HifiMan HE1000 V1.5 MODs

Discussion in 'Modifications and Tweaks' started by Maxx134, Aug 25, 2016.

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How you categorize your HEK soundstage?

  1. Ethereal

    13 vote(s)
    56.5%
  2. Soft

    4 vote(s)
    17.4%
  3. Ambiguous

    6 vote(s)
    26.1%
  4. Sweet

    3 vote(s)
    13.0%
  5. Razor sharp pinpoint accuracy!

    3 vote(s)
    13.0%
  6. None of above

    1 vote(s)
    4.3%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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  2. Benny-x

    Benny-x New

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  3. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    The Organza is Better at not affecting the overall frequency response while giving the solidity of image to the outermost sounds and instruments by the soundstage limits.

    The felt is just as effective but not optimal as it affect soundstage a bit.
    The Organza is superior than the felt or shelf liner with holes.

    If your going to go thru the trouble and open unit to get to the rear, you might as well use Organza or something better, not shelf liner.

    Rear external felt strips remains the safest and still effective approach
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2016
  4. Benny-x

    Benny-x New

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    Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. The felt was surprisingly effective, but you could feel the soundstage close in so it was always a balance of finding the best balanced spot.

    Organza it is!
     
  5. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    Update guys,
    I have sent in my HE1000 for upgrade.
    I was lucky enough to hear it before the upgrade expires.
    To me I found V2 a more involving can even over my uber modded V1.

    V1 modded still had a further bit laid back soundstage which is great for forward sounding SS gear.
    V1 full modded is about 15-20% closer soundstage distance with similar amount gain in impact-solidness-detailing...
    FROM STOCK V1...

    V2 is simply no longer laid back at all.

    V2 is fairly neutral to tiny bit forward.
    This is a HUGE difference and I don't understand why no one is pointing this out.

    V2 LOSES 30-40% Soundstage distance, from my modded V1.
    But gains about 15% more soundstage height and 25% more soundstage depth over my modded V1...

    This make V2 EVEN MORE different than stock V1..

    The tonality of the mids and treble won me over despite losing the soundstage distance..

    Sorry if this is post only 2days away from upgrade deadline but I just recently was Lucky enough to hear them.

    V1 will always have synergy with forward sounding, or powerful gear like a Jotunheim amp.

    And V2 will always be a different presentation can,
    even though much signature is similar .
    It is simply presented differently with clearer micro detailing and an upfront lush nature.
    V2 has about 20% more ease of recognition of low level detailing,
    Over my own modded V1....
    That makes is much more different than stock.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2016
  6. Thenewerguy009

    Thenewerguy009 Friend

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  7. GanGreinke

    GanGreinke Friend

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    It looks like this guy worked with Hifiman to design the commercially released product. I don't think the grills and housing are so much mods as they are prototypes and early versions that would eventually be phased out in favor of the final design.
     
  8. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    "My design exemplifies the principle of less, but better: distilling the physicality of the product to its essence, allowing the sound to be the star, while paying homage to the aesthetic legacy of the audiophile product universe."
     
  9. Gilels

    Gilels New

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    Pretty interesting design but the inner-structure remains the same that wouldn't help in SQ.
    The most annoying issue in HEK is poor craft of ear pads on the sides toward membranes.
    There should be smooth, continuous and asymmetric shape but not current rough, periodical and with ugly cutting edges
     
  10. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    It's not a mod. He directly helped design the HE-1000. I remember Hifiman saying they consulted with a company in New York? a design firm to do a redesign for the now current style of headphones. Peter must have been the consultant that was hired.
     
  11. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    I updated the thread title to correlate with the actual headphone version.
    since this is a mod on V1, the tittle should be 1.5 because it was an upgrade of the V1.


    I also modded V2 and so the tittle for that will be V2.5 mod coming soon.
    It will be an easier and reversible mod to do.
    Sonic Improvements involve better bass definition and better holographic imaging .
    It will bring your V2 a step closer to the unattainably excellent Susvara,
    And yes the Susvara is the best planar ever by a wide margin IMHO.

    Anyways , Photobucket made a hell for me as now I have to re post pics everywhere here..
    Ugg
     
  12. Gilels

    Gilels New

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    Thanks in advance, Maxx!

    I heard that Susvara has a different sound comparing to HE1000V2.
    Would you please share your impression on Susvara and in which items Susvara best HE1000V2?

    I think Susvara is very hard to drive unless using AMP designed for loudspeakers and adaptor.
    HE1000 and V2 are also containing the same characteristics although their sensitivities are too high for driven by AMP designed for loudspeakers.

    BTW, there are multiple impacts to sound quality from frames of earpads. I taped almost whole inner-side of the frame to improve the transparency but lower a little slam of bass
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2017
  13. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    Susvara has almost invisible character in that the resulting tonality is the source, not the headphones.
    It has greater sense of depth with more holographic body to the instruments.

    It makes you notice the V2 having a slight "ortho wall" of congestion in comparison.

    I always thought the V2 was refined and open and neutral and majestic and accurately layered until I compared to the Susvara.

    Susvara makes you notice the HEKV2 is actually a bit lively colored while netual (instead of transparent) and not as resolving in the bass registers.

    That made me have the motivation to try help them and yes although I succeed to a certain point,
    There is just no way a single sided magnet driver is going to match a driver with double sided magnets.

    Now that I think of it my mod can also be applied to the V1 as well.

    I just have to do the write up..
    Hopefully this week.
     
  14. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    Sorry I don't use tape and never suggested it.
    Tape is still reflective, plus time consuming and tedius ( not to mention dangerous while applying due to proximity of your hands to the driver membrane.)
     
  15. Gilels

    Gilels New

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    I always think that the frames of earpads generating harshness (ortho-wall?) and coloring that make charateristics of HE1000 V2. Once someone starts to MOD Susvara, Modder would find that frames are much refined than those of the original HE1000.
    I am not good at headphone modification so that I just try old mod with new positions to avoid hard reflection from plastic frame.

    It's quite happy to see your latest modification here!
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2017
  16. Gilels

    Gilels New

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    Hope to see the latest MOD! :punk::punk::punk:
     
  17. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    Latest mod is for HEKV2 .
    I been busy but will write it up soon.
    It involves the driver front pressure damping.
    The driver memberane is basically " free air " without any pressure untill you place the pads over your ears...

    Same happens with original HEK.
    You will observe the drivers behave differently when headphones are playing off your ear...

    The next mod addresses these differences,
    to take advantage of the disadvantage of single sided Magnets,
    Which is having less control and using the only driver damping being your dam head lol.
     
  18. Gilels

    Gilels New

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    Very much looking forward it!
     
  19. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

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    HEKV2 mod
     
  20. skem

    skem Friend

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    I did Maxx's V1.5 acoustic coupler mod and wanted to report on my findings.

    First, in cutting the foam, I found it helpful to stretch the rings over an appropriately sized cardboard tube (a U.S. baking-soda can worked for me) and then cut it with a sharp razor blade. This held the foam steady so I could make very clean cut surfaces. I also de-linted the foam using some sticky tape to remove stray particles that could fall into the membrane.

    My finished couplers have a height of 8mm and the radial width between the inner and outer radii is 11mm.

    I reviewed my listening notes here in testing these. I did not think the mod provided a holistic improvement.

    I did notice sharper attack transients and more focused stage. Also, the headphones are noticibly quieter with no music playing. Without the mod phone, there is ever so slightly a “listening to the sound of the ocean in a seashell” effect. With mod, it’s just plain quieter.

    Both observations are consistent with the idea of reducing reflections off the interior surface. But I found this affected only the highest frequencies >10kHz, primarily heard as sharp percussion and vocal aspiration.

    Afterward, I did a quick calculation. To first order, assume the path length difference fora reflection near the edge is 8mm*[sqrt(2)-1]=3.3mm. If we want to ensure we get no more than a 10-degree phase shift over this reflection path, that gives us a minimum allowed wavelength of 360/10*3.3mm=120mm. Or, in frequency space, a maximum safe (undistorted) frequency of: (340m/s)/0.12m=2.8kHz. This implies the coupler should be relevant across a broad region of interest, but that’s not what I heard. Maybe a 10-degree phase-shift tolerence for the reflection is too strict a limit, as the whole interior of the membrane is smaller than the resulting computed wavelength. Perhaps more realistic is only to consider quarter-wavelengths of order the path difference, in which case we have about 10kHz as where the reflections become relevant, more consistent with where I heard improvements.

    However, elsewhere in the spectrum, the mod seemed to reduce presence and clarity. Vocals sounded more distant. Electronica sounded more tonal and less synthesizery.

    I didn’t think it resulted in a good effect. I might try a thinner band that occludes less of the membrane and report back. I may have to go to NYC to hear Maxx’s and see if they’re consistent. :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2018

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