[PETEREK]

  OK, either quality control is really in the schiiter, or this extreme closeup says, We're trying different colors out, and silver is just the prototype:
 

It just looks like a reflection of the shadowed bottom-side of the headband strap to me.

 

[thinker]

Almost a year ago i got information that Fang is developing a oval shape flagship planar headphone,at the same time i got also information that Fang is also developing a stat headphone with a 300B/4x300B  tube amp. Hope to see both at CES

 

[borrego]

But their wives might laugh at them, while listening to their hip--because ubiquitous--Apple earbuds

I guess the trick is to tell your wife that you have only spent $99 for it at a discount store, and hope she will respond saying "Honey, you deserve something better!"

When I opened up my HE-500 doing the back pearl mod, my wife asked me what I was doing and I replied I was doing mod trying to improve the sound. She then told me: "Why don't you just buy something better at the beginning and be done with it." I spoke to myself: "Bingo!"

 

[ThurstonX]

  It just looks like a reflection of the shadowed bottom-side of the headband strap to me.

 
I thought that too, until I opened it in a new tab and made it full-size.  Sure looks like paint to me.
 

 

[ThurstonX]

I guess the trick is to tell your wife that you have only spent $99 for it at a discount store, and hope she will respond saying "Honey, you deserve something better!"

When I opened up my HE-500 doing the back pearl mod, my wife asked me what I was doing and I replied I was doing mod trying to improve the sound. She then told me: "Why don't you just buy something better at the beginning and be done with it." I spoke to myself: "Bingo!"

 
Maybe she'll spring for your education in EE and acoustic design, cuz that'll all be a helluva lot easier than trying to explain to her why it doesn't work that way.  And then you're the next Fang 

  I only charge 5% of future profits for my advice, btw 

 

[borrego]

   
Maybe she'll spring for your education in EE and acoustic design, cuz that'll all be a helluva lot easier than trying to explain to her why it doesn't work that way.  And then you're the next Fang 

  I only charge 5% of future profits for my advice, btw 

 
Nah! You deserve at least 20% profit sharing!

 

[Dopaminer]

I believe it was not a HE-1000 prototype they shown. It was an annouce ment of a new product they have finished and ready for the market. I have never seen any company demontrated a prototype with a model wearing it walking in a hotel ball room. Those rough machined/plated parts on the HE-1000 reminds me the cheap washroom hooks I can buy from hardware stores.

I like hifiman products for their performance. But I would only buy them used (to be sure it is a problem free revision), or towards product EOL time where they are heavily discounted.

I can see myself buying a used/EOL HE-1000 5 years from now. And the uglyness and lousy finishing will be a merit as I can tell my wife it is a $100 headphone. It was what I told my wife when I bought my used HE-500.

Have you ever seen the HE-560 ?  I`ve demo`d two, and they were both flawless, fit and finish; totally professional.  Much better than those school-science-project audeze cans . . . 

 

[Dopaminer]

   
I thought that too, until I opened it in a new tab and made it full-size.  Sure looks like paint to me.
 

Those are obviously reflections.   You guys are breathing in too much solder. 

 

[ThurstonX]

  Those are obviously reflections.   You guys are breathing in too much solder. 

 
You need glasses.  Look at it full blown.  You can see paint and where the brush stroke ends.  But whatever.

 

[TMRaven]

It looks like reflections of the leather suspension strap on the chromium-polished finish of the roughly smoothed aluminum?  Perhaps the chrome finished was applied by a brush itself, accounting for the brushed look-- hell it could even be plastic underneath.  The reflection on the yoke looks like a guy with a camera in his hand taking a picture.

 

[nw130d]

You guys been drinking too much eggnog... there is reflection off the chrome, no it isn't perfect hence why image is distorted. Chrome it self doesn't matter, its what is build off of that matter (think painting a car the primer needs to be flawless). In this case the base metal was not finished perfectly smooth (the striations in the metal). You can also tell they used metal not plastic as it is every easy to chrome plastic to a mirror like finish. Reason they did not finish it perfectly smooth I do not know maybe it looks better in person, and I doubt it is for cost reasons as even nail clippers have good chrome finish these days.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

Maybe it's so reflective you're just seeing your own reflection through your computer.

 

[ThurstonX]

Maybe it's so reflective you're just seeing your own reflection through your computer.

 
LOL 

 
Where's that checkbox for This Is The Best Answer / Problem Solved???
 

 

[TMRaven]

My guess is it will look perfectly smooth in person.  Those macro shots are so close-up that they always show every little imperfection, but in real practice you never see them.

 

[tinyman392]

That's most certainly a distorted reflection in the picture... I'm not Shure why everyone is finding these headphones ugly. I actually love the design and color scheme. Light, tannish wood with silver accents is a classic color scheme. Generally used in more luxury products, but the color scheme works... The design has an oldie, mature, and premium vibe going for it.