Sound Quality
The original HE6 had a loyal following, praised for its raw power and visceral slam. The HE6SE V2, in my experience, is a pleasant-sounding headphone. While it’s been over a decade since I heard the original HE6, the HE6SE V2 sounds like an upgraded Sundara, which is already a competent headphone.
Tonally, there is nothing major to fault. The typical 1.5 to 2.5 kHz recession in Hifiman headphones is present and may need a slight boost. There’s also a small 4 kHz peak, but it’s not a dealbreaker.
The bass is well-extended and coherent with the midrange, which is neither too warm nor sterile. The HE6SE V2 has a hint of lower treble brightness and a bit of treble timbre or coarseness, making it slightly brighter than the measurements suggest.
Compared to the egg-shaped Hifiman cans like the Arya, Edition XS, and HE1000, the HE6SE V2 sounds more dynamic or punchy, similar to the Sundara. However, it lacks the raw punch of the original HE6. Adding a bass shelf might help tailor the sound to your taste.
The soundstage and imaging are on the narrow side, akin to the Sundara and HD6** line. The grill mod helps open up the sound. Detail retrieval lags behind the more expensive HE1000 or Arya.
If I have to say something not positive about the HE6SE V2’s sound, I would probably say the overall resolve and musicality do not scale to its MSRP of $1,900. As mentioned earlier, this headphone is mostly on sale for $700 and the refurb version from Hifiman itself is right around 400 to 500 range. At those prices, the HE6SE V2 becomes a very compelling option but it’s hard to make a case for it as a thousand-dollar headphone.
Amplification
The original HE6 is known to be one of the hardest headphones to drive and the HE6SE V2 (and the V1) are just as hard. My Luxman P1u’s volume knob needs to be at 1 or 2 o’clock, and my THX 887 at gain 3 not just to be loud but also to sound good enough. I wish I had more gear to test with this headphone but it definitely needs power from an external amplifier.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the HE6SE V2 is easy to recommend sound-wise with few but noteworthy flaws namely: the need for an amplifier, an MSRP of $1,900, and comfort issues. Additionally, there is the Sundara which is close to the HE6SE V2’s performance at a much lower price.
If you can get it at $500-600 (which you most likely will), the HE6SE V2 is a competent headphone if you can put up with its weaknesses. It offers a taste of the legendary HE6 and is versatile enough for most genres.
For more details, check out the HE6SE V2 on Hifiman.com. If you found this review helpful, give it a thumbs up, subscribe for more reviews, and visit headphone.ph for the text version of this review.