HiFiMAN HE1000 v2 + HEX v2 release soon?

yes, the thicker grey material over the magnet bars to strengthen them.
Divers have slightly different sound.
New Pads will give changes
Reduction of space inside from driver to pad should increase impact.

 

Hifiman's updated product page for the HE1000 v2: http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/267

Changes (according to the Hifiman website):

- more notches for headband adjustment.
- weighs 60 grams less, 480 -> 420g
- thinner cups, 14mm -> 11mm
- thicker, more angled earpads
- better cable (supposedly)
- different earpad surface material (the part that touches your face), velour -> polyester
- "even more user-friendly when paring [sic] with different amplifiers (non-high power output type) for you to discern the nuances in the sound"

Having more notches seems kinda useless. Did people with big heads have trouble wearing the HEKv1? And seeing how close the leather headband already is to the metal above it even on the bottom notch, putting it on any of the top notches won't even make sense because at that point your head will be touching the metal 'headband' anyways.

The thinner cups, thicker and more angled earpads, and different earpad surface material might give a better seal, which would affect the sound.

 

Credit to Hifiman for these ergonomic improvements. A 60g weight reduction is impressive.

 

Congrats to the beta-testers who paid $3K just a year ago to help Hifiman with testing their HEK prototype. I assume each of them will get the final version for free or at a steep discount.

 

They aren't significant changes other than the ear pads.

 

I have the V2 drivers in my V1 unit.
The difference is they finally addressed the slightly fragile horizontal magnet strips,
By putting a layer of what looks like cement(!) over them.
So driver now looks dry grey instead of shiny black.

I will upload some pics soon.
The tonality is a slightly brighter or more alive signature, being about 3-4db elevated throughout the mids to upper range.

The problem they had was quality controll,
As my first RMA return had two different sounding drivers.
The left side sounded like my first pair,
And the right side was livelier like my current second RMA unit.
I welcome the livelier sound.
Considering the fact that I now have V2 drivers on my V1 unit,
And the fact that customer support told me on email that they will discontinue the V1,
I feel it safe to assume they already stopped making V1 and are making V2 drivers.

So V1 owners can be patient and get RMA units in future with the newer drivers.

The last remaining issue with the HEK (for me), is the sockets.
They don't hold my aftermarket cables well,
Because the metal contact is too deep inside, so it does not lock and pops out..

I gave up on returning unit and opened unit to fix it.

A carefully and simple pushing in of the inner metal tab, lowered it's position bro be able to grab under the plug head to lock it in..
Wew.

 

Hi @Maxx134,
Is there any improved in sound quality under low volume after replacing the new V2?
I think it is a flaw in V1.

 

Indeed... and remember "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

 

That appears to be pretty sound advice.

 

Indeed. I'm sure most of us HEK owners wish we'd followed that advice

 

I learned it the hard way.

I asked customer support if they would provide an upgrade path for existing Ed-X owner who got screwed (the damn thing drop $500 and got better ear pads, presumably).

Let's hope Dr. He starts a company on his own and revive the HE series.

 

Well, good (or not so good if you owned HEX) news, apparently new HEX v2 has had a price decrease from $1799 to $1299. http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/268

 

Didn't Hifiman do significant price drops for some of their earlier flagships as well?

 

The V2 drivers in my V1 sound more lively in the mids to lower treble region.
As if there was more by about 3db.

There was a gross mistake in first RMA unit that had two different sounding drivers.
The left side had what I remember of the older units, and the right side has what I remember of the unit I have now.
Same exact signature except one sounded more energetic or lively.
Like the volume was increased gently in the mids to upper treble.

My second RMA unit has visibly same exact drivers as V2.
Notably, the increased grey cement looking surface which makes the magnet bars thicker.

It seems this strengthen the magnet bars, as my first unit had the thin flat bars, which totally caved in a freak accident inside a pouch .!

One cup went into the other causing crushed magnet bars and massive damage as all the bars started collapsing into driver membrane once the initial break occurred..

I only telling you this horror story because I would not wish this on anyone,
and so take precautions to not store your HEK in a loose pouch.

Anyways, I believe the HE1000 has followed a trend of being a rushed product (like Ether) and help started an overpriced trend,
which probably a reason Focal Utopia and Ether Flow are also overpriced.
HE1000 set the trend?
No,
I believe it was the dam cursed Abyss that started this Bullsh*t price trend of over inflated pricing (to me)..

Yep.
So now they finished fooling early adopters,
and actually have a "final" , more competitive product at a lower price..
I bet they're targeting the potential Flow buyers..

Also,
I hated the lower model HEX SUPER cheapo plastic feel..
I sold it right away, but it had sonic potential.
I believe the HEX V2 should be better sounding as well.
I haven't heard, but pretty sure it will be more balanced signature a than the Flow...
Unknown if it can be as resolving as the Elear.

Anyways,
I won't be upgrading my HE1000 to V2 unless I hear it, but I can agree of being fooled, or feeling like a lab rat, lol.
They should just automatically give present owners an upgrade, especially recent ones,
And others at least for small fee.

The lack of response or notification is deafening.

 

I'd love to think otherwise but I'm braced for a massive price gouge on the HEK upgrade. I was trying to sell mine but you can hardly give them away at the moment, everyone waiting for details of the upgrade and v2 sonics I guess. HEK & HEX v1 owners may as well have been beta testers, simple as that. I'm done with HFM after this debacle....heard too many stories (first hand) of how they f*ck over their distributors (and employees in some cases it seems), and now they're doing it to their customers as well.

 

Now at 1299 the edition X v2 is looking sexy. When it first came out Fang said he wasn't going to change the design or price of the headphones and now he has caved in.

A used one comes up I may jump on one.

 

f**k. I have the original Edition-X which I'm trying to sell. I bought them second for a good price but still... doesn't seem that good anymore.

A new edition-X after one year AND a price drop? If I was an original customer with an Edition-X bought at $1799 I'd be fuming.

Remind me to never ever buy a new pair of Hifimans.

 

On one of the Head-fi threads, one of the reps said that Hifiman was going to implement a trade in program for existing owners of the HEX and HEK besides the 3 winners each month. I don't know what the process will entail or how much it will cost, but maybe Hifiman won't completely screw over 1st gen owners (Hey, a guy can dream )?