HiFiMan HE-6 headphones Review

Once upon a time, well, more precisely, only a decade ago, which by the standards of portable audio is already a whole era, headphones were considered something not worthy of a serious audiophile. Such a surrogate, when listening to your favorite speaker system is completely impossible. Through the efforts of seasoned market players and newcomers who have caught up with it, this opinion has changed, and the release of HiFiMan HE-6 contributed to this to a large extent.

One of the company's first full-size models, the HE-6 was a very bold experiment. The hefty price tag of over $1,000 for the time, the very low sensitivity that required a powerful headphone amp, which was essentially non-existent at the time of the HE-6's release, was all a bold move for a company that had yet to achieve its current fame.

There were many innovations in the HE-6, from a powerful magnetic system to gold-plated tracks. All this allowed to achieve an incredible sound, although at the cost of very low sensitivity. Their cost at the time of release was very high (although now there are many models and more expensive), but the price of these headphones is still high, you can buy them from the official representative of HiFiMan for $ 1,300. But isn't that too high a price for headphones that came out so many years ago?

Specifications

Frequency range: 8 Hz - 65 kHz

Impedance: 50Ω

Sensitivity: 83.5dB/mW

Maximum input power: 8W

Weight: 502 gr

Cable: interchangeable, balanced, monocrystalline copper with 4-pin XLR connector - 2 m, adapter for 6.3 mm - 1 m

Design and wearing comfort

Describing the appearance of old overhead HiFiMan models is a thankless task. Firstly, they all look almost the same except for the difference in color, and secondly, their design is as simple as possible, one glance at the photo makes clear all the design features of these models.

The cups are made of plastic, glossy dark blue (the first test versions used cups covered with pseudo-leather, but this idea was abandoned). The coating of the cups cools the hands and tactilely looks like metal, I even made a mistake at first, considering them to be metal. Leatherette-covered headband and metal forks, which gives the device reliability. Headphones sit very comfortably on the head, the clamping force is chosen very carefully, they are comfortable for long-term wear. By the way, for those who want to squeeze “more” out of the model, HiFiMan offers angular Focus Pads ear cushions.

The cable that comes with the headphones is clearly a success for the company, it looks good, it's not bad acoustically, it's light and therefore very comfortable. Individually, HiFiMan sold it for $150. It is, of course, replaceable, the same coaxial SMC-connectors with threaded fixation are used, as in other headphones of the company.

I would characterize the exterior styling of the HE-6 as functional modern, while other manufacturers are trying to use complex shapes, expensive materials and other pretentiousness, HiFiMan make their model as simple and constructive and visual as possible. The funny thing is, they don't look cheap, the design is accentuated by the grille, through which the gold paths of the emitter and the magnetic system are visible, so everything looks interesting together.

The acoustic design of this model is completely open, which makes them exclusively home headphones designed to listen in the comfort of your favorite chair.

Sound

The following equipment was used for listening:

Yulong DA8 as DAC

HiFiMan EF-6 as amplifier

Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2013 as source

Fidelia as player

High resolution recordings in Lossless formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)

Before listening, the headphones were warmed up for 60 hours.

The sound of the HE-6 can be described as thoroughbred, with incredible resolution (only electrostatic models can compete with them in this parameter), impeccable elaboration of both micro- and macrodynamics and practically no distortions in the frequency response. Surprisingly, the frequency response unevenness in the range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz is about 15 dB, the result is almost unbelievable for headphones.

In general, it is very difficult to describe the sound of these headphones in detail without falling into enthusiastic epithets and banal descriptions such as “very good”, “detailed”, “fast”, etc. But I will try.

The bass is natural, very lively, the speed and resolution of the HE-6 allows the bass to demonstrate the slightest nuances of the recording, without a hint of rumble or dumping into a single heap. The brain, at first devoid of the usual low-frequency background, does not immediately understand that instead of the rumble, there are now intelligible sounds of each individual instrument. At the same time, the HE-6s deliver just the right amount of power to deliver all the punches, pops, and the like. Stubborn bassheads won't detect the usual eardrum squeezing in the bass, but from a music lover's point of view, the HE-6's low frequencies are close to ideal among headphones in both resolution and depth.

Getting used to the sound of HE-6, then returning to most other headphones is quite problematic, after the incredibly detailed mids of this model, all the rest seem muddy and clamped. Just the case when putting on headphones, you begin to hear more nuances of already familiar tracks. This ex-flagship of HiFiMan delivers the mids a little off, but with incredible detail. There are no attempts at all to smooth out anything to make the sound melodious or smooth. If you need a smoother sound, either choose other headphones, or select a source. Skate HE-6 - uncompromising truthfulness, which will show all the shortcomings of the material and emphasize the advantages. Stunning plausibility, natural transfer of volume, development of all plans - all this succeeds in this model.

The upper frequencies are also uncompromising. The headphones have a slight rise in the HF region, emphasizing them, but at the same time, HE-6s do not break into sibilants (unless, of course, they are not in the recording) and do not tire. Their presentation is filled with lightness, air, and - when necessary - conveys the slightest attenuation and nuances. It took me a little getting used to the treble of this model at first, the amount of information that the HE-6 manages to squeeze into this range is simply amazing, and at first it seems that there is a lot of treble in them. Having got used to the presentation a little, you understand that in fact this amount is not due to the increase in volume, but precisely to how many sounds and overtones the headphones give out to the listener.

Compatibility

The main disadvantage of this outstanding model is its low sensitivity, which, combined with not the highest impedance, poses simply unrealistic tasks for the amplifier. At the time of the release of the HE-6, the main amp model suitable for them was the huge EF-6, manufactured by HiFiMan themselves. To remedy the situation, the company released an adapter that allowed you to connect the HE-6 to a conventional speaker amplifier. It is worth noting that not all of them normally worked on such an unusual load for them. Luckily, technology has come a long way since then, and there are already quite a few amps out there that can handle the HE-6 to a decent level. I listened to these headphones with native EF-6, but there are very good reviews on the Audio-Gd and FHA1.3 models from the Russian company MS Audio Lab .

Without good amplification, it’s better not to approach these headphones, despite the fact that even from not very powerful sources the sound will be loud enough - you won’t hear the bass, and the overall pitch will be poisonous-sharp. So no mobile phones or tablets can be used as a source here, and even the most powerful audiophile players will not reveal the potential of this model.

Due to the highest resolution, HE-6 clearly show the shortcomings of the material and source, so be prepared for the fact that in addition to the amplifier they need a good DAC, as well as the highest recording quality.

On a funny note, I would like to note that I really enjoyed playing games with these headphones. An excellent imaginary stage and dynamic bass make for a very realistic illusion of immersion.

As usual - a few tracks on which I liked these headphones.

Iron Maiden - The Clansman. Recently, Onkyo released a series of remasters of all the albums of this great band, which allowed me to rediscover some works that had previously seemed of little interest. Of course, for the sake of the modern listener, during the remastering, the accents were slightly shifted, the drums became more physical, came to the fore more, the vocals were cleaned from sibilants, but the band members themselves wanted this sound. HE-6 allows you to immediately hear the whole versatility of the work and understand why Iron Maiden became one of the icons of the Heavy Metal genre.

Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath. Another rock classic in a great remaster. Steven Wilson is not only a wonderful musician who performs excellent music, he is also a recording professional who periodically delights connoisseurs of classic rock with remixes of albums from many years ago. Musical prudes will, of course, argue that only the first editions have that right sound, but for my plebeian taste, the ramaster is tastier, it offers an incomparably better sound quality, while retaining all the spirit of the original. In HiFiMan HE-6, which emphasizes all the nuances of music, it sounds simply breathtaking.

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir. Even 100% purists cannot complain about the fresh ramasters of hardrock classics, because Jimmy Page himself worked on them, and who better than him to know how his favorite tracks should sound? One of the most famous songs of the band in these headphones sounds excellent, powerful riffs, piercing vocals, catchy melody - will not leave anyone indifferent.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that HiFiMan released a new model HE-1000 with a mind-blowing price tag of $3,000, their previous flagship does not lose its relevance. A rather moderate price by the standards of current flagship models is combined with the uncompromising sound quality provided by a well-thought-out isodynamic radiator. If you're looking for top-of-the-line headphones with authentic and uncolored sound, the HE-6 is a very interesting option to consider. By the way, their younger brother HE-4 is also similar to them in terms of presentation, but at the same time it has a noticeably lower price.