The Most Detailed Headphone I have Heard! | Hifiman HE1000SE Review 

* Headphone Companies investing money to make cables. * Joshua Valour - the outside feels a little bit like a "Dry Condom". (3:20)

The newer HE1000 Stealth has a bit more balanced tuning, with about 6dB lift in the bass shelf and a bit more tamed highs. But there is simply no better headphone than the HEKse for any price, and now it’s down to $1,999, which is one of the rare full price “deals” in this hobby. It puts the Susvara to shame with a sensitivity of 96 vs a ridiculously low 83, and I prefer both of these headphones far and away over my Utopias or Meze Elites, which I now pretty much own as affectations that just sit there in my collection looking pretty. The Dekoni Elite Hybrids emphasize the sub bass and considerably tame the highs on the HEKse, but it’s important to keep in mind that the opening up from 10,000hz and beyond afforded by the stealth magnet is part of what contributes to these cans’ unfathomable detail retrieval. The egg shaped design that HFM originated in 2015 with the original HE1000 is one of the greatest innovations in the history of headphones-they envelop your ears without touching them, and they’re the most forgiving of head placement of any headphone on the market. There’s simply no comparison between these and anything that Audeze has ever produced; the soundstage is just fine (compare it to the Utopia sometime) and besides the fatigue factor (which can be easily rectified with a touch of PEQ, or the Dekoni pads) and the fact that they’ll reveal every flaw in the source material (can’t fault them for that) they’re the greatest over ear, open back headphones (along with the HEK Stealth) that you can buy. And now you can get them for half of the price of their competitors. At $1,999, you’d be insane to pass these up-although I do admit that I’ve been mostly listening to the HEK Stealth these days. The Stealth gives the Dan Clark Expanse a run for the money in terms of Harman compliance, has a 10 point higher sensitivity, and literally costs a third of the DCA-what Hifiman has been doing to up their game in the last year or two is just remarkable. They should be championed for being one of the few outfits in this market with honest price points (with the exception of the woefully out dated Susvara)-and since these recent price slashes are an omen of a new flagship on the near horizon, I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us!

Been wondering when this one would show up on the channel. And as an owner of this headphone I can largely agree with just about everything you said. Though I will add that for me personally, the "honesty" of the headphone is what gets me deeper into the music. I can suspend my disbelief of the state of a recording and take it as it is with all its flaws. Because ultimately music is made by humans. Imperfect beings who imperfectly produce imperfect music with imperfect tools for imperfect hearing systems to enjoy. I personally love it. I also love that this headphone simply handles anything you throw at it. It also takes EQ better than anything else I've tried. Which means in those moments where I wish I had just that bit more rumble in my sub-bass, add that extra bit on the RME ADI-2 and done. Nothing crazy. Pure enjoyment, fast and easy. Same thing for taming the brightness on those brighter tracks you mentioned. Quick and easy tone it down, lose none of the resolution on the headphone. Love it. My only wish was that the headband didn't make me look like an alien so I could wear it on stream lmao As always, excellent review!

Been waiting on this one Josh!

I'm curious to know why you didn't compare this to the Diana Phi, you just showed last week. Especially since they are both planar magnetic and in the same stratospheric price range.

appreciate the review coming from josh--didn't expect it. imo he1000se stands out on its own; solid bass; excellent mids and highs. my 70/80's new wave music are rejuvenated. agree with many pts including going with lcd4 with bass. however, he1000se does stand on its own... it's all around solid performer except for the less than stellar construction like the condon cables and faus wood. the headband and the magnets are highlights of the constructions however.

Yo josh glad you finally got your hands on these, I know over the year I've hear you talk about wanting to try these since you love the arya.

I have been a Hifiman fanatic ever since my first headphone you recommended (Sundara). They are so focused on driver tech almost to a fault. Other things like build reliability suffers but once they figure out this flaw, I don't thing anyone can really compete against them when it comes to detail retrieval at various price categories. I don't give a shit about exotic wood and metal. I want the best sound and comfort I can get. Hifiman headphones sound really good and are lightweight as you mentioned. Great video bro. You are one of the few people on my sub list I never miss a video on.

Thank you for the very well done and considered review - I would say these are a bright-neutral kind of headphone, although the extension down to the low sub-bass is impressive also. But not for those who prefer a darker or warmer kind of tuning. Regarding the detail - I honestly don't find that too revealing personally, or not musical - indeed I love hearing it, and largely it does enhance my enjoyment of music. I don't feel like it's making me focus on the recording quality to the detriment of getting into the music. But maybe it needs a generous, forgiving attitude towards recording flaws sometimes. I'd say the HE1000se is killer for anything with acoustic instruments like jazz and classical, or just anywhere there are very textured sounds. Tastes legitimately vary of course, but these headphones are going to be a fabulous choice for some of us. :)

Joshua in the side face shots looks like unbox therapy.😂

Intro song: Blaeker - My new life

I love the creepy eerie silence like moment and zoomed in video of the headphone nice touch Joshy 3:46

Great review! But what about Soundstage compared to the He1000 V2??

Excited for this one especially after your praise of the Arya.

Hi Joshua. Thanks for another great review. You are one of my top go-to reviewers for headphones and head-amps and DACs. I just had to comment about the HiFiMan cables. I own The HE6v2se, Ananda Stealth and Arya Stealth so I am familiar with HiFiMan and their cables. "Dry condom" was an interesting analogy and I'm not saying it's wrong. I've always said the cables are like a wet noodle. Attempting to explain the cables to someone who has never held or used one before, they have a funky feel to them and a weird bendiness to them. There is an upside to these cables which is why I believe HiFiMan has stayed with this concept. The cable sheath with the aforementioned tactile properties completely isolate the internal copper wire from microphonics. So let's say you're jamming with you HiFiMan cans with an iPad and a portable DAC/amp (for me it's the Ifi iDSD Signature - love it) in your favorite chair or in bed. When the cable comes in contact with the fabric of your chair, you clothes or bedding, you hear nothing. Absolutely nothing. The cable is completely isolated. While this is a positive characteristic I just can't use these cables. The weird bendiness is the characteristic which kills it for me so I use aftermarket cables. Another reason is because I want a 4.4mm pentaconn to use with my Ifi iDSD Signature. The HiFiMan cables seem to be their "signature" cable, unique to them, so they're sticking with it. I don't get the sense that these cables are particularly premium. They are just "good" and have the benefit of zero microphonics so I'm sure they're not going to change. It was good to hear that HiFiMan has opted to change to the 3.5mm connectors for the HE1000se because it means that I would only need one cable for all of my HiFiMan's should I opt to purchase this one.

Did you ever have the opportunity to listen to a Stax SR-009 or 009S ? I own a small Stax collection and the Hifiman Sundara. I really like the sound signature of the Sundara and I’m interested to get into their higher end headphones as well. If you have listened to some higher end Stax gear as well, how would these compare in terms of detail etc.?

Wonder if this would sound good on tubes? Am very tempted. Would be paired with a Mytek Brooklyn plus, Schitt Freya + and Burson Audio soloist 3.

If you were to buy one headphone between the two would it be this or the 1000 V2? Thanks

When you guys watch this video using HE1000SE's or super revealing headphones (HD800 etc) do you hear something in Josh's voice like a secondary harmonic siblant layer in his vocal chords?

Hello! I'm looking for IEMs that are bass heavy with widest sound stage. 300 to 500$. I like dubstep. Any recommendations?

Hi josh. Can you do a review on the AKG k371? Or 361

Sounds like these are really great for an engineer to have as an extra option to check their mixes and masters against.

Hi Joshua.. Would you please make a "demo sound" of your next reviews

Been waiting for this review for ages. Let's see shall we.. Wow, so this is the most detailed headphone out there. I'm curious - I want one (...to try duh). I wanted to know a little bit more about the sound stage; is it deeper or shallower than the Arya? Also, would this headphone be good for gaming (immersive and competitive) ignoring the price.

You said “until my next video, my name is Josh.” What will be your name on the next video? :-) Seriously, terrific discussion. Was looking forward to hearing your take on this Uber detailed headphone

What audio recording equipment do you use? Sounds crisp

Did anyone else notice that rumble when the camera was circling the headphones? (3:45) What's the frequency Kenneth?

As always great review Can you please make a video on how to maintain the headphones with wooden cups or parts ?

Does the new HE1000 Stealth have the detail retrieval of this? I'm reading contradictory things.

Can you please make a video about true wireless earbuds. I honestly can't make a decision about audio anymore without watching your videos on it first. I've decided I want to get a pair for my commute/ for the gym. What i want to know is, how bad is the sound quality compared to other options? Just i just suck it up and buy the thx pandas and use those instead?

I drive my He1000se with Chord Hugo TT2, great combo for jazz and classical music. I might get the Abyss 1266 TC to have something very different.

How are they compared to v2?

Hugo2 redfilter --> Violectric 281 --> HE1000se, warmer take way some of the higher freq and just overall a lovely sound :)

Great review.

What is your Black custom cable??

When I first received my SE’s, they were very bright & tinny sounding. Listened to a couple Def Leppard & Motley Crue songs (intentionally) to see how unpleasant it would be. At high volumes it was fatiguing to say the least. Mids were recessed & highs were in your face. Bass was good, but not slamming the way I’d like. After about Day 3 of burn in 26-32 hours, things started to change for the better. The headphone is inherently bright, so pairing it with a good tube amp & R2R DAC will significantly improve your listening experience.

Just got audio Technica 1000x with aftermarket massive pads and as I sit here waiting for them to get here I just need to ask if anyone else has them/loves them.

The high quality intro music at the start should be appreciated

The point you made about letting you hear everything makes me think best for music production, just unsure of that low end frequency. I like EDM

You swapped the pad on Diana?

5:50 Josh, at $3500 I think most people buying this are already on the other side of 40. :) Great review. Keep it up.

Next review, HEDDphones??? Saving for HEKse, hopefully later this year. Mean time, I'll enjoy the heddphone.

anyone find the headphone cable link?

I have to agree the 1kSE reminds me of a sundara, but the dynamics are probably on par with other egg shell hifimans.

my man is really out here trying to get me to Shazam every intro

Josh, any comparisons between these headphones and an HD800S for gaming? Dumb question I know but I’m just curious on how they stack against each other, specifically on how detail vs. soundstage factor in gaming.

I hope you can make comparison of HE1000 se and Susvara

Man, I love how you do your videos thinking in the viewers. Having the times at which you talk about certain things, instead of just leaving the people to watch the whole thing to figure it out, that's just amazing. Loving the channel and the contents, keep it up

For all the praise of detail of the HE1000SE's, did he ever listen to 009's or 009S's?

I listen a lot to the band KALEO, what is a good headphones for this kind of genre?

audio technica ath-ad700x review ?

Just say it out loud, they are too bright for you. Too "revealing", "honest" etc sound like euphemisms describing a treble tilted / lean FR to me.

This is HiFiman's version of a reference can? Or just a more detailed precise version of the V2? Or, yes and yes?

Is that any advantage in having a separate amp and dac over an amp/dac?

I got to spend 20 odd minutes with this on a tube amp setup today, and by MF Gawd, I can't believe the detail, speed and well rounded music that it delivered. Time to start saving up some serious cash for these. Wow, just wow, Hifiman

Bought this headphone recently, which amp would you suggest me to pair it with? I'm mainly using them on a desktop. Maximum budget of 1500 usd.

How would this compare to the Meze Empyrium? Will use with DCS BArtok amplifier

Received a unit and the left driver simply didn't work. Reminded me of you video. I found it interesting that the problem was also with the left driver. To big of a deal to risk having problems down the line with such (IMHO) expensive headphones. I was really disappointed.

Wonder what would be an Arya "on steroids", anyone? I would love to know what next headphone to set my sights on considering how much I love Arya's sound signature.

“Dry condoms” dude knows his condoms. 🤣

I use this one with a Schiit Loki equalizer to turn the tonality back to an HE1000/Arya, it would be unlistenable to me otherwise, to much energy in the highs.

Josh is it worth upgrading from the HE1000v2? Or would it be better to keep the V2 and go for a LCD4?

sounds like perfect headphone for gaming

Can you make a video on best headphones powered by just your phone?

Is this comparable to the HE 1000 stealth because I just purchased those! Makes me wonder if I made the wrong decision and should have choose this instead 😏

I have the HE1000SE for a year and a half and I am considering getting a second pair of headphones at a comparable level. Empyrean or Utopia 🤔

are these headphones good for call of duty?

Intro music? Need to add it to my playlist. 😩

Can you name some best recorded music ??

The fact that there's a difference in sound signature compared to volume is indicative of an amp not being capable enough

Great production and sound review as usual but I feel like you didn't look into the downsides of vinyl before comparing it to solid finished wood like scratch-ability. There's a reason we still use wood flooring and supports. When it's well made and processed it doesn't generally need to be babied. Besides the fact that it's all plastic behind the plastic vinyl. There's definitely pros to being light but I'd rather it not pretend to be something. Some woods are lighter than some plastics too which shouldn't be ignored.

So would the Audeze MM 500 or He1000se be better for mixing and mastering, the one that will reveal and be the most analytical for Music Production???

3:45 hehe sick shot

Mentions that the cable makers will be down in the description and doesn't link them in the description. Well, time to figure out how to spell that. Just figured it out, it is spelled periapt. For the cables he said he was using

Josh positive feedback felt the HE1000SE is 95% of the susvara, would you agree?

I appreciate the positive take on the wood accent, but my opinion is that if you want to have the wood look, it better be actual wood. That's the whole appeal. Otherwise, just use a different looking finish altogether. "Lifelike" is a great way to describe the HE1000se.

i hope you will get a susvara to review.

So does it take the no.1 spot for you, Josh ?

Too honest. Sounds like my dad. 😁

Do I need to buy a amplifier if I want to use this headphone

Can Sony WH-1000XM4 able to compete with this model?

Wow so this beats STAX in detail and transparency?!? 🤯

Better than utopia?

I can't stop admiring the nice red in your beard 😄

I remember now why i sold it in a heartbeat, no pleasure only technical. Not for me

It's hyper-analytical. It needs to be tubed up with a big boy tube amp to offer a somewhat pleasant listening experience. Susvara is absolutely more detailed but not even nearly as hyper-analytical as the HE1000se.

If a lot of recordings are suddenly become badly done, they're not badly done. I own those headphones for almost a year now and they are flat out *Bright* headphones. They're far from neutrality to have the audacity to judge and blame the recordings. Also their stage is a lot wider and deeper once you EQ down their treble peaks.

There are sound demos (search for he1000se sound demo) available on RU-vid recorded with binaural microphones that compare a series of Hifiman headphones directly. Works pretty well in my opinion. What I heard confirms what Joshua is saying: the HE1000se seems very detailed, but also somehow veiled. Like listening from a distance, from a studio booth maybe...

As the owner of 3 Hifiman headphones I will say their cables annoy and disappoint from top to bottom (from some one that generally loves their headpphones).

When the company sends you an item even though they do not pay for a good review, you will still be biased a tiny bit as you won't feel the weight on your bank account.

I rather find a headphone to enjoy my music than to search for recording errors

3:20 what analogy would you give for the uninitiated folks out there 😛?

What ever happened to the hifiman "Deva" review? I have been waiting for that.

Get back to me, when Hifiman makes HP's that last longer than 6 months. Thx.

SEVEN HUNDRED GRAMS OMFG.... FUCK that so much. Audeze - We make headphone anchors(TM).

Looks like a 200 year old headphone

"Hifimin"

looks like a DIY headphone for some reason to me. wondered what the price was and the measurements. gonna say this is a hard no in every regard for the price.

Good review but this might be too much detail for some people - you might not like some of your poorly recorded music.

the price i have never heard of 😅