It might have been a surprise you, but those model bookshelf speakers are actually more sensitive than the HE6se. Those speakers spec out at 86db, and the headphones are at 83.6db. Not a huge difference, but clearly a significant one.
I did the speaker tap thing for a bit with my Anthem MRX 720 using a zone. Just seemed to be lacking until I added the right headphone amp.
Sorry, I should have been more specific, the purpose is to give it more headroom. I donāt expect it to change the sound other than allow the bass to pull more power and better handle the EQ settings I am running.
I have no doubt a much more expensive amp will sound ābetterā, but Iām very pleased with how it sounds right now out of the A30 Pro and would like the benefit of the extra headroom, not to change the sonic characteristics.
No worries and understood. 2 of the things I came to value more during the pandemic: headroom and headspace!
The only person that needs to enjoy it is you. Ride it out for as long as you can.
^ This, all day every day. So many of us get too carried away with justifying our purchase through others, that we forget we already enjoy said purchase; and thatās all that matters! With that said, staying educated and trying new things is always beneficial, as youāll learn to listen better and will grow your knowledge, and/or itāll further cement your purchasing decision. Just donāt obsess over it, because that makes it extremely difficult to simply enjoy!
Well said also!
Iāll give Andrew Robinson a footnote for the first statement.
Great point. At this point with these, itās not about sound quality as I think they sound incredible, itās the comfort. Going to give it a week of testing wearing them daily and see if they still bother me. If I canāt find them bearable to wear everyday, Iāll return them. If these were the weight of the Sundara, I would keep them without question.
Solid plan. Iāve not had the pleasure of hearing them, but the consensus of those I trust is that theyāre quite special. Enjoy your time with them!
Take your time and enjoy your new headphones.
If the set your using satisfies you you donāt have to worry, just enjoy it
Let things grow with you and your tastes.
It sounds simple but itās one of the hardest thing to do.
Donāt run after othersā tastes.
If comfort doesnāt satisfy you just return them. Comfort is part of the pleasure of listening.
At the end all our hobby is a simple way to enjoy music.
I do play around with EQ. More as a curiosity and less as a dedicated lifestyle. I am certainly not averse to it.
Iām a Roon user and that makes EQing so easy. Up above Antdroid published settings for his HE6SeV2ās. I like those. Oratory1990 has done an amazing amount of analysis for our benefit that I use on some of my collection. But I probably listen as much or more without EQ. The simple reason is that I really like how my most heavily used 'phones sound with my current gear.
If I have learned one thing about my own personal audio playback journey and enjoyment over my many two channel and headphone years it comes down to one simple term: Synergy. Certain drivers sound different out of different gear and sometimes I REALLY like those presentations and that is what I pursue. Or, at least I try to.
Wise, Wise words @Nuance. Itās all too easy to get sucked in purchase justification rather than just enjoying what we have in front of us.
Iām planning on doing something very similar with a little serving table like that so I donāt always have to go upstairs to my main setup. I think a headphone clamp would be goodā¦you could contain it all on the table. Thatās my plan
Thanks. I will definitely get one. Staying organized is always a plus!
Question about running them with the A-100. Are you getting any static noise through the amp? I have an A-100 I wasnāt using so when my HE6se v2 arrived a few days ago I decided to test them on it with the jumper mod. Even with the volume pot all the way down and the RCA completely disconnected from the DAC I get a fluctuating static noise. Itās still there without the mod. Once I start listening to music at high enough volume I canāt hear it but Iād like it to not be there at all. Iāve tried moving the amp to another outlet in case there some issue with the power delivery but it didnāt matter. For now Iām using my SA-1 with the headphones. They sound okay on the SA-1 but the A-100 definitely gives them more authority, especially in the bass.
Edit: In case others read this and mention the noise floor of running headphones through speaker amps, the noise isnāt constant and it seems to only exist in the right channel.
Okay I just tested my A100 quickly. I run it with jumpers 100% of the time.
With the dac connected I basically get no audible noise until I turn the volume knob about 100% (music paused).
With dac disconnected I get zero noise throughout the volume range.
I use 300ohm < 600ohm headphones, so Iām guessing your mileage may very with other headphones impedance/sensitivity ratings.
Try flipping the switch in the back / flip the power cord around and leaving it on for a bitā¦ Iāve read that this amp can be finicky
Mine has been bulletproof for the few years of ownership.
Iāve owned more expensive amps that I didnāt enjoy as much. It just gives my music/ headphones a lively sound.
Just wanted to say this. The HE6 v2 is an incredible headphone. Pads make all the difference in overall performance imo. Not a fan of eq. Se v2 is every bit as special as the original headphone with a quick pad swapā¦ Too bad I canāt tell you which ones I use. Top secret for now 
Thanks. Iāve done quite a bit more testing and fairly certain itās an issue with the amp. Itās just outside of warranty so Iāll be looking to for something new. I think they still sound great with the SA-1 after adjusting the levels Iām sending from my ADI-2, but can tell they want more power.
I also have an A-100 and run it with the jumper installed. I have no issues with noise on the HE6se V2 or any other headphone Iāve tried it with.
Iāve only done about an hour of directly comparing my Focal Clear to my HE6se v2, but I feel confident already that the HE6se is a worthy competitor. The HE6se has every bit as much punch and clarity as the Clear - maybe more. Iād say the HE6se sound is a bit leaner, more precise but not overly so. They definitely give more snap to quick, impulse sounds like electronic clicks and percussion. Whereas the Clear have more body and warmth. Surprisingly the HE6se handles sibilant recordings just as well as the Clear. I suspect the HE6se are more accurate to the source signal but not necessarily more enjoyable. Itās like how Iāve read the Drop 789 amplifier compares to a tube amp.
The differences are subtle and for me they are all in the technical domain since I EQ both headphones to the 2018 Harman Target. Although Iāve been listening to the HE6se mostly through my Emotiva BasX A-100 or Monoprice THX AAA, I compared them level matched through my Focal Arche in Hybrid amplifier mode. I plan to do more comparing using the other amplifiers this weekend.
Two areas the Clear are significantly better are comfort and style. The HE6se are actually much more comfortable than I expected considering their weight and my experience with the Sundara. I donāt have as much issue with the hot spot on top of my head as others seem to and the clamp force isnāt excessive even right out of the box. But I certainly donāt think they are as comfortable after an hour of listening as the Clear.
As always just my 2 cents.
Have you tried SA 1 in a pream mode into emotiva? Candidly I only enjoy emotiva with he6 v2 if it is powered with a preamp. I tried both Asgard 2 and Singxer sa 1 and they both improve he6 substantially. I put vol on max on emotiva and will control it on the preamp. Iāve got no noise, but if I use headphones with a lower impedance the noise is there.
