Tried and really enjoyed this EQ. Landed on a version with the 220hz filter at -1.5 and high shelf at -2 as the treble was still a little much at times. Definitely my endgame headphones with this EQ.Here is another EQ approach with a High Shelf filter at 2650 Hz that makes the sound signature exceptionally warm and bass and subbass deep and nice and also completely eliminates ear fatigue. (For some reason a Peak Filter for bass sounds better and more accurate than a Low Shelf filter, at least with Equalizer APO)
Change gain to 3.4db or 3.7db for 1800 Hz Peak Filter. Vocals usually sound better at 3.4db, and some music may sound better at 3.7db or 3.4db as well (probably due to loudness war/very high compression of the dynamic range). Since frequency response of your unit may be a little bit different, play with Q for 1800 Hz filter as well (between 2.0 and 2.05) to get the most natural sound for string instruments. You can also change frequency between 1800-1860Hz for this filter to get the perfect sound for vocals. For my unit 1800Hz is the sweet spot.
Preamp: -3.75 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 25 Hz Gain 3.4 dB Q 0.5
Filter: ON PK Fc 1800 Hz Gain 3.9 dB Q 2.025
Filter: ON HS Fc 2650 Hz Gain -1.45 dB Q 0.71
Filter: ON PK Fc 220 Hz Gain -2.15 dB Q 1.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 600 Hz Gain 1 dB Q 2
Filter: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain -0.45 dB Q 3
Hifiman HE1000 Planar Dynamic Headphone
chargedcapacitor
500+ Head-Fier
Hi all, I've spent the last few days trying to wrap my head how I feel about the HE1000-Stealth.
After waiting about a month for it to ship, it finally arrived Wednesday. I bought it as a possible replacement to my HD800, and while I do own the LCD-5, I don't expect it to be much of a competition.
My initial impressions of the build and quality of the HE1000V2S are very positive! It might possibly be the best built Hifiman headphone, even surpassing the susvara. The cup swivels are very sturdy and do not flop like the susvara, and do not creak like other hifimans with similar headbands. The pads are very high quality, and are very uniform unlike a few Aryas I have owned in the past. The cable, while not perfect, is compliant and much easier to handle than the catheter cables of the past. The leather headband feels tough and not-fragile, and the sliding mechanism is smooth and premium feeling compared to the susvara and arya. When wearing it, the clamp is tighter than the susvara, which is famously loose, but not as tight as the Arya. Overall, it is a very comfortable headphone. My ears fit perfectly inside without touching any internal surface.
My initial impressions of the sound were very positive; it had a natural and open soundstage, with a warmish tone and a decent amount of texture, especially compared to the Arya V2.
I'm still doing some AB comparisons between it and the HD800, but initially, the HEKV2S is much more detailed, and has better instrument separation. I have yet to determine which one has a better vocal presentation, stage, and timbre because they are quite different from each other.
I have tried EQ'ing the HEKV2S to bring forward the vocals, but all of my attempts seem to have no positive effects, similar to my attempts with the susvara. I am eagerly awaiting the 5128 measurements to see if they can provide any insight on why this may be. I have had great success with EQing the bass, which is also in line with most hifimans and planars in general.
Anyway, more comparisons to come!
After waiting about a month for it to ship, it finally arrived Wednesday. I bought it as a possible replacement to my HD800, and while I do own the LCD-5, I don't expect it to be much of a competition.
My initial impressions of the build and quality of the HE1000V2S are very positive! It might possibly be the best built Hifiman headphone, even surpassing the susvara. The cup swivels are very sturdy and do not flop like the susvara, and do not creak like other hifimans with similar headbands. The pads are very high quality, and are very uniform unlike a few Aryas I have owned in the past. The cable, while not perfect, is compliant and much easier to handle than the catheter cables of the past. The leather headband feels tough and not-fragile, and the sliding mechanism is smooth and premium feeling compared to the susvara and arya. When wearing it, the clamp is tighter than the susvara, which is famously loose, but not as tight as the Arya. Overall, it is a very comfortable headphone. My ears fit perfectly inside without touching any internal surface.
My initial impressions of the sound were very positive; it had a natural and open soundstage, with a warmish tone and a decent amount of texture, especially compared to the Arya V2.
I'm still doing some AB comparisons between it and the HD800, but initially, the HEKV2S is much more detailed, and has better instrument separation. I have yet to determine which one has a better vocal presentation, stage, and timbre because they are quite different from each other.
I have tried EQ'ing the HEKV2S to bring forward the vocals, but all of my attempts seem to have no positive effects, similar to my attempts with the susvara. I am eagerly awaiting the 5128 measurements to see if they can provide any insight on why this may be. I have had great success with EQing the bass, which is also in line with most hifimans and planars in general.
Anyway, more comparisons to come!
chargedcapacitor, please try the following peak filter to bring forward the vocals (kindly suggested by bagwell359)
It worked very well for my unit. In fact it worked so well that I decided not to EQ other treble peaks at 5100 Hz and 7900 Hz at all since altering them reduces the soundstage and spacial qualities.
Filter: ON PK Fc 14000 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 7
Here are my updated EqualizerAPO settings including that peak filter, you may try them as well (I found out that a peak fiter for bass at 35 Hz works much better for vocals than my previous filter at 25 Hz suggested by AutoEQ):
Preamp: -4.0 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 22 Hz Gain 0.6 dB Q 3.5
Filter: ON PK Fc 35 Hz Gain 3 dB Q 0.51
Filter: ON PK Fc 220 Hz Gain -2.15 dB Q 1.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 600 Hz Gain 0.8 dB Q 2.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 780 Hz Gain 0.3 dB Q 6.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 1041 Hz Gain -1.44 dB Q 7
Filter: ON PK Fc 1800 Hz Gain 3.7 dB Q 2
Filter: ON PK Fc 3200 Hz Gain -1.3 dB Q 6
Filter: ON PK Fc 6400 Hz Gain -2.55 dB Q 6.2
Filter: ON PK Fc 14000 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 7
You may also try to add the filter below to add more subbass which also brings forward the vocals and improves the sound of some old records, but it is probably superfluos for modern records and music without vocals.
Filter: ON PK Fc 22 Hz Gain 1.4 dB Q 3.5
I updated the settings above (changed Q factor for 1041 Hz peak filter from 4 to 7, changed Q factor for 780 Hz from 2.1 to 6.1 and added 3200 Hz and 6400 Hz peak filters also suggested by bagwell359, 3200 Hz to improve vocals and 6400 Hz to balance mids and treble).
It worked very well for my unit. In fact it worked so well that I decided not to EQ other treble peaks at 5100 Hz and 7900 Hz at all since altering them reduces the soundstage and spacial qualities.
Filter: ON PK Fc 14000 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 7
Here are my updated EqualizerAPO settings including that peak filter, you may try them as well (I found out that a peak fiter for bass at 35 Hz works much better for vocals than my previous filter at 25 Hz suggested by AutoEQ):
Preamp: -4.0 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 22 Hz Gain 0.6 dB Q 3.5
Filter: ON PK Fc 35 Hz Gain 3 dB Q 0.51
Filter: ON PK Fc 220 Hz Gain -2.15 dB Q 1.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 600 Hz Gain 0.8 dB Q 2.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 780 Hz Gain 0.3 dB Q 6.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 1041 Hz Gain -1.44 dB Q 7
Filter: ON PK Fc 1800 Hz Gain 3.7 dB Q 2
Filter: ON PK Fc 3200 Hz Gain -1.3 dB Q 6
Filter: ON PK Fc 6400 Hz Gain -2.55 dB Q 6.2
Filter: ON PK Fc 14000 Hz Gain -3.4 dB Q 7
You may also try to add the filter below to add more subbass which also brings forward the vocals and improves the sound of some old records, but it is probably superfluos for modern records and music without vocals.
Filter: ON PK Fc 22 Hz Gain 1.4 dB Q 3.5
I updated the settings above (changed Q factor for 1041 Hz peak filter from 4 to 7, changed Q factor for 780 Hz from 2.1 to 6.1 and added 3200 Hz and 6400 Hz peak filters also suggested by bagwell359, 3200 Hz to improve vocals and 6400 Hz to balance mids and treble).
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chargedcapacitor
500+ Head-Fier
Those Q values are waaaay way to high. Unless your tuning a sub room mode peak, you don't need to use a Q greater than ~3. Anything past 3-5khz can't reliably be EQ'd (due to everyone's head/ears being different), unless it's with a wider Q as well.
I don't think it's something that can be EQ'd unfortunately. I'm directly comparing my opinion of the vocal quality with an EQ'd LCD-5, so it's hard to get across what I'm hearing unless your try the LCD yourself.
devilboy
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2011
- Posts
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- 1,937
Just got a GSX Mini for my Stealth.
Loving it.
Loving it.
andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
I just bought (had made) a Mcchanson tube amp (ultimate) and it sounds magnificent with my stealths!!!! Look him up
On eBay. He’s Australian (as am I) but he sends all over the world. He also has a forum here with about 450 pages. Bloody good amp!!!
AMONster23
Head-Fier
Ah reason I asked, I’m planning on getting the a70 and d70 pro. Should I just go straight to v222 + ares/bifrost?
Viper Necklampy
100+ Head-Fier
If anyone interested, i put HE1000 Stealth 1 month used purchased by Hifiman with extra Balanced cable at Just 1049€+ half shipping 
(Sold in Italy with PayPal for 1000€)
(Sold in Italy with PayPal for 1000€)
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Got the opportunity to visit a great audio stor today, that let me bring my HEKS with me to compare against the models they sold. My main objective was to listen to the Sennheiser HD800S, as I've heard so much about it and it's fantastic sound stage.
The personal had prepared the Denon AH-D9200 for me to listen to as well, as they wanted me to hear what Demon's flagship model could offer.
Honestly, I did not spend that much time with the Denon. It is built very nicely, but the sound was lacking compared to the HEKS and HD800. It sounded "compressed" and small, and the tonality was a bit off to my ears.
Quite disappointed with these to be honest, at least in terms of sound.
The HD800 is a very exciting headphone IMO. Very well built and extremely comfortable, it made me realize that my HEKS are not as comfortable as I thought they were. The soft pads and light weight made a much larger difference than I thought it would.
The sound was great as well. Tonality was not as good as the HEKS, but much closer than the Denon. Soundstage was, of course, amazing in size. I really liked that a lot, and something I wish the HEKS could offer as well. But from what I had read and heard beforehand, this was expected. I also expected a pretty clear lack of sub bass, but was actually surprised by not really missing much in the bass. I could live with the HD800's bass, especially if it got a small EQ tweak.
I do feel the HD800 came up short, compared to HEKS, when comparing the depth of the sound stage, the separation capabilities and most importantly for me, the ability to "render" the instruments playing in detail in front of me. Not sure if that is what is called "details" or "resolution", but the HEKS was clearly better here.
So while I really liked the soundstage size, built quality, comfort and general feel of the HD800's, I'm not selling my HEKS. They are overall better for my preference.
The HD800 is around $1900USD, and at that price, I won't add them as part of a collection. However, I would like to own a pair at some point, as I'm sure I would enjoy their special capabilities in some cases. So I'll start keeping an eye on the second hand market
Anyway, just me little experience comparing the HEKS to a few other high end models out there.
Edit: Forgot a question: Have any of you stretched your HEK to loosen the clamp on them? I found that a big part of the reason the HD800 was more comfortable was less clamping force, so I want to lose up the HEKS if possible?
The personal had prepared the Denon AH-D9200 for me to listen to as well, as they wanted me to hear what Demon's flagship model could offer.
Honestly, I did not spend that much time with the Denon. It is built very nicely, but the sound was lacking compared to the HEKS and HD800. It sounded "compressed" and small, and the tonality was a bit off to my ears.
Quite disappointed with these to be honest, at least in terms of sound.
The HD800 is a very exciting headphone IMO. Very well built and extremely comfortable, it made me realize that my HEKS are not as comfortable as I thought they were. The soft pads and light weight made a much larger difference than I thought it would.
The sound was great as well. Tonality was not as good as the HEKS, but much closer than the Denon. Soundstage was, of course, amazing in size. I really liked that a lot, and something I wish the HEKS could offer as well. But from what I had read and heard beforehand, this was expected. I also expected a pretty clear lack of sub bass, but was actually surprised by not really missing much in the bass. I could live with the HD800's bass, especially if it got a small EQ tweak.
I do feel the HD800 came up short, compared to HEKS, when comparing the depth of the sound stage, the separation capabilities and most importantly for me, the ability to "render" the instruments playing in detail in front of me. Not sure if that is what is called "details" or "resolution", but the HEKS was clearly better here.
So while I really liked the soundstage size, built quality, comfort and general feel of the HD800's, I'm not selling my HEKS. They are overall better for my preference.
The HD800 is around $1900USD, and at that price, I won't add them as part of a collection. However, I would like to own a pair at some point, as I'm sure I would enjoy their special capabilities in some cases. So I'll start keeping an eye on the second hand market
Anyway, just me little experience comparing the HEKS to a few other high end models out there.
Edit: Forgot a question: Have any of you stretched your HEK to loosen the clamp on them? I found that a big part of the reason the HD800 was more comfortable was less clamping force, so I want to lose up the HEKS if possible?
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chargedcapacitor
500+ Head-Fier
Great write-up, it echoes most of my opinions between the HD800 and HEKS. However, in the US, the HD800s can be bought new for $1099 or less.Got the opportunity to visit a great audio stor today, that let me bring my HEKS with me to compare against the models they sold. My main objective was to listen to the Sennheiser HD800S, as I've heard so much about it and it's fantastic sound stage.
The personal had prepared the Denon AH-D9200 for me to listen to as well, as they wanted me to hear what Demon's flagship model could offer.
Honestly, I did not spend that much time with the Denon. It is built very nicely, but the sound was lacking compared to the HEKS and HD800. It sounded "compressed" and small, and the tonality was a bit off to my ears.
Quite disappointed with these to be honest, at least in terms of sound.
The HD800 is a very exciting headphone IMO. Very well built and extremely comfortable, it made me realize that my HEKS are not as comfortable as I thought they were. The soft pads and light weight made a much larger difference than I thought it would.
The sound was great as well. Tonality was not as good as the HEKS, but much closer than the Denon. Soundstage was, of course, amazing in size. I really liked that a lot, and something I wish the HEKS could offer as well. But from what I had read and heard beforehand, this was expected. I also expected a pretty clear lack of sub bass, but was actually surprised by not really missing much in the bass. I could live with the HD800's bass, especially if it got a small EQ tweak.
I do feel the HD800 came up short, compared to HEKS, when comparing the depth of the sound stage, the separation capabilities and most importantly for me, the ability to "render" the instruments playing in detail in front of me. Not sure if that is what is called "details" or "resolution", but the HEKS was clearly better here.
So while I really liked the soundstage size, built quality, comfort and general feel of the HD800's, I'm not selling my HEKS. They are overall better for my preference.
The HD800 is around $1900USD, and at that price, I won't add them as part of a collection. However, I would like to own a pair at some point, as I'm sure I would enjoy their special capabilities in some cases. So I'll start keeping an eye on the second hand market
Anyway, just me little experience comparing the HEKS to a few other high end models out there.
Edit: Forgot a question: Have any of you stretched your HEK to loosen the clamp on them? I found that a big part of the reason the HD800 was more comfortable was less clamping force, so I want to lose up the HEKS if possible?
Thank you.
Yes, unfortunately electronic is generally quite expensive where I live. 2-3 year old used ones usually go for around $1100-1300USD here :/
borkenarrou
500+ Head-Fier
Where in the US can we get it for $1099?
Is the seller via Amazon an AD for Sennheiser?
If not--I wouldn't go near them.
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