[ufospls2]

I really want to hear it, as a top of the line planar closed back that is well tuned and sounds great is a rare thing, and I'd argue that it still hasn't been done.

However, the headband, bluetooth module, and single sided wiring give me extreme pause.

The dynamic driver version also makes me worried due to the HD35X, but hey, the "topology" driver in the RE2000 sounds great, so maybe they have managed something good here as well.

 

[KPzypher]

But so far it seems it's crappy woodwork with headband from $149 He400i(2020), Bluetooth module but no dual entry cable option(some homage indeed). If Hifiman can they need to start explaining what this is all about and actual ideas about the design because right now it looks like cheaply build R10 ripoff.

I wish they would get rid of R10 name and rename it to something more fitting like Hifiman Arthatṛṣ.

Greed. It's called greed my man. And sadly companies get away with substandard build quality and shoddy materiel choices, because people still buy crap like that. Why go for max effort when 50 is acceptable?

Can you imagine a car built that way?
V12 Mercedes in A-class interior? Not sure why it's acceptable in the Audio world.

$5K HP should have more than just 'good sound.' It should be an A-Z experience.

 

[ruhenheiM]

Greed. It's called greed my man. And sadly companies get away with substandard build quality and shoddy materiel choices, because people still buy crap like that. Why go for max effort when 50 is acceptable?

Can you imagine a car built that way?
V12 Mercedes in A-class interior? Not sure why it's acceptable in the Audio world.

$5K HP should have more than just 'good sound.' It should be an A-Z experience.

rrr no one die in audio from that kind of practice probably... so less regulation

speaking of car and homage thing. although probably not a homage since he aim to succeed from the original thing and he basically the same designer but at the very least homage done right. also he has decency not to call the new thing something similar to f1
http://www.autozine.org/0_News/Archive/2020_08/News_frame.html
https://gordonmurrayautomotive.com/en/

 

[audionewbi]

What a thread! I don't know about you guys, I never could even dream of owning the R10. Sony had many opportunities to release the R10, but didn't for whatever reason, and their headphone attempts after weren't as good.

I'm just now curious more than anything else to see how this sounds.

I don't know about paying 5K for a BT headphone, but I was in the market for getting a good closed-back headphone to pair with my Galaxy S7+, which contains 1 TB of my music. Color me curious on the HE-R10 dynamic variant.

Like always, no one is forcing us to buy it.

 

[Edric Li]

I love the sound of Hifiman's products. Susvara is the best headphone IMO and I quite literally heard everything. Yet I still don't plan to give them my money. Fang forced me to *not* buy it with the build quality of his product, his customer service and some of the remarks he has made over the years about his consumers and his competitors. This R10 is just a nail in the coffin.

 

[freeza2001]

What a thread! I don't know about you guys, I never could even dream of owning the R10. Sony had many opportunities to release the R10, but didn't for whatever reason, and their headphone attempts after weren't as good.

I'm just now curious more than anything else to see how this sounds.

I don't know about paying 5K for a BT headphone, but I was in the market for getting a good closed-back headphone to pair with my Galaxy S7+, which contains 1 TB of my music. Color me curious on the HE-R10 dynamic variant.

Like always, no one is forcing us to buy it.

People are not upset with the headphone itself. Its more to do with HiFiMan choose to ripoff the Sony design and even product name. There is a reason no other reputable audio company does stuff like this. Not to mention the replica build quality looks no where near the original R10 .Hifiman with this move literally sunk their reputation they spend the last 10+ years to build.

 

[purk]

Wow....can they send me a product sample? Will gladly compared it to the REAL Sony MDR-R10. I wonder what Sony thinks of this. Sony did file a patent for the R10 so I am not sure how is that legal for this “homage”.

 

[audionewbi]

People are not upset with the headphone itself. Its more to do with HiFiMan choose to ripoff the Sony design and even product name. There is a reason no other reputable audio company does stuff like this. Not to mention the replica build quality looks no where near the original R10 .Hifiman with this move literally sunk their reputation they spend the last 10+ years to build.

Would it be better if they named it differently and used a different cup design and pretended R10 had nothing to with the design? Many companies use their competitor product to tweak, design, and release their own products. In this case, I think Hifiman wanted to use the R10 infamous name to sell their new headphone. Smart move if you ask me, I just hope it sounds close to R10.

 

[ThanatosVI]

People are not upset with the headphone itself. Its more to do with HiFiMan choose to ripoff the Sony design and even product name. There is a reason no other reputable audio company does stuff like this. Not to mention the replica build quality looks no where near the original R10 .Hifiman with this move literally sunk their reputation they spend the last 10+ years to build.

The build doesn't even look on the Level of their other products.
5500$ should offer Susvara levels of build quality

 

[freeza2001]

Guys, what is on this measurement? Is this the dynamic or plannar version measured?

...also about the caps on the photo. I can’t read Chinese but there are prices on this photo. Does this mean they will be also selling the cups separately for modders? I’d be glad to upgrade my CD3000

The measurements is from the dynamic version.
The wood Caps are from a OEM factory, I think u have to buy in bulk with 500 units as minimum. Each ear cap cost 5usd .

 

[Dobrescu George]

Wow....can they send me a product sample? Will gladly compared it to the REAL Sony MDR-R10. I wonder what Sony thinks of this. Sony did file a patent for the R10 so I am not sure how is that legal for this “homage”.

As far as I understand this, patents expire after a while, so maybe the Sony R10 patent expired recently

I'm actually curious about the HE-R10

 

[freeza2001]

Would it be better if they named it differently and used a different cup design and pretended R10 had nothing to with the design? Many companies use their competitor product to tweak, design, and release their own products. In this case, I think Hifiman wanted to use the R10 infamous name to sell their new headphone. Smart move if you ask me, I just hope it sounds close to R10.

Yes.
If they did tweak the design and use a different name we would not be having this conversation right now. They went the R10 route shows their lack of confidence in this headphone, as they hope to use the R10 to spark conversation and free publicity.
Its a smart move for a new startup company to draw interests towards the product and thus gain a foothold.
its a stupid move for a establish company to do. CUZ no one wants copy cat as their brand image.
You can tell from this thread and the Chinese forum most people are against it.

 

[sennfan83261]

Wow....can they send me a product sample? Will gladly compared it to the REAL Sony MDR-R10. I wonder what Sony thinks of this. Sony did file a patent for the R10 so I am not sure how is that legal for this “homage”.

The design patent for the MDR-R10 expired in 2007, claim scope was pretty narrow too: USD336646. Regardless, the design is deemed to be in the public domain since its 2007 expiration date unless there are any other patents claiming priority to this one.

EDIT: The utility patent for the MDR-R10 expired in 2009: US5018599

 

[omniweltall]

Greed. It's called greed my man. And sadly companies get away with substandard build quality and shoddy materiel choices, because people still buy crap like that. Why go for max effort when 50 is acceptable?

Can you imagine a car built that way?
V12 Mercedes in A-class interior? Not sure why it's acceptable in the Audio world.

$5K HP should have more than just 'good sound.' It should be an A-Z experience.

So true. Sadly, consumers are different in the audio world. Hifiman knows this and it will keep happening.

Look at the Susvara, $6000 abomination with that kind of build quality. Yet, people keep buying that.

 

[kp297]

Have any of the former R-10 engineers gave their blessing on this project? At a cursory glance, this seems in poor taste. Fang's comments about legality doesn't help either. Does Fang have no confidence in his ability to create his own closed back without blatantly ripping off the hard work of others? Fang isn't this lazy, there must be an interesting development process behind this.

Even if Fang's ultimate sound for a close back is an R10, please call it something else (HE-CL1 etc). But he calls it R10?? I buy Hifiman products because I love Fang's interpretation of sound. I'm far more interested in his own interpretation of a closed back, not a clone product.

I don't know what to make of this.

FYI I own and love Hifiman headphones. Just purchased a Bakoon AMP 13-R for the sole purpose of driving the Susvara.