[borkenarrou]

So basically H1000 Stealth is less detailed version of the HE1000 SE. if I have to upgrade over my V2 I'll still get the HE1000 SE, as we can always EQ the SE but we can never get the missing detail back from the Stealth, this is all hypothesis of course at my end, let more reviews come in to come to a conclusion.

 

[BowWazoo]

So basically H1000 Stealth is less detailed version of the HE1000 SE...

Or not

Quote
"After 30 minutes with the new V2 Stealth compared to my SE I hear no, but really no difference, not even minimal."

Beitrag im Thema 'HiFiMAN HE1000 V2 Stealth Rundreise' https://www.hardwareluxx.de/communi...00-v2-stealth-rundreise.1328653/post-29661732

 

[Dixter]

lets hope that once they all get stealth mags that the difference doesn't come down to a black or tan headband and a black set of cables... you have to be careful if this is Hifimans marketing ploy... I hope this isn't the case... just stay aware

 

[borkenarrou]

Or not

Quote
"After 30 minutes with the new V2 Stealth compared to my SE I hear no, but really no difference, not even minimal."

Beitrag im Thema 'HiFiMAN HE1000 V2 Stealth Rundreise' https://www.hardwareluxx.de/communi...00-v2-stealth-rundreise.1328653/post-29661732

Aha I missed that, I wonder if the rest of his system is resolving enough to show the difference (if any), if it is good news for all of us

 

[Xareh]

The Stealth vs Non-Stealth argument is amongst the strangest because of how wildly varying the impressions are. For some people, it's a small change which has a big payoff, for others it kills soundstage... so where is it?

Personally, I feel that first at least on the technology side, stealth magnets are, ultimately, a slice of the topend. There is no non stealth Susvara, and very few people are going to say that the Susvara isn't amongst the very best. Even if one were to make the argument - as I can certainly understand - that it is just simpler for them to make one type of magnet, it's still something derived from their topend.

So onto how we actually perceive it - I hate to say it, but they're probably very exaggerated by A/B testing, confirmation bias, and early impressions. I strongly suspect that someone with no experience (like me) would probably identify the positive traits and character of any Stealth headphone as just 'the headphone' and not the Stealth version. That is to say, to me, my HE1000 will sound like an HE1000. But also being able to enjoy the benefits of the Stealth Magnets without feeling I'm missing something.

For those directly comparing V2 and Stealth - especially after owning V2 for years - I can absolutely see how the differences would be offputting. But worse? Nobody has really claimed that - more that it's a different flavour. And many reviewers I personally trust hold the Stealth as better overall headphones - some even saying it puts them from a 'meh' to a 'this is a serious deal'. As someone who returned an Arya V2, I have no qualms to anyone saying Arya V3 is so much more than most people will ever need.

We should see more serious reviews coming out this year about the Stealth versus the SE and so forth. For many people - most even - I think the Stealth changes put the HEK on the map again in a way that will be a huge market disruptor.

 

[BowWazoo]

I really like looking at reviews.
But I have found that I have to read the forums to get the whole truth.
Best example Clear MG. No one, really NO REVIEWER has mentioned that the thing has a design flaw! Yes, the clipping is real. The forums are full of them! Exactly the same with the D8000...

 

[Xareh]

The MG clipping is something that has to be reproduced though across a wide ranges of gears and unit variations though. I personally like said never encounter clipping in normal use, even in 'songs that will guarantee clipping!!!', I can go straight into Deep Medi and just enjoy the bass (but it definitely is a thing). It's entirely believable most reviewers just wouldn't listen loud enough or expose it.

 

[BowWazoo]

The HE-1000 definitely has no problem with that. If one day I decide to commit suicide, then I already know how:
I'll crank the HE-1000 up until I have a heart attack.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

We'll probably know only after Andrew (Resolve) get hands on one.

 

[Xareh]

Yeah, somewhat odd that no measurements have popped up yet.

 

[BowWazoo]

Oratory has answered me in the meantime. But unfortunately he is just flooded with requests.
He has not yet measured the HE-1000 Stealth

 

[JeoO]

He couldn't even hear the difference between an Edition XS and the HE-1000 Stealth.

https://www.prof-x.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=35690#p35690

This was my statement, but obviously one needs to know the whole context.

At that time i had various headphones here for comparison. Mainly the Bravura, HE1000v2 stealth, XS, Meze Elite, Hifiman He 500, Audeze LCDX 21´ and prefazor LCD2.
Now i have absolutely no problem finding the differences between those cans, i put them on and instantly can tell and appreciate their own sonic flavor.
The only cans where i really struggled at first was the difference between the XS and HE1000"v2"stealth. Obviously that led me to have a closer look and do direct A/B.
The longer you do the A/B the more differences you will eventually find (or imagine to hear...).

As mentioned the HE1000stealth has an insane imaging and separation ability. This was not just heard by me, but also by people in the Hardwarelux-Forum and people here in the thread. I can tell the XS and HE1000"v2"stealth apart, the HE1000"v2"stealth has definately better technicalitites.

in short (compared to HE1000v2): Better bass and insane separation on the HE1000"v2"stealth was traded for the cost of a smaller soundstage and a less unique tuning/fr, in this regard similar to XS etc..

But honestly? The frequency response of the Hifiman stealth models is imo nearly identical. And the plus in separation in the HE1000"v2"stealth actually makes me focusing too much on the technical abilities of the headphone, being less enjoyable overall for me.

So i will stay by my opinion that they sound nearly identical without closer A/B.
This is nothing against the new HE1000, as i can definately see how people will admire those technicality perks. Honestly, it is better in that regard than my Meze Elite. And the Meze basically costs double the price.

Furthermore i really think people should audition the stealth models side by side, in my opinion they really lost their own flavors. Happy to hear the impressions of other people.



----

Concerning Hifiman´s weird lineup updates:
I could imagine that they want to completely switch to stealth magnets, which obviously makes sense from a supply chain perspective. All their newer phones have stealth magnets, from XS up to the Susvara.
Now back in the day the Susvara and the HE1000se were the first ones (correct me if wrong) introduced with this "new technology".

Here is my interesting take (which could be very wrong):
I could imagine the HE1000"v2"stealth being exactly what it is called, a HE1000se. Aside from minor driver differences like impedance (note that impedance in Hifimans is often times not excatly the same as stated in their specs) the HE1000se was back then a HE1000 with stealth magnets.
Exactly like the new HE1000"v2" stealth.

You might ask, but why would Hifiman do this?
Well. Seems they only have stealth magnets supply nowadays, so what should they do with the HE1000v2 lineup? Stop producing?
Instead they might bring a diet HE1000se version on to the market: No fancy box, no fancy cables and price it around the old HE1000v2 price.

Now they filled the niche of the old v2, even though their HE1000se and HE1000"v2" stealth might be the same headphone.
As i mentioned, Hifiman themselves call them HE1000stealth, not v3.

Anyways, just speculations.

 

[Xareh]

It would be crucial to see on measurements whether the unique FR is actually more a byproduct of something that - at least to HFM - is 'solved' by stealth magnets.

But I can certainly see why the FR's would be similar - IMO you are with the HE1000V3 paying largely for the nano diaphragm advantage over Arya V3. And beyond that, if it's an FR that you substantially enjoy more...

Edit: Further worth noting that the HE1000V3 isn't that much more expensive than an Arya if you are already looking in the range, and I suspect used units in a couple of years will be around the $1500 mark. I doubt anyone can really deny like said, that the $2k range with the HE1000 in it so squarely is seriously compelling.

 

[Dixter]

why are these listed as the HE1000 Stealth but you can't buy them yet... what the heck is going on here... https://hifiman.com/products/detail/327
and why is the HE1000se being listed at $3500 but the HE1000 Stealth is $1999 ...

 

[Shakarone]

I messaged hifiman on amazon and they said they have the new he1000 stealth in stock at their china warehouse. They let me purchase the normal he1000v2 for the same price $1999 through amazon and sent me the new he1000 stealth direct from china.