Hifiman HE6Se V2

Plenty of pad options these days - Dekoni, Defean, Brainwave, some others via Aliexpress too.

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Hey guys - new here but long time youtube viewer. Thanks to Resolve and Antdroid for the great reviews. I just wanna share my two cents on some of the third-party pads I have tested on my minidSP EARS rig for the HE6SE V2. If linearity is desired, I would recommend the Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads.

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@Resolve Hi, did you ever make an eq for the he6 v2? Im using antrdoids right now and it is a great improvement. Takes them from a 7.5 to a 9 for me
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Just picked up the HE6SE V2 for $650, but my current Atom Amp, which drives my Sundara and TYGR 300R Excellently, I highly doubt can drive the HE6SEV2.

I don’t want to spend a ton on an amp. Any suggestions on something that is around $200 or less that can drive these bad boys?

The Topping A50s looks like it can do about 3 watts per channel balanced, will that be enough?

Quantitatively? In theory, sure.

Qualitatively? I don’t know how to spell the negative-sounding noise I want to make.

Power Requirements for the HE6SE V2 so you can go from there …


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So the A50s should be enough?

Any other options in that price range with enough power?

This is a really tough headphone to pair with amps in that price range. They may have enough power, but they tend to sound pretty poorly when pushed this hard, or are engineeered to a very affrodable price point rather than a good sounding one. You might want to try and find a used Jotunheim 1 (@ProfFalkin ) had one for sale recently, as it is the best bargain I can think of in this class.

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@Torq is suggesting “NO, DON’T DO IT!”

That was my thought too. As of now (July 13), Schiit has B Stock and closeout new Jot 1 amps for $279 to $299.

https://www.schiit.com/b-stocks

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The Topping A30 Pro looks like a good option as well. I’m not a huge fan of Schiit after I purchased my first dac/amp from them (Fulla 3) and found out it wasn’t what I needed, They wanted me to pay shipping back to them and charge a 15% restocking fee. The shipping wasn’t a big deal but a 15% restocking fee when I only had it for about 3 days and it was in perfect condition really turned me off to them, I would much rather purchase from Topping or another company.

I don’t think the A30 will be much different than the A50s. You will be pushing either amp very hard. They’ll surely function in some fashion, but their performance may disappoint you. I went through several weak and cheap amps with my Dan Clark AEON Flow before I accepted they needed massive power beyond the paper specs.

Take @mfadio’s and @Torq’s comments seriously. Recall the expression “Buy nice or buy twice.”

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The measured specs on the A30 Pro from ASR are very impressive. 3.4 watts per channel at 50 ohms measured from Amir.

Are you just saying they are cheap because you don’t like Topping or do you have experience with it? It seems like it has nearly the same power as the Jotunhiem (4 watts per channel) and a similar price point at $350

We are not saying it is cheap. We are saying it sounds like hot garbage.

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I went down the ASR hole several years ago and bought a THX AAA 789 in part because of its stellar measurements and Amir’s review. After trying a bunch of headphones on the 789 and other amps, I now have zero interest in THX/Topping style measurements-are-primary amps. They indeed sound pretty good versus the entry-level stuff that came before, but are edgy, fatiguing, and unpleasant versus many non-measurement-focused amps and higher-end products.

@Torq conveyed a similar implication in his “negative-sounding noise I want to make” comment, and @mfadio addressed the cost-cutting typical in the price range. Both of them have a lot more experience with high-end equipment than I do too.

You may love it. You make your own decisions and try for yourself.

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If you’re going to go by what ASR says … you should have bought a Drop Ether CX, Geshelli Amp and Topping DAC.

Anything else and using “ASR measurements” as the rationale doesn’t really hold up.

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I’m not sure this is a fair or legitimate criticism. Schiit makes it clear, on each product page, that “if you don’t like your Fulla 3, you can send it back for a refund, minus 15% restocking fee, within 15 days of receiving it.”

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Agreed. I guess they could charge a lot more for their products and then drop the 15% restocking fee. That’s better for everyone, ya? :wink:

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I’ve been scraping the web looking for anything that might help you out. The HE6Se V2 is an irritating headphone as it looks like a massive bargain, but will not perform on most bargain amps.

However, if you are anti-Schiit you might want to look at the ifi zen can; it may work. @SebastienChiu might know more. But honestly, what you will mostly get are recommendations for much more expensive amplifiers, because the HE6 is a demanding electrical load.

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Also, you can often get the same or better money back by selling unwanted Schiit on an auction or hobby website. You don’t have to pay shipping that way.

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I had the ifi zen can. It can drive headphones plenty loud but won’t have the grunt for HE6se.

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I should hasten to add that if you decide to get a b-stock Jot 1 from Schiit, @Jman841, do please note that the return policy doesn’t apply!

For b-stock Schiit’s website states “Everything we sell here is covered by the full factory warranty. However, all sales here are final. There’s no 15-day return period. There are no trade-ups. If you know what you want, that’s great. If you may need to try a few things, better to go with the regular product listings.”

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