The Hifiman HE1000SE Headphones in all its glory
Preamble
Those who know me know that I am a big fan of Hifiman. One of the first high-end headphones I ever fell in love with was the HE500. I have also owned the HE400 and the HE560. I have also reviewed the Ananda BT, and currently my reference headphone is the Hifiman Susvara. To say I like Hifiman's house sound would be an understatement.
My assumption was that my Hifiman journey was likely over after I acquired the Hifiman Susvara. Obviously, if a Susvara two were to come out I would want to hear it, but short of that I assumed that I had heard the best sound Hifiman had to offer.
However, I began to question those assumptions one night while I was browsing my favorite headphone forum. While I was reading about the HE1000SE what caught my attention was the number of Susvara owners participating in the conversation. They either had the HE1000SE in addition to their Susvara, or had sold their Susvara in favor of the HE1000SE. After a little bit more reading, followed by an email to Hifiman, my HE1000SE review sample was on its way.
What Peaked my Interest?
When reading about the HE1000SE what piqued my interest was its efficiency. At an efficiency of 96db/1 mW, and an impedance of 35 ohms, these are easy to drive headphones. So easy that Dr. Fang himself has been quoted saying that powering the HE1000SE with anything more than a watt was likely silly.
With that in mind I had three cases that I wanted to explore with the HE1000SE. The first was running the HE1000SE off of my Chord Dave's integrated headphone amplifier. The second was running it off of my ampsandsound Suolo Mono-block headphone amplifiers (~350-mW into 32 ohms). Finally, I wanted to see how the headphone would sound running off my ampsandsound Bigger Ben. This amplifier outputs between 5- and 8-watts, and is my reference amplifier with the Hifiman Susvara. The question I wanted to answer was simple, can the HE1000SE bring a similar experience to the Susvara with lower powered equipment? If so, does the increased sensitivity provide a better listening experience?
Review System
- Headphone Amplifiers: Chord Dave, ampsandsound Suolo Mono-blocks, ampsandsound Bigger Ben
- Sources: Chord Dave, Chord M Scaler, Schiit Gumby, Pro-ject Stream Box S2 Ultra
- Cabling: Wireworld Platinum Interconnects, Wywires Platinum Headphone cable
Packaging and Build Quality
The HE1000SE arrived in typical fashion for Hifiman's higher end headphones. Inside the box was a quarter inch cable, with a 3.5mm cable, and a 4 pin balanced cable. A nicely printed manual, similar to the manual found in the Susvara box is also included.
You will either love or hate the Hifiman stock cables. The cables themselves are well built and sound great, but the exterior coating is a gummy rubber material. It does not personally bother me much, but I know several people who really do not like the way it feels on their skin. The cable connection on the headphone end is terminated with 3.5mm connectors, which has become an industry standard. This allowed me to use existing cabling terminated for my Focal Stellia during my review.
The headphones themselves are well constructed. They are similar to the Susvara, but it seems that the fit and finish may have improved slightly. Similar to the Susvara, the HE1000SE are relatively light and I find I can wear them on my head for hours with little or no fatigue. The ear pads are larger, and use a combination of cloth and leather. I find them incredibly comfortable, and the material helps keep my ears cool compared to all leather designs. I did notice that the ear pads seem thicker then the ones on the Susvara. The tops of my ears touch the inside of the ear cup on the Susvara; however, with the HE1000SE my ears have plenty of room.
Starting with the Chord Dave
While the Dave has an incredibly capable headphone amplifier at 1.5-watts, the Susvara never sounded amazing on it. Dynamics were missing, and at times they would come across shrill. This is expected with the Susvara, and is just the result of an 83dB/1-mW headphone being powered by a 1.5-watt amplifier. However, when listening at lower volumes you get a lovely detailed presentation.
In comes the HE1000SE. From the first time I clicked play I was transfixed. The open space and dynamic nature of the HE1000SE powered by the Dave was awe inspiring. Detail, down to the sliding of a drum stick across a cymbal came through the headphones in ways I had not previously experienced, and I felt as if I was transported to the audience of each piece played.
Lately, I have been on a Melody Gardot kick, and listening to the live rendition of "Mira" brought a sense of realism that I had not quite heard before. When I began thinking through why the experience sounded different, I realized it was the dynamic nature of the HE1000SE, its energy and immediacy was driving the experience. This make sense, of course, given the headphones sensitivity, but understanding that it makes sense on paper, and hearing it are two totally different things.
When headphones work well with the Dave's headphone jack, I tend to use the Dave to try and get a sense of the headphones native characteristics. I find that the Dave is incredibly neutral, and allows the characteristics of the transducer to reveal themselves. The result with the HE1000SE is a very neutral headphone, with vocals that float in mid air. The high end is extended, but is never fatiguing, a characteristic the HE1000SE shares with its older brother. Bass on the HE1000SE is well developed, with maybe a little more in the mid bass then the Susvara, but a little less on deep bass and sub bass. The mid range of the HE1000SE sounded clear, and I liked the presentation of both male and female vocals. Again when the Susvara is properly driven, it has a little more texture than the HE1000SE, but the HE1000SE is not far off.
The soundstage for the HE1000SE is large, and I would describe it as a rectangle. It is very tall, but not quite as wide. When driven properly the stage rivals some of the best headphones I have ever heard, and in my opinion is only bested by the Susvara (and only when the Susvara is properly driven).
On its own the HE1000SE sounds excellent with the Dave. I do find the Dave a little dry on its own, and those characteristics are present on the HE1000SE when powered by the Dave. From a technical perspective, the Dave and HE1000SE made an excellent combo, and if you like your music neutral or slightly neutral bright this is a winning combo.
Low Power Single Ended Tube Amplification
I reviewed the ampsandsound Suolo Monos last year for Positive Feedback (HERE). They are one of my reference amplifiers. They use the 1626, which is known for its warmth and tone. Many people describe the 1626 as a smaller, quieter, and cheaper 300B. I tend to agree with the comparison based on my experience with the Suolo Monos. Unfortunately, when I fell for the Hifiman Susvaras I found myself using the Suolo Monos much less. While the Susvara sounded fine on them, 350-mW of power was just simply not enough. However, the HE1000SE found itself right at home.
Using the HE1000SE, dynamics exploded, vocals were clear and life-like, and instruments had just the right timbre and tone. While I found the HE1000SE a little dry on the Dave, I found them perfect with the Suolo Monos. I openly admit that I like my system to sound detailed and slightly warm. The Suolo Monos and the HE1000SE delivered exactly what I was looking for. For me, this combination represented the best I have ever heard the HE1000SE sound, and it rivaled that of the Susvara on my Bigger Ben.
This combination provided a three dimensional sound stage where live music sounded truly live. The dynamics in MIKA's new live album Live at Brooklyn Steel were incredible. However, what really got me was Michael's vocals. His passion and excitement came through, you could sense the space he was in, and it felt real. Getting this experience from a low powered SET amp was extraordinary and speaks to what Hifiman has been able to do with the efficiency improvements they have made with the HE1000SE.
In my opinion, if your were to purchase these headphones, I would suggest trying a good SET amp with them. Assuming you like a slightly warmer sound you will likely end up owning both the headphones and the SET amp.
High Power Single Ended Tube Amps
As I said at the beginning of the review, I use the ampsandsound Bigger Ben to drive my Susvaras. The Bigger Ben provides between 5- and 8-watts of pure tube power and drives the Susvaras wonderfully. While Dr. Fang has said the HE1000SE does not need that kind of power, the question remains as to whether the power could somehow benefit the HE1000SE. Likewise, how does the HE1000SE stack up against the Susvara when the Susvara is properly driven?
With the Bigger Ben driving the HE1000SE, extension is the name of the game. The headphones are going deeper and higher than before. It felt as if the amp grabbed the drivers of the HE1000SE, and had absolute control. Music sounded effortless, and while the final presentation was less romantic than the Suolo Monos above, that was an expected outcome given the more neutral tube complement in the Bigger Ben.
While the HE1000SE sounded superb, this is where the Susvara showed its superiority. The performance of the HE1000SE is 95% of the performance of a Susvara. What the Susvara adds when driven properly is texture, imagery, and a final layer of detail. While this is slight, it makes a difference. However, the trade-off is steep. The Susvara is nearly double the cost of the HE1000SE, and requires high powered gear to sound its best. The fact that the HE1000SE sounds as good as it does, on as many varying amps as it does, is remarkable.
Summing it all up
The HE1000SE is excellent. I am biased because I love the Hifman house sound, but I dare anyone to listen to the HE1000SE and not be impressed. When I was reading about the HE1000SE, some people referred to it as a Susvara Jr., and others referred to it as a Susvara two. I don't think it is Susvara two because when the Susvara is driven properly it is simply perfect and in its own league. However, the HE1000SE could easily be called a Susvara Jr., it is 95% of a Susvara, and on lower powered gear it easily bests the Susvara. I also fully understand why people would own both. As I write this review I find myself trying to justify keeping the HE1000SE. The arguments are not hard, they work excellently well with the Dave, and allow me to enjoy my Suolo Monos like never before. Either way, I highly suggest going out and listening to the HE1000SE. While at $3500 it is expensive, I own and have listened to several headphones in the $3000 - $4000 price range, and I would choose these over pretty much all of the ones I have listened to and own. Great job Hifiman, I can't wait to see what you do next.
HE1000SE Headphones
Retail: $3500
Hifiman
