🔶 Hifiman HE1000v2 and HE1000v2 Stealth Edition

[Raptor168]

@Delta9K

Epiphany
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something

It happens to the best of us…

Glad you are digging the HEKv2 - I do have a strong personal bias to that headphone FWIW - But, it really is a very special piece and potential end-game for many.

Well put. During the initial phases of the first session, I did a couple of V-8 head slaps thinking “So THIS is what they were talking about”. Seriously, there were a couple of moments where a sort of emotional response came over me when certain passages were played. Some of the Hans Zimmer’s “Planet Earth” work will send chills down your spine. The second movement of Beethoven’s 5th actually choked me up a little. This is powerful stuff. The way these phones deliver music is game-changing for me.

I’m pretty sure these are end-game for me as well. Honestly, by the time I cycle through the other parts of the chain, that will be that, so to speak. So, if in fact this is the last headphone, this is a sweet place to land. I feel like this headphone is the upper boundary for the gear I presently have. Not to take anything away from the other sets etc. I have, mind you. I love my stuff! In my opinion the Radiance runs with this set in many areas, but the devil is in the details, and this set delivers the details. It simply gives me a glimpse into what is possible. And when/if the other chain upgrades happen, the HEK will be ready.

[TimpTim44]

@Raptor168

The world melts away when you have them on.

How wonderful!

[Go-Kart]

Hek have been in my cross hairs for a while now. But, having never heard one, and being very happy with my HE-500, I’m nervous about taking the leap - you guys are doing a fine job of chipping away at that though!

I understand what I’d gain by upgrading, but, from what I understand, there is a somewhat romantic view of the OG HE-500. They have certainly beaten out every other can I’ve owned. So, I guess my reticence is more, what (if anything) would I be losing by upgrading? Can anyone speak to this?

[NtraXMod]

V2 NMD Custom Pads is the latest configuration using Ice Silk fabric, Extreme comfort for hot weather too.

[M0N]

@Raptor168 congrats on the hekv2, and will be curious what you end up with chain wise later on for them lol

[Raptor168]

Thank you. It’s going to be interesting indeed! My initial thought process is to do the amp next, but have no clue as to what it will be. Let the research begin. It’s gonna be a while!

[Etroze86]

Burson soloist 3xp seems to be the favorite on head-fi so far. Gotta a buddy that loves his with his oor but I have a feeling that’ll change when his Cayin ha6 comes in.

[Raptor168]

Thanks for the insight. The soloist and the Oor are amps I have been looking at, as well as the Vio VHA-V226 and the GSX-Mini. But it’s just looking right now, I won’t be in a position to buy anything for a while (back to saving! ) I could whip out a credit card, but I’m not going to do that. Things are just too uncertain out there right now. And who knows, by the time I am ready, the amp landscape could change. So we will see.

I will say that the Liquid Platinum is doing a damned fine job, so I have some time. That said, I tried the HEK on the SA-1 and it was awful. Sometimes I wonder if my SA-1 is starting to fade. I have not tried the SH-9 yet. I am hoping to get to that in a day or two. And just for shits and giggles, I may hook 'em up to the Frankenstein monster rig in the bedroom. I’m willing to bet the Denon will drive them well and in fact am more anxious to try that than I am the SH-9!

[Etroze86]

Definitely save the pennies and I’d probably shoot for the 3xpGT when the time comes if you go the burson route. Also audio prices are crashing on popular items so I’d wait for the deal you can live with.

[Michael]

When you say ha6, do you mean the iHA-6 or the HA-6A?

[Etroze86]

Sorry ha-6a

[Michael]

I could see that going either way then. With the right tubes, a HA-6A could be a really nice pairing with a HEKv2.

[Etroze86]

I’d bet with the stock tubes it’ll do great lol. My euforia does respectably but it needs a little more power to bring out the lowend.

[Raptor168]

After that extremely disappointing experience on the Singxer SA-1, I decided to try these on the system in the bedroom, as mentioned above. I came into this test with little expectation, as this system is a pile of old stuff that has seen better days. So, it’s probably not going to sound very good. Right? WRONG!

The thing that keeps popping out at me is how incredibly resolving and fast these cans are. I started with the “Signify” album from Porcupine tree and wrapped things up with Nora Jones’s “Come Away with Me” album. Absolutely incredible. I can hear every little detail in the music, nothing gets lost or jumbled. Imaging is so sharp. You hear every instrument, in it’s proper place as well as the musicians working those instruments. You get that sense of air and depth. Vocals are sublime. All that, and you have very good bass and low end presence. And again, a big shout out to the Denon AVR-2808CI bringing the power and that big, big sound. This thing continues to impress me, especially given how old it is. If anything, the limitation in this chain is the M200 DAC. I had my suspicions, but it took connecting the HEK to expose it. But hey, I am not complaining! This is pretty great for a pile of old “stuff” that almost got e-wasted. What a headphone.

[LittleJoe]

+1 on the soloist. I have it in full amp mode using a little bear as a pre out of my Bifrost 2. Just ordered a XDuoo TA-26s to try some tubes as a pre during the Apos sale. There are some used Soloists for sale over at Head-Fi for reasonable prices.

[Raptor168]

The final test was run last night, as I finally hooked up the HEK to the SMSL SH-9. So far, we have had 2 hits and a big, big miss. I had no idea how this one was going to work out, but I have to say I was optimistic. This THX-888 amp has very much impressed up to this point, and this will be its biggest challenge yet. Can it deliver?

Oh yes, yes it can! I mean, wow. When you integrate the speed, accuracy and detail retrieval capability of the HEK with the ultra-clean, awesome power of the THX-888, a sort of magic happens. This amp is working hard when it drives the HEK, but it is delivering holographic staging and natural timbre like I have not heard it deliver before. At one point I thought it might be getting almost artificially wide and a little thin in the middle, so I rerouted the signal path and switched over to the USB input on the Frost. Believe it or not, that did the trick. Now there is depth and power in the middle, and yet there is still that great separation and air, things don’t get congested.

The thing that is baffling me the most, however, is where this awesome bass is coming from. Bass extension is great. It hits really well and is controlled and just beautiful. As good as I have ever heard this amp deliver. Maybe better. This is an amazing experience. Again, the SH-9 delivers. I’m very stoked about this! But really, I think it’s this headphone.

I’m certainly no expert here, but it seems like the HEK V2 Stealth is able to bring out every ounce technical ability the SH-9 is able to produce. In fact, the HEK has shown itself to be pretty versatile, playing very well with nearly everything I have, making everything better. With one exception, of course. I’m still a bit perplexed as to why it was so bad on the SA-1, but I’m just shrugging that off. Three out of four isn’t too bad!

To put a summary on this, the HE1000 V2 Stealth is an incredible piece of gear, and a great first foray into higher-end audio. Clearly it is the best headphone in my current fleet. Apart from all the technical ability and so on, there is a more profound element in this as well. This increase in performance is allowing me to hear and enjoy music in a way I didn’t think I would be able to, given how compromised my hearing is. You can’t really even put a price tag on that.

Oh, @Etroze86 you are correct, buddy. The shimmer of the top end is starting to get even better. Yes, they are getting even better. What a headphone.

[Etroze86]

Great write up man, glad the 888 is delivering the performance. HE1K is awesome and one of the first headphones I’ve owned where even small changes in your chain can be heard.
If you get a chance tube pre you’re 888 and you’ll mostly get more depth and layering.
Don’t get sucked down the rabbit whole to much lol.

[musicDAN]

HE1000v2 Stealth is legit the best HP $ per pound - very good value.

I’ve owned HEKv1, v2, se and of course Susvara all at the same time back in 2022 (along with HE6 OG and HE500), and no doubt the latest HEK stealth falls right below Susvara. At $1399 MSRP, that’s pretty nuts.

On speaker taps, it scales over HE1000se quite nicely. If off regular headamps, the HE1000se is a bit more proficient technically, but still held back for its tuning (either you can accept the treble spice or not).

HE1000se is unfortunately a bit hashy in the treble - a bit too much energy/ not enough control in the mid treble. If HiFiMAN were able to make it as controlled as Susvara, it would probably usurp Susvara for many users due to its more dynamic voicing. Unfortunately for me though, execution of the treble is the most fickle and important position of sound voicing and it loses a lot of marks here, and that’s why HE1000v2 Stealth is, in my mind, HiFiMAN’s 2nd best tuned HP overall.

HE500 is also incredible, revisiting it after it living in its box for 4 years, it really scales nicely. But it’s an altogether different presentation. I personally prefer the FR over HE6, but it takes away some of the dynamic character that makes the HE6 legendary (most dynamic planar, full stop. 6 screw specifically for macro contrast).

[jdan1457]

I’ve been thinking of upgrading to the Hek stealth from my He6se v2.

What are some of the sound difference between the two?

[Etroze86]

HE1K is over all a smoother sounding headphone. Not as dynamic sounding but for me a better presentation than the HE6SE.