Hifiman HE1000 Stealth Review

Sound – Intro

I’ve been using the HE1000 Stealth for multiple months already as my main headphone and I have connected it to many different amplifiers with a multitude of different DACs.

In this article we will mainly focus on how the HE1000 Stealth sounds with a selection of popular amps, as well as how it compares to the previous HE1000 V1, V2 and SE versions.

Let’s get started and see how much the HE1000 has changed over the last 8 years!

Sound – General

For this first part I used the Auris Audio 2A3 Headonia tube amp, paired with the Musician Audio Aquarius DAC. The setup is fully balanced.

The Hifiman HE1000 Stealth still sounds very refined (top resolution), greatly dynamic, lively and vocal forward. The sound stage even if a bit narrower than before, still is excellent and you a nice spacious presentation where the mids really shine. The stereo imaging is excellent with impressive left/right balance. The HE1000 Stealth sounds clean, fast and has great note extension as well as decay, even if not as good as with the Susvara. The HE1000 always has been a technically strong headphone, and that’s no different with the Stealth version.

The depth and layering, especially with higher-end desktop amplifiers are a pleasure to the ear. The amount of body from bass to treble is balanced. There’s a good amount of weight in a high-end kind of way but there’s never too much or too little impact. It sits right, exactly how it should be in a headphone of this level.

The Hifiman HE1000 Stealth is not a soft, warm or smooth sounding headphone. It’s more neutral in this regard, but it at all times is highly musical.

The Stealth’s bass is lighter in pure amount but when needed there’s plenty of presence. Bass is fast, precise, energetic and tight. The Stealth drivers perfectly control the bass, and give it a very high technical level with excellent dynamics, resolution and layering. It’s still a very realistic and natural bass presentation, so bass heads probably find it light.

The midrange, at least to me, is where the HE1000 Stealth really shows what is capable of and what it stands for. The mids are clear and spacious, with a natural airy presentation, excellent depth and layering, and energetic more forward presented vocals. The mid resolution is high while the amount of body perfectly connects from the bass. The mids are lively and the forward vocal positioning really make things exciting and fully engaging.

The treble section perfectly connects and balances with the typical bass and mid presentation. It is equal in weight in presence but it is sharper, livelier and more focused. Treble presentation is clean, precise, airy and extended. Treble to my ears never is sharp or harsh. The Stealth drivers again are perfectly in control of what they’re doing. If the treble is too lively for you, know it can be “tuned” by using a warmer type of tube or solid state amplifier.

The HE1000 Stealth headphone is a real high-end headphone and it’s tuned just like that. More to the neutral side with perfect balance, a high technical performance and an engaging, musical character. At the discounted price the price vs performance ratio is pretty much incredible. What a headphone!

Sound – Synergy Desktop

In this section we will be painting the HE1000 Stealth with a series of tube and solid state desktop amplifiers. Unless specifically mentioned, we’re using balanced setup with the Aquarius as DAC.

Ferrum OOR (+Hypsos)

With this OOR and Hypsos combo you get a somewhat softer presentation, and that is mostly noticeable in the mids (vocals) and treble presentation. What surprised me in this combo was the lighter weight from top to bottom. Especially the bass presentation suffers from this. Also, compared to the Headonia, the OOR doesn’t get the same technical performance out of the Stealth and that’s too bad really.

The level of liveliness and musicality also is less here, making the Stealth less exciting to listen to. With the OOR you do still get excellent left/right balance but the technical performance even though still good, is not as impressive as it can be. To me personally, this isn’t best combo and it shows that even though anything can drive the Stealth, the result won’t always be the same or as good.

Auris HA2-SE+

Switching back to tubes and Auris’ latest creation, the HE1000 Stealth sounds fuller again, with nice dynamics and a good technical level The main characteristics here are the slightly slower delivery and the smoother and softer presentation from top to bottom.

Like with the Headonia, you get a bit more weight but the technical level is still excellent. The Stealth sounds precise, dynamic and clean. This combo is musical at all times with an airy, spacious and natural feel, but with the right mix of energy, precision and extension.

While not as technically performant as the Headonia, the Auris Audio HE2-SE+ and Stealth combo still manages to impress. Those who prefer a high level of sound(quality) but with a smoother and softer touch – mostly noticeable in the treble and vocal range, will absolutely love this combo. I could listen to it all day myself.   

Feliks Envy

From the TOTL Feliks Audio Envy 300b tube amp, the Hifiman HE1000 Stealth sounds fullest and it has the most bass presence. Bass with this combo is very impressive and it comes it tight with a good kick. Bass is till normal in amount though, it’s not the boosted kind of bass. The vocals are super natural here and they with the treble are presented in a softer way. The beauty of this combo is that it achieves the best possible technical level, like with the Headonia, but with a bit more presence and oompf in the delivery and with slightly softer vocal and top-end presentation. It’s not as balanced or neutral as the Headonia setup, and this probably is the tuning most people will prefer.

The dynamics, resolution, spaciousness, clarity, sound stage (depth + width), etc are all at their best here. That combined with the musicality and powerful delivery make this a great high-end combo and for me this is the best match, closely followed by the Headonia, which is more balanced and slightly lighter.

Niimbus US4+

Switching to the German Niimbus US4+ solid state amplifier from the Violectric/LakePeople group, the Stealth sounds close to when connected to the Envy.

You get a fuller sound with a bit more bass presence, softer vocals and a smoother top end. All that while retaining the excellent high technical level. This combo is a bit slower, warmer and softer sounding overall but it’s a pleasure to the ear with great dynamics, stereo imaging, a high resolution and a very musical delivery.

The US4+ does everything effortless and it is in perfect control of the HE1000 Stealth (even if the bass is less contained). It’s an easy to the ear, quality sound. If you like a bit of softness and warmth but still want a high technical level, and you can live with a lesser clarity and tightness, this combo is for you.

Sound – Synergy Portable

Also here we used the HE1000 Stealth in balanced mode when possible, so not with the Chord Electronics units.

EarMen Angel

The award winning EarMen Angel is one of the best portable DAC/Amps on the market. With this source I prefer using the high gain setting. The Stealth sounds detailed and has a more neutral tuning with lighter body from top to bottom. The bass presence and impact is lighter.

From a technical point of view the Stealth still performs well, but not everything is as obvious as with the better desktop gear discussed in the previous chapter. Vocals here of course are also more focused to the front but they have a smooth and natural feel to it. The top end is easy on the ear but spacious. I quite like this setup as a backup, but wouldn’t recommend it as a main source for this headphone.

Chord Electronics Mojo 2

The Chord Mojo 2 is another very popular DAC/AMP and rightfully so. From this unit the Stealth has more overall presence with a bigger bass delivery. Bass also is better controlled than on the Angel. The ;ids are spacious, clean and airy, but where it differs most to the EarMen is in the vocals. The softness here is not present and you can tighter, livelier vocals.

I really like the synergy between the HE1000 Stealth and the Mojo 2, this can perfectly be a “final” setup for the Stealth.

Astell&Kern SP3000

The AK SP3000 is my personal DAP but I hardly ever use it directly with full sized headphones. With the Stealth however, I fully recommend it.

You get a beautiful signature like with the Mojo @ in regards to body, bass, and vocal presence but the technical level just is so much higher. The resolution is higher and it comes with better note extension, note decay and an overall better timbre. The depth, layering and dynamics are also on a really high level. I’d even dare say that this setup is situated somewhere between the Headonia and Envy, and that says a lot. For a portable source, the sound quality is spectacular. The SP3000 and HE1000 Stealth have sublime energy. Fully recommended.

Cayin Audio N7

Next to the SP3000, I use the N7 a lot when on the go. With the Stealth the N7 does fairly good. Compared to the AK, there is a lower technical level (dynamics, resolution, layering, …) and slightly more bass presence. The vocal presentation of the N7 is also sharper compared to that of the SP3000. The stereo imaging in this combo is spectacular however.

The combo sounds full and musical but it isn’t as easy on the ears because of the very forward vocal presentation and livelier top end. A nice combo and perfect as a backup, but it’s not like the SP3000 and it doesn’t show the full potential of the Stealth.

Conclusion

Based on all the testing I have done, it’s clear that a good number of (higher-end) portable sources will make the HE1000 Stealth sing. They won’t all sounds as good and your tuning preference might be different, so the rule as always is to try before you buy.

And that brings us to the next chapter, the Hifiman comparisons!

Click here to go page 3 where you can discover much more on the Stealth’s sound.

Page 1: Hifiman, HE1000 Stealth, Box & Delivery, Build Quality & Design, Comfort & Usability & Isolation, Price & Accessories

Page 2: Sound Intro, Sound General, Sound Synergy Desktop, SS Mobile

Page 3: Sound comparisons, Conclusion