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TIMESTAMPS
The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20110317110343/http://base.teamxbox.com:80/43202/
I think it's time to apply for KBI's reinstatement. To me, he was an overall benefit to this forum and I for one don't believe anything he said here could have been all that bad considering some of the swill I see posted.
Kevin
Pure golden words. It is still to be seen if KBI is interest on this.
Any way I endorse the appeal 100%.
A
We will trully miss you KBI. It is very unlikely anyone is going to put as much efforts as you did to give the DT48 a deserved place - imo - in the pantheon of headphones.
Shamu
Others were deleted. Very low Head Fi. Members who miss me can't say there last good byes & express their concerns about my contributions. What TOA did they break? Very classless.. & I'm still waiting to know why I was banned. Your MOD FAQ's are a joke. How about you follow your own guidelines. You bunch of schmucks. Jude. Voltron. Erik. Jpeg. Currwong. I'd love to meet anyone of you at a meet personally, to see how far you go to avoid me, especially Jude, who has a little mans complex.
173 pics.. & more info on these headphones then anywhere on the net. Guaranteed. Join. Become a fan. Read why these headphones are still in production after 73 yrs.
I marketed your DT48 on headfi, not with any interior motive, but because I love the DT48 so much. I put the DT48 on the map. Others might have brought it up, but none had the desire or dedication to make these headphones known. I am personally responsible for the sale of many DT48 headphones. Check your DT48 numbers. I will guarantee you more were sold between 08-10, then in 05-07. I also own many DT48 headphones & my passion is unlimited. I will take any job, even as a intern to get my foot in the door. Take this seriously. I live in CA. & don't forget about the large DT48 thread. One of the largest on Head Fi. My email address is coolbubbaice@yahoo.com
SWZ customs is a up & coming 3rd party cable maker, & also mods & recables headphones at a very fair price. Hector, the owner, is very responsible & reliable.. His company is very accommodating to your request.. More then any other cable maker. SWZ is on avsforum.com & headfi.com. Hector is a perfectionist & always takes into account your input. No ego involved.
I highly recommend his work.. They are just as good as monoprice & bluejean cables.. But SWZ adds a special touch that others don't have. These pictures illustrate his enormous talents.. If you would like to contact me so you can get in touch with SWZ, my email address is coolbubbaice@yahoo.com. Audio impressions to come when I get them.
As there seems to be some misunderstanding about moderation in the forums, here are some answers to questions frequency asked of us.
1. I have a problem with something someone posted on the forums. How do I contact a moderator or admin?
Please click on the red circle button bottom left of the post and fill in the box that comes up with an explanation of what the problem is. This will inform all moderators immediately of the problem.
It would be constructive to go through a few points on civil discourse:
It is fine to disagree with someone. How you disagree, however, makes all the difference. Go ahead and tell someone that they are wrong, missing the point, or whatever. But don't call them names. Leave out the “idiot,” “moron,” etc. and just tell them that they're wrong. Then go into an explanation as to why they are wrong.
Name-calling is something that works into the prohibition of trolling/abuse. Don't do it. This is the kind of thing that gets posts removed.
If someone calls you a name, do not respond in kind. Please report it and the Staff will take care of that poster.
Along the lines of name-calling, we do not permit people to make fun, taunt, or post negative comments about someone's race, ethnicity, geographic location, religion, political party, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or social status. Unkind comments about these will result in your post being removed and an infraction given.
Another prohibited speech is any kind of threat. Do not threaten physical harm, computer/Internet attacks, legal action, or make any other kind of threat to an individual and his/her property or interests. We take threats very seriously and, if necessary, fully cooperate with law enforcement. We are also very much inclined to ban anyone who make threats.
We also prohibit swearing and obscenity. George Carlin's “Seven Words” apply here. If you don't know what they are, Google him. Hilarious routine, but we cannot use those words here. The reason for this is that some web filters look for obscenity and block sites accordingly. This would mean that a number of people who come to Head-Fi through work or school might not be able to visit this site.
4.On the removal of posts.
After reading the above, you should have a good idea of what we are looking to keep out of Head-Fi. If you post about one of these things, we will remove the post. We also remove posts that quote or reference offending posts. If you quote someone calling someone else a moron – even if your post is civil – we remove it because it contains or references offensive content.
We apologize for removing well-intentioned posts, but we cannot allow offensive content or references to offensive content to stay.
Deletion isn't permanent, and can be reversed. It is not unusual for posts to be re-instated after a major thread clean-up upon further review.
3. Why was a person banned?
We DO NOT discuss the terms of individual bans with third parties. They are ONLY discussed among Head-Fi Staff (Moderators and Administrators) and the person being banned. We will not answer questions about why someone was banned. This is a private process and our policy is not to hold up individuals to ridicule and abuse. Nor do we publicly discuss moderation as a topic on the forums. Previous experience has shown that such discussion is unproductive.
Publicizing what someone did would distract from the purpose of Head-Fi, which is to have meaningful discussions about audio gear and other topics that come up in the Member's Lounge. If we discussed the reasons for bans, arguments would break out and it would also necessitate posting material that is against our rules. Not to mention, any posts a person made that resulted in them being banned will likely have been removed.
Summary. This only applies to members, not vendors, sponsors, admins or mods. I had mods insult me & troll in my thread. Nothing was done, their post not removed. They claim they inform the person why he was banned. TOTAL BS. I have yet to be notified as to what I have done that lead to my banning. Your post will be deleted at the discretion of Jude or any of his mods/admins if they don't like it. I violated no TOA, but had my post deleted by Jude cause I opposed BB becoming a sponsor. Plus, I had another post removed cause I wrote headcase.org. Mods/Admins/Vendors/sponsors WILL get away with anything minus the most serious & obvious infraction. Headfi & especially Jude recruits lap dogs & yes men. Abuse of power is their #1 rule. A mod, most likely Erik deleted kind words that members left in the huge DT48 thread. How does that violate this farce.. Mod FAQ's.. No. Mod frauds.
Worst offenders:
Jude: Napoleon complex
Currwong: Jude's lap dog
Voltron: Vile. Again, search headcase. & accused me of trying to ruin Headjam 08
Boomana: Thinks people who like Ultraone headphones are idiots. Search on headcase. Covers up for her fellow mods by locking my threads when they don't follow their own Mod FAQs..
Jpeg. Troll. Personally insulted me
Uncle Erik: Back stabber & coward
This might be unknown to many, but when man was on this earth in prehistoric times, hand strength was a necessity in life.. Ripping tree bark etc.. Hunting & controling prey, etc.. But over the yrs, along with technical advances, our hand strength has diminished greatly. Very little we do in daily life requires us to use our hand strength.. Carpenters, movers, manual labor, are the exception. Their job requires strong hands for their job. Most people neglect hand strength.. If you lift weights this is important. Your grip strength is your weakest link. Deadlifts, lat pulldowns.. Your grip gives out before your muscles do. & forget wrist wraps.. They will just weaken your grip, & will become a aid in your training. Think of always riding a bike with train wheels. You will never gain the balance you truly need. & becomes a crutch.
I will explain hand strength techniques & exercises. Functional hand strength. & the new phenom, combative hand training.
Hand/grip training can be very unconventional & CHEAP. Yes, Cheap.. Let's focus on inexpensive ways to improve your grip & hand strength. You can squeeze a tennis ball to your hearts content for starters. For building hand endurance try ripping pieces of cardboard & over lap each piece you rip. Do this for 10-30 minutes & you will get a unbelievable pump. I mean un real. My hand, especially my thumb felt like it was going to explode. practice tearing old paper back books, exerting maximum force for a high level of intensity. Using a 'fat grip.' wrap a dumbbell with a small towel. This puts more emphasis on your forearms. Curling will never be the same. A grip stick is a one item solution that can be used to work your hands/thumb/wrist/forearms. Do a search on ebay. For under 30.00, they truly are a excellent device. This is one exercise I never seen before.. This focus' on your weakest link, your pinky.. & is good for hand dexterity. Grab a piece of paper & hold it with your pinky & thumb. Place your hand firm on your thigh in a sitting position, & just with your pinky & thumb rip the paper. Start with one single sheet of paper. Try for 10-20 rips
For extensor work, muscles that close the hand, you can place a strong rubber band around your fingers & thumb, extending your fingers as far as possible, holding for 1 second. I go to failure with this exercise. This improves forearm balance, & does help with your grip strength.
For dexterity, coordination, stress relief, & recovery, get two small or medium sized iron balls or rocks, & move them in a circular motion with your fingers & thumb. You can get creative focus on 2-3 fingers. For a more intense experience use two tennis balls..
Before I get to the meat of this blog I will list the equipment I use.
HG100-HG350
Ironmind rubber bands
2.5/5/8/10lb plates
Grip stick
On a personal note, I closed the HG300. It was very hard to do.. Those who say the HG300/HG350 are easy, are either lying through their teeth or are just genetically gifted.
I owned 14 total. 12 sounded different. The Mid range varies between the NAGRA associated DT48 mid range, the DT48a mid range, vintage DT48e mid range, & the modern DT48e mid range. Any DT48 has a great, full, & prominent mid range. Very mid centric. The DT48 probably has the most emphasis on the mids then any phone ever created. Much is sacrificed, so the DT48 mid range treads where others fear.
Of course the degrees are different & vary. The DT48 is first & fore most used for ENT/field work/recording & monitoring voices, & even for surveillance purposes. (Used in WWII under the nick name, 'Berlin.'So it's not by accident that the DT48 mid range shines brightest among other headphones.
Some offer more pronounced upper mids, more resolving, some, as Kevin said, sounds a bit 'shouty' in certain instances.
In general the DT48 mid range is
Full & engaging
intimate
revealing
clear
detailed
resolving
smooth
accurate
transparent
Authentic & realistic at mimicking the human voice
The best as in order
1. The DT48e 200ohm that came with the NAGRA 4L. Their mid range regins supreme. It's the most prominent & dominate out of the other models. In a nut shell the mid range is so strong the instruments can sound a bit 'recessed.'
2. The Original 50's model DT48S 5ohm has a less pronounced & upfront mid range. A bit brighter & un colored.. A tad airy, liquid, & more effortless in presentation In comparison.
3. DT48A 5ohm. Similar to number 2, but more grounded, physical, & a bit 'stiff' & 'darker.'
4. Vintage DT48e 25/200 ohm. Down grade from the top 3, but still excellent & maintains the usual strengths of the DT48 mid range
5. Modern DT48e 25/200 ohm. Mid range, while excellent compared to other top headphones, sounds a bit congested & 'thick' compared to the other 4 DT48 models.
I would have no problem going against the best of the best with headphones known for their mid range. K1000/HD800/HP2/R10/LCD2.
I been there 4 yrs. I seen a lot & heard a lot. I kept quiet cause freedom of speech & being truthful is a no no at headfi.. Jude doesn't respect or honor your opinion if it differs from Headfi's.. Jude is the problem. He lets the in mates (sponsors, etc) run the prison so to speak. More on that later
I understand freedom of speech is limited on websites, but when you get censored for expressing a differing viewpoint in regards to a sponsor, certain members, mods, & MOTT, is plain wrong. Dissent is very important if it complies with the TOA guidlines. You don't want a bunch of yes men, kool aid drinkers. Well Jude does.
Jude runs Headfi with a Iron fist. You can't even mention headcase.org in a post. Jude will delete it. FACT. He has beef with this site, cause they don't play Jude's way, & the site calls it how they see it. They don't kiss RSA ass or put him on a pedestal. Try saying anything sarcastic or even semi negative against RSA & see what happens. You really want the truth behind RSA go to headcase.org & do a search.. It's like day & night. It's well known he stole other designers schematics. There was actually a thread on this in 03 according to one respected member. Now the thread is gone. Vanished. I'm curious if this was done after RSA became a sponsor. I have no beef with RSA. I just feel everyone should be treated equal, from a new member with 1 post to a popular sponsor like RSA..
When Headfi bans you, they want to erase you from the memory of others, especially a well liked member who was respected in the gaming headphone/DT48 communities. I put the DT48 on the map. I wasn't the first to own or praise them on Headfi.. But I can easily say at least 25 members bought the DT48 based on my recommendations..
Erik, a mod, (& a good one) states that a member asking why another member was banned will get that part of his post deleted. Tell me if this fit's the criteria.
We will trully miss you KBI. It is very unlikely anyone is going to put as much efforts as you did to give the DT48 a deserved place - imo - in the pantheon of headphones. Shamu
Sounds like he's asking why I was banned with that statement! 3 others wished me well, & said nice things.. I should have saved them, but I never thought Headfi would stoop so low as to delete them. They were sincere & kind. & without a second thought was deleted by Erik or another mod. So, Headfi plays by a different set of rules. Then again, they always have. They don't want members to see me as a sympathetic figure or victim. Makes headfi look bad.
My banning was a joke. Too bad I can't post what I said. The evidence was deleted. I was attacked for stating my opinion. The 701's mid range is not it's strong suit. That was enough to rile up one member who told me my post was a epic fail like Nikon proved. Another story.. Then went on to say, basically, I have better headphones then you, I don't just own the 701/DT48. He ended it with a smirk.
Funny thing is the T1 which he loves uses the same ring design as the 73 yr old DT48. & Only the T1 & DT48A transducers are hand selected & matched for optimal balance. Chances are the DT48 betters the T1's mid range.. One member feels the DT48 mid range betters his HE60.. Another respected member compares the DT48 mid range favorably to the HP2/K1000 mid range. So, yeah buddy.. You KNOW your headphones..
I promised myself not to post again on headfi, but I was at my breaking point. prior I had back to back threads closed due to mods trolling. Voltron & Jpeg Jpeg went as far as to tell me, stop playing with computer games & with your DT48 & get a life My topic. Women from different cultures. When members defended me, Boomama locked the thread. When Voltron trolled in my other thread. Same scenario, members defended me & Boomama locked my thread.
Voltron also sent me a pm accusing me of trying to 'ruin CanJam 08', cause silly me brought up theft concerns. One member was bringing 21 pieces of gear worth around 20,000.. & there are too many sheep at headfi. I was actually flamed for this post. Of course it was deleted. A familiar theme at headfi. A member was so upset with headfi that he sent me a pm supporting me. I had another thread locked when I asked another silly question. Why is the STAX thread in the hi end forum. I asked, are all Stax HI END? The thread was closed within hrs. Why isn't the Ortho thread in the Hi End forum? Favortism?
A member was banned two weeks cause he sent Jude a pm disagreeing with a member being promoted to admin status. He told me this through a pm.
Corruption. It would not surprise me if Headfi brings in over a grand a month.. Over 40 sponsors.. MOTT.. Prem memberships.. Outside donations. & companies treating Jude like royalty, falling over themselves to have him try out their new product. Let's not kid ourselves. His voice carries weight. & since he 'likes' every product given to try out leads me to believe he is compensated to like these items. He even praised Beats by Dre
Does it really take over a grand a month to run headfi? Shouldn't members ask where the money is going to? If not headfi who? Jude. Who hold him accountable. Open up the books Jude..PROVE ME WRONG.
Jude only cares about his sponsors & the revenue they bring him. Remember the R10 Jenna Labs fiasco? (Just do a search) Jenna Labs botched a mans R10 recable job, & took no responsibility. Jenna labs went so far as to blame the owners hearing. How insulting. When the member started to press the issue & ask for a refund, Jenna Labs literally told him to F off over the phone.
Jude did nothing. Jenna Labs should of at the very least been suspended. What did we get. Jude closes the thread.
I'm doing this cause I'm tired of seeing my favorite headfi being run by hypocrisy, favoritism, corruption, & having two set of rules. Being banned allowed me the opportunity to speak me mind & be totally upfront.
For current members, keep yourself in the dark.. Ignore things you see as shady or questionable. There are many like me, but are afraid to speak up.. If you do, you will be banned.. Not a site that promotes community. Headfi won't change as long as Jude is in charge..
This is the prototype. I have no idea if any, what changes will be made to the finished product. Overall, the quality & designs fits right in with other high end, under 1,000 headphones. I found them very light on my head. The padding is full, yet soft like a pillow, without being to fluffy. They covered every ounce of my ears. They fit on my head nearly perfect. Only needed a few minor adjustments. They are on par with my former MDR F1/SA5000/DT880 in terms of comfort. I like the wooden design. Minimal gloss, unlike some of the prettier looking AT woodies. Construction is good, but I question the overall durability of these headphones. Don't get the wrong impression. The craftsmanship is wonderful, but seem more on the fragile side of the spectrum.
The HE6 came packaged with a assortment of connections & adapters for both speaker amp/headphone amp usage. The cables themselves are de tachable & of the screw on/off variety. Red/white coloring for proper cable placement. Very easy & self explanatory. Unfortunately the stock cable seems to fit with most high end headphones, which are just 'OK.'. I'm sure getting a better & more capable 3rd party cable will be mandatory for most serious buyers.
Headphone History
NAGRA DT48S Cir 1955-1957
DT48a x4
DT48S
DT48e X7
Sen 650
Sen 600
Sen 595
Sen 212 Pro
AKG K501
AKG K240 Sextett
AKG K280
AKG K701
AKG K1000
AKG K340
Audio Technia AD700
Audio Technics 810 (Ortho)
Yamaha Y1 (Ortho)
Beyers DT480
Beyers DT770 03
Beyers DT880 05
Beyers DT990 05
Sony SA5000
Sony MDR F1
Equipment & cables used:
NAGRA DT48S
GoldPoint Pro Headphone amp V9
OPPO 83SE Universal player
Yamaha V1800 receiever
Zu Birth PC
Zu Bok PC
ZU Mother PC
Cardas Silver stereo interconnects
Belkin stereo interconnects
Monster 1000 toslink cable
Monster digital coax cable
Blue Jean Toslink cable
Panamax 5300 Power center & surge protector
Overview. 2 headphones from 2 different eras, purposes, & technology come together with interesting results.
Brief history. The NAGRA DT48S is the first headphone released to the public in the mid 50's. The NAGRA DT48S is based off the original that was restricted to professional use for 20 yrs. Since 1937. So we have a headphone based on the first moving coil design. Due to their technical prowess, They met NAGRA's strict standards for recording purposes & other professional applications, even though they were released to the public. From what I know they were modified sonically before their release. & some say were 600 ohms. My NAGRA DT48S is from 1955-1957, only 5 ohms, & has been repaired & re cabled by Alex from apuresound.com. To put it bluntly, I decided to compare the NAGRA DT48S to the HE6 cause I feel they are the best headphones I ever owned, & quite possibly , the best I heard. My apologies to the K1000.
My Ortho knowledge is not up to snuff. I believe planar technology was created in the 60's, (electrostats also fall in the planar family) & have some noticeable improvements over dynamic headphones. In general, the sound is more natural, effortless audio reproduction with a smoothness that voice coil technology cannot compete with. Yamaha lead the charge for ortho's in the 70's.. Even making ortho friendly receivers. Yamaha also has one of the most revered & respected Ortho ever created. The Yamaha 1000. Fostex was also a major player in Ortho technology, but mostly for the professional market. Ortho's run lasted until early to mid 90's I believe. Ortho's have a cult following, partly in due to the ease of modding, & there has been a resurgence in Ortho's recently with the Fostex T50, LCD1, LCD2, HE5, HE5 LE, & the formidable HE6, which I'm about to review.
Neutrality/Transparency
I must admit, I expected a highly colored & 'fun' headphone. To my surprise they are more neutral & transparent, then I thought. That is a good thing IMO. They lean on the tonally/timbre rich & warm side, but do so delicately, think subliminally tinkering.. The HE6 'slides' this in without notice at first, it just sounds like it should be there. & nothing in excess like the 650, which seemed overly rich & lush to the point of sounding a bit manufactured. The HE6.
rich/warm un amped instruments sound realistic & natural to me. On the flip side, you realize the HE6 does add a bit of it's own 'magic', cause drums, finger snaps, tambourine among others are too rich sounding IMO.. So it really is a mixed bag.. I was on cloud 9 then was hit with a nose dive..Cello to drums. So the HE6 isn't hard-line neutral. Drums can sound a bit artificial, but the HE6 is transparent enough to allow the listener to differentiate the type of drums/drum machine being used. Acoustics get a 'pass' with the HE6. There's a nice sense of warmth & sheen, but isn't able to re create a authentic type experience with 100% consistency & lacks the ability to dissect every layer & every fiber of the individual string. The HE6 blend string instruments to a certain extent, but with a inviting & enticing sense of warmth that pulls you into the music emotionally, while the NAGRA's just expose what is there without being discrete or trying to connect you to the music. Better used as a analyzing tool, then a headphone that touches all the right neurons for the intended response.
Tonally rich instruments sound more realistic on the HE6 then on my NAGRA DT48S. They have more 'bite', & more 'flesh.' the NAGRA's feel naked in comparison.. But the NAGRA DT48S is more consistent overall & authentic in general when comparing a host of un amped/acoustics instruments.. The HE6 is more hit or miss. & the NAGRA's removes layer upon layer of acoustics along with a life like authenticity that is unreal at times.. But with certain instruments, the HE6 really get's it right, where the NAGRA's tend to struggle a bit. Too sum it up. I was impressed with the Neutrality & transparency.. People looking for a strictly fun headphone should look elsewhere..
Midrange
IMO the midrange is what really makes or breaks a headphone. I will use an analogy by Kevin to describe the DT48's mid range. It's like a mike feed that's connected to your brain. This is very true. The DT48 mid range is the best sonic trait it has. The DT48 NAGRA is very mid centric without sounding forward. The mids are full, intimate, extremely detailed, resolving, with a true to like authentic presentation, with great clarity to match.. So how does the HE6 stack up? The mid range does sound more natural & effortless in it's presentation. Free flowing comes to mind. Very smooth, but feels a bit distance & recessed compared to the NAGRA. The vocals on the HE6 carries more weight & warmth to the vocalist voice making them sound more alive & seductive, but there is a slight gloss over the mid range that lacks the resolving power & detail extraction the NAGRA gives you in spades.. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.. The HE6 mid range is certainly detailed enough to pick up minor gaffs, & can allow for a more pleasing listening experience, masking minor ambient quirks.. The HE6 mid range wants to keep the listener engaged. The NAGRA wants to discet everything in the vocalist voice.
Bass
This is where the HE6 start to move ahead of the NAGRA. The DT48 in general is a labor of love in getting proper bass. It's very tricky but can be done, especially the vintage 5-25ohm versions. The NAGRA's are overly dependent on the source for their bass. The bass is truly neutral without any emphasis in the bass. This makes them sound 'bass lite.' I believe Beyer's did this to monitor the bass accurately for recording & other pro applications. They just wanted to hear the bass how it is. Some call this flat. There are people who feel the NAGRA & DT48 in general get the bass right, others feel you needed added emphasis to get realistic bass with acoustic instruments.
The NAGRA's bass varies greatly depending on the recording. The bass is full, tight, & snappy. Some might interpret them as bass lean due to the lack of extra weight & quantity. The NAGRA's re produce un amped bass much better then amped bass or poorly done bass. The NAGRA's lack bass definition, meat on the low end, & extends much less then the HE6. The HE6 bass is rich, better mid bass, meatier bottom end with much better extension. The DT48 roll off starts between 50-60hz from most reports. But some members have listed they go deeper, with less roll off. The HE6 just offers a fuller, richer bass with more impact & quantity without sticking out. I agree with Frank & others who say the HE6 have a balanced sound. They really do.. & the bass is no different. Bass heads look elsewhere. The HE6 bass leans more towards the accurate & realistic side of the spectrum.
Highs
This is another area that I feel the HE6 betters the NAGRAs. The NAGRA's highs are of good quality. Clean & detailed. But doesn't extend farly as much as the HE6. The highs extend very well, & smoother, better well rounded with some 'sparkle'. While the NAGRA's illustrate some roll off in the upper frequencies in comparison.
Distortion/Blackness/Noise floor
The HE6 demonstrate a type of blacker then black ground that I have yet to discover in any headphone. & sounds natural to boot. The NAGRA's are 'grayish' in comparison. The HE6 seems to have a lower distortion level, which allows for so,me great lower level resolving power that picks up more data with little effort, while the NAGRA strains a bit. The Blackness is like a void, where instruments & voices simply appear & disappear with a very authentic & life like decay.. Think playing Marco polo. You literally don't know where the instrument is coming from. Any direction & height. It's like being sucker punched but in a good way.. Truly stunning.. This was with my Panamax 5300 PC/SP/Goldpoint V9/Oppo84se combo..
Sound stage & imaging
The HE6 Sound stage is quite ordinary. In some respects that's good. It's not overly big or feels artificial. The Sound stage is bigger & rounder in the 3d sense then the NAGRA which are heavy left to right sounding. They sound exactly like a headphone. Very seldom do you get a out of head experience. The HE6 Sound stage does have better vertical depth then horizontal width & depth. The overall size is above average. They do offer a complete 3d experience. Both the space the instruments occupy & the instruments themselves are 3d & good, but not stellar imaging. The NAGRA's space is flat & 2d.. Think side scrolling gaming. But the instruments & vocals are 3D & gives you a better sense of the instruments & studios surroundings.. From reverb reflections off walls. Studio conditions. The weight & dimensions of the instruments. The NAGRA's sound stage & imaging is better equip to accommodate to the recording. The sound stage will expand, widen, get smaller, change heights of the venue. In this sense the NAGRA's are a chameleon, while the HE6 sound stage pretty much stays the same & is less transparent. You don't get the full picture so to speak with the HE6. The air around the instruments isn't very good on the HE6, & is just a tad better then my NAGRA's. Both headphones do a good job with sound stage coherency , albeit, the NAGR does a better & more believable job of it. The HE6 sound stage does give the listener a full 3d experience, with the NAGRA you kind of have to 'fill in the blanks & can seem a bit awkward at times. Think of a fighting game with 3d stages & 2d characters. The NAGRA's also offer better instrument separation, but this could easily change if the HE6 had more adequate amping.
Clarity. Detail. Speed.
I did expect more clarity & speed. I expected stat like speed & clarity. The Speed is Dynamic good. Not overly impressive, but the notes & instruments are clean & clear. Detail is very good, but it didn't expose anymore information then the NAGRA's.. Clarity & fidelity is clearly on the NAGRA's side.
Final thoughts
I won't project a winner. It wouldn't be fair to the HE6. I didn't have the juice to drive them to their potential. It would not surprise me if the HE6 are more detailed, faster, with great separation, & possibly clarity with the right power amp or mono block. So, no winner. I do, however, feel the HE6 is a very good headphone even under powered, their greatest strengths were able to shine. IMO, for 800.00 they would be a great bargain. I would even sell them for 800 for a month before starting to sell them for around 1,000. If Mr Fang does sell the HE6 between 1,200-1,600, I see this as a mistake, especially if the retail version is hard as nails to drive as this prototype. Better the sound, make them easier to drive, sell them for 995, & I think they will sell very well, despite being in direct competition with the LCD2. I would like to thank MR Fang for giving me the chance to listen to his wonderful sounding headphone. I hope he does extremely well with them.
Author's name & DT48 model won't be listed unless he allows me to do so. He is a regular member on headfi.. His posts' are always articulate, informative, & intelligent. His opinions here will not be popular on headfi for various reasons. One being, a 73 yr old headphone bettering a state of the art, 1,400 headphone.
If you truly felt the DT48 bettered the HD800, period, would you be man enough to admit it on headfi? It's tough being the only one. I'm basically hated by some for putting the DT48 on such a pedestal & feeling they compete with the best of the best. Even a mod verbally attacked me using the DT48 as the antagonist. It's a sad state that I must protect this members identity for his personal opinion. But that is what headfi has become, where it's just as much about profit as it is about enjoying the music.. Propping up a 73 yr old headphone isn't in headfi's best interest.. Boosting the HD800 is.
A short update to share some thoughts on the HD800, as I feel I start to get a good overall feeling of how those HD800 sound... I still have to try them out of my "edit" though.
"In a nutshell, with the stock cable, I would say that they are tonally slightly on the bright side of things, thin sounding and dry. Their soundstage is great, actually much nicer than what I had expected, quite focused, large and coherent and not so widespread or diffuse, but heavily colored in the sense that every recording is presented with the same soundstage... very unnatural and boring. The DT48A at least portray a very different ambience and soundstage depending on each recording.
Thin because notes lack weight and density, but not in an electrostatic way... Voices for example are presented in a 2D way, missing depth and meat as you would say (not enough air moving due to the ring diaphragm ?).
Dry because decay of notes are simply not reproduced. You get fundamentals without harmonic richness. Very weird. A bit like if music was played in the deepest space and lowest harmonic were not travelling through the air... You only get the first bits and then it suddenly stops. That makes for a totally uninvolving experience, unrealistic. You perceive each instrument as completely separated and not even performing the same recording, because there is no air or reverb interacting between them. Like having a multitrack mix, in which each instrument would have been recorded on a different track and different location, and everything mixed together in the final production stage.
Overall transparency is better on the DT48A, and I would dare to say even on the DT48E, especially when it comes to mids or reverb in studio or live recordings. Through the HD800, a live recording will sound the same as a studio recording. You get almost no clue on those smallest reverb or ambience that make differences between recordings. Yet transparency on the HD800 is very good to get a sense of instruments tonalities but its like a portrait photo that makes a very good and accurate first plane and then get's the background blurred... This is the kind of "artificial" transparency you get with the HD800.
The Cardas cable do provide a more balanced tonal response (brightness disappears), but soundstage flaws and decay are still a big issue (especially considering the price), along with this lack of true transparency, making those headphones completely unmusical for my tastes. No need to say I am heavily disappointed."
Please always keep in mind those are my impressions, in my system and with my ears. Of course, and as always, YMMV. Tracks used for critical listening were:
Leonard Cohen, Essentials, Tower Of Song
Madeleine Peyroux, Dreamland, La vie en rose
Diana Krall, Live in Paris, A case of you
Cannonball Adderley, Somethin' Else, Autumn,
Cranberries, No need to argue, No need to argue
Pink Floyd, DSOTM, Time
Dragonetti, Works for double bass, Duo for cello and double bass
Paco de Lucia, Concierto de Aranjuez, first movement
2L, demo tracks, North Country II (24/96)
My system is currently composed of the Lavry DA11 only, fed by a Hiface async USB device with Oyaide DR-510 coaxial cable. The Lavry is plugged into a PS Audio Duet Center with a Shunyata Sidewinder CX power cord. I have also been able to use for the occasion my trusted LD mkIII, with Mullard M8100 and Sovtek 6H30PI. It was connected to AC through a Siltech SPX20 power cable.
The HD800 are fully burnt in, on a loan from a friend. I also had a SE Cardas cable to try with the HD800. They do not appear to be that difficult to drive, with an excellent sensitivity. Out of the Lavry, 30 out of 56 on the volume knob was more than enough to provide a loud listening level.
I will not comment on the build quality of the HD800, everything has already been said about those. They are also very comfortable, and easy to adjust to get the best listening position.
So let's start with its most remarkable attribute, the soundstage... It is wide, deep, extends well around the ears, images slighlty in front of us, with a rather good focus and no weird echo effect as I was fearing a la K701. The soundstage is indeed very enjoyeable. But... Every recording tend to be presented through the HD800 wide soundstage in the very same way, which resulted extremely boring to me. One fits them all. A studio or live recording will have the same positioning in front of you, no matter how the recording was mic'ed. They do not share the DT48's ability with a good source to portray totally different ambiance and soundstage distances depending on the recording.
Regarding the tonal balance, I would describe them as rather cold with the stock cable and out of the Lavry, while providing a somehow smooth midrange and tight and controlled bass. However, I suspect synergy do indeed play a large role there to get the best out of them. I had surprisingly good results with my LD mkIII, achieving a fuller and very balanced sound signature with excellent extension. The SE Cardas cable did also tamed the higher frequencies and provided a more full bodied midrange. I find the K701 for example much hotter in the trebles, and can not understand why so much fuss was made of the HD800 very slight treble enfasis, easy to remove with proper component matching.
The HD800 are fast, there is no doubt about that...But they are also much thinner sounding than the DT48. Notes through the HD800 lack weight and density. The DT48 are at least as fast as those, while providing a much fuller and realistic sound. The HD800 still sound like a headphone, artifical, in the sense that they force your brain to recreate the experience of the original sound. The DT48 just make the music flow, with such ease and in a natural way, that I find them extremely relaxing in comparison.
But for me, and at this stage, the major HD800 flaws are the followings:
The lack of harmonic richness and continuity makes the HD800 sound dry and artifical. You get fundamentals of notes and the first harmonics, then it suddenly stops lacking decay. A bit like if music was played in the deepest space and lowest harmonic were unable to propagate through the missing air to reach your ears... Violins do sound completeley off with the HD800. That makes for an uninvolving and unrealistic experience.
Worst, that lack of decay also isolates each instrument from others. They do not interact together and you can almost perceive them as completely separated and not even performing the same recording. Like having a multitrack mix, in which each instrument would have been recorded on a different track and different location, and everything mixed together in the final production stage.
The HD800 transparency is easily bettered by the DT48A, and I would dare to say even by the DT48E. It is especially noticeable with reverb effects in studio or live recordings, or even through midrange details on voices.
Overall, I did not find listening through the HD800 an enjoyeable experience, but rather unnatural and artifical. They certainly have some technical merits and at least, have a completely unique sound to them, but are too unmusical for my tastes. And that is without even considering their price tag.
Unexpectedly, the DT48A more than holds their own against the new Sennheiser flagship IMHO. Not bad for a 73 years old headphone, don't you think?
So it's not by accident that the DT48 mid range shines brightest among other headphones.
