Hifiman He6se v2

[Jimbob54]

Has anyone listened both Edition XS and He6se v2?
Frequency response aside, which one of these you think is the better option for critical listening/mixing?

Other suggestions at that 400-600 usd price range are welcome aswell.
Thanks!

You wouldn't want the HE6 on your head all day, v heavy. The HE6 needs a bass boost to me. The xs doesn't "need" eq.

 

[Snoopy]

Maybe, I mean I expected the world out of 1800$ headphones
Nothing special just consumer audio

But that's the issue right there.. it's a 650$ headphone that goes on sale for 399$ and the buildquality isn't really in that price range if you compare it to other headphones like the drop Dan Clark.

I wouldn't want to know how many of those headphones get returned and they just replace damaged drivers and send it out to the next person that thinks they get a 1800$ headphone for 1/3 of its retail price.

 

[Miika]

You wouldn't want the HE6 on your head all day, v heavy. The HE6 needs a bass boost to me. The xs doesn't "need" eq.

Can you recall any other aspects like detail, imaging, soundstage etc.?

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Let's get a few things straight.
He6Sev2 fanboi Here

• These headphones can be found for about $500 shipped at Adorama. The issue is that it a bit of a crapshoot: You may, or may not receive a functioning headphones. Other and I, experienced this issue. In my case HifiMan promptly stepped up and shipped me next day a new functioning headphone. It has been my daily driver for almost a year , perhaps more, IIRC.
• Build quality of the Adorama HE6-Sev2 is ... meh.. The headphones share the same, very basic, headband found in HifiMan least expensive headphones. Yes. It looks cheap.
• It is heavy.
• It requires a lot of power. More than most headphones amplifiers are capable of. Figure an amp capable of 4 watts in its low (32 Ohms?) impedance, perhaps more if you listen loudly and of course, equalize you headphones.

This said and out of the way.

• Most Headphones, the great majority of those reviewed here and elsewhere, do not comply to the ASR (and I ) favored curve: the Harman Headphones curve of which there are a few but ... The great majority of headphones on the market, do not comply with those either . So we have learned, thanks to ASR and others, that most any headphones, require EQ. That can't be a knowck on a headphone. The so much spoken about Sennheiser HD-xxx models, require EQ to sound right, else they sound tizzy and bright, Yes!, even the vaunted HD800S.. It has no bass, there! I said it . The issue with EQ , especially Bass EQ can be the intrinsic distortion of the headphones in the low or elsewhere. The HE6Sev2 has one of the lowest THD measured here, around o.1%, Top 5, perhaps top3. It can take massive amount of EQ and produce less distortion than non-EQ, spoken about headphones.. Yes, that includes the so-loved Sennheisers... It has lower THD than any Sennheiser reviewed here. Facts. With that you can make it sound as close as it is possible to the (my and others...) favored Harman Curve. It'll take it. And can take ungodly amount of power .. we will come back to that...
• Heavy. I will quality myself as a slight built. I can wear this headphones for hours with no fatigue. I am not sure of what people talk about when they mention its weight; yes it is heavy but, doesn't bother me; will likely not bother many.
• Spatial quality is excellent. The music at times can play outside your head.
• It is one of the few headphones capable of the neat trick of vibrating your entire head.. in a subwoofer way
• You can easily swap the headband if you feel the need to. I did .

So for $500, you get all that, SOTA. Yes, State Of The Art sound.

My own system (Repeating) :
He6SEV2.....................................................$500.oo from Adorama
THX789AAA.............................................. $150.oo (eBay)
Topping D10B..........................................$ 150.oo
Raspberry Pi running Volumio for EQ... $75.oo

The DAC and amp part will figure in any Headphones .. This is objectively, an endgame headphone system. The THD of this system, headphones included approaches that of decent electronics.

What are we complaining about, then?

IMHO, in the here and now, the HE6Sev2 headphones and the TRUTHEAR Crinnacle Zero, represents the best bargain pair in all audio... Both are SOTA. What is the competition? Price it, Please? I know the DCA Expeanse and Stealth are the best headphones around but at >$4500.oo ...each.

Peace.

 

[Jimbob54]

Can you recall any other aspects like detail, imaging, soundstage etc.?

The XS have more "space" if that makes sense? Not great at describing sound though.

 

[Miika]

Hi

Let's get a few things straight.
He6Sev2 fanboi Here

• These headphones can be found for about $500 shipped at Adorama. The issue is that it a bit of a crapshoot: You may, or may not receive a functioning headphones. Other and I, experienced this issue. In my case HifiMan promptly stepped up and shipped me next day a new functioning headphone. It has been my daily driver for almost a year , perhaps more, IIRC.
• Build quality of the Adorama HE6-Sev2 is ... meh.. The headphones share the same, very basic, headband found in HifiMan least expensive headphones. Yes. It looks cheap.
• It is heavy.
• It requires a lot of power. More than most headphones amplifiers are capable of. Figure an amp capable of 4 watts in its low (32 Ohms?) impedance, perhaps more if you listen loudly and of course, equalize you headphones.

This said and out of the way.

• Most Headphones, the great majority of those reviewed here and elsewhere, do not comply to the ASR (and I ) favored curve: the Harman Headphones curve of which there are a few but ... The great majority of headphones on the market, do not comply with those either . So we have learned, thanks to ASR and others, that most any headphones, require EQ. That can't be a knowck on a headphone. The so much spoken about Sennheiser HD-xxx models, require EQ to sound right, else they sound tizzy and bright, Yes!, even the vaunted HD800S.. It has no bass, there! I said it . The issue with EQ , especially Bass EQ can be the intrinsic distortion of the headphones in the low or elsewhere. The HE6Sev2 has one of the lowest THD measured here, around o.1%, Top 5, perhaps top3. It can take massive amount of EQ and produce less distortion than non-EQ, spoken about headphones.. Yes, that includes the so-loved Sennheisers... It has lower THD than any Sennheiser reviewed here. Facts. With that you can make it sound as close as it is possible to the (my and others...) favored Harman Curve. It'll take it. And can take ungodly amount of power .. we will come back to that...
• Heavy. I will quality myself as a slight built. I can wear this headphones for hours with no fatigue. I am not sure of what people talk about when they mention its weight; yes it is heavy but, doesn't bother me; will likely not bother many.
• Spatial quality is excellent. The music at times can play outside your head.
• It is one of the few headphones capable of the neat trick of vibrating your entire head.. in a subwoofer way
• You can easily swap the headband if you feel the need to. I did .

So for $500, you get all that, SOTA. Yes, State Of The Art sound.

My own system (Repeating) :
He6SEV2.....................................................$500.oo from Adorama
THX789AAA.............................................. $150.oo (eBay)
Topping D10B..........................................$ 150.oo
Raspberry Pi running Volumio for EQ... $75.oo

The DAC and amp part will figure in any Headphones .. This is objectively, an endgame headphone system. The THD of this system, headphones included approaches that of decent electronics.

What are we complaining about, then?

IMHO, in the here and now, the HE6Sev2 headphones and the TRUTHEAR Crinnacle Zero, represents the best bargain pair in all audio... Both are SOTA. What is the competition? Price it, Please? I know the DCA Expeanse and Stealth are the best headphones around but at >$4500.oo ...each.

Peace.

Now this is what i needed to tip me over!

I have experience with Sundara 2020 which i sadly don't own anymore. So i'm kind of familiar with the fit and build of these minus headband. Weight won't be a problem.
I did a little research and found out about these selling for 600 euros in EU which seems like a really good deal if these truly perform at the level they should.
My setup is E30 II to L30 II so i can reach over that 2w to 50 ohm suggested level of power.
Low thd is a big thing for me because i use 2018 Harman OE target.
Wide soundstage is not that important. It needs to be accurate and image well. 100% left or right are just reference points which you use to correctly place elements in mix.

 

[Miika]

The XS have more "space" if that makes sense? Not great at describing sound though.

Interesting. I think i know what you mean and it kind of makes sense considering their bigger ear cups.
Im not sure if that is something i need too much of considering my use case.
Thanks!

 

[Leiker535]

The XS have more "space" if that makes sense? Not great at describing sound though.

This. The 6SE has a better tonal balance and is more natural, it sounds more like a headphone, while the XS can sound "aetheral", as sounds appears to come from nothing. Take this audiophool flowery with a grain of salt though.

 

[Miika]

This. The 6SE has a better tonal balance and is more natural, it sounds more like a headphone, while the XS can sound "aetheral", as sounds appears to come from nothing. Take this audiophool flowery with a grain of salt though.

What amp did you use for 6se?

 

[Leiker535]

What amp did you use for 6se?

ifi Zen Can 6XX Signature. It isn't a powerhouse but with the default wall wart can offer up to 2W@50ohm which is enough for safe listening and some EQ.

 

[Miika]

ifi Zen Can 6XX Signature. It isn't a powerhouse but with the default wall wart can offer up to 2W@50ohm which is enough for safe listening and some EQ.

Where do you get that 2W@50ohm from?
I can't find anything that suggests that Zen Can Signature can produce so much power.

 

[fishergod]

You can only enjoy running the headphone from a balanced 4-pin XLR output of the Burson Soloist 3XP amp.

 

[Miika]

You can only enjoy running the headphone from a balanced 4-pin XLR output of the Burson Soloist 3XP amp.

I'm not so sure about that

 

[Zardozz]

Hello. New here and 4 months late to the thread. But maybe have some opinions for others like me who come and read this later.
I own HE6SEv2 and previously had Edition XS on loaner for a long time to compare the two.

COMFORT.
"You wouldn't want the HE6 on your head all day, v[ery] heavy." -- Probably better to get second opinions here. My own opinion is that I strangely like the extra weight. Feels like I'm putting on something of real weight and substantial quality. The weight does not bother me even after 8 hours. The only thing that bothers me on some days (and not others), is the smaller circular pads. If you are careless then on some days the contact or pressure on some parts of your outer ears can make fatigue. On other days, just fine. So XS is the winner for outer ear comfort. But it has ever so slightly more clamping force. On a bad day the 6sev2 is super cadillac comfy for 2 hours then I need a break from the outer ears. On all days the XS (or Ananda/Arya/etc.) is immediately nicer on the ears but micro-not-as-comfy for clamp force that can actually push on your lower jaw. But you get used to it.
Winner: too hard to say, individual reports from different people vary quite a bit. YMMV

SOUND:
Both are good. For me, the 6sev2 takes it for more versatility across genres, but there is a big asterisk. See notes below in VALUE comparison.

SOUND STAGE:
Both are good and I wouldn't be able to say one is better than the other. Maybe XS is wider but 6sev2 has this kind of "presence" where you just forget there's a sound stage. This isn't the same as transparency where you're amazed at what a wide sound stage. You just forget there's a sound stage, whether small or large or medium... whatever it is presenting just makes you forget about stage dimensions. So it's somehow "balanced" to where no awkward dimensionality is reminding you of its width/depth/height.

VALUE:
The XS is the winner on most budget value amps paired with this price range. That's because the 6SEV2 needs full gain and the volume cranked to near tops, and likely you'll need to use balanced out and not single-ended. So the 6sev2 has a hidden cost of needing to invest into a serious amp. However, there is a budget option which does in my opinion make the 6sev2 equal or surpass the XS.

BUDGET AMP SOLUTION:
Unlike many other cheap amps, a Zen Can does a reasonably good job of powering 6sev2 for some reason. The analog bass boost also magically fixes the bass. You can mod this amp to "best value amp for a 6sev2." All you need to do is get a better power supply that gives it 4W instead of 2.4W. Or do the Y-splitter mod.

What's the Y-splitter mod? You simply buy a second iPower SPSU and hook it to one branch of a Y-splitter, hook the first iPower to the other branch, and stick the single tail of the Y into the Zen Can. Bingo, right between the 4W to 5W of power the Zen Can was designed to use. Double the power for only $70 to $100 or so.

Disclaimer: I use a Flux Lab FA-10 for the 6sev2 and on that amp, this headphone really is a killer value, comparable in sonic value and intangible enjoyment fun to Arya and the like. Maybe even more for some genres.

REQUEST FOR OTHER SUGGESTIONS:
HE560V4. This thing hits way above its price. Which is listed as $800 but you can get an open-box special for $230 as of time of this posting. It's a jr. brother to 6sev2, not quite as good on a top-end chain, but better on an affordable budget system, and easier to drive.

Note about TIDAL MASTERS:
For some reason, sound quality for MQA is greatly inferior if you don't have Exclusive Mode and Force Volume checked to on. However, checking those options bypasses software equalization like Peace Equalizer APO. That means you want to be a lot more picky about getting a headphone with FR that's closest to your tastes right out of the box, or 2) get an EQ for your analog output stage. However, a new twist is in the mix just in the last couple of days. Tidal is converting catalog over to lossless FLAC and prioritizing the lossless FLAC delivery over the "Masters"/MQA format. Equalizing 24-bit PCM is far less vulnerable to SQ degradation, as it's just shifting bits which have plenty of "bit headroom", so to speak.

 

[jdan1457]

After a/b testing my XS vs He6se V2, The He6’s seem more powerful in the vocals, more note weight or a little meatier in the electric guitar. And a bit more natural. But a little less sub-bass and a little smaller soundstage. But they made the Edition XS sound a sort of hollow or thin in comparison. the Edition XS sounds a little more artificial now as well.

These are things I never felt about the Edition XS before I started A/B’ing them with the He6se.

I sold my XS shortly after getting the He6.

Edit: running on E70V/L70 stack