HIFIMAN HE1000se

HifiMan HE1000SE​

Prelude:
HifiMan has produced many products, many of which have become legends and timeless benchmarks of sonic heights. Such models include arya, sundara and susvara. Quite recently I remember my admiration for the latest Arya Orfanic and the excellent version of Ananda with the note nano. All this means that I consider HifiMan products to be among the best in the world and I could not deny myself the pleasure of reviewing the timeless version of one of the most popular models of this manufacturer, the HE1000SE. These are planar headphones, dedicated to more advanced listeners. Initially, their price was USD 3,500 and even then it was an incredible opportunity. Currently, HifiMan prices HE1000SE at USD 1999, so it is the same price as great closed-back headphones such as Audivina.

Unboxing and ergonomics:
HifiMan undoubtedly targets another user with the HE1000SE model and places its product in the premium segment. This is reflected not only in the equipment, but also in the packaging. HE1000SE comes to us in a beautiful box covered with a material imitating leather with an elegant silver decoration at the top. On the front of the packaging we can see the manufacturer’s logo and model name. This is one of the most elegant headphone packaging I have ever seen. Inside, our headphones and a set of documentation rest safely on a satin fabric, and we also have three types of cables under a foam cover. The latest HE1000SE literature has improved cables with black braided insulation. The first cable has a classic 3.5mm plug, the second has a 6.5mm jack, and the last one is an XLR cable that perfectly fits the EF600. On the headphone side, we have classic 3.5mm plugs on each side. This design ensures very wide compatibility with other cables dedicated to HifiMan headphones, for example those from the Arya Organic or Audivina models. It is true that we do not have a dedicated case, but on the other hand these are not headphones dedicated to travel, but definitely equipment for home use. In terms of ergonomics, we once again have an open design and planar drivers with a very large surface area. The headphones themselves have a similar headband design to the he1000 V2, only the headband has become black. Inside our headphones we have acoustically invisible magnet technology, and the housings are completely metal. The monotony of silver metal is beautifully broken by veneer imitating wood. And the earcups themselves are asymmetrical and have one of the most comfortable pads I have ever encountered. Overall, the HE1000SE are one of the most comfortable and perfectly fitting headphones I have ever encountered, on par with the Arya Organic model.


Current and drive:
Although the HE1000se are not overly demanding on current, they scale well with better devices. So the Z EF600 worked together phenomenally, and it was similar in the case of the EarMen tradutto DAC combo with ST-AMP. Thanks to the relatively low current requirements, the HE1000se also works well with EarMen angel or even iBasso DX170. With FiiO KA17 in desktop mode, the sound was OK, but much more can be achieved using stationary solutions.

Sound:
HE1000SE is one of the most famous headphones in HifiMan’s portfolio, famous for its above-average resolution and adopting the character of the sound of the source. All this makes them highly universal and timeless headphones.
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Bass: The low tones are incredibly elastic and saturated. The resolution of low tones is astonishing, and the scope and scale of the sound present in the HE1000SE exceeds our wildest expectations. We can literally feel every bass note and even the smallest beat. At times I had the impression that the world around me was literally spinning, in a positive sense of the word. Thanks to the incredible dynamics and complexity of the structure, the low tones revealed a lot of information. Bass instruments and musical genres based on low tones benefited significantly from this. At the same time, the bass was never too aggressive or unpleasant. It did not overlap other bands and sounded in an extremely natural and well-thought-out way. You could hear the enormous potential of these headphones. This is the kind of bass that encourages listening while maintaining a natural character. Despite the natural tuning, there was a huge amount of information and details.

Mid tones: In this range, in addition to enormous dynamics, at first glance you can hear an incredibly natural and realistic sound signature. The amount of detail and information in the midrange of the HE1000se is beyond all expectations. Every time I closed my eyes, I literally had the impression that music around me was being played or sung live, which is a huge advantage of these headphones. The midtones in the HE1000SE are also saturated with detail and information, and the soundstage is built in a realistic way, with appropriate width and depth. At the same time, it has not been artificially blown out to the sides, HE1000SE are headphones that do not pretend anything and present the music exactly as it was recorded. Therefore, poor recordings will be presented in a ruthless and unforgiving way, while well-mastered ones will reward you with a beautiful and valuable sound. The HE1000se is one of the most impressive headphones in terms of resolution and tuning. Although the vocals are slightly forward, they retain great separation and exemplary positioning. In the case of vocal music, where we have more than one vocalist, we can easily divide the voices into prime factors.

Treble: The treble in the HE1000SE is slightly enhanced and brightened, which is quite typical of HifiMan products. At the same time, the amount of information and the resolution of high tones are well above expectations. However, it should be remembered that the HE1000se perform better with warmer sources and benefit, for example, from the R2R system in the EF600. However, the high tones are easily kept in check and although they convey a lot of information, they do not do it in an unpleasant or negative way. Brightening the high tones gives us an even greater sense of resolution and allows us to increase the sense of realism, which is above average in these headphones. Instruments placed in the upper midrange sound natural and very clean, which is incredibly noticeable in the overall presentation of the HE1000SE.


Compared:

HifiMan HE1000SE (1999USD) VS HifiMan Audivina (1999USD)
Audivina is a truly unique and quite unusual headphone, presenting sound in the same way as in a concert hall. Initially, you need to get used to the extremely interesting, but also original sound signature. Therefore, HE1000SE are headphones that sound more natural and realistic, but at the same time have less bass. I consider both headphones to be outstanding in their aspects and I appreciate them for their unique features. HE1000SE are headphones that focus on resolution and realism. Audivina impresses with a huge sound stage, concert hall reverberation and excellent bass. That’s why I can’t pick a winner here, I encourage you to listen to both models and choose the most suitable one. In terms of music analysis and production, the Audivina is irreplaceable, but for quiet home listening, the HE1000SE may be a bit more natural.

HifiMan HE1000SE VS HifiMan Arya organic (1399USD)
Arya Organic is a wonderful headphone with timeless tuning. The latest version of the Arya model has been completely tamed and kept in check. In my opinion, Arya Organic is a bit more intimate and musical, but not as resolving as HE1000SE. There is a significant price difference between these headphones and with a good HE1000SE amplifier they show their superiority over their cheaper siblings. However, if someone is looking for more entertainment, they will find company in the Arya Organic model. I personally own both of these models and think they are both absolutely gorgeous. In my opinion, HE1000SE has a more mature and resolving sound, but requires appropriate amplifier investment. Arya Organic is a more intimate, direct tuning that can bring a lot of listening pleasure. Personally, I think these two models complement each other very well and I recommend checking them both out.

HifiMan HE1000SE VS HifiMan Ananda Nano (599USD)
Yes, I know this is a very unfair comparison. However, many people ask me whether it is worth paying extra for more expensive headphones. Well, it all depends on our expectations, but in my opinion, even with an average quality source, we can hear a lot of differences. Ananda Nano is a cooler, more analytical and more V-shaped headphone than the HE1000SE. Ananda nano is not as resolving, but still represents a great level and excellent sound. Personally, I love my Ananda Nano. However, in terms of resolution, amount of detail, naturalness of sound and diameter, the HE1000SE represent an unrivaled level and represent a completely different product category.

Summary:
HE1000SE are not the cheapest headphones on the market, but their current price of USD 1,999 is literally daylight robbery. The quality-price ratio of this model goes far beyond the price range of the HE1000SE. These headphones delight with their time resolution, universal tuning and dynamics combined with incredible sound realism. All opinions about HE1000SE are absolutely true and I am not surprised that these headphones have become legendary in the world of audiophiles. Additionally, we get a decent cable set and beautiful premium packaging. The HE1000SE from HifiMan represent such an excellent level that it’s hard for me to fault anything because both the comfort and the sound are world-class. These are one of my favorite headphones, I value them equally as Arya Organic for their timeless design and phenomenal sound. However, I encourage you to connect them to a better sound source to hear their full potential and be able to fully appreciate them. If someone is looking for realism and resolution, HE1000SE may be a hit and should be the first choice.

I had been using the HD800S for a few years and had to part with it and wanted a definite upgrade. (I gave it to someone, I did not get rid of it because I did not like it or anything, even with all the flaws it had, I loved it.) My review will mostly be a comparison against it.

After reading tons of reviews online I concluded, HE1000SE would be a definite improvement over it.

First off, yes you hear more details than the HD 800S in many areas, specifically in the music, and different parts of the music are more distinctly separated that allows you to hear the details more. There is better layering too, for example the song "Sweet Surrender" by Sarah McLachlan the beeping sounds present themselves at different distances with different tones in a more pronounced way with the HE1000SE. The sound of the bug flying in the song "Viva Forever" by Spice Girls, takes a three dimensional semi circular path for the HE1000Se, instead of a tracing a semi circle in two dimensions like with the HD 800S.

Sounds have more scale and body to them. In an orchestra the sounds seem to be emanating from larger objects, with the much talked about scale and height attributed to the large HiFiman cans. The bass is much clearer than the HD 800S.

For thin recordings like "Empty Garden" by Elton John, the song does not fall apart like with the HD800S.

You do feel the three dimensional soundstage, much well defined than the HD800S. It is less wide than the HD 800S, which makes orchestras less enjoyable for some recordings.

Human voices seems to be pushed further, and a bit muffled amidst all the details. When I hear songs with HD 800S the voices seem to be closer than instruments in most songs, giving me a feeling of the presence of the singer, his/her emotions. This is absent in the HE1000SE, the life that I felt in music with the HD 800S is all but gone.

I personally like instruments that work in the similar range as the human voice like cello/duduk and am definitely not a basshead. Thus for me, although I appreciate all the extra detail and nice spatial separation, I do not feel any more emotion listening to the HE1000SE than the HD 660S (sometimes I prefer the 660S).

I tried to find the reason and looked at the graphs, I guess the graphs agree with what I felt, the HD800S had more energy and also smoother in the vocal range (at least for two samples of HD 800S).

It is not for me or people like me who like to concentrate on the vocals, listen to cello/duduk, or appreciate the width of orchestras. The HD 800S became bothersome in 1 out of 20 songs but it excelled with 19 other songs for me. But I feel something is missing with all songs with the HE1000SE. It is being returned. I guess I will have to wait for a while to have a definite upgrade over the HD800S in the "affordable" price range. Hope it comes sooner than later.

Edit : Chain : TidalHiFi -> Topping G5 -> HE1000SE

hello there, this will be my first official review that I will be writing.I am not a professional in this area, this is just a hobby. (NOTE) source: tidal (hifi,master,normal)

MY personal music choice: edm, pop, hip-hop, bounce hop, lo-fi, classical, j-pop, instrumental and everything along that line.

Specs of the hifiman he1000se
-over-ear open-back
-planar magnetic driver
-weight 440g
-cables: 3.5 mm (1.5 m), 6.35 mm (3 m), XLR (3 m)
-impedence: 35ohms
-sensitivity: 96DB


CABLES :
To be honest, the cables aren't really bad, it can still be used perfectly fine. The problem is, it's just average, for a $3500 headphones this is not fine.But of course you can buy your aftermarket cables if you want to improve a bit of the sound quality.

COMFORT :
For a 400+g headphones, it feels surprisingly comfortable! It clamps just a bit less than the hifiman aryas which i find a little too clampy. It is also built better and with nicer materials (and is certainly one of the best looking headphones in the market right now). FYI, the earpads in the he1000se is slightly bigger than the susvara's pads. During my time with it, i found out that after about an hour or so of wearing the he1000se, there seem to be some discomfort at my jaw which it is clamping again. This is just a little problem and definitely will not make me want to not buy it.*

FINALLY SOUND QUALITY :
First up, this headphones just sound super pleasing to my ears. Like the susvaras, they can be on my head for hours on end without feeling fatigue. Secondly, they are ruthless about showing you the recording and mixing quality of the music i was listening too. If there was a mistake i could pretty easily pick it out of the mix. The clarity was absolute insane to say the least, and the soundstage was wide and tall without hurting too much of the imaging of the headphone. Next up, it is detail retrieval, compared to the arya's the he1000se has quite large margin more detail (as expected for being more then twice the price of the area).They also have pretty nice layering and ofc tones of resolution to fight with the other big boys in this price range. To me the sound it produced was about holographic. The tonality of this headphone is pretty neutral and pretty analytical (not as in cold) and it still manages to inject a "fun sound" into the music i was listening to. Instrument separation here is also one of the best I've heard.

Testing was done with a burson soloist 3x and a chord qutest*
BASS :
They sound super realistic and accurate with excellent timbre. During my first try of the 1000se, i was using a topping a90, which for my ears made it too bland and boring so i decided to switch to the soloist. And boi IM GLAD I DID, the soloist made the 1000se way more lively an fun while trading off a bit of the detail. Now I'm starting to like this headphone A LOT. It gave me a bass response that was slightly above neutral and not overpowering the rest of the frequency. For once, it did not make me miss the 'punchyness' of other headphones i tried. If you want a bass cannon or somewhere close to that quantities of bass i suggest you to look elsewhere like maybe audeze's lineup The bass was solid and quick, the layering and detail of the bass was one of the best, maybe at the level of a lcd-4. An Arya has a bit more bass quantity but loses out by a bit in terms of quality.

MID-RANGE :
This might be one of the best headphones i heard for the mid-range. The vocals here sounds very transparent and tonally accurate and has lots of emotions in them. It is also very dynamic and has lots of micro and macro details everywhere. Instruement separation here was amazing as well, being able to hear each individual instruments in their own placement and they were crazy resolving. If you like vocals, you should like at ZMF headphones on tubes,they are absolutely amazing in terms of vocals but not nearly as detailed as the he1000 (then again the prize difference....). Guitars and especially violins and pianos sound just magical with the right amount of emotions, air and space in them. In the upper mid-range some might find the he1000se too bright, and to me it is just find (except for 1% of my music library) so take note of that.


TREBLE :
The 2 words i can think of is airy and open sounding. They have insane detail and extension ,it also does not have the dryness that sound headphones might have. and ofc they have good amount of detail here.Compared to the arya STEALTH*,he1000se is way less grainy and was way more pleasing the listen to.


SOUNDSTAGE! :
WIDE AND TALL i what i will use here, it has excellent depth and definition here. It is precise so you are able to pin point where everything is coming from. The soundstage is also one of the best i heard, it is just really amazing- world class right there


CONCLUSION:
If you had the money or is heavily invested in this hobby. GET THEM, if you want a pure, neutral sound with crazy detail and resolution and be prepared the hear everything in your recording. Soundstage is also why you might get this headphones, well.. they have plenty and more then enough for me.It is also pretty comfortable and has the tonality i prefer.If you want a susvara and don't have the budget or space for the headphones and SPEAKER AMP i suggest he1000se as it can be powered easily (but scales well) and is also quite close^ in terms of sound to the susvara. Compared to aryas, i would get the he1000se for an improvement in everything but the bass quantity.But if you are planning to upgrade your aryas i wouldn't recommend getting the he1000se as it is WAY more expensive and probably not worth the price.AWESOME headphones for classical especially but still works very well for other genres.

P.S. please leave a comment down if i did well or need to improve in certain things in my review.This is my first review Hope it is fine.