As far as which do I prefer? Don’t know yet. I am leaving the 396a’s in until the socket savers arrive. These are just too difficult to swap as there is very little to grip above the amp case. I do remember I liked the 5670’s quite a bit and initially was not too impressed by the 396as. They may have broken in though. The bass guitars are clear and articulate. The drum solo from Moby Dick (led Zep/Bonham) was there with all of the detail and tones. Apparently I’ll be swapping sometime between 02/15 and 03/24 Ebay/China shipping time.
Reviewed my tube collection and the emails at the time of purchase, couldn’t find the 6N3P-DP (even while on the email and order specified 6N3P-DP, all were 6N3P-EV).
There are no 6N3P-DP in existence from what I’ve researched, only 6N3P, 6N3P-E and 6N3P-EV versions.
In my tests -E and -EV versions sounded basically the same.
Noticed also sound improved a lot after one week of using the GE5670s; they sounded great at the beggining, some slight harshness with bad sources that was gone after that week of usage: smooth and silky. Detail improved too.
Not saying 6HN3-E are bad at all; but on Loxjie P20 circuit (I haven’t measured nor analyzed anything) definitely the GE 5670 make a significant difference in sq.
This rig (SRC2496 - Loxjie P20) has me mesmerized with its sonic rendition, incredible articulation and detail.
BTW my SRC2496 unit is from 2003, bought it second hand, apparently newer production PCBs are different and doesn’t use AKM4393.
I have a pair of the 6N3P-DR in cyrillic it is: 6Н3П-ДР
When i bought the unit I was running it with the newer (green label) GE 5670 and was much better than the chinese 6n3, but was still a bit sterile sounding. Upgraded to the 50’s GE 5670 3 Mica and instantly became much smoother while still detailed. Took some of the harshness out and have more airy treble. Going to try the 6N3P-DR and 50’s WE 2C51 tomorrow to see if it makes a difference.
Did you get it from the seller from twn? i bought a pair from him before as well, he sells the non JG version, and overall matching isn’t the closest, but its more than good enough to use. There’s another seller selling the JG (military version) one’s that’s better matched.
So the 6N3P-DR is working quite good, it’s actually more similar to the 3 mica 5670 than it’s not. Bass is slightly better than the 5670 3mica, but sacrifices some of the treble details the 5670 have. For the price the DR is a rocking deal… Will still need more listening to see if there are other differences, but the fact I need to do that tells me they are closer than they are not as mentioned.
I’m liking the 3mica JG 5670 so much I just put a pair into my iCan Pro. Will transplant a pair of JW WE 2C51 1950’s into my other iCan Pro.
My P20 is turning into my tube testing machine lol.
No, my seller’s name is ayumitubes (on ebay). They arrived the other day–lightning speed for something coming from that far away.
Bass on the 6N3P-DR is slightly better than these tubes? Now I’m in trouble! I haven’t even rec’d my P20 yet and already I sucked down the tube-rolling vortex…
Hi all, my first post here but I have just enjoyed reading this great thread!
I have recently become a headphone convert due to starting to share an office and also having a new born baby at home, this obviously also limits me to closed back headphones (unfortunately).
For my office set up I have an SMSL SU-8 feeding a JDS Atom and a Loxjie P20. My current headphones are Beyerdynamic Custom Studio which sound pretty decent through this set up, however, I am wanting to add a least one pair of open-backs to my (quickly growing) collection of closed backs. Mainly this would be to connect them balanced to the P20, so I am specifically looking for something that pairs well with this particular amp. I would probably only get around 2 hours a day out of them (when my office is empty in the evening).
I was thinking of picking up the Beyer DT1990 but I would have to go through the hassle of switching out the mini XLR on them. I have also read that they are not that great when run balanced.
That sort of leaves me with the HD600, HD650 and the HD660S. Pricing is also in that order (no Massdrop I’m afraid) costing approx $350, $400 and $500 respectively.
What would you recommend to pair with the P20?
While asking, I wouldn’t be against another set of closed backs also if they play nicely with it.
Well I think you can’t go wrong with the any of those Senns, I found the HD650 fairly warm, I haven’t heard the HD600 but heard it is also a great pair. I would consider the HD660s the top of this line and would probably go for that one (newer release so should have some lessons learned built into it).
Also it depends on the style of music you prefer, and sound signature you are looking for. Bright and airy, warm, and relaxing? etc.
Semi-open might be a good choice, which you could look into Fostex mid level cans. Or you could go planar and get the Sundara right now for $350 (down from the $500 range), and can be found via Hifimans website or on Amazon.
Maybe look into a couple of those options, I’m sure some other folks will chime in with some ideas also.
If looking for deals always check B-stock/open box deals from reputable shops. I don’t want to pander Headphone.com but they do have great deals and an awesome return policy if something isn’t to your liking.
Also part of the reason I dived deep into the headphone game was due to my daughter coming into this world and not wanting to disrupt her while I listened to music/games/movies/youtube/interwebs lol.
I’ve owned HD-600s for about 5 years, and demoed HD-650s before buying them. The 600s are generally neutral and the 650s are warm. Honestly, more than a few reviewers prefer the 600 over the 650 (e.g., see Wall of Fame at Innerfidelity). I’m running my 600s balanced through the P20, a Massdrop THX AAA 789, and a FiiO Q5 (mobile). They are great and easy-going, but not a technical match for $500+ headphones (e.g., Focal Elear/Elex).
The 600s are bass-light for some genres and users, but fill out and warm up on the P20. The 650s would be too warm on the P20 for my taste. The 660s are a much later product and followed the HD-700s – they may be superior or a different breed entirely. I have no experience with either the 660 or 700.
For the money, it’s very very hard to beat the P20 HD-600 combo, or a P20 HiFiMan HE-560 combo ($300 headphones in the US).
Regarding closed headphones, I currently own MrSpeakers AEON Flow Closed (see other recent threads and the review from @Torq. He is spot on regarding the profiles of both the open and closed variations. However, they retail for $800 so they are not competitive pricewise. My other closed headphones are Sony Bluetooth noise cancelling, with moderate quality and a ton of digital processing. They work great for their intended use, but don’t benefit from an amp at all.
I listen to all kinds of music, from classical to hip hop and EDM to old delta blues. I spend 8 hours a day at my desk so I get plenty of time to explore. I am also a bass player so I love exploring unknown music. Saying that, the Custom Pro have plenty of bass when I need/want it.
I was actually contemplating the Sundaras also, as they are the same price as the HD660s here (around $500), but wasn’t sure how they would pair with tubes. I seem to remember reading something about planars and tubes not playing well together, however, I could be completely wrong as I have read soooo much in the last couple of months since I moved over to headphones.
The issue is that I am in Spain, which makes most purchases from outside the EU cost prohibitive due to import duties and the hassle of warranties if needed.
Those are most definitely on my wish list, just the price here (over $1000) is putting me off. I do get to travel to the US due to work so hopefully I can get to try a pair before dropping $1k on them.
With Planars and a hybrid like the Loxjie P20 you should be fine, and I use my planars with some of my other tube amps (Cayin HA-1A MKII) and enjoy them. But maybe they wouldn’t pair as well with an OTL maybe? I can check later with my bottlehead crack, but unsure when I will get the chance to (it is in the garage in prep for Speedball).
Cheers, and good luck with purchase. I think any that you have specified would work well.
Whilst I haven’t tried the HD600’s I have had the HD650’s for a little under 3 years. Whilst I am predominantly an Iem man I love the HD650’s for the Mids. For me this is what they excell at. With great Tone and Timbre. They could do with being a little brighter for my personal taste but for the money they’re one hell of a set of cans.
hahah…
