The HIFIMAN HE1000se ranks #50 out of 134 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: HIFIMAN
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#50 HIFIMAN HE1000se: $1,699.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: In oratory1990’s measurement the planar drivers land close to the Harman target, with a preference score of 81 and bass and midrange within about 2 dB of target. That keeps vocals and instruments natural, and the bass from 60 to 200 Hz is essentially on target, so kick and bass guitar have the right weight. At 35 ohms and 96 dB sensitivity it is easier to drive than many flagship planars, though it still benefits from a proper headphone amp. At 440 g it is moderately light for a planar.
Cons: A 9 dB dip near 9.5 kHz sits right beside an 11 dB peak near 11.9 kHz, so cymbals and sibilants can sound uneven and sparkly rather than smooth. The top octave runs about 6 dB hot and the 3 to 6 kHz presence region about 3.6 dB above target, which can sound edgy on bright recordings. Sub-bass is about 3.6 dB light under 60 Hz, and the open back leaks sound and offers no isolation.
| Back | Open |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.31 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 8Hz - 65kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 81 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 35 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 96 dB |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.29 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 1 lbs (440 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +8.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,847 Hz | +6.2 dB | 1.59 |
| Peak | 58 Hz | -4.7 dB | 0.49 |
| Peak | 2,978 Hz | -4.6 dB | 0.69 |
| Peak | 2,077 Hz | +2.3 dB | 2.21 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,160 Hz | +1.4 dB | 5.48 |
| Peak | 692 Hz | +1.2 dB | 5.75 |
| Peak | 294 Hz | -0.3 dB | 2.04 |
| Peak | 3,110 Hz | -0.7 dB | 4.39 |
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