I received these open box from Adorama yesterday ($420). First impressions on build quality and aesthetics are about as expected. These are built no better than an HE5XX, which is several steps below an Arya for build. They should not even bother including this cable. Every time I see these medical tubing Hifiman cables, I giggle. As they are so weird and bad. The blue color is interesting and better in person. In pictures it often looks like Smurf blue. But in person under my normal lighting conditions it looks almost purple or violet blue. I like it.
Before acquiring these I made a custom (ugly as hell) quick 4 pin XLR to speaker adapter. This morning I set up my old (2001?) Denon AVR-3802 receiver (150 WPC). I used my RME ADI-2 PRO FS R as DAC. Then I listened to these with and without EQ through the Denon and the RME headphone amp. Without EQ these are too neutral throughout and a bit withdrawn with that upper mid scoop. Just a touch too bright in the 5k area. After EQ with just 4 filters though they are really good. Soundstage seems average but realistic, roughly equivalent to an LCD-X. But soundstage here is more wide than tall. But much better than a Focal Clear or Utopia. Bass is probably the best bass I have heard in an open back, other than the Abyss 1266 TC or Maybe LCD-4. I think because of the better note weight, I prefer the bass on this over the Susvara, though I would have to hear them side by side to be sure. Mids and highs. After EQ they are very good, equal to an LCD-X or any other open back I have heard below about 2k. I would say the Susvara, LCD-5, & HE1000 V2 are all a bit better here. But not dramatically better, maybe just different?
Power. I switched back and forth between the Denon and the RME for a dozen or more of my most well known tracks. Sound wise the only real differences was the RME sounded a bit cleaner/clearer, less colored. The Denon maybe had a wider soundstage, where the RME was maybe taller. That is it. After that I put the Denon back in the garage and continued listening on the RME. Plenty of headroom, slam etc. Seems like the 2.7-2.8 watts and 7.5v +/- that the RME is supplying at 50ohm is more than enough.
Out of the entire Hifiman line (I have heard everything they make) I still like the HE1000 V2 best. Probably the Susvara second. These are a tie with the Arya, which have a better soundstage but lack in the the slam factor. These slam about as good as any open back I have heard, very impressive. I was curious about these for a while, not sure I will keep these, as I still prefer my LCD-XC to these (and everything else). I will give them a few weeks* before I decide.
*Addendum; I will have to return these. Even though I have a large head, I almost never have problems with comfort. This is actually the very first headphone that I have had the “hot spot” on top of my head. I thought I could shift it around and find a spot, but about every 30 minutes I have to shift it again. I tend to wear my headphones for 2-3 hours at a time, so these will have to go. I don’t like returning things but I don’t ‘love’ these enough to spend more on a headband mod etc. My next Hifiman will be an HE1000 V2, since those (and the LCD-5) are the best sounding open backs available, to my ears.
