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Fayne
2575
Jan 25, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Initial impression is that these are good bang for the buck
These just arrived today. Fresh out of the package I've been taking them through my testing playlist using a super cheap BRZHiFi/Weiliang E600 balanced amp loaded with Burson V6 Classic opamps, fed by a Zen DAC, and driven via Roon. Comfort is nothing different from the other recent Drop + HiFiMan cans. Head clamp force is a bit lighter than I prefer, but not enough to put me off. It comes with similar fuzzy abomination pads as used in all of the other Drop + HiFiMan cans, they work, but gods I hate the feel. Dekoni replacements have been ordered and arrive by end of the week. Assuming they are using the same pad mounts as the HE-5xx/Deva, by the end of the week I will have fenestrated leather installed. Sound wise? Yeah, these are a very nice balanced neutral, with just a bit of grunt in the bass. There is very minimal noticeable sibilance. During my initial zero break-in testing, I found they pair surprisingly well with EDM, Electronica, Classic Rock, Rock, Punk Revival, and Classical. Sound stage feels like it is centered inside my head. The sound leakage is extremely small, as expected with closed back. For $150 these are an absolute steal. Edit: Looks like a unique earpad mounting structure, but I'll be sure when the Dekoni stuff shows up. Day 2: I've spent a good portion of the day trying these cans out with a few of my amplifiers.
  • Solid State
  • Schiit Ragnarok 2 - Works like a bloody champ, just gotta remember to go on the low gain side or risk popping the cute little drivers with the full output power of the amp.
  • Drop THX789 - Works exactly as expected, extremely able to push all the juice the cans need... which isn't much as they're about as sensitive as IEM. The pair keeps the mostly neutral sound signature intact too.
  • Drop LCX - Also works about as expected. The slight hint of darkness from the amp gives the cans a nice bit of extra kick when doing bass heavy cotent.
  • BRZHiFi/Weiliang E600 - Also does an admirable job at making the cans sing, especially considering it is a $90 balanced amplifier built using recycled components, and using a TI output chipset known for having slightly higher than optimal output impedance. Mind, I did swap out the JRC opamps with Burson.
  • Hybrid
  • xDuoo TA-20 - Handles the cans very nicely. With a ~6vrms balanced signal, I had the volume at ~65 on the amp and enjoyed some very nice tube flavored sound. The combination works rather well.
  • LittleDot 1+ - Depending on your unit, the noise or interference might be a problem. My Dot has a habit of picking up cel beacons. Other than that, it sounded rather fine. Not as good as the TA-20, but good enouh.
  • Drop CTH - Also works well, but the inherent gain of the amplifier makes for having the volume dial turned down kinda far with these cans if you don't have a preamp you can cool down the signal with. Overall, very nice tube flavor and works well with the cans.
  • OTL
  • XiangSheng 708B - NOPE.
  • xDuoo TA-03S - NOPE NOPE.
  • xDuoo TA-26 - Even more nope.
  • Spartan Music Helot x2 - God nope.
  • Schiit Valhalla 2 - Pretty nope.
  • DarkVoice - NOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPE
  • Transformer Coupled Tube
  • Muzishare i3 - I worried about this one as it is a 12w tube amp, and easily able to deliver ~6w into a 16Ω load. So far, no driver explosions, and the R7DX sound absolutely phenomenal when being driven by the 6P1P-EV push-pull. By far my favorite tube amp for pretty much any headphone at the moment.
  • APPJ PA1502A - Like pretty much any other headphone that doesn't require huge power (like planar), the APPJ is able to easily handle the R7DX. And yes, it sounds wonderfully single ended and noise free.
  • Weiliang E200 - Variable impedance selector at the minimum, the E200 drives the cans with ease, imparting that lovely 6SN7 tone with zero noise. Very good combination.
I'm definitely happier with these than the HE-35x, and I was extremely pleased with them. Edit: Verified the pad mounting assembly is different than the similarly shaped and sized pads from the HE5xx and Deva. They operate on the same principle and have mounting holes/catches and posts in the same general area, but the sizes are wildly different. Hopefully it sells well enough to cause Dekoni to make pads for it. Edit: My solution to the bad fit and uncomfortable headband. Dekoni Nuggets. It worked for my OG HE-4XX, HE-5XX, and HE-X4, and it absolutely works for the HE-R7DX.
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(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
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