[JimL11]

AHHHH but the thought is always there that after 2000 hrs the sound will ?????????

I have had many valve pre & power amps in the past and sure enough, after a few years a change for new valves sure does bring on a better sound - back to new. Obviously it will be pretty impossible to detect a gradual change in sound

Tube life was thoroughly investigated back in the day when tubes were the only electronic amplifying devices available. Two major factors are 1) how hard the tubes are run and 2) what the filament voltage is. For the first, running the tubes at, say, 50% of rated plate dissipation can lead to tube parameters staying unchanged for 10,000 hours (this is one of the secrets of industrial tubes being rated for long tube life - they were under-rated compared with commercial tube types that were rated less conservatively) second, running the filament voltages 5-10% low can significantly prolong tube life. For example, by doing both, David Berning rates his equipment as being able to go 10,000 hours before needing tube replacement. Back in the 1950s, lots of consumer equipment would run for years without tube replacement because designers back then knew how to design for long life. On the other hand, if you run tubes at 85-90% of maximum plate dissipation, they may only last 1-2000 hours or less. Lots of modern equipment fits in the latter category, hence your experience.

The BHSE, for example, runs their EL34s at 40% of max plate dissipation, so I would anticipate that the tubes should go 10,000 hours or more.

 

[JimL11]

Lol....hey, super models require high maintenance

Right, because music played through high end equipment is so much more demanding and pushes so much closer to the bleeding edge than music played through a mid-fi system. :-^

 

[raypin]

Good News raypin!
There is a white LED on the HE 1 that will turn orange to remind the user that the tubes might be replaced to keep the specifications. This happens after 2000 hours of usage.

You may already know this, raypin, but for anyone else curious, the tubes will be ready to listen to after about 20 seconds (most of that time is during the “opening sequence,” where the amp presents itself and the headphone to you), but reach optimal listening conditions after about 30 minutes. When the HE 1 is turned on and off very often, the runtime is a little shorter.

NOTE: While the light will change to orange after about 2000 hours of use, this doesn't mean that the tubes absolutely need to be changed. The HE 1 would still sound phenomenal but the orange light indicates that the unit might no longer be performing 100% to the factory specifications. At that point it would be up to the user to determine when they wanted to replace the tubes.

Mm..thanks. So, at the rate that I am listening, the tubes will last me at least 5 years...........or listen to Hotel California 20,000 times.

 

[wink]

Mm..thanks. So, at the rate that I am listening, the tubes will last me at least 5 years...........or listen to Hotel California 20,000 times.

 

[raypin]

Mm...lolz!

I actually hate that track.

 

[DarktoreS]

I think the two flagship are unique, but the workmanship and quality of the finish is clearly to the advantage of the realization of Sennheiser. The Shangri-La is great, in my opinion it is less versatile than the Sennheiser HE1. Moreover for a spectacular price the sennheiser includes the dac, which is not the case of the Hifiman. For me, after spending several hours comparing them my choice if I were to buy only one of these two sets would definitely be on the Sennheiser. It allows more versatility, we can go from Led Zeppelin to Pergolesi without problems. The Shangri-la is more delicate to him, it offers a remarkable transparency perhaps even superior to the Sennheiser. However, I often wanted to have more power in the low frequencies.

To summarize in a few words, these two audio systems sold at a high price are they the best available in the world of headphones ? I do not think so, with $ 1000 we can have a coherent set, with $ 3000 we can have a good set, with $ 10,000 we can have a set of very high level, with $ 20,000 we can have a set that for me is better than a Shangri-La or a Sennheiser HE1!

For a simple example that I tested, a great amplifier XL Audio 'Formula S' '$ 4500' ', with a Dac La Scala Mk2 Optologic' '$ 6500' ', For me the very best now is hifiman Susvara for 6000$, the rest of the budget can go on beautiful cables for example a Danacble Lazuli, power cables Nordost Heimdal and so on ....

In short yes these two sets are beautiful achievements, I think Hifiman to play on are image of Chinese high-end manufacturer to align the price on the Sennheiser HE1. But for me the only one between Hifiman Shangri-La and Sennheiser is HE1. The manufacture, the implementation, the perceived quality that leaves the Sennheiser leaves no doubt! Ok the Shangri-La sounds great, but the Sennheiser is a perfection by its implementation and its realization, while the Shangr-La offers in my opinion an original design. The Sennheiser by the simple action of the power button sends you in '' his '' universe, it is hardly less clear than the Shangr-La, but it offers for me a versatility inaccessible to Shangri-La !

 

[raypin]

Mm...I don’t understand your post. You left out the most important detail in your example of a system that can better the HE 1 and the Shangrila. What was the headphone that you think can beat the HE 1?

 

[DarktoreS]

Mm...I don’t understand your post. You left out the most important detail in your example of a system that can better the HE 1 and the Shangrila. What was the headphone that you think can beat the HE 1?

Oh yes i'm sorry, for me the best headphones is Hifiman Susvara on regular system... I have test tested the Stax SR009 on new Viva Audio STX Electrostatic amplifier, the result is simpply amazing. Other solution, with the Ifi audio IESL and big speaker amplifier to drive alo headphones !

 

[raypin]

Mm...so, a Susvara from Hifiman on a regular system beats the HE 1?? What’s the audio chain? Susvara with what? I’m genuinely curious.

 

[wrathofkhan]

Oh yes i'm sorry, for me the best headphones is Hifiman Susvara on regular system... I have test tested the Stax SR009 on new Viva Audio STX Electrostatic amplifier, the result is simpply amazing. Other solution, with the Ifi audio IESL and big speaker amplifier to drive alo headphones !

And there's me thinking & reading other reports that the SR 009 + BHSE was the HE 1 killer.

 

[Rayzilla]

Oh yes i'm sorry, for me the best headphones is Hifiman Susvara on regular system... I have test tested the Stax SR009 on new Viva Audio STX Electrostatic amplifier, the result is simpply amazing. Other solution, with the Ifi audio IESL and big speaker amplifier to drive alo headphones !

Speaking of the ifi Audio iESL, have any of you tried it (or own it)? I will be getting the iCan Pro and a thought that crossed my mind was to stack the iESL with it. I would really appreciate any thoughts or experiences with the iESL. Thanks!

 

[rock416]

Well, I have both of them. As someone mentioned earlier, if you only buy one go for the HE1. By the way, stax with BHSE is no where near the HE1 in terms of everything.

 

[mulder01]

If you're on a budget and can only afford ONE $50k headphone system...

 

[wrathofkhan]

With the HE 1 Instead of being hand made and the materials obtained as an order comes in, you have to wonder how much the $50k would be reduced by on a mass assembly line.
I think also that if the gimmicky things like motorised valve lift / control knobs and lid lift were removed together with other changes we could see a massive reduction in price with very little , if any loss of the original quality of sound. Lets face it, as an audiophile looks come second place to sound quality.

Come on Sennheiser, so many more people could afford this and here's the bonus, you would sell so many many more

 

[seanwee]

With the HE 1 Instead of being hand made and the materials obtained as an order comes in, you have to wonder how much the $50k would be reduced by on a mass assembly line.
I think also that if the gimmicky things like motorised valve lift / control knobs and lid lift were removed together with other changes we could see a massive reduction in price with very little , if any loss of the original quality of sound. Lets face it, as an audiophile looks come second place to sound quality.

Come on Sennheiser, so many more people could afford this and here's the bonus, you would sell so many many more

$30k Orpheus "Lite"