[jody2k]

Are very slight imperfections in the aluminum housing HE1000se a common thing? Mine just arrived new in box and there are two or three places where the aluminum finish looks a bit off. Almost scraped, just slightly imperfect. I didn't notice this with Sus, but have heard this can happen from time to time. Not a big deal, just curious.

Yea same here, very slightly it seems more like a additional small "drop" of paint instead a scratch in the grill area doesn't bother me though.
Hifiman isn't known for their best quality control so

 

[Thetaburn]

After spending over 100 hours with the He1000se, I've concluded that SE stands for Soundstage Edition.

The standout feature, and what truly wows, is the soundstage. It's noticeably more precise than the He1000v2. Background instruments are completely separated, giving the sensation of listening to individual tracks of sounds. However, on poorly recorded tracks, this precision can highlight clips, distortions, and recording errors.

With high-quality sources like Amazon Ultra HD or FLAC, the He1000se shines, offering a 3D-like soundstage. It's akin to watching a movie on a 4k 120hz TV when the film is recorded at 24fps. In comparison, the He1000v2 feels more like a 1440p Ultrawide at 60hz.

The He1000se is remarkably revealing, almost as if you could master music as you would with a very high-end studio monitor.

The midrange vocals can be quite impressive and comparable to the He1000v2, especially when upsampled to DSD 256 or higher with HQ Player using Poly Sinc Gauss Hire LP + ASDM7EC Super 512 fs."

Although the power requirement is significantly less than the He1000v2, the He1000se is still source-dependent. The super transparent nature of the He1000se means I can easily tell the sound difference between a USB cable (Supra vs Oyaide) or if there is a Linear Power Supply (LPS) vs wall wart.

The source chain used is:
Netgear GS108 w LPS - IFI Stream w LPS - U18 DDC - X26pro - OCK2 - Soloist 3x - He1000se - Hq Player

 

[yeboyi]

After spending over 100 hours with the He1000se, I've concluded that SE stands for Soundstage Edition.

The standout feature, and what truly wows, is the soundstage. It's noticeably more precise than the He1000v2. Background instruments are completely separated, giving the sensation of listening to individual tracks of sounds. However, on poorly recorded tracks, this precision can highlight clips, distortions, and recording errors.

With high-quality sources like Amazon Ultra HD or FLAC, the He1000se shines, offering a 3D-like soundstage. It's akin to watching a movie on a 4k 120hz TV when the film is recorded at 24fps. In comparison, the He1000v2 feels more like a 1440p Ultrawide at 60hz.

The He1000se is remarkably revealing, almost as if you could master music as you would with a very high-end studio monitor.

The midrange vocals can be quite impressive and comparable to the He1000v2, especially when upsampled to DSD 256 or higher with HQ Player using Poly Sinc Gauss Hire LP + ASDM7EC Super 512 fs."

Although the power requirement is significantly less than the He1000v2, the He1000se is still source-dependent. The super transparent nature of the He1000se means I can easily tell the sound difference between a USB cable (Supra vs Oyaide) or if there is a Linear Power Supply (LPS) vs wall wart.

The source chain used is:
Netgear GS108 w LPS - IFI Stream w LPS - U18 DDC - X26pro - OCK2 - Soloist 3x - He1000se - Hq Player

Yeah after 3 months with them, my first impression stands. It's Soundstage Edition or Separation Edition.

The biggest difference between HEKSE and Arya Stealth(where i come from) is that the channels melt in to one mono sound at the center on Arya Stealth. You get two separate channels with Hekse. Both has their own perks. Arya Stealth has more focused but crowded claustrophobic sound. Hekse sounds more spacious and detailed but little less engaging and dynamic.
Hekse has more resolution but Arya Stealth has more contrast. In terms of display tech, Hekse is like 4k IPS. Arya Stealth is like 1440p VA.

 

[killermax]

Even after 100 hours they continue to slowly “cook” until 200-300 hours. Keep listening them

The HEK Stealth is just like you said. The headphone starts to shine after around 200ish hours of burn in. I'll leave it to burn in for a couple more days.
Big thanks for the advice.

 

[NexusOne]

2 questions:

- Do you think durability is with dynamic headphones generally better because planars have got this thin foil which is not ideal for a long life span? So the chance for a working Utopia in 20 years is higher?
- Does a Class A amp is better for the HEK or is a deadly neutral combo like D6s and A70Pro also good because it doesnt colour the sound?

 

[chargedcapacitor]

2 questions:

- Do you think durability is with dynamic headphones generally better because planars have got this thin foil which is not ideal for a long life span? So the chance for a working Utopia in 20 years is higher?
- Does a Class A amp is better for the HEK or is a deadly neutral combo like D6s and A70Pro also good because it doesnt colour the sound?

The chance a Utopia works for 20 years is zero because of the head band.


In general, planars have better power handling and won't die from over driving as quickly as dynamics will. That being said, some planars are very prone to damage from dust, which is why almost all have some for of mesh dust covers on both sides of the drivers.

So it's a per-headphone situation.


As for the amps, I would recommend trying both. The a70pro is my current fav headphone amp, but I index high for detail and dynamics, which it offers in spades.

 

[devilboy]

For solid state class A, try Headamp GS-X mk2 or mini.

 

[joseph69]

The chance a Utopia works for 20 years is zero because of the head band.

Please explain why you state the Utopia has zero chance of woking in 20yrs because of the headband.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

Please explain why you state the Utopia has zero chance of woking in 20yrs because of the headband.

All focal headbands have plastic structural components that will eventually break over time.

 

[joseph69]

All focal headbands have plastic structural components that will eventually break over time.

This is just your opinion.
Most headphones use plastics in their head bands and there are plenty of 20+ year old headphones still out there.

 

[chargedcapacitor]

This is just your opinion.
Most headphones use plastics in their head bands and there are plenty of 20+ year old headphones still out there.

Good thing I only said focal headphones

 

[OCC7N]

I hate and love this headphone at the same time. The reason for loving it it can be tuned into a better/perfected sound than HE400SE.

But the damn speed. It is too fast! it is unforgivingly correct!, its about details, levels and elements, not music like the HE400SE

The lowend is actually around perfect! however the tops needs care to make it sound warm/thick like the HE400SE

This headphone is perfect for sound engineers if they know how to tune it to the DAW sound device. Just needs to tame the high frequencies for that matter.

 

[sanomatovic]

Hello everyone. I'm shopping around for a new set of cans and would like to try the he1000 series, currently trying to choose between the HEKv2 and the HEK Stealth.

I currently have a DX3 pro+ and whilst my online investigating tells me either HEK would get much benefices from a better amp/dac I'll like to get some feedback if its enough for now to drive one of those headphones. I've found on this thread someone saying 1.8W@32ohm was enough to drive the stealth but its unclear to me if I can get by with it on the HEKv2.

Sorry for the noobish question. I tried my best to read up on it before asking and try to figure it out by myself but things get confusing quickly

 

[Nusara]

Hello everyone. I'm shopping around for a new set of cans and would like to try the he1000 series, currently trying to choose between the HEKv2 and the HEK Stealth.

I currently have a DX3 pro+ and whilst my online investigating tells me either HEK would get much benefices from a better amp/dac I'll like to get some feedback if its enough for now to drive one of those headphones. I've found on this thread someone saying 1.8W@32ohm was enough to drive the stealth but its unclear to me if I can get by with it on the HEKv2.

Sorry for the noobish question. I tried my best to read up on it before asking and try to figure it out by myself but things get confusing quickly

This may just be placebo but I did feel that the HEKv2 came alive after switching from the DX3 Pro+ to A30 Pro. Again, not 100% sure as I demoed the EF400 and EF600 with my HEKv2s can couldn't tell a difference between those two, but the DX3 Pro+ to A30 Pro switch improved my experience quite a bit

 

[andjar]

I currently have a DX3 pro+ and whilst my online investigating tells me either HEK would get much benefices from a better amp/dac I'll like to get some feedback if its enough for now to drive one of those headphones. I've found on this thread someone saying 1.8W@32ohm was enough to drive the stealth but its unclear to me if I can get by with it on the HEKv2.

I drive my HEK Stealth with the DX3 pro+ and it works and sounds fantastic.