If you like the way your HEXv2 sounds with your current setup then you should also enjoy the HEKv2 as well with the additional upgrade it brings. I also upgraded from a HEXv2 to the HEKv2 and I was using the same amplifier and DAC and the differences between the two headphones was clearly noticeable and much to my liking.
Now with that said I have not heard the HEK or HEX on the same gear that you have but, Iāve had both headphones and used them both with the same source, so that is why I am saying if you like the what your gear is doing for the HEX you will probably like the HEK with it too.
Hey guys, currently have the ef400 + hek v2s. I was wondering what amp you guys get? Currently thinking of upgrading to either the soloist + dac or the v280 (if i can find one). I prefer a āfunā sound signature since I listen to electronic music as well.
I wouldnt say the HE-1000 v2 is an especially bassy headphoneā¦ You can probably EQ it to season to your taste? You could swap to an amp that has some kind of bass boost or maybe add a shiit loki or lokius
If you want more bass and slam in a hifiman planar, I feel like the HE-6 v2 has moreā¦ To me the HE-1000 v2 is more of the super resolving set and creates a big rich detailed soundscape, but is a bit brighter sounding
Regarding amps / dac combo: I have the HE-1000 v2 running on a schiit bifrost 2 > lokius > burson soloist, sounds nice, although it honestly can play off of even my smaller desk setup, the schiit magni / modi / loki, or even - iād dare to say the iFi hipdac w bass boost sounds decent if you need a bit more bassā¦ Of course the HE-1000 v2 scales well, so you arent going to get the same level of resolution and clarity with the small schiit stack and iFi hipdac as the Soloist, but for different listening usecase, those can also be fun with the HE-1000 v2ā¦ I even listen to it with my iFi Go Blu sometimes
So Iām trying to figure this outā¦ had a pretty amazing demo earlier today with the Arya V3. But being able to get Hekv2 for about 50% more really has me wondering - would I regret not going for it? Iāve not committed to anything yet soā¦
Well I took the plunge and joined you crazy high end Hifiman lovers. Iāll be running these for a week before I put down my impressions but initially they are inoffensive and havenāt done anything that would make me want to take them off my head.
I have a buddy thatās been pushing me to try something higher end than the XS I had so I bought blind but I will say people are looking for cash right now so you can find great deals if you look.
Right now my chain for these is a spring 2 wildism edition (basically KTE) to a Burson 3xp with supercharger. I my try them on my euforia but havenāt found the time to warm that up yet.
I had the HE1000SEs until I sold them off when I decided I was going to upgrade to my current TOTL rig with the DCA twins. First, Iāve been missing them so it looks like I may end up buying another pair next time I come across a deal on them. More importantly for this discussion, they paired VERY well with my Holo May KTE and with my buddyās Spring 2 (not sure which edition he has). The huge image that the HE1000 series phones throw plays right into the Holo DACs great layering abilities and rendering of spatial cues and the awesome dynamics that the Holo DACs are known for add a little extra energy which comes in handy because one of very few criticisms I had of my HE1000SEs was that they sometimes felt a little flat when it came to microdynamics.
Iām not sure how well that will translate to your situation. All that aside, congratulations on the new shinies!
Oh trust me it translates well lol. What I donāt understand is folks saying the 1000 line can be bright, Iām not hearing that at all. Iām also treble sensitive so maybe Iām even more def lol.
Iād like to try out the expanse but man Iāve seen so many post on how flat they sound.
The HE1000 series arenāt bright to me at all. The Aryas are BRIGHT and I even find the Susvaras to be brighter than the HE1KSEs though I donāt think of either of them as bright.
The Expanse are seem to strike people as one of the best planars or headphones theyāve ever heard or flat. If youāve heard any of DCAās others offerings, the Expanse is very much a continuance of their house sound, though on a higher level in many ways. If you look through posts by people that donāt dig the Aeon series or the Ether series a lot of times youāll see them mention the headphones sounding flat, dull, or lifeless. DCAās general take on balanced tuning isnāt for everyone, but it fits my tuning preferences damn near perfectly. If you get the chance you absolutely should try the Expanse and given that you like the HE1000 series which, IMO, share quite a few similar traits with the Expanse, I think thereās a good chance youāll fall into the category that enjoys them.
For now, just enjoy the heck out of your new HE1Ks. Brilliant headphones and one heck of a blind purchase. Good score!
Yeah I have the aeon RT open and it just isnāt a fun headphone for me but that was when I had lower end gear. I should really try them again on this stack.
I would say that most DCA sets that Iāve owned are at least somewhat picky about signal chain pairings and all of them scale well on higher quality gear. That said, many people just donāt find their tuning to be exciting. Personally, I find theur take on neutral to be one of the best around. With the Expanse in particular they did a good job of keeping that balanced tuning, but not compromising the dynamics and putting a bit more energy in the low end than they have on some past models. FWIW, I have had a couple friends who normally find DCA stuff boring, including my Stealths, demo the Expanse and find themselves surprised at how much they enjoyed them.
Back to the topic of the HE1000 series. I found that when running them off my Burson Timekeeper 3i, they were one of only a couple headphones that I really preferred the V6 Vivid op amps with. On most of my other sets, including several other Hifiman phones I owned at the time it was V6 Classics or even V5s all the way, but the HE1KSEs really take well to the Vivids, IMO. They brought the low level detail forward and added some extra dynamism to the low end which made a pretty big difference with them for me. If you have a set of the Vivids you should give them a shot, though they still performed quite well with the classics as I recall.
