[wuwhere]

After spending so much from concept, design and manufacturing, even spending so much just to be able to manufacture it just to show off and not to be able to sell so many units even to just recoup all the investments does not make business sense to me. Specially for a small company. Sure, R&D enables you to explore better technology, it is very costly and it may or may not pay off. And there are so many competitors, both headphones and IEMs.

 

[money4me247]

 
ROFL

The most expensive planar so far has been the LCD-3 at 2K. If the HEK costs more than that, whatever, I won't buy one and won't really care either, but Hifiman is full of BS. Honestly, I still don't care if Hifiman is full of BS, but I guess I do care enough to make this post... 

Actually the Abyss is the most expensive planar so far. 

 
lol manbear, why do you think that when there haven't been that many sonic impressions yet?
 
I agree the $2k+ price range is ridiculous, but if the HEK actually sonically outperforms the LCD-3s... a 2k+ pricing would make sense in the audiophile world. I do think the uber-expensive multiple grand headphone niche is a bit ridiculous in general, not really specific to Hifiman. Their pricing have always been a lot more competitive compared to other manufacturers

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

If Hifiman is going to create a +2k headphone with what their he560 and he6 fetches, I hope they don't fall prey to heavy diminishing returns like other +1k headphones..

If Hifiman put value oriented and 2k in the same sentence I'm expecting this headphone to blow away competition.

 

[Timestretch]

I've always considered HiFiMan to be the best value in high end headphone.  
  
If you have an amp to really drive the HE-6, I believe it's every bit as good as any other flagship. And you can find one used for $700-$800.   If you get a used, $400 HE-500, you are getting sound that directly competes with $1000 headphones.  
  
What they lack in build quality and exotic materials (wood cups, fancy leather, etc), they make up for dramatically with their incredible sound.  
  
So I am curious what their HE-1000 will be. I would not expect HifiMan to make a "statement" headphone to compete with the Orpheus. I mean, legendary limited run super super exotic super good headphones... that's the realm of Sony, Stax, Sennheiser. HifiMan is not that image.  
  
But if they DO make a very good statement headphone... If this HE-1000 + amplifier does cost $10 grand and DOES ssound every bit competitive to a solidly driven MDR-R10, STAX SR-009, Sennheiser Orpheus... then I think that really increases HifiMan's presence in the head-fi arena. They are not just the "Great value." They are literally just as much giants as Sennheiser or Sony. It's valuable, to have a flagship that contends with other flagships. And there are flagships above the realm of HD800 and LCD-3. IF HifiMan succeeds in creating a classic headphone, even if the value proposition is poor, well it reflects good on the rest of their products that they are able to create something as good as Orpheus.   
  
I am not the target market to buy their HE-1000. But if I hear people contend that the HE-1000 is the new greatest headphone, then my respect for HifiMan (at all price points) is increased. Think about it - even if you operate in a lower budget bracket, it is cool to think that your chosen brand made the BEST headphone. The current perception of Hifiman is "budget hifi, very good value for price." What if the perception was "the final statement in high end audio" -- what if that? That's worth a lot. 

 

[Mortalcoil]

Not to sound negative but lets hope they don't fall apart in the hands of earlier adopters / literally. 

 

[jay567]

  I guess that`s why the naming is so out of whack.   So there may be an HE-7 on the horizon?  
 
BTW, for those who are familiar with planars, is the HE-560 a good introduction the `planar sound` ?   

I'd suggest HE400 since you dig FX850 as an "introduction" to planar sound. 

 

[chowmein83]

Hey guys, I was lucky enough to be able to get to go to CES this year. The first thing I did this morning was head straight to HiFiMAN's booth to listen to the HE-1000 lol.
 
Anyways, here are my listening impressions. I have also posted this in the other HE-1000 thread.
 
Since I was lucky enough to literally be the first person to walk to into Hifiman's room, I was able to listen to the HE-1000 for quite a while (about 45 minutes) and in a relatively quiet environment. All listening with the HE-1000 was done with the new EF1000 amp, fed by the new HM901s seated in a dock.
 
I begin with that my highest end headphone that I own is the HE-400i. So I'll be mainly comparing the HE-1000 to the HE-400i and the HE-560 (which I also got to listen to in the same room). Also another disclaimer, Hifiman's staff said that the tuning in the sample they showed off here is almost what will show up in the production model, but they may do some tiny changes before actual production.
 
To immediately spoil what I thought of the headphone, the HE-1000 makes the HE-560 sound lacking. Yes, the HE-1000 is that much better than the HE-560. In fact, it was quite obvious when I did an AB comparison using the same setup in Hifiman's room. Compared to the HE-560, the HE-1000 literally feels like there was a layer of veil peeled off from the music. 
 
Highs on the HE-1000 are well extended, with no sibilance. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the HE-1000 has highs that are at least as good as the HD800's (if memory serves me right), if not better.
 
But what about the bass? I'm happy to say that the HE-1000 has pretty much some of the best bass I heard. It's very hard hitting (but only if the recording dictates it), and even tighter and more well-controlled than the HE-560's and the HE-400i's bass. Of course, none of the bass bleeds into the mids. 
 
Mids are extremely good. Vocals are extremely realistic, to the point where the vocals from the HE-400i and the HE-560 sound fake compared to what you hear in the HE-1000. In a good recording, it literally feels like the singer is singing a couple of feet away from you - not extremely in your face, but not too far away, much like the HE-560 and a little bit further than in the HE-400i. Overall, I would say that the mids sound the same tonally as the HE-400i and the HE-560, but with a lot more detail and a lot more realism.
 
I wouldn't say that the HE-1000 is a boring headphone to listen to. The bass is present when it needs to be, and with good quality and quantity. And I wouldn't call the headphone laid back, especially not compared to something like the HD650 or the Sony MDR-Z7 (which I heard at the show, but again with a different setup). Overall, tonally it sounds like a HE-560 (and also kind of like a HE-400i), but a bit lusher (everything seems to have a bit more weight in the HE-1000 than its lower siblings) and still maintaining a greater amount of detail.
 
Soundstage size of the HE-1000 is about the same as the HE-560. So don't go expecting an HD800-like soundstage. However, the magic in the HE-1000's soundstage is in its presentation. Sounds in the HE-1000 don't feel like as if they're coming out of a headphone - instruments, vocals, and everything else in the music seem to really be projected holographically, much like a set of tower speakers and much like what I remember about the SR-009's soundstage. The HE-400i and the HE-560 simply cannot match this kind of holographic soundstage. Imaging is pinpoint accurate - even better than the already excellent imaging of the HE-400i and the HE-560. I won't say if the HE-1000's imaging is better than the HD800's, since it's been quite a while since I heard that headphone.
 
A few words about comfort level and efficiency. The HE-1000 is about as comfortable as the HE-400i and the HE-560, as the HE-1000 weighs about the same as its two lower siblings, and uses the same clamping system. The clamping force of the HE-1000 sample was less than the HE-400i and the HE-560 Hifiman brought along, although I don't know if that is the result of many people having possibly already tried the headphone. I would say that the HE-1000 is about as efficient as the HE-560. I felt like I cranked up the volume knob to about the same level as I would in the HE-560 to get a similar amount of loudness. On Hifiman's EF1000 amp, I cranked the volume knob to about 10-11 o'clock to get to a volume level that's comfortable for me. I feel that cranking up the EF1000's volume knob to about 2 o'clock would be plenty loud for most people. For the HE400i, I cranked up the volume knob to about 9 o'clock to get to a comfortable listening level for me.
 
Overall, I can confidently say that the HE-1000 is a noticeable step up from the HE-560. It can definitely compete with the Abyss, which I also heard at CES (although with a different setup).
 
Also, I don't know if this has been mentioned, but Hifiman plans to release this headphone in Q2 2015. Pricing has not been determined yet, and Mr. Fang Bian (very nice man) really wouldn't give me a good sense of what the pricing will be when I asked him.
 
Hopefully, these impressions aren't too incoherent. Let me know if you guys want any other impressions about the headphone, and I'll try to answer them the best I can.

 

[Xenophon]

I'm just speculating here, like all the rest 

 but I have a hard time believing the amp + headphone bundle would be priced at 10k.  Certainly, the couple of (not very detailed) shots of the amp's interior don't justify that kind of money.  I see a hybrid design, (of which I'm not a big fan but that aside) couple of nice capacitors that look like higher end Mundorfs etc but no extremely over the top exclusive components that one might expect in a limited edition statement item.  Anyway, at 10k they'd be out of my league, regardless of performance.
 
We'll just have to see.  Certainly the HifiMan HE-500 and HE-6 which I own are imo very competitively priced cans, taking performance into account.  Can't say the same of their EF-6 amplifier though.
 
@dopaminer:  I haven't heard the 560 but if you want an affordable intro to planar sound, imo a used HE-500 is very good value, provided you can live with a slightly warm sound, mids that are a bit emphasised and don't need the ultimate in detail/transparency.  The 6 brings you everything but I'd only recommend it if you're prepared to do what it takes to amp them well, else you're imo much better off sticking with the 500.

 

[jelt2359]

Somebody needs to bring their HE6 to plug into that EFK... and AB with the HEK!

 

[Dopaminer]

 
@dopaminer:  I haven't heard the 560 but if you want an affordable intro to planar sound, imo a used HE-500 is very good value, provided you can live with a slightly warm sound, mids that are a bit emphasised and don't need the ultimate in detail/transparency.  The 6 brings you everything but I'd only recommend it if you're prepared to do what it takes to amp them well, else you're imo much better off sticking with the 500.

 
 
Thanks, Xenophon.  A used 500 sounds interesting.  Although a used 6 may be the way.  I have a 3W tube desktop headphone amplifer I believe is up to the task, as well as a XLR4 cable coming off the speaker taps of my big amplifier . . . 

 

[Sorrodje]

@dopaminer: the HE-4 is a very very good option too. it's very different from HE-500 and closer to the HD800

 

[Xenophon]

   
 
Thanks, Xenophon.  A used 500 sounds interesting.  Although a used 6 may be the way.  I have a 3W tube desktop headphone amplifer I believe is up to the task, as well as a XLR4 cable coming off the speaker taps of my big amplifier . . . 

For the 6, 3W might be too little, in how many Ohm does it deliver those 3W? Mind, you'll probably get good sound, just not the best there's to be had.  I know they don't sound their best with my Violectric V200 (solid state), that's 2.75W into 50 Ohm.  Good, yes, but only after hooking them to my F5 did I realise that there was more to be had.   As I said, the 6 are really very good but -a relative disadvantage- they need good, clean power or can be an exercise in frustration.  That's why I usually recommend the 500, never heard the 4.

 

[preproman]

 
For the 6, 3W might be too little, in how many Ohm does it deliver those 3W? Mind, you'll probably get good sound, just not the best there's to be had.  I know they don't sound their best with my Violectric V200 (solid state), that's 2.75W into 50 Ohm.  Good, yes, but only after hooking them to my F5 did I realise that there was more to be had.   As I said, the 6 are really very good but -a relative disadvantage- they need good, clean power or can be an exercise in frustration.  That's why I usually recommend the 500, never heard the 4.

The HE-4s are pretty good.  Closer to thE HE-6 than the HE-500s are.  However, the HE-4s have sort of a U shape.  I really don't see how they are close to the HD800s at all.  Maybe because both are bright very open sounding.  The bass on the HE-4s are really good.  The treble is bright and can be etched.  The mids are where the HE-4s fall behined the HD800s, HE-500s and the HE-6.  

 

[manbear]

Actually the Abyss is the most expensive planar so far. 

Oh yeah, forgot about that one.

Either way, Hifiman wont be delivering the best value in the industry with this product if it's over 2k, no matter how good it is.

 

[Sorrodje]

  I really don't see how they are close to the HD800s at all.  Maybe because both are bright very open sounding. 

 
yup . open sounding, speed, clarity = closer to HD800 in my mind.