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ray1
New Head-Fier
Also what’s the biggest difference in sound vs the se and v1?
Official HIFIMAN HE1000 Impressions Thread
- Thread starter negura
- Start date
Hi guys,
Hoping you guys can help me answer this - I remember listening to some version of the HEKs a few years back at an audio store. I remember a certain version of them sounding silky smooth with excellent detail and good bass. I’ve had the SEs and found them too bright. I’ve never heard the Susvaras so couldn’t give an opinion on it but from what I’ve read the V1s had this exact tonality which was on the warmer side while still being detailed. Can anyone confirm this is the case? Is it possible to still buy the V1 new or is everything on the second hand market? Thanks!
Hoping you guys can help me answer this - I remember listening to some version of the HEKs a few years back at an audio store. I remember a certain version of them sounding silky smooth with excellent detail and good bass. I’ve had the SEs and found them too bright. I’ve never heard the Susvaras so couldn’t give an opinion on it but from what I’ve read the V1s had this exact tonality which was on the warmer side while still being detailed. Can anyone confirm this is the case? Is it possible to still buy the V1 new or is everything on the second hand market? Thanks!
Fegefeuer
Headphoneus Supremus
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That's the v1, my favorite HEK. (owned them all, only listened to the v2). It lacks a bit technicalities from the successor models but its signature is unique and so charming.
Unless you can find them NOS your only luck is the used market.
Unless you can find them NOS your only luck is the used market.
Just got my V1s and as confirmed they are the smoother, warmer versions I recall in the past. I believe I heard these on the Sennheiser amp at the store where I first heard them. They have a little bit of the Hifiman treble glare but not much. Very smooth, sound stage and layering is quite good. Is there a particular good amp pairing I should look at for these? I’m currently running the Mainline which isn’t particularly great at low impedance cans despite being labeled as such. I’m thinking of getting a Sparkos Aries but not sure if I should spend that kind of money if there are better options for cheaper. Maybe the GSX Mini?
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alavenue
100+ Head-Fier
Anyone have experience running the V2 with an OTL tube amp? I'm considering Feliks Elise but not sure if it's recommended or not
Thanks
Thanks
FiGuY1017
500+ Head-Fier
Was about to trade in my Hekv2 for a Susvara but I can't, with the bass mod there is nothing I hear and say, I wish this or that was better" can't mess with magic. I'll just save up and buy a Susvara to compliment, not replace Hek v2. And.. trade"up" to SE? Nope.
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Nicolas Yance
100+ Head-Fier
I'm wrestling with the same idea of trading up my V2s for Susvaras. But I think in the end I will stick to my original plan and buy a Lampizator dac to enhance my whole system. Like you I can't think of losing the egg shaped cups and sound signature they have for a "minor" upgrade (after reading and watching several reviews of both).
thecrow
Headphoneus Supremus
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i upgraded from v2 to se
and i was never going to sell my se - driven so well out of (essentially) anything and everything
then i indulged and bought the susvaras and not too long after sold the hekse as the susvaras suit me, pretty much perfectly.
a definite step up in micro detail
but i also had to indulge in a suitable amp
so for me the susvara is better but very costly in setting my system up for it
but hey, its a hobby and my one indulgence in life
Now my main set up is set - susvara and niimbus us4
As far as I can see this can not bettered and I have no plans to sell (unless i need some cash for other ventures - touch wood that never happens)
imho
ymmv
my 2c
How do HEK v2 owners here position the headphone cups while listening? I've noticed that the headphone's presentation radically changes based on cup positioning, with it sounding blurred and diffuse when the cups are centered relative to my ears but crystal-clear and lightning-fast when the cups are shifted backwards.
e: I'm doing some sine sweeps, and the mid-treble response does seem to change significantly based on cup position. Shifting the cups forwards seems to be the best, as it smooths out the key 5-6 kHz region for me, making everything sound most correct.
e: I'm doing some sine sweeps, and the mid-treble response does seem to change significantly based on cup position. Shifting the cups forwards seems to be the best, as it smooths out the key 5-6 kHz region for me, making everything sound most correct.
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S Crowther
500+ Head-Fier
Not much difference here. Different people have different sized/shaped ears.
So proper cup positioning appears to be extremely important with the HEKv2. I'm not sure whether it's boosting 3k, 4k, or 6k, but wearing the headphones with the cups centered over the ears increases presence. Combine that with a contradictory sense of staging depth created by the deep 10 kHz notch, and the result is an incoherent headstage that my brain tries to make sense of and ends up interpreting as being shallow but tall.
I had trouble understanding vocalists like that, which is a red flag for me that a headphone's or IEM's imaging is genuinely messed up rather than me suffering from the nocebo effect. Fortunately, this goes away if I position my ears near the bottom/rear of the cups and angle the HEK forward, which results in the stage properly projecting itself out of of my head. I recommend testing out different ear positions rather than trying to endure a hundred hours of mental burn-in if the HEK sounds wrong at first.
Timbre doesn't quite reach the level of well-tuned dynamic drivers due to light low-treble grain, with the treble being smooth and a little bit plasticky, but it's still better than the Ananda's/Sundara's/HEXv2's and is easily corrected with a -3 dB peak filter at ~7 kHz and a couple of more ±2-3 dB peak filters centered at 4.2 kHz. I can definitely see why people remark that it sounds analog. Midrange timbre sounds fine, maybe leaning very slightly thin, although it's barely noticeable compared to your typical harsh Harman-IE or Focal tuning. Someone who wants a rich, thick sound like the Andromeda's could find it not to their liking.
A/B'ing against the HD800S, though, I can say that while the HEK sounds less detailed on the surface, the fast treble decay ensures that resolution and details are still on a matching level, especially as there are no issues with big treble peaks masking midrange like on brighter gear. As an extremely busy, compressed pop music passage, 2:53 of Kiseki Knot is my go-to test for resolution, separation, and speed, with most mid-fi gear failing and sounding like music soup, but the HEK passes without effort.
Unlike the other Hifiman/Sennheiser/Focal headphones I've listened to, though, I can't say I feel the urge to EQ at all, as it has real extension on both ends of its FR and the light tonal quirks seem to largely cancel each other out. The Hifiman 7 kHz peak doesn't sound all that piercing or sibilant on my more intense test tracks, though treble-sensitive people may still have a problem with it, thanks to the more even transition from 5 kHz up. Also, the zigzag 3-5 kHz response averages out to making the lower treble level sound neutral rather than elevated, preventing 5.5 kHz from sounding recessed and killing detail like on the HEXv2 or Ananda I've heard.
In addition, the light bass boost helps cancel out some of the treble sharpness, making the headphone's sound like something in between a normal-people-are-capable-of-enjoying-this Harman 2013-esque tuning and a fun V-shaped tuning rather than making it sound lean and bright like the Elex or HD800S. The HEK actually has a bit of low-end meat and body to it without overly quick decay, unlike certain open-backs, without sounding muddy at all, unlike certain closed-backs. According to a Sonarworks preference test, the sound signature fits my Harman OE-liking personal target perfectly aside from having 3 dB too much treble from 8 kHz up, though I don't like that EQ'ing it down reduces air and makes the HEK sound more like a conventional headphone.
To me, the stage is perceived as an egg shape projecting out from my head with the fat end reaching about 1/3 head lengths and 15 degrees forwards on each side from the left/right axis out. I can see why intimacy-lovers would dislike it, but to me, it makes the HEK sound like a complete sonic package with a cohesive presentation. Imaging is as good as expected on a Hifiman can.
Dynamics aren't anything remarkable, whether in a positive or negative way. Perceived dynamic range (i.e., variance in instrument loudness) is enough to satisfy most people, though it doesn't stand out as something like the U12t's does. It's a pretty relaxing listen that lets me leave the HEK on the background for hours-long sessions, but someone who wants a more engaging experience may prefer something like a Focal.
I don't feel the need to amp except on a handful of classical or acoustic tracks with extremely high dynamic range that makes weaker gear start clipping. The HEK sounds both tonally agreeable and high-resolution to me out of a 1V phone dongle, so I don't have any desire to experiment with tubey source chains or whatever.
I actually bought the HEK based on Crinacle's measurements, being one of a few Hifiman headphones with existent bass, it sounds pretty much exactly how it graphs, and I can see why he keeps it as a personal unit. As someone who listens to a lot of vocals, I'm unwilling to sacrifice tonality on the altar of technicalities, but the HEK balances the two nicely, a student scoring an A- on both rather than an A+ on one and and a B- on the other. If it weren't for the crap price and build quality, I could call it a safe endgame pick for someone who wants an airy, expansive presentation.
I had trouble understanding vocalists like that, which is a red flag for me that a headphone's or IEM's imaging is genuinely messed up rather than me suffering from the nocebo effect. Fortunately, this goes away if I position my ears near the bottom/rear of the cups and angle the HEK forward, which results in the stage properly projecting itself out of of my head. I recommend testing out different ear positions rather than trying to endure a hundred hours of mental burn-in if the HEK sounds wrong at first.
Timbre doesn't quite reach the level of well-tuned dynamic drivers due to light low-treble grain, with the treble being smooth and a little bit plasticky, but it's still better than the Ananda's/Sundara's/HEXv2's and is easily corrected with a -3 dB peak filter at ~7 kHz and a couple of more ±2-3 dB peak filters centered at 4.2 kHz. I can definitely see why people remark that it sounds analog. Midrange timbre sounds fine, maybe leaning very slightly thin, although it's barely noticeable compared to your typical harsh Harman-IE or Focal tuning. Someone who wants a rich, thick sound like the Andromeda's could find it not to their liking.
A/B'ing against the HD800S, though, I can say that while the HEK sounds less detailed on the surface, the fast treble decay ensures that resolution and details are still on a matching level, especially as there are no issues with big treble peaks masking midrange like on brighter gear. As an extremely busy, compressed pop music passage, 2:53 of Kiseki Knot is my go-to test for resolution, separation, and speed, with most mid-fi gear failing and sounding like music soup, but the HEK passes without effort.
Unlike the other Hifiman/Sennheiser/Focal headphones I've listened to, though, I can't say I feel the urge to EQ at all, as it has real extension on both ends of its FR and the light tonal quirks seem to largely cancel each other out. The Hifiman 7 kHz peak doesn't sound all that piercing or sibilant on my more intense test tracks, though treble-sensitive people may still have a problem with it, thanks to the more even transition from 5 kHz up. Also, the zigzag 3-5 kHz response averages out to making the lower treble level sound neutral rather than elevated, preventing 5.5 kHz from sounding recessed and killing detail like on the HEXv2 or Ananda I've heard.
In addition, the light bass boost helps cancel out some of the treble sharpness, making the headphone's sound like something in between a normal-people-are-capable-of-enjoying-this Harman 2013-esque tuning and a fun V-shaped tuning rather than making it sound lean and bright like the Elex or HD800S. The HEK actually has a bit of low-end meat and body to it without overly quick decay, unlike certain open-backs, without sounding muddy at all, unlike certain closed-backs. According to a Sonarworks preference test, the sound signature fits my Harman OE-liking personal target perfectly aside from having 3 dB too much treble from 8 kHz up, though I don't like that EQ'ing it down reduces air and makes the HEK sound more like a conventional headphone.
To me, the stage is perceived as an egg shape projecting out from my head with the fat end reaching about 1/3 head lengths and 15 degrees forwards on each side from the left/right axis out. I can see why intimacy-lovers would dislike it, but to me, it makes the HEK sound like a complete sonic package with a cohesive presentation. Imaging is as good as expected on a Hifiman can.
Dynamics aren't anything remarkable, whether in a positive or negative way. Perceived dynamic range (i.e., variance in instrument loudness) is enough to satisfy most people, though it doesn't stand out as something like the U12t's does. It's a pretty relaxing listen that lets me leave the HEK on the background for hours-long sessions, but someone who wants a more engaging experience may prefer something like a Focal.
I don't feel the need to amp except on a handful of classical or acoustic tracks with extremely high dynamic range that makes weaker gear start clipping. The HEK sounds both tonally agreeable and high-resolution to me out of a 1V phone dongle, so I don't have any desire to experiment with tubey source chains or whatever.
I actually bought the HEK based on Crinacle's measurements, being one of a few Hifiman headphones with existent bass, it sounds pretty much exactly how it graphs, and I can see why he keeps it as a personal unit. As someone who listens to a lot of vocals, I'm unwilling to sacrifice tonality on the altar of technicalities, but the HEK balances the two nicely, a student scoring an A- on both rather than an A+ on one and and a B- on the other. If it weren't for the crap price and build quality, I could call it a safe endgame pick for someone who wants an airy, expansive presentation.
ctaxxxx
1000+ Head-Fier
Do you find the v2 closer in sound to the Arya (v2, not stealth magnet version) headphones? I recently received the HE1000SE and kind of the same opinion of you. Better technicalities, but the presentation and sound is not the upgrade I was expecting over the Arya. Wondering if I should opt for the HE1000v2 as well.
I also have the DX300 with AMP12 (and AMP11 as well). Does it drive the HE1000v2 well? I assume they're around the same the Arya's are.
Planning to do this pad swap for the Aryas. How did you get it to attach? Did you rip the retaining ring from original ultrapads? How did you attach the ring to the Audeze pads? I have some extra ZMF Eikon pads, you think these can be used instead?Copied from the other thread:
Direct comparison with modded HE-6 and HE1k:
Listening through Yggy > audio-gd Master -1 preamp > Krell FPB 300cx.
Like the new headband design compared to HE-6, plus the thing is much much lighter. I like the size (L x W, diameter) of the cups but dislike the shallowness (ear touches the driver side) and the velour material (woolly and makes my ears itchy). I don't like the sleeving on the cable either, but I think most of us will be upgrading cables and probably hardwiring later.
At first listen, I think the differences between HE-6 and HE1k are obvious. HE1k is more detailed, faster, better layering, imaging, and soundstage. A better headphone, technically. BUT (here it comes) it's not engaging; it's laid-back - a bit boring. I've had to crank up the volume on the HE1k to get that engagement/raw energy of the HE-6. I'm so used to that level of excitement and magic, my ears kept digging for it then gave out in fatigue. There's a warmth to the HE1k bass that is bloomy and does not feel solid (like bass from SR-009). HE-6 forcefully thumps you in the chest while HE1k blows air in your face. If anyone heard the HE1k at CanJam, these sound VERY different from those. I'm inclined to say the pairs at CanJam were broken.
The whole time, I was longing to reach for the HE-6 because it's got the sound I know and love. I want that attack, visceralness, engagement in the mids that grabs you by the neck and doesn't let go. The HE1k is the better headphone no doubt, but it's not quite what I like. I think a lot of HE-6 owners will agree with me here. For all the other guys who didn't think the HE-6 was that special, this might be the perfect headphone.
Throughout all of yesterday, I was in a lot of disappointment and confusion. I finally got a headphone that's an upgrade after all these years of waiting, but I didn't like it; it didn't make me happy. Something ticked in my mind and decided to do something about it. What if I put my Audeze Vegan pads on these?
HOLY CRAP! THERE IT IS!!! The MAGIC is BACK baby! All the excitement, engagement, attack came back from a simple pad change! I love how they sound now. There is a minor annoyance in that theres a midbass boost which I'm currently still trying to fix, but it's a huge leap forward in the right direction. It finally sounds like a headphone with focus and man do those mids pop right out. I want to say the imaging and layer is better than the R10 now. The subbass is also earthshaking which I'm sure Abyss lover would like.
I would highly suggest that Fang should keep working on the pads. They are really holding the driver back.
At this point, I can almost say this is the best headphone in the world (haven't heard an Orpheus though). Hifiman did a very good job with the driver and now with my mod, I can say these are an HE-6 replacement. Last month, I shoved my modded HE-6 in Fang's face and told him these are the real benchmark! I sort of take that back now because the HE1k is the new benchmark once they have been modded.
Day 3 update:
I'm still very pleased with this headphone. There are truly no flaws to the sound, but I believe they can be even better with more minor tweaking on dampening and use of earpads.
FiGuY1017
500+ Head-Fier
I think we should be more specific when we talk about can A blowing can b away, because music genre plays a big part in determining what is best imo. So one could say, SE I better than v2, well for a specific genre maybe, perhaps for another it isn't. And it's all subjective in the end anyway, but I will say my Susvara is so good I think about trading my Hekv2 in for a second or maybe.. a Tc lol
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