The Blue Hawaii is for electrostatic headphones only!
HeadAmp Blue Hawaii HP amp
I know this Amp is excellent for powering the Stax headphones. Can the Blue Hawaii also power other headphones that have XLR connectors? I am thinking of purchasing the Stax SR-007 or 009 in the future but in the meantime would the Blue Hawaii power my Hifiman HE-6 and Sennheiser HD-650? And if yes would it power them well or poorly (too powerful of an amp for the headphones)?
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No, not under any circumstances, not even close. This is an extremely precision engineered piece of equipment, designed for driving Stax Pro-bias electrostatic headphones to their maximum potential. It can swing almost 1600 volts of output signal, peak to peak. So many things can go wrong at those voltages -- and not many designers/builders have the skills and attention to detail to get everything right, but Headamp does. If you want to focus your efforts on one top-class headphone system with the lowest distortion, least fatiguing, most pure sound, then it's worth going into Stax headphones and plunking down for this amp. The 007/BHSE and 009/BHSE combinations are both classic sounds that have endured at the top of the headphone heap for years, and will continue on for much longer yet, while other flavors of the month come and go. If you want bass cannons that can bruise your head, or if you like changing gear and sonic signatures like underwear, or if you like headphone companies that release a Mk IV version a few months after you bought the Mk III -- then this is not the direction for you! |
5 years ago i owned the BHSE, 009’s and 007 Mk2’s. I ordered it and waited 14 months for it to arrive, as there was a long line. now, 6 years later, it takes about 6 weeks to get built. but until just recently there continued to be a long line. great headphone amp and an end game set-up for listening to music. it’s a product good enough to go ’all-in’ for. but won’t do dynamic headphones. buy this and 009's and get off the gear merry-go-round. could not recommend more highly. |
Thanks for the facts. I'm not interested in changing gear frequently (not enough capital for that) or having my eardrums busted. But my greatest concern is the bass. I've read it goes deep. Is the BHSE's bass anything like the Sennheiser HD 800 (Deep but soft)? I don't consider myself a bass head but if there's substantial bass in the music I'm listening to I want to hear it (substantially). Does the BHSE/007 or 009 combo do well with R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz and Techno? Those are a few of the genre's I fully enjoy. |
I know it's been a long time since any responses to this thread but can anyone give me a clue? How happy would I be with the bass from Johnny "Guitar" Watson's, "A Real Mother For Ya?" or "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz 2 Men? or Michael Jackson's "Bad?" or some extremely heavy bass like in "Angel" by Massive Attack? If I'm going to pay nearly $10K for a headphone setup, it will have to be able to bring me utter delight from every high quality file I send its way. So please tell me "exactly" what kind of bass can I expect. |
A BHSE with 007 or 009 will give you much more satisfying bass than the HD800 for sure. I never liked the Sennheisers, and lack of bass was one of the big reasons why. I’m still scratching my head as to why the HD800 has had such a stellar reputation all these years. Again Stax isn’t for bass heads, but they can deliver enough bass impact for many audiophiles, including myself. The balance of the 009/BHSE is sort of roughly comparable to the Focal Utopia. If you’re still worried about bass, the 007 can give a more overall energy down low than the 009. Though the 009 is more fast and precise and can still slam - I prefer them. The KGSShv Carbon will also give a bit more bass impact and extension than the BHSE, but I prefer the sweeter midrange and overall sound of the BHSE. A Carbon paired with 007 will give you the most bass this side of a DIY T2 (which is an absurdly wonderful amp). |
the place to look is US Audio Mart. lots of headphone’s and headphone amps there. many more listings and easier to navigate. and free to post and purchase too. https://www.usaudiomart.com/ here is a BHSE amp for sale now. https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649594148-headamp-audio-electronics-blue-hawaii-special-edition/?utm_source=featured_ad&utm_medium=web&utm_content=category&utm_campaign=category-featured-ad-click&utm_term=649594148 you can read my 2017 post above in this thread. the BHSE headphone amp is the real deal. |
