That is awesome!
I have not heard the se but loved my v2 (OG). I often consider getting the se. I hope that you enjoy it.
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Upgrading the v2 to the se was one of the best things I ever did and on a side note with Hifiman straight up kicking ass with their customer service, I blew up 3 pairs of HE6se v2s in one night learning the hardest of hard ways about DC offset lol and they sent me 3 brand new pairs even though it was obvious it was a me problem with no questions asked and one of them was even out of warranty by 7 months and they didnāt even blink. Iāve never had a Hifiman die on me other than that one night and after I figured it out Iāve been on the same pair they sent me and itās still sounding as good as the day I got it and I have honestly beat this thing as my daily/gaming headphones.
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Finally. Iām not one for A/Bān gear, it irritates me ā¦I just want to listen to my music! But, my HE-500 has been my main can for a long time, and, although I have auditioned a good few higher-end headphones since getting it 18 months ago, it has stuck around. So, I needed to be sure that my new acquisition, the HE1000se, was a step above (I donāt have much faith in my hearing - I spent my 20s as a rock/metal drummer, and my hearing wasnāt too good to start).
I have just been doing some comparative listening and Iāve finally found something Iām happy with, happy enough to replace my 500. This couldāve/wouldāve been the HE-6 that I got, but read above to see how that wentā¦
So, I am not one for critical listening, I just want to enjoy my music. I did start out life studying sound engineering at university but I didnāt end up following that path, though, I think it gave me an appreciation for an even frequency response at the very least. I started this hobby thinking I preferred neutral tunings. I have confirmed I prefer a frequency away from what many call āwarmā. I thought, primarily listening to rock/metal, that V/U/W shaped headphones would be my thing, but having had a HE1000 V2 Stealth here for a week, it made me realise that having any kind of bump in the mid bass, no matter how well controlled, getās in the way of the music for me. After the HE-6 debacle, the HEKse was my last throw of the dice; I was ready to sell all of my gear this morning and just live with my Timeless and Mojo 2 combo, if the HEKse didnāt deliver.
Well, in short, the HEKse is staying, and the HE-500 is going. I always appreciate people taking the time to write-up their experiences with comparisons as it has always helped steer me, and not make too many poor buying decisions. So, the following is what I have found this afternoon. I must caveat what I am about to say by stating that I am a drummer and thus most of my focus is on the drum presentation. I listen to bass guitars, then melody instruments, and vocals get the least of my attention. I donāt think that my hearing is perfect but I am not aware of any particular hearing quirks. Finally, I was listening to flac/wav standard sample rate stuff, PCM, USB to SU-1, coax to Gumby MB A2, XLR to Kinki THR-1. I was using half decent OFC cables from Ali Express terminated in 4 pin XLR into both cans. The HEKse is not yet broken in. Iāve maybe got 20 hours on it; the suggested burn in is 150 according to Hifiman. DCA Angle pads on the 500, stock on the HEKse. And obviously, amp/DAC pairing is a thing, etcā¦
So, in short, the HEKse won in every dimension. This likely wonāt surprise anyone. Getting the HEKse and just plugging it in, listening to it a moderate levels while I worked, didnāt impress me that much. It sounded good, but so does my HE-500! The two things that really impress me in a headphone are image clarity/separation and macrodynamics - I want those drums to bully me!
I started with a track that I enjoy particularly for macrodynamic quality, Wheelās āMovementā. The drum mix is nice and dynamic; thereās lots of tom work through out. This was somewhat of a dead-heat between the two headphones. However, the more well-defined image on the HEKse inferred a clearer punch, even though I think it was only perceived, rather than felt.
The busier passage at the end of this song was what started me on this quest again - Iād been happy my HE-500 for a good while. It can come across a little congested; I wanted a can than resolves all of the drum hits whilst not having the guitars get in the way. This is where the HEKse shone.
The next track was Hakenās āSempiternal Beingsā. This is another heavy, prog track that presents a similar challenge for the HE-500. Thereās more space in this mix. The HEKse really showed off what it could do here. This pleased and irritated me - Iām always rooting for my HE-500; Iād prefer to be disappointed in the HEKse and get some money back in the bank, but alas, they had started to convince meā¦ āYes, theyāre better, but Ā£XXXX better?ā So I continued.
I use anything off Green Dayās āDookieā to test timbre. The drums on that album are so well tuned and well recorded. Incredibly natural, but big, real and so well judged (imo). The thing that struck me about the HEKse was it sounded āfullerā. I recall this being the main quality lacking in the HE6se when compared to my HE-500 when I auditioned those a few weeks ago. To be clear, the HE-500 doesnāt sound lean, far from it; the HEKse just sounded fuller. Hearing the space in the drum recording on the HEKse again stuck me as something I preferred, compared to the 500.
I listen to all kinds of music, but I tend to focus my listening on heavier rock stuff. So, I listened to a few more tracks when I got to another favourite, Oceansizeās āCatalistā. This is where the HEKse really started to win me over, āMaybe this can is worth Ā£XXXX more.ā Three guitarists weaving melodies around layers of vocals and synth padding, coupled with a drummer determined to be as interesting as possible, whilst not get in the way of the music? I hadnāt previously thought this track was challenging for my 500 though. However, when you hear it on a more capable headphone that does everything as well or better, thatās when you realise you were missing things that have always been there unheard. This track kicks into a heavy groove a minute or so in, and I could hear so much more texture in the hi-hats than I ever had done previously. I know this song so well that it was this simple thing that really got me.
Finally, another track I have used to audition headphones since my first day of this hobby, Toolās āLateralusā. I use this track because itās well recorded, thereās a good bit of space in the mix, and I know what those drums and cymbals are supposed to sound like. Similar to listening to the last track, I could just hear more of the drums, more texture, more body, clearer, each part of the kit more distinct. I had already made my mind up that I was keeping the HEKse when I was listing to Oceansize, but this solidified it for me.
As I alluded to above, Iām always sceptical that I am capable of hearing differences when stepping up my gear. Part of the problem is that I donāt know what I like in a headphone; I at least knew that whatever it was, the HE-500 was doing it. Iāve never been to a CanJam and have only heard the headphones that Iāve bought (maybe 15 mid-fi cans) since being in this hobby. This is also the first time Iāve heard something of this tier. I hadnāt wished to stray into this level of hifi, but my the HE-6 situation forced my hand. Having said that, I am happy with the HEKse, less happy with the hole in my bank account, but happy enough to endure it, being satisfied that my new can beat out my old can in the ways in which I care about the reproduction of the music I listen to. One thing worth saying is, HE-500 - it is absurd to me that a can that is 10 years old, that can be bought for as little as Ā£350, can stand toe to toe with so many modern, more expensive offerings. I had to spend many multiple times more to beat it in a meaningful way (to my ear). Sorry to ramble; I hope the above helps someone else in a similar position to me make a decision.
As an aside, HEKse owners, I have a question. Those DCA Angle Pads do wonders for the HE-500; can anyone recommend something similar for the HEKse? Something that increases macrodynamics/low end punch?
13 Likes
NtraX Mod Design. Non angled, memory foam, leather outside, suede contact patch, perforated suede interior. I canāt think of a single they they donāt improve on the HEKse. Overall balanced comes out a lot better imo. Gives the bass a lot more texture and punch all while increasing the overall bass definition as well. I donāt know of anyone else that does custom pads for them but I ordered 2 different types based on and absolute shitload of pad rolling Iāve done on the HE6se and having a pretty good idea of what it all does I think that is the best combo. I havenāt ever found a single Hifiman that doesnāt have better imaging with non angled pads, and the extra depth adds quite a bit to the stage width and in combination with the non angle it seems to increase the stage depth quite a bit too all while focusing the center image at the same time. The suede perforated interior helps with the bass fullness and slightly smooths out the kinda edgy treble they have and it just seems to bring out a little more detail in everywhere but the treble by getting rid of that last little bit of glare and treble detail seems mostly the same. That and the comfort is just so much better, they actually cup your head instead of almost seeming like they pry constantly on your jaw. Idk what heās charging these days but I think I paid like $240 for 2 pairs but that was quite a while ago at this point.
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Thanks for the info, my dude. Certainly havenāt heard of those pads but they do sound like theyād be worth investing in.
On another note, I have found HEKse to be brilliant for competitive FPS.
As much I hate to admit this (because I am a frugal person), I am honestly starting to think the Susvara is actually worth its asking price of $6000ā¦ The real reason I am making this post is because I am using the Susvara a lot more than I thought and I am really enjoying a lot more than I thought that I think its becoming more of my reference headphone vs the Sr1a. It just sounds like an actual complete headphone where it makes me appreciate my music from top to bottom whereas the Sr1a, I feel like I am missing the bottom part of the music (donāt really notice until I put the Susvara back on).
Because I am using the Susvara a lot more, I am starting to get some white specks of stuff on my earpads. I donāt know if that means my pads are deteriorating or not. I donāt think itās affecting sound quality, but it is annoying looking at it. I was wondering what is the pad replacement for it that wonāt change its original sound quality too much. If there are any go-to pads people use and the majority agree its an improvement, I am open to trying them out.
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You can always buy a pair of original pads from Hifiman if you want to stick to stock. I have stock on mine
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I bought mine used and I donāt think it had the white specks, so I am not sure how quickly dirty they can get (I think it took me using it for a month for it to look like this). How long do they last looking clean at least?
Havenāt had anything happen to them in over a year of use (with my first pair). Second pair is still quite new (couple of months) and still looks mint with hundreds of hours.
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Canāt really find the original stock pads lol. When I google it, these āHIFIMAN Harmony Padsā keep showing up. I did minimal searching in headfi and it seem when someone contacted Hifi customer service, they ship him the Harmony pads instead of stock. I think I will just keep using these pads until I start seeing tearing lol. I honestly am not a fan of pad rolling because I start getting picky on what changes were made to the sound quality and will end up buying 4 different pads for no reason.
I think thatās right, if you scroll to the bottom here it says the harmony pad is Susvaraās stock pad:
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I was afraid of that because $129 for a pad replacement is pretty high for me. But I do like Hifiman pad comfort. I donāt remember when I own the Edition XS (cause I hated the headband), but when I had the HE-R9, I remember really like wearing that headphone because the pads felt really nice to wear for me. I think I will probably go with the Harmony Pads just because the current comfort is really nice to wear.
If you want to try a different pad, I know someone who runs the Dekoni Elite Fenestrated Sheepskin on their Susvara and likes it a lot:
Itās a little cheaper but still expensive
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I did a quick google and found this review, āPurchased the FSS as well. Amazing soundstage. Trippy sounding. Great timbre. Loving itā. That definitely peak my interest! $100 is still pretty pricey, but it least it would be an experience rather than just a replacement. Thanks for the recommendation Christof!
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So you think that but wont consider $130 for stock pads???
Yeah, because itās just replacement pads. I donāt want to spend $130 on pads if my pads arent even broken yet. The pads is just a little dirty.
You missed the point, nevermind.
I mean if its like $50, I would replace it if it was dirty. If it was $129, I would wait until the pads is starting to tear to replace it. If its for a new experience, I wouldnāt mind spending $100 and if its better, being a replacement would be a bonus. Itās just how a value things at the moment.
For the Susvara valuing at $6000, whenever I remember hearing the Shang Sr and HE-1 and the Susvara is actually pretty amazing compared to those 2. I think over 90% of headphones donāt really compare to those headphones and that honestly made me look at Susvara being a great value compared to those 2. Plus, the Susvara is just so amazing in all range for me and just gets along to every song I threw at it no matter what genre. Plus, dude, the Susvara on some tracks is pretty breath taking. I donāt know how it is on a higher setup and I can even imagine honestly, but everytime I put the Susvara on, Iām thinking itās unbelievable to hate on this headphone and I canāt really understand how people could even hate on it in the first place. For example, Iām seeing people SoCal CanJam impressions and Iām reading that they think the Susvara is whatever is crazy to me. I seriously think the Susvara is really good to the point where Iām looking at this as the almost perfect headphone and I keep liking this headphone even more with every session. The only reason I am not giving this the perfect headphone is because I still do get the desire to use my other headphone and that what makes the Susvara not perfect to me yet.
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Basic obvious question, have you tried to clean the pads?
Only with a dry rag. I didnāt want it to get wet.