HiFiMAN HE6se Full-Size Over Ear Planar Magnetic Audiophile Adjustable Headphones V2

Product Information

Soundstage is comparable in width, which is quite impressive given the Radiante are closed-back, while imaging is slightly better on the Radiante and instrument separation is better on the HE6SE v2. This is great for the airy midrange, treble and lifelike vocals but not that great for bass when it comes to electronic music. This won't work so well with metal, rock and orchestral music, but it will work well with room music, Jazz and other relaxed styles.

But you have to ask yourself: is that enough to make you ignore the discomfort caused by the headband and the fact that they look like cheap headphones while they cost almost 2 grands? Their bass is explosive, even excessive at times, and it dominates the signature uncontested; it is much more present at all frequencies, and especially in the sub-bass section where the HE6SE v2 are weaker. I know HE6SE is helping me greatly with those feelings, and since I started playing the guitar again, with a passion rekindled by it, I can say that if you like a revealing, analytic headphone, with a kick for textures, and clarity, you will love HE6SE. I don’t get upset about cables as I usually like to get one I prefer so I’d rather HP companies put all their efforts into the headphones themselves.The use of shiny dark blue plastic doesn’t help with the lack of that premium feeling that people (justly) look for in a product that costs almost 2 grands. The HE6SE v2 weigh in at 510 g, which is not negligible, but HiFiMAN chose a headband that is not suited for this kind of weight. Perfectly bridging the gap between the lows and highs, the midrange is never lost in the mix, neither is it too forward or attention grabbing. I mean, the headphone itself would be pretty portable, despite the slightly increased weight when compared to Sundara, you could simply strap a Sundara cable to HE6SE and take it with you, if you found anything that would be capable of driving them properly.

Overall, the package is limited in terms of accessories, and there is no practical carrying case included, but you can always grab one that is made for Ananda / Ananda Bluetooth, and have a solution to carry HE6SE. The high tones of a piano are silky smooth, while at the same time, the cymbals are brassy and metallic. For reference, this is its frequency response relative to Harman and this is how it compares to the Arya.

The build quality of HE6SE is pretty much great, and although there isn't much invested in the looks of this one headphone, you can still enjoy it greatly. Living in Glasgow, Scotland but born and raised near Milan, Italy, I got the passion for music listening as a legacy from my father and my grandfather. Despite a new headband and an adapter to hook these up to a speaker amp, those 2 factors appear to have been stumbling blocks. Arya also offers a slightly different headband, although for the longest time I didn't even notice they were different. The only way you can truly know what a headphone sounds like is to listen to it over time, with different genres of music, different sources of hardware, in different moods.

I am definitely a planar guy, I need that well-extended, clean, clear and impactful bass only planars can offer.Also, they can package them in a plain box with the cans wrapped on newspaper for the same reason, money in the cans first. By comparison, I can use my HE-560 for hours before I feel the urge to move them to give my scalp some relief.