HIFIMANHE1000 V2 Planar Magnetic Full-Size Over-Ear Open-Back Hi-Fi Headphones with Upgraded Earpads,Headband and Cables for Audiophiles, Home and Studio

Pros: Incredible detail, excellent instrument separation, superb comfort, not too challenging to drive, nice box and presentation included, several cables included. Significantly better value than Susvara, HE1000SE, or Arya IMO. Less bright than Arya, HE1000SE, and more similar to Susvara in many regards. Crinacle ranks these an S- for a reason, they aren't shouty and actually are more warm/bassy than Arya V3 Stealth.Cons: Poor quality control; the veneer on the sides has glue marks from the factory (see pictures). The included cables are mediocre at best, easily tangling and prone to microphonics. Metal rails that the headphone slides on to adjust size are already scratched out of the box and seem to scratch by design each time the headphone is adjusted!Listening impressions were completed on: Macbook or PC (Spotify 320kbps, FLAC/DSD on Foobar, and Apple Music Lossless) --> RME ADI-2 DAC --> Singxer SA-1 amp.Immediately noticeable over Arya is that the headphones are warmer, the soundstage is more extensive, yet vocalists sound closer. I also noticed details in songs that I hadn't before with Arya when volume matched.The headphones came in a lovely pleather box, compared to Arya V3 Stealth's cardboard box, three cables, a stunning manual that looks professional, and nice pleather earpads just like Arya's.At $1999, the headphones are a much better value than Susvara IMO, and easily are preferred by me over the HE1000SE, as it doesn't fatigue me. It's a lovely, slightly warm but primarily neutral sound signature. The only complaint is that due to reduced brightness, the cans lack a bit of the speed/dynamics/attack the Arya and HE1000SE have.I'd call these headphones the mini-Susvara. You save $4000 buying these while getting 95-97% of the detail of the Susvara in my listening comparisons.More detailed listening impressions can be found from experts such as GoldenSound on YouTube.Thank you for reading.

I've been through quite a few headphones over the years with my previous favorite being the denon ah-d7000 with a good dac and amp. I bought the ah-d9200 twice losing a fair amount each time because I hoped they would be better with my new source gear. Sadly they just weren't up top par with the ah-d7000 in pure enjoyment though they did have good qualities.Maybe if I spent more time looking for the perfect source match they would have been great but I'm not rich and 2 times was enough so I decided to give planars a try. The he1000v2 ended up being exactly what I was looking for despite not knowing I was looking for it yet. They do everything pretty much perfectly or close to it IMO. I use a topping D90 dac with an A90 discrete amp for plenty of power and they haven't let me down in any way sound quality wise. Highs and mids are insane.No matter how busy a track is the sound always stays intact as if there were actually separate instruments inside the ear cups. Highs are detailed but stop right at the edge of being annoying. If you give them power they have great bass with just the right amount of everything but they're not bass head cans. It just sounds right to me. If I had to nitpick they do have a strange behavior where the sound changes if there's anything solid near the outside of the ear cups. If you put your hand up a foot away from the side of your head it actually interferes with the space that the humongous drivers need to breath. It's not a flaw really just the nature of the tech but nonetheless surprised me at first. It shouldn't be a problem unless your favorite chair has a headrest that wraps around a lot and blocks the sides.

Reviewers have been hyping up so much the Arya Stealth and while I like it and still think is a fantastic headphone, it was not what I was expecting in the long term, at first it impressed me with the technical capabilities being very detailed and having wide soundstage, but after a little bit I realized it sounded dry... maybe too clinical/dull for my taste. This could be good for some but not for me.Enter the HE1000 and wow, it definitely has a very different approach to sound, I think the HE1000 V2 is more about pleasing than being a reference sound, it has some warmth and liveliness to the vocals which the Arya completely lacked, it is also more detailed and have better soundstage as well.No complaints from me, the HE1000 is exactly what I have always looked for in a high end headphone. If you want to have an extremely pleasing musical experience then look no further, this headphone won't disappoint.

Please please do yourself a research on left driver issue on headphone forums before purchasing this. Many users have the same problem. Otherwise, you could end up with a bad luck like myself.Purchased mine directly from Adorama. Left driver is dead after VERY light usage over the course of 3.5 years. Used it twice a monthly for a session of few hours each. Never dropped, no water damage, properly driven without going high volume on iFi pro headphone amplifier. It was great while it worked but unfortunately mine died not too long after warranty. Leftside is just near mute while right side works properly. Hifiman is asking about $900 off the bat for repair without even receiving the cans from me and checking out what the issue is.I've heard Hifiman is good when they are within warranty. But again. Please do yourself a favor and research on left driver issue.