Closer Examination

If you thought the unboxing experience was weird and novel then let me introduce you to the Sineaptic SE-1 headphones themselves. I recall an old (think a decade or two) set of headphones that tried a similar headband design and then no one else followed it because more traditional headband designs were just more reliable and comfortable. Sineaptic seems to think going bold and eye-catchy is the way to go even at the expense of some functionality which unfortunately is the case here too. There are two "wings" which are placed on a cantilever from the middle of the headband frame and bent inward to have pivot points with what can best be described as small ear pad-style cushions. Note that the photos on this page are predominantly from a pre-release unit which I was only made aware of the status after I got sent a second, retail-ready unit. The newer version has smoother headband pads without any wrinkles on it but is otherwise identical. The headphones sit on the top of your head at 2-4 points of contact on the left and right side only meaning there is uneven weight distribution at best. There is a non-zero chance of getting an uneven clamp pressure even assuming this is comfortable for you. I found myself fidgeting with the positioning of the SE-1 every 10 minutes or so. I do like how the headphones look though with the black and gunmetal gray color scheme feeling clean and the build quality of the frame coming off quite solid. There is branding in the form of the Sineaptic logo on the outside where the headband meets the ear cups and the use of screws to secure this together suggests potentially easy repairs, if not also opportunities for enterprising modders to try out a different headband assembly.


The headband assembly can be seen as a makeshift suspension-style system too given those wings move up and down when placed on your head. This ends up also being the vertical sizing mechanism for the SE-1, meaning something this important is now tied to a poorly implemented design. The good news is this does seem to work better than weight distribution and clamping does and I do feel those parts are not likely to break off anytime soon either. The issue here is those wings do take a bit of force to move up and it's not a linear progression either. This is obvious when you see the design wherein there is more stress on the cantilever the further up it is forced, meaning those with larger heads will now have more downward/sideways pressure applied on their head than those with smaller heads. As such, the entire comfort and sealing is extremely dependent on how big your head is. I wonder why no one else uses this type of headband mechanism!


Somehow Sineaptic managed to get even the ear cup articulation different from the norm. Usually you'd have the yokes/frame connect to the ear cups in a C-style support clip securing the cups at two points. Here it is one, albeit thick enough to do the job well enough. This allows for a good amount of ear cup swivel, including allowing you to rest them flat but not in the direction you'd like where the headbphones themselves could be folded flat. Instead, there is actually zero ear cup rotation along the axis of the frame itself so you better hope the ear cups and pads will fit over your ears. I really, really want Sineaptic to go for a more standard design next time round, assuming there is one, since I can't fathom anyone thinking so many variables left out of the end user's control is a good thing.


Time for some much-needed normalcy. Sort of. This is a wireless set of over-ear headphones but happens to be open-back too. I'd say the SE-1 is more semi-open given the grill is quite restrictive and yet it still leaks enough sound to where I would not use this in a public space with people nearby. The flip side is a larger sense of space and less pressure build-up in the ears though, so this can be nice even for lounging at home. Removing the stock ear pads is easier than putting them back on since Sineaptic has gone for not only interlocking plastic tabs but also alignment pins which don't always fit in without a fight. At this point we do get a better look at the ribbon drivers used here and the electronics are underneath, including the battery pack on one side which appears to use standard cells.


The stock pads are hybrid in composition with a protein leather exterior and a suede fabric on the contact surface for added comfort—there is no fenestration anywhere. The opening is large enough to accommodate larger ears easily although I do wish the pads were contoured to allow for a better seal given there tends to be more space behind the ears than on the front. The replacement pads are all suede and slightly thicker than the stock ones although the rest is the same in execution. There is a stitch mark on the side which is meant to point down so you can use it to align the pads when installing them although the L/R markings inside do a better job and it's fairly obvious given the alignment pins too.


The left ear cup hosts all the integrated controls for the Sineaptic SE-1 in addition to the Type-C port for charging. There's a power button which also doubles up to switch connectivity modes, EQ modes, and even works as play/pause as well as call controls depending on how long you press it and when. The plus and minus buttons help with track navigation and volume controls and rounding things off here is the 3.5 mm aux port for wired connectivity. The tiny holes in the middle show you where the integrated MEMS microphones are located which help for voice pickup.