Which speaker amp for Hifiman HE-6 headphones?

Amidar

Amidar

Amidar

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Looking at buying a speaker amp as I have a pair of Hifiman HE-6's arriving next week. Been reading threads at Head-Fi & SBAF but most of the listed amps don't seem to be available in the UK. Also would I need to purchase the Hifiman HE adapter as well.

Thanks. :)
 
The HE-6 is a special case, they are so power hungry that a lot of users use speaker amps to drive them. The Jotunheim though can output 3W into 50 ohms in balanced mode, so power shouldn't be an issue.
 
rids57 said:
The HE-6 is a special case, they are so power hungry that a lot of users use speaker amps to drive them. The Jotunheim though can output 3W into 50 ohms in balanced mode, so power shouldn't be an issue.
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Yeah was just reading the other day that someone destroyed a pair of MUSES02 in the output stage of their modded O2 amp trying to drive the HE-6 heh.

EDIT: Well it was a set of Hifiman planars I'm not sure if it was the HE-6.
 
hornetstinger said:
You use headphone amplifiers, not amplifiers designed for speakers.
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Wrong in the case of HE-6's

rids57 said:
The HE-6 is a special case, they are so power hungry that a lot of users use speaker amps to drive them. The Jotunheim though can output 3W into 50 ohms in balanced mode, so power shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...

I have 2 headphone amps at the moment, a Bottlehead Crack & a Woo Audio WA6SE. Would the LYR2 not be a better option over the Jotunheim?
 
Hmm if this is right:

"110 dB SPL 4.73 Vrms 94.6 mA 447.46 mW"

Then a decent headphone amp should be able to handle them upto any volume level you'd realistically use - that is about half the potential output power of the O2.
 
Rroff said:
Hmm if this is right:

"110 dB SPL 4.73 Vrms 94.6 mA 447.46 mW"

Then a decent headphone amp should be able to handle them upto any volume level you'd realistically use - that is about half the potential output power of the O2.
Click to expand...

Could just be headphone impedence is a problem with headphone amps. Like loudspeakers, 4ohm speakers are a difficult load. Even though with high sensitivity it can go loud.
 
A lot of mainstream headphone amps aren't designed to push more than around a dozen or so mA into like 50 ohm loads but most of the higher end ones should manage it no hassle.

(To give some contrast - the HD600/650 at 110db SPL only require 66.6 mW).
 
Seems the Jotunheim and Lyr will make them sound too shrill, which is why a speaker tube amp is the recommended route - power and the innate smoothing & warming nature of tubes.

Sorry - back to square one. :D
 
Anything using this that is well designed and has power supply to match would drive them - though whether the sound is pleasing is another matter heh.
 
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