SoundMAGIC HP-1000
Hi guys - I'm really goin' out on a limb for this one, but I believe in honesty in this hobby so here it goes:
So the nice folks at SoundMAGIC sent me a final production HP-1000 hoping for a positive review. Here is my highest praise: "the headband was much improved". And the sound? Well after putting it through the paces on multiple amps (tube and SS) over several days, using well mastered tracks I'm familiar with and with successions of A/B'ing with other well known closed-backs from the likes of Sennheiser and even their oldest HP-100 model (albeit mine slightly better than stock having a custom internal mod), my general takeaway is that these fail on every sonic aspect, sounding perhaps like a cross between a low model of (bright) Ultrasone and perhaps a mid-tier model of Beats brand, with a poor chosen driver and huge amounts of audible distortion that varies both on R / L channels and at different frequencies. The driver this Chinese company chose for this unit totally lacks the ability to convey complexity or layering of recordings of any genre so you cannot hear some sounds that are present on other headphones, and it's sad that the 'breakthrough' internal concoctions they made up for this headphone do nothing but totally limit / ruin the soundstage and dynamics until everything sounds basically flat - AND "adding their own soundtrack". So along with the above, you now get distortion that varies from R / L depending on frequency likely caused by the way their new tech vibrates / rattles at differing frequencies. Next, the timbre is a wee bit off, not reproducing most notes correctly. Also there is a sort of 'phase' effect which is to me very unwelcome, as if a several millisecond delay was added to one of the channels (or this could be an unintended effect of their jacked up internal concoctions), causing what may sound like a larger soundstage to an untrained ear, but to me it just sounds extremely artificial. Finally it uses a proprietary connector and a cable with the original being far too short for any normal usage and the extension being almost way too long.
Unable to write a positive review I sent it back to them and they measured it showing a fairly flat FR graph, but here's to hoping they can figure out how to measure for various types of distortion, as well as hopefully take my detailed steps I had sent for a better future headphone release (better driver, damping methods, earpad, etc.). They tried to 'censor' my impressions, but again I prefer transparency in this community for the betterment of both the designer and the consumer. There have been a few other reviews on this on both Amazon and here on H.F., but it is my (opinion) that either these reviewers either lack a proper point of reference (to what a good closed-back sounds like), they held back in their review, they were a musician who, like many actually also lack a proper point of reference for proper gear, or, like the one legit looking review it matches closer to mine, though I got the feeling even they too were holding back on their take of these.
In closing, this being the HP-100 / 151 thread please take the above for what it's worth and keep on topic. PLEASE do NOT reply on this thread about the topic of the above mentioned headphone model. Although not so active, I don't want to derail this thread and I also do hold good respect for SoundMAGIC as a company, that I see has good potential for a better headphone model.
I will derail this thread temporarily as the HP-1000 is the flagship of Soundmagic and is quite new and untested for many, so it's relevance in this thread I'd call welcome.
Despite some things you say being relatable at first, I am quite surprised by your final conclusions. With all due respect and considering your opinion as a fellow headphone lover dearly, I do wonder if you had gotten a bad unit, or if Soundmagic changed something internally between the time when you received the HP-1000 and when I did (a week ago). Did you ever take off the earcups and noticed the shield in front of the driver? What shape did it have? Also, did you just put them down after a few hours, what was your burn in time? Of course you simply just might have disliked the signature of the HP-1000 for what it is. In this hobby that can also happen right? Preferences can differ in signatures. But what shouldn't differ so much is the sense of technical ability, which is where I disagree greatly with you. Nevertheless I will try to share my views on why your experience could've differed so much from mine.
First things first, concerning the distortion, did you check if your hairs were not hanging loose around your ears?
My long hairs vibrated inside the cups when I did frequency response sweeps, which caused this distorting static rattling noise. These headphones apparently seal well so they make your hairs around your ear vibrate in the cup. After fixing my hair it went away and the entire frequency sweep sounded clean and non-distorting.
Secondly, just like you I also received the HP-1000 from Soundmagic in order to review them, and just like you I have been with Soundmagic over the years since the HP-100 which I still own, though unlike you you can expect a very polarising view on the HP-1000. Not originating from any of the biased backgrounds you hypothesised whatsoever, I found the HP-1000 having bar non the biggest soundstage in a closed headphone that I experienced, maybe even in all of my headphone collection. It's layering is also another level compared to closed headphones in it's price range or even to other headphones in general. Bass is very clean and never interferes with the rest of the frequency response. I am hearing background elements most of my other headphones never even imaged. The Teak, which I also own, does portray them as detailed but they are somewhat more bass emphasised and compact sounding so the background sounds are slightly more hidden. The layering of the HP-1000 reminded me a bit of my HE-400, and that's a planar so go figure. The soundstage is a bit bigger than the HD-598, and those are open headphones so there is that. I dare to say they are just as detailed as the Teak in the upper registers but having lesser bass control, texture and extension, yet with a bigger more revealing soundstage and a less intimate sound.
But I digress, I A-B'd the HP-1000 with HP100/150, which I still both own, and they pale in comparison, besides maybe the prescense of the tail of the sub bass region (20-40hz). If you expected the HP100/150 in the body of the HP-1000 then I can understand why you are so disappointed with the stock sound of the HP-1000, because the HP-1000 aims to portray everything in this huge transparent soundscape and unlike the HP100/150 doesn't necessarily prioritize any of it's layers in an upfront manner, though it can if the track calls upon it. This makes them especially great for orchestra and spacious soundtracks such as ones for movies, but these are incredible for Rock too. They got this bite in the upper registers that make it ow so satisfying for rock. Generally though, I'd say they are quite versatile.
But I digressed again, maybe this spaciousness of the HP-1000 made you feel the desire to feel the body of each layer more, or feel the sounds closer and so you were left unsatisfied wanting more. On a side note, the HP100/150 had an amazing soundstage for a closed back for it's time. Unlike the DT-770 which sounded quite inside your head, the HP100/150 sounded outside of your head with similar imaging. But the HP-1000 goes beyond the HP100/150 and has more the stage of an open headphone. Despite this huge stage creating a distant effect for some tracks, the HP-1000 oozes with details and has a ton of air to spare, so to my ears it never fails in busy passage ways and portrays it's layers in this holographic fashion. But it also doesn't translate tracks with a smaller recorded soundstage into something much bigger than originally intended. At times some orchestra definitely sounded a bit too far away thus dull, but then I noticed that upping the volume fixed this sensation.
Which makes sense, as orchestra is mastered to a higher dynamic range thus sounds lower at the same volume setting. On other genres higher volumes did cause ringing in the lower/higher mids and in the lower highs, but those volumes were unpleasant enough after more than 5 minutes and should near to damaging levels already.
Because of it's spaciousness it's best to actively listen to them in a quiet environment on a high end source and file in order to fully appreciate them, which I am sure you did but something else surely must be different in my chain of audio. If it helps, I paired them with only the LG V40 phone as it's the best DAC I own, and used USB Audio Player Pro for my .FLAC albums.
While the HP100/150 is a more in your face U sound signature which can be quite energetic and sometimes overwhelming in it's brightness, the HP-1000 is more of a w sound signature which approaches neutrality, with a coloured upper mid-range (raised in some areas and dropped in others) that emphasises soundstage and texture and is thus leaning on the slight cold and analytical side. However with emphasis on the word slight, it's never strident or fatiguing to me, which is probably due to the scoop in the 1khz-2khz area. The lower mids are also quite present and give it enough warmth to even out the cold upper midrange. The bass and highs are just so well controlled and speedy for a closed back, with their timbre being a step above the HP100-150 also. Perhaps the vocals can be bit too spacious due to this wonky upper midrange, but this does enable the big space they can be imaged in, which allows for micro details such as sighing or breathing of the singer to be portrayed.
But here things get even more interesting, the first 10 hours sounded closer to your experience. At first I also thought the timbre was quite off. Somehow I thought the headphones had this veil, with the body lacking and despite having a good soundstage I thought it's imaging was blurry. The bass wasn't very impactful or tight, the highs a bit edgy and uncontrolled and the midrange unnatural and artificial. Especially vocals sounded weightless or hollow. During those first 10 hours though, the sound slowly transitioned to what I think of them now. I started noticing how I could channel each layer correctly in this huge soundscape and still notice the nuances in all the textures of each layer. Width, height and depth of the soundstage stayed the same but the imaging improved drastically, allowing me to localize each layer a lot better in the soundstage. Bass became defined, impactful and well controlled though rolling off and losing control slightly after lowering from 40hz. Highs became more controlled and airy with excellent timber and body. Midrange became more natural and allowed for huge amounts of air and texture.
Now I think this change in my sound perception with the HP-1000 could be because they had to burn- in and because my other headphones are mostly tuned in this warm and upfront way, making soundtracks I know by heart sound different than before which can be unsettling. Though, it was not the first time I didn't instantly fall in love with a headphone for the first hours I tried them so I remained patient. Whatever the reason, psychological or technical or a bit of both, they started growing on me and I finally could appreciate them for what they could do.
Finally, what's also an interesting thing to note is that the HP-1000 is also very tolerable to different EQ settings. Bass can be increased and the upper mids be made less upfront without any audible distortion. I am quite sure Soundmagic could tune these drivers their sound in such a way that it resembled the HP100/150 more. But they don't have to in my opinion, the HP-1000 sits in a position where it can comfortably claim the best price/performance in it's price class while also presenting a cold analytical signature done just right, and that in a marketplace that is oversaturated of headphones with warm or U/V shaped signatures. I tried searching for the faults in the headphone and in the end they will just be personal nitpicks. I know I made a lot of these bold statements, but this is what I hear so that is what I will write in my as unbiased as I can be honest review. Soundmagic hit the homerun in my opinion.
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