Showing 1 of 1232 conversations about:
Heavyboxer
308
Jun 25, 2018
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Jeff-D
203
Jul 1, 2018
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That was a fantastic review! Thank you for sharing. I'd give you two endorsements if I could.
Heavyboxer
308
Jul 1, 2018
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Lol thank you for your kind words.
It started off short, but ended up ranting quite long.
I am still trying to figure out if it is actually my amp (magni 3) that's causing my slight disappointment of the 4xx so looking into purchasing a 2nd solid state. (Or time to give into the fact that burn in is real after all and that it'll sound better in a few weeks?)
In any case, I use it just the same cause of that glorious imaging/soundstage!
It started off short, but ended up ranting quite long.
I am still trying to figure out if it is actually my amp (magni 3) that's causing my slight disappointment of the 4xx so looking into purchasing a 2nd solid state. (Or time to give into the fact that burn in is real after all and that it'll sound better in a few weeks?)
In any case, I use it just the same cause of that glorious imaging/soundstage!
mindhead1
482
Jul 4, 2018
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Nice write up. I have the 6xx and 4xx and go back and forth in my feelings for the 4xx. I have an Aune X7S and a DarkVoice 336SE. The 6xx with the tubes are the undisputed champ. The 4xx sound OK on the tubes, but lack the slam and require a lot more power to drive. I’m sure it’s something to do with planar and tubes not playing well.
Via the DarkVoice the 6xx open up and sound superb. Great low end and snare and kick drum slam. Just the right amount of treble for my tastes. Horns and female vocals are a delight. As I said before the 4xx don’t sound bad with the tubes, but the 6xx performs much better.
With th X7S the 4xx show their strengths. The overall sound is neutral, but solid all around. My only complaint would be in the bass department. I usually end up EQing in a bump in bass to fill out the low end. The 6xx perform well in the X7S. I use balanced cables with the 6xx and it seems to widen the soundstage. I haven’t decided whether or not I want to invest in balanced cables for the 4xx. I’m not certain there will be any noticeable improve in sound.
For now the 4xx primarily stay on my desk plugged into the X7S and the 6xx stay with the DarkVoice. If I had to choose 1 I’d stick with the 6xx. The detail of the headphone and it’s versatility with solid state and tube make it the winner for me.
I was listening to the Brand New Heavies - Brother Sister album while writing this. I switched back and forth between 6xx and 4xx on the DV. This is a reference album for me. It’s always a great listen and is good for testing vocals, horns, percussion and bass.
Via the DarkVoice the 6xx open up and sound superb. Great low end and snare and kick drum slam. Just the right amount of treble for my tastes. Horns and female vocals are a delight. As I said before the 4xx don’t sound bad with the tubes, but the 6xx performs much better.
With th X7S the 4xx show their strengths. The overall sound is neutral, but solid all around. My only complaint would be in the bass department. I usually end up EQing in a bump in bass to fill out the low end. The 6xx perform well in the X7S. I use balanced cables with the 6xx and it seems to widen the soundstage. I haven’t decided whether or not I want to invest in balanced cables for the 4xx. I’m not certain there will be any noticeable improve in sound.
For now the 4xx primarily stay on my desk plugged into the X7S and the 6xx stay with the DarkVoice. If I had to choose 1 I’d stick with the 6xx. The detail of the headphone and it’s versatility with solid state and tube make it the winner for me.
I was listening to the Brand New Heavies - Brother Sister album while writing this. I switched back and forth between 6xx and 4xx on the DV. This is a reference album for me. It’s always a great listen and is good for testing vocals, horns, percussion and bass.
RayF
14015
Jul 5, 2018
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Just a note regarding the warranties of the 4XX and 6XX--neither one covers damage caused by negligence or misuse. Pretty sure that would include exposure to Van Halen!
Megazine
465
Jul 7, 2018
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I just wrote a review and I pretty much agreed with you. The 4xx falls short in almost every category compared to the 6xx. I picked up the 58x and I also find them superior in almost every category besides the signature sounds of planar magnetic cans. Nice review.
mindhead1
482
Jul 7, 2018
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I held off on the 58x but I'm very tempted to pick them up next time they drop. I'm very curious about how they sound vs the 6xx.
Megazine
465
Jul 7, 2018
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It’s great to own, especially for portability. 6xx already sound amazing, and they are close in sound, but the 58X just sounds more full — in a good way. My strongest argument for those who already have the 6XX: if you want a portable can, and want something easy to drive, get the 58x. They are great for iPhones and high-end androids.
Dr_Rodney_McKay
129
Jul 8, 2018
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I'll be interested to read about any improvement to the 4xx you report, either after burn-in and/or with a different amp.
Thank you for taking the time to post a thorough, thoughtful review.
Thank you for taking the time to post a thorough, thoughtful review.
Heavyboxer
308
Jul 8, 2018
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To be honest, I have had my 4xx hanging on the stand for a few days now, while my 6xx has been on my head every day.
I believe I've done enough burn-in with the 4xx (12~15 hours a day, everyday for more than a week), and I still did not hear an audible difference with the bass notes.
I will be sending some money to Kingwa tomorrow for the R2R-11 in the hopes to make myself like the 4xx. (Not that I dislike it, as the openness and imaging/soundstage is miles ahead of the 6xx to my ears)
I believe I've done enough burn-in with the 4xx (12~15 hours a day, everyday for more than a week), and I still did not hear an audible difference with the bass notes.
I will be sending some money to Kingwa tomorrow for the R2R-11 in the hopes to make myself like the 4xx. (Not that I dislike it, as the openness and imaging/soundstage is miles ahead of the 6xx to my ears)
Heavyboxer
308
Aug 17, 2018
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So I've had time to use my Audio gd R2R-11 for 5 weeks or so... and i find myself reaching for the 4xx more than the 6xx!
Amps are really important for planars is what i take from my experience. The R2R-11 pushed the 4xx in a way that the schiit mimby/magni3 could not. It's like the magni3 pushed the 4xx along in city traffic and the R2R-11 took it to the autobahn.
Granted, with more use came more issues with the headset. The plastic caps on the adjusters popped out, and the screws came loose 6 times so far.
But still I reach for the 4xx... this is rather strange, as I know I really like the 6xx but my body says otherwise.
My Lcd-2 arrives tomorrow, and the new audio gd R28 DAC/amp powerhouse will be somewhere next week. Let's see how far the 4xx can go toe-to-toe with the might Audeze.
Amps are really important for planars is what i take from my experience. The R2R-11 pushed the 4xx in a way that the schiit mimby/magni3 could not. It's like the magni3 pushed the 4xx along in city traffic and the R2R-11 took it to the autobahn.
Granted, with more use came more issues with the headset. The plastic caps on the adjusters popped out, and the screws came loose 6 times so far.
But still I reach for the 4xx... this is rather strange, as I know I really like the 6xx but my body says otherwise.
My Lcd-2 arrives tomorrow, and the new audio gd R28 DAC/amp powerhouse will be somewhere next week. Let's see how far the 4xx can go toe-to-toe with the might Audeze.
musicphotolife
0
Oct 23, 2019
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Thanks for your review! You mentioned you were getting the Audeze Mobius. How does it compare to 4XX? Thanks!
Heavyboxer
308
Oct 23, 2019
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Totally different headphones. The mobius is closed-back and has phone functions that works well with my frequent oversea travels. My LCD2.2F is my go-to headphones at home on my Audio gd R28 while I use my 6xx in the office (with my littledot 2). So haven't had much time with the 4xx for about 8~10 months. Perhaps it's time to take it out of the box and enjoy it all over again.
And no, no comparison between the LCD2 and the 4xx.
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Anyway, I’ve had about a week to give the 4xx a good listen.
Hardware: Flac files on PC --> Modi Multibit DAC –-> Loki passive EQ (set to passthrough for testing)-> either Magni 3 (hi output) or Little Dot mkii (high output) with Voskhod preamp and amp tubes.
Whenever I wasn’t listening, my pc and dac/amp were still on, and blasting music on random for the “burn-in” effect that many talk about. (I am not a believer, but I do it anyway as a precaution) Long story short, the 4xx has had very little “off” time ever since I got it.
1. Comfort These fit around my ears very well, and the clamp force is slightly weaker than the 6xx. The tip of my ears touch the inside, but I felt no discomfort contacting the soft inner foam. Also, for me, the headphone was not particularly heavy, and I did not face any issues on my neck. That being said, my ears felt like it was in a sauna! I had no issues listening to the 6xx for hours on end, sometimes not taking it off the whole day, whilst the 4xx forces removal every so often. And this leads me to clamping force. I have to remove the cans every so often cause it is either too hot and sweating around my ears, or the clamp is pressing on my jaw and after a few hours, it can get painful. Even though the clamp force of the 6xx is stronger, yet I felt no discomfort. Perhaps it’s the circular versus oblong shape of the pads that does it. Also, the 4xx is not as glasses friendly as the 6xx.
2. Power requirement The 4xx is a relatively low resistance can, at just 35ohms versus the 300 ohms of the 6xx. Yet, the 4xx needs a lot more power than the 6xx to reach the same volume. The 6xx requires just 10 on the notch of the LD mkii, whilst the 4xx needs the dialed turned to slightly higher than 20 to get it on the same dB level. The magni 3 on low gain need to be on a shade below max volume to drive the 4xx up to painful levels, but even on high gain, the dial needs to be turned up substantially more than the 6xx. Make no mistake though, on high gain, the magni 3 will still be able to push these to ear damaging levels at less than half volume.
For fun, I also tried in on my Samsung galaxy S8. It does get loud, but gets asthmatic when it comes to the good stuff (read: bass). Not sure if this would work well as a benchmark: It does not get loud enough to drown out the vacuum cleaner when I use it listening to music on the S8. I tried powering the cans on both amps, and I clearly favor the solid state amp option for the 4xx. The 4xx sound seems slightly distant and sounds like it loses accuracy/control of notes when driven by tubes. Even as I write this review, the 4xx remain plugged into my magni 3 whilst I might as well weld the 6xx into the LD mkii.
3. Cable Thick, robust and....short. It’s just enough for me to lean back on my chair, but no more. Should it be coiled somehow on the stand, then the cable gets pulled out from the cans. (the amp connection is way solid)
4. Sound
Imaging/Soundstage Whoa! I silently thought all the talk on forums about openness for headphones were all blasphemy and a lot of placebo. How wrong I was, as none of the headphones I owned before had such soundstage. AMSR tracks gives you huge goosebumps! Luciano Pavarotti sounds like he came back from the dead and singing in front of you live when listening to La Donna e mobile.
Treble : PLENTY compared to the 6xx. These cans remind me that sometimes we all need some treble to make a song feel more alive and upbeat. It isn’t as sharp as a HD25-1, so it will not cause fatigue in that sense (only clamping and/or sweaty ears). Chicago’s you’re the inspiration high notes sounded especially pleasing.
Mids : My goto track for mids and vocal is Eva Cassidy’s son of a preacher man. The 4xx reproduces this track true and similar to my living room system… but somehow the 6xx seems untouchable when it comes to this point… it’s just not as smooth and “creamy”, if one can actually explain sound in such a word. By no means bad, but to me, the 6xx is miles ahead. Just to be sure, I gave Van Halen’s Jump and Jason Mraz I’m yours a listen. I don’t know if it’s the solid state vs tube, but again, the 4xx loses out to the 6xx for my preference. But oh, the soundstage of the 4xx!!! Does anyone know how to make the 6xx sound more open and airy like the 4xx?
Bass: It has been mentioned enough on forums on the benefits of planars reproducing bass notes. Alas, it has not been my experience. The 6xx seems to have more bass. It initially seemed as though the 4xx had more bass, but the more I listen to it, the more I crave for more bass on the 4xx. I tried passive EQ thru my Loki, but just muddled things. Snoop Dogg's murder was the case sounded nowhere as sinister as what it should be. Flo Rida's Low bass tones on the 4xx sounded too tight, while the bass on the 6xx is what the song should sound like. (Perhaps I'm not used to the tight controlled sub bass signature of planars... but to me, it really needs more bass!)
Conclusion: The 4xx is my 1st planar cans that I will continue to listen to and edit this review, should I hear something different. But until I receive my Audeze Mobius next month, the 6xx will remain on my head the longest of all the cans I currently have.
Whoa, my longest review ever.