[bagwell359]

From what I was told by Hifiman after purchasing the 5se and not receiving the laser engraving and Dr. Fang signed piece, the plans for these things fell through for whatever reason. I was also told that the 5se are still only being produced in limited quantities, but I'm pretty sure that the number has to be way over 500 by now.

Interesting. One write up said they had wooden cups - hmmm... cleverly disguised as a hard plastic.

I was probably too rough on them last night. Not only were they fresh out of the box, my VAC was at 115 which wilts my rig. After 7 hours of burn-in and a decent VAC of 117 they were much better, less fog, less IM, more clarity.

....another 7 hrs of breakin with 119 VAC. Dynamic contrast on the bass isn't that good (gotta get the XLR set up). I haven't heard the Sundara in a long time, but they seem similar in some ways. Image wider and sound more open with rear screens off. Bass is lesser, so maybe taking the rear felt off, but the screen back on, could be interesting.

Actrual imaging? Not deep, very flat front plane sort of sound. Instruments hold own space vs other instuments? Seem vague... going to have to allow more time for break-in.

 

[flailure]

I just picked up a pair of these, that adorama sale was too good to pass up, even for a poor guy like me. Initial impressions are pretty positive, though I will need more time before I say more. It definitely didn't blow me away, but I haven't heard many negatives things either. Listening to it through a fiio x7 ii with k5, just because its easiest at the moment.

 

[mixman]

Interesting. One write up said they had wooden cups - hmmm... cleverly disguised as a hard plastic.

I was probably too rough on them last night. Not only were they fresh out of the box, my VAC was at 115 which wilts my rig. After 7 hours of burn-in and a decent VAC of 117 they were much better, less fog, less IM, more clarity.

....another 7 hrs of breakin with 119 VAC. Dynamic contrast on the bass isn't that good (gotta get the XLR set up). I haven't heard the Sundara in a long time, but they seem similar in some ways. Image wider and sound more open with rear screens off. Bass is lesser, so maybe taking the rear felt off, but the screen back on, could be interesting.

Actrual imaging? Not deep, very flat front plane sort of sound. Instruments hold own space vs other instuments? Seem vague... going to have to allow more time for break-in.

Doesn’t sound that positive, especially if they don’t sound considerably better than the Sundara. Maybe I will just use that money to upgrade my HEX V2’s to the Arya instead of these?

 

[flailure]

I haven't seen a single review that claimed that these had wooden cups, though I have seen 2 that have mentioned that they did not have wood cups and had plastic, and mentioned the issues with wood cracking on some of the earlier hifiman models (not this one).

As for sound, I haven't listened long enough to agree/disagree, time and use will tell more.

 

[Asahi Templar]

The major hifi review actually did claim that it had wood cups, which probably means it is best to view their reviews with a lot of skepticism!


Definitely want to get as many opinions as possible! I have been very torn between this and the brainwavz alara. I went with the alara but had a defective one. I am giving it another try but may end up returning it and trying the hifiman.

 

[flailure]

Completely missed that one, I think if I saw it, the first sentence must have glazed my eyes over, sentences like that make me feel like I just walked into a car dealership on a lean month. Apologies

 

[bagwell359]

Doesn’t sound that positive, especially if they don’t sound considerably better than the Sundara. Maybe I will just use that money to upgrade my HEX V2’s to the Arya instead of these?

OK, I cannot make a full review - yet, but I can say a few things. The HEX V2 has a certain sweep to it. A quiet buttoned down sweep, but that image and depth and coherency... the 5's do not do that, I doubt they ever will. I am looking forward to knocking it against the Senn HD-600.

The 5 is clean, and open. The 3 worst things so far w/ stock pads:

glaring in the lower treble - reminds me of my HE5-LE, not on everything, but on dynamic music yes

low mid into upper bass cloudiness/veil

bass tones heard, but don't have any kick, not to match the 500, certainly nowhere near the HE-6. Slightly like the HEX v2, but, the HEX goes down lower, and will snark on occasion.

Next is male singers, and lower strings... and I must try more mods.

Tried my MrSpeakers Ether Angeled. Whoa. Bass timbre much better, air movement somewhat better; much more depth, upper range hardness mitigated/gone. That tells me they are worth the dough and worth more in mods.

No more comments until I've really locked down on them, but I won't be returning them/selling them.

 

[bagwell359]

Sorry, I lied....

Issue: Dynamic Compression. If live music goes from 0-10, and the best horns are .5 - 9.5, and the HE-6 is .75 - 9.0 - these are 1.2 - 8.25.

Polite, honorable presentation even. Maybe pre "Aja" Steely Dan might be an, apt description. Clean. Nice, If there were no cans over $300, these would be in serious battle for top ratings. So what am I talking about? These capture the air/space around softly played notes, but the impact such as it is is curtailed and the texture of the notes are approximations, not accurate tonally. On the loud side it's like a dbx or Burwen compression filter.

Now you could argue that if these pushed the envelope in terms of dynamics and sounded distorted this choice might make more sense.

Another way to describe it is: AOR FM radio of the late 70's into the 90's. Clean, pleasant, perhaps antiseptic without the co compressed.

One interesting bit to add: k. d. laing "the mind of love" the very satisfying bass note at about 2:45 into the song is rendered without grunt, gravity, weight. The 4xx and HD600 both bang that note out better.

I've come to the conclusion that the HFM cans before the HEK Series can go from not so good to very good when they radiate one way. It's the two way radiation of the HE-6 and HE-500 that puts them into another class and yes requires careful mods to make very good into great.

I'm at the 3:37 mark of "Roundabout' by Yes (GRYB CD pressing), and the guitar is not rough enough sounding; at 6:40 and the bass is way short of growl. "Fish" :45 in xylaphone timbre well off. As always HFM play long overtones on cymbals and high hats - not enough. Ohhhhh bad show: "Heart of the Sunrise" :35 - 2:05 Bill Bruford somehow manages to sound unfocused and cloudy through these. I've only heard it live 3 times and on oceans of great equipment 100's of times. This is one of the worst playbacks I've ever heard.



Good at $300 but my focus is higher. No match for my mildly modified HD-600's or heavily modded HE-500; or HEX v2. Dinkum.

 

[Slim1970]

OK, I cannot make a full review - yet, but I can say a few things. The HEX V2 has a certain sweep to it. A quiet buttoned down sweep, but that image and depth and coherency... the 5's do not do that, I doubt they ever will. I am looking forward to knocking it against the Senn HD-600.

The 5 is clean, and open. The 3 worst things so far w/ stock pads:

glaring in the lower treble - reminds me of my HE5-LE, not on everything, but on dynamic music yes

low mid into upper bass cloudiness/veil

bass tones heard, but don't have any kick, not to match the 500, certainly nowhere near the HE-6. Slightly like the HEX v2, but, the HEX goes down lower, and will snark on occasion.

Next is male singers, and lower strings... and I must try more mods.

Tried my MrSpeakers Ether Angeled. Whoa. Bass timbre much better, air movement somewhat better; much more depth, upper range hardness mitigated/gone. That tells me they are worth the dough and worth more in mods.

No more comments until I've really locked down on them, but I won't be returning them/selling them.

I see you’re already starting to mod them. I think the stock sound is pretty good on these. I must admit I am using a Loki to fix the issues in the sound you’re describing. I’m also using a burn-in disk to speed up the break-in time and the HE5se’s are opening up nicely. I’m not hearing any veil.

I also don’t think they hit as hard as the HE-500’s but they do have nice impact. At least mine are starting to exhibit a better bass response now. Keep going with the break-in you’re doing as I’m finding mine are changing for the better.

 

[flailure]

So far I really like them, but I used to be a big fan of Grado's so the treble is refreshing. Obviously bass is nothing like my audeze lcd 2(fazor), but for most of the music I listen to its sufficient and I prefer it that way. The only headphones I have currently to compare them to are senn 558, and the lcd2. I gave my beyer dt880 to a friend, and that would have been the one that I would really want to compare these to, but that is life they say.

I do have some negative opinions of them, but I need more time to listen before I put words to paper (or screen in this case). These are certainly not totl headphones, but I believe they compare favorably within a certain niche spot. i do love the instrument separation that they have. A lot of the headphones that I have had in the past that have had good separation always seemed to get it at a cost in musicality, and that I suspect is where these headphones will get my high marks.

Time will tell

 

[bagwell359]

I see you’re already starting to mod them. I think the stock sound is pretty good on these. I must admit I am using a Loki to fix the issues in the sound you’re describing. I’m also using a burn-in disk to speed up the break-in time and the HE5se’s are opening up nicely. I’m not hearing any veil.

I also don’t think they hit as hard as the HE-500’s but they do have nice impact. At least mine are starting to exhibit a better bass response now. Keep going with the break-in you’re doing as I’m finding mine are changing for the better.

Veil isnt't the best term, but with drums, electric bass, and male voice they seem to intermodulate a bit, and "foggy" would be better.

I think it's actually cleverly made at this price point. If magically all I could listen to for a year was these, I'd habituate petty well. But when I heard music through a really good can, I'd be bummed over that missing year. Really good for the money, not worth the original list - gee how many HFM cans can we say that about?

 

[Slim1970]

Veil isnt't the best term, but with drums, electric bass, and male voice they seem to intermodulate a bit, and "foggy" would be better.

I think it's actually cleverly made at this price point. If magically all I could listen to for a year was these, I'd habituate petty well. But when I heard music through a really good can, I'd be bummed over that missing year. Really good for the money, not worth the original list - gee how many HFM cans can we say that about?

I agree, they are worth it at this price but there are better headphones out there even within Hifiman. Since the release of the HE-5, HE-500 and HE-6 Hifiman has definitely changed their sound signature with every subsequent offering. The HEX and HEK series was the beginning of that change ending with the Susvara's.The Susvara's are like a dynamic electrostat headphone. I've not heard anything like it.

 

[bagwell359]

I agree, they are worth it at this price but there are better headphones out there even within Hifiman. Since the release of the HE-5, HE-500 and HE-6 Hifiman has definitely changed their sound signature with every subsequent offering. The HEX and HEK series was the beginning of that change ending with the Susvara's.The Susvara's are like a dynamic electrostat headphone. I've not heard anything like it.

I think HFM is both technically driven and market driven. There is a good deal of what you say but also exceptions. Never heard the Susvara, but know the Jr. It's good but I like the Voce better.

I'm done reviewing the 5's, or listening. Direct to sell mode.

 

[flailure]

Well, been extremely busy at work, but I've gotten some time logged in on these. I've also done a little a/b between the headphones I currently have. I have to say they are a very enjoyable headphone. Very flawed, but its a case where the flaws are less a detraction as the positives, in fact, its kind of a case where the flaws accent/create the positives.

The flaws, bass is sort of off, I dont want to say one dimensional, but it is not great at all frequencies. Which is almost a mirror image of the treble, very uneven. Mid's are flat as a board, but kinda plain, they don't stand out in any particular way. All of that sounds pretty harsh, but that being said, they are fun headphones, the treble spikes really help to push the instruments well out to the side, while keeping you very near the center of the stage. Very nearly every headphone with good instrument separation that I have heard have come at some cost to the sound, usually sounding either really anemic down low, or just borderline unnatural particularly in the mids where vocals should be, and consequently sounding like you are too far from the stage. Somehow these headphones have kept some bass down low while keeping mids very natural and right in the center, and a great wide stage. The sometimes harsh treble is the double edged sword that allows this to happen, and for me it is a trade off I am willing to keep, because it is just fun, like being at the concert right up front.

For classic rock, hard rock, metal, these are exceptional, enough weight down low to give drums a kick, enough treble up top to make the cymbals brash and clear, vocals are fine, unaccented but very clear, and all while maintaining very clear instrument separation. I even enjoy chamber music and some of the smaller orchestras just because of the instrument positioning, even if the sound is far from analytical.

Will they replace my other headphones, probably not, but I will definitely keep them in my rotation, actually thinking of making them my full time work headphones (I work approx 80 hours a week) so thats a pretty hardy recommendation on my part, though I only get to my desk about an hour in the am and for roughly an hour before I get off. I wouldnt cry if they got broken or missing, but I will definitely enjoy them and look forward to using them as often as I can. I dont regret the purchase of these headphones at all, though, I got them at a very good price, I dont believe I would have felt the same if I had paid full price.

 

[Slim1970]

Well, been extremely busy at work, but I've gotten some time logged in on these. I've also done a little a/b between the headphones I currently have. I have to say they are a very enjoyable headphone. Very flawed, but its a case where the flaws are less a detraction as the positives, in fact, its kind of a case where the flaws accent/create the positives.

The flaws, bass is sort of off, I dont want to say one dimensional, but it is not great at all frequencies. Which is almost a mirror image of the treble, very uneven. Mid's are flat as a board, but kinda plain, they don't stand out in any particular way. All of that sounds pretty harsh, but that being said, they are fun headphones, the treble spikes really help to push the instruments well out to the side, while keeping you very near the center of the stage. Very nearly every headphone with good instrument separation that I have heard have come at some cost to the sound, usually sounding either really anemic down low, or just borderline unnatural particularly in the mids where vocals should be, and consequently sounding like you are too far from the stage. Somehow these headphones have kept some bass down low while keeping mids very natural and right in the center, and a great wide stage. The sometimes harsh treble is the double edged sword that allows this to happen, and for me it is a trade off I am willing to keep, because it is just fun, like being at the concert right up front.

For classic rock, hard rock, metal, these are exceptional, enough weight down low to give drums a kick, enough treble up top to make the cymbals brash and clear, vocals are fine, unaccented but very clear, and all while maintaining very clear instrument separation. I even enjoy chamber music and some of the smaller orchestras just because of the instrument positioning, even if the sound is far from analytical.

Will they replace my other headphones, probably not, but I will definitely keep them in my rotation, actually thinking of making them my full time work headphones (I work approx 80 hours a week) so thats a pretty hardy recommendation on my part, though I only get to my desk about an hour in the am and for roughly an hour before I get off. I wouldnt cry if they got broken or missing, but I will definitely enjoy them and look forward to using them as often as I can. I dont regret the purchase of these headphones at all, though, I got them at a very good price, I dont believe I would have felt the same if I had paid full price.

I echo your findings. They have just enough of good things I like in a headphone but fall just short at being great. They are definitely worth it at this price. I don't think you can find a headphone at the $300 dollar range that will sound as open or has the instrument separation of the HE5se's. I'm hoping the sound evens out and the unevenness is replaced with a smoother overall sound. At full price I think I would have returned them. But I think I'll give them more head time to see what they become.