[JaZZ]

My second pair of (replacement) V2 pads is about to do the same again...

 

[Weilli]

having compared the both extensively I find that amp dac is critical in how you feel about both of them. Lcd-4 200ohm sound fantastic with better amps. He-1kv2 takes less than the lcd-4 to get to the great sound.
Both are open in their soundstage Lcd-4 punches hard and is also open like the he1k. I liked both very much. Both are too expensive and not with the investment Imo. Prices are out of control.

The wood on the lcd-4 can be problematic and crack rather easy where the joint is where the cups tilt.

I'm finding heap amps. Is it ok to share those "better amps" for reference? Thanks!

 

[Rhamnetin]

Over 1 year into my HEK V2 ownership, I'm not so happy to report my first (minor-ish) quality issue:

The internal plastic cover has come loose from one of the pads, as in the photo below. I can push it back into place, but it comes out again over time.
The hifiman website states that HEK's have a 3 year warranty, so I'll be contacting my UK dealer shortly, but first I wanted to mention it here in case anyone's come across this issue before, and has a DIY solution.



Looking at the loose part, there's no stitching at the edge, so possibly it's only glued in place, or maybe just pressed in. Either way, it's a bit cheap and shoddy from a build quality perspective, but not entirely surprising coming from hifiman.
In all other respects, the pads (and everything else) look as good as new, and SQ is still great. I realize that V1 users have probably had worse issues than this in the past, but I was hoping that the V2 would not suffer such quality issues.

I had the same issue, described in this post.

My second pair of (replacement) V2 pads is about to do the same again...

 

[TheAttorney]

An update on my unravelling HEK pads: On contacting Hifiman support, they immediately sent me a new pair - after I had sent the photo and proof of purchase from the authorised dealer.
I received the pads from China within about 3-4 days. So great service there.

Putting on the new pads reminded me how fiddly those little plastic tabs are to click into place around the circumference - but I got there in the end.

I immediately noticed that the new pads were deeper than the originals - i.e. I could see where the originals had been squashed by a couple of mm or so, over a year+ of use.
With the old pads, my righr ear was starting to very slightly touch the driver enclosure, whereas the new pads had room to spare.

I recently criticised the Susvara on this very point when I tried them at the London meet. Maybe they had simply been a heavily used demo pair that had been overly squashed?
Whatever, at this price level, I think hifiman should be considering a stiffer pad filling that doesn't squash so easily over time. But I'm glad that my HEK V2's are back to peak condition.

 

[llcook51]

An update on my unravelling HEK pads: On contacting Hifiman support, they immediately sent me a new pair - after I had sent the photo and proof of purchase from the authorised dealer.
I received the pads from China within about 3-4 days. So great service there.

Putting on the new pads reminded me how fiddly those little plastic tabs are to click into place around the circumference - but I got there in the end.

I immediately noticed that the new pads were deeper than the originals - i.e. I could see where the originals had been squashed by a couple of mm or so, over a year+ of use.
With the old pads, my righr ear was starting to very slightly touch the driver enclosure, whereas the new pads had room to spare.

I recently criticised the Susvara on this very point when I tried them at the London meet. Maybe they had simply been a heavily used demo pair that had been overly squashed?
Whatever, at this price level, I think hifiman should be considering a stiffer pad filling that doesn't squash so easily over time. But I'm glad that my HEK V2's are back to peak condition.

Just installed some new pads from China on my v2. What an improvement. The old ones had flattened out and the new ones add more deep bass and smooth highs. A new improved listening experience.

 

[montanari]

Yesterday I sent an email to the customerservice for a driver damaged
they replied today, (on sunday??!!)
i m based in EU they asked me to ship back the headphone to Cambusbarron, Stirling. in scotland
before I always dealt with Mark in Edinburgh..

can somebody confirm this new address?

 

[omniweltall]

Yesterday I sent an email to the customerservice for a driver damaged
they replied today, (on sunday??!!)
i m based in EU they asked me to ship back the headphone to Cambusbarron, Stirling. in scotland
before I always dealt with Mark in Edinburgh..

can somebody confirm this new address?

Sell it after you fix it, mate. You'll have better sleeps at night.

 

[montanari]

Even My gf told me
And then what i buy?
I Like Them very much
.. Downgrade to the hd800?

 

[omniweltall]

Even My gf told me
And then what i buy?
I Like Them very much
.. Downgrade to the hd800?

HD800 would be an upgrade for me. But gotta fix its tonality. If you do get an HD800, get a tube amp and Schiit Loki.

You can also try ZMF offerings. Focal Elex and Clear. TH900.

 

[montanari]

I already have the th900!
I know all the headphone cause i had or borrowed from friend
I miss the zmf only but not really interessed
Like The he1000 more
...
I Like more than the 009
...

 

[omniweltall]

Have you tried the new zmf, mate?

Yours is a V2? What hd800 loses out is in bass weight. But you gain detail and soundstage.

 

[montanari]

Yes to everything
As i wrote never even seem a zmf
I m not attracted..

 

[TheAttorney]

can somebody confirm this new address?

I can't confirm the new address, but I'm not surprised that it has changed - because hifiman seems to have parted company with their UK distributor, Mark of Electromod (I don't know why).
And they don't appear to have a new UK distributor at this point.
On the HEK SE upgrade thread, I asked how could I get to listen to an SE in the UK to compare against my HEK V2. No answer yet.

And before onmiweltall jumps in again , I'd consider a stock (un-modded) HD800 to be a significant downgrade from my HEK V2.
Current front runner is the Meze Empyrean, but OTOH the $1k SE upgrade would cost me less to change, hence my desire to try it to see if it's a significant improvement over the V2.

 

[Gibson59]

To each their own and the HD800 has some nice qualities, but doesn’t hold a candle to the HE1000v2 in my book. I auditioned the HD800 extensively before going with Hifiman. The HD800 not only lacked in the bass department but the sound lacked life and was not engaging or fun to listen to. The HE1000v2 for me strikes the perfect balance between amazing and accurate sound quality and soundstage, but also it’s fun, life-like and engaging for every genre. There are more expensive headphones that I’ve heard and I can argue are slightly better, but to me they offer diminishing returns at a higher price point. I’ve had the opportunity to spend significant time with almost every major summit-fi headphone. Paired with the Wells Audio Milo amp and Lazuli Reference cable I’ve truly found my end game setup. Didn’t think it would ever happen because there are so many offerings out there and I just love new gear, but I’ve yet to be tempted to sell and/or upgrade this setup. I still browse the forum just for fun and stay up with the gear, but I’m very content.

 

[Rhamnetin]

HD 800 really goes for something totally different than the HE1000s, basically apples to oranges. HD 800 is meant to be clinical above all, capable of portraying big complex classical ensembles as accurately as possible. But it sounds quite lifeless with a neutral amp and DAC, one of very few headphones for which I prefer tubes.

The HE1000 is meant to be a relaxing listen and is one of the least flawed open back non electrostats I have ever heard. A little too soft for me though, I need more impact and energy. I believe the Susvara is similar but with a bit more impact, will probably still be a tad too mellow for me but we shall see.