[SemiAudiophile]

I think a lot of the most important parts in our lives or experience largely depend on subtleties, little nuances, the smaller qualities and moments that can surprisingly significantly detract from or enhance an overall experience, whether a rare one or a quotidian one.

In terms of sound reproduction, once a certain level of fidelity is achieved, it's these smaller differences that can make gear excel, or fail, at least according to our preferences.

The more I listen to the HE1000v2, the more I pick up on the subtle ways it presents music and these are mostly in accord with my own preferences. This pushes it from the "very good...but not my thing" to the "excellent, right in line with my tastes" category. (This is not to say that I don't have a few quibbles with how it reproduces sound, but it is to say that these are simply not bothersome, not going to consistently nag at me in the long-term; this is the same as with any of my favorite/top gear: it's never going to be perfect, but it can come close, for me, and be supremely enjoyable, and as the years pass I'm freed from feeling the need to keep tweaking it).

Thanks for the Cavalli Liquid Platinum mention; I am aware of it, but like some other amps in the price range (Rebel, Singer, Flux, RND) I simply don't care for/can't stand the looks. So unless it is really special instead of just another good amp in the range, I'm going to pick something more aesthetically pleasing to me.

My preference for sources is neutral-warm or "natural/realistic" or SS with a bit of tube flavor!

Yeah I didn't care for the looks of the Liquid Platinum as well. Which kinda steerred me away from it. I don't really have a lot of desk space at the moment either so I can't even consider those bigger amps like Flux, etc.

I think my preference would always be listening through speakers. It's the least fatiguing and most freedom, but sadly also the most expensive.

HEKV2 I feel like is the flagship sweet spot. Awesome value and performance without breaking the bank too much. And the presentation is special; some of the best imaging I've ever heard in a headphone ever. Can be intimate and grand/holographic at the same time.

This is gonna be my end game for a while as I don't really have any interest in other headphones at the moment other than what I already have. Perhaps maybe the HD800S which I always wanted to try out. Nothing I heard at the latest CanJam made me feel that impressed or like I really needed to have it.

 

[PoSR77]

Yeah I didn't care for the looks of the Liquid Platinum as well. Which kinda stirred me away from it. I don't really have a lot of desk space at the moment either so I can't even consider those bigger amps like Flux, etc.

I think my preference would always be listening through speakers. It's the least fatiguing and most freedom, but sadly also the most expensive.

HEKV2 I feel like is the flagship sweet spot. Awesome value and performance without breaking the bank too much. And the presentation is special. Can be intimate and grand/holographic at the same time.

This is gonna be my end game for a while as I don't really have any interest in other headphones at the moment other than what I already have. Perhaps maybe the HD800S which I always wanted to try out. Nothing I heard at the latest CanJam made me feel that impressed or like I really needed to have it.

I listen to speakers 80% of the time; always have (since my pre teen years even) and prefer them as well (this is one reason I've been reluctant to spend a lot of money on cans or IEMs until very recently, and why I'll probably never go above the crazy level I already have). I'm lucky enough to have worked mostly from home for over 15 years now, where I can easily listen to hours of music per day at about any volume level I want (no kids, significant other works mostly in an out-of-house office, large enough house even when she is home, no houses very nearby, etc.), so I put a lot of money into speaker systems, ultimately culminating with my current office/study main setup. But you can get a very good speaker setup, at least with monitors, for 5-10k, so that's within range of what people pay for top cans and top amps to drive them these days.

I'm not going to say speakers are universally better than headphones as that is ultimately personal preference, but I will say that since what I most like in music reproduction is realism ("you are there") that, all other things being equal (like fidelity of the gear), headphones just can't compete in that aspect (that said, I have yet to hear summit-fi headphones, but the hard limits of physics are at play here: you just can't get the grand scale of presentation from two small transducers right next to your ears that you can from much larger transducers in a much bigger enclosure many feet away). It's kind of like how my Odins, which I greatly enjoy and find very high fidelity, just sound, well, small or diminished next to my full/open cans; especially the HE1000v2. But then I still enjoy the heck out of them all the same; same with my cans over the years compared to speakers, and especially the HE1000v2. There are also times you just want that more intimate presentation and to get lost in the music that way. That said, I just don't personally think it's worth spending more than around 3k on any IEM/headphone. Prices have gone nuts lately. You can get some very good monitor speakers for that price!

 

[eargasam]

Does anyone know if they still have the upgrade program for the v2 to the se and if so how much more is it, still contemplating it since the 1000v2s are still my top 5 of the best cans that I have ever heard. I mean is it a big step up going to the 1000se

 

[BowWazoo]

Upgrade program is only available from V1 to V2, as far as I know

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Does anyone know if they still have the upgrade program for the v2 to the se and if so how much more is it, still contemplating it since the 1000v2s are still my top 5 of the best cans that I have ever heard. I mean is it a big step up going to the 1000se

I heard the HEKSE briefly at CanJam and IMO is not worth it to upgrade over the V2. You're better off getting a Susvara. HEKSE sounded more V-shape to me with more emphasis on the bass and highs similar to Arya and maybe has slightly better technicalities. Only reason I'd get the SE is if I wanted something a little easier to drive. But it's hard to justify at that cost.

I'm sure HiFiMan still has the upgrade program though. They have been very flexible each time I contacted them.

 

[eargasam]

Has anyone compared these to the abyss diana v2s yet ? It would be a good comparison since at one point they were both sitting at that 2999.00 price point.

 

[PoSR77]

I heard the HEKSE briefly at CanJam and IMO is not worth it to upgrade over the V2. You're better off getting a Susvara. HEKSE sounded more V-shape to me with more emphasis on the bass and highs similar to Arya and maybe has slightly better technicalities. Only reason I'd get the SE is if I wanted something a little easier to drive. But it's hard to justify at that cost.

This is what I consistently heard others say as well about the SE's, and that, plus the price (and the new reduced HE1000v2 price), steered me away from them.

 

[ufospls2]

Does anyone know if they still have the upgrade program for the v2 to the se and if so how much more is it, still contemplating it since the 1000v2s are still my top 5 of the best cans that I have ever heard. I mean is it a big step up going to the 1000se

It might be worth emailing hifiman and asking. Maybe they would still be up for doing something? Supposedly the 1000se is a bit brighter, a bit less midrange warmth but increased detail and technical performance. Also easier to drive. I have not heard the SE so I can't say for sure.

 

[SemiAudiophile]

I listen to speakers 80% of the time; always have (since my pre teen years even) and prefer them as well (this is one reason I've been reluctant to spend a lot of money on cans or IEMs until very recently, and why I'll probably never go above the crazy level I already have). I'm lucky enough to have worked mostly from home for over 15 years now, where I can easily listen to hours of music per day at about any volume level I want (no kids, significant other works mostly in an out-of-house office, large enough house even when she is home, no houses very nearby, etc.), so I put a lot of money into speaker systems, ultimately culminating with my current office/study main setup. But you can get a very good speaker setup, at least with monitors, for 5-10k, so that's within range of what people pay for top cans and top amps to drive them these days.

I'm not going to say speakers are universally better than headphones as that is ultimately personal preference, but I will say that since what I most like in music reproduction is realism ("you are there") that, all other things being equal (like fidelity of the gear), headphones just can't compete in that aspect (that said, I have yet to hear summit-fi headphones, but the hard limits of physics are at play here: you just can't get the grand scale of presentation from two small transducers right next to your ears that you can from much larger transducers in a much bigger enclosure many feet away). It's kind of like how my Odins, which I greatly enjoy and find very high fidelity, just sound, well, small or diminished next to my full/open cans; especially the HE1000v2. But then I still enjoy the heck out of them all the same; same with my cans over the years compared to speakers, and especially the HE1000v2. There are also times you just want that more intimate presentation and to get lost in the music that way. That said, I just don't personally think it's worth spending more than around 3k on any IEM/headphone. Prices have gone nuts lately. You can get some very good monitor speakers for that price!

I agree with you there. I'll say that speakers will transport the venue to you, while headphones and IEMs do the opposite; transport you to the venue.

I never thought I'd be an IEM guy myself but it does have it place. Due to circumstances and convenience I do enjoy them as well and they can have just as much fidelity as headphones or speakers. 10 years ago I didn't consider them because most were custom only and we're very expensive at least in the $500 range for the cheapest pair.

The closest thing I've heard to speaker like presentation is STAX electrostatics. But those are more like a simulation than the real thing. Now that I think of it, I'm not really interested in building a system around electrostatics, as I don't think it's really worth it. Just too expensive and not very versatile with amp selection, etc.

 

[LCMusicLover]

I heard the HEKSE briefly at CanJam and IMO is not worth it to upgrade over the V2. You're better off getting a Susvara. HEKSE sounded more V-shape to me with more emphasis on the bass and highs ...

This is what I consistently heard others say as well about the SE's, and that, plus the price (and the new reduced HE1000v2 price), steered me away from them.

This is not consistent with what I heard when I owned both and was doing A/B comparisons (trying to decide whether to swap or keep v2 and resell the SEs). To my ears, HEKse was less V-shaped, and had 'fuller' mids, with only slightly more bass impact.

... Only reason I'd get the SE is if I wanted something a little easier to drive. But it's hard to justify at that cost.

Mostly agree with this -- especially at $2000 vs $3500. Hifiman seems to have some open-box HEKse units for $2800 -- might be worth it. When I traded up (sold used HEKv2, bought used HKEse) the swap cost about $700. At the time, I wrote this:

I’ve gotten about 10 hours of head time with now. Here’s my bottom line on SE vs v2:

- SE are notably more efficient
- If you like v2, you’ll like SE a bit more
- If you don’t like v2, SE isn’t gonna change your mind as they’re not that different

It's obvious that the second conclusion is a matter of some controversy

 

[Thetaburn]

This is not consistent with what I heard when I owned both and was doing A/B comparisons (trying to decide whether to swap or keep v2 and resell the SEs). To my ears, HEKse was less V-shaped, and had 'fuller' mids, with only slightly more bass impact.

Mostly agree with this -- especially at $2000 vs $3500. Hifiman seems to have some open-box HEKse units for $2800 -- might be worth it. When I traded up (sold used HEKv2, bought used HKEse) the swap cost about $700. At the time, I wrote this:

It's obvious that the second conclusion is a matter of some controversy

What about the soundstage width and depth?
Reading numerous reviews, some have stated the stealth magnet tech. shrinks the soundstage a bit and in return you get a bit more clarity.
What's your opinion?

 

[LCMusicLover]

What about the soundstage width and depth?
Reading numerous reviews, some have stated the stealth magnet tech. shrinks the soundstage a bit and in return you get a bit more clarity.
What's your opinion?

It has been more than 2 years since I had both. Honestly, I don't remember thinking that it was a big difference. But I did hear a bit more 'filled-in' mids, which my ears interpreted as a bit smaller, less airy headstage.

But again, not a big difference. And I have no idea if it was something caused by the magnet tech, or due to a small shift in the tuning, or if the shift in tuning was a consequence of the magnet tech -- just can't answer that.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Here's the graph comparing two

 

[nieveulv]

Here's the graph comparing two

The confusing part is that the measurements of oratory is so far off the crinacle graph....that i dont know where to start if i wanna EQ the headphone

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Simple, don't, enjoy the masterpiece as intended by the creator.