[1911]

i think dannyandelise sums it up best where the music is just there..no interference to enjoyment..but when i listen to mine it makes me feel so sinful...i dont know why..maybe some guilt on my part...because it is a sensational product but i feel guilty with so much poverty etc in the world...kinda like the ending of schindler's list....sheesh

 

[Jon L]

HEV90/HE90 is very nice, but to me ES1/HE90 reaches just a couple of fingertips higher to make that dunk.

That combo is that rare beast that sounds beautifully musical BECAUSE of the staggering resolution of detail, not despite of it.

I'm just hoping the Aristaeus plays in the same league b/c perhaps I can afford 'that' combo...

 

[Afrikane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif HEV90/HE90 is very nice, but to me ES1/HE90 reaches just a couple of fingertips higher to make that dunk. That combo is that rare beast that sounds beautifully musical BECAUSE of the staggering resolution of detail, not despite of it. I'm just hoping the Aristaeus plays in the same league b/c perhaps I can afford 'that' combo...

The ES1-HE90 combo is the first rig I have had that completely immerses me in the music to the point that the gear is forgotten. Everything is there, speed, dynamics, height and width soundstage, resolution, high and low extension etc but presented in a fantastically organic way. Music au naturale!

 

[Shahrose]

you know for 15000 dollars i would say it's a ripoff...you would expect every single thing to be close to perfection if not that, yet i've heard the he90's bass is a bit lean compared to some dynamic phones. i shouldn't see any of these complaints with a price tag like that. i'm more than happy with the highs/midrange of some high end dynamic phones, but the bass is the most important part for me and if a 15k setup doesn't have it, i'd classify that as an unwise choice if not a ripoff.

to each his own i guess...but i'm sure some people would agree

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can write on and on but Neil said it better than I could have. The HE90 has that incredible combination of accuracy and euphony that makes you truly forget about the gear and listen to the music. It's accurate enough that nothing stands out as being immediately amiss, but it's also euphonic enough that it doesn't sound sterile. A well and truly accurate system will only portray the deficiencies in a recording, and the HE90 imparts a certain life and lushness into a recording, while keeping it accurate enough so that it sounds real.

You've actually said it pretty well yourself. They do a great job at getting out of the way and letting the music flow, but at the same time they do have that euphonic presence. Nothing distracting about their sonic signature at all, but it's not as though they totally disappear, and I think that's a good thing.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus /img/forum/go_quote.gif You've actually said it pretty well yourself. They do a great job at getting out of the way and letting the music flow, but at the same time they do have that euphonic presence. Nothing distracting about their sonic signature at all, but it's not as though they totally disappear, and I think that's a good thing.

I'd pretty much agree with that assessment. What makes the HE-90 special is not that it excels in just one area or a few areas but that it is strong in so many. I think this is the reason why so many posters have positive impressions, even though people listen for different qualities, the HE-90 has them covered.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd pretty much agree with that assessment. What makes the HE-90 special is not that it excels in just one area or a few areas but that it is strong in so many. I think this is the reason why so many posters have positive impressions, even though people listen for different qualities, the HE-90 has them covered.

Off topic:

Welcome back to the party! What's up, there, chief?

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Off topic: Welcome back to the party! What's up, there, chief?

That was fast. Wow, you remember me! Amazing, a mind like a steel trap for an old guy... oh, wait, I'm older than you!?!

Senior moment there, forgot that tidbit.

It's good to be back, not sure for how long though. Haven't been much into audio for a while. Life is just too busy.

I'll send you a PM...

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer /img/forum/go_quote.gif That was fast. Wow, you remember me!

Wayne isn't the only one who remembers you.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wayne isn't the only one who remembers you.

LOL, that can't be good, I was hoping to have lived down my reputation by now!

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL, that can't be good, I was hoping to have lived down my reputation by now!

Hah, I'm afraid that's easier said than done.

 

[Blackmore]

This is maybe not the best comparing, cos my experience is limited to a last meet, but I have auditioned HE60 and STAX OII as well. To my ears they are to boring with nothing happening. Dynamics have more life in the sound. And considering the price they are not worth at all, IMO.

 

[mikeg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think this post on the HE90/HE60/O2 will be helpful: I can write on and on but Neil said it better than I could have. The HE90 has that incredible combination of accuracy and euphony that makes you truly forget about the gear and listen to the music. It's accurate enough that nothing stands out as being immediately amiss, but it's also euphonic enough that it doesn't sound sterile. A well and truly accurate system will only portray the deficiencies in a recording, and the HE90 imparts a certain life and lushness into a recording, while keeping it accurate enough so that it sounds real. This is with the HEV90 and the Meitner labs gear (Bozebuttons' setup). It's been a long time since I heard this rig, but I still remember it. It was, quite frankly, the absolute pinnacle of sound reproduction that I have ever encountered, and the only rig that was well and truly successful in transporting the listener into the music completely.

catscratch - You've really put my feelings about the HE90 into words. I've heard it on Wmcmanus' HEV90, and I've not yet heard anything better. My McAlister comes close (ca. 85% of HEV90), but that's not close enough. I hope that I'll get closer with the Woo Audio amp., which should arrive in a few weeks. As for the R10, I'm still struggling to get the R10/SDS rig to approximate the performance of the HE90/McAlister rig. It's getting closer, but it's not there yet.

 

[gpalmer]

Uhhh, I don't think you should be trying to get the R-10 to approximate the sound of the HE-90. They are distinctly different headphones each with their own strengths. The best I've heard the R-10's sound they were notable for the manner in which they brought the instruments to life. That isn't really the HE-90's strength though, what strikes me as magic is the depth of its relaxation while it's performing audio gymnastics. It's a wonder how it glides smoothly through its paces.

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... the He90 is very diffused with an over extended and washed out sound stage. Some say that this is more speaker like but I like the pinpoint accuracy of all Stax phones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by granodemostasa /img/forum/go_quote.gif relatively speaking, they are warmer and more euphonic than the OII.

It's pretty early, but my general impressions on the HE90 are fairly in line with the above (though I disagree with Spritzer on some of the points in his full post). So far most of my listening has been with the Aristaeus (sourced by my m902 - really missing that Chord DAC64/Blu combo right now, BTW), but I have done some listening through the Dared MP-5 and a Stax SRD-7 mk2.

On the Aristaeus, I find the HE90 to be euphonic and rich sounding, relative to the 010 (straight out of the m902). Not a terrible thing if you like that sound, and in many ways it's easier to listen to because of it. I never could listen to the 010 while doing something like homework or even surfing the net, but the HE90 serves that function fine.

It also lacks the raw resolution and texture that that resolution brings with the 010. I think timber fans should look to the 010 or the Omega 2 out of a proper system. Well, let me rephrase that as I haven't really heard the HE90 out of a system that's more optimized for it as I haven't done any real tuberolling, though I far prefer my Grover Ultimate References, which are a bright cable, with the m902/Aristaeus/HE90 than my Kimber Silver Streaks, which are more middle of the road.

Anyway, there are a bunch of other thoughts, such as the HE90 making the 010's tendancy towards a hard, forward sound a lot more pronounced. Also it sounds certainly different out of the Stax transformer+power amp (lol, surprisingly a lot more impactful, which makes it sound a bit more Stax-like), so there's a lot more exploring to do. But generally, at least this initial week out of the Aristaeus setup, it's rather warm and euphonic to me, and lacks the raw textural detail I get from the 010, K 1000 or SR-X mk3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uhhh, I don't think you should be trying to get the R-10 to approximate the sound of the HE-90. They are distinctly different headphones each with their own strengths. The best I've heard the R-10's sound they were notable for the manner in which they brought the instruments to life. That isn't really the HE-90's strength though, what strikes me as magic is the depth of its relaxation while it's performing audio gymnastics. It's a wonder how it glides smoothly through its paces.

Whoa, it's that clerks guy again!! Tampa?? Geez, yer just hitting all the major head-fi communities aren't you??

Anyway, yeah, there is no question that the definitive strength of the HE90 for me is how graceful and relaxed it is. It is detailed, but relaxed in that detail (unlike the 010). It's also incredibly balanced - it does do many things fairly well, though it doesn't impress in any one area. It does sound euphonic to me, though this should be tweakable through system changes, though I doubt it'll ever get as analytical or "accurate" as some of my other cans (SR-X mk3, K 1000, 010). It certainly lacks the dynamics of the HP1000. But still, it's incredibly easy to listen to, which is good, I suppose if you're in that kind of mood.

More thoughts as time goes on...

Best,

-Jason