful portable amps.

BTW, compared to C5, I get much better sound through the pono player using the balanced connection, and this is my portable solution for now. That's why I recommended looking for balanced portable amps, which will deliver more power to the 6xx compared to unbalanced and could be a viable solution.

As for the desktop, I saw good reviews on the cheap $50 Nobsound Ns-08e. So I bit the bullet and got one. I also swapped the tubes to the recommended Amperex 6688. It sounds surprisingly good with the 6xx. I can immediately engage with the music, and my wife also agrees.

I would tread carefully about desktop amps, as I have read they are picky in that respect. So high end may not necessarily mean good. For now, I am targeting the jotunheim, may be in six months.

 

[whaiyun]

  How are the AKG K701's in terms of neutrality?
 
Have you given the K712's a shot?

The K701 has more prominent/extended treble. Perceived as more detail, sparklier. The bass is less than the HD-6XX. I enjoy it for gaming and movies/tv. Much more clarity. 

 

[tracyca]

So far I am liking the cypher labs Db & Duet combo with the HD 6xx.

 

[tracyca]

I tried a brief listen with my ALO CDM single ended, sounds good but seems to need more power. Volume don't get too loud but does sound quiet good.

 

[wood1030]

What would you recomend as a improvement to the e12? A amp/dac combo? I have been eying thr oppo ha 2 and the new schiit fulla 2 but i dont know if those would make my hd600 and dt770 80ohm better. I get a similar response to yours when using the e12. I get more volume but thats pretty much it. Maybe the sound gets a little tighter and cleaner on the dt770 but we are talking about really marginal stuff. I mostly use portable sources like my air 2. Very rarely use my conputer ad my listening source.... So if upgrading i would like something more geared towards portable sources....

Hi Pedro.
Didn't see your post b4 but now that I have, thought I'd chime in. You mentioned the Oppo HA-2. I've been listening with my HA-2 and HD6xx connected from my iMac and iPhone (have the HA-1 in another room) this past weekend and can tell you that the HA-2 & HD6xx make a great combo. The HD6xx sounds lovely, good sounds stage and bass is abundant and plenty of power to get nice and loud, without distortion. I was a bit skeptical at first coz I had been listening thru my HA-1 for the first several days since receiving the Senns but finally tried the smaller brother and have really been pleased with the combination.
Having a portable option really is a bonus but it is just as adept connected to a pc/Mac. I hear the newer HA-2SE is even better (newer dac chip w/ lower noise floor) though I haven't had a chance to listen to one yet, but to me the original HA-2 sounds great too.

Cheers

 

[davehg]

Music used:
Eva Cassidy - Bridge Over Troubled Water from the album Nightbird - 16/44.1 FLAC
Carlos Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic, 1st movement from Beethoven Symp. No. 5 - 24/192 FLAC
Lee Morgan, The Sidewinder from the album The Sidewinder - 24/192 FLAC
Muddy Waters - Good Morning Little Schoolgirl from the album Folk Singer - 24/192 FLAC

Great music selection for a cable comparison!

I swapped the stock cable out for a Moon Audio blue dragon cable and very much noticed a positive improvement in every facet, Bass was more defined, decay on instruments more discernable and all the microdetails resulted in an overall more musical sound. Switching back to stock bought a more dull and homogenized tone.

I have a set of Cardas clear cables with a balanced xlr termination on the way and I am looking forward to hearing what they bring. Buying cables used helps to justify the upgrade.

 

[donato]

Great music selection for a cable comparison!

I swapped the stock cable out for a Moon Audio blue dragon cable and very much noticed a positive improvement in every facet, Bass was more defined, decay on instruments more discernable and all the microdetails resulted in an overall more musical sound. Switching back to stock bought a more dull and homogenized tone.

I have a set of Cardas clear cables with a balanced xlr termination on the way and I am looking forward to hearing what they bring. Buying cables used helps to justify the upgrade.

 
Usually Moon Audio is my default cable upgrade too, but it seemed like the Cardas was a more common recommendation for the HD650 and I've always been a Cardas fan from my stereo days.  I'll be curious to hear what your thoughts are on the Cardas cable vs. the Blue Dragon.

 

[whaiyun]

I'm curious why people would spend more on the cable than the headphones themselves. For high end stereo gear, OK, but for a $200 headphone? 

 

[a44100Hz]

I'm curious why people would spend more on the cable than the headphones themselves. For high end stereo gear, OK, but for a $200 headphone? 

It's a condition known as money madness.

 

[HipHopScribe]

  I'm curious why people would spend more on the cable than the headphones themselves. For high end stereo gear, OK, but for a $200 headphone? 

 
Some people like the aesthetics of a custom cable or have convinced themselves that it makes a significant difference in the sound. This is not an inexpensive hobby, and I can't begrudge people spending their own money as they see fit, even if it might seem illogical to others. A lot of people think it's crazy to even spend $200 on headphones. 

 

[mbyrnes]

I'm curious why people would spend more on the cable than the headphones themselves. For high end stereo gear, OK, but for a $200 headphone? 

It's insane to me. A good cable isn't expensive. I would make headphone cables before paying tons of money for one. I'd love to see the wire gauge of the inside wiring of the HD6XX. It's probably 22 gauge wire at best. No matter what cable you buy, it still has to go through the internal wiring.

 

[Vigrith]

  I'm curious why people would spend more on the cable than the headphones themselves. For high end stereo gear, OK, but for a $200 headphone? 

 

 
It's all about looks for me, I don't even think about whether or not it can make a difference in the sound, it doesn't bother me in the slightest, I'm paying premium price for eye candy and build quality - nothing else. Would I justify spending like $500-600 for the most expensive silver litz wire 300 WAG (is it better the bigger the number is or the other way around?)? Absolutely not. Have I spent like $250 on the best looking cables on the market (Norne, in my opinion)? Yep.
 
It's like buying good expensive clothes because you like the way they look or feel whilst also knowing they'll last you 20 or 30 years.

 

[mattlach]

I'm curious why people would spend more on the cable than the headphones themselves. For high end stereo gear, OK, but for a $200 headphone? 

Audio Nervosa.

Sad part is, unless you life right next to a radio tower or some other noisy environment, the benefit of "better" (read: more expensive) cables is going to be entirely imagined.

 

[JWolf]

What is a good type of wiring to use for a cable if there is a need for a different type of cable?

 

[buke9]

What is a good type of wiring to use for a cable if there is a need for a different type of cable?

Quad microphone cable works well .