[gimmeheadroom]

He's using EQ, all bets are off. It has nothing to do with the headphones.

 

[JAAX]

Guys, it's simple, and it has nothing to do with eq, on the contrary... The stock tuning, while being a dark signature, has something that, especially with my current setup, sometimes makes me feel some harshness. With mojo 2 and jds atom Dac + 789 they're inoffensive and pretty great, love the seismic bass the sweet forward mids and use them with rock and hard tek with great pleasure. It may be that the Master19 exacerbate something in the upper mids and some hotness sometimes is felt. This does not mean they have something wrong, but it may be that the pairing is not the best, which brings me to the beginning of this discussion: I wonder if with DDC + Ipurifier things with the current gears could improve the performance . LCD2Cs remain my first pair of "audiophile" headphones, since 2018... Never even thought of selling them cause I love them to pieces. Regarding eq: I think eq 90% of the time ruins, degrade, lowers the sound quality, no matter how well one tries to make up for that dip in the mids or that peak in treble.
Why you speak as if I am one of those eq freaks that doesn't listen to anything unless it's properly eq'd? This ideological partisanship is pretty unnecessary here: I'm not saying LCD2Cs are bad (I love them and know them very well), and I use eq only when the stock tuning is somewhat unsatisfactory: the only adjustment LCD2Cs have is the reveal plugin, that very lightly corrects some quirkiness in the tuning, the only other headphones I eq is the HE6se V2, because the stock tuning for me is unpleasant, and this may be the only case in which I like (a lot) an Oratory1990 preset (slightly modified). That's it

 

[medon]

Guys, ...

... no hard feelings - I was genuinely surprised that you find these cans hard at times. Please be sure I absolutely have no doubt that they sound harsh to you under circumstances...
Cheers!

 

[JAAX]

Hey, yes man of course, don't worry! I was responding to what gimmeheadroom was saying about eq! "No hard feelings" is my way of life, no problem and have a nice one ... And I'll get back to this thread as soon as I have conclusive answers about the iPurfier, because it seems it needs time to show its potential (although, something IS happening, and at times you can feel it, unless I'm imagining and a big placebo is in effect). On paper the ifi iPurfier should really do what it is claimed it does, let's see if it could translate in something in the audible spectrum.

 

[medon]

... And I'll get back to this thread as soon as I have conclusive answers about the iPurfier, because it seems it needs time to show its potential ....

I saw a video on YT by a guy who reported that the Ifi purifier stuff needs some time to burn-in -- I believe him. I'll be curious how things develop in your system.

 

[JAAX]

I saw a video on YT by a guy who reported that the Ifi purifier stuff needs some time to burn-in -- I believe him. I'll be curious how things develop in your system.

It seems that way... We'll see

(and sorry for the heavy use of the word "effect", I'm at work and didn't check for typos and stuff before posting... Fixed now eheh)

 

[dougms3]

The EQ is very dependent on equipment.

And with such a difficult to drive headphone like the he6, you have to adjust the eq quite alot. In my experience with eq, if you manipulate too much of the frequencies, it loses power in other areas of the FR.

This may have an usual effect where there are fluctuations in unusual areas and off balance. I think sometimes it causes voltage drops from too much demand, ie increasing the bass too far beyond stock.

 

[JAAX]

The EQ is very dependent on equipment.

And with such a difficult to drive headphone like the he6, you have to adjust the eq quite alot. In my experience with eq, if you manipulate too much of the frequencies, it loses power in other areas of the FR.

This may have an usual effect where there are fluctuations in unusual areas and off balance. I think sometimes it causes voltage drops from too much demand, ie increasing the bass too far beyond stock.

Yes it can happen if you add too much db or if you try to correct something that cannot be corrected... Like the 4khz dip in the LCD2C, it cannot be corrected and if you try the result is abismal... The HEs respond very well to the oratory eq preset because it's harman tuned and gives them the balance they lack in stock. This may be one of the few instances in which I like an headphone with eq. At least, among the iems and headphones that I know well and tried to eq in the past. There are people that thinks ALL (lmao) headphones benefit from eq... For me this was never the case

 

[JAAX]

The EQ is very dependent on equipment.

And with such a difficult to drive headphone like the he6, you have to adjust the eq quite alot. In my experience with eq, if you manipulate too much of the frequencies, it loses power in other areas of the FR.

This may have an usual effect where there are fluctuations in unusual areas and off balance. I think sometimes it causes voltage drops from too much demand, ie increasing the bass too far beyond stock.

I hear you... and get that. The only thing I know for sure is that the result is sweet beyond comprehension... This preset was suggested to me the day I bought them... What you say it sure is true in some cases but with them it feels that they take eq — and this profile specifically — so well it's unbelievable

 

[JAAX]

if you manipulate too much of the frequencies, it loses power in other areas of the FR.

Absolutely, it almost always ends up that way... But again, not with the HE, at least not for me and other that had suggested it to me. While stock the HEs sound wonky a bit, with harsh treble and too forward mids, as soon as the eq is on, I can relax and listen to anything with ease

 

[kajetanjazz]

Does anyone know if it’s better to use a DDC like su6 for I2S connection or sth like cayin N7 or N8ii as digital transports with their I2S out would be as good/better?

 

[JAAX]

Does anyone know if it’s better to use a DDC like su6 for I2S connection or sth like cayin N7 or N8ii as digital transports with their I2S out would be as good/better?

Hey there, sorry for the delay, I have the n6ii but I never bothered using the i2s so I cannot say. Sorry

I saw a video on YT by a guy who reported that the Ifi purifier stuff needs some time to burn-in -- I believe him. I'll be curious how things develop in your system.

Hey @medon, after extensive and exclusive use of the iFi purifier I can say that it is an amazing amazing product, and now, after switching on e again to DI-20, I can confidently say that 1) the DDC is clearly superior compared to the purifier, and also that 2) the purifier enhance the presentation ESPECIALLY in the imaging, separation and sub bass departments, while the DDC adds to all of that a lot of competent mid bass presentation, with detail and thump out of this world and an analogue yet very detailed and holographic positioning.

I was so excited these past weeks to find out that the purifier was this good that a reddit friend of mine (true objectivist but not dense to the pint of rejecting the possibility that not everything is snake oil) decided to buy one used, and by the the next day he was furiously typing in caps lock his excitement in finding out that he could really perceive changes in sound and that was so thankful for that discovery and so on.

So thumbs up for both. The iFi could be had for 100€ used and it is worth every damn cent. No hyperbolic language here, it is that good for real.

PS. at first I made the user error of plugging the iFi into the DDC, that's why I couldn't say if it was working (honestly felt it was downgrading the signal, maybe due to the redundancy in the chain). Only after splitting the two devices and plugging the purifier to the DAC I had this glorious epiphany and from then onward it was pure fun. Totally worth it.