[marhol]

What does it mean to measure "goodness" in percentages for you?

Well, it is subjective but also reflective in regards how I perceive value in headphones. For me headphones like HE400i or HD 650 are really high value products because of their sound quality/price ratio. When I compared HE400i vs HE1000 v2 (purely in terms of sound quality) my conclusion was like OK HE1000 v2 is better but certainly not 5 or 10 times better.Or in other words HEK is technically the better headphone but of course HE400i screams better value. My main criteria regarding sound quality are following items: timbre/overall tonality, bass, midrange, treble, instrument separation, soundstage, imaging, PRaT/dynamics, musicality and overall transparency/resolution. These are 10 items for sound quality. If I am following the math rule - 10 points as maximum for each item - then the best headphone gets 100/100. Subjectivelly for me HE400i would get around 88% and HEK V2 maybe around 96 or 97% - so close to a perfect headphone. However in terms of value HE400i would get 10/10 and HEK probably "only" 8.5/10 (because of the really high price).

 

[tunes]

So a narrower soundstage compared to the V2, which itself had a more narrow stage compared to the original V1.
Definitely seems to be heading one way with the changes.

BTW did you really prefer the V2 over all your HP, even the Abyss? I always got the impression they shared a similar tuned sound signature.

What I enjoy most about the HEK V2 is it’s 3D sound stage. I am not sure how accurate instrument or performer placement is compared to a live performance but the air and spacious ambience is better than any HP I have heard to date. That out of head experience that gives a loudspeaker presentation but with more intimate micro dynamics is what I am after. To that end, would the narrower sound stage of the HEKse be a disappointment? I have heard that the new Meze Empyrean may be even better than the HEK V2 in this regard. So would I be better off upgrading to HEKse or Empyrean from my HEK V2?

 

[Matez]

What I enjoy most about the HEK V2 is it’s 3D sound stage. I am not sure how accurate instrument or performer placement is compared to a live performance but the air and spacious ambience is better than any HP I have heard to date.

I can easily agree with this. Saturation and vividness aside, soundstaging was the final decision maker for me.

 

[tunes]

Has anyone heard these with DAVE plus HMS??

 

[Gibson59]

@EndGameSearch thanks so much for your thoughts on the SE. I can’t wait to receive mine! And congrats on an amazing setup... DAVE and Susvara are what dreams are made of! You mentioned being able to power Susvara properly now and thus you sold the SE, what amp are you using now instead of the Milo? I’ve heard from other the Milo had enough power for them.

Also, I’m wondering if while you had them you had a chance to try the SE with anything besides your DAVE? Your Milo or maybe even straight out of your phone or computer? I have a Milo and while I’m sure the headphone scales nicely I’m wondering if I might still get most of the performance out of a less powerful amp (I know that’s the idea with the increased sensitivity but the proof is it the putting)... something cheaper than Milo but still good like the Schiit Lyr3 or chord mojo. Might give me the opportunity to sell my Milo and purchase some other gear!

Btw I totally hear you on the Milo being a tad warm and that may not be ideal for the classical you listen to. That touch of warmth or tubiness is exactly why I love it lol. Exemplifies how gear in this hobby is so subjective. The warmth and power from the Milo gives my HEKv2 the punch and dynamics for a lot of rock and hip-hop for me. Through other amps the HEKv2 did come off maybe a touch cleaner and more neutral which is probably awesome for classical.

Sorry for all the questions. It’s awesome that you’ve had the chance to try out such a variety of gear!

 

[Gibson59]

Received my HE1000se in the mail today! I'll post some more detailed thoughts in the next couple days, specifically comparing them to the HE1000v2. For now here are a couple things I think are worth noting real quick:

• No QC issues at all that I can detect. To me they look and feel like a summit-fi headphone should. I really like the new ebony wood and overall the materials used just make it look really classy.
• I'm at my office where I don't have a headphone amp... I've been listening through the stock cable directly into my iPhoneX and i'm really impressed. My iPhoneX volume is somewhere between full volume and two clicks below full volume (depending on the song). It's very usable and it provides a full and articulate sound, it doesn't feel as if it's thirsty for more power (and it's plenty loud). Can't wait to see how it scales later with the Wells Milo, but I have to say i'm thrilled with the extra sensitivity of these cans so far. I wouldn't hesitate to use them with only my iPhoneX if I didn't have an amp around.

I snapped a bunch of quick photos with my phone so excuse the quality. Enjoy

• 

 

[gtbrown50]

I'm equally impressed with mine. I rotate them with Utopias and LCD 4 and its a perfect fit with the others. No issues (except for a pad indented, likely from the factory).

 

[yellowblue]

I got mine today. No quality issues! I am quiete impressed by Hifimans upgrade program. I shipped my HE-1000 to Great Britain just one week ago (without the original case) and got the SE with DHL express including case.

Already enjoying music with them out of my DAVE and HMS. I will give them some burn in and in january I will get my new Norne Einvaldi cables.

My HE-1000 V1 were completely different from my Utopias and I used them when I wanted to emotionally connect to some kind of music, and they were giving me a special experience of intimicy (especially of voices) with their fantastic midths (I liked them more than the technically better V2).

With the SE I seem to get a headphone that doesn´t complement the Utopia in that way because it is an excellent allrounder. The bass reaches so deep and has so much quantity that I don´t use the crossfeed on my DAVE just now. Details are already on the same level as the Utopia and the treble is clear and much more extended than on the V1.

What I got are headphones that are much more similar to the Utopia than I thought (and I believe it will stay this way even after more burn in) - plus that they have bigger soundstage and deeper bass (but maybe not as fast as the Utopia). And they seem to sound more spherical, not as much in the face as the Utopia, which I like.

All that could mean that the SE might replace my Utopia in the long run (I am expecting some benefit from the Norne cable and I hope that it will give me the same emotional connection to the music I felt with the V1 ). I really wasn´t prepared for that.

 

[GU1DO]

seems a lot of peoples getting the HE1000se this week ,, i am expecting mine within a few days ,, will report back sooon.

 

[GU1DO]

 

[auricgoldfinger]

I have been listening to the HE1000se for a few days and have some initial impressions to share. Generally, I concur with everything @EndGameSearch has said. Like him, I find the se superior to the v2 in almost every way. However, I find the midrange to be slightly recessed relative to the v2. I believe this may be what EGS referred to as thinness. It is most apparent with vocals because the singers often no longer have what I consider to be a natural placement on the stage. I have overcome this issue by boosting the 1k frequency by 1 dB using Roon DSP to bring the vocals forward a bit. There is an extremely slight loss of high end detail with this approach, but I find the music sounds more natural this way.

My other thought is that the se is not as relaxed as the v2.

 

[Myskyisme]

I'm not one for long impressions so bare with me. I received the HE1000se on Thursday the 20th of September. They should be burned in by now from listening to music and running pink noise for 72+ hours. I've owned all of the usual TOTL HP's, Sr-009, HD800, HD800s, LCD-4, LCD-4Z, LCD-XC, LCD-i4, Utopia, Abyss Phi CC, and of course Susvara and HE1000v2. Excluding the Phi, which I just received a month ago, v2 was my favorite HP. Susvara was a step up in areas but it wasn't for me due to it's power requirements. At the time I had a Wells Milo Reference amp. It had plenty of power but I found I preferred v2 direct from Blu/DAVE vs Susvara off Milo. Milo is a great amp, but it's a little too warm and the loss of transparency and resolution was not worth the gains Susvara brought to the table. I sold Susvara and Milo right after the SE was announced and placed a deposit on SE. I sold v2's soon after.

The SE's take all that I liked about v2 and improve upon it. It's not a night and day difference, but they are definitely different. They really seem to be a more efficient Susvara. The bass is better controlled with more detail than v2. The sound stage width is reduced from the v2 a bit, but this is a good thing. With the v2 I felt the sound stage was a little too wide at times and imaging suffered. It was hard panned left, hard panned right, or dead center, but it wasn't always a realistic blend from left to right. The SE's image wonderfully. They still have that nice relaxed delivery but the detail is still their in spades. They are very efficient and do well direct from DAVE or Hugo 2 for hotel use (the primary reason I bought them). I ran v2 around -15db direct from DAVE and the SE's around -23db, so ~8db more efficient. I demo gear with various genres but I really only listen to classical/acoustic. Tonally they're very close to v2. I tweak the signature of all of my HP's with Roon's DSP and have found the same settings I used for v2 work well for SE.

I am 100% satisfied with these and cannot see parting with them any time soon. Out of the HP's listed I've kept Phi as my primary HP, the SE's and LCDi4. For my needs this list covers all of the bases.

It is really impressive! I am having a hard time choosing between LCD-4z and 1266 phi cc. Would you please give me some advice or sharing? I have listened to 1266 phi cc with Formula S for a week and I don't think I can ask more for a headphone. I think 1266 phi cc has everything, except for the highs which maybe can be a little bit more charming, and personalities should I say? I mean maybe I can compare it as if I am dating with someone who is a total package only except a good looking? The sound is so good, precise, clear, relaxing, balanced, but somewhat a little bit lack of tastes?

Compare to Hekse, which I also have a pair, I think I would say Hekse definitely has a more charming mids and highs, while 1266 has everything, especially superb bass, but nothing to catch my attention in the first instance?

I had been told that LCD-4z has a very unique sound and a better bass than LCD-4. But I cannot try or order a pair at least for another month since no retailer has it in the country I stay. Could you please give some thoughts?

 

[yellowblue]

I want to give a short report after 100 hours burn in (no great changes soundwise with burn in yet). The SE is in short technically (in the most compartments) the best headphone I own - even compared to the Utopia. Treble detail is crazy good and imaging is fantastic.

But often my attention is drawn to the details while at the same time it´s difficult for me to focus on the voice in the center. It seems that the mids are a little recessed and sometimes I find myself longing back to the midrange magic of the V1 while bass and highs can be a litte overemphasized (that´s the price you have to pay for the detail-magic). Here I concur with the observations of auricgoldfinger and Endgamesearch.

I am hoping for more soulful mids with the Norne Einvaldi cable coming in some weeks but I have discovered a solution that maybe is even more important. I haven´t used the crossfeed option of the Chord DAVE very often before, and mostly with crossfeed 2. But for me it is with crossfeed 3 on the DAVE most of the midtone-magic is coming back and the slight lack of depth in the soundstage is compensated. With Lambchops "Is a woman" Kurt Wagners voice now is more full and warm sounding, or if you want - more soulful. Bass can get a lite thick with heavy crossfeed sometimes - but I can accept that with 95% of the music I listen to.

So it can be useful to experiment with crossfeed to get the tonality right on the SE.

 

[Stormcrow]

Hey, I had the HE1000V1 for two years and I enjoyed them immensely; They were enough to satisfy the 'hunger' for a long period of time, and would keep on doing so had I kept them.
I passed on the V2 as I was perfectly happy with what I had, but when I read about the new SE, it seemed like a good opportunity for an upgrade (also with the diminishing value of the V1).

I'm not so well versed in the jargon used in most of the reviews here so I'll just share the adjectives that come to my mind when I listen to the SE: clear, dynamic, energetic, clean, precise, tight, fun and comfortable.

Compared to the V1 they feel more focused, maybe less smokey and less warm. These characteristics however, were what made the V1 special for me. In a way, the V1 felt heavier, with more extended bass, but with that in mind, I'd choose the SE to listen to 'heavy' genres of music as the separation is better and it sounds less messy all around.
Too bad I had to return the V1, preventing a direct comparison.

My setup is: DAC - schitt bifrost, AMP - cavalli liquid carbon.

Glad for the upgrade, the change is welcome and fresh, and for me it feels like the right decision. Would I recommend it though? depends if you have the funds, and if the existence of a 'better' version for a product you have itches you psychologically. I don't think it's a bad deal because getting 2000$ for a used pair of V1 won't be easy.
I truly believe that if I had to stick with the V1, I wouldn't have been the poorer for it, as they are an exceptional pair of headphones in my mind.

 

[gtbrown50]

Hey, I had the HE1000V1 for two years and I enjoyed them immensely; They were enough to satisfy the 'hunger' for a long period of time, and would keep on doing so had I kept them.
I passed on the V2 as I was perfectly happy with what I had, but when I read about the new SE, it seemed like a good opportunity for an upgrade (also with the diminishing value of the V1).

I'm not so well versed in the jargon used in most of the reviews here so I'll just share the adjectives that come to my mind when I listen to the SE: clear, dynamic, energetic, clean, precise, tight, fun and comfortable.

Compared to the V1 they feel more focused, maybe less smokey and less warm. These characteristics however, were what made the V1 special for me. In a way, the V1 felt heavier, with more extended bass, but with that in mind, I'd choose the SE to listen to 'heavy' genres of music as the separation is better and it sounds less messy all around.
Too bad I had to return the V1, preventing a direct comparison.

My setup is: DAC - schitt bifrost, AMP - cavalli liquid carbon.

Glad for the upgrade, the change is welcome and fresh, and for me it feels like the right decision. Would I recommend it though? depends if you have the funds, and if the existence of a 'better' version for a product you have itches you psychologically. I don't think it's a bad deal because getting 2000$ for a used pair of V1 won't be easy.
I truly believe that if I had to stick with the V1, I wouldn't have been the poorer for it, as they are an exceptional pair of headphones in my mind.

I've had my SE's for about a month or so, and feel the same. They are my first Hifiman 'phones, and I'm extremely impressed. I am surprised by some feelings expressed towards the company, perhaps I'll get a better handle on that over the next year or two.