HIFIMAN HE-R9 Closed Back Dynamic Headphones

Welcome to the review of the Hifiman R9. In the previous reviews of youtube we saw the headphone tank, the Dt1990 pro. In this video we are going to look at an overlooked Hifiman model, the Hifiman R9. A closed overe ear model with a dynamic driver. Yes. You have heard well about dynamic driver and the company Hifiman... I say this because Hifiman is a brand that focuses on magnetic planar driver headphones. This Hifiman R9 joins some iconic dynamic drive models from the company. Their first dynamic headphone was the HE-300, a model launched in 2011. Although it was undoubtedly a good product, it was not destined to turn the audio world upside down, mainly because of the market it was aimed at.
So after many years Hifiman announced the R-10D and R-10P, and it was one of the most controversial announcements. Based largely on the legendary Sony MDR-R10 with its huge, asymmetrical earcups, Hifiman sure caught a lot of attention. Some time has passed, and Hifiman has released another model in this line, the HE-R9, which we are going to review today. It should be noted that it is a headset that can also be used with the bluemini R2R device to make it wireless. Obviously this analysis has been done using a cable. In fact, I don't have that accessory since my pack was so-called wired.
The Hifiman R9 has a current price of no more than €250, although it can be found on the website itself for less. I want to highlight that the launch price was about €600 and in recent months it has been progressively reduced until it is below €300. The inclusion or not of the receiving device can increase the price.



he packaging is very simple. A subtle cardboard box where the headset comes. We have a hard foam for the headphones, which is used as padding during transportation. This is a very nice touch, as it can be used as a stand for headphones.
On the other hand, and almost to finish we have a rubbery cable that complies along with the classic 6.3mm adapter. The cable is not bad but I don't think it is anything out of this world either. Don't expect a case or carrying bag for the headset.
In short, we have a very similar package in terms of accessories compared to the Edition xs, for example.



The design of the headset is certainly peculiar. As mentioned at the beginning of this review, the headphones are heavily influenced by the legendary Sony MDR-R10, widely considered to be one of the best headphones ever made. I do not recommend the headset for use outdoors as they are too conspicuous and large. However, they are very light at 328 grams…or rather; They feel very light. The slightly padded headband is not too tight and distributes the weight better than the Edition xs, a headset that used the same headband and the pads, being so large, fit very well. In general, I classify them on par with the Dt1990 pro or the Sivga Sv021/Sv023 in terms of comfort since I don't notice any fatigue with them on and I could go two hours straight without noticing any discomfort.
The construction seems quite solid to me. It is true that they are not all metal, in fact the cups feel somewhat plastic but the whole thing feels more than solid and well built. The mix of materials such as the hybrid synthetic leather and nylon pads, CNC aluminum for the gimbals and plastic pivot blocks together with those pronounced red cups give a feeling, quite subjective, of better construction for example than planar models like the Edition Xs or original Ananda which feel somewhat more delicate.

The Hifiman R9 is classified as an innovation using some of the technology that was already innovative.
We have what Hifiman calls Topology Diaphragm." A diaphragm that was used in the R10-D. It's basically a special diaphragm with a nanoparticle coating applied to its surface. The result is a more natural and detailed sound.
The depth of the cups is to ensure that the sound waves from the transducer do not collide as much with the typical space problems that flatter closed headphones suffer from. Smaller closed cups tend to create unnatural echoes.
All this must be added to the Bluemini R2R module. It's built around an R2R DAC, which for the size and price of this little accessory is simply mind-blowing. Hifiman is releasing more and more headphones that can be used with the Bluemini R2R, and it's a fantastic way to increase the functionality and value of their products...but how does it sound?
The R9 is a big, bold, warm-sounding headphone that deviates greatly from what Hifiman usually offers. But before talking about the sound, clarify that...
Isolation
We have pretty standard passive isolation inside closed-back type headphones. In fact, despite being closed, we did not notice that it insulated much, possibly due to the strength of the headband, which is not very high. The leakage or sound that leaks is not very loud and it behaves like a closed headphone. It will barely be heard outside unless you have a very loud volume...I do not recommend listening to music at high volume.
The signature
Will a powerful amplifier be needed?
There is nothing dramatic about amplification. The drivers are 32Ω and 100dB, so the R9 is easy to drive. Just grab whatever DAC and amp you have and use the R9s. With the Ifi hip dac through the normal 3.5mm output, which gives more than 250mw at those 32 ohms, 100% of the headphone is used.

SOUND SECTION – TECHS
In the sound scene we have one of its key points. I will be brief, it is perceived as an open earphone. We have a wide…very wide soundstage. Above all, I highlight it on the Y axis, that is, in height. On the kind of sounds like classical.
The instrumental separation is not far behind... it is another of its strong points, as is the soundstage. It has a large separation between the instruments, resulting in a very precise image and a very convincing 3D effect.
Definitely; Most of the open-back headphones I've reviewed in recent years reached good soundstage levels, but seeing a closed-back do things like this is impressive. If you are looking for closed headphones with a wider range than an open one, look no further.

SOUND SECTION – BASS
Let's start with the bass. The R9 has a closed back and uses a dynamic controller, so you should expect a fun and enjoyable type of experience…and it is. The HE-R9 is a king of fun when it comes to low frequencies, resulting in a very different sound signature than what I'm used to with the rest of their line.
The R9 shines the most with electronic, metal, rock and hip-hop music. The R9's bass feels big and makes the headphones vibrate when listening to some bass-heavy tracks at a moderately high volume. However, do not think that it is exaggerated or that it lacks control, as that would have been far from the truth. The R9 has a great understanding of low frequencies, delivering an exceptional amount of dynamics and texture. It doesn't extend as low as the best planars, mainly due to the limitations of the driver technology...

SOUND SECTION – MIDS
The midrange is quite warm, especially considering that we are talking about Hifiman headphones. The entire midrange is smooth and very pleasant to listen to, so it continues that fantastic fun factor that the bass offers, giving you great mids when it comes to long listening sessions.
Vocals on the R9 end up sounding melodic, rich and yet natural, with added body. Everything sounds big and bold on the R9. It has the ability to put you directly into the music and make you dance, offering a very rich, smooth and colorful presentation.

SOUND SECTION – TREBLE
While it will never sound harsh or unpleasant, you can get quite different results depending on the system you are going to use the R9 with.
The overall treble presentation is again smooth and romantic, with good detail. It has enough power to make your electronic or metal tracks sound prominent and very dynamic, but at the same time, it won't bother you with peaks or unnecessary false sharpness.
All in all, the treble doesn't sound too forward, so you'll have fun even while listening to poorly mastered albums. It's just a different flavor, a more "classic" approach to the treble, that has that sweet timbre and great body to the sound. What's also worth noting is that the treble extends quite high.


Before recommending or not recommending this headset, I would tell you to try it first. It's something I recommend doing with all headphones, but with this one more so. I find many opposing opinions which make me think of some batch in poor condition, defective unit, bad amplification... My opinion about this R9 is that it is simply the most complete closed headphone that I have tried ahead of the Sivga sv021 or the Focal Elegia itself.
A fun headphone to listen to, with a very large stage, excellent instrumental separation, natural timbre and on top of that, comfortable. For me, his discovery was more than positive.
Yes, the bass has a tendency to bleed the lower midrange slightly, but I think that's a good thing in this case, providing vocals that add richness and natural warmth.
I would call the R9 a rich sounding headphone that is fun, yet relaxed overall. It's also not intense in any specific area, which may sound ironic, but I don't know how else to explain it. This model is aimed at people who simply like to have fun and enjoy their music, especially the more dynamic genres. Hifiman already has many headphones that are perfect for everything, very universal and with an excellently technical sound, the R9 is something different...yes, I recommend it.
¡See you in next videos & reviews!

Hifiman HE-R9 - your Flashy Flamboyant Friend​

Lets get one thing out of the way immediately, HE-R9 is a flamboyant and quirky headphone both in its looks and its sound profile but one that you might also learn to love and one that at its current price of $109 deserves to be considered for your headphone collection.



I would like to thank Mark from Hifiman for providing the HE-R9 for the purposes of review

Introduction​

I imagine we all have some loud flamboyant friends, the friends who always wear bright loud clothes, are a bit of a showoff but are great fun at parties and put a smile on our faces and especially because of their carefree attitude can make you good great.

So the HE-R9 is the headphone that personification of one those friends. It is both flamboyant to look at, with its vibrant colourful and large ear cups that scream ’look at me’, but also with its quirky sound signature with its loud deep bass and treble that dances on the edge of whimsy and precision. But just like those flamboyant friends sometimes spending time with a flamboyant ‘friend’ is exactly what you need to make you feel good.

But is it the right headphone to add to your collection? Or maybe it is the right one to give as a present for one your quirky friends. Read on to find out what you can expect for the HE-R9.

What in the box​

The HE-R9 comes in the standard Hifiman box:



Once opened you get a nice presentation of the headphones themselves and a box for the cable:

The cable is the usual hifiman cable and relatively good quality dual 3.5mm cable:

Once you get them out of the box the first thing that strikes you is the bright ’lipstick’ colour of each ear:

and then how large and angled the shape looks like from behind is where it really defies convention:

I believe the HE-R9 and the Hifiman HE-R10D are both partially a homage to a famous Sony MDR R10 from the late 1980’s:



When I spotted the HE-R9 design originally, I thought the dynamic drivers might be angled within the protruding ear-cups to give a sense of the music coming from the front but the way its actually designed there is a hollow space behind the drivers within each ear cup. As you will see in the sound impressions section, I believe this design has both pros and cons to the ultimate sound signature you get from the HE-R9, but it definitely helps make the HE-R9 be a distinctive headphone.

Build Quality​

The construction is solid, featuring a combination of premium plastics, metal, and one of the typical hifiman headbands similar to the HE400SE or the Edition XS.



While they look great I did feel that ear cups feel a bit too ‘plasticky’ for a premium headphone so at their original retail price of $600 there was a reasonable amount of valid criticism, but at the current price I have no complaints.

There are subtle elements of the design which are nicely thought out, for example the left hand ear cup can take a TRRS cable, so you can run a balanced cable into that side on its own:

The following diagram from Hifiman’s website explains this feature in detail:

Comfort and Fit The ‘Tranquility’ ear-pads are padded with a plush material that ensures comfort, even during extended listening sessions, I found these to be incredible comfortable and lightweight. The cushions provide both comfort and a seal for improved sound isolation and bass response.

Adjustability The headband offers ample adjustability, accommodating a wide range of head sizes with ease, all while maintaining its distinctive appearance. It is a very similar design to the headband on HE400SE and other hifiman headphones like the Edition XS. I do slightly prefer the Sundara style headband for ultimate adjustability but given this is similar to the Edition XS, I was very happy with the comfort once I adjusted the headband:

Weight Distribution Carefully designed to balance weight, the HE-R9 feels lighter than it looks, minimizing fatigue and enhancing the overall listening experience.

Clamping Force The clamping force is good, ensuring a secure fit without exerting undue pressure but providing a good seal:


Ear-cups Size Large enough to encase the ears comfortably, the ear-cups contribute to the HE-R9’s standout appearance and its immersive sound.

Breathability:​

Despite their closed-back design, the ear-cups manage to remain relatively breathable, thanks to the materials chosen, reducing heat build-up.

Sound Isolation​

The HE-R9 offers good sound isolation, effectively minimizing ambient noise, I used these in a noisy shared office space for a few days, and they gave me good isolation from the noise and also provided enough isolation that I did not disturb anyone nearby.

Sound Quality​

As I do with all my headphones I listened to the HE-R9 for a few days with my very long audiophile evaluation playlist. This is to get a good feel for whether a headphone is a general purpose (good for most music) or a “specialist” headphone ( amazing for specific types or genres of music ). I also play around with a bit EQ before delving deeper into the sound profile.

So with the HE-R9, the most obvious thing is the quality and richness of the bass, but as I hinted earlier, the hollow cavity in the ear-cups behind the drivers add a unique resonance quality to the headphone. These mixed with Hifiman typical excellent extended treble means this is a specialist headphone and that added resonance means there is mostly no point in using EQ ( as that won’t change that attribute of the sound signature ), but this is not necessarily a bad thing for a specialist headphone.

What this combination does is make this an amazing headphone for simulating the feel you get in a live ‘gig’, I found genres live classic blues and especially classic rock where outstanding. This is the type of music where you want to believe the band are in the room with you. Most live albums for any genres also sounded incredible, so with classic live Jazz like Keith Jarrett’s ‘Koln Concert’ you could feel the concert hall almost as he pounds the keyboard trying to get the most out that famously badly tuned piano.

But let’s get into the detail of what you should expect:

Bass​

As I mentioned, the most striking aspect of the HE-r9 is it rich bass. With each beat, the HE-r9 delivers a pulsating bass response that adds depth and richness to the listening experience, inviting you to immerse yourself fully in the music but with the added ’live’ resonance.

So for example, I have never heard ‘Muddy Waters’ ‘You can’t lose what you ain’t never had’ sound so alive, with a wide soundstage and rich detailed deep bass. While it was easy to get lost in ‘Depeche mode’s ‘Enjoy the silence’ it sounded like I was just standing in front of the stage at one of their gigs.

I found the bass was over the top in lots of tracks - but once I focused my listening on specific genres - especially classic rock - Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Credence Clearwater Revival I could really appreciate this ‘specialist’ sound signature. I did find the bass was too in some already bass heavy tracks, so with ‘Portisheads’ ‘Dummy’ album the bass was a bit too much is a few of the tracks like ‘Roads’.

Midrange​

The bass had the tendency to overlap a little on the details you should normally expect in the midrange, this is one of the reasons I felt this headphone is not for ‘serious’ listening or mastering music. So for example with the Cranberries classic ‘Linger’ the bass guitar covered up a little of beauty of that song. But in other tracks like the Sundays “Here’s where the Story ends” the added bass weight enhanced the vocals and jangly guitar sounded great, so it will be a little dependent on the way the specific tracks were recorded.

Treble​

The treble has always been a strength of Hifiman open back Planar, and they brought that knowledge to the tuning of this dynamic driver. I believe the ‘Topology Diaphragm’ greatly enhances the treble detail while it never sounded sibilant. The treble provides a nice balance to the rich bass response. Tracks like ‘Fine Time’ by ‘New Order’ had lots of electronic high hats balanced with rich bass, and it sounded great on the HE-R9.

Soundstage and Imaging​

The soundstage especially on binaural tracks recorded with good bass, were exceptional wide for a closed back on this headphone, for example, I loved “Nothing as it Seems” from “Pearl Jam’s Binaural album. While it has an excellent sound stage, but it’s not quiet at the level of some of the Hifiman open back’s like the Edition XS, where you really get that super wide soundstage. Imaging was ok but not great, I think due to the bass weight covering some of the midrange detail.

Audio Quality Conclusion​

The Hifiman HE-R9’s sound quality is as distinctive as its appearance, offering an engaging audio experience that’s both fun and high-fidelity. On certain genres of music it really transports you into sound of a concert, which I do appreciate and is an added dimension to have in your headphone collection.

Specifications and Measurements:​

The key specification is the Sensitivity of 100Db @ 32Ω these make the HE-R9 really easy to drive, while I wouldn’t recommend it - they can even work well with the basic Apple USB-c dongle. I mainly used them with my Macbook Pro (while working) and a FiiO KA11 usb-c dongle with my smartphone.

Frequency Response​

These measurements are available on my headphone graph database (here)[https://www.pragmaticaudio.com/headphones/?share=Harman_OE_2018_Target,Hifiman_HE-R9]

Distortion​

The distortion is well handled which is great, so EQ could be used to adjust the tonality:

EQ​

I would not recommend EQ for the HE-R9, while it could / would change the sound signature you would lose the ‘unique’ sound characteristics of the R9, that rich resonant bass and added detail of the Hifiman treble. Enjoy it for what it is, and it is a very enjoyable headphone with the right music.

Rating​

At the current price of $109 the Hifiman HE-R9 has earned a much higher pragmatic rating than it would have with its initial price. I gave it a pragmatic rating of 3, while it should not be your ‘only’ headphone it definitely has a distinctive bass rich sound signature that it deserves a place in most peoples collections. This is the headphone you reach too when you want to are stuck at home but want that feel of a going to a legendary ‘gig’.

Conclusion​

It represents an adventurous departure from conventional designs, offering a fresh and quirky take on high-fidelity audio.

The Hifiman HE-R9 is a celebration of individuality in the headphone world, combining a quirky design with a sound signature that’s equally distinctive. It’s a headphone for those who not only seek high-fidelity audio but also wish to make a bold statement in both style and sonic preference.

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Hifiman is well known for doing headphones and some of their sources (DAC/AMP). I have tested their entry offering, namely the HE400SE, and even though it is a budget offering, i have to say, i’m really impressed by the performance, considering the price, and for those who are seeking to enter the planar headphone’s realm without breaking their bank, that is the one to look out for. Anyway, HE400SE is not that topic that we’re going to talk about today. I have the HE-R9 closed back dynamic headphone with me today. There really isn’t much to talk about with regards to the packaging, they share the same packaging style across the models and also similar cable, identical to the one found in HE400SE, and the inclusion of a headphone stand made out of foam, which in my opinion is very nice and i don’t have to spend extra for a headphone stand.
Build quality is quite similar to HE400SE, with the exception of, the earcups are not open backed as this is a closed back headphone, headband’s cushion is more or less similar as well. It is also very comfortable to listen to for a long period of time. I do hope that the earcup can be swivel though. The earcups finishing made the headphone looks very elegant, but at the same time, it is also prone to being a fingerprint magnet.


Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Hifiman HE-R9 stock cable and earpads

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
HE-R9 tonality is tilting towards the warmer end of the spectrum. Personally, I find it to pair very well with an amp that’s neutral and cool sounding for a more dynamic listening experience if you prefer. Timbre sounds very natural as with most dynamic drivers.

Bass

• The mid bass is punchy and tight, quality kind of bass i would say
• Sub bass however, does sounds a little bit rolled off to my ears, but it is still sufficient to enjoy EDM tracks
• Mid bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Bass has good texture overall and doesn’t sound thin
• The speed is good enough to handle tracks like Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, and Slipknot’s People = crap!, the speed drum doesn’t sound bloated/muddy and every hit can be heard clearly

Mids

• The mids are not overly forward nor recessed,
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty

Treble

• The treble here is very smooth and nowhere near energetic to my ears, perhaps a little too safe to my taste
• Detail retrieval is alright but not the best in class
• Not sibilant at all and never will be

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head, not exceptionally wide
• Good height and width perception for the soundstage
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from, but when the track gets a little busy, it does suffers a little
• Good layering and separation for the asking price

Driveability

• HE-R9 is not that hard to drive, but when fed with more power, it does perform at its best, in terms of slightly better dynamics, better bass in terms of control, a little bit more energy on the treble (depending on the amp that you are pairing it with)
• A mid range/budget amp will do just fine
• I have tested the R2R Module from Deva Pro (Bluemini), they sounded quite energetic and a little bit more air on the top end, a very good synergy i would say

Final Thoughts
The Hifiman HE-R9 is an interesting pair of closed back headphones from Hifiman. It scales with source as well as amp, I find it to be quite versatile overall and works well with my library. Of course it is not all rainbows and butterflies, the earcups are a little big and the clamping force is not as strong, hence it does move around quite a bit when I move my head. Other than that, The R9 is quite a good headphone to chill with, at the current asking price, i have no issues recommending it.

*The Hifiman HE-R9 was sent over by Hifiman for the purpose of this review, I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to their official store to grab one now! It is currently available for 199$ instead of the usual 369$, which is a steal in my opinion, the one with the wireless module will set you back at 439$

Hifiman HE-R9- Non affiliated

MatAudiophiles

HIFIMAN HE-R9 Wired​

HIFIMAN HE-R9 Wired:
INSTAGRAM:
Prelude:
Can being an alien be a musical revelation? This philosophical question will start my assessment of quite original and very unusual headphones from hifiman, i.e. the HE-R9 WIRED model costing 199 USD in the wired version on the day of writing this review. A strong aspect is the ability to connect a great bluetooth module with devy pro which is bluemini. Why did I start this article? Because these are very futuristic headphones, which is not accidental. Because the unusual shape of the domes is due to special acoustic chambers.

Unboxing:
Starting with the packaging, we have a standard carton the same as in the he400se model. Inside you will also find the same standard cable. Optionally, we can purchase a variant with a bluemini bluetooth modem. However, I have a wired version, but because I have a deve pro I will be able to add to my review the assessment of bluemini as a wireless companion, which is dedicated to the HE-R9. These are headphones with a large dynamic driver with an advanced design. The pads are hybrid and very comfortable. Ergonomically, the headphones provide amazing noise isolation due to the closed design. I had no problems with ventilation thanks to the velor base of the pads. The headphones require many hours of break-in, as they sound quite heavy at first, but this changes dramatically after a few hours of play.

Sound:
Bass: This is a strong and very accentuated aspect of the HE-R9’s tuning. These are headphones for lovers of low frequencies because the mid-bass is strongly emphasized. However, its overall texture and outline are of a very high standard. They present excellent imaging and beautiful sound. In rock or rap music, this gives great results, although the bass can come in really well and is the basis of the overall sound. Giving a lot of mass and softness due to insulation. It’s a bear-like and slightly slower sound, perfect for musical and very smooth listening.


Midrange: here we have a slight withdrawal, it is warm and very dense. It’s a bearish and smooth sound. Although the bass still plays the first violin, the midrange is not flooded or dominated by it. It’s a beautiful and musical adventure that encourages you to listen. I like their resolution and space. These are surprising details and excellent imaging or separation of instruments. I like this combination, but I recommend slightly more neutral sources here. If we are looking for resolution and playing around the head with excellent depth and width, then in my opinion we can stop here for listening sessions.

Treble: Here we have a slight dimming, they are present, but not on the foreground, unlike the bass, they are rounded and subdued, giving a natural, but still more organic sound. In the treble, there will be beautiful violins or violas, but it will not be a symphony full of sharp and strongly accented sounds either. And don’t get me wrong here, it’s not like the treble is missing, it’s just slightly hidden and softened so that the whole presentation can maintain a coherent, entertaining character.

Comparison:

HE-R9 ($199) VS DEVA PRO ($269):
The HE-09 headphones are much warmer and much more bassy. The Deva Pro, on the other hand, is much more balanced and has much less bass. Comparing closed dynamic and open planar headphones is not easy, but the HE-R9 is definitely more fun and entertaining. Deva pro puts more emphasis on showing the musician in a slightly more natural way.

HE-R9 ($199) VS Sivga robin ($149):
This is quite an interesting shot because both pairs of ear cups are closed headphones with a dynamic design playing in the U in the case of the HE-R9 ($199) and V in the case of the Sivgi robin. Sivga has much more treble and less dense bass. It plays a bit faster, the HE-R9s are more analog and denser in sound. Both pairs are very comfortable, however we can capture more detail in the HE-R9, but the Robins have much more brilliance in the high frequencies.

HE-R9 ($199) VS Sivga Oriole ($199):
The Orioles are equal and neutral headphones, less warmth and bass than in the HE-R9, but at the same time they have less space in the sound. These are two different styles of presentation. On the one hand, we have the extremely natural sound of Orioli, and on the other hand, beautiful musical and smooth tuning with a lot of bass in the HE-R9, so it’s all about our individual preferences, in fact both pairs of headphones are really great.

Summary:
The HE-R9 headphones are clean and very colorful, they strongly color the sound. They have a solid and beautiful really strong bass foundation and a lot of musical warmth which is their strong point. In combination with the bluemini, there was a slight hum due to the enormous power of the amplifier, but the whole thing retained an extremely coherent and colorful presentation. In my opinion, these are great headphones for light music and fun with sound, hifiman in this model focused on fun and achieved a great result. These are great and great-sounding headphones that are simply dedicated to lovers of entertainment and warm sound. I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a spacious and rich sound, if you are looking for balance then you should go for the devy pro, but if you focus on fun, dense and warm sound and isolation then these are definitely headphones for you at the price of $ 199 is a great decision.

Test material:
Bluemini, Qudelix 5k, xDuoo Poke II, iBasso DC06, iBasso DX170, xDuoo XP2pro, xDuoo mu601, mt602, ta-01B.

Test music:
TIDAL, APPLEMUSIC, own files
Sponsored Content

I had my eye on the Hifiman HE-R9 for months now, with what people been saying about their bass I was curious. Finally I got my hands on them, after opening up the box and looking at them, there design looks kind of funky with the way the cups are shaped. Upon closer look I notice there were some finger prints on them from the factory, so the HE-R9 looks like its going to be a finger print magnetic. The color choice is interesting, different to me that is. The only other headphone I had in the past that had strange color scheme was the ATH-AD700 with that purple and Gold.



After holding them in my hands the R9 feels kinda cheaply made with the quality of the plastic of the cup housing, with the way the cups slightly twist. I have a feeling if they take a good fall to the floor the cup housing may crack. They don’t feel no where as durability as my Sundara.



The cable that is included feels nice as if its good quality, It’s a lot better then the stock cable that comes with the sundara. This one feels like it could last. On the bottom of the left cup is the 3.5mm TRRS plug which is there to keep comparability with the blue mini which I didn’t go with the model that came with it. The cable is a nice length not too long and not too short, Which is perfect since my Fiio Q11 sits on my desk so I don’t gotta worry about extra cabling getting in the way.





As for the weight I don’t feel the headphones at all on the top of my head, the headband padding is comfortable as is the ear cups. They sit around my ears with the exception which is when I’m wearing my glasses. But never less it still comfortable to me even with my glasses on. It’s also quite loose while sitting on my head, if I look down too fast it will shift forward.



Nice added bonus in the box a headphone stand made outta the foam and a piece of metal at the base of it. I didn’t expect that when I opened the box up. I only notice it because tried to move it. Other wise I would have never known.





Since the HE-R9 is easy to drive with only needing 100mW @ 32ohm, most devices shouldn’t have any issues driving it. My Fiio M7 had some issue as it didn’t sound as good as it did with my Q11, besides having to increase the volume from my normal Fiio M7 volume that I use for my Iem’s. The sound was off and the bass didn’t hit like it did on the Fiio Q11.


On the left cup is the 3.5mm TRRS connector which supports running balanced with 3.5 TRRS. The downside to this is single entry 3.5mm TRRS balance cables are hard to find and are even expensive at times. Since the R9 are compatibility with Hifiman Deva cables if you don't like the dual entry 3.5mm SE cables, the single entry 3.5mm TRRS to unbalanced deva cables can be used on the R9.

Edited 5/16/2023: I'm correcting something that I got wrong in regards to not being able to use dual entry 3.5mm TRS that i mention prior,They meant that you can't use 3.5mm TS cables, With the way how the chart is worded they make it sound like you couldn't use Dual 3.5mm TRS either for balanced, since they say unbalance for TRS and balanced for TRRS. I tried my Open Heart Dual 3.5mm TRS balance cables that I already had for my sundara on my R9 and it worked without an issue.


The gear and source that I will use for the next part of this review is, Fiio Q11 connected to my desktop PC the source of the songs used will be native lossless. The filter settings for the Q11 will be the default (NOS) filter settings, with the gain switch on low gain. Using the 3.5mm SE output. A wide range of genre of music was used.

First thing I noticed right away when compared to my sundara I was using before, the brightness that the sundara had, doesn’t exist on the HE-R9 instead the highs are Smooth but the details didn’t suffer at all, as the R9 still offered very good details, it isn’t like the sundara where it can be too detail at times. On the R9 the details was great and perfect in my ears. None of the instruments ran into each other, they was easily to tell apart.


The next thing I notice is the bass of the R9, it so much better then what what I heard with the sundara, When I put on a song with a lot of bass I was caught off guard as I didn’t know what to expect, I went in thinking it wouldn’t be that much different then the sundara, I expected to just a bit more of it, not this much and hit this hard. Even for a closed back, The only Headphone I recalled that I had in the pass that had strong bass that was the HE-500 I had many years ago.


Jazz music sounds so wonderful on these headphones the bass guitar and the sax as if you can hear and sense how hard they’re being played. Even the piano doesn’t even sound thin, I can’t put in words on how good this genre sounds to me on these headphones.


When I tried most songs that had a lot of singing in them, The main singer feels as if there singing almost directly in front of you I would say as if your in the front row and your looking up toward them and their on stage, along with their background singers who are on the side of them.

When I tried rap a lot of them had the rappers came off as being directly in your face as they rap and the others standing behind side them, you could hear where they were standing. The voices wasn’t in my head so of speak but just right outside it, as if there standing just right outside my face if that make sense, I don’t know how else to explain it.

The sound stage is outside my head as I mention, it not as large as my sundara but nerveless I still felt it did a good job for the size of it. The sound image was good too I didn’t have any issues at all pinpointing where targets were in destiny 2. I still heard where the npcs were in the tower and where gun fire and explosions was coming from.


At the end of the day I found my self liking and enjoying the HE-R9 a lot more then I thought I would, I just hope they’ll improve them by making thee cups more durable.

I saw the HE-R9 on sale and decided to pick it up directly from HiFiMan, since HiFiMan often has headphones that hit far above their price range, like the HE-500 towards the end of its life, the Sundara especially, and supposedly the latest Deva which I have yet to try. Unfortunately, that same level of excellence isn't apparent here. I've tested it only wired out of a much higher end system than it was intended for.

The HE-R9 is pretty, plasticky but lightweight as a result. Ultimately it's an extremely dark headphone with very bloated mid-bass and an absence of treble - which I suppose is better than boosted treble, but it's a deficiency nonetheless. It does at least have sub-bass, unlike cheaper bass-bloated headphones, so it's a capable headphone but in my opinion "tuned" poorly. More in the realm of some Denon headphones of past perhaps.

If you're after a bass-emphasized headphone, you can do better than this even for its $369 sale price, but especially for its normal price, although you'll be sacrificing wireless capability. Argon's modified Fostex T50rp and presumably T60 headphones are much better balanced - dark and bassy, with noticeably superior sub-bass with less obnoxious mid-bass bloat and overall better bass performance, at a slight cost of resolution perhaps. Higher end modified T50rp-based headphones like the ZMF Blackwood and perhaps something from MrSpeakers (now Dan Clark Audio) far outperform this, though they can only be found used now. Look into Dan Clark's current AEON options; I'm unsure how they compare but definitely look into them before buying the HE-R9.

Introduction​

Every single time I write a review of Hifiman’s product, the introduction paragraph is getting harder and harder to write. How many times can I point out that this is the nr.1 manufacturer in the world when it comes to headphones.
They do offer arguably the best value models in every price segment when it comes to open-back, planar-magnetic headphones. It’s quite recently though when they started to go into dynamic driver headphones, so this is pretty interesting.
Their first dynamic headphone was the HE-300, a budget model released back in 2012 I believe. While it was certainly a good product, it wasn’t meant to flip the audio world upside down, mainly because of the market it was targeting.
Then, after many years Hifiman announced the R-10D and R-10P, and it was one of the most controversial announcements in headphone audio well…ever. Hugely based on the legendary Sony MDR-R10 with those huge and asymmetrical earcups, Hifiman surely grabbed a lot of attention. Some time has passed, and Hifiman has launched yet another model in this line, the HE-R9, which we’re going to review today.
What’s really interesting, is that Hifiman went with wired headphones with an optional Bluemini R2R Bluetooth module, and this is a hugely functional combination. The Bluemini R2R was originally supplied with the Deva Pro, our “Best Product of 2021”. This is THE headphone that will forever change the landscape of Bluetooth over-ear headphones. The Deva Pro is an outstanding product that I use very frequently, so this is very nice to see Hifiman trying to squeeze the most out of it.

Packaging​

The HE-R9 comes in a completely redesigned package, which Hifiman is starting to use with more of their models.
It’s a cardboard box with subtle branding, but it feels nicer than their previous offerings (apart from the Susvara, 1000se, and other high-end models of course). The good news is that you’re getting a headphone stand made of hard foam, that is used as a filler while the headphones are in transit. This is a very nice touch, as we all need headphone stands anyway, so you’ve got one more thing less to worry about.

The stand, even though it’s quite basic, does the job. It’s not tall enough to accommodate the R9 that is fully extended and has the cable plugged in, but it’s just a matter of playing around or adjusting the headband. While not the best, having a headphone stand in the box is a big pro for me, and it’s just brilliant.
Apart from the stand, you’re getting the Bluemini R2R module and a 3.5mm cable. You can use the R9 as both wired and wireless headphones, via Bluetooth, USB-C, or just a classic analog connection. The possibilities are almost endless.

The included cable is that black, soft one included with the latest Hifiman headphones, and I’m a fan of this specific cable. While not looking anywhere near-premium or luxurious, it’s super soft, doesn’t tangle, has no microphonic effect, and is just a joy to use. Ironically, this is the best cable that Hifiman has even included with their headphones in my opinion, as it just does work flawlessly and is hyper-comfortable.

Design, Build and Comfort​

Let’s get into the design, build, and comfort of the HE-R9. As mentioned at the beginning of this review, the earcups are hugely influenced by the legendary Sony MDR-R10, widely regarded as one of the best headphones ever made.

So, speaking about the design, the R9 is basically a Deva Pro with closed-back, cherry-colored, huge earcups. While I won’t recommend wearing them in public (mainly due to the fact that you’ll look like an aircraft pilot), they do look great. The huge earcups add that layer of refinement to the overall basic design, and it’s just impossible not to draw attention while wearing them.
The build quality is good, not perfect, just like with all Hifiman headphones. The R9 feels substantial and lightweight at the same time, and it feels really solid. The whole construction does not make a single noise, so the R9 will last you a long time.

As far as comfort is regarded, the R9 is just like any other Hifiman headphones, very comfortable. The lightweight construction paired with a very good and soft headband and plush earpads all make for a very pleasant experience, even while wearing the R9 for many hours without break. I don’t have any problems with listening to the R9 for the entire day, and my head and neck don’t have any problems with that, something I cannot say about many other headphones on the market. As I said in many of our reviews, Hifiman first handles the ergonomics, and then they build the headphone around it, and this is THE way to do headphones.
The Bluemni R2R Bluetooth module is pretty lightweight and it plugs into the left earcup, not adding too much weight to the entire construction. It’s easy to use with just a single button and a USB-C connector, so using it is just as simple and pleasant as it gets. It still amazes me how was Hifiman able to squeeze such a great sounding circuit with Bluetooth in such a small unit, this is some next-level wizard action.

Tech​

There’s certainly a fair amount of tech included in the HE-R9.
First of all, the driver is using a “Topology Diaphragm” technology by Hifiman. Here are a few words about it from the company itself:



Hifiman has been using the “Topology Diaphragm” in their R-10D as well. It’s interesting to see a company that is focused mainly on planar-magnetic drivers engineering new and exciting technologies in dynamic drivers as well. Dr. Fang Bian is just a mastermind, to say the least.
Next up is the Bluemini R2R module. It’s built around an R2R DAC, which for the size and price of this little guy is just mind-blowing. Hifiman is releasing more and more headphones that can be used with the Bluemini R2R, and it’s just a fantastic way to increase the functionality and value of their products. Actually, they just released the Hifiman EF400 All-In-One (review soon!), which uses R2R technology as well. This is wise: create the technology, and then use it in a wide selection of different products. Spoiler alert about the EF400 – this is a “product of the year 2022” contender to say the least, and it’s only May!
Back to the Bluemini. It charges via USB-C, and the battery lasts up to 8 hours, which is a good score having in mind its impressive topology. It uses Bluetooth 5.0, a Qualcomm QCC5124 chipset and it supports LDAC, aptX HD, AAC, and SBC, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 114dB – this is mental.



That’s not all though. You can plug the Bluemini into the R9, and use the USB-C cable to connect it to a PC or MAC, and the Bluemini will act as an external DACAmp, powering the R9. In this configuration, you don’t even need to have any DAC or AMP to use the HE-R9 with your computer with zero latency. My MacBook instantly recognizes the Bluemini as an external DAC and it works with no setup.
You can of course use the HE-R9 as a wired pair of headphones as well. The drivers are rated at 32Ω and 100dB, so the R9 is very easy to drive. Just grab any DAC and Amplifier you’ve got and use the R9 as classic, wired headphones – you’ve got that option. I’m mainly pairing the R9 with the newest EF400 and I’m getting shocking results, but more on that later.

Sound​

When it comes to sound, the HE-R9 is definitely one of the most unique sounding headphones Hifiman has released in years. Their headphones usually sound extremely neutral, ultra-fast, and detailed, being very technical and natural sounding at the same time. The R9 is a big, bold, and warm-sounding headphone that deviates a lot from what Hifiman usually offers.

Let’s start with the bass as usual. The R9 is closed-back and it uses a dynamic driver, hence you should expect a significantly different type of experience than the Edition XS for example. The HE-R9 is a king of fun when it comes to low frequencies, resulting in a vastly different sound signature than I’m used to with the rest of their lineup, which is a great thing, as it makes Hifiman even more competitive in different market sections.
So, while I won’t call the HE-R9 a Jack Of All Trades, it definitely shines the brightest with electronic music, metal, rock, and hip-hop, which rely on a saturated and physical bass delivery. The bass of the R9 is so huge that it actually makes the earcups vibrate quite much when listening to some bass-heavy tracks on a moderately high volume. Don’t think that it’s overblown or it lacks control though, as it would have been far from the truth. The R9 has a great grasp of the low frequencies, delivering an exceptional amount of dynamics and texture, while also reaching quite low. It doesn’t extend as low as the best planars, mainly due to the limitations of the driver’s technology, but other than that, this is a fantastic, saturated, and exceptionally fun to listen to bass delivery.
A good example is the last album of Tool, the Fear Inoculum. There’s a song called “Chocolate Chip Trip” and it’s basically Danny Carey aka Octopus and his insane drum kit. The amount of body that the R9 delivers in this track is just insane, making me bang my head like crazy. These headphones are made to deliver fun, and they certainly deliver on that promise.

The midrange is pretty warm, especially considering that we’re speaking about Hifiman headphones. The entire midrange is smooth and very pleasant to listen to, so it continues that fantastic fun factor that the bass offers, giving you mids that are just a blast when it comes to long listening sessions. Yes, the bass has a tendency to slightly bleed into the lower midrange, but I think that it’s a good thing in this case, giving vocals that added richness and natural warmth. What’s interesting is that I’d call the R9 an overall intense and extreme sounding headphone, but it’s not extreme in any specific area, which might sound ironic, but I don’t know how to explain it differently. This model is targeted toward people that just like to have fun and enjoy their music, especially more dynamic genres. Hifiman already has a lot of headphones that are perfect for everything, highly universal, and superbly technical sounding, so the R9 is a great springboard from the rest of their lineup.
So, every single vocal I throw at the R9 ends up sounding melodic, rich, and natural, with added body. Everything sounds big and bold on the R9, so this is definitely a trademark of this model. This is one of the most romantic-sounding Hifiman headphones I’ve heard to date, somewhat reminding me of the original HE-500. It has that ability to put you right into the music and take you dancing, offering a very rich, smooth, and colorful presentation that is loved by many (me included). If you thought that Hifiman can only do neutral, think again, as the HE-R9 surely proves it’s far from the truth.



The treble is the most dependent on the synergy. While it will never sound harsh or unpleasant, you can get quite different results depending on the system you’re going to use the R9 with. I will elaborate in the “pairing” paragraph.
So, the overall presentation of the treble is again, smooth and romantic, with good detail and great resolution. It has enough energy to make your electronic or metal tracks sound prominent and very dynamic, yet at the same time, it won’t bother you with unnecessary peaks or sharpness. This is mainly due to the fact, that the treble is smooth and not too forward sounding, so you’re going to have a good time even while listening to poorly mastered albums, which is a plus. You know that metal can sound unforgiving quite often, so I’m happy to report that the R9 handles it with ease. It’s not doing that in exchange for details and resolution though, as these two aspects are up there with the rest of the frequency response when it comes to technical performance. It’s just a different flavor, a more “classic” approach to treble, which has that sweet timbre and great body to the sound. What’s also worth noting, is that the treble extends quite high, not quite the Susvara or 1000se level, but it was never meant to rival these two Goliaths. The most important thing is that you’ll be able to listen to the HE-R9 for a long time, while not sacrificing any of the fine details in the recording, and this is the ultimate trait to have.

The soundstage is just mind-boggling when speaking about closed-back headphones. Just like the R7DX that I reviewed lately, the R9 doesn’t stage like a closed-back whatsoever. The soundstage is very wide, deep, and has great separation between instruments, resulting in perfect imaging and a very convincing 3D effect. I feel like most headphones I’ve reviewed in past few years got to the level where they stage incredibly well, but to see a closed-back doing things like this is impressive, to say the least. If you’re looking for closed-back headphones that stage like an open-back, look no further, the R9 is your guy.

Comparisons​

I must confess, I haven’t tested a lot of closed-backs lately, mainly to the fact that this kind of headphones has been in retreat for years now. However, because of its immaculate soundstage, I’m going to compare the R9 to open-backs as well.


Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed



The Aeon 2 Closed would definitely win a battle for a longer name, but it’s not what I’m going to do. This is a planar-magnetic, closed-back headphone priced at $899, hence being in a somewhat similar market segment as the HE-R9.
Both headphones share some similarities, but they also differ quite a lot from each other. Both are big and bold in the bass presentation, resulting in a very fun listening experience. The midrange is more romantic and rich in the R9, whereas the Aeon 2 shines in transparency and crispiness. The treble is much more pronounced in the DCA model, not being as natural and rich sounding as the R9. Both models have great soundstage capabilities, but I’d rate the R9 slightly higher, as its soundstage is broader and even so slightly more accurate.
Lastly, while I would take the Aeon 2 for a walk outside, I would not do it with the R9. The Aeon folds, it’s much smaller and won’t draw as much attention, while the R9 will make sure that all eyes are on you. If that’s your cup of tea then sure, go ahead, but it surely is not for everybody.

Hifiman Edition XS



The battle of two incredible models from Hifiman, and it’s a very interesting one. They are a representation of a “Song of Ice and Fire”, the XS being ice, and R9 being fire (the color of the earcups are actually matching to this description!).

Okay, let’s get to the point. The Edition XS is THE best headphone in the $500 market, period. It’s hiper-detailed, fast, accurate, and neutral, resulting in a headphone that I can easily call a Jack of All Trades. It just does everything great, plays every genre well, and pairs with just about everything.
The HE-R9 however is a different story. It’s much richer, thicker, and bigger sounding with huge dynamics and that intense bass delivery. While it won’t work as great as the XS as the one-and-only pair of headphones you’ll have, this is the ultimate example of a secondary pair to complement your daily, reference one. I can definitely recommend owning both, with the XS handling your everyday stuff with authority and technical excellence, and the R9 for your intense fun times. Yes, the Edition XS is more detailed and its tuning is much more mature and neutral, but I somehow tend to grab the R9 more, mainly due to that fun bass response and romantic vocal presentation. Choose which one is for you, or get both, you can’t go wrong.

Drop + Hifiman HD8XX (unmodded)



Two dynamic headphones, open-back vs closed-back, with the 8XX being considerably more expensive of the two.

The R9 is yet again, more powerful sounding with a richer body and a more romantic type of presentation. The 8XX has a more detailed treble and even bigger soundstage, but it is to be expected considering the fact that the HD8** lineup is known for its monstrous soundstage scale. However, when we get to the midrange then the R9 is outplaying the 8XX by a lot, offering a much more natural and pleasant timbre with a much better vocal presentation. There’s a mod of the 8XX which is supposed to change its midrange delivery significantly, but when we’re talking stock, its midrange just doesn’t compete with the R9.

Lastly, the 8XX is much more demanding when it comes to pairing. It doesn’t offer Bluetooth functionality and considering it is much harder to drive, you’ll have to spend a lot more to get these puppies run, while the R9 will sound great with just about everything.

Pairings​

Bluemini R2R Bluetooth module



Let’s address the elephant in the room, how does the HE-R9 sound when it Bluetooth mode? Absolutely spectacular. The Bluemini R2R module sounds like a proper R2R DAC, which results in a rich, smooth, and romantic presentation, just like the R9. Pairing both devices of similar characteristics gives us a sound performance that is just exceptionally pleasant and natural.
Two days after receiving the R9, my girlfriend stole both the R9 and the Bluemini, paired it with her phone, laid down, and was going to listen to some music for an hour. Well, an hour changed into 3 hours of rushing through her entire library to see “how does THIS or THAT sound like”. She was in audio heaven, but she loves big bass, so I was not surprised. She pointed out that the amount of fun and cleanliness of the sound shocked her, especially considering that she was using Bluetooth via LDAC codec. She’s not entirely a newcomer to audio, as she tests everything that I review, including all the crazy flagship-level gear, so let that sink in. This is her favorite product that she ever tried out of everything I reviewed since we live together, so this should give you an idea of how fun it is to listen to.

Hifiman EF400



The latest All-In-One from Hifiman, A R2R balanced DAC with a powerful headphone amplifier, capable of getting the Susvara crazy loud. My review is in the works, so definitely stay tuned if you’re interested in reading about this little champ.
I got both devices in the same package, so I plugged both in immediately and paired them together. First seconds after an hour or two of warm-up and I was sold. This setup sounds incredibly mellow, rich and bold, while offering incredible dynamics and authority of the sound. The R9 is not a power-hungry headphone, but the EF400 definitely has more than enough juice to power like 20 of those, so it handles that driver like a champ. I already gave you a spoiler that the EF400 is a “Product of the year” contender for me, and when paired with the R9 it made me very happy that I get to listen to such an incredible audio stuff on a daily basis. I’ve got the Susvara, Elite, D8000 Pro, TOTL IEMs, Dacs, Amps, and I still enjoy this sub $1500 system A LOT. Sometimes technicalities are not the most important, and for these moments, the EF400 + R9 is my nr.1 setup for the past few weeks. Ever since getting them, the R9 is my most-used pair of headphones, the EF400 my most used DAC/Amp, and together they’re the most used system that I’ve been using throughout this time. Intoxicating.

EarMen Colibri



Let’s try something very different now. The EarMen Colibri is a very small DAC/Amp, or a really big dongle, however you want to look at it. Its tuning is rather neutral and analytical, with slightly thin sounding treble and midrange that is not too engaging. The R9 is the opposite, so it should be a good match, right?
And a good match it is indeed. These two complement each other in such a way that the sound you’re getting is just right. No more analytical or slightly thin sound out of the Colibri, now it’s thick, moist and very, very engaging. That’s why I love reviewing audio, as some products are just waiting to be re-discovered. The Colibri is a great device, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t entirely my cup of tea when it comes to its timbre. Well, now I have found just a perfect companion to pair it with.
Also, the treble out of this combo sounds very different than with the EF400 for example, providing a more forward and crisp sound delivery. As I said in the sound paragraph, treble is highly dependant on what you’re going to pair the R9 with, and this pairing is a good example. However, you won’t find any pairing that makes the R9 sharp or unpleasant, or at least I haven’t.

SMSL DO100 + HO100



Okay, this one is going to be quick and straight to the point. How does the HE-R9 sound when paired with a dead-neutral budget stack by SMSL? Brilliant.
These little guys are like chameleons, they don’t have a “signature”, so the timbre of your headphones is basically a type of sound you’ll be getting. The SMSL stack makes sure the R9 gets a high quality, clean and powerful signal, and the R9 handles all the fun and subjectively cool stuff. If you want to get the HE-R9 but you wonder if it’ll pair well with a budget stack like this one, the answer is yes, it will.

Summary​

In case you’re still wondering if I’m not a Hifiman employee, the answer is still NO. Well, I ran Hifiman’s booth at the Munich show for an hour, as the crew went to listen to some cool stuff, but I did it entirely out of my sympathy towards Mark and Tomek.
Okay, jokes aside. It’s not my fault that Hifiman only launches amazing products, so as long as they’ll continue this trend, you’ll be getting highly positive reviews from me. The HE-R9 is a complete product with great value. It’s wired, it’s Bluetooth, it’s wired but digital, it can do it all. The comfort is great, so it’s easy to use the R9 for many hours with no problem, and the sound is exceptionally fun, rich, and romantic, with one of the craziest bass responses I’ve heard in over-ear headphones in my life. The HE-R9 exceeded my expectations by a mile, so it now joins the Edition XS as my recommendation for headphones under $1000. Additionally, if you don’t need Bluetooth, the wired version of the R9 is now going for as low as $369, and this is just absurd.

Wildly Recommended.


Gear used during this review for the sake of comparison and as an accompanying equipment:

• Headphones – Hifiman Susvara, Final D8000 Pro, Audeze LCD-X 2021, Hifiman HE1000se, Drop + Sennheiser HD8XX, HEDDphone, Hifiman Edition XS
• Sources– Bluemini R2R, SMSL DO100 + HO100, Yulong Aurora, Hifimane EF400, Burson Playmate 2, EarMen Colibri, EarMen Tradutto, SMSL SH-9, Cayin N3 Pro,

Big thanks to Hifiman for providing the HE-R9 for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion. Hifiman hasn’t seen this review before publishing it.

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HIFIMAN HE-R9 - Mystery Of Cherry Songs



HIFIMAN HE-R9 is the latest 599 USD headphone from the master Chinese producer, and this time we have a closed back design on our hands, with dynamic drivers, and a bluetooth receiver, that will increase the cost to 749 USD. Given the price point, I will be comparing HE-R9 to other high end headphones, including Dan Clark Aeon Flow RT (500 USD), Sennheiser HD660S (500 USD), Adam Audio Studio PRO SP-5 (550 USD), HIFIMAN Ananda (700) and Beyerdynamic Amiron (599 USD).

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Introduction

There's nothing like having an entirely new product line from a manufacturer, and HIFIMAN didn't really make closed back headphones so far, so it will be fun to see them shine or give reason to bully them. HE-R9 is also based on dynamic drivers, where HIFIMAN has been a master of planar magnetic drivers so far, so HE-R9 is a first in many ways for them. This being said, Bluemini is a device we've seen when reviewing Deva PRO, and it seems to have been improving lately. I also have high expectations from HE-R9 because they have a similar design to those seen on some flagships in the past. If HIFIMAN could adapt those designs to new tech, pair them with their Bluemini well, and we might have a winner on our hands. I am also delighted to report that HIFIMAN is still in top 3 companies worldwide when it comes to warranty and fixing problems, offering superb customer service for their customers, regardless of their location, and having multiple HQs to serve local customers.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with HIFIMAN, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank HIFIMAN for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in HIFIMAN HE-R9 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:









The package of HE-R9 is really nice, and similar to that of Deva PRO, and it includes the headphones, the paperwork, a USB Charging cable, and an audio cable to use HE-R9 wired. The package doesn't have many extras, but it has all the basic necessities, for the price being fairly good.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

Starting with the build quality, R9 is made like a tank, with superb build quality, and those deep cherry red earcups. It has the same headband as Edition XS and Deva PRO, which allows for both lateral and planar swivel, giving the R9 superb fit and comfort. The weight of R9 is surprisingly light, and at 328 grams, they are some of the lightest closed back headphones money can purchase. The overall weight is also superbly distributed, making R9 super comfortable, to the point where you really don't feel like taking them off. If you've seen the photos in my review, you know we've placed R9 in many locations headphones aren't usually supposed to be in, so we're in the best position to report that R9 is very scratch resistant. Even after being placed on stone, on metallic and wooden surfaces with sand on them, the headphones have zero signs and scratches, the coating on the earcups being adequate for a headphone that will be placed on tables and other hard surfaces.



The earcups of R9 provide it with a ton of space, both for music to have space to play into, but also for your ears, and despite the headphones being more compact compared to Arya Stealth, Ananda, or Edition XS, I can say that HE-R9 is just as comfortable as those are for me, my ears having more than enough space enough the earpads. The erpads are also soft, covered in fabric, and provide excellent seal easily, the R9 experience being to take them out of the package and put them on your head, with no fiddling or effort necessary to get a perfect fit. The camping force is medium, at the sweet spot for me for both usage while at the computer, but also while I'm out and about.



R9 is fairly easy to drive, needing 100 / 150 on Astell & Kern SE180, which is the same as the majority of IEMS. R9 has a rather low impedance of 32 OHMs, but an ok sensitivity of 100dB, which won't be a big issue for most sources with decent driving power. You can use either the 3.5mm cable to drive them from a portable source, or connect the Bluemini module on the left earcup, which adds 25 grams to their weight. Given that they are already in the top 10 lightest headphones ever designed, this is not a big issue.



Using them wirelessly, the R2R module does its job really well. It seems to have a signature matched for them, although on my Bluemini it is written off as a Deva accessory. It is able to effectively improve their sound with very little effort, making R9 slightly heavier in the bass, more V-Shaped, compared to their wired sound. I noticed that using the R2R Bluemini module as a USB DAC, most of the useful volume is condensed in what windows shows as 0% ro 20%, after which it becomes too loud to be listenable. I also noticed this behavior with Aurender S5W, so it may be a problem on my windows machine, as it works perfectly on Android and on my smartphone.



Speaking of the Bluemini DAC / AMP, it has superb battery life, of about 8 hours in HIFIMAN's tests, and about 6 in mine, using loud music, LDAC and changing the song a lot. It also has good call quality, along with superb bluetooth range. The DAC inside is HIFIMAN's HIMALAYA R2R DAC, and it uses LDAC as the main codec, with support for aptX-HD, aptX, AAC and SBC, having all grounds covered.

The default cable is the same as the one that comes with most HIFIMAN Headphones, but it tends to be slightly microphonic with HE-R9, both because the headphones are very light and because the cable is somewhat rigid / springy. No other handling noise is audible or present while wearing them, and moving your head, walking or doing any other activities results in no noise, except for the slight microphonic noise. I recommend some aftermarket cables that are soft for the best experience. Since the default cable is 3.5mm single ended only, but most popular music players sound best from their 4.4mm balanced output, I suspect most enthusiastic music lovers will be upgrading the default cable.



HIFIMAN HE-R9 offers between 10 and 15 decibels of passive noise isolation, depending on the frequency, and they isolate the typing noise of my keyboard rather well, with quiet music playing, the typing noise being completely inaudible. They leak only very little, and although if you blast music at maximum volume, others will hear you, you can listen at very pleasing medium volumes without bothering anyone.

HE-R9 can be said to be perfectly built, really comfortable, and for a closed back headphone, it is the most comfortable one I tested to date. The build quality is superb, reminds me a lot of Deva PRO, and the ear cups are made to be sleek and scratch resistant.



Sound Quality

HIFIMAN He-R9 received about 100 hours of burn-in prior to me writing today's full written review, to keep my review technique fair towards other headphones and products reviewed on audiophile-heaven. They have been used both with their Bluemini R2R bluetooth DAC, and wired, being powered mainly from Lotoo PAW 6000, Astell & Kern SE180, iBasso DX300, Dethonray DTR1+ and Cyrus One Cast. I have used balanced cables for all the DAPs having 4.4mm outputs, and I've used the original cable for DTR1+, and Cyrus One Cast.



The general signature of HIFIMAN HE-R9 is a really warm-natural, holographic, wide and imposing signature, with a strong lower midrange, sub-bass, and detailed presentation. They sport superb dynamics and impact, and even given the competition that's usually super popular (HD660S and Ananda), HIFIMAN He-R9 can totally stand their ground. This is the first headphone to have a lead in the lower midrange, and the experience is entirely unique, as they have a super strong sub bass as well, and the initial impression I had in my video review, that they can vibrate on your head, remains. The presentation can be quite relaxed and forgiving, with a smoother treble that hides defects from bad masters, making R9 a good companion for metalheads and those who have more trashy tastes such as yours truly.

Using He-R9 with the Blue Mini DAC seems to have a lower dynamic range, you can hear the LDAC compression algorithm, as they are super detailed, and they become warmer, thicker, more V-Shaped and more aggressive, while driven from a wired source, the sound becomes super detailed and clean. This being said, Blue Mini drives them with much better authority, control and impact than any portable DAC/AMP or Bluetooth receiver like FiiO BTR5.

The bass of the HIFIMAN He-R9 is super deep, controlled and reaches the magical 20 Hz easily. Most of the energy in the bass is in the 40-65Hz range, and the bass is quite clean, given the raw quantity it has. The total bass is uplifted, along with the lower treble, which makes the sound warm and slightly dark. R9 has a natural speed for their bass, and can keep up with super aggressive dubstep songs, but will have that magical long note decay for Jazz and Cabaret music. Songs like Vini Vici - Namaste sound punchy, deep, and have a superb impact. R9 has very low distortions, even at super high volumes, being able to play music with a lot of bass really well, and controlled. The song also has surprising instrument separation, layering and a holographic presentation.



We have a clean, natural midrange with a wide and holographic presentation. There's a good amount of space between instruments, and although voices are usually pushed slightly more forward, music never becomes vague or dispersed through R9. The midrange of R9 tends to be better at medium and lower volumes, where the music tends to expand naturally inside the cups, and it creates a really holographic presentation. The sound gets more forward and aggressive at higher volumes. There's a really nice amount of detail and resolution, to the point where background instruments are really easy to discern, even easier than they are on Ananda and most open back headphones. R9 seems to be perfect for keeping all of the information available in a song there, and for presenting it to the listener. The ear cup design also helps greatly with the timing of the music; the shape gives music a really natural decay, a faster driver combined with the acoustics to create decay for it, resulting in a really natural and pleasing listening experience. The midrange has some coloration from the lower midrange emphasis and this is audible with most music. To get a more natural sound from R9, you need to push them towards the back of your head, and have your ear align with the shallower part of the earcup.

The shape and acoustic design of R9 follows the objective of trying to present an open back headphone, but from a closed back one, and manages to do this much better than any other attempt I heard personally. If you're looking for dynamics, R9 is super dynamic, but when used wired, the source helps a lot with this as well. It has super good instrument separation and layering, R9 being in line with most headphones priced around the same point, like Dan Clark Aeon Flow, and beating Sennheiser HD660S in both separation, layering and also soundstage size.



The treble of R9 follows a natural presentation and generally doesn't impose, having a smoother presentation and lower presence than the bass. This means that most music will be non-fatiguing and you won't ever feel like taking R9 off your head because they became tiresome. This happens to the point where you can quite literally blast songs like Infant Annihilator - Decapitation Fornication, and you will get more impact in the lower bass, from the drums, than you get from the cymbals and the treble. R9 is surely forgiving and won't highlight defects in recordings, even old and bright recordings sounding euphonic, smooth and pleasing through them. There is a good amount of treble present in music, but it is presented in such a way that all the peaks that normally come through as fatiguing are flattened, and although you can hear the cymbals and air in music, you never feel struggling with it. Even songs that are normally extremely fatiguing like Caligvla - I, Caligvla, have most of the impact in the drums and the voices, with much less emphasis on the cymbals that are typically rather fatiguing and brightly mastered in the song.

All in all, He-R9 is a fairly enjoyable headphone, with a smoother top end, a strong bottom end, and a wide, holographic midrange. They present music with every bit of detail it has, and have a longer note decay, all leading to a fairly euphonic presentation that has an emphasis on the lower midrange, complimenting male voices, Dubstep, EDM, Rock, Metal, Deathcore, and impact in general. Songs that play unexpectedly well on R9 are Igorrr - Probleme d'emotion, the soprano voice being quite emotionally presented, but the highlight of the song being the thick bass note intertwined with the crystalline piano that gives this song a really deep and dark groove. Songs and albums that are mastered louder play really well on R9, which has enough control for them, so pick your favorite Atilla song and you'll be rocking. The headphones sound pretty much like most Space Rock songs, groovy, deep, impactful but musical and fluid.



Comparisons



HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Beyerdynamic Amiron (599 USD vs 599 USD) - Amiron is a good start, especially as it has exactly the same price as He-R9. The overall comfort feels similar between them, Amiron having slightly harder but more dense earpads. The lateral swivel and fitting is better on HE-R9, and they are much easier to drive, being better for portable usage, and isolate better from the outside noise. The clamping force is similar between them, and both feel rather light, with R9 feeling slightly lighter than Amiron. The overall sonic presentation is much hotter on Amiron, which has an upper midrange / lower treble peak that can make it pretty fatiguing at times, while R9 has a more natural sound in the treble, smoother and with less harshness / sibilance, but also much more treble presence, more bass impact, and more bass quantity, playing bass guitars with much more life and energy, power and impact. R9 is better for most music styles, where Amiron can be fatiguing. If you listen really quiet, Amiron has a thinner presentation, where R9 is warmer, more euphonic and more musical, while if you listen really loud, R9 is more impactful, where Amiron can be pretty fatiguing and harsh.

HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Dan Calrk Aeon Flow RT (599 USD vs 500 USD) - We have two very different headphones here, Aeon Flow RT having a stronger clamping force than R9. The comfort is great on both sides, because both have good, soft earpads, and ergonomic shapes for their earpads. Both have good sealing and easy fitting. The drive factor is much harder on Flow RT, which is much much harder to drive, and needs a strong dedicated source, has proprietary cables and will be more complicated to use in the long run. The sonic presentation is strongly U-Shaped on Aeon Flow RT, which has a thinner tuning, a brighter tuning, with far more treble energy, and lower body, despite the high sub bass quantity. HE-R9 sounds more lush, warmer, has a wider sounding midrange, with more impact in the whole bass, and more emphasis in the lower midrange and the bass. The background instruments are played louder on R9, which presents more information in the background, despite both headphones having good layering and instrument separation. If you want a more analytical headphone with a brighter sound, you should go for Aeon Flow RT, while if you prefer a warmer sound, with more bass and more lows, I would say to go for R9.

HIFIMAN He-R9 versus HIFIMAN Ananda (599 USD vs 700 USD) - Ananda is open back, and you probably noticed that most competitors are open back, because HE-R9 goes for a very open presentation that should appeal to those looking for a really holographic sound. The detail levels are comparable between Ananda and HE-R9, although the way they present details is really different. The larger earpads of Ananda are slightly more comfortable than HE-R9, but the lateral swivel and adjusting mechanism is better on R9. The sonic is more natural in the midrange on Ananda, as it compliments both male and female voices more equally, and it has a more even overall tonality. R9 sounds stronger in the lower midrange, which gives all music a certain warmth and slight darkness, R9 has a ton of soundstage, and at times you can hear certain background instruments and effects louder on R9 than you do on Ananda, but the treble is far better on Ananda, and especially as I'm one who hears cymbals and air as soundstage, I get a more realistic stage from Ananda, where R9 sounds wide in the bass and midrange, but has a really relaxed and smooth treble. The bass is much stronger and more impactful on HE-R9, and it has more substance and raw energy.



HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Sennheiser HD660S (599 USD vs 500 USD) - You'd be surprised to hear me saying this, but HE-R9 has a much better comfort compared to HD660S. The default cable is better on Hd660S, and it is slightly less microphonic, but the earpads are much softer on R9, the headband does a better job at distributing their weight, and they feel lighter than Hd660S while being worn. The sonics are more dynamic, more fluid and more impactful in the bass on R9. HD660S is brighter, sounds narrower, and has a more focused sound. The overall tonal balance is more natural on Hd660S, where R9 has a stronger lower midrange emphasis which colors the entire sound somewhat. When comparing them, the treble of the HD660S is more present and although more harsh, gives many songs more sparkle and more information in the highs, whereas the bass of R9 and larger stage tends to make music more enjoyable.

HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Adam Audio Studio PRO SP-5 (599 USD vs 550 USD) - The difference in comfort is huge here, with the R9 having a much larger earpad, much softer earpads, and much lower clamping force, and being also lighter. The overall comfort of R9 is much better than SP-5, and the build quality also feels a bit better, with higher quality to the plastics, and higher quality earpads. The overall sonic presentation is extremely different as well, R9 is groovy, dark-ish, impactful, and has a bold presentation, where SP-5 is extremely bright, with a U-shaped sound that has a strong treble, tons of energy up top, and much less energy in the bass. The overall dynamics are higher on R9, which has much more control, SP-5 sounding rather dynamically compressed in comparison. If you want a bright, strongly U-Shaped headphone, PRO SP-5 is still relevant, but if you want a more impactful, more dynamic, more comfortable experience, with a stronger lower midrange / bass emphasis and a more holographic presentation, R9 should be your answer.



Value and Conclusion

We have superb price / performance for HE-R9, and they are able to stand their ground even against most open-back, planar competitors. In fact, the overall value and price / performance ratio for R9 is so good that it deserves a place in Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame, as one of the best closed back headphones ever designed as far as comfort, sound and overall build quality goes.



The overall comfort and build quality are superb, and when HIFIMAN decides to make a closed back headphone, they can make it wide sounding, with super good instrument separation and detailing, using the closed back design to control the amount of detail you hear, rather than closing off the sound of their typical drivers. They deserve mad respect for being able to pull it off without clamping your head with a vise, as it typically happens with closed back cans.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a super comfortable, wide sounding, clean and impactful headphone, with a ton of detail, resolution and which can be driven from most reasonable portable music players, HIFIMAN HE-R9 should be perfect for you, and comes at a really friendly price point, with excellent support from the company, and is currently available with and without the Bluemini DAC/AMP, so you can get the best package for your needs.