Packaging and Accessories

HIFIMAN operates a web shop, and this sample shipped directly from the company, so we begin with the shipping packaging, since this is how paying customers would receive the HE1000 Unveiled. The shipping box is larger and heavier than other recently reviewed HIFIMAN headphones, but that's because the HE1000 Unveiled is one of very few HIFIMAN products to not have received a packaging overhaul to a more barebones cardboard box. We still see HIFIMAN-branded tape and stickers all around, including one that specifically calls out the product inside. I would like to see a stealthier approach for expensive products such as this. Inside is the product box itself, which comes in a shaped-to-fit bubble wrap and foam sheets on all sides, for further protection from shipping hazards. There's also a personalized frequency response measurement for this very set, although I don't believe this will be the case for all headphones going forward. It was something HIFIMAN did for the first batch of the Susvara Unveiled, perhaps as a test to ensure the products are manufactured to spec, and the same continues here.


HIFIMAN thankfully still uses a leather-wrapped product box for the HE1000se and HE1000 Unveiled, in addition to the Susvara duo and the Shangri-La Sr./Jr., with the headphones named as much on the metal inlay badge we see on the front—the company logo and a product description are also seen here. The wrapping is all black in color and is well stitched all around the box. A latch at the front keeps the contents in place during transit, and a sticker on the back confirms EU compliance, has the expected certification logos, and contact information for HIFIMAN. In the absence of a carry handle and also because it's inherently less durable than a more industrial-style hard case, this feels more of a storage box than one that you would necessarily transport the headphones in to various locations, if you were so inclined anyway. I suspect most customers will never use this box after taking the contents out.


Opening the box, we are greeted to some paperwork in the form of a warranty card with the serial numbers for both drivers of this headphone, which is something that only HIFIMAN does to the best of my knowledge. It also lets you know that registering the headphones and following HIFIMAN on social media nets you an additional six months on warranty on top of the three years by default, which is about average for flagship headphones these days. There's a note on the brand's patented stealth magnets technology, which we will discuss later, and we also get a printed hardcover owner's guide (online copy here) in color and on high bond glossy paper which is nice to peruse through. There's also a HIFIMAN-branded soft fabric drawstring pouch to help store the headphones and keep them dust free, and a foam sheet helps separate all these accessories from the rest of the items for further protection. As seen above, HIFIMAN uses a soft cloth-wrapped foam piece with a cutout to hold the headphones. The section in the middle has a note alerting customers about the headphone cables located below.


As with the Susvara Unveiled, we see four dark tan drawstring pouches in the box. Two are smaller and host the so-called magnetic veils, which are metal covers in a silver color that are to be used to cover the ear cups of the HE1000 Unveiled when not in use. The outer section has machined concentric circles whereas at the bottom is a beaded finish with a truncated HIFIMAN logo present. The inner side has a woven carbon fiber finish this time round, but is still very smooth—makes it easier to wipe of remnant dust before being placed on the headphones. HIFIMAN should probably have included a microfiber cloth to keep these clean, but it's not the end of the world. There are two other, larger such bags around the ear cups of the headphones which you need to loosen and carefully remove from the HE1000 Unveiled for a closer examination.