[n3rdling]

HE1000 soundstage is like a larger, more diffuse version of the Lambda soundstage.  Both lack depth but have very tall vertical images.

 

[purk]

  HE1000 soundstage is like a larger, more diffuse version of the Lambda soundstage.  Both lack depth but have very tall vertical images.

Probably better than the Stax Lambda, but yes it does lack depth compared to the SR009 with a really good amp.

 

[Sorrodje]

  Probably better than the Stax Lambda, 

 
mmhh. Debatable. Lambda's FR adds something "light" so imaging and soundstage have an ethereal nature that could be pleasing because detail and instrument delineation is there.  Layering and depth are missing but precision & imaging are OK.  with the HE1K , everything is lacking. my 2 cents. 

 

[jamato8]

   
mmhh. Debatable. Lambda's FR adds something "light" so imaging and soundstage have an ethereal nature that could be pleasing because detail and instrument delineation is there.  Layering and depth are missing but precision & imaging are OK.  with the HE1K , everything is lacking. my 2 cents. 

There must be some differences in the HE1000's as that is not what I am hearing a lack of. 

 

[negura]

  HE1000 soundstage is like a larger, more diffuse version of the Lambda soundstage.  Both lack depth but have very tall vertical images.

 
Very good description imo. HEK: Big height, lack of depth, good width. Almost the opposite of HD800s. The HEK exaggerate height probably as a result of the unusual size and format of the drivers/cups. Some people will interpret this as a greater good, such as high DR or speaker like stage. Unfortunately imo it's neither. It's just an unusual type of staging presentation. It's neither good or bad, it's just what it is.
 
I no longer own the SR-009s, but the lack of this kind of exaggeration is significant to what makes their sound stage presentation so good. 

 

[miceblue]

with the HE1K , everything is lacking. my 2 cents. 

I blame your amp. Your amp obviously can't drive the HE1000 to its fullest potential and you need to spend big bucks in order for it to sound good. : p

Kidding aside, I do think the SR-207 bests the HE1000 in many areas.

HE1000 soundstage is like a larger, more diffuse version of the Lambda soundstage. Both lack depth but have very tall vertical images.

The SR-207 is the first headphone I heard to have a good rendering of height in a soundstage, and I agree that the HE1000's rendering is larger and more diffused. I'm not sure if the driver's speed has to do with instrument separation, but the HE1000 does have less well-defined instruments compared to the SR-207.

 

[preproman]

Well what about the exaggerated width of the HD800s?  That exaggeration can be unwanted with certain music.  The HE1K width is what it should be IMO.  The exaggerated width of the HD800s always through me off.  
 
The 009s does the width and height correct - IMO.  The issuer with the HE1K is that it's imaging is diffused - kind of confusing at times.

 

[goobicii]

  Well what about the exaggerated width of the HD800s?  That exaggeration can be unwanted with certain music.  The HE1K width is what it should be IMO.  The exaggerated width of the HD800s always through me off.  
 
The 009s does the width and height correct - IMO.  The issuer with the HE1K is that it's imaging is diffused - kind of confusing at times.

what is diffused imaging

 

[moodyrn]

I  completely agree. The artificial sounding soundstage is what put me off the most with the hd800(even more than the harshness in the lower treble). But everyone has certain things they look for, so it's good there are many interpretations of soundstage with high end cans. The hd800 soundstage just isn't the one for me. 

  Well what about the exaggerated width of the HD800s?  That exaggeration can be unwanted with certain music.  The HE1K width is what it should be IMO.  The exaggerated width of the HD800s always through me off.  
 
The 009s does the width and height correct - IMO.  The issuer with the HE1K is that it's imaging is diffused - kind of confusing at times.

 

[preproman]

  what is diffused imaging

Spread over a wide area.

 

[negura]

  Well what about the exaggerated width of the HD800s?  That exaggeration can be unwanted with certain music.  The HE1K width is what it should be IMO.  The exaggerated width of the HD800s always through me off.  
 
The 009s does the width and height correct - IMO.  The issuer with the HE1K is that it's imaging is diffused - kind of confusing at times.

 
I agree. This kind of exaggeration is not a greater good: be it the HEK height or the HD800s width.
 
Getting it right is hard, but trying to impress by exaggeration I can certainly see how it's interesting in the short term... Hence why I think the 009s are a positive example here.

 

[purrin]

Anax mods with HD800 do a lot to reduce exaggerated with of HD800s. I forgot to mention that I do have a 2-ply cheap Kirkland TP over drives which does cut down on the diffuse stage of HEK. As others have said, there is not much depth. However the HEK is rather open sounding still, not closed sounding, like some Audezes. 

 

[MacedonianHero]

  I think that they will also add an instruction manual (said to be the best ever written by HiFiMAN) and the headphone stand as used in the original introduction of the HE1000, shown here:
 

 
EDIT - CORRECTION:  I learned that the HE1000 headphone stand shown above will not be shipped with the production HE1000s. It is only compatible with the vertical grills of the pre-beta prototype HE1000, not the horizontal grills of the final product.  As physicists know, the vertical grills diffract the sound waves in the orthogonal (horizontal) direction, that is, far and wide; the current horizontal grills diffract the music vertically -- high and low.  The stands are therefore incompatible.

 
Correct. I didn't get a headphone stand with my production HE1000s. No worries, I'd have left it in the box as my Woo Audio headphone stand is perfect for all of my headphones.
 

  Hi Sorrodje, 
 
Can you tell me how the bass in the sr009 compares to the he1k? 

 
The HE1000s have incredibly deep and nuanced bass that is oh so very satisfying, but the SR-009s seem to hit a bit harder and offer detail retrieval that is on a level onto itself. Overall (after a week) the HE1000s are moving up the charts and pushing for #2 in my collection (after the SR-009s).

 

[negura]

  Anax mods with HD800 do a lot to reduce exaggerated with of HD800s. I forgot to mention that I do have a 2-ply cheap Kirkland TP over drives which does cut down on the diffuse stage of HEK. As others have said, there is not much depth. However the HEK is rather open sounding still, not closed sounding, like some Audezes. 

 
Oh they are certainly not closed sounding as the Audeze thanks screw.
However, there is a price to pay with some mods. Applying the TP mod to the HEK, makes them more even in the treble, but it doesn't help where they lack most: leading edge energy/attack. It makes them a bit less transparent too imo.
 
I have to say on my beta pair, I had to really nitpick to complain about the treble. The treble was actually in better shape than most flagships I had here. If anything I could have had more air and energy in the treble with my pair. I didn't feel a need to tame it.

 

[n3rdling]

The HD800's extreme width is one of the aspects I always find distracting, even with Anax mods.  Instead of having a width between drivers and then extending outside the drivers when the recording calls for it, the soundstage is always extended way outside the drivers.  It's great for some music and super distracting for other types.  Very few headphones do this though, and the HE90 is the master of this effect. K1000 is great at doing this with depth.