HiFiMAN HE1000se | Planar Magnetic Open-Back Headphones

I finally understand what true End Game is......

Pre-Review: Going from the Meze 109 pro to the SJY Horizon Carbon Closed was a massive jump. Losing a little treble "shine" for refined and explosive but not fatiguing bass was absolutely worth it. The technical aspect was there with so much more full-bodied sound and a great sound stage for a closed back (especially a Planar)....... I finally pulled the plug on a headphone I've been meticulously looking at for years now, the HE1000SE from Hifiman. I was debating getting the HEDD Audio HEDDphone TWO GT or the Meze Audio Empyrean II. After countless hours of reviews and comparisons, I made the jump. I. Am. In. Complete. Audio. Heaven. This headphone has everything I could've ever wanted and more. I never knew about the depth of micro-details until now. With other good cans, I was hearing incredible recordings. Now I'm hearing sounds like I'm physically there in the space with the musicians. Bass: Incredibly resolving and bold. Great depth to the lowest reach with insane detail. Quite a bit of slam surprisingly! Much better than the 109 Pro in that regard. Doesn't bleed at all into the mids. Mids: Lush, Smooth, slightly above Neutral and Elegant. Absolutely not missing anything. Lots of impact without bleeding into treble. Treble: The cleanest, vibrant, most resolving and detailed I've ever heard. To my ear it isn't bright or fatiguing. The space for the treble to breathe from the soundstage probably helps a lot with that. Overall, this is the best headphone I've heard and possibly will hear. I don't think I will find the need to want something "new" out of a more expensive set. I am beyond happy with the HE1000SE. Gear Used: Amp: TOPPING A90D DAC: TOPPING D90 III Discrete 1-BIT Cable: Apos x Z Reviews Magia Cable Music: CDs on Shanling CD80II, Qobuz and Spotify, FLAC files from BandCamp

Exquisite

These are quite stunning - better than any headphones I have heard. The thing I notice initially is the great detail and clear placement of instruments. At the same time they retain what I would call a lush sound - very musical and pleasant, though they lean a little towards the treble (the first thing I did was take out all equalization except for a little bass shelf). They are not strident or fatiguing at all. Mids are blended, but still retaining clarity with individual lines easy to hear. Bass is not quite as intense as some I have heard, but is still clear, precise and well balanced. I'm listening via a Modi Multibit2 DAC and Midgard amp. As with other good systems, they are very sensitive to how the material was recorded, and will make anything poorly recorded sound really awful, while well recorded music even compressed on Youtube can sound really good. They are definitely a bit addicting. Well worth the (now reduced) price.

I upgraded to these from the Ananda and 6xx. They sound quite intimate and don’t have much of a bass roll-off. I was expecting them to be “too sharp,” but I quickly got used to the treble range. They’re very detailed headphones and I honestly think it’s default sound signature is fitting. It doesn’t sound overbearing at all. They’re also very light and I don’t feel any pressure from the headband. The earpads are extremely comfy and don’t squeeze your head. They come in a pretty nice box and there are three provided cables: XLR, 1/4 inch, and a 90-degree 3.5mm. For the sake of the review, I have some nitpicks to mention: 1. Earpads can get warm pretty quick 2. Might want to EQ the treble a bit (I was listening to a song and never noticed there was a tambourine in the background before. EQing made it more obvious.) 3. I’m dumb and sometimes pinch my fingers in the yolks :( 4. Might have to wear them at the tightest setting if you have a small head (unlike me)