The HE1000 was one of the first outrageously expensive planar magnetic headphones that came out in 2015. During this time there weren’t many headphones that cost over $2,000. Even Hifiman’s previous flagship, the HE6 only retailed for $1,300. Fast forward to 2023 and I finally have gotten myself a pair thanks to Hifiman. Is the HE1000 Stealth Magnet Version a potential end-game headphone? Let’s take a look!
Overview
The HE1000 was Hifiman’s flagship back in 2015 but it was superseded by the Susvara in 2017. The newer V2 model used to cost $3,000 but it’s gotten a price cut since sometime last year, now only selling for $2,000, and the HE1000 Stealth subsequently followed the same pricing. Still a substantial amount to pay for a headphone but that’s 30% off the original price which is definitely appealing if you’ve been eyeing the headphone.
Before we dive in, let’s talk a little about the HE1000 lineup which can be a little confusing. You have the original model which is known as the V1, then the V2 which I thought was this model initially, and then the latest iteration which is the Stealth Magnet version which some people refer to as V3 while some others call V2 Stealth. All those three look identical btw. And then there’s the HE1000SE which you would think stands for Stealth Edition, but it actually meant Special Edition. That’s the HE1000 family tree for you!
For my own convenience, I will mostly refer to the headphone as the HE1000 throughout this review.
Packaging
Unlike the older HE1000s, the current version now sports a more eco-friendly box that even comes with a headphone stand. Mind you, It’s not a premium stand and one may argue that its fit with the HE1000 is questionable, however, it is still quite clever and I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this from other headphone manufacturers. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone!
Caring about the environment is very nice of the company but there are obviously gonna be people who will frown upon this decision. Those who prefer a box that scales with the price of the headphone. And it’s hard to blame them!
See, this was the old packaging of the HE1000 which we can argue is more exquisite than the current one. But hey, once the headphone is unpacked, the box just stays somewhere and it just collects dust so what difference does it make really?
Aside from the unit and the stand, the headphone comes with 2 long cables. One is a single-ended 6.3mm, and the other is a balanced XLR. Both are of decent quality, neither too stiff nor too tangly. No 3.5mm here since the headphone is not portable and efficient.
Build Quality
Moving on to the headphones build quality, the HE1000 is one of the more premium-feeling Hifiman egg-shaped headphones. It’s got some stainless steel in its construction, and a leather headband strap as well unlike its cheaper siblings such as the Arya, Ananda, and Edition XS. The pads are thicker than those mentioned headphones as well but have similar overall quality. The side is made from synthetic leather and the top is from polyester.
The headphone weighs 420g but it does feel lighter than that. Take that with a grain of salt as I’ve been mostly using heavy headphones such as the Focal Utopia and the Audeze LCD-2.
Overall build quality seems ok and definitely better than the earlier models. The adjustment arms don’t get scratched anymore, no squeeky/screechy sound when swiveling the cups and the headband strap is put together just right.
Comfort
As a result, you get a fairly comfortable headphone much like Hifiman’s other egg-shaped cans. That is again, if you’re used to these types of headphones and are not coming from say a Sony or Bose noise-canceller.
The cups put a bit of pressure on the jaw mainly because of how humongous they are. On the flip side, it will have no problem fitting any size of ears and the pads are also deep enough that you won’t feel your ears touching the inside.
The suspension strap also feels good. No hotspot or weight distribution imbalance on my head in my experience. The clamp is on the moderate side but I did not have any issues with it.
A bit of a nitpick is the polyester material that touches your skin gets a tiny bit uncomfortable and itchy after hours of listening. Obviously no match for real leather pads which I hoped were used here considering the price of the headphone.
Isolation
Isolation needs no further elaboration with how open these back parts of the cups are. Definitely, not one that you would use in an office environment unless your colleagues are cool enough to hear mini speaker noise within your shared space.
Page 2: Sound Quality & Conclusion