[sean-xenos]

There is tonal difference , Arya have more mid bass and mids , brighter , but overall its not worth the buy ,
i even will sell mine next week , its just i had to try it.

Before I bought my HE-1000 SE I auditioned the Arya twice and also compared it with the HE-1000 V2.
In short I came to similar conclusions though I think that your final word on the Arya (not worth the buy) is a bit too harsh.
The Arya is not even half the price of the HE-1000 SE and for 1599 Euro/US-$ it's not a bad headphone.
The frequency response of the Arya is a little U-shaped, that's the midbass hump and a bit too much brightness.
The creaky hinges of the frame and the missing cables are a nuisance, too.
But for 1599 .... in my opinion the Focal Clear or Sennheiser HD800S are not superior.

 

[sean-xenos]

The original cables of the Hifiman HE-1000 SE don't feel that convincing haptically and mechanically ...

But the used litz cables inside the transparent sleeve (that feels like some kind silicone) are actually quite good

2x copper litz and 4x silver litz cable, that is 2x silver wire and 1x copper wire per driver.

At the moment three cables are included, 3 meters 4-pin XLR (balanced) cable, 3 meters 6.35mm TRS and 1.8 meters 3.5mm Stereo mini.

Internally all three cables are the same, they only differ in termination and length.

Have a look, I was positively surprised.

 

[JaZZ]

Theoretically it may be a well made cable. The resulting sound on the other hand... I'm glad to have my Lavricables Grand back from retermination.

 

[sean-xenos]

Theoretically it may be a well made cable. The resulting sound on the other hand... I'm glad to have my Lavricables Grand back from retermination.

What are the improvements of the Lavricables Grand over the stock cable?

In the Lavricables Shop I can only see Ultimate Silver and Master Silver headphone cables for Hifiman.
5 meters of the Master Silver cable for the HE-1000 SE is more than 720 US-$

 

[JaZZ]

What are the improvements of the Lavricables Grand over the stock cable?

In the Lavricables Shop I can only see Ultimate Silver and Master Silver headphone cables for Hifiman.
5 meters of the Master Silver cable for the HE-1000 SE is more than 720 US-$

It's here.

Indeed, 5 m are expensive, I only needed 1.65 m.

Compared to the stock cable(s) the sound is smoother, more refined and more detailed, especially in the upper treble. The Master Silver sounds very similar, but has lower resolution and slightly lower upper treble. (In my system, to my ears.)

 

[sean-xenos]

It's here.

Indeed, 5 m are expensive, I only needed 1.65 m.

Compared to the stock cable(s) the sound is smoother, more refined and more detailed, especially in the upper treble. The Master Silver sounds very similar, but has lower resolution and slightly lower upper treble. (In my system, to my ears.)

Ouch, even more expensive. I am sure that a 20 core 6N pure silver cable does make a difference
But this cable really breaks the bank

 

[Toddk]

Just want to second the comments above. Whilst my Utopias are not getting much of a look in at the moment that’s only because I’m playing with my new toy. I still love the Utopia. The soundstage is small but there is real precision there as well.

They make for quite an interesting contrast - even though they are overall quite similar. The Utopias are brighter generally (with less prominent bass) but more refined if that makes sense... The HEKSE is generally a touch (and only a touch) warmer but can get a bit more ragged at times especially in the upper frequencies. Not huge differences but noticeable. To me anyway.

The Utopias are also a bit more direct - faster. The bass in particular. It’s not as prominent but is quite a bit faster. They are also a bit more coherent top to bottom. But there is something magic about the wider soundstage and separation of the HEKSE with a more elevated bass. Both headphones have a magic midrange. Well recorded simple vocal music is absolutely breathtaking on both headphones. I can’t imagine it gets much better.

However, if I was starting from scratch I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to buy both phones. They are too similar. I would pick one only (which one is very hard to say! Maybe the HEKSE??). I only ended up with both because of the upgrade option (I went from HEKv2 to HEKSE).

For tonal balance i actually prefer my Campfire Solaris. They clearly dont have the ultimate technical performance of the Utopia / HEKSE but they are more forgiving. That’s for another thread but I’m blown away by them. I much prefer them out of my SP1000M to both the Utopia and HEKSE (the latter are just too bright for me out of the A&K DAP). But with my main rig it’s the other way around.

Next stop for me is probably the LDC4Z / Empyrean. Just need by bank balance to recover first..

Yes. I too am totally blown away by the Solaris out of ak. I have been lightly using them with the AK Norma when I need to be portable. Finding that occasion doesn’t come up as much as I would like.

 

[marhol]

Ouch, even more expensive. I am sure that a 20 core 6N pure silver cable does make a difference
But this cable really breaks the bank

If anybody is thinking about purchasing an expensive cable I´m giving two simple advices how to save some money:
1) Get a proper daily regime. Enough rest/sleep, enough water intake etc.
2) Clean your ears properly before listening

You may find out it brings similar benefits as some fancy cable

 

[GU1DO]

Before I bought my HE-1000 SE I auditioned the Arya twice and also compared it with the HE-1000 V2.
In short I came to similar conclusions though I think that your final word on the Arya (not worth the buy) is a bit too harsh.
The Arya is not even half the price of the HE-1000 SE and for 1599 Euro/US-$ it's not a bad headphone.
The frequency response of the Arya is a little U-shaped, that's the midbass hump and a bit too much brightness.
The creaky hinges of the frame and the missing cables are a nuisance, too.
But for 1599 .... in my opinion the Focal Clear or Sennheiser HD800S are not superior.

To my ears the HD800S is step up above the Arya , the SE surpass both of them.

 

[UsoppNoKami]

To my ears the HD800S is step up above the Arya , the SE surpass both of them.

The SE is my absolute fav headphone , followed by the Verite Ltd & LCD-3F. But I owned the Arya before getting the SE, and I personally prefer the Arya to my HD800S. The latter is now just my gaming headphone. Good to hear footsteps of enemies

 

[Gibson59]

Just bought a Woo WA22 tube amp to drive my HEKse. I’ll report back with thoughts! (Although I actually already demoed this pairing and it sounded amazing and inspired me to buy the amp). We’ll see if I end up keeping the WA22 or Wells Audio Milo as my main home amp. Let the tube vs solid state battle begin!

 

[FiGuY1017]

Hi, just looking for some advice. I’m thinking about selling my v2 and buying a utopia but also considered upgrading to SE, the problem is I’m missing a stock cable, do you think that’d did qualify me from upgrading? Thanks!

 

[sahmen]

Hi, just looking for some advice. I’m thinking about selling my v2 and buying a utopia but also considered upgrading to SE, the problem is I’m missing a stock cable, do you think that’d did qualify me from upgrading? Thanks!

It is a bit difficult to say, just by looking at the officially stated rules. I think your best bet is to send an e-mail to Hifiman Customer service explaining the issue of the missing cable, and of course, your desire to upgrade. I am inclined to think they will find some accommodation for you, especially if you ask politely, even if they wouldn't admit that accommodation publicly or officially for obvious reasons.

(Of course I am assuming that only that one stock cable is currently missing from the original packaging, and nothing else of importance)

 

[Gibson59]

It is a bit difficult to say, just by looking at the officially stated rules. I think your best bet is to send an e-mail to Hifiman Customer service explaining the issue of the missing cable, and of course, your desire to upgrade. I am inclined to think they will find some accommodation for you, especially if you ask politely, even if they wouldn't admit that accommodation publicly or officially for obvious reasons.

(Of course I am assuming that only that one stock cable is currently missing from the original packaging, and nothing else of importance)

I agree 100%. They’ll take care of you.

Also, HEKv2 and Utopia couldn’t be more different IMO. If you like the HEKv2 and you're considering Utopia (I assume for its detail retrieval) you’ll really like the HEKse because it retains the best elements of HEKv2 while adding more presence and detail retrieval amongst other things. The soundstage difference going from HEKv2 to Utopia is rather startling, which you probably already know, but I think it’s worth mentioning. I’m a bit biased as I’ve never liked Utopia and I don’t think it holds a candle next to HEKse in any aspect from comfort to sound.

 

[sean-xenos]

....Also, HEKv2 and Utopia couldn’t be more different IMO. If you like the HEKv2 and you're considering Utopia (I assume for its detail retrieval) you’ll really like the HEKse because it retains the best elements of HEKv2 while adding more presence and detail retrieval amongst other things. The soundstage difference going from HEKv2 to Utopia is rather starling, which you probably already know, but I think it’s worth mentioning. I’m a bit biased as I’ve never liked Utopia and I don’t think it holds a candle next to HEKse in any aspect from comfort to sound.

+1

I really dislike the narrow, constricted soundstage of the Utopia. It's in-head presentation is a no-go for me, it gives me headaches ....