Hifiman HE1000 Planar Dynamic Headphone

[TonyNewman]

Nothing wrong with that. They’re both great.

And different enough to justify keeping both, perhaps. That's what I tell myself anyway.

Gotta add a word about the HD800S with powerful tube amps - this headphone loves powerful tube amps (same as the original HD800). From my 300B rig the HD800S beats the HEKv2 more often than not (using my ears and gear, of course - YMMV). If your primary amp was a grunty tube rig I would take a much harder look at the HD800S over the HEK.

 

[omniweltall]

I have a ported HEKv2 and HD800S. Love em both via my custom 300B amp and GS-X Mk2. Both excellent headphones IMHO, but quite different presentations. HEK is more laid back and relaxed. HD800S is much more 'alive' and direct. Sometimes I will prefer one over the other based on the music I am listening to. Sometimes it would just be what mood I am in. I very much appreciate having both.

Put a gun to my head and make me choose just one and it would perhaps be the HEKv2. It is perhaps a bit more versatile / flexible in its use. I still love my HD800S, particularly from my tube amp.

Exactly my thought. I also brought my cans down to HEK and HD800. Cant choose one. Both are good in their own way as Tony described.

But no way HEK has better technicalities than HD800. It is not easy to beat HD800 in technicalities. That is its strength. Tonality being the weakness.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

“But no way HEK has better technicalities than HD800. It is not easy to beat HD800 in technicalities. That is its strength. Tonality being the weakness.”

That is very debatable.

 

[gordec]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hi...magnetic-headphone.21995/reviews#review-20000

I took some pictures to test out my new camera lens. Thought I share the pictures and a short review with the community.

 

[Gibson59]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hi...magnetic-headphone.21995/reviews#review-20000

I took some pictures to test out my new camera lens. Thought I share the pictures and a short review with the community.

Great photos and review! I also chose the Hek2 over Utopias. I totally appreciate the Utopia, but comfort, lack of soundstage and fatigue got me too. Sounds like a common story with them. I’d need to find an insanely good alternive to ever part with my Hek2. My Wells Audio Milo squeezes every little bit of performance out of them

 

[marhol]

Great photos and review! I also chose the Hek2 over Utopias. I totally appreciate the Utopia, but comfort, lack of soundstage and fatigue got me too. Sounds like a common story with them. I’d need to find an insanely good alternive to ever part with my Hek2. My Wells Audio Milo squeezes every little bit of performance out of them

I don´t think there is a real upgrade from headphones like HE-1000 v2 or Utopia as of yet. Although I´ve never heard Shangrila, HE-1, Abyss, Susvara or Stax 009 I am pretty convinced these uber high end headphones offer only incrementally better technicalities in some areas and only with certain super high end additional DAC/amps (like the stock sets for HE-1 or Shangrila or BHSE with Stax 009). HD 800(S) or HE-6 are also phenomenal headphones in their own right and worthy endgame cans to me. HE-1000 v2 offers great sound with excellent comfort, probably the only "deal breakers" can be high price, under average efficiency/portability and not the best build quality. But otherwise it ticks most boxes for an endgame open back headphone imo.

 

[gordec]

I don´t think there is a real upgrade from headphones like HE-1000 v2 or Utopia as of yet. Although I´ve never heard Shangrila, HE-1, Abyss, Susvara or Stax 009 I am pretty convinced these uber high end headphones offer only incrementally better technicalities in some areas and only with certain super high end additional DAC/amps (like the stock sets for HE-1 or Shangrila or BHSE with Stax 009). HD 800(S) or HE-6 are also phenomenal headphones in their own right and worthy endgame cans to me. HE-1000 v2 offers great sound with excellent comfort, probably the only "deal breakers" can be high price, under average efficiency/portability and not the best build quality. But otherwise it ticks most boxes for an endgame open back headphone imo.

Most humans hear between 20hz - 20khz. When we check patients for hearing loss, most audiograms only go up to like 8khz. The super high frequency audiograms are occasionally used to detect early hearing loss from chemotherapy. So why does HeK go up to 65khz frequency response? Some argue less distortion. For the most part, headphone technology has peaked. What's really left is more clarity, soundstage, tuning. At least in the photography world, we can always chase better low light iso response and higher megapixels.

 

[SilverEars]

I've tried the Rupert Neve RNHP, and will say that this amp does have certain characteristic about it's sound out of the HEK. I don't know if I can describe it clearly with words, but the treble had noticeably a thin characteristic, and overall created a narrow tonal response, but not really in sound stage. I think certain amps balanced brings a wider stage character of the headphone although it's generally regarded as one with a large sound stage.

My experience with different Amps or amp stages of various sources is that the subtle differences are with thickness of treble that provides the details, slight holography or tonal definition, forwardness of sounds, and/or how the sibilance sounds in texture and quantity. I think there are qualities are attributed, up to an extent, the DAC feeding to the amp, but the amp has a slight characteristic such as the treble's degree of thinness I would describe the RNHP's noticeable characteristic for the HEK. The treble tonality was narrow tonality or was detailing with thinner treble is how I can describe it. I think for portables, I would describe Astell & Kern AK240 have thin treble as well out of BA iems. So, the treble that defines the sounds are narrowed basically.

A headphone I can describe that is akin to how a bit distinguishing the RNHP to other amps is Audio Zenith PMx2 headphone. I thought this headphone treble sounded thinner than the RNHP as PMx2's treble was oddly being close to being characterized as to the point of silky thin sounding, and that was a weird experience. It's like the cymbals had a thin sounds like the it's impossible to have grainy textures(which I call thick or thicker) or seems smoothing the degree of textureness. I guess this can also be described as treble sharpening.

Anybody else has experienced amps that sound like this?

 

[dcguy73]

Now I understand why some people who buy the HEKv2 hold onto their HEXv2. I miss owning a great headphone that can be powered by my mobile or tablet. The HEKv2 is great, but it hasn't become my everything like I expected it to. WTB ad posted.

 

[franz12]

Now I understand why some people who buy the HEKv2 hold onto their HEXv2. I miss owning a great headphone that can be powered by my mobile or tablet. The HEKv2 is great, but it hasn't become my everything like I expected it to. WTB ad posted.

Also try Sundara if you can. Some people think Sundara is better than HEX. It is totally YMMV.

 

[knopi]

I tried Sundara in meet condition so can not comment how it sounds (speakers loud around) but as regards comfort etc. HEXv2 feelt much greater to me, also looks more like adult headphone against although materials is not the best as we all know etc., Sundara have quite small earpads for my taste.
Would be interesting (if it will be priced well) to see "one day" new upgraded model of HEX in future.

dcguy73 how did you like HEXv2 only via RME?

 

[dcguy73]

I tried Sundara in meet condition so can not comment how it sounds (speakers loud around) but as regards comfort etc. HEXv2 feelt much greater to me, also looks more like adult headphone against although materials is not the best as we all know etc., Sundara have quite small earpads for my taste.
Would be interesting (if it will be priced well) to see "one day" new upgraded model of HEX in future.

dcguy73 how did you like HEXv2 only via RME?

@knopi I thought the HEXv2 sounded great with the RME ADI-2 Pro. The RME brought out more of the definition and speed that the HEXv2 is capable of when matched well.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

I have been comparing the HiFiMAN EF-6 amp, which they developed for their HE-6 headphones, to my newly purchased Schiit Mjolnir, each driving the HE1000 v.1 headphone in balanced configuration, using the stock balanced cable that HiFIMAN includes with the HE1000. The DAC has been the Schiit Gungir Multibit, and this is run either from Lightening Connector digital output via CCA USB converter, or from the FiiO X5ii via coax.

The EF-6 has more transparency, better layering of separate instruments, and clearer background instrumentals than the Schiit Mjolnir, although the difference is small enough that if I were not listening to the two amps in immediate sequence, I doubt that I would be able to tell a difference.

I had the bias of hoping that the Mjolnir would sound at least as good as the EF-6 or better, so that I could sell the EF-6 and free up some space on my listening setup. Now I am stuck with either keeping both or letting the Mjolnir go. Darn!

 

[philo50]

The EF-6 is a nice amp but is single ended throughout.....the 4 pin XLR output is a courtesy output.....no balanced inputs on the back panel

 

[ruthieandjohn]

True..no balanced input. So thanks...no balanced output as a result. Makes sense.

But it STILL sounds better than the Gungir/Mjolnir which ARE operating in truly balanced mode.