I share my very first impressions with the HE1000 Stealth, and from what I understand, except for any remaining stock, there are only two versions of the HE1000 today: the Stealth and the SE. The various Vn that indicated versions have disappeared. In China, their country of origin, they cost more than in Europe or the USA (equivalent to €1800).
I have tried them in various configurations and had tested them briefly with friends using various amps and setups. However, having them allows you to focus on all the setups you want, especially with your own reference files. A good feature is the outputs allowing simultaneous listening with three different headphones. Additionally, my DAC allows simultaneous use of speaker and headphone amplifiers.
I had connected them to a couple of integrated speaker amps using the 6.3mm JACK, and after more than one listening session, I thought: Is this all?
Then today, I managed to connect them to the VIOLETRIC HPA V222 and SMSL DO300 DAC. I connected them in balanced mode with a pair of 2-meter XLR microphone cables (50cm more than necessary, but oh well). A decent cable with metal connectors without manufacturing flaws, made in Germany, valued at around €30... I recall that a balanced microphone cable certainly works well as a stereo interconnection cable; the reverse is not absolutely true, indeed! Then, by the definition of a balanced connection, if it were also "sensitive" to the type of cable, it would have no reason to exist.
The seller of the Violectric V222 recommended setting the volume level to 12:00, and I also set the DAC level to 0dB. I can only confirm that I had to lower the gain dip switches by -6dB, which were at 0dB. For some recordings, they should be set to -16dB as the volume output from the HE1000 ear cups is quite high, as in the case of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (even my daughter couldn't listen at 0dB).
What stands out in listening to these headphones is the great clarity and three-dimensionality they manage to deliver. They are certainly headphones designed for a specific purpose, excelling in the listening of female voices. Eva Cassidy's "Songbird" is a pleasure (even if it is not recorded perfectly). "Live in Paris" by Diana Krall, which I had never managed to listen to in its entirety, is another confirmation. The HE1000, contrary to what I had read, show deep and balanced bass in Allan Taylor's "Colour to the Moon" like I had never heard before...
The album "Seelie" by Clann... amazing for its three-dimensionality!"Horizon (Japan CD)" by Daft Punk... spatial (but it applies to the whole album)!
What can I say, this is a setup of almost €3000, but it at least doesn't make me regret the money spent, and the combination of HE1000 and HPA V222 seems very well suited. There may be better ones, but from my point of view, this is a certainty to bet on.
I don't feel the need for a remote control for the V222 since I already have the one for the DAC and, if needed, the one for the PC audio.
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