RamboneSC t1_j1xqtm5 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 4:20 AM

Reply to comment by dstarr3 in Are HE6se V2 supposed to sound more "subtle" and "lowkey"? by YsDivers

I really wonder a lot of things about the HE6se V2. I've been reading that the DAC really makes a big difference, specifically balanced ones that can provide between 4-5 volts.

I also wonder quite a bit about the minimum wattage recommendation Hifiman makes at 2 watts into 50 ohms. How close is this to actually maxing out the potential of the HE6se V2? I always see people either compare at the very bottom of the totem pole or at the top and rarely inbetween.

Should 2-3 watts be enough or do we really need to be getting into 4-8 watts to unlock this headphones potential?

dstarr3 t1_j1y0zkf wrote on December 28, 2022 at 5:57 AM

I can't comment on how much DACs influence the HE6se V2 as I only have my one, the Schiit Modius. I think it mostly depends on the amp in your chain. Some amps might not have enough headroom to EQ to headphone if they're only getting a 2V signal from a non-balanced DAC. Similarly, some hybrid amps are Class A through most of their volume range and switch to Class A/B at the top end, and a 4V signal might provide the headroom to keep the amp in its pure Class A range, whereas a non-balanced 2V signal might require pushing the amp into a volume range that means it switching to Class A/B and thus degrading the quality.

So, it's hard to say how important the DAC is without knowing what amp it's being connected to. But the Schiit Modius like I have is a good 4V balanced DAC that can be had for just $200, so again you don't really need to break the bank. You just need to know what to buy.

I don't have any experience with specifically 2-3W amps, my amp collection jumps from 1W to 4W. So maybe there's a 2-3W amp that would make the HE6 shine, but the general consensus from the Head-Fi HE6 community is that you need to start around 4W.

A thing I dislike is that this all can sound very gatekeeper-y and I hate gatekeeping in any hobby, so I am again eager to point out that, while this headphone does seem to benefit from every watt you can give it, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get all those watts. Good +100WPC speaker amps can be found used for around or under $100 very easily and they are a very popular and inexpensive way to get heaps of enjoyment out of this headphone. There's also the Emotiva BasX A2m that's normally $350, currently on sale for $250.

You don't need to spend a lot of money to get the best out of this headphone, you just need to get exactly the right gear.

ElectronicVices t1_j1zb7lj wrote on December 28, 2022 at 2:56 PM

Rogue RH-5 is 3.5W into 32, despite having more powerful amps the Rogue is my preferred pairing with the HE6se. A bit overkill unless you are also using it as a preamp but for dual use systems it's been a wonderful addition.

RamboneSC t1_j1y6bog wrote on December 28, 2022 at 6:58 AM

Thank you for the most excellent explanations and advice!

I think at some point I will try getting a dedicated balanced dac and a more potent fully balanced amp down the road. I think the only balanced dac in the house I have is from my EF400 and as for a balanced amp, I have a Monoprice THX 788 which is not really up to the task for the HE6se V2. I also have too many 2v DACs from wanting to experiment with different chip implementations, got a new Modi Multibit 2 from Schiit arriving this week as well.

After reading your reply here, I did a lot of thinking and the BasX A2m seems like a silly good deal for the amount of power on tap after the jumper install. I highly doubt I could do any better at the price as traditional headphone amps start ramping up to astronomical prices for the same amounts of power. I decided to pull the trigger on it!

dstarr3 t1_j1zksv1 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 4:05 PM

Actually yeah, the Emotiva A2m has been on my radar for a while, and writing these comments lead me to discover the current sale, so I pulled the trigger on my own last night, too, lol. I'm excited to give it a listen. It very well could be the most wattage for your dollar currently, and while there aren't tons of reviews out there yet, the ones there are are positive.

RamboneSC t1_j1zn7jr wrote on December 28, 2022 at 4:22 PM

Heeey Emotiva Buddy! ;) lol

I am honestly pretty excited for it as well. I have seen nothing but positive comments on it when it comes to the HE6se V2, so hopefully this all pans out.

I suppose once I get it and have put some mileage on it, I will come back and leave a comment here with what I think.