Hello Head-Fi,
I want all of you to think back to your first time hearing quality headphones.
Think back to that moment, when you first realized what you were missing, when you first realized how good your music could sound. What gear did you try that opened your eyes? For me it was the Alessandro MS-1, for some of my friends it was the ATH-M50, and for many others it was the HD555/599/598.
These products play a critical role in the enthusiast lifecycle, they get people in the door. They show what’s possible, even at the entry level. Up until this point, we haven’t had a headphone collaboration at the truly accessible $99 price point.
Today, we’re redefining price-to-performance expectations at the entry level with the release of two new Massdrop Custom Products in collaboration with HiFiMAN, the HE-350 ($99.99 shipped) and RE-00 ($34.99 shipped).
HE-350
The HE-350 ($99.99) is an open-back dynamic headphone. We started with the HE-300, replaced the driver, updated the frame to HiFiMAN’s newest revision, and updated the removable cables to use HiFiMAN’s latest 2.5mm termination (at the earcups, cable ends in a 3.5mm).
Understanding this will be a first headphone for many, we (and our participating community members) decided to focus on neutrality and detail. No huge bass, no massive peaks or valleys, ~12dB delta between highest and lowest point from 20Hz to 15,000Hz. Take a look at the frequency response graph on our drop page (courtesy of Head-Fi). This is a new driver developed by HiFiMAN with a mandate from Massdrop to “redefine the price-to-performance standard”. At $99.99 we’ve raised the bar.
Checkout the drop page here: http://dro.ps/he-350-2
RE-00
The RE-00 ($34.99) is a universal IEM based on the RE0. We developed this with the same goal as the HE-350: create a neutral and detailed universal IEM to get as many people in the door as possible. The RE0 sound signature required minimal adjustment (slight change to bass impact, otherwise nothing huge), so most of our efforts were focused on improving durability.
Where the original RE0 had a cable that many found prone to breaking at either end (termination or at the ear pieces), the RE-00 uses new reinforced materials meant to handle years of use.
Checkout the drop page here: http://dro.ps/re-00-2
Launch Details
Both products launch Tomorrow (Wednesday April 27th) at 9am EST/ 6am PST.
Quantities are initially limited to 5000 pcs of each. Given the price point, I encourage you to get in early if you’re interested. Audiophiles represent 1/5th of Massdrop users. At this price, the other 4/5ths will be trying to join as well (our cross-sell rates jump meaningfully in the lower price tiers, ~40% of K7XX buyers are non-audiophiles, we’re anticipating much higher rates at $99.99).
When will they ship? First week of August is our target ship date.
Okay, that’s all the important info! Set your alarms and prepare your wallets, it’s going to be a wild morning.
I want all of you to think back to your first time hearing quality headphones.
Think back to that moment, when you first realized what you were missing, when you first realized how good your music could sound. What gear did you try that opened your eyes? For me it was the Alessandro MS-1, for some of my friends it was the ATH-M50, and for many others it was the HD555/599/598.
These products play a critical role in the enthusiast lifecycle, they get people in the door. They show what’s possible, even at the entry level. Up until this point, we haven’t had a headphone collaboration at the truly accessible $99 price point.
Today, we’re redefining price-to-performance expectations at the entry level with the release of two new Massdrop Custom Products in collaboration with HiFiMAN, the HE-350 ($99.99 shipped) and RE-00 ($34.99 shipped).
HE-350
The HE-350 ($99.99) is an open-back dynamic headphone. We started with the HE-300, replaced the driver, updated the frame to HiFiMAN’s newest revision, and updated the removable cables to use HiFiMAN’s latest 2.5mm termination (at the earcups, cable ends in a 3.5mm).
Understanding this will be a first headphone for many, we (and our participating community members) decided to focus on neutrality and detail. No huge bass, no massive peaks or valleys, ~12dB delta between highest and lowest point from 20Hz to 15,000Hz. Take a look at the frequency response graph on our drop page (courtesy of Head-Fi). This is a new driver developed by HiFiMAN with a mandate from Massdrop to “redefine the price-to-performance standard”. At $99.99 we’ve raised the bar.
Checkout the drop page here: http://dro.ps/he-350-2
RE-00
The RE-00 ($34.99) is a universal IEM based on the RE0. We developed this with the same goal as the HE-350: create a neutral and detailed universal IEM to get as many people in the door as possible. The RE0 sound signature required minimal adjustment (slight change to bass impact, otherwise nothing huge), so most of our efforts were focused on improving durability.
Where the original RE0 had a cable that many found prone to breaking at either end (termination or at the ear pieces), the RE-00 uses new reinforced materials meant to handle years of use.
Checkout the drop page here: http://dro.ps/re-00-2
Launch Details
Both products launch Tomorrow (Wednesday April 27th) at 9am EST/ 6am PST.
Quantities are initially limited to 5000 pcs of each. Given the price point, I encourage you to get in early if you’re interested. Audiophiles represent 1/5th of Massdrop users. At this price, the other 4/5ths will be trying to join as well (our cross-sell rates jump meaningfully in the lower price tiers, ~40% of K7XX buyers are non-audiophiles, we’re anticipating much higher rates at $99.99).
When will they ship? First week of August is our target ship date.
Okay, that’s all the important info! Set your alarms and prepare your wallets, it’s going to be a wild morning.
