If you would consider used amps, you could get a hell of an amp for under $1K.
1 Like
I think you might get more out of the XS with that chain.
Of course I am talking out of my ass in that I have never heard the XS. But I have been reading good stuff on a few forums about them.
And apparently they are easier to drive. And cheaper. Since they arenāt sold in North America I bet they would be Very easy to flip if you werenāt happy with them.
3 Likes
I have no problem with used gear, i am actually trying to buy an used Cayin IHA6, not sure if that one would be a worthy step up from the 789 though.
Anyone here tested the HE6 with the Cayin? Apparently that high current mode is good for theseā¦
1 Like
Iām happy to say that so far I have not noticed a noise floor, so perhaps the power supply i got is clean enough for my needs.
Hi, Thanks for the feedback, I actually own the M1570 which I got a good a deal on them as a open box from Monoprice, so for now I am happy with them. I am actually considering a used Focal Elex for the collection, being hearing good things about those headphones.
1 Like
They are a nice headphone. I just sold mine about two weeks ago.
1 Like
Well that Cayin certainly has a lot more power. I would guess it would be a noticeable improvement.
Kleiberās rendition of Beethovenās 7th is sublime on this setup. Itās cliche, but I can distinctly hear every part of the orchestra, but without it sounding clinically dissected. Timbre isnāt as perfect as a Sennheiser, but woodwinds, horns and strings all sound distinctly like themselves and different from each other, so itās good enough. Low strings are clear and detailed and well placed in the mix. I can hear the attack and tone of the tympanies, and feel the rumble-the bass control and extension are phenomenal, all without being elevated or intrusive.
Iām often dubious about claims of technical superiority outside of tuning differences, and I heard a certain YouTuber mention that the HE6SE sounds an awful lot like the HE4XX. Superficially that is true, as theyāre tuned really similarly (outside of the bass extension), but on my speaker amp the HE6SE performs in a completely different league.
Dynamics - in the quietest passages itās delicate yet still clear thanks to a clean black background. Then when things get loud, it hits like a freight train. I had to check my SPL meter a few times to make sure I wasnāt just listening too loud, but in the very loudest passage it only hit 87dB SPL(A), which is really not bad on highly dynamic orchestral music like this
Tactility - irrespective of pitch, thereās a palpable physical tactility to the attack of instruments that Iāve only ever heard on one other headphone, the LCD2C. But unlike the Audeze, the HE6SE achieves this without a weird tuning.
Separation - whether quiet or loud, everything stays well separated and clear.
Detail - yup, thereās lots of detail, including the occasional errant noise from a bow hitting a music stand. The cool thing is that the detail doesnāt sound exaggerated or in my face, itās just kind of there for the taking.
So yeah, first impressions are positive indeed.
3 Likes
Iām currently on topping d30 pro and a3o Pro. I like what Iām hearing but I know theyāll flair better if I upgrade my amp. Will it be an improvement if I match it with A07? Seems like a decent budget speaker amp. If so, how can I hook the cans to speaker amps?
i feel like any gain in control youād gain from getting more power, youād lose in detail from the worse amp topology having significantly less dynamic range. i guess for the price itād be worth trying out to see how you like the increase in power and you could do like i did and use it as an opamp flavor tester to see what you like and buy accordingly down the line once you find your sound. thatās how i wound up with a soloist, by opamp rolling until i found the v6 vivids and had to hear the real deal.
Iāve head that when you install the jumpers on singxer sa1 makes a big difference with the he6. just another thought for ppl still looking for a amp
I built a cable like this. You can also buy them from custom cable makers.
Regarding dynamic range on the Aiyima amp-I have no powerful high end headphone amps to compare it with, but Iām very happy with the dynamic range of the combo compared to other headphones that are well powered by my Atom.
So I just simply start from low volume? Any other precaution to take to avoid blowing up my cans when I hook them to speaker amps?
An afterthought, I do have an existing speaker amp for my karaoke setup! Perhaps I can try on that before deciding if I should get the Aiyima A07!
Does it make sense at all to connect the HE6 to an Onkyo receiver? Or any receiver?
Yeah, I always turn the volume completely down before turning on the amp. No issue with pops.
FWIW, driven with a Topping D10 and using ReplayGain, Iāve got enough play on the dial to turn it without immediately getting into too loud territory. At 9 o clock Iām at about 85 dB SPL(a).
Note, this is with the bundled 32V 5 amp supply.
Yes, absolutely!
1 Like
Today I listened some more and learned a bit.
The Good - Just like yesterdayās orchestral music, anything instrumental sounds fantastic with these. GoGo Penguin, Phronesis, the Whiplash soundtrack, any guitar solos, itās all great. Pure choral music like Bachās Motets sounds good too. The depth and impact of bass, the detail and articulation of stringed instruments, the attack and body of drums are all great. Cymbals sound good, though not quite perfect (a little too bright).
The Meh - Timbre is not perfect. Itās not distractingly bad, but it could be better. Strings and horns especially donāt sound quite right, and vocals have some honk.
The Bad - Anything that mixes vocals and instruments sounds imbalanced. Dave Matthews, Indigo Girls, Peter Mulvey, Tool, stuff like that. The vocals are recessed relative to guitars, drums and especially cymbals, though bass for the most part sounds better balanced with the vocals. If I turn up the volume enough to get the vocals how I like them, the instruments get too aggressive.
Clearly, it was time for some EQ, which meant I might as well switch to the stock pads and use them as a baseline. In doing so, the vocal recession got worse. But, timbre improved noticably and the vocal honk went away.
By the evening, I had EQ pretty well sorted out, just in time to enjoy a sit down with Dream Theaterās āImages and Wordsā. EQ and detailed listening impressions on that album will have to wait for another post.
2 Likes
Has anyone tried the Burson Funk with the HE6?
Looks like it is a good headphone amp AND it is also a speaker amp.
yeah the funk wasnāt bad at all. it was actually very very good out of the headphone plug but the lack of channel separation in the speaker ports was kinda noticeable and kinda squished the soundstage a little. by no means was it unacceptable but it was noticable. if you want to run the he6 and also speakers the funk is absolutely fantastic for that. soloist was a big jump in quality though from the headphone port.
1 Like
My idea was to run my other cans from the headphone output and the he6 from the speaker taps