ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
Too bad it's basically discontinued at this pointYes, that's right....the HE1 will remain the best for a long time to come
The Sennheiser HE1 and how I came back after 16 years hiatus from Headfi (acquisition, unboxing, installation, and impressions over time)
- Thread starter Joey_V
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Yeah, i was wondering about that.
I'm very sure that without his connections in the industry he would not have been able to buy a unit. It's also a very good showcase for Sennheiser to let Crinacle have one, basically every other time someone enters his shop he will be asking about the HE1 if he knows Crin owns one. That will create a lot of talk talk about it / Sennheiser and their (in my opinion) overrated HD models. S tier advertising for them.
157 units sounds crazy low, i imagine there were many people who really wanted to buy one, but got ignored by Sennheiser over the years. I would actually love to know that number. I also wonder how many units of the Shangri-La Senior have sold, funny that he didn't mention it one time, because that one and the Aperio are (or were before the Immanis) the three god tier headphones.
Well, i just need to accept that i will never truly be able to directly compare my Immanis (or Valkyria / Susvara Unveiled) chain versus the HE-1, and that's ok.
Edit: Kinda crazy to recognize that Raal has sold basically the same amounts of Immanis' that Sennheiser has sold HE-1's. It's 10k€ and most people add at least a 5k€ DAC + 5k€ amp. Sure, it's not 60k€, but it gets at least somewhat up there...
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So is it for sale, is it not for sale? Anyone reading this thread can see that it apparently is not for sale and people are almost insulted when trying to buy it. But then this video comes out with the Sennheiser rep basically making it sound like it is for sale and the price being discussed ad nauseam.
What a f-ed up company. That's all I gotta say.
I'll go back to enjoying my R10s.
What a f-ed up company. That's all I gotta say.
I'll go back to enjoying my R10s.
I was told by a Sennheiser representative at CJ NYC 2025 that it was for sale. 29 units were still available to be built. $70,000 USD How much is that is correct as of today, I don’t know.
Yea Eric told me the same thing at CanJam. Said he visited factory and 3 units are now being built, and the guy demoing unit after me was considering a purchase..
protoss
Headphoneus Supremus
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I am the only one that didn't find HE-1 special at all sound-wise?
I see people on videos crying listening to it but I never got that emotional at all really. I had a good 5-6 hours with it in one session and it has no real weaknesses aside from soundstage width which is just average. The bass, timbre and tonality is its biggest advantages.
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I wonder about its availability.
It seems I am good enough with finagling the customer service maze that I am able to find tubes and wear and tear parts. But it’s still not as straightforward or as quick as other manufacturers.
I am a little confused by availability. I also thought the number would be higher than 157. Last I made an attempt to buy 11/2023 to 5/2024, I was told no HE1 for sale. I am not sure what the deal is as of current.
I did request for a second headset, or atleast inquire about obtaining one. Sennheiser said no availability as of 3 months ago.
I am not sure if Eric would know, he seemed to be not in the loop when I told him about parts shortages.
Also, I agree w @crinacle
A two channel system is different than headphones entirely. But I would not say that a two channel system is of higher fidelity. I disagree with @crinacle when he said that on the video.
The HE1 is of higher fidelity than my two channel system. It is the reference. It’s just different in terms of presentation.
It seems I am good enough with finagling the customer service maze that I am able to find tubes and wear and tear parts. But it’s still not as straightforward or as quick as other manufacturers.
I am a little confused by availability. I also thought the number would be higher than 157. Last I made an attempt to buy 11/2023 to 5/2024, I was told no HE1 for sale. I am not sure what the deal is as of current.
I did request for a second headset, or atleast inquire about obtaining one. Sennheiser said no availability as of 3 months ago.
I am not sure if Eric would know, he seemed to be not in the loop when I told him about parts shortages.
Also, I agree w @crinacle
A two channel system is different than headphones entirely. But I would not say that a two channel system is of higher fidelity. I disagree with @crinacle when he said that on the video.
The HE1 is of higher fidelity than my two channel system. It is the reference. It’s just different in terms of presentation.
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Thing that hit me the most was that the music was pretty colorless. Other headphones have their own color/flavor, and you tend to hear that, but with the he-1, it feels much closer to live music. The one weakness, as you mentioned, is soundstage... which is actually a pretty big downside if you listen to orchestral music a lot.
I have yet to find a music making unit that is as appealing to me as the HE1. It just sounds appropriate.
That's a great way to put it, and I totally agree!
protoss
Headphoneus Supremus
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Wambulance incoming
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I’ll take the 98%!All thanks for it being close to 100% Harman curve. The HE1 is the pinnacle of what a 100% Harman Curve sounds like - natural, pure, and dead-accurate, to the point of almost sounding dull, unimpressive, and boring.
Sadly, Harman Curve just can't do soundstage, this is its only drawback.
Overall, welcome to a 98-100% HC
If I need soundstage, the speakers in the same room will do that.
Why would following the Harman Curve impact soundstage?All thanks for it being close to 100% Harman curve. The HE1 is the pinnacle of what a 100% Harman Curve sounds like - natural, pure, and dead-accurate, to the point of almost sounding dull, unimpressive, and boring.
Sadly, Harman Curve just can't do soundstage, this is its only drawback.
Overall, welcome to a 98-100% HC
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