Hifiman HE6Se V2

[Torq]

What I’m describing as “pad creak”, above, definitely isn’t driver flex; it’s coming from the pad itself.

It doesn’t require pushing on the pads to make it happen either. Just turning my head, or looking up or down, while wearing them is enough to do it. And if I just hold the pad over my ear, against my face, even without a seal, and move it even slightly, it creaks. It’s very strange, and not something I’ve come across before.

I can say that is not as bad this morning as it was yesterday. The left one is now about at the level the right one was yesterday, and the right one is now barley doing it at all. I think it’s due to the mixed materials on the pad and the fact that they’re a bit stiff at the moment.

[Torq]

@deafenears

At least it was this and not a Sennheiser HE 1.

Fortunately there was no danger of that, as I’ve heard them*.

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*Being serious … they’re great, but I like the HE90 better, and I can’t get past the rather aesthetically unbalanced design of the HE-1 setup.

[Torq]

They seem to mostly just need something with a high slew rate and lots of power on tap, even if they don’t really use that power directly. The more powerful USB dongle DAC/amps can get them to about 100 dB/SPL - though they sound like ass doing it.

Their power requirements are as follows:

Schiit’s Lyr 3* seems to be the first point at which they actually start to exhibit their HE-6-ness. That’s quite a dynamic, punchy, and enjoyable combination. They’re listenable, in an inoffensive manner, with less power than that available, but Lyr 3 was really the level they first started to “come alive”.

I could surmise that a Jotunheim 2 would do a similarly good job, maybe better since I expect it is a faster amp, but I don’t have one to fiddle with.

Beyond that, despite lower power available, the HSA-1b drives them incredibly well, and better still via its speaker taps. They sound great here, full of impact, major slam, nice smooth mids, though the treble is still a bit tetchy/uncouth (a headphone thing, since the HSA-1b has a very smooth top-end).

They are very-much HE-6 like off my 8W @ 50Ω tube amp, and I listened here for several hours and was thoroughly entertained. The treble tetchiness cleaned up here too, though that may have as much to do with having run them for a little while as it was the tube factor (we’ll see later today).

So far they’ve given their best showing off speaker amps, specifically a Chord Étude and a Chord Ultima 5, though both are massive overkill in terms of my thoughts on the headphones overall performance. I wouldn’t entertain spending nearly that amount getting these to sing.

A Vidar is probably ample, and about as far I would likely take it if not already using a speaker amplifier for either SR1a or proper speaker duty.

More thoughts later, maybe … but for now I’ll say while I like them better than all but two pairs of HiFiMan’s other current headphones I think they’re more a nostalgia/specialty fun piece for me and while justifiable at $700, but I don’t think I’d be making that statement at $1800.

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*The original Lyr, and Lyr 2, both did very well with the original HE-6, which were one of the headphones that sort of drove the need for those amps early in Schiit’s history.

[Torq]

A thought about the cables …

I think it is pretty well known, either by repute or direct experience, that the general look and feel of recent HiFiMan cables is not exactly “premium”. If I was feeling charitable, I might liken them to thin magnet wire stuffed into the sun-dried remains of some poor pig’s lower intestines (aka sausage casings). They have a sort of semi-transparent dead-flesh aesthetic, as a result. This adds nothing to their appeal.

They’re also rather kinky (we’re talking limited bend radius here, not a downtown-Portland late-night experience). Anything more than a slight bend and the outer sheath suddenly kinks. It’s a bit like wrestling a cheap garden hose. The cable came pre-kinked, with the kinks around the ends of the plugs and sockets being seemingly permanent. While the Neutrik connectors used have excellent internal strain reliefs, the moment the cable exits the connector, it’ll kink again.

They sound fine, are light, and have no discernible microphonics … but they’re easily the worst and cheapest looking and feeling cables I’ve ever had come with a headphone, and I don’t hold out much hope for their longevity.

[MRHifiReviews]

@Torq

They sound fine, are light, and have no discernible microphonics … but they’re easily the worst and cheapest looking and feeling cables I’ve ever had come with a headphone, and I don’t hold out much hope for their longevity.

Agreed % worst of all the Hifiman cables yet. The ones I received had bends in them before they even came out of the box.

[antdroid]

I looked at the cable quickly when I unboxed it, laughed, and shut the box up and put it in my garage. I pulled it out again today just to give it another look, and laughed again.

[Audiophool]

Thanks for the information. Curious what those two Hifiman are. How does it compare to the Arya in your opinion?

[MRHifiReviews]

So the HE6seV2 sound better on the Mogwai OG so far, better than the majority of other amps I have on hand right now, (not the nautilus it crushes all on every headphone so far.) although I need to run them one more time with the pendant on the lowZ to get a feel and A/B with mogwai and definitely not after listening to the Empyrean for 2 hours lol.

It sounds like the most current will be produced on the low z tap for AmpsAndSound amps, and most of Justin’s customers prefer the low z tap for planars for the additional current. @Torq did you ever run any KT88 power tubes on any of your amps over the years?

Justin said I could gain an additional 2 watts by upgrading to KT88 power tubes and I know you have vastly more experience and knowledge than I do so I thought I would ask if you had some you loved.

[Torq]

@Audiophool

How does it compare to the Arya in your opinion?

At a very high level, and taking price out of the equation, the Arya is probably the better, or at least more refined, overall headphone, though that will depend on what music you listen to and what you have available to drive them with.

The biggest issues for me with Arya is that is lacking in slam and impact to the point where it feels soft, and sometimes sounds “slow”, compared to the better competition at its price point. The HE6SE V2, properly driven, is the polar opposite … it has exceptional slam, impact and speed.

So if your musical diet is heavy on simpler acoustic pieces, Jazz, basic pop the Arya is easily the better choice. For electronic music especially, or for anything that relies on a sense of impact, scale and speed, or that needs to “hit hard”, the HE6SE V2 leaves the Arya staring awkwardly at its shoes.

Now, when price is in the question, while I don’t think the HE6SE V2 is worth HiFiMan’s official asking price, at $699 it is a much better proposition than the Arya. If you can drive the HE6SE V2 properly, or course.

I’ll say more about the HE6SE V2 as I get more time with them, but that’s the high-level takeaway I have for them vs. Arya.

@Audiophool

Curious what those two Hifiman are.

Susvara and HE1000se.

Neither of which I think justify their asking prices, but at what you can actually get them for they are competitive, and the Susvara, while not my favorite planar, is certainly a worthy flagship based on how it sounds (build and feel are another matter).

[Torq]

@MRHifiReviews

@Torq did you ever run any KT88 power tubes on any of your amps over the years?

Justin said I could gain an additional 2 watts by upgrading to KT88 power tubes and I know you have vastly more experience and knowledge than I do so I thought I would ask if you had some you loved.

Can’t say I have.

My tube amplifiers have all either revolved around SET tubes, mainly the 300B and 2A3, or been lower-powered units running much smaller tubes in various configurations. The only notable exception was an older Sonic Frontiers “Anthem” piece that ran on a quad of EL34.

So, sorry, can’t help on this one!

[Pharmaboy]

When I bought my gently used HEX v2, I looked in astonishment at the stock cable that comes with it. Photographs don’t do it justice: it’s even wimpier and less impressive in person.

More than anything else, the cable looks like cheap 3rd world surgical tubing. If someone tried to infuse anything in my arm w/that tubing, I would say, “For any creature larger than a guinea pig, this will never do.”

[Torq]

A couple more thoughts, ahead of actual sound-specific impressions …

Comfort

At a high-level, these feel a lot like the Focal Elex when worn. For a start, clamp pressure is similar - being lower than an HD6XX or RAD-0, higher than an HD800S. Weight is right in line. Pads feel much like those Elex’s against my face, though they make my ears feel a little warmer than those Focal use - possibly due to their hybrid nature.

The headband gives me a hotspot right at the top of my crown after about half an hour of wear, which is pretty rare for me; the HEADphone being the only other traditional-style headphone that did such (and that’s because of the short yokes on the initial units, which mine is). Interestingly, this hotspot fades away again … so it may just be the nature of the padding in the headband (it’s pretty firm), so maybe it softens as it warms up.

Adjustability is fine, more than enough range for my head with extra yoke length to spare, and they allow the cups a reasonable degree of rotation - certainly more than on some HiFiMan models I could mention, so getting a proper fit and seal should be a given for most people.

Overall, they feel more substantial than the older thin-bent-metal suspension design (that I’ve seen snap just with someone putting them on their head).

Value (w/ Random Massive Price Swings)

At the $1,799 MSRP I don’t personally see it, given the other options available right around that price point. You’d have to really want an HE6-like headphone to pay that much for these, while also being averse to considering an original used set. I would not have been happy if I’d paid that much for these.

For a primary headphone, around that price, I’d be looking at the Focal Clear, HEDDphone, Sennheiser HD800S or ZMF Auteur (the lack of other planar in that list is not an oversight).

At the $699 I actually paid, they’re a much more interesting proposition. If you’ve ever been interested in, or curious about, the HE-6, or had one, let it go, and now want another, then they’re a no-brainer. They even respond to the common mods made on the originals in much the same way. And you’ll probably want to mod them (at least removing the rear grille) if you’re not using them a specialty piece.

Just go into it accepting that you’ll almost certainly want to ditch the cable they come with, and if you want them to sound like an HE-6 you’ll need to make sure you have a suitably beefy amplifier available.

I’ll go further than that, though.

While I consider it a bit of a speciality/fun headphone, and it wouldn’t fit my preferences as an “all purpose” headphone, at $699 the HE6SE V2 is the only current-production planar headphone I would spend my own money on, this side of a Rosson RAD-0 (which is a legitimately high-end piece).

Pad “Creak”

The creaking from the pads I mentioned initially has finally gone away. I still think it was down to the combination of some initial pad stiffness, coupled with the hybrid design. That took about 48 hours, split between having them on my head and on an Omega-style stand.

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Actual listening impressions at some point in the not very distant future.

[Torq]

More time listening with them … because in the right context they’re very addictive … and a few more, somewhat random, thoughts:

• They do benefit from removing the rear grilles; mostly in terms of stage size (width). The genres I find the HE6SE V2 best for don’t really have a true stage, so this is of limited benefit to me, but your mileage may vary.

• Treble “tectchiness” has reduced over a few days. Still there if I listen for it, but at a lower level and much better than fresh out of the box … and even then not apparent with all music.

• Occasionally I hear a bit of a honk in the upper mids, which might be something that can be damped out with a simple mod. It’s not a big issue, and I’ve heard worse, on more expensive cans, though those have been closed-back. It’s a bit less apparent without the grilles on. Mostly worth noting if you’re considering these as an “only” or “primary” headphone.

• Macro-dynamics are superlative with proper amping. You’re looking at mid-range Focal’s or the HEDDphone to get to the same level.

• Timbre, for some instruments, has an slight, occasional, odd, shiny-but-dull (yes, I know that seems like a contradiction) quality to it. And there’s an odd almost-metallic “twang” to the decay of some fast transients (until you really up the amp power). I wouldn’t call it “plastic”, but it’s not as natural as what I’ve come to expect for a $1,800 headphone, and something I don’t get with much more modestly priced dynamic stalwarts.

• Detail/resolution are equal to, or slightly ahead of the pack, for recent, similarly priced, planars.

• Take every caution you’ve ever read about any version of the HE-6 being power hungry seriously. They’re unique and quite special when well driven. They’re polite, inoffensive and really rather pointless if underpowered.

• Absent access to a good copy of the pre-fazor LCD-2.2c, I can’t currently name another planar that I like as much as the HE6SE V2 for a comparable price. Nothing in current-production would qualify.

• At $699, even if you had to add a Lyr 3 or Jotunheim 2 (or whatever similar amp you have in mind) to juice them, they’re a pretty compelling option.

• At $899, which I understand was the first discounted price point Adorama offered them at, I would be quite happy with them. At least until I discovered they were later being sold at $699.

• At $1,199, which was, I think, the original MSRP for the first HE-6, I wouldn’t be upset either (subsequent price drop remorse excepted), though I’d be starting to look at other, dynamic, options. I’d be iffy on them as a sole-can at this point, but as specialty, nostalgia or collection piece, that’d be fine.

• At full MSRP? I’d be out. They might be unique, but they’re not at that level today - for me.

Bear in mind I’m not the world’s biggest planar fan (despite planar technology being what re-invigorated my interest in headphone listening back in 2011/2012), and tend to find they’re not that interesting until approaching TOTL designs.

All that said, I am keeping my set … for $699 I’m very pleasantly surprised.

[Torq]

And a couple of very quick and dirty shots, for provenance* …

And yes, I’m using my own cables (including for any listening commentary) because the included ones are just that bad!

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*I’ve had a couple of people, via other channels, accuse me of not actually having these. A bizarre position, given that I like them. Maybe they’re upset that I’m not saying they’re the bestest-evah-headphone for just $1,799!

[eric75]

By chance have you tried the HE6se with a Phonitor or Pendant amp? I’ve always wanted to try an HE6 but I don’t want to buy an amp just for it. I have a Phonitor E and Pendant as my main amps. If neither of those are capable of really opening it up and making it sound as good as a speaker amp then I’ll likely just skip it.

[Torq]

Sorry, I haven’t.

I sold my Phonitor X last year as part of my pre-travel consolidation - which is well before I got the HE6SE V2 (in the last few days). It’s probably not the best match, power-wise, for something as insensitive as the HE6 due to the thermal/current limits with lower impedance cans.

I didn’t get around to buying a Pendant, despite intending to (by the time I’d decided on what wood I wanted the base in, there was talk of an updated model, so I decided to wait).

[Nick_Mimi]

I have both amps and the HE6se vs1. In all honesty spend your hard earned dollars elswhere. You won’t feel like you have anything special and eventually you will spend the money on a big amp or just re-sell them because you will always wonder what it is you are missing out on…I went and purchased an Adcom GSA555 mk2 before i satisfied my craving to hear what these could do. It’s a great amp and now does double duty as a speaker amp for my Polk LS703’s…
The bottom end comes alive, the midrange and highs will slap you in the face with authority when you give these more current. They are not the most technically capable and have issuess. Much has been written about them in countless forums by people w/ ears much more technically capable of breaking down the music than I. Personally though for pop, EDM, techno, club and the like i find them enjoyable more-so than other HP’s i own. They hit harder and played more lively than the Audeze LCD 24 or 4’s IMO when i tried those out, which is why i don’t own them. Both the Audeze though seemed more technically savvy HP’s if that is what you are after w/ plenty of oomf and they WILL play w/ your amps. The HE6 are great IF you already own a great speaker amp, otherwise they are not a deal at any price and there are currently more capable HP’s available at the $1800 to purchase. ( $600 hp + adaptor at $100-$300, + new cables $100-$700, + amp at $500-$5000 = not such a great deal).
Good luck w/ whatever you decide happy listening always.

[eric75]

Excellent post! I’m not ready to invest in a proper amp for it now so I’ll pass until I’m ready to fully commit. Thank you for the detailed response.

[BuffaloWing]

What sort of power ratings would one really want to see to runs these? 2-3W per channel?