Hifiman HE-R10 Closed-back Headphones

I mentioned that in a blog post I just put up here: https://www.headamp.com/blogs/news/hifiman-he-r10

I think it's unlikely because they show both headphones compatible with the bluetooth module. you'd want the headphone to be efficient like the Deva or Ananda if you were going to show wireless compatibility while the Susvara is one of the most difficult to drive planars.

 

Does this mean we can produce 6 screw HE-6 knockoffs? No way HFM would sue over that, surely.

 

I must say, I really thought it was some kind of a meme photoshopped image.
It may look like one, it may sound like one, but apparently hifiman is dead serious ...
If they made it cheaper, people would at least try to put different drivers in these things, but as it stands - can't wait to see the price drop when v2 launches.

 

... 4 months from now.

 

HE-6, HE-4, HE-500 era was their best era.
I wish LFF was around, vastly prefer giving him money than now Hifiman.

 

Sorry for posting a Head-fi link and screenshot, but this is gold and should be preserved for posterity:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hif...-headphone-from-hifiman.939483/#post-15790334


The wood cups are OEM and cost 5$ each one, that's why they're made out of wood
Also, press conference, apparently saying:
https://taobaolive.taobao.com/room/index.htm?feedId=274521788743
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hif...hone-from-hifiman.939483/page-7#post-15791923

"43:30 - Bian says Sony R10 is not as good as people claims it to be. He prefers Bose NC700, Sony XB900N and Sony WH-1000XM3 over Sony R10.
49:30 - Bian addresses the haters, "I know people out there will accuse us of copying Sony. This product is not paying homage to Sony ('s design). Sony and I are competitors. Homage or not, all we (Hifiman and Sony) should care about is making good product. Even though Sony owns more market share, you (Sony) won't be able to sue me. I researched Sony's patents; they are expired. (Audience applaud in laughter)""

Check those pictures too, the R10 will not be the only one ashamed and bastardized, other headphones will get the Fang treatment too!

Awesome, I'm without words, Dr Da Bian never disappoints

EDIT: the headphones (AKG, Beyer, etc) are a photoshop joke according to a poster...incredible joke btw, I totally believed it after seeing what they did with the R10

 

I feel like I have to edit the title and first post a bit... What a gigantic trolling. F*** Bian.

The first post updated. And I learned I couldn't change the thread title.

 

I was already pretty determined to not buy anymore Hifiman stuff but that really does it. I am not even sure why they would do this. At the crazy prices they are planning to charge they arent going to sell very many of them and the damage this will do to their reputation could be considerable as its quite slimy.

Must be quite desperate to get any cash they can get in order to risk damaging their brand like this.Either that or they just dont care.

On a very related note Sony should really get their act together and rerelease some of the old headphones people really liked. Things like the Sony MDR-XB700 and the MA-900 fetch crazy high prices still. There is clearly a market for them and they just ignore it totally.

 

Sony’s current situation smells like the bland results of design by committee. It’s sad, because their teams are clearly capable of delivering exciting products.

 

Give more money to Zach?

 

To be honest, what pisses me off regarding Bian is rather THIS than this.

If I had to choose, would prefer seeing him copycat some other brands in interesting ways rather than rehashing his own designs to death, just like with all his endless shitty variations of the original HE1000 (2014) design.

Otherwise, @Golmang summed up the situation pretty well:

 

Years ago when I talked to him at the Munich HE (2015 iirc) about his plans going forward he stated: "I want to nuke Sennheiser" Yes, we both laughed but there was a strong serious undertone in his statement.

Yet years later nothing really changed. Instead we got 6999 and 3799 dollar headphones to tackle the HD 800.

I think he's very insecure about his brand, he also constantly mocks other brands openly and now here Sony.

Now Sony has not been up to the task lately like the old days or a bit younger (MA900) and most people here muted their expectations fully, but never before (than now) did I wish them to release a kraken just to spite him. Alas we know it's not happening.

I don't want to idolize the R10, this whole act is just kinda shameful.

 

I honestly don't think current HFM models that nonsensical. It can serve for some groups. That's a matter of preference. HE6SE or Susvara are in fact quite good to my ears at least. Classical models except HE500 don't make much sense out of the box.

I don't care their pricing, either. Well, it seems they have kinda two-track strategy. Seems to target both orfas and reddit/asr. They may not consider sbaf cluster as core consumers, but that's fine. It's a matter of business decision.

Nevertheless, this time around, Bian's unprofessional remarks (I think them even unethical) along with rip-off designs (no matter whether patient expired) crossed the line from my perspectives.

I'm finally done with HFM. No future purchase from them for sure. Getting rid of current HFM in the house.

Coincidentally it means I am done with planars too (HFM big nope, Audeze nope, Dan clark nope, Verum nope). Rosson or Final IDK (both semi-orfas-ish to me anyway).

 

Join the club. About time.

Nah, something will come along. Really too bad what happened to Verum.

 

I'm also disappointed in Bian's words and actions, and feeling a bit embarrassed by my Hifiman purchases. On the other hand, his creations are some of my favorite headphones available. There's nothing else I've found that sounds like a HE-1000. If there were, I'd have switched to it. One of the earlier tunings of the Empyrean was close, but then they had to go dark and bloated for the production models.

ZMF is certainly the beacon on the hill when it comes to making fantastic products with dignity.

 

Wasn't the guy who worked with Fang on the HE Audio Jade also the one who was on board during the original HE-# era? IIRC, he left before the HE1000 was announced, that announcement marking a different direction of Hifiman's sound imo.

Cool, glad to see that my post is linked here. Yeah, the patents have been in the public domain more than 10 years after their expiration, which means that anyone can practice what's disclosed therein. Of course, that doesn't shield those who do from criticisms of being a copycat, rip-off, unoriginal, etc.

 

For 5 dollars a pop, I think SBAF should develop its own headphone with them. Buy a bunch of headbands from ZMF because they are comfortable and I think would go well with the cups. Use inexpensive available driver like Fostex t50rp or Symphony V9. Then make a community developed tuning. Then call it the SBAF Pussy Cat. Give it a $50 mark up which goes to SBAF to fund the site.

Actually it would also kinda be nice to develop a group calibration for the minidsp ears and use this imaginary headphone as the basis.

 

Aren't audiophiles in China already modding their Fostex cans with the same wood cups?

 

No idea.

 

A guy on HF mentioned the story a few times. The tuning and design of the OG Hifimans was not Bian's work but some HE guy. He left the company (no idea in what terms) and continued on his speaker designs.

The change of direction is Fang Bian's work, most likely starting with the 560.