Sound
The HEM2 is mildly sensitive. At home, I’m comfortable listening to classic New Order through Ryuzoh-modified AK100 at a volume of 29, which would be the upper limit with which I’m comfortable listening to my Ultrasone IQ on the train. It reveals only a little of the AK100’s relatively high levels of hiss and none through the iPhone 6, iPod nano 7G, and similarly noiseless players. This is a great balance. Through most of my favourite earphones, the AK100’s hiss is annoying. HEM2 helps me enjoy the music.
It is my opinion that the HEM2 sounds nigh on perfect – that is, if Nuforce were aiming for a foot-tapping sound with soft highs. Mids jump out and are balanced by high-pressure but mildly soft-edged bass. Crazy that a single armature earphone renders the yawningly deep opening seconds to Markus Schulz’s Mainstage with good detail if not absolute, metallic edge. Bass forward attack edges blur, fractionally softening synthetic lows. But the transition to mids is super smooth and phase perfect. In modern trance, bass bursts in just above the shoulders and dies in quick succession. Turn up the BPM and it is cleanly delineated, but again, fractionally soft-edged, which is a boon to both trip-hop and trance. It keeps perfect pace with both melodic and with hard industrial dubstep, but its lack of hard edge isn’t best attuned to the latter. To a thirty six year-old Nathan, this style of bass is right on.
Like bass forward edges, male vocal forward edges are fractionally blurred, but to amazing effect in post-punk and synth pop, but which removes some of the atmospheric feeling of space from live productions. For this reason, I don’t recommend HEM2 for concert rock fans, but do for small ensemble live jazz. Female vocals are warm, smooth, and sultry.
The HEM2 puts out a wide-ish stage anchored around the shoulders. There isn’t a load of z-axis detail, and the y-axis stops up below the chin and forehead. It expands about twenty centimetres beyond the ears. Instruments are separated well but air between them is humid. Its the sort of stage you get from a number of mid-centric dynamic earphones. The HEM2’s stage is more detailed than a typical ‘wall of sound’ wide-but-not-deep earphone, with decent between-frequency contrast and edge, but which doesn’t provide much 3D detail at all.
The HEM2’s highs are mildly rolled off, but crisp and expand wide around the head. I can’t imagine anyone calling them sibilant. Despite pushing wide, they’re not the sort of highs that provide much stereo detail or texture. Which is to say: if you’re a hardcore trance addict, addicted to alienating stages founded on the humps of crisp, extended, detailed highs, and fast bass, the HEM2 is probably not for you. It’s for a cross-genre music lover, whose spatial and stage character emphasise studio rather than live performances.
I recommend the HEM2 to people who like mildly warm sound signatures, but who, in the pursuit of atmosphere, won’t give up speedy bass. If you like the AF78, but want harder bass edges and smoother transitions, HEM2 is a great option. Sure, it’s not as z-axis detailed, nor does its bass throb as much, but it’s compelling otherwise.
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With the exception of one of the worst pack-in cables I’ve ever used, and awkward cable mounting flanges, the HEM2 is a powerful, memorable earphone whose foot-tapping signature is right on. It fits flush and stays put. Its ergonomic design is comfy. It comes with sturdy Pelican-style case and loads of ear pieces. It gives up bass quality and quantity you’d be silly to expect from a single armature earphone. And it does so with no ill effect on mids or highs.
I’d love to say ‘well done’, but the HEM2’s horrible cable and awkward mounting flange, not to mention incompatibility with Primo, really grate my best intentions. It sounds very nice. The rest is a bizarre love triangle of the brilliant and ridiculous.
Barun C
Nice Review Nathan. Photos came out great, I can’t help but feel that you wanted to capture the state of those foam tips, they might be 100 years old in foam tips age system 😉
About the first page did you mean Knowles or is it a typical Nathan word play Knowled?
And the cables, don’t even get me started, you think this is bad, I had a horrible experience with Earsonics with the Velvet. Plastics one 2Pin cable got bad within 2 days after I had to buy one during warranty. Durability should be the first priority then sound in case of cables. IEM manufacturers should also care about cables not only the sound and the IEM/earphones themselves.
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As always, Barun, thank you for the comment.
Absolutely, Knowled is nothing but a typo. I must fix it.
I was explicit that this is one of, if not the worst, cable I’ve used among pack-ins. Far worse than any from Earsonics. I have Velvet’s cable here and it is far harder to destroy. I’m surprised. The one with the HEM2 is as bad as an airplane cheapo cable.
Nikolaus Matheis
Have you heard the entire HEM lineup, Nathan? I have, and HEM2 easily stood out for me as pushing all the right buttons for my personal preferences. It sounds a bit like the configuration I keep my FLC8S in but without as much resolution as the FLC8S.
Regarding the HEM braided cable, it’s all I’ve used. I’ve sent mine to several people in the US to demo, and they’re still fully intact. No stretching or sound cutting out. Maybe you just got a bad cable off the line? Personally, I like how lightweight it is. Combined with the lightweight shells, it feels like there’s hardly anything there. Not as disappearing as Linum, but still hardly noticeable.
I know FLC8S has been out for awhile, but it’s a solid IEM that you should try out and review.
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Thanks for the advice, Nikolaus.
I love the HEM2. It pushes all the right buttons for me, too. I can’t say that I’d not like it with more treble sparkle, but at the same time, I love that it is more laid back. It is a wonderful sounding earphone. Wonderful.
If I get the chance to try the FLC8S I’ll let you know. Thank you.
P
I would like to see a review of the Hem8 model too please. They seem to be a Shure SE846 rival that has slipped under the radar. Also I consider the change to the Westone style two pin connectors an upgrade over MMCX connectors that have earnt themselves a reputation for being prone to poor connections and are mechanically questionable. I would imagine that only a small number of Primo8 owners will be buying Hem models with the hope that cables will be reuseable and most will be able to live with the lack of compatibility. Besides the same argument applies to anyone changing over from Westone style two pins or Shure style MMCX to the Hems – some will win, some will loose out. The metal ‘turtle necks’ seem like a worthy design to make the connectors stronger – do they actually prevent other two pin cables being used? Seems not. The weak cable with low tensile strength seems like a bit of a let down though.
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I may review the HEM8, but I’m not sure when. We will see.
Two-pin is a boon, I agree. But it’s how Nuforce manufactured their mount, their cable flange, etc., that is questionable, and which makes off-maker options less secure against the body. A flush mount, and inset wall are both stronger designs.
I agree that Primo8 buyers are probably not in the market for HEM series, but brand loyalists should realise that incompatibilities like this make for poor branding.
All of that is forgivable in the event that you just want to amazing sound the HEM2 puts out. Which it does. Amazing.
Kyle
How does the hem2 compare to the fiio fh1?
Lieven
These are in the hands of very different reviewers, sorry