[Happy Camper]

Just a thought but a quality integrated speaker amp with digital & analog interfaces. The upstream components could be tailored to taste with a tube or SS DAC, turntable, streamer. Before thinking this would only drive the HE, better plug them traditional headphones into that amp. I had the K701, Senn 600 & 800, Beyer 880, AT's, etc. come across the speaker amp for comparison and they all benefited from the refined power and hiss was not heard. The headphone amps compared included contracted built headphone amps with plenty of prestige components of the time and the guy that jumped down that rabbit hole sold all his headphone amps and settled in with some Emotiva monoblocks until moving on to stats. That was 15 years ago though. Our conclusion was the transformer and caps in the speaker amps had the brute power on demand. Not that the headphone used anywhere near the available power but it was there when needed.

 

[bagwell359]

Read the following in Headphonesty re: HE-6 SE:

This is what neutral planar magnetic bass is all about. It’s there when the music calls for it, but is everything that a bass-boosted signature is not. Notes are controlled and clear. They are viscerally engaging at times and just enough to balance a crisp high-end at others.

This is the subtlety and strength of a great pair of headphones. The ability to deftly and effortlessly balance quantity and quality.

Exactly.

 

[Hypops]

Read the following in Headphonesty re: HE-6 SE:

This is what neutral planar magnetic bass is all about. It’s there when the music calls for it, but is everything that a bass-boosted signature is not. Notes are controlled and clear. They are viscerally engaging at times and just enough to balance a crisp high-end at others.

This is the subtlety and strength of a great pair of headphones. The ability to deftly and effortlessly balance quantity and quality.

Exactly.

That tracks. My HE6se v2's are for when I don't want to think about the fact that I'm wearing headphones: live performances, games, movies.

 

[bevanc]

So, going to throw in an alternative amp to try. For those of you that have a Vali 3, I'm currently listening to the HE6SEV2 with it and a GE 5670 5-STAR 3 Mica Black Plate tube. I literally tried it for a laugh. $150 amp plus $20 tube. Massive Attack sound very good like this. Yes I'm at 3 o'clock on the volume pot, but the little Vali is surprisingly good.

 

[fortunate son]

I've added the Lokius and wish I had bought it sooner rather than spending so much time and money trying to find a better sounding amplifier.

 

[Slim1970]

I've added the Lokius and wish I had bought it sooner rather than spending so much time and money trying to find a better sounding amplifier.

The Lokius is one of my favorite purchases in head-fi.

 

[chrismoyer]

The Lokius is one of my favorite purchases in head-fi.

I like it so much I wonder if I should have got the Loki Max.

Besides being a great EQ, one of my FAVORITE things about the Lokius is that it outputs to both SE and XLR connections, and you can use it to switch between SE and XLR inputs.

I have a turntable running into SE, and Bifrost 2 running into XLR.

I have SE output going to a Valhalla 2 and XLR output going into a Rag 2.

I use the Lokius SE/XLR switch to switch between turntable and DAC, and the I don't have to cycle my rag through inputs. Just one easy up/down toggle switch. And the same signal is hitting the Valhalla on the off chance I want to use it.

 

[Slim1970]

I like it so much I wonder if I should have got the Loki Max.

Besides being a great EQ, one of my FAVORITE things about the Lokius is that it outputs to both SE and XLR connections, and you can use it to switch between SE and XLR inputs.

I have a turntable running into SE, and Bifrost 2 running into XLR.

I have SE output going to a Valhalla 2 and XLR output going into a Rag 2.

I use the Lokius SE/XLR switch to switch between turntable and DAC, and the I don't have to cycle my rag through inputs. Just one easy up/down toggle switch. And the same signal is hitting the Valhalla on the off chance I want to use it.

Not sure if the Lokius Max is worth the extra cash, but there are some nice features on. The ability to have a preset for each headphone is nice. Along with discrete components for every band and a remote control to make adjustments could come in handy

 

[chrismoyer]

Not sure if the Lokius Max is worth the extra cash, but there are some nice features on. The ability to have a preset for each headphone is nice. Along with discrete components for every band and a remote control to make adjustments could come in handy

Ohhh... presets for headphones and another for speakers... hopefully they keep making it long enough for me to talk myself into pulling the trigger.

 

[Slim1970]

Ohhh... presets for headphones and another for speakers... hopefully they keep making it long enough for me to talk myself into pulling the trigger.

I can’t lie, having presets sound really cool for an analog EQ

 

[bevanc]

So, having used the cheap Audeze style headband from Alibaba and having got frustrated with the feel, I splashed out on the HE400i band from Hifiman. More comfortable and easy to for change once you pop the threaded inserts out of the holes.

 

[Duncan]

I swerved at the last minute, and instead of getting the Topping E70v - I went with the SMSL SU-9 Pro to partner with the Topping L70 - glad that I did, the combination is glorious - add in the full velour pads that I have gone with, the HE6se sounds incredible... I know there is talk of DACs all sounding the same, but - the LO output of the FiiO K9 ESS (ES9068AS) vs the SU-9 Pro (ES9039MPro) is absolutely night and day, the former (whether by design, or DAC itself) sounds positively lifeless in comparison to the SMSL.

 

[PeterCraig]

I know there is talk of DACs all sounding the same...

Funny. That kind of talk will get an audio enthusiast nowhere.

 

[muhammedcakin]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Honestly, it's quite reassuring to hear that, I was wondering if it was just me thinking that the difference was really that significant!

 

[Hypops]

I swerved at the last minute, and instead of getting the Topping E70v - I went with the SMSL SU-9 Pro to partner with the Topping L70 - glad that I did, the combination is glorious - add in the full velour pads that I have gone with, the HE6se sounds incredible... I know there is talk of DACs all sounding the same, but - the LO output of the FiiO K9 ESS (ES9068AS) vs the SU-9 Pro (ES9039MPro) is absolutely night and day, the former (whether by design, or DAC itself) sounds positively lifeless in comparison to the SMSL.

Sometimes this has as much to do with synergy between the DAC, your amp, your headphones, etc, as with the DAC itself.