There is little out there more satisfying for an audiophile than a high-end pair of headphones, except, perhaps, the flagships within the most revered brands. So imagine how satisfying it is when a flagship pair of headphones from a hugely revered and specialist brand. Turns out, you don’t have to imagine.
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The Hifi Man HE-1000 has already proved itself, time and time again, in the high-end headphone league. But, as is often the case with highly specialist brands, passion and perfectionism has prevailed. But rather than scrap their current flagship and replace it with another, Hifi Man have taken their flagship and improved it. The V2 (i.e. version two) release of this already iconic pair of headphones further proves the HE-1000’s status as flagship, with little tweaks and improvements which truly demonstrate Hifi Man’s commitment to producing the best (in every sense of the phrase) that money can buy.
It’s still the same pair of headphones where it matters: in base technology and design, but the improvements are what makes it. They are still made from the highest grade materials and still feature bevelled ear pads (a little thicker for added comfort) and an asymmetrical shape to comfortably fit (rather asymmetrical) ear, but that’s not what we’re here to focus on.
There are four main improvements from the original HE-1000s.
First up, it’s lighter. 420g, to be precise (down from 480g – a great deal of weight in the headphone world) which works beautifully with the newly revised headband, designed specifically for both improved comfort and a better seal of the pads for improved bass. The new band compliments the newly designed alloy window shade grille, which serve the function of protecting the delicate, high-performance drivers, all the while yielding the best possible sound quality.
New materials have been used throughout with the purpose of tweaking the sound quality to its absolute best. The ear pad material, for instance has been switched from velour to polyester. This may sound like a small step backwards, but it’s actually a dramatic step forward with increased sound transparency and resolution.
Now, the 0.001 mm Nanotech planar magnetic driver (so thin it is not visible from the side with the naked eye!) remains unchanged, however the engineers behind V2 decided to take full advantage of this sleek technology by designing..
“… an Advanced Asymmetrical Magnetic Circuit. The innovative design of the double-sided, asymmetrical magnetic circuit is the perfect combination of the Nanometer Grade Diaphragm and its Magnetic partner.”
To polish of the new setup, HiFi Man have included a cable designed to work perfectly with this particular set of headphones. Only the best cables should ever be used with the very best headphones, and this one comes with one as standard. A three core, to be specific, crystalline copper with silver plated wire.
Of course, all of this does come at a slightly inflated price. £2,599 to be precise (up from £2,199), but considering it is improved in literally ever way – from comfort through to sound and sheer usability, it’s a very small price to pay for an even more worthy flagship.
Like what you see? Click here to take a closer look and to read more, including full specs.
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Great article, I read this other one on audio46, http://audio46.com/hifiman-he1000-v2-edition-x-v2/ they said that I should go for V2 over the original. What are your thoughts? is the upgrade worth the price tag??