Because of soon expiring great deals on the Clear OGs and Radiance, and Arya Organic is my other choice (all of which are not available in my city), I went to the local store to listen to the HE1000v2 as a proxy since many have said are fairly close to the Arya Organic (basically; HIFIMAN downloaded 95% of the technology and sell it at a lower price point with a different name).
I love my HD600, and the purpose of this is to both find and all-rounder that has bass for my fun music – pop/hip-hop rap; ballads. I would say that both bass and vocal is equally important. (Although I am probably somewhat of a bass head compared to most)
I was quite impressed by the HE 1000 v2 — the mid range is just clean. While I probably have less use for soundstage for the genres I mentioned, but the image separation was sublime. The bass extension where there – there is bass quality but I think bass quantity/impact could be better.
I started this journey few weeks ago with an audition of the MG. So I asked for the MG again. This immediate A/B showed that the MG is definitely punchier, meatier sound and sound is more fun/dynamic. BUT – coming of the HE 1000v2, everything mid-range sounded a tad muddier – it’s just less clean – I don’t think I can go back to the MGs anymore having heard the HE1000v2. If the MG and HE 1000v2 had a love child, maybe that is product I am looking for.
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Anyways, I know that Clear OG (available $750) is suppose to be quite a bit cleaner than MG, but I am afraid I am be found wanting for more substantial bass.
Despite the overwhelming number of recommendation of Clear OGs, quite a few community members here, particularly those that took time and and said they have both, highly recommend the radiance (also $750) over the Clear OG for my genres. However, some have said that Radiance are muddy and too warm. If Radiance is even muddier than the MGs, then I don’t think I can go for them even if they are “fun”.
There is no availability of the Arya Organic locally, which is supposed to be a slightly meatier but slightly less resolute version of of HE 1000v2. So I can’t test them. But I kind of don’t want to wait.
The HEv1000v2 and Arya Organic are 1300 and 1200, respectively on the website I am looking at. So decent deal but not super deal like the Clear OG/Radiance.
I was so close to hitting buy on either the OG or Radiance. Now I am just confused what to do.
I have the HE1000 Stealth and the OG Clear. I wouldn’t call the OG Clear remotely muddy (I can see it in the MG) and I really like it as a headphone but I would put the HE1000 a level above it, at least. I put the HE1000 above the Utopia for that matter.
No it’s thre OG v2. In fact, the weird thing is that in the Chinese website and local stores in Asia, it seems that Hifiman no longer have the HE1000 v2 Stealth Magnet. I will wait to hear the Arya Organic locally.
Btw HFMs also actually are not cheaper in China, even on 1111 sale on Chinese apps like Taobao (I live in Asia). Probably can get better deals on Black Friday on the US website. Strange pricing strategy. May be it’s done to protect brand image.
I think this is that they recently brought the Western prices down massively. Possibly to compete with they grey market sellers. Like I got the Edition XS on release for a bit of a discount from 2,499 (~$345 at the time) while it released to the West at $500. Ananda was selling for ~$350-400 from China while it was still $700 in the US. Arya was $1,000 when it was $1,600 in the US. There was a time HE400SE was ~$100 or less in China but $150 in the US. Sundara for some reason wasn’t any cheaper though.
I got the impression though it was these middle ones, the higher end ones didn’t seem to be so much difference either.