Fit and Comfort

Seen above is the HIFIMAN HE1000se on a headphone stand that is actually a set of two artificial ears complete with soft-molded human ears and a couple of different adapters acting as the top of the head. This has been mounted on a tripod, which also showcases how headphones would look on a human head, with the artificial ears spaced ~20 cm apart. As with all headphones, getting a good fit and seal is crucial, so make sure to properly use the pivot points and headband and ear-cup height adjustability. This section is mostly a summary of the points expanded upon in more detail on the previous page. The HIFIMAN HE1000se weighs 440 g without the cable and certainly does not feel heavy on the head when properly positioned. It's also one of the more comfortable headphones I have used, with the combination of the suspension headband, multiple swivel and pivot options, roomy and soft ear pads, and average clamping force working well together. The support band was also tensioned just right once I had the sliders in their correct position, after which it was just a matter of getting used to the teardrop-shaped pads. I do recommend using these in a quiet environment lest others around you get a second-hand listen, or the ambient environment affect your listening experience, and people will certainly gawk at you wearing these in public no matter what you are listening to.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

Please read through this page for a primer on the workings of planar magnetic drivers if unfamiliar with how these differ from more common dynamic driver headphones. To summarize, it involves ultra-thin diaphragms with conductive traces as the effective voice coil. This theoretically allows for lower inertia paired with high magnetic flux fields generated from magnets to move the diaphragm back and forth very quickly for fast transients and increased resolution while lowering distortion. HIFIMAN is using what it calls the nanometer thickness diaphragm, which some have taken to mean a single nanometer thick. I suppose in that regard the marketing has worked, but it's more that the thickness of the diaphragm is under a micron, and thus in the nanometer regime. The engineering it takes to churn these out consistently is one I would love to see in person!

HIFIMAN's stealth magnet system debuted with the flagship Susvara in 2017 before being used here, and we have since seen it trickle down to even the $109 HE400se. This is not to say that the magnets used here are the same as in the HE400se in terms of field strength and flux, but the general takeaway is that there are symmetrical magnets on either side of the diaphragm which are smaller and curved to where standing waves do not incur diffraction, thus keeping distortion low. These magnets are thus claimed to be acoustically transparent, or at least as best as currently possible from HIFIMAN. Then we get to the "Window Shade" system on the outside to better retain the open-back nature of the HE1000se while minimizing sound wave reflection and refraction. HIFIMAN says this cover system was precisely structured to allow for "greater openness," which is just code for a wider, more open soundstage without compromising imaging. All this comes together to make for a set of flagship class headphones which are relatively easy to drive, with a rated sensitivity of 96 dB/mW and a rated impedance of 35 Ω. Even amplifiers capable of providing ~0.25–0.5 W can easily get these loud enough, including portable DAC/amps. However, I do recommend getting something more capable that suits your tastes for the HE1000se, depending on whether you prefer transparent sources or something warmer.

Frequency Response Measurement and Listening

I will mention that I have a general preference for a warm-neutral signature emphasizing a slightly elevated bass and smooth treble range with detailed mids and good tonal separation. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, with favored genres including jazz and classical music.


Our current headphones test setup uses a set of two custom in-ear microphones for the two channels. These microphones which closely adhere to the IEC711 class, but have been tweaked to be more reliable in the >10 kHz frequency range that was the issue with my previous setup that is still very good and will continue to be used for IEMs and earphones. Two soft silicone pinnae are installed on the sides, separated by a distance matching my head, and multiple "height" adapters have been 3D-printed for further customization based on fit and head size and shape. Each set of microphones has an XLR output I separately adapted to 3.5 mm. I used a transparent source—the JDS Labs Element II—for measurements after confirming it was not a bottleneck in any way.

This artificial head simulator feeds the microphone lines into a reference USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, account for floor noise, and finally test the frequency response of each channel separately. Octave smoothing is at the 1/12th setting, which nets a good balance of detail and noise not being identified as useful data. The default tuning was used for testing, and no app or program-based EQ settings were chosen unless specifically mentioned. Each sample of interest is tested thrice with separate mounts to account for any fit issues, and an average is taken of the three individual measurements for statistical accuracy. The raw data is then compensated based on a custom curve created after having worked with Crinacle from In-Ear Fidelity to get measurements with this setup on par with a GRAS 043AG industry-standard measurement rig, especially by accounting for the slightly different pinna gain compared to the KEMAR anthrophometric pinna there.


As per usual, you can find my headphone frequency response measurements on VSG.squig.link, along with all the earphone measurements. Scroll to the bottom and choose different targets there, including two from Harman Kardon developed after years of R&D. The Harman 2018 over-ear target in particular is a reference curve many headphone makers aim for now, but I find it too bass-boosted. As such, I am opting for the Harman 2018 curve with the bass target from the Harman 2013 curve, which is what is being referred to as the "Harman Combined" target there.

I've had the HIFIMAN HE1000se for a few months now given other, newer releases kept getting in the way and taking priority, which meant I was able to take my time. I have come to the conclusion that the HE1000se is caught between a rock and a hard place, and will be a tough buy in 2022. Yes, it launched nearly four years to the day, which can be an eternity for headphones; however, if a headphone is well-executed on day one, it will remain so for years to come. Sennheiser's HD 5x0/6x0 series are a good example, and HIFIMAN provides an absolute unit when it comes to detail retrieval, but at the expense of worse tuning even compared to newer, less expensive HIFIMAN offerings. The various technologies trickling down the product line have been great for end users, but not so much for the HE1000se. Take the bass, for example, where the measurements above admittedly make it seem as though there's an appreciable dip in the sub-bass compared to reality. But that's a measurement artifact, and the HE1000se does well overall with keeping a tight, detailed bass note most of the way down. It is better with bass guitars than electronic music, although you get fast decay and trailing edges just as much as leading ones in both cases. Where it is bested by others is that you have to EQ the tuning here to get the bass signature to stand on its own because the review tagline holds very true.

I could say a lot about the mids, but it is sorely affected by the shouty presence in the higher frequencies, which I have to address. Keep in mind that I am someone who can tolerate and even enjoy a bright tuning, especially in the sense of overall detail being attributed to treble presence. But the HE1000se is too bright and downright sibilant in some cases, so much so that I found myself cringing visibly at some ear-piercing vocals and instrument fundamental tones. Most end users who are in the market for an expensive end-game set of headphones need to be aware of it since it is the defining point for the HE1000se and a probable deal breaker. EQ doesn't help much since playing by ear is the only way to EQ the higher frequencies outside of trying to meet a generic over-smoothened target, so aside from setting a blanket shelf heading down and praying it does the job, this is a real driver and tuning limitation. If you do EQ things down too much, a lot of detail and instrument separation is lost, especially for fast and complex orchestral pieces, which makes it a lose-lose scenario.

This is why I was not able to appreciate the mids much, with vocals great or terrible depending on your HRTF and the frequency range of the singer. There's also the now-signature HIFIMAN scoop in the 1 kHz region which makes some vocals feel overly hollow before the fast elevator up to shriek-town, and I found myself desperately wanting a maturer tuning here. The drivers are clearly incredibly resolving—these could be a benchmark for others to be compared to for precise imaging in an extremely wide cone around your ears and in front and the extremely wide and tall soundstage, which I expected because of my experiences with the Arya and Edition XS. There's a lot the HE1000se gets right, but it is let down by the treble performance that is pretty much all I will take away from it after the unit has been returned.


I was in two minds about whether to show the Edition XS and HE400se because both are better-tuned and significantly less expensive. Instead, I stuck with a higher and a lower price entry in HIFIMAN's open-back planar magnetic headphone lineup—namely, the newer Arya (2021 Stealth Magnets) and of course far more expensive halo product that is the Susvara. All three share a lot in common, including the same class of stealth magnets and similarly thin diaphragms, although the actual implementation is thin, thinner, thinnest in order of cost. The Arya also benefits from a lot of the R&D over the years, while the Susvara is as product that is extremely hard to surpass, meaning the HE1000se almost ends up being an afterthought here. Tuning is certainly better balanced on the other two, with the Arya bested only in build quality, subjective aesthetics, and detail retrieval. Personally, I would get the Arya or save for the Susvara rather than go with the HE1000se and being plagued by second thoughts about the decision.


The price range the HE1000se operates in is pretty unique as there are only a few direct competitors. Many premium or flagship headphones are less expensive, yet others that have come out recently challenge the buying power of the market with increasingly higher MSRPs. The Audeze LCD-5 is one such entry at $4500, but it can already be found for much less. It is a very interesting comparison of a smaller driver and a much larger one. Both headphones are highly resolving and ultimately have different strengths and weaknesses. The LCD-5 tackles bass and mids like a champ and gets a touch dark in the highs, but can be far more easily helped with EQ, while the HE1000se has too much treble emphasis for most and loses some of its magic if EQ'd there, I felt. I'd certainly take the LCD-5 over the HE1000se, with the much better cable and arguably better build quality playing a role, as do aesthetics. Then there's the even more expensive HIFIMAN HE-R10 Planar Version at $5500, which is the most expensive closed-back retail set of headphones I am aware of. It is a recent release and takes a lot of cues from the Susvara, but is tuned to be a warm, honky set that is in many ways the yang to the HE1000se's yin. There's a good amount of fun to be had with the HE-R10P, but the current version is built poorly and being updated with a suspension headband, and the good technical performance doesn't make up for the tuning and poor value. This might be the one time the HE1000se wins a round, which isn't saying much.