[franz12]

See Franz, that's not what they are meant for. Like I said, in no universe is the CB meant to compete with the SE. Like I said to you in the CB thread, I think you just don't like the CB, but to compare it to the SE. Well use whatever analogy you would like to......Chevy to Bentley, Timex to Rolex......Etc....

This comparison is not to mention the price difference but more so the different target sonic signatures and different target audiences.

I see your point. Just one small point though. I liked the CB very much as I wrote in that thread throughout the several posts.

 

[UsoppNoKami]

Does anyone have a carrying case which fits the HEK? Due to the sheer size of the head band, I need to buy a new one...

Seahorse 530

 

[Zowie1]

If anyone's looking for a DAP that pairs well with the HE1000se, I would recommend Questyle QP2R. Sound great when using balanced connection!

 

[llcook51]

It sure is, but going to the dark side can be REALLY enjoyable if you're in the right mindset.

I have both the SE and LCD-4. Both are great HPs and fit my changing moods.

 

[chimney189]

I have both the SE and LCD-4. Both are great HPs and fit my changing moods.

I would definitely get the LCD-4 if it didn't have such a high power requirement.
If my current amp, the V181, could drive it then I'd be fine.. but alas..

 

[chimney189]

Seahorse 530

It comes with that interior design? Silk and all?

 

[Articnoise]

OK, I get it, HE1000 SE is the smoother sounding headphone. I was particularly wondering about sibilance which is one of my minor issues with HEK v2 taking into account certain recordings and certain DAC/amp combinations. As far as I know male sibilance is mainly centered around 3-7 kHz and female around 5-9 kHz so I am speculating about possible differences in frequency response between HEK SE and HEK v2 when people are reporting HEK SE as the smoother sounding headphone.vs V2...
In most recordings I do not hear sibilance with v2 so I was curious how SE behaves in this regard. (E.g. some Freddie Mercury vocals can be quite sibilant with V2 for me).

With a transparent HP we will allways hear the flaws in the recording and upstream gear. Audeze LCD3 for exampel is more forgiving sounding, but also less clear than both the SE and v2.

If your have the stock cable your can try another better cable.

 

[franz12]

Okay, I found that burn-in is a must for this headphone.
After around 130 hours, treble behaves noticeably better. I hope it continues to improve over time.

 

[GU1DO]

How would you guys compare HE-1000 SE with HEK v2 (or HEK v1) in regard to sibilance and treble smoothness ? Would you say HEK SE is less sibilant/ more forgiving of lesser recordings or are they more or less on the same level of "forgiveness" in this area ?
Thanks.

i did a comparison with V1 on Hugo TT2 ,, and yes for me the SE has way better details . and it is the brighter version , but it is not sibilance after burning and would sound smoother with better cable , i never heard the V2

 

[marhol]

Thank you for your feedback. Yes synergy (DAC/amp, cables, power supply etc.) is very important when we assess sound of one component. I do not have problems with stock cable and thats why I havent tried other options yet. I´m glad people report about their experience with various stuff like cables, DAC/amp combinations because I can get a little better perspective of what to expect from headphone sound signature. My dream pairing is HEK with Chord Dave as I´ve read a lot of positive comments on head fi and elsewhere. Its great HE1000 SE is also more efficient so it can be used more with portable players. For instance I use HEK v2 with iBasso DX90 (yes,almost a "heresy", but I dont listen music too loud). I´ve seen HEK se pairs well with Questyle QP2R, is anybody using HEK SE with iBasso DAPs ? E.g. DX90, DX200, DX120 etc ?

 

[chimney189]

So I just got back from a meet, and I was able to give a listen to the HE-1000se!

This will be a comparison to the HEKv2: first off, for some reason they feel more comfortable than the HEKv2. I also like the wood grain a lot more than the HEKv2. These were much easier to drive. My iPhone 6 had no problems. In terms of sound the things that stood out to me immediately was a decrease in sound-stage width, but a slight increase in sound-stage depth. The bass was more punchy and tighter, but for some reason I felt like there was a little loss in texture because of this change. The treble was definitely increased and it looks like I wouldn't be able to crank these up without experiencing fatigue. The treble reminded me a little of the HD 800S treble, just a smidgen less brighter, but with more body. The mid-range felt like it took a back seat, especially with vocals. I felt like I was mostly noticing the treble, and if not that, then I was noticing the bass - they overpowered the mid-range.

All in all it felt like the sound changed to a more v-shape signature. The decrease in sound-stage width made things feel claustrophobic at times as well. I would definitely see how people would feel more engaged with their music with the HE-1000se, but it definitely doesn't feel as ethereal as the HEKv2.

By the way, these headphones were being powered from an iFi Micro iDSD Black Label with the stock cable.

 

[SilverEars]

So I just got back from a meet, and I was able to give a listen to the HE-1000se!

This will be a comparison to the HEKv2: first off, for some reason they feel more comfortable than the HEKv2. I also like the wood grain a lot more than the HEKv2. These were much easier to drive. My iPhone 6 had no problems. In terms of sound the things that stood out to me immediately was a decrease in sound-stage width, but a slight increase in sound-stage depth. The bass was more punchy and tighter, but for some reason I felt like there was a little loss in texture because of this change. The treble was definitely increased and it looks like I wouldn't be able to crank these up without experiencing fatigue. The treble reminded me a little of the HD 800S treble, just a smidgen less brighter, but with more body. The mid-range felt like it took a back seat, especially with vocals. I felt like I was mostly noticing the treble, and if not that, then I was noticing the bass - they overpowered the mid-range.

All in all it felt like the sound changed to a more v-shape signature. The decrease in sound-stage width made things feel claustrophobic at times as well. I would definitely see how people would feel more engaged with their music with the HE-1000se, but it definitely doesn't feel as ethereal as the HEKv2.

By the way, these headphones were being powered from an iFi Micro iDSD Black Label with the stock cable.

Interesting. It seems they haven't changed the HE1000's character tonally that much from the first HE1000. I found the V1 a bit U shaped, so you stating V-shaped means the tonal response hasn't changed much.

 

[omniweltall]

HEKv2 was a change in tonality than v1. Brighter and less U-shaped. Sounds like the SE goes back to v1's character in some ways.

 

[franz12]

Interesting. It seems they haven't changed the HE1000's character tonally that much from the first HE1000. I found the V1 a bit U shaped, so you stating V-shaped means the tonal response hasn't changed much.

I think his impressions are somewhat confusing. Like other headphones, the HEKse has some flaws to my ears, though they are easily correctable in my opinion. It has Hifiman's signature recess around 2k. However, it is not felt veiled because of amazing resolution/details. There are no 4k or 6k or 8k peaks I can hear (hd800s is unlistenable to me).
But some people think it is a bit bright as it rises around 9.5k I think. (According to a person who works at the Sonarworks, '10-12k' is more "air" than "treble" though)
For someone who thinks it is a bit bright, I would suggest to use parametric eq -3.5db/10.5k/Q4.00, as it works well to my ears.

But my main issue is that it has too much bass in terms of quantity, though that may be welcomed by others. Bass resolution is amazing, but in terms of quantity, I think it is more than neutral, probably by 1db~ 2db. More bass than the Utopia. But I would like to have neutral bass, as in a long listening session, bass above neutral makes my ears fatiguing. While the HEKse's bass is more textured and has better resolution than the Utopia's, the HEKse' bass is felt more fun.

 

[SilverEars]

I think his impressions are somewhat confusing. Like other headphones, the HEKse has some flaws to my ears, though they are easily correctable in my opinion. It has Hifiman's signature recess around 2k. However, it is not felt veiled because of amazing resolution/details. There are no 4k or 6k or 8k peaks I can hear (hd800s is unlistenable to me).
But some people think it is a bit bright as it rises around 9.5k I think. (According to a person who works at the Sonarworks, '10-12k' is more "air" than "treble" though)
For someone who thinks it is a bit bright, I would suggest to use parametric eq -3.5db/10.5k/Q4.00, as it works well to my ears.

But my main issue is that it has too much bass in terms of quantity, though that may be welcomed by others. Bass resolution is amazing, but in terms of quantity, I think it is more than neutral, probably by 1db~ 2db. More bass than the Utopia. But I would like to have neutral bass, as in a long listening session, bass above neutral makes my ears fatiguing. While the HEKse's bass is more textured and has better resolution than the Utopia's, the HEKse' bass is felt more fun.

Whaaa? More bass than Utopia? That's unlike what I'd expect based on what I heard of the HEKV1, which seemed like subs were lifted because I guess due to being linear and actually hearing subs. And bass resolution was pretty good with it as well.

If we are saying more bass than Utopia, and chimney saying more punchier, it doesn't sound bad at all, could be an improvement because I recall people were saying that HEK seemed a bit laid-back and wanted more forwardness or excitement.

Is it the warm kind of bass or balled up type of tight bass?

As far as the 2k thing, I also see that with every Hifiman graphs, but audibly certain ones are more noticeable over others.