Not bad but it really might be lackluster in the bass if thatâs your focus, I know a few people who didnât mind it but I really wasnât satisfied with that combo.
Actually i was just thinking about exactly that just now. Iâll just get a better amp down the line. Câmon stimulus check! 
Would you guys agree with his impressions? Although he says hes using a 789 for both headphones
Just to note, the SE is different from the V2 and more resembles the Arya in some ways
Ok i didnât catch that from the title hehe didnât hifiman do a stealth revision for the 2020 model?
So skimming through that I would agree that the he1kse signature is brighter and also more colored, but personally I think most of the review ends up being colored by poor synergy regarding amps and dacs, most of the qualms he has with the he1kse end up being able to be solved with the proper amp. Also regarding drivabilty, the arya is def more power hungry, but the 1kse is more demanding on amp quality than the arya and amp choice will influence itâs sound moreso than the arya. Signature wise it most likely does come down to preference but the he1kse is a much higher tier technical performer
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A completely useless and unhelpful comment: the headband on the HE1000SE in that video pic looks like itâs set for someone with an extremely lopsided head and itâs bugging me a bit 
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On a side note I have focal clears. Would i benefit from having the arya or he1000 v2 if i want a different sound signature from the clears?
Yes for sure, very different headphones overall, very different presentation and technicalities, but the arya and clear are on similar tiers while the 1kv2 is a step above level wise. But yes easily worthwhile owning both
Gotcha. Thanks a lot!
Has anybody here seen this video? He says they made a drop version for the he1000 but it fell through and they just made it the new arya. He says they have the same drivers from the he1000 v2
Price certainly is just price. If you believe otherwise then feel free to pay that premium - but remember a thing called flagship tax.
You might ask yourself why the he1000 has been marked down SIGNIFICANTLY and the Arya has still kept its value.
Yes please donât ever pay retail for a hifiman flagships or the high end models, typically expect that the flagships for hifiman will be about half in reality, that holds true for the susvara which is moreso commonly sold new for 3.5k ish
The he1000 v2 has been marked down because for the most part it has kinda been replaced by the he1000se (although hifiman says they are still selling both but I donât know if they are actually still producing the v2)
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Definitely agree with this. The presentation of the arya is incredibly different than the focal clear. Also, the impact and dynamics of the arya is lacking whereas that is one of the strenghts of the focal clear. Therefore, despite them bought being neurtal/neutral-bright, they really compliment each other and provide a very different listening experience.
I want to wish you the best of luck on your search. Unfortunately, I donât have direct experience with both of these models, but I have a lot of experience with high-end gear in other setups.
My advice is that if you find a headphone you want, especially one that can scale well, please please please do NOT skimp on electronics. It will pay huge dividends.
In both of my setups now, my electronics are actually valued higher than my IEMs and speakers. General advice would claim this is silly, but when you have gear that can handle it, itâs just as important, if not more. Best of luck!
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I also agree that the Focal Clears make a great pairing with the Arya. Lyr 3 with a NOS tube has been my favorite for the Arya. I actually prefer the Dark Voice for the Clears, but the DV is not the nicest tube amp to use though.
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First of all thanks for the advice! My plan is to get the arya for the he1000 v2 and then save up for a better amp. Iâm thinking maybe a vioelectric v280? What other amps would you suggest that would pair well? The other thing is I can do things the other way round, buy the amp now and headphones later. Would I get a better experience this way?
The Topping A90 is great amp for the Arya. It is a composite feedback design and also has fantastic voltage control. Both of these factors, along with the good build quality make it a lovely pairing for planar headphones with a steady-state impedance. The other amps of note I have used are; the Geshelli Erish, which makes the Arya even more detailed but at a bass, sound stage and imaging loss and the Linn LK100 (which is another great pairing). The Linn is slightly less resolving than the A90 but still maintains 90% of the imaging and sound stage. I enjoy using the A90 more over all and simply use a tiny bit of EQ to drop the treble by 3dB at 12k with a 4k inflection for songs that are âsharpâ played in this setup via the A90.
This setup:
Theta DS Pro Progeny (highly modded - all foil caps, lundahl transformers, silver solder, new TI Ops amps) R2R/DS hybrid DAC
Emotiva XSP-1 (full cap upgrade)
Topping A90
Straight Wires RCA, Mogami gold and Skedra cables
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I would go headphones first here and then work on the amp imo
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Yes, I agree with this. The idea is to find headphones that you have fallen in love with and build electronics to synergize and complement it.
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