There are no real weaknesses in high-end and well established models, only different flavors.
For my taste, I rank HE1 on par with Beats/ Starving Student (with my pre-NOS tubes). I very (very) much tolerate them. But if I wanted to be realistic / of true and honest them with explicit words, I could easily write something like this :
- HE1's tone is too lifelike to be true
- they're a tad melancholy / too polite, lack some extreme boogie
- they're slow for an estat, slower than light too, too slow all around for the Flash
- bass is a bit realistic. 009 are more impactful with more texture, Utopia kicks way harder, and a well driven HE6 literally crush HE1 in gut pounding distortion.
- details are not that good- too much plankton, 009 are better, HD800 are way better
- soundstage is so-so real. Narrower than HD800, less deep than 009, far less deep than the ocean
Note that I could exactly perform the same honest exercise for 009 which are my favourite cans to date, to produce what looks like a romantic criticism :
- too fast to be true, faster than a speeding snail
- faithful to astonishing high mids, depending on amplification - as long as it's a KG design.
- lacks overemphasis / grandeur in bass, lots of cheaper cans have much better distortionin that area- at least 10% or more
- lacks impact compared to Utopia when thrown against a wall, humiliated by HE6 in that area - leaves real damage in the plaster.
- Above par compared to HD800 for plankton, way, way behind when whales are around
- diffuse soundstage when listening to hip hop.
- all around suave / pleasurable tone of estat
- laudable headband and clicking system looking at the price
etc, etc...ad hoc, ad addendum, ad nauseum,
So the wisest choice in high-end could be something you need for your foibles, but other people (like trolls) don't necessarily crave for new (and expensive) toys to consume precisely with a consumer-only mindset, and are at the same time fully aware of desirability of their own choices...even when those choices are eminently exemplary. And I fully understand my sttatus in this hobby
/QUOTE]
FTFY 
