[wuwhere]

Yup, old doesn't mean useless. The best vacuum tubes are still the old ones, fetching ridiculous price.

 

[Dopaminer]

Holy crap - I never said OLD = BAD.   Vintage amplifiers, hell yes.  Vintage speakers (with their original drivers), hell no.  
 
My headphone amp has 1930s US military tubes.  My speaker amp, recently expanded to headphone duties with a speaker tap-XLR4 connector, is from 1993 and I plan to keep that 26kg baby forever (unless I finally get one of the vintage Luxman monsters).   But speaker drivers are moving parts and like all moving parts, over time degrade.  And anyway, my main point is that none of us knows what the Orpheus actaully sound like, so there is no point in even talking about them, other than wistful speculation.  

 

[chowmein83]

 
Let`s hear all the Stax, LCD, HD800, HE-6, HE-560, Abyss, ETC comparisons.  

 
 
If you want a comparison to the Abyss, I'll happily oblige. I said in my earlier post that the HE-1000 can definitely with the Abyss, and now I'll do a more detailed comparison.
 
My comparison will be based off of listening to the HE-1000 on the EF-1000, and the Abyss on a Woo Audio amp (I'm not sure which though), because I feel that the Abyss needs a warmer amp to truly shine (one could also plug in the Abyss into a solid-state amp - I don't remember the exact model - at CES, but the Abyss did not sound as good on that as it did with the Woo Audio tube amp).
 
First off, I feel that the mids on both are extremely comparable. Both are extremely detailed and sound extremely realistic, with a nice warmth and weight that is enough to truly bring the mids (and especially vocals) come to life without sacrificing detail. However, I feel that the mids are slightly more forward and brighter on the Abyss.
 
Highs on both are, once again, comparable in terms of quality and realism. However, I do feel that the HE-1000 keeps up with more complex music better than the Abyss does. For example, if a drummer hits the cymbals rapidly but delicately (I'm not sure if I'm describing this right, but it's like present in jazz music), the cymbal hits seem to be more smeared together on the Abyss than on the HE-1000. Highs seem to be slightly (but just a bit) smoother on the HE-1000 than the Abyss to me.
 
I feel that the Abyss, however, has the better bass. The HE-1000 and Abyss both have well-controlled bass that extends deeply. However, the Abyss is the only headphone that I have ever heard of that has bass that sounds like it's coming from a pair of tower speakers combined with a well-controlled subwoofer. For example, when you listen to jazz on the Abyss, it feels like you literally are in a small club room with the performers right in front of you, including the feeling that you get with the punch of the bass drum. It is that visceral. With jazz on the HE-1000, it feels like you're in that same small club room too (in terms of realism), but without the punch of the drums. I have to admit, out of all headphones that I have listened to, I really think that the Abyss' bass in the best. That doesn't mean that the HE-1000's bass is lacking - in fact, it's still better than any other headphone that I have ever heard, with only the exception of the Abyss.
 
As for soundstage, I definitely like the HE-1000 here more than the Abyss. I personally prefer an intimate but not extremely close soundstage. The Abyss falls much closer to the "extremely close" end than the HE-1000, as everything seems much closer to you in the Abyss than with the HE-1000. To me, the HE-1000 does a better job in maintaining a balance between intimacy and distance - but I can see how others might prefer the Abyss in this regard. However, one thing that the HE-1000 can do that the Abyss cannot is present a holographic soundstage. Like I said in my earlier post, the HE-1000's soundstage truly sounds much more like a set of tower speakers and the SR-009, while the Abyss sounds more like a headphone.
 
Separation on both headphones is excellent, with perhaps the HE-1000 having a slight edge. Imaging on the Abyss is very good, but the Hifiman is even better with literally pinpoint accuracy.
 
In the comfort department, there's no contest - the HE-1000 is simply a much more comfortable headphone. The HE-1000 is not only much lighter, but also distributes weight around your head much better than the Abyss does.
 
I can't claim to be a seasoned listener who has had extensive experience with headphones that are the best of the best, but hopefully this comparison is at least a bit illuminating.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Here is a reminder to all you star-dazzled HE-1000 diehard fans, gunslingers-with-the-plastic perspective owners, and the whole rest of the gang aboard the hype train. A product page has been created especially for you to post your reviews and indicate if you want, own or (inexplicably and mysteriously already) had the HE-1000. Take a quick peak and see if the product page can do with some sprucing up with some improvement in the product details, reviews, pictures and links. Do take note that I am not a moderator, administrator or a 1000+ poster but just a lowly member who was trying to lend a hand by putting the page together.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/hifiman-he-1000

 

[Armaegis]

   
 
The absolute MAXIMUM I`d be willing to pay for the HEK is two hundred dollars.  199.99 and that first model`s phone number, and you`ve got a deal.  

 
Two hundred bucks gets you a smile and a picture. It'll cost a lot more to take either one home with you.
 
 

driving a 2500usd worth of phones by a lyr???????? For sure peeps who has the money spend that on any phone has at least a much higher grade headphone amplifier

 
I don't think the Lyr meshes well with Hifiman headphones anyways.
 
 

Tell you guys this much though, spending money on headphones or tickets to a show would be the least of my wallet worries in Vegas.

 
Look, if I'm going to Vegas I know I'll be spending more than two hundred dollars anyways. The real question is whether spending that money means I'll be bringing something home with me...
 
 
 
 

 

[Boffy]

  Holy crap - I never said OLD = BAD.   Vintage amplifiers, hell yes.  Vintage speakers (with their original drivers), hell no.  
 
My headphone amp has 1930s US military tubes.  My speaker amp, recently expanded to headphone duties with a speaker tap-XLR4 connector, is from 1993 and I plan to keep that 26kg baby forever (unless I finally get one of the vintage Luxman monsters).   But speaker drivers are moving parts and like all moving parts, over time degrade.  And anyway, my main point is that none of us knows what the Orpheus actaully sound like, so there is no point in even talking about them, other than wistful speculation.  

You would be very surprised by how many people actually own Orpheus. I saw someone that owned 3 Orpheuses trying to sell all 3 of them in the Trade/Sale section couple months ago. Two friends that I know in real life own them, and one of them is active at Golden Ears. Despite its limited quantity, Orpheus is actually not rare at all if you know where to look, or simply look closely. I saw one for sale on Ebay last week too.
 
However, I agree with you. Well, kind of. Almost all vintage or rare collectors headphones are overrated in Head-Fi. Orpheus is not an exception. My mother is a huge Sony fan, so naturally she owned Qualia 005, Qualia 007, Qualia 010, Qualia 017, and Sony R10 Bass Light Version. My mother bought the Qualia 010 for 3,000,000 KRW, which is about 2,800 USD. Sound? Garbage. Slightly better than most $200 headphones today. I actually think the Sony SA5000 (mass production version of Qualia 010) sounds better. I prefer the new Beats Solo 2 over Sony Qualia 010, and spending $2,800 on Beats Solo 2 makes more sense to me than spending $2,800 on Sony Qualia 010. Sony R10 actually sounds amazing. But is it worth +$5,000 price tag? Absolutely not. HD800 and LCD 3 are both in the same league at more than a third of the price of R10.
 
Now let's go back to Orpheus. Like I said, two friends of mine own it and I have tried it. How does it sound? It's in the same league as HD800, LCD 3, and R10. In fact, I personally think HD800 does many things better than Orpheus, so one can make a solid case stating that HD800 is superior than Orpheus. How much does Orpheus cost nowadays? I live in South Korea at the moment, and the prices here are anywhere between 40,000,000-60,000,000 KRW, which is roughly 38,000-58,000 USD. We can conclude one of two things from my experience with Orpheus and their price. 1: Orpheus is an outright scam, and it is no different than Lil Wayne's 1 million dollar Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. 2: It is not a headphone, but a luxury. Audiophiles enjoy high fidelity sound, so they invest money on good headphones. Sennheiser Orpheus, in my opinion, is not a headphone that was created for audiophiles, nor meant to be used by audiophiles. It was created for those who are so rich, to the point where they worry about whether they will be able to spend all their money before they die. It's a luxury.
 
My point? It is stupid to compare HE-1000 to Sennheiser Orpheus, because 1: Sennheiser Orpheus doesn't even sound that great to begin with, 2: HE-1000 is almost certainly going to be a better purchase regarding price/performance wise, and finally 3: Most owners of Sennheiser Orpheus from what I know are not audiophiles. The other friend of mine that owns the Orpheus owns it, because he had way too much money in his pocket, and had to get rid of some of them. He much prefers his Bose QC25, for he enjoys its noise cancelling feature that is very handy when he boards his Dad's Asiana Airlines' airplanes. 

 

[third_eye]

Beautiful headphone. One of the big highlights of CES for me.
 
. 

 

[Zojokkeli]

Not that I have heard the Orpheus, or probably ever will, but it's over 20 years old technology. I wouldn't be surprised if something sounded better than it even in the "obtainable" price range.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

  You would be very surprised by how many people actually own Orpheus. I saw someone that owned 3 Orpheuses trying to sell all 3 of them in the Trade/Sale section couple months ago.

Do you mean this thread where this guy is selling two Orpheuses and three baby Orpheuses, not to mention a whole cartload of Summit-Fi gear that most of us can only dream about? (Am I the only one who thinks it funny that is says $1 or best offer? He doesn't really mean that, but still.):
http://www.head-fi.org/t/740711/fs-stuff

 

[Dopaminer]

  You would be very surprised by how many people actually own Orpheus. 
 

 
 
Actually, no I wouldn`t be surprised.  300 were made.  So I am guess less than 300 people own an orpheus.  

 

[Hifihedgehog]

   
They've done nothing yet.  The headphone isn't even released.
 
What source was driving the HIFIMAN system?  What source was driving the Orpheus?  Was the HE90 being driven by the HEV90?  If so this supposed conclusion really means zilch considering that amp was always the weakest part of the Orpheus combo.
 
Come back and make that ridiculously absurd assumptive statement when the HE90 is compared against the HE1000/EL1000 combo, using the same exact source, and not being driven by an amplifier with internal components that are over 20+ years old.

Please read my message in context. I said, "At least for yet another user." I wasn't not by any meanings making an all-encompassing, conclusive statement. We definitely need a much, much larger pool of people and more time with this headphone before we can say anything about it being the best sound-wise, generally speaking.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

While the actual cup is open it seems to be the driver is for the most part blocked off except for some breathing slots.im intrigued.

 

[icebear]

  Please read my message in context. I said, "At least for yet another user." I wasn't not by any meanings making an all-encompassing, conclusive statement. We definitely need a much, much larger pool of people and more time with this headphone before we can say anything about it being the best sound-wise, generally speaking.

Or maybe some well known reviewer for a thorough evaluation, especially in combination with other amps, e.g. Tyll ?
But then this will only make sense if the review sample is an actual production sample and not a prototype.
So I am pretty sure we will have to wait a couple of weeks, if not month until that happens.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

I winder sometimes if tyll has a thing against hifiman as he never really says much about them .

 

[ThurstonX]

  Beautiful headphone. One of the big highlights of CES for me.
 
. 

 
And they look almost dainty in you hand.  Tell us you have little girl hands.  It's what we all want to hear 

 
I've come around on the design.  Think I'll go buy a lottery ticket or three.