Introduction

HiFiMAN came close to perfection with the HE1000. It almost has a perfectly flat frequency response, excellent ergonomics, and looks that match its $2999 price tag. As such, it came as quite the surprise when rumors about a V2 of the HE1000 surfaced a while back, most thinking HiFiMAN could not pull more out of the HE1000 design.

HiFiMAN proved people wrong by introducing the HE1000 V2 with quite a number of substantial upgrades. The biggest changes are the now even fatter and more inclined pads and the thin Edition X type cups. Underneath the hood is more dampening around the structural supports for the driver and magnet array, but otherwise, a lot of the parts have been carried over from the V1. The weight is also down 60 g, which should make them slightly more comfortable!

Due to the launch timing of the HE1000 V2, there is now an upgrade program which allows those with the V1 to upgrade to the V2 for $650. This is a pretty good deal even when considering the resale value of the V1 prior to the launch of the V2.

Specifications

• Impedance: 35 Ohm
• Sensitivity: 90 dB
• Frequency Response: 8 Hz - 65 kHz
• Weight: 420 g

Impedance and sensitivity remain unchanged as the driver carried over from the V1. Weight has also gone down by 60 g.

The Package

HiFiMAN sticks with the good old HE1000 box for the new V2. The box provides a good amount of protection as it is sturdy and packed with foam.


One of the small nuisances with the old HE-1000 was that the cable was a little on the stiff side. It seems HiFiMAN listened to the feedback, having swapped to a cable that is really soft. The cable quality and termination seem up to spec for a $3000 headphone.


You could argue that the regular TPU cable jacket makes it look kind of bland and I must agree, but here, it is clearly a choice of function over looks. TPU's excellent dampening characteristics reduce the amount of microphonic noise that travels up the cable and into the headphones. It is also much more compliant, which should make for a more comfortable listening experience since there is less pull on the headphones.


HiFiMAN is sticking to micro-jack termination for the headphone's side of the cable. It is a great choice in terms of convenience as you can make your own cables with very little soldering know-how. Structurally, they are somewhat compromised, but experience has shown me that they can handle more abuse than you would think; i.e. I do drop stuff occasionally.