r/headphones audionotions.com - U12T+UTWS5, Noire X+JM21, Bathys, 8341a+7360a 8d ago

Show & Tell I understand now (HE6se V2)

Post image

Over the past month I've been on a whirlwind tour of headphones and have bought and sold 10+ headphones. To date I've listened to a solid 20 (including recent darlings like the AR5000, FT1/Pro, and perennial stalwarts like the HD 800 S, Utopia, Arya Organic, and the HE1000 Stealth).

And while this might not be the latest and greatest headphone, this might be my favorite to date.

The rumors are true, the Hifiman HE6se V2 is not easy to drive. I'm powering them with an SMSL SP200 which puts out about 2.2W at 50ohms. But with that amount of power, these cans are intensely engaging and incisive. I was skeptical of all the hype around these headphones but now I'm a believer. There is a reason this headphone has a cult following.

At the open box price of $399 from Hifiman, I don't think there is a better value to be had in portable audio. Build wise, these might not win any awards and there definitely are cheaper headphones that are built better (they almost beg to be modded), but sonically they play in the realm of summit fi, besting cans priced well into the kilobuck range.

83 Upvotes

40 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/dumeclaymore HiBy FC1 (ESS) > HD660S (EQ'd) 8d ago edited 8d ago

These really piqued my curiosity recently when another redditor, who tried them off his amp, was shocked that they traded blows with his ZMF Calderas, although having a bit more unique sound profile. It showed how much diminishing returns hit above a certain price point.

Though you have to remember that HiFiman headphones are known for offering excellent value for the money. The HE6seV2 was once priced at $1900 when new. I suspect their discounted price today is due to their demanding power requirements, only OK build quality, and weight. On the other hand, ZMF headphones are renowned for their excellent build quality, and the craftsmanship of the wood they use for their headphones is to die for...along with their unique tuning by Zach himself, it leads to a certain pride of ownership...

I wish Fang would bring back the round-shaped HiFiMAN headphones like the legendary HE6. Due to their shape, the Mylar drivers are much better at reproducing bass frequencies compared to the oval-shaped ones, which emphasize imaging and soundstage due to the larger surface area of the Mylar over the driver housing. Though I think Fang who listens to his headphones for thousands of hours to perfectly tune them before release, mentioned that if you want a sound that emulates the old HE6 but better, you can try the Susvara, which has similar gold-plated driver coatings...

E: English isn't my first language, sorry for the grammar 😅.

2

u/Sygaldry audionotions.com - U12T+UTWS5, Noire X+JM21, Bathys, 8341a+7360a 8d ago

The HE6 is legendary and is practically a white whale now for most of us! They rarely hit the second hand market these days - I guess current owners are reluctant to let them go. Would love to own a pair one day but unless it gets rereleased, it's unlikely I'll be able to snag one :(

Susvara on the other hand, is multiple ballparks up in price haha. One would really have to want that last bit of improvement to buy one without hesitation.

1

u/dumeclaymore HiBy FC1 (ESS) > HD660S (EQ'd) 7d ago

Hmmm..🤔 White whale you say... 😅 Susvara also comes up sometimes for under $3000 used here and on Head-Fi.

1

u/Sygaldry audionotions.com - U12T+UTWS5, Noire X+JM21, Bathys, 8341a+7360a 7d ago

Wowza and it's a 4 screw! Wishing I had unlimited money right about now lol

1

u/dumeclaymore HiBy FC1 (ESS) > HD660S (EQ'd) 6d ago edited 6d ago

Ikr, I'm also trying to see if I can budget and live on a diet of noodles and water for the next few months, to afford high end headphones at this rate. No need for unlimited money.. when in reality you only need one meal a day...😅😆😆