Closer Examination

HIFIMAN's headphone cables are more miss than hit admittedly, but the company has been quietly taking complaints into consideration and updating its stock cables accordingly. Indeed, the new HIFIMAN headphone cables that ship with the HE1000 Stealth are functionally identical to what we saw on the Ananda Stealth, except we have two cables here that use more prosumer-level connectors compared to the single 3.5 mm (6.35 mm w/adapter) cable there. Here we get full-size XLR for a balanced option to contrast with a native 6.35 mm (1/4") single-ended option. These aren't the fanciest cables with the world, having a simple polymer sleeve over a copper conductor whose details HIFIMAN does not provide. The good thing is I didn't even need that cable tie to have it to remain coiled, so that's already improved over the previous gen cables. The conductor is inside a single thick sleeve which feels like polyurethane, and heads to a simple splitter for thinner wires heading to the left and right channels. As with all planar headphones from HIFIMAN today, terminations are again 3.5 mm TRS with L/R markings to indicate the channels. No microphonics were felt in use and I dare say this cable is good enough for most end users even if these are not the easiest to re-shape.


At this point I already know what to expect from the higher end HIFIMAN teardrop-shaped headphones—the Arya and HE1000 series in particular. In fact, given I've already reviewed the HE1000se, things get simpler for me to describe the new HE1000 Stealth, which looks very similar but has a different colorway. The aluminium frame in silver contrasts with the black pads but then we get a tan brown suspension band and the wood veneer on the ear cups feels more orange to where this almost feels like a bigger Sivga product. The previous HE1000 V1 and V2 looked the same too so there are years of impressions confirming this aesthetic to be highly divisive—too many colors for some, bold and attractive for others. I can't fault the functionality though—the headband is effectively a thin piece of sheet metal bent twice and used as a flexible brace the ear cups are attached to, with a cutout in the center reducing mass. This is accompanied by a relatively long synthetic leather suspension band stretching with the headband to support your head. There are holes in the support band to help prevent hot spots on the top of your head. The stitching is well executed, and the support band does its job by providing ample support. On the outside we see the HIFIMAN logo and "HE1000" engraved above the ear cups, and L/R markings on the inside indicate the left and right channels. Notice how the entire headband assembly is held in place with screws, making this an easy set to disassemble and maintain with available spare parts.


The suspension band on either side terminates in two slider mechanisms that go up or down the steel headband for vertical sizing. There are several punched-out holes which allow for discrete clicky steps, thus allowing both sides to be easily matched up. It's not the easiest to set up on-the-fly if you already have it on the head so I recommend taking it out and setting it up with some trial and error before it's finalized for good. There is a lot of room here to accommodate larger heads, especially as the suspension band moves with the slider, so the limitation is more likely to be for those with smaller heads. I would say the range on offer is fine for most adults as far as the vertical sizing goes, but there are other issues there as we will soon talk about.


There are articulating points where the frame meets the ear cups allowing for an incredible amount of cup swivel on the HE1000 Stealth in either direction. This is more than enough to accommodate ear positioning on the side of your head and is accompanied by further rotation up or down, resulting in excellent flexibility on all three axes.


HIFIMAN has used this teardrop-shaped ear cup with many other models, including the Edition XS, Ananda, Arya, and even the halo e-stat Shangri-La, with this design following ear shapes and head contours. These are clearly open-back, over-ear headphones. The outer grille has 11 horizontal bars, with the entire grille made of CNC-machined aluminium that is then hand polished. Underneath is where we see the patented "Window Shade" technology, but more on it later. The main talking point here is that the ear cups end up extending below the ears and down to the jawline for most people, which can feel weird the first few times you wear the HE1000 Stealth. Clamp force is about average to where the set is comfortable and not feeling like it will fall down the sides either. There's still a matter of getting used to the feeling as though turning your head may break the seal, which it won't. The ear pads are deep enough for most ears not to touch the inner fabric lining separating the magnets and diaphragm, but some have managed to make a strand of hair poke through the fabric, which you should remove right away lest it touch the diaphragm and create artificial crinkling noises in use. The ear pads are held in place by clips, which provides a good balance of a seal and easy replacement of worn-out pads. Removing the ear pads, we get a closer look at the driver assembly, albeit still with the "Window Shades" and stealth magnets on either side of the diaphragm resulting in a green tint on the drivers.


The stock ear pads are called HIFIMAN SerenityPads. These are slightly contoured to better conform around the ear and are composed of polyester and pleather cover with medium-density foam filling. The polyester is fenestrated on the inside to help prevent unwanted resonance from entering the ears. These don't have a protective screen on the inside but we see the drivers end up having them on top anyway.


On the bottom of the ear cups angled towards the front is where we find small cutouts for the cable connectors from before. These have the cable plugs connect easily, naturally directing the cable away from your body and comfortably setting them down at the splitter on your chest. The HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth has dual 3.5 mm TRS connectors on the ear cups to increase compatibility with aftermarket cables, which is handy if you don't like the stock cables. With the two wires meeting centrally at the splitter and moving to the source, weight balance is still centrally placed. The cables are ~3 m long, so perhaps you may want to invest in a shorter aftermarket cable that can also match your aesthetic preferences while also being more pliable compared to the HIFIMAN offerings. Either way, choose the cable you want based on the source connector you wish to use and then install them to get the headphones ready to go. If you are going to use a headphone stand, keep in mind that supporting the HE1000 Stealth off the suspension band isn't recommended for longevity and I also recommend getting one that does not add pressure on the ear pads such as those omega-shaped stands. Something closer to the stand in the photos above is my preference, and seen above are photos that also help visualize how the HE1000 Stealth looks compared to the HE1000se. I'd personally take the HE1000se for its cleaner looks, although the newer Arya Organic does tug at some heartstrings.