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.