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Author Topic: HE-6 modding/amping thread  (Read 6224 times)

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joch

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #40 on: April 22, 2015, 09:34:31 AM »

Thanks Armaegis

I'll need a grill...I have kids and am not surprised to find stuff moved around. Or maybe it's just my memory...

Regarding the acoustic foam, that would be interesting to try (except the stuff is not pleasant to work with). I remember Bill P had mentioned placing a strip of Dynamat in the HE-560 as a mod.

Has anyone tried Dynamat in the external side of the HE-6?

I'd give it a try but Dynamat is less pleasant to work with than the foam, and I don't have any measuring equipment to confirm subtle improvements.
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Armaegis

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #41 on: April 22, 2015, 03:30:49 PM »

Skip all the dynamat. Some acoustic foam or felt might be ok at the end for the "fuzzor" mod, but that's a final step. Did you get new pads yet?
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Do you think there may be an acoustic leak from the jack hole? ~Tyll Hertsens

Not sure if I like stuffing one hole or both holes. Tending toward one hole since both holes seems kinda ghey ~Purrin

joch

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #42 on: April 22, 2015, 05:44:52 PM »

O. M. G.

I didn't know what I was missing

I finally replaced the stock grill with the paper bin variety. This took some time and some scratched up fingers but the hole to wire ratio is much much more than the stock. I then took 3M spray adhesive and apply a light coat over the cut outs, then stick black organza on top. Trimmed and fussed with getting them in.

The sound is phenomenal. Even with my "under powered" headphone amp it sounds so much better than when I first auditioned the HE-6 with a "proper" and massive Burson. (Next, I need to find time to connect the speaker amp adapter for a direct tap. Later.)

The space just really opened up, the edginess is really toned down. I was impressed with just the fuzzoring but found it a bit closed, but the grill mod really released the energy.

The next minor tweak may well be felting around the outer chamber's interior walls, but I'm enjoying this at moment.

BTW, I'm using the Focus A pads. I had tried before the foam HM5s with stuffing tissues in the back. I think the Focus A's are it for now--I'll need to hear a version with the vegan Audeze pads before I'm willing to put in that money for pads. (Not likely I'll get the chance here on this side of the Pacific.) I'm tempted to try some Mr Speakers Alpha pads from a T50RP mod, but I think I'll first try sealing the Focus A rings (a la Jerg).

Gotta go...gotta sleep.


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joch

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #43 on: April 22, 2015, 05:48:10 PM »

Skip all the dynamat. Some acoustic foam or felt might be ok at the end for the "fuzzor" mod, but that's a final step. Did you get new pads yet?

Armaegis, you mean felting the inside chamber (to the ears)?
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Armaegis

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #44 on: April 22, 2015, 06:43:48 PM »

Oops, I forgot that you had already fuzzored. Nevermind that.
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Do you think there may be an acoustic leak from the jack hole? ~Tyll Hertsens

Not sure if I like stuffing one hole or both holes. Tending toward one hole since both holes seems kinda ghey ~Purrin

joch

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #45 on: April 23, 2015, 12:50:26 AM »

I had thought you meant lining the cup well wall

That might do something too...or nothing

But the fuzzor is brilliant (nod to jerg for the contribution)

I'll try to post some pics of what was done later
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joch

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #46 on: April 26, 2015, 08:23:37 AM »

The HE-6 now has the fuzzor and the grill mod. I'm awaiting for the aluminum rings to come in before I proceed with better sealing the pads and cups.


The HE-6 with the grill mod sounded and looked so nice, that I dug out my HE-560 and did the same. That was wow too, but maybe further discussion for the 560 mod thread.


(Dr Fang, if you're reading this--I'm totally sold on Hifimans, especially once they're modded.)



In the meantime, the sound is excellent from the mod and I was grinning when I first head the modded pair through my balanced headphone amp.


Having said that, I was curious just how much the HE-6 can scale with proper juice, so recently I ordered the Hifiman Adapter for speaker amps to try out.


(click to show/hide)


PROs:
$99 -- cheap in the audiophile world
not having to DIY
can use other XLR terminated cables (especially with expensive cables you already own, and for other headphones)
attenuated (less likely you'll blow your headphones)
pretty sturdy
convenience: no cables snaking to the back, easy to unplug your headphones

CONs:
$99 -- it's not rocket science, and you can connect directly to the amp with just your cable in reality
sturdy, but it looks a bit DIY
you have to get your own speaker wires to connect (4 pieces total) to your amp
where are the instructions?
Hifiman doesn't recommend it with sensitive headphones. Well, yeah....


The Hifiman Adapter is actually quite nice and sounds good. The look is a bit better than DIY, but it's sturdy. I had thought about going with direct headphones to cables tap to the amp, as well as doing a DIY. The parts for a DIY would probably set me back $50-60 but then I could have picked out components I wanted (e.g., possibly better resistors, a cooler looking box). However, these days I don't really have time to mess with projects, nor wanting any risk of burning my fingers if not my home. The cost savings from the Hifiman Adapter vs direct line to the amp is that I get to use existing cables, rather than reterminating them or buying new ones. Also, this little unit will give me a chance to play with other headphones directly from an amp.


For $99, it's not bad; however, you will have to spend some extra money for some speaker wires ($2-$100, YMMV with how fancy and exotic you want them) and some optional banana/spades ($20-$200, again YMMV). No instructi ons included, but if you ordered this item you knew exactly what you're doing. Or maybe not--afterall, we are connecting headphones into high powered speaker amps.


I hooked up banana clips to the Hifiman Adapter, and at the other end had spades connecting to sockets that are already used by my speakers (via bananas--had to disconnect the + plugs in the speakers before listening with the Adapter*...until I get an amp or a more powerful headphone amp to drive the HE-6.)

*The reason for unplugging the connection to the speakers for headphone listening is so you don't have both playing while you're using headphones--both the headphones and the speakers are sharing the same music feed. I use spades to the amp because I'm currently having banana plugs from the speakers to the amp--this way, the amp can take both (but can't take 2 sets for bananas). Finally, you can just screw in bare wires.


edits: for clarification
« Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 04:45:45 PM by joch »
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jerg

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #47 on: April 26, 2015, 02:48:18 PM »

Are you planning to seal using the silicone glue method? Lemme know how that fares.
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joch

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #48 on: April 26, 2015, 03:44:35 PM »

hi Jerg

Firstly, thanks for your posts! I'm almost following your recipe to the tee  :D

I'm looking to seal those puppies because there's a lot of leakage between the cups and the pad!

The rings on the HE-6 (and my wood HE-560) are plastic, so there's a little warping when screwed back on the cups. I hope the aluminum rings will give any seal mod a better fit.

I'll probably deviate a bit and experiment with modeling clay first instead of silicon. Got this idea from you with using putty. I wish I can get a hold of that stuff that sticks new credit cards to cards (fugitive glue?) for a less permanent tweak.

For the HE-560, I'm still hearing a bit "shrill" up top but with shelf liner covering the entire driver, it's too dampened. I'll have to experiment a bit with the hole size. Or maybe add some fiberglass. Or maybe ask Bill P what he did...but of course, what sounds right to some might be fingers against a blackboard for others.

More experiments to do...

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Armaegis

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Re: HE-6 modding/amping thread
« Reply #49 on: April 26, 2015, 03:51:11 PM »


The rings on the HE-6 (and my wood HE-560) are plastic, so there's a little warping when screwed back on the cups. I hope the aluminum rings will give any seal mod a better fit.

I'll probably deviate a bit and experiment with modeling clay first instead of silicon. Got this idea from you with using putty. I wish I can get a hold of that stuff that sticks new credit cards to cards (fugitive glue?) for a less permanent tweak.


I *think* the warping is just caused by little plastic nubs on the ring that can be sanded/cut off without ill effect.

I like to use plumber's putty for quick sealing needs.

I like the idea of using fugitive/creditcard glue, but I've never seen that stuff in the stores.
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Do you think there may be an acoustic leak from the jack hole? ~Tyll Hertsens

Not sure if I like stuffing one hole or both holes. Tending toward one hole since both holes seems kinda ghey ~Purrin
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