[auricgoldfinger]

 
I've made a commitment never to pay more than $999 for any product of HFM, and the v1 is plummeting in value, so it shouldn't be long. But wow what an epic meltdown. Such an embarrassment. 

 
What prompted the meltdown?

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

HFers writing on the thread that the price was insane, that the design looked bad, and that the build quality from the company was notoriously low. He said that he felt like it was the Cultural Revolution and he was being persecuted by the government.
 
He doesn't seem to understand that there is no freedom from criticism in a free society when you do crazy schiit. He should talk to Dr. Laura about how that worked out for her. (See 3:45 for a comically bad understanding of the first amendment.)

 

[Thenewguy007]

HFers writing on the thread that the price was insane, that the design looked bad, and that the build quality from the company was notoriously low. He said that he felt like it was the Cultural Revolution and he was being persecuted by the government.

Personally I think the design looks good. The Utopia design to me is what looks bad, gaudy & tacky looking. Definitely something that looks like it was made in modern Europe. The edition 6 on the other hand looks high end, with real metal & wood.

The quality control is arguable. From what I been reading, the first adapters of the HE1000 were the ones with problems & the new ones have the QC issues addressed.

 

[m8o]

No.

Hm, my eyes just never locked on to the thread title. Not sure I was looking in the right section tho.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Personally I think the design looks good. The Utopia design to me is what looks bad, gaudy & tacky looking. Definitely something that looks like it was made in modern Europe. The edition 6 on the other hand looks high end, with real metal & wood.

The quality control is arguable. From what I been reading, the first adapters of the HE1000 were the ones with problems & the new ones have the QC issues addressed.

 
I can confirm that the quality and finish of the HE1000 V2 that I used for my review was excellent.

 

[jcdreamer]

I personally like the appearence of the HE1000, it certainly is more distinctive than the Utopia design.  It's the build quality that I have a problem with. The Utopia might not be a beautiful headphone, but the quality is top-notched, IMHO.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

  I personally like the appearence of the HE1000, it certainly is more distinctive than the Utopia design.  It's the build quality that I have a problem with. The Utopia might not be a beautiful headphone, but the quality is top-notched, IMHO.

I think that's part of what the issue was. Focal is an established luxury market leader with a decades-long reputation. It can ask $4k for a flagship headphone. Hifiman one-upping them is like Swatch releasing a watch that costs more than a top-of-the-line Rolex. It's a precocious—gifted, even—child rummaging in his father's closet to put on a pinstripe suit. One day, sure. But you have to earn it.

 

[nvfan]

 
I think that's part of what the issue was. Focal is an established luxury market leader with a decades-long reputation. It can ask $4k for a flagship headphone. Hifiman one-upping them is like Swatch releasing a watch that costs more than a top-of-the-line Rolex. It's a precocious—gifted, even—child rummaging in his father's closet to put on a pinstripe suit. One day, sure. But you have to earn it.

 
Not to mention the ED6 driver has a long way to go to catch up to the Utopia driver from where the HE1000 is at. It remains to be seen if it's even going to acoustically surpass the Utopia, much less build quality wise. It may end up the only thing it beats the Utopia is in list price. (I assume you are referring to the ED6 here).

 

[Weatherlight]

Apparently some folks were prescient enough to get some screen caps before his posts disappeared.

Hi. Is there somewhere we can read these screenies of what Fang said? Uploaded on some hosting site perhaps? Thanks a lot.

 

[jcdreamer]

I thought I was purchasing an overpriced product when I bought the HE1000 without auditioning. Hifiman's way of conducting business and the second hand market quickly showed me how overpriced it was. That is the main reason I refuse to spend more money with them to upgrade to V2.
 
Sort of remind me of how Cadillac owners of the sixties and seventies would buy a top of the line model and lose close to half of the value on a trade-in after one year

 
I think that's part of what the issue was. Focal is an established luxury market leader with a decades-long reputation. It can ask $4k for a flagship headphone. Hifiman one-upping them is like Swatch releasing a watch that costs more than a top-of-the-line Rolex. It's a precocious—gifted, even—child rummaging in his father's closet to put on a pinstripe suit. One day, sure. But you have to earn it.

 

[jcdreamer]

   
Not to mention the ED6 driver has a long way to go to catch up to the Utopia driver from where the HE1000 is at. It remains to be seen if it's even going to acoustically surpass the Utopia, much less build quality wise. It may end up the only thing it beats the Utopia is in list price. (I assume you are referring to the ED6 here).

I received my Utopia three days ago and after approximately fourteen hours of listening to them, it's hard for me to imagine the ED6 outright surpassing the Utopia acoustically. It might be a marvelous sounding headphone that offers a different flavor. I won't be spending $6k to try out a beta version.
 
Urgh, I got to go and get that bad taste out of my mouth.

 

[Blueswyh]

   
Not to mention the ED6 driver has a long way to go to catch up to the Utopia driver from where the HE1000 is at. It remains to be seen if it's even going to acoustically surpass the Utopia, much less build quality wise. It may end up the only thing it beats the Utopia is in list price. (I assume you are referring to the ED6 here).

Sounds you already have a ED6 to compare to Utopia, otherwise how do you know there is a long way to catch up to Utopia? 
Do you have a ED6 in your hand now?
Or are you actually writing a review from a few pictures?

 

[raypin]

Mm..setting aside the politics and other extraneous matters, I think it is best to withold judging the Edition 6 until it has been released and enough objective reviews have been posted or published. I seem to recall the same type of discussion when Utopia was first revealed. A lot of folks were making judgments based on the 4k pricetag alone. Let Hifiman make their case with the Ed 6. It may turn out to be much better than the Utopia. Or it could be a total failure.

I have no bad experience with my first-gen HE 1000. It is an excellent headphone. Looking forward to auditioning the Ed 6 and comparing it with my Utopia, when it becomes available in my neck of the woods.

 

[doctorjazz]

Also really love my HEK V1
Curious what people think about the Ed 6 when someone actually hears it. Maybe at NY CanJam? The NY area meet a week earlier is also supposed to have someone from Hifiman.

 

[Womaz]

If I am honest it amazes me sometimes the negativity towards a manufacturer when they release a new product. It happens with most retail products and surely we all realise that. I didnt buy my HEK as it was the flagship model. I bought it because I love the sound, and I still do. Yes its devalued currency wise, but to my ears it has not.