[drspeter]

My first set of audiophile cans were the xs. I did tons of research. I loved them!!! Harder to drive but for the money, great soundstage, good clarity, v-shaped tuning. After a few months, I took them to addicted to audio in Melbourne and compared them to tons of headphones including Arya stealth and he1000 se. On that day, hek SE literally blew me away!!!! I ended up buying the hek stealths because I preferred the extra treble energy and the lower price. To answer your question, I think the xs are only 50-60% of the hek stealths. They are miles apart in instrument separation, clarity and dynamics imo. Arya organic are about 80% and ananda nanos about 70%. Xs is very good for its price but nowhere near the quality of the hek stealths.

the impression regarding the treble region is also what divides the folks who tried both he1000se and hek stealth. Frequency graph-wise, stealth has more elevated peaks in high frequency region, but having less elevated bass shelf in he1000se seems to put the treble more on the focus while actual listening. So some says he1000se is more bright and the others say hek stealth is brighter. How did you feel about the soundstage between the two? I remember that what makes the difference between the two is the way it recreates the staging of the music. Some reviewers say hekse has more 3 dimensional staging while stealth is more intimate.

 

[andrewchoppa]

the impression regarding the treble region is also what divides the folks who tried both he1000se and hek stealth. Frequency graph-wise, stealth has more elevated peaks in high frequency region, but having less elevated bass shelf in he1000se seems to put the treble more on the focus while actual listening. So some says he1000se is more bright and the others say hek stealth is brighter. How did you feel about the soundstage between the two? I remember that what makes the difference between the two is the way it recreates the staging of the music. Some reviewers say hekse has more 3 dimensional staging while stealth is more intimate.

Absolutely agree about the divided opinions on the treble. I definitely feel the stealths have more of it than the SE but done very well. I also am 52 and hearing is probably starting to deteriorate after 35 years of very loud heavy metal concerts. I couldn’t tell a great deal of difference between the 2 with soundstage. Both were very wide and 3d to me, snd instrument separation on both is excellent. The stealths also get bigger(wider at least) on my otc tube amps: I would definitely not say that the stealths are in any way intimate though. I just can’t recall the differences between them and the SE in terms of soundstage, sorry ( or at least nothing stood out).

 

[drspeter]

Absolutely agree about the divided opinions on the treble. I definitely feel the stealths have more of it than the SE but done very well. I also am 52 and hearing is probably starting to deteriorate after 35 years of very loud heavy metal concerts. I couldn’t tell a great deal of difference between the 2 with soundstage. Both were very wide and 3d to me, snd instrument separation on both is excellent. The stealths also get bigger(wider at least) on my otc tube amps: I would definitely not say that the stealths are in any way intimate though. I just can’t recall the differences between them and the SE in terms of soundstage, sorry ( or at least nothing stood out).

thanks a lot for your input!

 

[Thetaburn]

The trim on the side of my He1000v2 headphones was peeling off, instead of requesting for warranty repair, I went for the refurbished He1000se upgrade program.

The He1000se driver 'might' be refurbished but everything else is pristine. I am certain the earpads are brand new. Definitely could be passed off as new (even smells new).
Came with a wooden1000se box and 3 black cables which appear to be better quality/appearance than the He1000v2 medical style cables.

I am a fan of the He1000v2 sound signature and almost daily wore them for over a year.
Also had the Arya Stealth and thought it was decent but didn't have the 'wow' factor which led me to falsely believe 'stealth' technology is a gimmick. Always got listening fatigue if used for more than 90 minutes.

Initial impression (HE1000v2 vs 1000se):
The He1000se has noticeably better bass (tighter), dynamics and is easier to drive vs the He1000V2.

Significantly better implementation of stealth technology over Arya SE.

Treble - about the same as He1000v2 (both borderline too much - aka. Hifiman's house sound) but He1000se has slightly more resolution / sounds cleaner.

Imaging - slightly better positional imaging vs He1000v2 due to all the sounds being cleaner.

Soundstage - slightly less width than He1000v2 but slightly more depth.

Timbre - He1000v2 vocals sound a bit more natural and emotional. He1000SE sounds good too though. Overall would prefer the He1000v2 for vocals.

Overall both these headphones are very high-end and enjoyable. The HE1000v2 was a headache to pair with a DAC and amp though.

Will update after +100 hours of brain burn-in.

The source chain used was:
Netgear GS108 switch - Wiim Pro (Amazon Ultra HD stream music) - Gustard x26pro dac - LHY ock2 - Burson Soloist 3xp - He1000SE

 

[Weissenborn]

Does anybody of you use the iFi audio Pro iDSD Signature as an all in one DAC / Amp with a Hifiman HE1000 Stealth ?
Could this be a good pairing (more musical, on the warmer side of neutral sounding) ?

 

[chargedcapacitor]

Does anybody of you use the iFi audio Pro iDSD Signature as an all in one DAC / Amp with a Hifiman HE1000 Stealth ?
Could this be a good pairing (more musical, on the warmer side of neutral sounding) ?

You'll be better suited getting a stand alone amp and DAC. I had the regular signature, it was decent and the x bass was cool, but it's rather narrow sounding compared to something like the ferum oor. The DAC amp is said to have lower quality than the stand alone amp. So it would be a compromise IMO.

 

[subguy812]

Does anybody of you use the iFi audio Pro iDSD Signature as an all in one DAC / Amp with a Hifiman HE1000 Stealth ?
Could this be a good pairing (more musical, on the warmer side of neutral sounding) ?

I am not sure what your budget is, but I use the Mass Kobo 475 amp and it is a wonderful pairing with the Stealth

 

[Unichu]

Hi friends,

I have decided to get a he1000 stealth as my next pair of cans to go with my current hd800s and am looking for an amp and dac setup that synergizes well with them for around $1500. I am getting new source gear as I would like to set up a separate listening space away from my desk.

So far, I have been looking at the jotunheim 2 + bifrost 2/64 as well as the singxer sa-1 + denafrips ares II as well as the aune s17 pro. I am also not averse to amp/dac combo units and have a preference for stacks.

Thanks!

 

[Weissenborn]

@subguy812

I'm looking for an all-in-one desktop solution for my HE1000 Stealth (because of limited space on my desk).
Currently I'm using an iFi Zen DAC V2 / CAN combination and want to go a step further...
My limit is 4000 €

1. iFi audio Pro iDSD Signature
2. Questyle CMA Fifteen
3. Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference
4. SPL Phonitor E (the X or XE are too big)
5. Violectric DHA V590² PRO

At the moment the iFi is my favorite.

 

[andrewchoppa]

@subguy812

I'm looking for an all-in-one desktop solution for my HE1000 Stealth (because of limited space on my desk).
Currently I'm using an iFi Zen DAC V2 / CAN combination and want to go a step further...
My limit is 4000 €

1. iFi audio Pro iDSD Signature
2. Questyle CMA Fifteen
3. Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference
4. SPL Phonitor E (the X or XE are too big)
5. Violectric DHA V590² PRO

At the moment the iFi is my favorite.

Marco patruno from Marco’s custom cables is selling his near new Ifi bloody cheap. It’s $3300 aud which is $1970 euro. I can send link if needed. I’m sure he would shop overseas-he sells his cables all over the world.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

Deleted

 

[chargedcapacitor]

@subguy812

I'm looking for an all-in-one desktop solution for my HE1000 Stealth (because of limited space on my desk).
Currently I'm using an iFi Zen DAC V2 / CAN combination and want to go a step further...
My limit is 4000 €

1. iFi audio Pro iDSD Signature
2. Questyle CMA Fifteen
3. Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference
4. SPL Phonitor E (the X or XE are too big)
5. Violectric DHA V590² PRO

At the moment the iFi is my favorite.

You can also get a constant gain DAC such a the Schiit modi and tuck it away, and get a regular headphone amp. Such a setup will be so much better than any all-in-one has to offer.

 

[andrewchoppa]

Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/vQ1LrJBvFVQ49htW/?mibextid=79PoIi

 

[borkenarrou]

@subguy812

I'm looking for an all-in-one desktop solution for my HE1000 Stealth (because of limited space on my desk).
Currently I'm using an iFi Zen DAC V2 / CAN combination and want to go a step further...
My limit is 4000 €

1. iFi audio Pro iDSD Signature
2. Questyle CMA Fifteen
3. Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference
4. SPL Phonitor E (the X or XE are too big)
5. Violectric DHA V590² PRO

At the moment the iFi is my favorite.

Just an fyi, I have the V550 which is same as V590 minus the internal ESS DAC, you said you wanted warm signature but V5xx series will be more neutral (compared to Violectric V2xx series) but with V2xx series I heard technicalities are not there as V5xx series.

 

[Thetaburn]

Hi friends,

I have decided to get a he1000 stealth as my next pair of cans to go with my current hd800s and am looking for an amp and dac setup that synergizes well with them for around $1500. I am getting new source gear as I would like to set up a separate listening space away from my desk.

So far, I have been looking at the jotunheim 2 + bifrost 2/64 as well as the singxer sa-1 + denafrips ares II as well as the aune s17 pro. I am also not averse to amp/dac combo units and have a preference for stacks.

Thanks!

Really depends on what sound aspect you prioritize, soundstage, bass, analog vs hifi sound and etc.

I used to use the singer sa1 + ares 2 + He1000v2 - it's very warm and analog sounding, soft and spacey. Didnt pair very well with the He1000v2. It would probably pair better with the He1000 stealth though.
Remember to budget for some quality USB cables and interconnects too.