I was fortunate enough to be able to audition the HE-X for multiple days thanks to Hifiman's loaner program. Having been a great fan of the HE-400 and HE-560, and with the recent success of the HE-1000, the HE-X was one of the few headphones I was interested in as a possible upgrade or sidegrade to my current HE800. Before I get into the meat of the impressions, first let me give a quick blurb about my preferences so readers can have a better understanding of the review. Hifiman is perhaps the house sound I favor the most when it comes to high-end headphones, followed by perhaps Foster and then Sennheiser. What I appreciate most in sonics is effortless extension top to bottom, and a very gradual u-shaped response. I prefer meatier than average bass and lower midrange, a slightly laid-back upper midrange, and a crisp and airy treble. Of course, none of that matters unless the headphone is comfortable. No pictures for this review, as I feel like I wouldn't be doing any justice to the headphones with my old point and shoot camera. Other reviews already have those areas covered.
I was lucky enough to be the first in-line for my particular region's loaner pair, so I got to unbox the HE-X as a brand-new headphone. Hifiman has been progressively becoming better and better in regards to their products' presentation and packaging. The precision-cut foam inside the product box for the HE-X allows the headphone to sit snugly inside with little qualms. The detachable cables have their own compartment within the foam as well, which is a nice touch. The leatherette box is a nice improvement over the wooden box of the HE-560, which tended to dent around the corners. The hinged lid is also a nice improvement over the sliding metal plate of the HE-560's box. However, it is my understanding that the box the HE-X comes in is very similar or identical to the HE-400i's. So while the product box is or decent quality and grandeur, it is worth mentioning that it's shared across Hifiman's lower offerings as well. I'm not too big of a display-box type of guy, but I find the HE-X's provided packaging sufficient. It's nowhere the level of Audeze's portable pelican cases or the Oppo PM-1's lavishly polished wooden box, but it suffices for me, and shows Hifiman's continued advancement in build and presentation.
In the short time that I had the HE-X, I couldn't really find much faults or complaints with any seemingly lack of durability or quality of construction. The headphone has a decent feel to it, with rigid materials used for the earcups, grills, and headband. The earpads don't seem to be actual leather, but are quite nicely finished and are soft to the touch-- they're a markable improvement over Hifiman's first foray into hybrid-material earpads. The headband assembly is shared with Hifiman's lower offerings, and it's a shame that the gimbals aren't of the same metal as on the HE-1000. For an 18000 dollar headphone, I would have liked them to be, but the current ones suffice. The 2.5mm terminated detachable cables are a vast improvement over the mini-xlr screw-in plugs of the previous generation from Hifiman, but I'm not too keen on the aesthetic and quality of the actual cables themselves. The cups of the HE-X are a very reflective and chrome-like purple color, but the provided cables are more blue in appearance, and don't really go well with the headphones. I would have preferred black. The cables are braided as well, but are also very stiff and tend to have a high degree of memory, so they have a knack for getting tangled if you're not careful with them. Tangled braided cables means fraying over time. The headband adjustment is also puzzling. The adjustment itself is very sturdy, but I can't help but feel these headphones were wrongfully designed for giants. I have an average to above averaged-sized head, but I find myself only using the 2nd to lowest position on the headband. I know of plenty of people who would find even the lowest position to be too low on their head to be considered useable. The massive earcups are nice to wear, but trying to fit a headband that was designed with the HE-560/400i cups in mind with these current cups is an oversight in design. Overall, while the build of the HE-X is average to good, it's a shame that it shares many components with Hifiman's lower offerings.
In terms of comfort, the HE-X really excels. Absolutely humongous ear-pad openings, soft cushioning, modest clamping force, and the suspension strap allow for unparalleled short-term comfort. When it comes to listening for half an hour to longer, the shallow earpads start getting a little bothersome, as your ears are always rubbing up against the magnetic array over the diaphragms. However, it's by no means uncomfortable, and nothing like the pointed fazor elements of the Audezes. A quick readjustment can temporarily alleviate most annoyances caused by the lack of depth on the earpads. While I find the feeling of the HE-X to be very comfortable, I would have liked slightly deeper earpads for a completely natural experience. The massive openings of the HD800 combined with their depth and angle allow for the most comfortable ear-side experience of any headphone I've come across thus far. The suspension strap of the HE-X however, leaves me wishing the HD800 had something similar for extremely long term listening. Overall though, this is one very comfortable headphone, and one I'd recommend to people who are looking for a far more comfortable alternative to the Audeze LCD line.
On the sonic side of things, the HE-X is a mixed bag, but mostly delivers with its well-balanced sound and graciously-big soundstage. Its bass is well within the line of other open-planars, and shows very good extension down to the lower 30hz region before steadily falling off-- very aligned with the HE-560 in terms of extension. Definition and texture of the bass is decent, but not up to the level of the HD800 or even the Audeze LCDs; it comes off as a little flabby and soft in attack. That isn't to say the bass of the HE-X is tubby or wooly, but it's not as rock-hard of a presentation as I would have liked. The mid-upper bass is invitingly warm and adds added thickness and bloom to the sound that's much more akin to an Audeze than the HE-560. The midrange of the HE-X is well balanced, and while the lower midrange sounds very linear and integrated, the upper midrange-lower treble transition shares some of the same colorations to other Hifiman headphones. There seems to be a dip around 2khz, and an emphasis on 3-4khz that isn't too dissimilar from the HE-560. This coloration brings the harmonic energy of violins, female vocals, and electric guitars to the forefront of the sound, while at times sounding a little disjointed, because of a lack of upper treble extension and/or a lack of fullness around 2khz. I find the HD-800's midrange, while gradually down sloping to 4khz, to be more coherent, as it doesn't sway up and down as much. The midrange of the HE-X also suffers from a lack of clear-black background-- if you will. It could be an issue with greater than average distortion in the midrange or a lack of speed and finesse of the headphone itself. I'd perhaps attribute this flaw to both of those causes. While the lack of ultimate clarity isn't too hampering on the HE-X, it's clearly apparent when comparing against the HD-800, whose lower midrange shines through with sense of resolution and speed. The treble of the HE-X is perhaps the most well behaved of any Hifiman I've listened to. It doesn't have the nasty 9-11khz peaks of the 400 and 400i, nor does it have as much emphasis on the 4-5khz region as the HE-560. Sibilance in vocals is few and far between, indicating a decently behaved treble response. If anything, I find it can be slightly hard and glaring at times, but that's highly dependent on the source material being played. As I alluded to earlier, what I find suffering the most with the treble of the HE-X is a lack of extension, which limits the HE-X's ability to portray any ultimate sense of realism. The treble elements aren't as well integrated into the sound as the HD800 either, making for a slightly soft sound. I'm mostly nitpicking the HE-X here, but overall I'd say it sounds very good, with frequency balance and soundstage being its two biggest assets. The soundstage is large enough to not leave me wanting when I transition over from the HD800, and very few headphones can actually brag about that.
Overall this is a nice headphone, and Hifiman's safest and most well-versed entry I've heard yet. I'd recommend it to any person wanting a more soft and warm type of sound like an Audeze, but doesn't want to contend with the horrid Audeze comfort. Would I recommend it at full price though? No. At 1800 dollars, I think this is too steep of an investment. You can get similar technicalities in sound and similar comfort out of the Hifiman HE-560, and you can EQ its sound to sound as balanced as the HE-X. Similarly, I also prefer the HD800 over it, as the HD800 has many of the technicalities the HE-X lacks or comes up short on, and the HD800 can also be EQ'd and modded to have a nicely balanced sound. I would have an easier time recommending this at a used price of around 1000usd, where it's much more approachable. However, if you're not into EQ'ing much and are looking for a superbly comfortable and nicely balanced headphone, then you can still give these a shot and see if they're the right fit for you.
Source: Late 2009 iMac 27inch/ iTunes
Dac: Schiit Bifrost Uber Analog
Amp: Schiit Asgard2
I was lucky enough to be the first in-line for my particular region's loaner pair, so I got to unbox the HE-X as a brand-new headphone. Hifiman has been progressively becoming better and better in regards to their products' presentation and packaging. The precision-cut foam inside the product box for the HE-X allows the headphone to sit snugly inside with little qualms. The detachable cables have their own compartment within the foam as well, which is a nice touch. The leatherette box is a nice improvement over the wooden box of the HE-560, which tended to dent around the corners. The hinged lid is also a nice improvement over the sliding metal plate of the HE-560's box. However, it is my understanding that the box the HE-X comes in is very similar or identical to the HE-400i's. So while the product box is or decent quality and grandeur, it is worth mentioning that it's shared across Hifiman's lower offerings as well. I'm not too big of a display-box type of guy, but I find the HE-X's provided packaging sufficient. It's nowhere the level of Audeze's portable pelican cases or the Oppo PM-1's lavishly polished wooden box, but it suffices for me, and shows Hifiman's continued advancement in build and presentation.
In the short time that I had the HE-X, I couldn't really find much faults or complaints with any seemingly lack of durability or quality of construction. The headphone has a decent feel to it, with rigid materials used for the earcups, grills, and headband. The earpads don't seem to be actual leather, but are quite nicely finished and are soft to the touch-- they're a markable improvement over Hifiman's first foray into hybrid-material earpads. The headband assembly is shared with Hifiman's lower offerings, and it's a shame that the gimbals aren't of the same metal as on the HE-1000. For an 18000 dollar headphone, I would have liked them to be, but the current ones suffice. The 2.5mm terminated detachable cables are a vast improvement over the mini-xlr screw-in plugs of the previous generation from Hifiman, but I'm not too keen on the aesthetic and quality of the actual cables themselves. The cups of the HE-X are a very reflective and chrome-like purple color, but the provided cables are more blue in appearance, and don't really go well with the headphones. I would have preferred black. The cables are braided as well, but are also very stiff and tend to have a high degree of memory, so they have a knack for getting tangled if you're not careful with them. Tangled braided cables means fraying over time. The headband adjustment is also puzzling. The adjustment itself is very sturdy, but I can't help but feel these headphones were wrongfully designed for giants. I have an average to above averaged-sized head, but I find myself only using the 2nd to lowest position on the headband. I know of plenty of people who would find even the lowest position to be too low on their head to be considered useable. The massive earcups are nice to wear, but trying to fit a headband that was designed with the HE-560/400i cups in mind with these current cups is an oversight in design. Overall, while the build of the HE-X is average to good, it's a shame that it shares many components with Hifiman's lower offerings.
In terms of comfort, the HE-X really excels. Absolutely humongous ear-pad openings, soft cushioning, modest clamping force, and the suspension strap allow for unparalleled short-term comfort. When it comes to listening for half an hour to longer, the shallow earpads start getting a little bothersome, as your ears are always rubbing up against the magnetic array over the diaphragms. However, it's by no means uncomfortable, and nothing like the pointed fazor elements of the Audezes. A quick readjustment can temporarily alleviate most annoyances caused by the lack of depth on the earpads. While I find the feeling of the HE-X to be very comfortable, I would have liked slightly deeper earpads for a completely natural experience. The massive openings of the HD800 combined with their depth and angle allow for the most comfortable ear-side experience of any headphone I've come across thus far. The suspension strap of the HE-X however, leaves me wishing the HD800 had something similar for extremely long term listening. Overall though, this is one very comfortable headphone, and one I'd recommend to people who are looking for a far more comfortable alternative to the Audeze LCD line.
On the sonic side of things, the HE-X is a mixed bag, but mostly delivers with its well-balanced sound and graciously-big soundstage. Its bass is well within the line of other open-planars, and shows very good extension down to the lower 30hz region before steadily falling off-- very aligned with the HE-560 in terms of extension. Definition and texture of the bass is decent, but not up to the level of the HD800 or even the Audeze LCDs; it comes off as a little flabby and soft in attack. That isn't to say the bass of the HE-X is tubby or wooly, but it's not as rock-hard of a presentation as I would have liked. The mid-upper bass is invitingly warm and adds added thickness and bloom to the sound that's much more akin to an Audeze than the HE-560. The midrange of the HE-X is well balanced, and while the lower midrange sounds very linear and integrated, the upper midrange-lower treble transition shares some of the same colorations to other Hifiman headphones. There seems to be a dip around 2khz, and an emphasis on 3-4khz that isn't too dissimilar from the HE-560. This coloration brings the harmonic energy of violins, female vocals, and electric guitars to the forefront of the sound, while at times sounding a little disjointed, because of a lack of upper treble extension and/or a lack of fullness around 2khz. I find the HD-800's midrange, while gradually down sloping to 4khz, to be more coherent, as it doesn't sway up and down as much. The midrange of the HE-X also suffers from a lack of clear-black background-- if you will. It could be an issue with greater than average distortion in the midrange or a lack of speed and finesse of the headphone itself. I'd perhaps attribute this flaw to both of those causes. While the lack of ultimate clarity isn't too hampering on the HE-X, it's clearly apparent when comparing against the HD-800, whose lower midrange shines through with sense of resolution and speed. The treble of the HE-X is perhaps the most well behaved of any Hifiman I've listened to. It doesn't have the nasty 9-11khz peaks of the 400 and 400i, nor does it have as much emphasis on the 4-5khz region as the HE-560. Sibilance in vocals is few and far between, indicating a decently behaved treble response. If anything, I find it can be slightly hard and glaring at times, but that's highly dependent on the source material being played. As I alluded to earlier, what I find suffering the most with the treble of the HE-X is a lack of extension, which limits the HE-X's ability to portray any ultimate sense of realism. The treble elements aren't as well integrated into the sound as the HD800 either, making for a slightly soft sound. I'm mostly nitpicking the HE-X here, but overall I'd say it sounds very good, with frequency balance and soundstage being its two biggest assets. The soundstage is large enough to not leave me wanting when I transition over from the HD800, and very few headphones can actually brag about that.
Overall this is a nice headphone, and Hifiman's safest and most well-versed entry I've heard yet. I'd recommend it to any person wanting a more soft and warm type of sound like an Audeze, but doesn't want to contend with the horrid Audeze comfort. Would I recommend it at full price though? No. At 1800 dollars, I think this is too steep of an investment. You can get similar technicalities in sound and similar comfort out of the Hifiman HE-560, and you can EQ its sound to sound as balanced as the HE-X. Similarly, I also prefer the HD800 over it, as the HD800 has many of the technicalities the HE-X lacks or comes up short on, and the HD800 can also be EQ'd and modded to have a nicely balanced sound. I would have an easier time recommending this at a used price of around 1000usd, where it's much more approachable. However, if you're not into EQ'ing much and are looking for a superbly comfortable and nicely balanced headphone, then you can still give these a shot and see if they're the right fit for you.
Source: Late 2009 iMac 27inch/ iTunes
Dac: Schiit Bifrost Uber Analog
Amp: Schiit Asgard2