Thank you both for your guidance. Gonna give it a shot.
My Sony 1080 has a pure direct mode sampling direct from the source. Ill be able to plug the dac signal directly into the back then feed the cans.
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Also, make sure you that set the volume of your preamp all the way down before connecting everything (and probably prior to disconnecting too). A blast of the full speaker amp output AC to your drivers when playing a track is a quick way to destroy them.
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Is there a big difference in the sound of the HE6SE v2 vs the HE6SE once modded? I was wondering if I should spend the 700 to buy the HE6SE v2 new or should I just buy a used pair of HE6SEs for, hopefully, less than the v2 version. I like the black color over the dark blue of the v2, but I know the color is just cosmetic.
@Pokrog thank you for the information. But is there a audible difference between the HE6SE vs the HE6SE v2? They look different but do they sound different?
Havenāt ever had the v1, sorry. I can tell you that if you donāt have a pretty powerful amp theyāre not going to be the greatest but on an a90 theyāre amazing and a 789 does really well on high gain at high volume with your dac input volume dropped or your source volume low. With the grill mod I would put the soundstage right there with the hd800 and the he6se takes eq incredibly well. Though Iāve never had the opportunity to hear the susvara, Iāve seen plenty of people that prefer these over the susvara, which doesnāt surprise me in the slightest because theyāre astoundingly good with a good setup.
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Thats great to hear! I have a 789 and Iāll use the method you said to drive them. Iāll keep a look out via the links you said. As if right now the cheapest I could get one is 650, on one of the links, which is pretty good.
Edit: Iām planning to do a yolk/handband mod on them with an Audeze headband. I have some aluminum honeycomb grills on the way as well.
Iāve seen that you seem pretty happy with the gl2k, at least with eq/tubes, it also seems that you think highly of the he6se. I have a gl2k on order from drop, but Iām considering picking up a set of these as well especially if they can be had for 540-700. How would you say they compare assuming the he6se is grill modded and any eq/tubing is accomplished and there is sufficient power?
For reference I have a yulong sabre da8 dac/amp which does a bit of class A power, a thx 789, and a decent amount of power in a vintage technics power amp(se-9060), so I assume I have the power department covered.
To my knowledge, the drivers are the same with the HR6 6 screw, the HE6se and the v2. the v2 has a different headband/yolk and the blue (?) trim.
Prefer the look of the HE6se over the v2 ā¦ plus hear that headband isnt very good
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theyāre two very different tunings and both respond extremely well to eq. i think they compliment each other really really well and right now iām really happy with them both. theyāre both staying in my collection for life.
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New cable finally coming
Hart was frozen under and delayed my package So picked up a Cardas Clear Light duel 3.5 to xlr. Give it a test drive on Sunday
Thanks! Just out of curiosity, would you say either of these are decent as a do it all or daily driver kind of headphone or would you say that they are really best used in specific cases?
IMO no, def not the end all do all. least for me. the open backs need a quiet listening area. The musicality of these is amazing with the rite setup and after some burn in. Def been my go to lately
My Argons are bit more friendly to wear everywhere except they too are on the harder side to drive. Can get away with them on a DragonFly Red but that dongle aint touching the 6se
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the he6se is very neutral and all by itself is capable of just about anything imo though its a little in your face with how detailed it is sometimes. the gl2k is kinda picky on what it sounds right on but the harman eq brings it to basically perfectly neutral and normal (which it is very not, without eq) and you could go from there and emphasize what you want. as a test i set the gl2k to harman eq and applied atmos gaming performance mode over the top of it and it actually surprised the shit out of me as i couldnāt find an eq all by itself that sounded quite right and iām still not sure if its something to do with the dsp effect that dolby uses but if youāre willing to put in the time to eq to your tastes theyāll both take everything you throw at them as far as i can tell.
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Thats a great point, I guess my question should have clarified open backs. Currently my main listening setups are either home living room with speakers, home desk with dac/amp, or work cubicle with a 789. Sadly I donāt get much of an opportunity to go mobile while listening to music when Iām not in the car anymore. So I am still in search of some killer closed backs for work, my current rotation at work are akg k550, beyer dt770, tin p1, and on occasion he-560 if iām considerate.
plus im kinda a bass head junkie. They do punch hard, but different than the argons and other dynamics ive had my ears on. Just depends on my mood and what I want to listen to
yeah the headband isnāt the greatest for sure but i adjust mine a little high and its not too bad i guess. iāve been considering the headband mod myself but just havenāt taken the plunge.
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I love the HE6SE, but I think the 789 is going to leave you wondering what the fuss is. It may sound ok to you, but you need to know thatās getting you where they need to be. From your use case and gear, I think you may be happy with an Aeon2 Closed if you havenāt heard one. Thatās my go to closed back at work and it sounds good on everything. I have setups that the 6SEs sound okay on, but I know I need to make myself uncomfortable and hook them up to my old 70s Marantz receiver to sound their best
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Thatās fair, my intention for he6se was to test on 789 and my 70ās technics power amp (se-9060), I assume 70wpc into 8 ohm would be more than sufficient to drive the he6se. However recs for closed backs for work like the argon or the aeon2 closed are definitely appreciated.
this was an earlier thread from about a year and a half ago:
There was a lot of argument and resulting trial and error there, and the consensus seemed to be 100wpc min but vintage amps donāt always apply to the same rules as I can personally vouch for. Iām not familiar with that amp, but I didnāt look it up before you linked it. You may be ok with that, and I would bet itād do better for you than the 789.
As for the polar opposite of the A2C, the Audeze XC will not be super comfortable, but Iāve been using mine a lot more since I installed Roon and the Audeze EQ is built in-it makes a big difference. I own the wooden backs, and it doesnāt look like they sell those any more. The weight reduction may be nice with the carbon version, but the wood is very pretty. My favorite closed back, and maybe my favorite headphone even though I own ābetterā is the ZMF Eikon
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