Topping A70 Pro vs SMSL H400 vs Speaker Amp route — or something else? Best amp to drive the HE6SE V2?

[n6o6n6]

I recently acquired a Hifiman HE6SE V2 and I'm now hunting for an amp that can actually do it justice. My current setup is underpowered for it, so I'm looking to upgrade properly.

I've been looking at three directions but I'm very open to other suggestions:

Option 1 — Topping A70 Pro
Plenty of power on paper, balanced output, modern measurements. Seems like a safe and well-reviewed choice, but I'm curious whether the real-world performance with the HE6SE lives up to the spec sheet.

Option 2 — SMSL H400
Specifically built with high-demand headphones in mind. The power output looks appropriate, but I'd love to hear from anyone who's actually paired it with the HE6SE or HE6SE V2.

Option 3 — Speaker amp route
I know this is the "traditional" recommendation for the HE6SE. Open to suggestions on which speaker amp at a reasonable price point would be the best match.

Option 4 — Something else entirely?
Not married to any of the above. If there's an amp you think is a better fit for the HE6SE V2 that I haven't mentioned, I'd love to hear it. Budget is flexible for the right choice.

Appreciate any firsthand experience or strong opinions. Thanks!

 

[Stanner]

HE6se V2 owner here. I’m currently running mine from a speaker amp with the hifiman speaker adapter.

I went with the speaker amp primarily because I had a receiver kicking around and was on a budget. I also have a Topping L50 that I previously used with other headphones. It actually does a better job with the HE6se V2 than I expected, but it still leaves a bit to be desired.

Given your situation, I would probably go with a dedicated headphone amp like the Topping A70 Pro or SMSL H400 that you’re considering. I’ve considered both of those myself and still am. Unless you specifically want to use a speaker amp, I think a dedicated headphone amp makes more sense here.

One other thing, do you already have a dac with xlr outputs? You’ll want to run the amp balanced if you want to get the most power out of it.

 

[zonk]

I use a HE6se with a Topping A90 and A90D with a balanced connection. It works perfect. A speaker amp is not needed in my opinion.

If I would look for a new headphone amp I would choose a Topping A70 pro, but a Topping L70 could be an option too.

Even a Topping DX5 II should be sufficient.

Topping A70 Pro Single ended (6.35mm): 16Ω: 2 x 6000mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 32Ω: 2 x 3000mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 300Ω: 2 x 330mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%)	Topping A90 Discrete Single ended (6.35mm): 16Ω: 2 x 3300mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 32Ω: 2 x 2000mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 300Ω: 2 x 250mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%)	Topping L70 Single ended (6.35mm): 16Ω: 2 x 3500mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 32Ω: 2 x 2300mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 300Ω: 2 x 290mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%)	Topping DX5 II Single ended (6.35mm): 16Ω: 2 x 3300mW (THD+N: Under 1%) 32Ω: 2 x 2200mW (THD+N: Under 1%) 300Ω: 2 x250mW (THD+N: Under 1%)
Balanced (4.4mm/XLR4): 16Ω: 2 x 17000mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 32Ω: 2 x 12600mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 300Ω: 2x 1370mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%)	Balanced (4.4mm/XLR4): 16Ω: 2 x 9800mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 32Ω: 2 x 6700mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 300Ω: 2x 1000mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%)	Balanced (4.4mm/XLR4): 16Ω: 2 x 6000mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 32Ω: 2 x 7500mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%) 300Ω: 2 x 1150mW (THD+N: Under 0,1%)	Balanced (4.4mm/XLR4): 16Ω: 2 x 7600mW (THD+N: Under 1%) 32Ω: 2 x 6400mW (THD+N: Under 1%) 300Ω: 2 x 990mW (THD+N: Under 1%)

 

[Mort]

I went with the Schiit Ragnorok which is basically a speaker amp and stop didn't achieve the sound I was expecting.

It's a white whale.

 

[n6o6n6]

HE6se V2 owner here. I’m currently running mine from a speaker amp with the hifiman speaker adapter.

I went with the speaker amp primarily because I had a receiver kicking around and was on a budget. I also have a Topping L50 that I previously used with other headphones. It actually does a better job with the HE6se V2 than I expected, but it still leaves a bit to be desired.

Given your situation, I would probably go with a dedicated headphone amp like the Topping A70 Pro or SMSL H400 that you’re considering. I’ve considered both of those myself and still am. Unless you specifically want to use a speaker amp, I think a dedicated headphone amp makes more sense here.

One other thing, do you already have a dac with xlr outputs? You’ll want to run the amp balanced if you want to get the most power out of it.

Hey, thanks for the reply Stanner (and also zonk and Mort too)

Yes I have a dac with xlr outputs. I plan to run the amp balanced too.

 

[Stanner]

All more a reason to go with a70 pro or h400. Those have more than enough power even if you eq your headphones with a bass shelf applied.

If you dont eq them I bet a topping L70 would be more than enough. Without eq my L50 could get them to far beyond comfortable listening levels on high gain, and that makes less power than the L70.

Considering the a70 pro or h400 is within budget, just go for one of those two. That way, you wont have an itch for an upgrade in the future, or regrets that you didn’t get the one you wanted.

Happy listening

 

[n6o6n6]

All more a reason to go with a70 pro or h400. Those have more than enough power even if you eq your headphones with a bass shelf applied.

If you dont eq them I bet a topping L70 would be more than enough. Without eq my L50 could get them to far beyond comfortable listening levels on high gain, and that makes less power than the L70.

Considering the a70 pro or h400 is within budget, just go for one of those two. That way, you wont have an itch for an upgrade in the future, or regrets that you didn’t get the one you wanted.

Happy listening

Yea, I think I will go with the A70 pro or H400

Happy listening too.