HiFiMan RE2000

Link to my review and measurement index thread where one can also find a full review overview, more information about myself as well as my general-ish audio and review manifesto: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/956208/

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I only give full stars. My ranking/scoring system does not necessarily follow the norm and is about as follows:


5 stars: The product is very good and received the "highly recommended" award from me.

4 stars: The product is very good and received the "recommended" award from me.

3 stars: The product is good/very good, but not outstanding/special enough to get any of my two awards. ["Thumbs Up"]

2 stars: The product is only about average or even somewhat below that and somewhat flawed/flawed in some areas. [neither "Thumbs Up" nor "Thumbs Down"]

1 star: The product is bad/severely flawed to outright bad. ["Thumbs Down"]

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HiFiMan RE2000


Source:

Review sample.


Miscellaneous:

Fairly impressive and abundant unboxing experience, but anything less would be disappointing at the fairly high price point (for single dynamic driver in-ears) anyway. The product photo on the box’s sleeve doesn’t fully fit in, though (regarding lightning and focus).
I like the large, hinged, pleather-coated storage chest with a metallic badge on the outside that they come in; it somehow reminds me of that of my Sennheiser HD 800.
Removing the outer cardboard sleeve (without ripping it apart) turned out to be somewhat difficult, though.

Fairly poor selection of ear tips, especially given the price (various styles of tips, but only one respectively two choices as for size).

Gold-plated shells (on the inner half). The outside with the HiFiMan logo, though, appears like it could lose its colour over time (it would have been better if the logos had been engraved or laser-etched).
Unique shell design. Rather bulky. The nozzles are on the shorter side which results in a fairly shallow fit.
Worn with the cables around the ears.

The RE2000 are HiFiMan’s first IEMs with detachable cables; thankfully they went with the 2-pin standard (recessed sockets) instead of the more fragile MMCX.
Interestingly, the cable comes with a set of spare 2-pin connectors.
Nicely soft and supple but also slightly sticky and rubbery on the surface; the strain relief could be executed better on some of the transitions. Doesn’t really appear (in terms of aesthetics) suitable for $2000 in-ears (despite the gold-plated elements on it), but is still good enough for a cable with non-braided/-twisted conductors.

Fairly nice aluminium carrying case that is rubber-padded on the inside and therefore protective.

One dynamic driver per side.




Sound:

Largest included triple-flange ear tips trimmed down to large single-flange ear tips that have the same length as the grey double-flange tips that came already installed on the RE2000. Due to the same length, acoustic measurements indicate them to sound identical.

Tonality:

As for tonality, “balanced” is probably what comes closest to the RE2000s’ tuning.

The bass is emphasised by ca. 6.5 dB to my ears compared to the Etymotic ER-4S/ER4SR but sounds subjectively as if it were more present which is however not the case as it turned out when adjusting it using EQ software; perhaps it is the larger driver and longer decay that leads to this impression.
Extension into the real sub-bass is good with just a slight drop below 40 Hz. As the lows start to climb already around 900 Hz and reach their climax already around 400 Hz, lower mids and fundamentals are on the fuller side and there is some undeniable fundamental range bloom that can turn from pleasant, cosy warmth into being somewhat annoying at times; nonetheless the timbre in the vocal range is still good and relatively natural thanks to the treble being on the generally brighter side.

That said, there is really nothing to be really criticised about the midrange – while not focussing on pure flatness, it sounds natural with some added lower midrange warmth, a slight central midrange bump that brings voices a little closer to the listener, a slightly reduced fundamental range, and an elevated middle and upper treble that compensates for the warmth.

When it comes to the highs, though, this is definitely the area where the RE2000s’ biggest problem is located: performing sine sweeps, I can hear elevations around 5 kHz, 7 kHz and around 12 kHz, each increasing in quantity. While they are rather wide and spread instead of narrow wherefore sharpness and harshness are thankfully avoided, the trebles sounds artificial and has a metallic timbre as a result; especially the 5 kHz elevation is responsible for this and also leads to trumpets and cymbals sounding off (squeaky respectively as if they were played with brushed instead of sticks (to which the 11 kHz elevation definitely also contributes)).
Surely there are in-ears at lower price points that sound even more artificial in the highs – but at $2000, the RE2000s’ treble presentation is just too far off from a realistic sound reproduction, as while it doesn’t sound bad per se, music that mainly incorporates real acoustic instruments and no drum machines and sampling does just not sound realistic but plasticky. At this price point and for much less money, there are so many other superiorly (more realistically) tuned alternatives, including dynamic driver in-ears (even such as HiFiMan’s own RE4000i).
Super treble extension past 10 kHz is flawless.

Frequency Response:


ER-4S-Compensation

Performing sine sweeps and EQ comparisons, I hear the bass as somewhat stronger (ca. 6.5 dB instead of the ~ 5 dB that are shown), with another peak around 7 kHz. Otherwise, that’s about how I perceive the RE2000 as well.


ProPhile 8-Compensation

Resolution:

As for technicalities, the RE2000 are indeed convincing for dynamic driver in-ears, but not really worthy of the $2000 that they cost.

Not much surprisingly for single-driver in-ears, coherence is flawless, but should also be expected at this price point no matter whether hybrid, single- or multi-driver in-ears are talked about.

Speed and control with complex and really fast recordings are very good for dynamic driver standards and a good bit ahead of my HE4000i but not fully on the same level when compared to good multi-BA in-ears.
Since one dynamic driver per side is used, the focus is perhaps naturally not on pure BA-like speed and nimbleness anyway, though, but more on body, the perceived tactile sensation of the dynamic drivers and rumble. And this is where the RE2000 really shine, with a rumbling but highly controlled bass whose tactile perception is especially high, as if the moved air and mass could be perceived physically, even down into the real sub-bass. As such, their bass presentation reminds me somewhat of that of my Audeze LCD-X that also have that rumbling texture while being highly controlled and still very fast at the same time, but ultimately the HiFiMan and my Audeze are still different enough in terms of bass presentation and the LCD-X impress even a good bit more here, but for dynamic driver in-ears, the RE2000 are very good and are, among those that I have heard, probably those that come closest to my LCD-X in this regard.

Treble separation is on a high level as well and comes close to that of my UERM, although they are ultimately more pin-point precise than the HiFiMan in-ears.

Speech intelligibility and midrange details are on a very high level to the point of being transparent, with small variations and fine details being heard precisely.

Ultimately, in terms of technicalities, the RE2000 deliver about Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered to-go performance, perhaps a step below them, which definitely places them on a high level, however they are therefore, as a result, also not on the same level as in-ears such as my Campfire Audio Andromeda, InEar ProPhile 8 or the NocturnaL Audio Atlantis. Therefore, while fairly impressive for dynamic driver standards, compared to the multi-BA competition, the RE2000 appear priced too high.

Soundstage:

The perceived soundstage is convincing as well but mainly a derivation of the tuning; the portrayed sound field is fairly large and as such leaves the base of my head towards the sides quite easily, almost to the point of reaching the perceived size of some full-sized headphones.
Ultimately it feels somewhat wider than deep to me, with an overall slightly oval presentation. Height cues seem to be reproduced as well.

Imaging seems to be precise.

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Comparisons:

Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors:

As for tuning, the UERM are clearly more neutral and realistic.

In terms of technicalities, it is quite remarkable how close the RE2000 come in terms of bass speed and tightness but at the same time present the lows totally differently, with a slightly longer decay but especially more rumbling, “tactile” sensation and layering; it’s just that “dynamic driver texture” that adds a pleasantly unique character and flavour to them.
Ultimately, the UERM are a bit superior in reproducing small midrange details.
Treble separation is almost a draw but the UERM are in the end also a bit more precise in busy and complex passages when it comes to separating single notes.

The RE2000 have a somewhat wider soundstage to my ears that appears somewhat deeper as well wherefore their presentation is more open.
In terms of instrument separation, the UER are somewhat cleaner when busier and more demanding recordings are played.

Sennheiser IE 800:

The IE 800 have a clearly more fun-oriented sound signature and feature the noticeably stronger v-shape with an audibly stronger bass and especially sub-bass and a more forward, more sparkling upper treble, but compensate for this with a dip in the middle highs around 5 kHz that generates enough headroom and compensation for the follow-up peak.
The IE 800’s mids are more relaxed due to a more recessed upper midrange.
Cymbals sound splashier and brighter on the Sennheiser and are therefore sharper, but the RE2000, while not sharp but milder, present them more metallically and appear to be more off in the highs (fun tuning on purpose on the IE 800 compared to a moderately brightness-elevated but more plasticky tuning on the HiFiMan).

While the IE 800 are definitely competent for single dynamic driver IEMs, the RE2000 are overall a step up and feature a somewhat tighter and faster bass, with somewhat more precise treble separation and superior midrange resolution.

To my ears, the IE 800s’ soundstage is even slightly wider but, in contras to the HiFiMan, with almost no spatial depth.
Instrument separation is cleaner and more precise on the HiFiMan.

HiFiMan RE400i:

The RE400i feature the more neutral, realistic (i.e. accurate) tuning in the midrange and highs but are also somewhat on the warmer side in the lows compared to diffuse-field standards.

When it comes to technical performance, the RE2000 are audibly quite a step up and sound faster, tighter, better controlled and render minute details more precisely.

The RE2000s’ soundstage is larger in all directions, with more precise imaging.




Conclusion:

The RE2000 are very good when it comes to technical qualities, especially for dynamic driver standards (although definitely not $2000 good compared to the multi-BA competition) and feature a nicely tactile reproduction of lower notes’ rumble, but are clearly flawed in the treble tuning that leads to an unnatural presentation of real instruments. When it comes to accessories and build quality/perceived value, there are areas for improvement as well.


Photos:

Hifiman is one of those companies that isn’t afraid to push boundaries of price when it comes to their products; and their newest flagship offering, RE2000 (silver), is no exception at $1,500 ($2,000 for the 24k gold version). Though an iem costing $1,500 is something I’m not unfamiliar with, from memory, I can’t think of any that I’ve personally experienced that only utilize a single driver. I’ve now had these beauties for a week now and would like to share my thoughts and impressions of them with you.





The Opening Experience








Construction



The build quality of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) is adequate but not reflective of the premium price tag. From what I can tell, the entire frame of the RE2000 (silver), which is quite bulky, is made from a regular plastic material throughout. I fully understand that plastic is the way of today and it’s a rarity to find a product, regardless of price, to use more premium materials but I still feel an earphone costing approximately $1,500 is one that should . Regardless, the frame is well made with the only seperation of the plastic being the front plate that holds the innards of the iem in place. Though this is a small piece of the overall whole, I wish the seam would have been more seamless with the frame than the snap in front used. I feel if this would have been in place then regardless of the plastic frame the overall appearance would have been more premium.



Moving down, the cord is detachable which is a HUGE plus that I will continuously advocate for. Additionally, Hifiman uses a regular 2pin connector instead of a proprietary one which further allows the consumer to either upgrade their cable to one they prefer or replace the existing one if it were to become damaged. In regards to the cable itself, I don’t have any qualms about it. The RE2000 (silver) uses a tubular sleeve the encloses the cables from damage and from my time with them they’re fairly tangle resistant as well. Truthfully, other than the bland look, I actually don’t have anything bad to say about the cable.



To conclude my thoughts on the Hifiman RE2000’s (silver) construction, I find them to be moderately acceptable. I definitely can’t see myself bragging about the build quality for there's several examples, that are cheaper and much more premium (Beyerdynamic and RCA made it work beautifully with their Xelento and CL2 products respectably) but I don’t foresee RE2000 (silver) easily breaking either.


Comfort



So we now have the RE2000 (silver) in our ears; so how do they feel? Well, they’re big. As in my wife, who granted does have small ears, was completely unable to get them in her ears at all. I on the other hand have some pretty large ears so I was able to get them in fine but never forgot they were there. The cable that wraps around the ear usually found a way to not stay behind it which is solved by the sleeve that Hifiman included with the RE2000’s so if you don’t mind using that then you’re all good.

The horn is that of the most common size that I see on universal iem’s so finding aftermarket tips, if the 5 different ones included don’t suit your fancy, shouldn’t be much of an issue. For this review I utilized Comply memory foam tips so that the included tips remain new and unaltered for other tour users as well as for pictures. But during my time I found that the RE2000’s isolation was moderate. It toned out a lot of what was around me but I never had to struggle to hear my surroundings (still highly advise against wearing them walking where traffic is of close proximity to you).

In summary, I find the RE2000’s (silver) comfort to be acceptable but only to people who have average ear canal size and above average concha (the area immediately surrounding the ear canal) size.


Sound




We’re finally here, to the area you arguably care the most about, the sound quality. So how does the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) sound? Overall I say they have a V shaped sound signature that eaves more towards the cold side. The level of separation that the RE2000 (silver) command is incredible especially with them only being a single driver. When listening to larger orchestra pieces such as “Crescent Moon Dance” by Akito Matsuda or “He’s A Pirate” By Hans Zimmer, you can very impressively identify where each of the instrument sections are and, on high quality recordings, even where the individual instruments are to a degree.

Something that I immediately noticed when I first pushed play with these is the airiness sound that comes from them. Listen to the song “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble. Everything in the ensemble just sounds so open and free. When the trumpets come in especially the extension is unhaltered and just natural sounding that I couldn’t help but close my eyes and just enjoy the performance.

So overall, the sound quality of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) is the focal point of focus from Hifiman. But how about the individual characteristics of the sound?


Treble


The highs of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) are wonderful. They control wonderful extension yet have a rolloff just before it becomes uncomfortable. When you also take into account the airiness of the sound I mentioned earlier, if your enjoy a more treble focused sound then I think you’ll greatly find yourself at home with the RE2000 (silver). 2 pieces that I found that I really enjoyed that I believe show my feelings are “Love’s Sorrow” by Rachmaninov and “Waltz (piano solo here)by Tchaikovsky.


Mids


As stated in the opening paragraph of this section, the RE2000 (silver) overall possesses a V-Shaped sound signature that edges towards the cold side. With that being said the mids are somewhat recessed; in particularly male vocals. A song that came up in my playlist that couldn’t have been timed better is “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins. When listening to this song, notice how though Atkins’ voice and instruments are very clear they sound like they’re somewhat take the background to the rest of the soundband. A similar reference but on the female vocal side is “Glassy Sky” by Donna Burke. Each instrument, from the shaker to the piano, sounds beautiful and clean, as does Burke, but comparatively she sounds like she’s not the focus when played through the RE2000 (silver).

Make no mistake, though the mids on the RE2000 (silver) is recessed with respect to the rest of the soundband, that takes no skill or merit away from them. The sense of body and fleshiness of skin is very much present. Look no further than “Grandma’s Hands” by Livingston Taylor or the incredible instrumental drums present in the Hu’s “Wolf Totem” and you’ll understand what I mean.


Bass


The heartbeat of the music. The rhythm and pace. And goodness does the RE2000 (silver) possess a strong heartbeat. Now, I wouldn’t call these bass heavy per say but I would certainly believe they’d satisfy the majority of peoples bass needs. The lows are heavy and impactful but not enough to have the sub bass feels. The speed and control is phenomenal. From Timmy Trumphet’s “Oracle” to “Rasputin” by SLC, the bass is fast with very little decay but still hard hitting.

I listed a lot of techno music for it’s representation of depth and speed but don’t think that the RE2000 can’t do true instruments as well. One piece in particular combines the bass capabilities as well as the body I mentioned earlier in the review, and that’s “Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo” by Bela Fleck And The Flecktones. The bass guitar hovers just under the RE2000’s subbass capabilities but still delivers the very low note and you can almost feel the plucks of the strings. So, minus the lack of subbass, I find the RE2000 (silver) to have a rather nice bass presence.


Conclusion



To conclude my thoughts of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver), I find them to be appropriate in their price range of $1,500. During my time with them I quickly realized that Hifiman focus their effort quite extensively on the sound of the RE2000 (silver) for, to me and my personal opinion, their construction quality and comfort fell quite subpar of the premium price tag they’re asking for. Also, the “carrying” case that Hifiman includes with the RE2000 (silver) is impractical at best for you have to remove the foam cutout to have the iems and cord barely fit inside it.

Aside from the disappointing handshake I initially received from the RE2000 (silver) once I actually listened to what they had to offer I found that they performed with the skill and competency that earns respect. From the positional accuracy to the airness highs to the tight bass the RE2000 (silver) perform to a degree that is appropriate of the Summit-Fi price tag.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

My impressions of the RE2000 Silver.

As part of the HiFiman RE2000 tour, I was asked to write down a review or impressions of my time with these earphones. I’ve use them for a solid three weeks, with a light rotation of some other earphones to keep the RE2000 sounding fresh and unique to my ears. They will soon be going on to the next person on the tour.

The RE2000’s are a lively and enjoyable pair of reference earphones. They are very musical but also exhibit details to keep things interesting. Low end is full and has rumble and punch when needed. Mids make both male vocals and especially female vocals sound very natural. Tremble is airy and extended but never harsh. Soundstage is wide and they go deep. The signature is not dark, but rather warmish and to me close to neutral. There is an extra kick on the bottom end to keep things lively, PRaT is solid. Clarity is perfect with these, every sound is heard in your music, with little if any distortion. In rock music guitars have crunch. In modern pop and electronica, the low end has punch and is rich, vocals have emotion. In indie music the vocals and acoustic guitars sound lively and engaging. In classical orchestral music, the music is grand and full with strings and cymbals sounding natural. In jazz the timbre of the instruments is perfect.

The RE2000’s fit very nicely into my medium sized ears, giving good sound blockage and a decent seal. Tips I used were the Final Audio E Type ear tips, which worked very well with the RE2000’s and helped with the seal. I found that any good copper cable works well, balanced gives it an extra edge. The unbalanced tube amp DX220amp9 is truly excellent, making the rich bottom end and the natural mids melt into your ears. Truly a great combo. The Sony NW-WM1A was also an excellent pairing.

Some comparisons:

Vs the Campfire Audio Atlas – The Atlas has a deeper low end, and a wider sound stage. The RE2000 have better PRaT, slight mid bass bump for that extra bass sound. Playing something like the Clash’s Guns on the Roof, one feels that the sound, although lively with both earphones, it just has an extra kick with the RE2000. Details sound great on both, but the Atlas does have the bigger sound stage, as stated.

Vs. Massdrop x Empire Ears Zeus - The Zeus is brighter and more detailed, it’s also a multi-BA driver vs a Dynamic driver. Nothing unexpected. The RE2000 is more musical and gives a better since of coherency to the sound. Personal preference here. The Massdrop is quite the bargain for it’s selling point, but the RE2000 is a better bargain for it’s current asking price.

Vs the Beyerdynamic Xelento – The RE2000 have a bigger sound with fuller mids and thicker bass. The Xelento’s are another single dynamic and are a pleasure to wear for the fit and lightness of the earphone. The RE2000 is much bigger and doesn’t fit quite as well, but IMHO, they sound better with a bigger and livelier sound.

Other thoughts:

To me the star of the show is it’s striking low end which takes nothing away from the rest of the signature. As mentioned, it has a full low end that gives a nice thump to your music. With something like Bowie’s classic Fashion, the club dance beat is balanced perfectly with those soaring but smooth guitars. None of this taking away from Bowie’s fantastic vocals.

Any negatives:

The RE2000’s are a bit big, and some with smaller ears may not get the best fit. Some may not enjoy the fun musical signature and prefer a more clinical or balanced signature. Some may even perceive the clear and full bass as a weakness in the sound, yet it is fairly close to the sound of many bands that I have seen live.

The RE2000’s are a great set of earphones and highly recommended, especially at the current price.