[xxx1313]

  For anyone in the UK, there's a ex-promotion HE-1000 available for £750 on Amazon right now (https://www.amazon.co.uk/HIFIMAN-HE1000-Planar-Magnetic-Headphone/dp/B00Y9XT3SE). Comes with all parts in a supposedly perfect condition, as well as all the Amazon guarantees. If I had the money it would be gone already!

​This is scam for sure (not Amazon, but this shop on Marketplace as well as so many other "shops" there). You can also buy an AK380 Copper from them for GBP 1450, although all 500 units produced are sold out. They also offer thousands other high-end electronic products for a fraction of their normal prices.
 
If you want to buy something, they will send you an email stating that the Amazon has problems with charging credit cards and that you have to pay them directly. If you do, you will not see your money again and you will not be protected by Amazon. If you do not, your order will be canceled. Even German TV-stations already warn from "shops" like this on Amazon Marketplace.

 

[Thiry]

HE1000 upgrade program ($650):
 
The new version offers lower weight, improved ergonomics and cabling and a headband designed to fit a larger range of sizes. The updated ear pads improve the already lush comfort. The sound is simply sublime, expansive and impactful with an inviting tone that makes you just want to keep listening all night. The versatile combination of reference resolution, spatial imaging and powerful bass make it a great choice as an all round high end headphone.
 
I am very happy with my upgraded HE1000 V2 and I think it sure is worth the price.

 

[Shmuel]

Thiry,
Glad to hear it--my upgraded phones are due in tomorrow.
Can't wait to get them back!
Shmuel

 

[Marcner]

  HE1000 upgrade program ($650):
 
The new version offers lower weight, improved ergonomics and cabling and a headband designed to fit a larger range of sizes. The updated ear pads improve the already lush comfort. The sound is simply sublime, expansive and impactful with an inviting tone that makes you just want to keep listening all night. The versatile combination of reference resolution, spatial imaging and powerful bass make it a great choice as an all round high end headphone.
 
I am very happy with my upgraded HE1000 V2 and I think it sure is worth the price.

 
Agreed. Got mine a week ago. Definitely worth the price.

 

[1BADJAD]

Ok folks, here’s my “non-audiophile” comparison between the HE1000 & HE1000V2 headphones.   I’ve never submitted any kind of review before, so I hope this is the right forum.   I was selected 1 Nov 2016 on Head-fi for a free upgrade via “Hifiman’s Lucky Upgrade Opportunity” for registered owners of the HE1000.  The great thing about this program is that I was able to A-B both headphones side by side since Hifiman sent me the V2’s prior to my having to send the originals back.  Thank You Hifiman!!!
My home setup consists of an “Auralic” Vega DAC & Taurus MKII amp with an aftermarket universal reference cable from Charleston Cable Company.  For comparison, I only listened to each set of cans with a balanced connector.  I did not utilize the cables that came with the V2’s, as I prefer the Charleston cable for all my listening.  I only listened with a USB connection to my computer utilizing a wide variety of 320kbps, FLAC, 24/96, 24/192 & DSD recordings in Foobar 2000 (v1.3.9).  For those of you who already have (or want to try) an Auralic setup, make sure you google “DSD Playback Setup Guide for AURALiC VEGA” and download the PDF, which I’m told is the only way you can listen to your recordings without them being converted to PCM.  Again…I’m not a pro here by any means, so I’m doing as guided by those who’ve came before me.
First, I have to state that the HE1000 V1’s were already my favorite overall set headphones from a small, but ridiculous collection of cans.  I say ridiculous because I’ve spent a lot of money, which could’ve been used more wisely elsewhere, to satisfy my curiosity as a casual listener in this hobby.  I sold, replaced or upgraded a lot of headphones over time, but finally decided I couldn’t part with the HE1000’s (best all around), Fostex TH900’s (favorite closed backs) & Sennheiser HD800’s (favorite for classical).    
                I’m definitely not a purist when it comes to music listening.  I’m the type of listener who always has to fiddle with the EQ in Foobar (albeit slightly) to get the most enjoyment from my headphones.  I typically research the internet for recommendations and adjust accordingly for whichever set I’m currently listening to.  Hate me if you will, but I was never really thrilled with either the HD800’s or the TH900’s with a flat EQ.  With that in mind, the original V1’s were (prior to the upgrade) the ONLY set of headphones that I didn’t need to fiddle with to thoroughly enjoy.  To my ears, they were just that good.  The only problem I ever experienced was a bass rumble (muddy bass?) on rare occasions when listening to music at a very loud level.  It wasn’t with every music genre, but when it happened, I was completely frustrated.  I even considered returning the V1’s at one point to have the problem repaired, as I thought the issue might be specific to my headphones, but I read similar complaints from other reviewers on head-fi.  I know I’m not alone in thinking that a $3,000 set of headphones should come without issues.  All things considered, I definitely didn’t want to part with my favorite headphones…not even for a brief period. 
                Enter the V2’s.  Straight out of the box, they just sound better.  No fancy charts or graphs here…I just have my ears to go by.  The bass is better, refined quality (some say slightly less than the V1’s, but not at all to my ears) without any rumble whatsoever.  I turned to volume knob to a painful level just to make sure and still no rumble….nice!  I’ve also read that the treble sibilance is gone, but I never noticed it in the V1’s to begin with, so I can’t substantiate that claim.  The V2’s are lighter and much more comfortable to wear for long listening sessions, but again…I never really had a problem with the V1’s there either.
                I’m a simple guy, so I’m going to keep it very simple here when comparing the HE-1000’s V2 against the two other headphones in my lineup that I will not part with.  First, the Fostex TH900 vs HE-1000 V2 - I personally think the bass on the TH900’s is better, both in quality & quantity.  If bass, bass and still more bass is your thing then find a decent sale (I see them from time to time) on the TH900’s and listen to your heart’s delight.  You should plan on equalizing the treble down quite a bit though, because it seems to be a problem with all music genres in my opinion.  The treble on the HE-1000’s is much smoother though, and everything blends together so much better for a tremendous overall presentation.   HE-1000 V2 vs Sennheiser HD800 - Wow…you just can’t beat the HD800’s for classical music enjoyment.  The sound stage on these babies is simply amazing.  Of course, the HD800’s sound great with other genres as well, but I ALWAYS have to add bass and remove treble in the Foobar equalizer.  I know there are tons of people out there who will disagree with me, but my ears simply don’t enjoy the HD800’s without equalization.  Fortunately, the HD800’s respond very well to equalization, better than any other headphones I’ve had the pleasure of demoing.  To me, the HE-1000 V2’s are really not that far behind for classical music listening.  Although they have a slightly smaller soundstage, they still do the job quite remarkably in my opinion due to their amazing detail.  The HE-1000’s still win hands down for all other genres.
I guess the question is whether or not it’s worth $650 to upgrade to V2’s from a set of V1’s.  Another question is whether or not you should save for a set of V2’s or try to find a bargain on a set of V1’s, which currently have dropped by more than a $1000 off their original retail price from many vendors.  After A-B testing both headphones side by side, I believe I still would’ve sprang for the upgrade.  As previously stated, they’re better than the V1’s…not by much, but better nonetheless, and I don’t have to deal with the rare instance of bass rumble.   If the cost is an issue for you, then stick with the original V1’s…they’re incredible.  Get over your addiction and enjoy the heck out of them…they’re that good!
In closing, the Hifiman HE-1000 V2’s are, without a doubt, my favorite headphones, beating out the original V1’s by a close margin.  They’re velvety smooth with all music genres and more fun to listen to than any other headphones I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.  I can’t live without mine.
 

 

 

 

 

 

[JeffMann]

You wrote-: "Enter the V2’s.  Straight out of the box, they just sound better.  No fancy charts or graphs here…I just have my ears to go by.  The bass is better, refined quality (some say slightly less than the V1’s, but not at all to my ears) without any rumble whatsoever.  I turned to volume knob to a painful level just to make sure and still no rumble….nice!  I’ve also read that the treble sibilance is gone, but I never noticed it in the V1’s to begin with, so I can’t substantiate that claim.  The V2’s are lighter and much more comfortable to wear for long listening sessions, but again…I never really had a problem with the V1’s there either."
 
It seems that the only sound difference that you heard was less bass rumble. I do not have any bass rumble when listening to my HE1000v1 and I also have no treble sibilance, so I guess there is no advantage to upgrading to version 2 from a sound quality perspective.
 
Jeff.

 

[1BADJAD]

  You wrote-: "Enter the V2’s.  Straight out of the box, they just sound better.  No fancy charts or graphs here…I just have my ears to go by.  The bass is better, refined quality (some say slightly less than the V1’s, but not at all to my ears) without any rumble whatsoever.  I turned to volume knob to a painful level just to make sure and still no rumble….nice!  I’ve also read that the treble sibilance is gone, but I never noticed it in the V1’s to begin with, so I can’t substantiate that claim.  The V2’s are lighter and much more comfortable to wear for long listening sessions, but again…I never really had a problem with the V1’s there either."
 
It seems that the only sound difference that you heard was less bass rumble. I do not have any bass rumble when listening to my HE1000v1 and I also have no treble sibilance, so I guess there is no advantage to upgrading to version 2 from a sound quality perspective.
 
Jeff.

Like I said Jeff...I'm not a pro here.  I just wanted to offer my thoughts.  I should've elaborated more on that particular part though...I see that now.  There IS a reason to upgrade.  The V2's have reasonably better sound quality than the V1's in my highly "unprofessional" opinion.  $650 better?  That's not for me to judge, as it totally depends on the individual.  With hindsight, I'd still take advantage of the upgrade, even though the cost seems a bit extravagant.  The difference isn't all that significant (again, that's just to me), but everything is definitely tighter and presented in a more refined manner (for lack of a description).  Not everyone experienced the bass rumble in the V1's that I did, but for those who did, I thought it was important to note that it's gone.

 

[gto88]

I am also a beneficial of v2 free upgrade.
My feeling of difference between v1 and v2 is not much on sound quality, but v2 has better bass, just a tad better.
The biggest advantage of v2 is reduced weight.
If you want a cheap he-1000 with same SQ, it is a good deal to get v1 with deep discount (not sure if it is still on sale).

 

[sahmen]

You could also see the difference this way.  The main sq related changes embodied by V2 arguably arise from the earpads and/or the cable.  However, almost everyone whom I have heard compare the v1 stock with the v2 stock cable can't hear any difference between the two, sq wise, and that would seem to suggest that any V2 changes in sq arise from the design of the new ear pads.  Now if, like me, you have a relatively expensive, and much better sounding aftermarket cable that you're using with V1, with excellent results, then in exactly what would lie the benefit of swinging for an upgrade worth $650, especially considering that you would merely be paying for the benefits of a pair of new ear pads, which HFM has already made available for $79.99 before? For me, and others in my position, it would be more preferable to simply purchase the new ear pads and try them on our pairs of V1.  We will not be paying the $650 via this option, but the original V1 was already very expensive to begin with, so it is not as if HFM would be losing a lot of money on these cans by simply making those ear pads available to us separately...  (in a weird twist of business practices that I still do not completely understand, the upgrade of the Edition Xs was free, and the price of the HeX v2 has been slashed, which seems to suggest that making more money has not necessarily been highest on the priorities of HFM in offering these upgrades--unless I am kidding myself, of course.)
 
However, if money is not the main motivation, or one of the main motivations, then why not make those V2 pads available so that V1 owners can experiment with them and decide for themselves which set of pads they would settle for?  I have seen similar questions raised on other HFM-related threads and forums, here and elsewhere, but I do not believe we have received any answer to this from hifiman, and I wonder why, especially, since one can easily purchase ear pads for other model headphones in the hifiman line from many sources.

 

[Roybenz]

Make the V2 pads available!! Asap!!

 

[xxx1313]

Make the V2 pads available!!! Or do you want to be remembered as the Sauron of earth, Fang???

 

[Currawong]

  You could also see the difference this way.  The main sq related changes embodied by V2 arguably arise from the earpads and/or the cable. 

 
I'm pretty much in agreement here. I "tape modded" mine internally, which removes the slight hardness/harshness of the upper mids, but the V2 was much better than the tape mod. I already had found that an aftermarket cable on the V1 was an improvement, so it would have to be down to the pads. I need to switch the pads around to experiment.

 

[JaZZ]

Yes, HiFiMan, make the V2 pads available! Your current boycott policy baffles all reason and good business practice, and your unwillingness to respond to customer and forum member questions seriously hurts your reputation.
 
My pair is modded similar to Currawong's, and I guess my Silver Dragon is miles ahead of your V2 cable(s) – so all I need is the new pads. No way I'm going to pay for a full upgrade or a new pair of HE1000 V2!

 

[Roybenz]

Yes, HiFiMan, make the V2 pads available! Your current boycott policy baffles all reason and good business practice, and your unwillingness to respond to customer and forum member questions seriously hurts your reputation.

My pair is modded similar to Currawong's, and I guess my Silver Dragon is miles ahead of your V2 cable(s) – so all I need is the new pads. No way I'm going to pay for a full upgrade or a new pair of HE1000 V2!

Have you tried the black dragon? How do you compare the two?

 

[JaZZ]

Have you tried the black dragon? How do you compare the two?

 
I have a Black Dragon on my HD 800 now, but had the Silver Dragon on it some time ago (now reterminated for the HE1000), so I halfways remember the sonic characteristics. The Black Dragon is definitely a lot smoother and a bit bassier as it seems, but also shows a distinct «clarity» bordering on sleekness, so maybe silghtly at the expense of texturing (applies to both). I won't say the Silver Dragon is the last word in terms of synergy with the HE1000 – I haven't tried any other cable save for the original –, but it's definitely much better than the latter: clearer, cleaner, more detailed, livelier. I could imagine the Black Dragon to be a good match, too (at least if you're not into equalizing).