Hifiman HE-6SE

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Aug 22, 2018.

  1. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Discuss? Any info on availability?
     
  2. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    They are available on Amazon and HiFiMan for $1,800. Limited to 700 pieces according to HFM. They aren't special enough for me to spend that kind of money and invest in a dedicated rig.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2018
  3. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    So it's one of those limited availability deals like the HE-5 re-release? I was thinking about snagging one for the loaner program to check out to see if it's good as the OG HE-6, but I think we should pass.

    It's less price, but availability of replacement parts. I'd rather not be presented with an opportunity to upgrade to HEK were the HE-6S to fail.
     
  4. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    I had hoped MassDrop would release a re-tuned version with the HE-560 style headband at $799.00. I'd be a whole lot more interested. The new headband isn't that great and they have done nothing with the stock tuning (AFAIK)
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2018
  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Is that new headband on the HE-6SE the same as that of the Sundara?
     
  6. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Might be kinda difficult to do an HE6 loaner given many (most?) people don't have sufficient power to flatter them... Unless they come from speakerland.

    And the members who do have enough power and aren't from speakerland probably already have an older HE6... and from what I gather the only change on the SE is the headband, identicial drivers.

    Only solution would be to ship a Vidar in the same box.

    I vote for an Auteur loaner instead.
     
  7. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    Yes, that is correct. They used it on the HE560v2 & HE560v3 also. The yokes do not swivel the way the previous generation do. This makes the fit troublesome for some users.
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Not ideal. I much preferred the OG HD560 / HE400S assemblies.
     
  9. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    That design just plain sucks and is a serious issue for comfort for me and likely most others.
     
  10. ufospls2

    ufospls2 Friend

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    Hey Guys,

    So my HE6se arrived today. I just wanted to share some initial impressions. Lets get the negative points of my impressions out of the way.

    -I don’t have a 4pinXLR to banana adapter yet, so I can’t run them from a powerful amp (they didn’t come with the HE-Adapter as well for some reason. Currently looking into that.)

    -Impressions so far are from the Chord DAVE and iFi Micro iDSD BL.

    -I haven’t heard the HE6 original for so long I might as well have never heard it. No comparison would be fair, so I’ll leave it out.

    My preferences tend to be Planar Magnetic headphones for whatever reason. I'm not sure. I love good, hard hitting bass. Preferably quite a bit of it. I also tend to like a bit of a V shape signature.

    Recently I have been using the Hifiman Sundara, but I did use to own the Susvara, so I can provide some thoughts on comparing the two, though I’ll be going from memory.

    Are these better than the Sundara? Yes without question. In all areas.

    Are these better than the Susvara? No.

    However, so far, they are getting pretty close to the Susvara. They don’t have the same level of detail and “air” that the Susvara have, but they aren’t worlds away. The soundstage is a bit more closed in.

    So far I’m really impressed with the HE6se sonically. The bass, whilst not as punchy as the Abyss Phi, hits pretty hard. I think this might be further improved with some more power behind them, so I will report back. Quantity is pretty good too (I like bass....) I’ve read about unmodded HE6 originals being a bit rough in the treble, and I can see why. I don’t think its that bad to be honest, but I haven’t listened at high volumes yet due to a lack of power. The treble, whilst perhaps being a bit over exaggerated, sounds great.

    You know, the HE6se is more expensive than the original HE6…..but….it might actually be a good value in terms of todays TOTL headphone market. I mean, Hifiman headphones can usually be had for less the MSRP if you look around. From the $4000 Utopia to the $6000 Susvara, the $1800 HE6se provides great sound, perhaps not cutting edge, but it is a really nice sounding headphone. Its detail retrieval is impressive for the money.

    Comfort is pretty good, although they are on the heavier side. I’m used the Abyss and Audeze, so I don’t find it too bad, but some might. The ear pads are very comfortable, but I’m curious what sonic changes pad rolling might bring. I’m going to let others experiment with modding the HE6se, as I’m a clutz and would probably break the drivers….

    I definitely think these are worth a try, especially if you can score a deal on them. Heck, in a few months we might see some on the used market? If I had the cash currently I would buy an original HE6 to give them a good comparison, that would be really interesting.

    To sum up. Speaker amp impressions are incoming, soon I hope. These are hard to drive. I’m impressed so far.

    [​IMG]
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  11. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    So, so curious how these would sound driven by the speaker taps on the MHA150. Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    I still feel like $1800 is a stupid price when older HE-6's come up every month or two on the used market for around $800.

    With that extra grand you could get a killer speaker amp (maybe Saga + Vidar?), or send them to LFF for modding and still have cash leftover for a few pairs of pads. Either of those options would probably slay the SE off of whatever headphone amp one might have lying around.
     
  13. ufospls2

    ufospls2 Friend

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    $1800 is a stupid price (especially if you can't find a deal,) but in comparison to current TOTL offerings, it isn't as bad. So far, what I'm hearing with these headphones is impressive, and worth what I paid IMO. You also get warranty, which is always nice and good to have. I haven't heard a "Code-6" or whatever, so I dunno if it would slay the SE. I think slay might be a bit of an exaggeration though. In terms of amping, yeah, a speaker amp is most likely a good plan, and I'm working on that.
     
  14. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    That's the rub though. Accepting the recent trend in jacked up TOTL "me too" pricing as reasonable.
     
  15. m17xr2b

    m17xr2b Friend

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    Nah, the price is fine, we have a saying in romania, the one who's asking is not stupid but the one who gives.
     
  16. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    That much closer to the Susvara for a fraction of the price is great: I got to try the $6k HFM recently and apart from a teensy bit of sibilance I rather liked it, though hardly more than the HEK v2. Still, I agree that calling anything worth $1800 good value is revealing of how absolutely fucked things in this hobby have gotten.

    Those with the means and the desire to purchase it will, and in doing so enable HFM and other companies to continue along this path. I understand that a great deal of pricing is to recuperate costs sunken into R&D (and, well, marketing), but there's a fine line between seeking profit and profiteering that may well have been crossed.

    That said, I'm still keen to get ears on these given the reputation of the HE6 and the likelihood that this is more of the same. Any chance @LFF might be willing to work his magic and make more Code SEXes, time and effort permitting?
     
  17. ufospls2

    ufospls2 Friend

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    Thanks man.

    I actually prefer these to the HE1000V2 I think. I mean, they are very different sounding headphones, but I think the HE6se might be more up my alley. I'm not sure yet as I haven't done tons of listening. I read one review saying the HE1000V2 was superior in terms of detail, but going off my memory, I'm not sure it is.
     
  18. m17xr2b

    m17xr2b Friend

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    This is coming from someone who spent 10k on a hd650 amp, we're in the same boat.
     
  19. ufospls2

    ufospls2 Friend

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    Hey Guys,

    So I've had 6 days with the HE6se so far. The adapter situation has been solved, in that I have bought a 4pinXLR to banana plug adapter. It should be here within the next week, so proper impressions with enough power behind these cans are still incoming. There are two things I am interested in with regards to powering these properly, will they have a bit more bass, and will the highs be a little less present? I'm not too sure, and I'm really excited to hear whether those things happen or not. I have read that an underpowered HE6 can sound shrill with weak bass, so....we shall see. Somethings I have noticed in the first (almost) week are below.

    -Clamp force is a bit much. After wearing them most of the day yesterday, where they press my glasses into my head became a bit sore. I've never had this problem before. Its not a huge deal, as it took hours to begin hurting, and it wasn't over the top, but if you have a BIG head, these might be a bit troublesome.
    -Bass quantity could be a tiny bit more, and could rumble a bit more. Is there going to be a change with more power? We shall see. TBD.
    -The treble isn't sibilant, but in terms of quantity, it can be a little bit piercing or shrill. Again, will this change with more power? TBD.
    -Apart from the above concerns....these things are pretty damn great.
    -In terms of technicalities, they are better than some headphones that cost much more (I think I even prefer them to the LCD-4, which I used to own.)

    So far, these are great headphones. If you are in the market for a pair of HE6, and there are none available, give the HE6se a try :) Just be prepared to feed them lots of good power, just like the Susvara.
     
  20. TomNC

    TomNC Friend

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    @ufospls2

    If the HE6se is much like HE6, it is likely to benefit from taking off the back grills. Most mods with the HE6 includes getting rid of the grills or replacement with grills with larger openings and minimal reflection surfaces. Form my experience with HE6, this mod is particularly effective for improving trebles.
     

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