![xjw51onbk2291[1].jpg](https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/12222025.jpg)
Yup, the first headphone that I noticed a burn-in as well. Didn't noticed it much on audeze, th900, rs1i and hd800
Official HIFIMAN HE1000 Impressions Thread
- Thread starter negura
- Start date
Yup, the first headphone that I noticed a burn-in as well. Didn't noticed it much on audeze, th900, rs1i and hd800
alseal
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 31, 2015
- Posts
- 38
- Likes
- 20
I'm a huge skeptic of burn-in too! In my opinion, burn-in is essentially an process of our brain getting use to the sound signature. It is like when moving to a different country, although you can speak the same language with the locals, it might be hard to understand them in the beginning due to their accent or speed or emphasis etc.(just like a new pair of headphone)
After a couple of weeks, the brain has learned how to analyse the tonal pattern, everything just sounds much clearer.
After a couple of weeks, the brain has learned how to analyse the tonal pattern, everything just sounds much clearer.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2002
- Posts
- 11,958
- Likes
- 401
This is not true at all. How can a headphone with a brand new diaphragm or mylar-type film, sound the same when it's brand new, as when it's been stretched and exercised a few thousand times. Does a leather couch feel the same when it's new, compared to years of wear and tear. If the diaphragm is what produces the sound spectrum, how can it possibly have the same characteristics after 200 hours of use?
Doesn't a car engine require break-in because the metal heats up and cools down with use, and give you better gas mileage after 3000 miles?
I really find it hard to trust the opinion of a Head-Fier that doesn't think burn-in affects the sound? What aren't you hearing that I am?
Doesn't a car engine require break-in because the metal heats up and cools down with use, and give you better gas mileage after 3000 miles?
I really find it hard to trust the opinion of a Head-Fier that doesn't think burn-in affects the sound? What aren't you hearing that I am?
the8o88y
Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 4, 2013
- Posts
- 76
- Likes
- 31
Hello everyone, I'm going to go ahead and try my hand at posting these impressions on the HE-1K, which will be my first. I eventually want to do full fledged pro-style bad-ass reviews, and I so I have to start somewhere. Since I've never really shared headphone impressions, my tendency will be to, in some spots, compare them to my current phones, the LCD-X, and the previously borrowed HD-800. I'd like to point out that:
-I like most types of music, but the majority of my interest centers around rock, alternative and metal.
-I listened to all types of music to get a good feel for the headphones, to form a more fair assessment.
-I rented these headphones, brand new from thecableco.com.
-I was told that they were burned in for "a couple days" before being sent.
-And of course, this is all just my opinion. I'm not the narcissistic jackass to presume to state any of my opinions as fact.
My initial thoughts that came to mind when I put on the HE-1K were about the overall clarity of the sound. Microdetails were presented in a very crisp, revealing manner. It is probably the clearest, cleanest, most detailed headphone to which I've listened. The reason this is really significant to me, is because these headphones don't sacrifice realism for clarity. What I mean by that, is that I feel sometimes that the higher a headphone's resolution is, the more artificial, dry, and "digital" it sounds. I don't want to feel like I'm listening to a recording of music sourced from electronic components, no matter how good, or "true to source." I want to feel like I'm in the audience of a live performance, or in a studio with the musicians. On the other end of the spectrum, I feel that some headphones that maybe aren't as crystal clear in presentation, end of giving the impression of a more natural, organic, and live sound, like perhaps comparing a cd sound to an lp sound, or a tube amp to a ss amp. If I had to choose between the two sonorities, I would choose the more natural sound, because I'm a musician and am around live music all the time. Luckily, this headphone does not make me have to choose. I get both a natural and crystal clear aural picture, which is no small feat for any headphone.
The soundstage resembles that of the HD-800, which is to say, more spacious, airy, wider than that of an average headphone, with more width than height. I didn't feel so much like I was listening to a pair of headphones, but more to a set of ear-speakers.
I find the imaging on the HE-1K to be spot on. I could close my eyes and know exactly in the recording where all of the instruments and voices were located. This gave the overall presentation a slight 3-D effect, or a binaural recording, like the music was surrounding you, as opposed to a presentation on a 2-D plane that takes place directly in front of you.
The quality of the treble is airy, crystal clear, sparkles when called for, and compared to the mids, seems much more present. If turned up to loud listening volumes, the treble can at times seem to be a bit overbalanced.
The mids are something that I feel to be the one glaring weakness (besides the price) of an otherwise amazing set of cans. Considering the stunning clarity that the HE-1K offer, I still knew immediately that something left me wanting, and was just missing from the picture. I honestly feel like someone took a vacuum and sucked the presence of the mids and upper bass out of this headphone. Listening to rock and metal, I'm left wanting for guitar, and the general "meat" of the overall sound. Features like guitar solos and driving rhythm lines in many cases are just not balanced well with everything else. That is huge deal for me, because the biggest strengths of the LCD-3 and maybe less so the LCD-X, (my current favorite headphones,) are the big, beefy mids. The mids bridge the gap between the melody (treble) and the foundation (bass)! That means that there's something in 33.3% of the complete aural spectrum that's obviously missing. And while it was difficult to completely pinpoint initially, it is the reason that I find these headphones to sound really pretty, but in some cases, too polite. I like a lot of visceral slam in the bass, it makes the music more engaging, and lifelike. This headphone lacks that sense of engagement, and can at times come across as boring.
There are two parts about the bass, and the first coincides with what I said about the mids. The upper bass/lower mids, as mentioned above, seem to take away from the slam and emotive effect that true-to-life music should produce ....
The sub-bass, however, is AMAZING. It's my favorite feature about these headphones. Never before in a headphone experience have I felt such presence, depth, extension, tone and clarity in the sub bass-presentation. It's a huge plus for those who enjoy EDM, Hip-Hop, or other bass and percussion heavy genres. It's also what makes the experience feel more speaker-like.
In conclusion, I find the HE-1K to be one of the most beautiful sounding headphones in production. It is crystal clear, natural and organic sounding, has great soundstage and imaging, sweet treble, and amazing sub-bass. However, the mids and upper bass are weak, especially with rock/metal, or energetic music. This is a deal breaker for me since I listen to a lot of high octane audio, and these headphones do not engage me the way my LCD-X always do. Plus, the retail price for these suckers is $2,999, which is not a great value among other flagship phones (minus the Abyss and the 009, the only other high-end phones on my list I've yet to audition.) In addition, the improvements of the listed strengths of these cans compared to other top flagships are noticeable but not monumental. The obvious aforementioned advantages that the HE-1K have, just aren't enough. I understand the law of diminishing returns, but even then I still prefer my LCD-X, and I feel like a more fair price for the HE-1K would start at least at half their MSRP.
Some random notes:
-Piano is very natural sounding. Least digital sounding piano I've heard from headphones, very lifelike. Same with acoustic strings.
-Same with vocals, which sound smooth and real, as if the singer was serenading you.
-This headphone excels with acoustic music, like classical/jazz and seems it was voiced and tuned for those genres. (not unlike the HD-800)
-I like listening to headphones a bit higher past normal listening volumes. I can't do that with the HE-1K. Like the HE-6, I can't usually get to the desired listening level I want without hearing a bit of distortion. As soon as I hear even a hint of distortion, I have to dial back on the volume so I don't damage the drivers. I'm not sure if this is just a phone/amp matching issue, because my M9 packs plenty of power.
-I like most types of music, but the majority of my interest centers around rock, alternative and metal.
-I listened to all types of music to get a good feel for the headphones, to form a more fair assessment.
-I rented these headphones, brand new from thecableco.com.
-I was told that they were burned in for "a couple days" before being sent.
-And of course, this is all just my opinion. I'm not the narcissistic jackass to presume to state any of my opinions as fact.
My initial thoughts that came to mind when I put on the HE-1K were about the overall clarity of the sound. Microdetails were presented in a very crisp, revealing manner. It is probably the clearest, cleanest, most detailed headphone to which I've listened. The reason this is really significant to me, is because these headphones don't sacrifice realism for clarity. What I mean by that, is that I feel sometimes that the higher a headphone's resolution is, the more artificial, dry, and "digital" it sounds. I don't want to feel like I'm listening to a recording of music sourced from electronic components, no matter how good, or "true to source." I want to feel like I'm in the audience of a live performance, or in a studio with the musicians. On the other end of the spectrum, I feel that some headphones that maybe aren't as crystal clear in presentation, end of giving the impression of a more natural, organic, and live sound, like perhaps comparing a cd sound to an lp sound, or a tube amp to a ss amp. If I had to choose between the two sonorities, I would choose the more natural sound, because I'm a musician and am around live music all the time. Luckily, this headphone does not make me have to choose. I get both a natural and crystal clear aural picture, which is no small feat for any headphone.
The soundstage resembles that of the HD-800, which is to say, more spacious, airy, wider than that of an average headphone, with more width than height. I didn't feel so much like I was listening to a pair of headphones, but more to a set of ear-speakers.
I find the imaging on the HE-1K to be spot on. I could close my eyes and know exactly in the recording where all of the instruments and voices were located. This gave the overall presentation a slight 3-D effect, or a binaural recording, like the music was surrounding you, as opposed to a presentation on a 2-D plane that takes place directly in front of you.
The quality of the treble is airy, crystal clear, sparkles when called for, and compared to the mids, seems much more present. If turned up to loud listening volumes, the treble can at times seem to be a bit overbalanced.
The mids are something that I feel to be the one glaring weakness (besides the price) of an otherwise amazing set of cans. Considering the stunning clarity that the HE-1K offer, I still knew immediately that something left me wanting, and was just missing from the picture. I honestly feel like someone took a vacuum and sucked the presence of the mids and upper bass out of this headphone. Listening to rock and metal, I'm left wanting for guitar, and the general "meat" of the overall sound. Features like guitar solos and driving rhythm lines in many cases are just not balanced well with everything else. That is huge deal for me, because the biggest strengths of the LCD-3 and maybe less so the LCD-X, (my current favorite headphones,) are the big, beefy mids. The mids bridge the gap between the melody (treble) and the foundation (bass)! That means that there's something in 33.3% of the complete aural spectrum that's obviously missing. And while it was difficult to completely pinpoint initially, it is the reason that I find these headphones to sound really pretty, but in some cases, too polite. I like a lot of visceral slam in the bass, it makes the music more engaging, and lifelike. This headphone lacks that sense of engagement, and can at times come across as boring.
There are two parts about the bass, and the first coincides with what I said about the mids. The upper bass/lower mids, as mentioned above, seem to take away from the slam and emotive effect that true-to-life music should produce ....
The sub-bass, however, is AMAZING. It's my favorite feature about these headphones. Never before in a headphone experience have I felt such presence, depth, extension, tone and clarity in the sub bass-presentation. It's a huge plus for those who enjoy EDM, Hip-Hop, or other bass and percussion heavy genres. It's also what makes the experience feel more speaker-like.
In conclusion, I find the HE-1K to be one of the most beautiful sounding headphones in production. It is crystal clear, natural and organic sounding, has great soundstage and imaging, sweet treble, and amazing sub-bass. However, the mids and upper bass are weak, especially with rock/metal, or energetic music. This is a deal breaker for me since I listen to a lot of high octane audio, and these headphones do not engage me the way my LCD-X always do. Plus, the retail price for these suckers is $2,999, which is not a great value among other flagship phones (minus the Abyss and the 009, the only other high-end phones on my list I've yet to audition.) In addition, the improvements of the listed strengths of these cans compared to other top flagships are noticeable but not monumental. The obvious aforementioned advantages that the HE-1K have, just aren't enough. I understand the law of diminishing returns, but even then I still prefer my LCD-X, and I feel like a more fair price for the HE-1K would start at least at half their MSRP.
Some random notes:
-Piano is very natural sounding. Least digital sounding piano I've heard from headphones, very lifelike. Same with acoustic strings.
-Same with vocals, which sound smooth and real, as if the singer was serenading you.
-This headphone excels with acoustic music, like classical/jazz and seems it was voiced and tuned for those genres. (not unlike the HD-800)
-I like listening to headphones a bit higher past normal listening volumes. I can't do that with the HE-1K. Like the HE-6, I can't usually get to the desired listening level I want without hearing a bit of distortion. As soon as I hear even a hint of distortion, I have to dial back on the volume so I don't damage the drivers. I'm not sure if this is just a phone/amp matching issue, because my M9 packs plenty of power.
A great, very informative review sir.
Great review! I have auditioned both 009 and HEK. 009 has better mids, maybe the vividest I've ever heard. HEK's mids, to my ears, fit better for male vocals since it has a sort of dignity in it, which may cause the female vocals to be not so sweet.
paradoxper
Headphoneus Supremus
This is not true at all. How can a headphone with a brand new diaphragm or mylar-type film, sound the same when it's brand new, as when it's been stretched and exercised a few thousand times. Does a leather couch feel the same when it's new, compared to years of wear and tear. If the diaphragm is what produces the sound spectrum, how can it possibly have the same characteristics after 200 hours of use?
Doesn't a car engine require break-in because the metal heats up and cools down with use, and give you better gas mileage after 3000 miles?
I really find it hard to trust the opinion of a Head-Fier that doesn't think burn-in affects the sound? What aren't you hearing that I am?
How can you say anything definitive either way. The most likely factor would be manufacturer dependent. I.e. how long they break in the transducer beforehand.
The other would be pyscho acoustic. Hell, my own experience is with stats which seem quite sensitive to changes in the air, etc. Can't say I've particularly
noticed my 009 sounding worlds better, say, a month or year later opposed to out of the box.
money4me247
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
- Posts
- 6,453
- Likes
- 3,951
@the8o88y, ran out of kudos for the day, but good job on your first review! look forward to seeing more of your work in the future 
do note that the lcd-x have a upper bass and low mid emphasis & the lcd-3 does have a significant mid-centric presentation. but I think that your relative comments on the sound signature makes a lot of sense.
do note that the lcd-x have a upper bass and low mid emphasis & the lcd-3 does have a significant mid-centric presentation. but I think that your relative comments on the sound signature makes a lot of sense.
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2011
- Posts
- 16,414
- Likes
- 3,088
Nice review the8o88y!
I didn't really factor in the price in my review now that I look back on it, hahaha. The HE1000 is definitely up there in terms of price, but it also sounds pretty good as a whole as well. Personally I would still take the HE1000 over the LCD-X when factoring the price. : p
Although the X is still my favourite modern Audeze headphone (I haven't heard the EL-8 open yet).
I didn't really factor in the price in my review now that I look back on it, hahaha. The HE1000 is definitely up there in terms of price, but it also sounds pretty good as a whole as well. Personally I would still take the HE1000 over the LCD-X when factoring the price. : p
Although the X is still my favourite modern Audeze headphone (I haven't heard the EL-8 open yet).
the8o88y
Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 4, 2013
- Posts
- 76
- Likes
- 31
@the8o88y, ran out of kudos for the day, but good job on your first review! look forward to seeing more of your work in the future
do note that the lcd-x have a upper bass and low mid emphasis & the lcd-3 does have a significant mid-centric presentation. but I think that your relative comments on the sound signature makes a lot of sense.
Thanks, everyone! Money, I just read your review on Ether! -OUTSTANDING- work. I'm aware of the LCD-X mid-bottom heaviness, and my preference for it. I think that's why the HE-1K seems that much more derived to me in that sense compared to what is technically and graphically considered to be neutral.
As a band director, and musical performer, I guess I naturally cater to the McBeth pyramid of sound, which indicates that the higher pitched instruments need less volume output to balance correctly with the overall sound presentation (kind of like the real life dynamic between tweeter, mid-range, and sub speakers.) Of course, this pertains to concert band instruments and setup, and I know that this concept applied to generally accepted audiophile principles would be a huge-no-no. lol
zeissiez
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2014
- Posts
- 488
- Likes
- 312
Great review!!! I agree with all your points, perhaps a nice tubeamp could bring forward and thicken the mids
LifeAspect
500+ Head-Fier
no issues here with the mids with my tube amp
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Posts
- 9,018
- Likes
- 1,769
Don't have an issue with the mids either, only the fit/comfort...
LifeAspect
500+ Head-Fier
glamour shot
I am starting to get used to the fit although a bigger band would be nice.
I am starting to get used to the fit although a bigger band would be nice.
the8o88y
Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 4, 2013
- Posts
- 76
- Likes
- 31
no issues here with the mids with my tube amp
I've tried some great ss amps, but have never really tried tubes. I listened to a comparison on youtube between a Telecaster being played on a ss amp, and then tube, both Fenders, just to get an idea. The tube amp gave off a rich, lush, organic tone, while the ss amp seemed more authoritative, with more bass presence, clear highs, but a bit harsh.
I guess preference for one or the other comes down to properly matching gear and what best suits your preferred music genres.
Users who are viewing this thread
