HiFiMan HE5se Full-Size Over Ear Planar Magnetic Audiophile Adjustable Headphones

2019-10-16T12:26:21

Pretty good, better than my Philips X1. But the material could be improved

Jieru M.

2019-08-20T05:57:18

Great headphones. Awesome sound clarity and very comfortable for long periods. I would consider the sound upgrade significant compared to Sennheiser 58x Jubilees. I’m using a Schiit modi multibit DAC and Schiit Vali 2 amp.

Andrew M.

2019-08-10T06:58:21

I've only had these a few days, and am breaking them in now. So far, so good. I do find that, even with their low resistance, they really benefit from an amp. Otherwise, volume stays fairly low. I'm also finding that these make MP3 files sound not so great. I had heard of that with headphones, but this is my first time clearly hearing it. These expose bad files fairly clearly. I did try these with the new Creative SxFi Amp. Although the purists will hate any processing, that little amp really opened up the soundstage. It may be artificial, but it sounded nice to my rookie ears. The amp's power add really helped also, even without the signal processing. These and my Grado 325's are my best headphones.

BRIAN H.

2019-08-02T11:34:51

Pros: great sound with extended bass & treble Cons: if you have a big head they are to tight and can only be worn for a short time. The cable is very stiff and hard to handle Recommend only for people with smaller head !

Michael D.

2019-08-02T10:03:28

Took me a little time to get used to. Highly detailed, soundstage is huuuuuge, but a little on the brighter side. Would definitely recommend a demo before purchasing.

Jonathan C.

2019-08-02T09:26:05

Great headphone. Bass is accurate, punchy and tight but it is on the highs that this cans shine the best. I've never heard so crispy and detailed highs as this one. Simply the best planar phones I have ever owned.

Jose K.

2019-08-02T08:40:29

Great headphone for the price. A bit heavy and a bit warm. Also, sound leaks out so if you're not into that, look for something else. Sound great. I don't think I'll be upgrading again because it feels like reaching the territory of diminishing returns.

Ebrahim K.

2019-08-02T08:13:08

Really good set of headphones, they're my first planar magnetic headphones so I can't compare them to other planar but compared to my Sennheiser hd58x Jubilee's, I prefer the hifiman. The bass is there without being distorted.

Dayne E.

2019-07-28T06:35:46

Much better than Bose 35

Dat N.

2019-07-24T14:28:32

Sound is fantastic, build quality is fantastic, and the price is fantastic. What more is there to say?

Jeremy K.

2019-06-21T12:13:12

I own a DT880 600 and a Sennheiser HD6XX and the HE5se takes the best of these two headphones and adds that beautiful planar magnetic magic. At first I had to EQ the sub bass a bit, but after a few days of use, I couldn't tell a difference with the EQ on or off. I can absolutely say these headphones are perfection and my personal favorites. My ears cannot perceive any annoying peaks, and I failed to improve them using EQ. I love them as is. I was hesitating due to their weight, but the suspension design is very comfortable and I could wear these for hours. At their original price, I'm not sure if i'd still recommend them. However, at $ they are the be all end all for me.

AXEL A.

2019-06-20T09:45:03

These headphones have excellent build quality and are extremely comfortable. The AKG-style self-adjusting headband is very comfortable and the ear cushions fit well and they do not make my ears too hot. The sound quality is excellent if you are listening to a good quality sound source and using a decent headphone amplifier. The bass is solid and is free of the mid-bass boost that is common in many headphones and speakers. The mid-range and treble is very smooth and you can hear higher harmonics from the orchestra percussion. (You will also hear all sorts of background noises and other defects in your recordings that you many not have noticed before.) They work well with the headphone output of my integrated amplifier and also with my audioengine D1 DAC that I use with my computers. I currently have 8 sets of headphones and these sound as good as anything I have owned or heard (including Stax electrostatic headphones). I rated these headphone at 4 stars instead of 5 due to the cost. The sound quality is excellent but there are some great sounding headphones that cost far less.

Gary L.

2019-06-20T09:21:31

The sound is very pleasing and easy to the ears. The headphones are also not difficult to drive. I got them as my gaming headphone and they are great for the purpose. The fit is comfortable and the headphones are open back so I have no problem wearing them for a long time. I got these on sale and I really couldn't ask for more at this price point.

JUNREN R.

2019-06-12T21:45:45

Sound is a very subjective experience and that makes it difficult to relate to others how good or bad a headphone sounds. The reviewer's music preferences also influences a review. So, to try to relate what I'm hearing I'll start by saying that 90% of what I listen to is classical. Mostly orchestral. My favorite headphones are the Sennheiser HD800S. I also enjoy listening to the Sennheiser HD700, HD650 and Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Generation, all of which I own. My favorite amp for the Sennheiser headphones is the Woo Audio WA2 mated to a Ustars AK4497 DAC. For the Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Gen I like to use a Burson Audio HD160 mated to a Topping D50 DAC. I also use a Matrix M-Stage HPA-3U and an ifi micro-iDSD Black Label. In terms of sound quality, the HE5se compares vary favorably to the T1 2nd Gen which lists for nearly twice as much. I think the HE5se is better balanced for my preferred music genre. The T1.2 has very good bass extension and a solid midrange but is somewhat lacking in the treble department. The HE5se bass may not go as deep but it is solid with amazing punch. The midrange is a little recessed giving the HE5se a V shape sound but it's adequate and gets the job done. The highs are strong with good clarity, detail and sparkle. It is never shrill or sibilant and is not at all grainy. The HE5se also has better soundstage and presence than the T1.2. For classical music, I like the HE5se better than the T1.2. I won't compare the HE5se to the HD800S because it would be unfair to compare it to a headphone costing nearly 3 times as much. It just wasn't designed to compete with headphones in that price range. I will say that when I'm not listening to the HD800S, the HE5se makes an adequate replacement albeit a temporary one. It's hard to compare the HE5se to the HD700 and HD650 because they all sound so different. I think I like the HE5se best but I would be hard pressed to pick just one of the three. I like them all for different reasons. In terms of value for money I haven't found anything to equal the HD650. However, the HE5se would be my second choice in that category considering current internet prices. The build quality is good and it's comfortable although not as comfortable as the HD700 and HD800S. It would be nice to audition the HE5se before buying. However, if you can't, the internet prices I've seen are much lower than the $699 MSRP and used ones are starting to pop up on the internet for as low as ($) If you buy it and decide it's not for you, there will always be a resale market for a headphone of this quality.

Wayne Y.

2019-06-12T09:37:42

Nice headphones for this price pros: comfortable enough bass thick sound minuses there must be a good DAC + amplifier

Roman B.

2019-06-12T08:34:50

this is an amazing headphone. I bought an EF100 amplifier for it, and the improvement is huge. I had an HD650, and this one has more details than 650, but a tiny bit less sound field. definitely a good headphone.

Jierui Y.

2019-05-16T11:29:49

Love buying items from Adorama. Headphones are just what I expected and shipped very fast. Highly recommend Adorama to everyone at the office!

Tom T.