The Headphones that make me cry... HE-1 Review

[@Whyamibzsdmh]

I had to opportunity to try out the HE-1 a couple years ago and I still remember it vividly. It really is beyond words, there is no way to describe how good it is. You put on a song and every single miniscule detail is revealed to you, it's like you're transported to the place where the song was recorded

[@AtamanTube]

I don't get this. How can there not be any words to describe it? People do go to concerts and recording studios and people do mixes and masters. Are you suggesting it is not possible to talk about any about these experiences? That makes no sense at all.

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

@@AtamanTube have you never hade a existential experience from listening to music? Like never?

[@Whyamibzsdmh]

@@AtamanTube You don't get it and you probably never will unless you try them out for yourself

[@AtamanTube]

@@Whyamibzsdmh Again you are making no sense. Are you suggesting listening to music through these headphones is better than listening to music live? Because I did listen to live music and, unlike you, I can talk about it. I get it, you had an experience, it was the greatest thing ever, better than the double rainbow in Yellowstone, sure. But "beyond words", "there is no way to describe it". Please...

[@Whyamibzsdmh]

@@AtamanTube The Sennheiser store in Germany has a set for you to try out. Bye

[@sennheiser]

🥲 _"Doesn't matter what song you've heard, when you hear it on HE 1, you are hearing it for the first time."_ Did you hack into our R&D files and access the top secret "TECHNICAL FINDINGS AND SUMMARY PDF" file??!?! Perfectly said, DMS!

[@Cabfink]

😂

[@plattenhansi]

Sorry Sennheiser, but after buying your Sennheiser Ambeo Max Soundbar, I don't have trust in your product quality control. You exchanged my faulty soundbar with another faulty one

[@sennheiser]

@@plattenhansi Did you reach out to customer service? We can help you there, but it is a lot tougher to make it right in the KZbin comments.

[@user-gq3eq5bf9t]

@@sennheiser do they come in black color?

[@marestgondev]

@@user-gq3eq5bf9t they´re manualy created, you probably can order to make it black desing.

[@louisteerlinck7228]

You have a gift of using words! Listening to you describe your experience may be the closest I get to experiencing the HE-1, I can live with that.

[@Theupgradeguy]

Right? That was an eloquent love-letter to the HE-1's. Great Review!

[@bloodchilde]

After everything described about this godlike piece of audio equipment, that protruding piece of glue under the Sennheiser sign at 3:30 hits the eye like a piece of sh!t on a velvet carpet

[@RainbowSun0529]

I was lucky enough to hear he1 twice and I cried both times. It doesn't have the mesmerizing bass of the abyss 1266, or the insane resolution of the stax x9k. But the sound it makes is just so magical and enchanting, I just couldn't help crying😭

[@siddarthM19]

what streaming service were you using?

[@RainbowSun0529]

@@siddarthM19 qobuz

[@PixelatedWolf2077]

​@siddarthM19 Probably Tidal. If not, he might have been playing Hi-res audio files in the form of DSD or FLAC files.

[@Frobbl]

To be honest with you this comment makes it look like you had a lot of placebo effect affecting how you perceived the experience.

[@RainbowSun0529]

@@Frobbl I think when you got the change to hear HE1, you'll understand what I'm saying here. I've been into this hobby 5 years now and only he1 has really brought tears to my eyes

[@cowboyflipflopped]

That thing you said, about the difference between speakers letting you look in, but headphones putting you in was artful. My wife isn't an audiophile, or much into it, but even she had to remark that you were exactly spot-on in your description. We haven't even finished the video yet, but we just had to say: that was well done.

[@jaytaylor3588]

Great video. Most will never hear it, but its pretty cool to watch a review on it. 👌

[@PhoggHawk]

I just listened to it at CanJam in Chicago yesterday. We only had 10 minutes. It's what I would call "Etherial". It somehow seems to pull the music out of your chest, as if it were coming from within you. That's why it can make you cry. It is truly an experience on a whole other level, and it was an item I checked off my bucket list! The song that really pulled at my heart was called "Land O the Leal" by Rachel Hardy. She literally sounded like an angel on the HE-1!

[@sennheiser]

Thank you! It was a pleasure to have you take a listen and talk audio, gear, and life with us in the listening room! We wish we had 10 units at the event, all running 24 hours a day so you could listen to it much longer.

[@MateoMrtacos]

Hey! Are they going to be in socal? Thanks so much! 🙏❤️

[@MateoMrtacos]

​@@sennheiser

[@MateoMrtacos]

@@sennheiser Hey! Are they going to be in SoCal? Thanks so much!!

[@sennheiser]

@@MateoMrtacos that is the plan :)

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Beautiful work DMS. 🐅 Sonically, the HE one is definitely one of the most seductive experiences I have had in the audio space. having listen to this side by side with the aperio and having lived with the Aperio over the last three months, sonically I am still undecided which is more to my liking, hopefully we can do a side-by-side at the studio with HE one, but bloody hell. The Warwick system is terrifyingly expensive, but unfortunately the HE one is literally almost unobtainable. Aperio he1 Shang sr Battle Royale is my goal LOL

[@delskioffskinov]

Totally believed this review and hung on every word lol! They have been my dream Headphone since the Orpheous, i'm so happy you got to review this piece of heaven, not jealous at all lol!

[@Alepap.]

That intro is pure art, love the music choice.

[@jungleblazers1249]

Any idea what the music is called?

[@Alepap.]

@@jungleblazers1249 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5S9Z52rYtubd5o

[@PhuHung.Nguyen]

I listened to it to get a reference of what the ceiling of headphones is, but I actually didn't expect to like it. I appreciate different styles of tuning, even with polar-opposite tonalities like Audeze vs. Hifiman, but never had I tried a pair of headphones which I considered flawless. I didn't expect any difference with the HE 1, since all my experiences with headphones falling into the "unobtainium" category had been less than stellar. All of that went away when I put on the HE 1. "This is a well-tuned estat." Well-tuned is an understatement. I want a headphone with that exact tuning. The closest I found was the HD 800 S with a couple of filters. But there's nothing I can do to replicate that bass response of the HE 1. If Sennheiser really did tune the bass like that without any filter, passive or active, that's an achievement at any price. However, the entire thing is sold as a complete system so we'll never know. Here are a few thing to note if you have a chance to try it: It is the most pleasing sound I've heard out of a headphone. Nevertheless, the sound is unmistakably headphone-y. It doesn't nor try to replace speakers. If you expect a "Dolby Atmos experience," you'll be soarly disappointed. On the other hand, I didn't expect bad recordings to sound good, but they were. For highly "detailed" headphones, especially with that treble forwardness, I expected distortion and compression to jump out immediately. They didn't. Maybe there are some FR features contributed to this, or it's just placebo. Anyhow, I was pleasantly surprised. If you have the chance, just bring your favourite songs, regardless of their recording qualities. Don't focus on the "audiophile technicalities," just enjoy your music. And hey, just because it's my favourite tuning ever, doesn't mean it'll be yours. I wish Sennheiser would release an "obtainable" version of this, but that's only if the HE 0.6 or whatever had the exact tuning as the HE 1. Otherwise, try EQ. It's the next best thing, at least for me. As for "technical performance?" I'll leave that for others with more on-head time than me. It also depends on your experience with other headphones and your own HRTF. Though, having tried hundreds of headphones from dirt cheap to flagship/halo/unobtanium, to my unique ears and HRTF, the HE 1 excels in every single categories, in my subjective, biased, and flawed opinion.

[@ChaseHub]

I don't think your opinion's flawed, because you're offering your unique experience and comparison to your preferences. You're entitled to have preferences. Good post.

[@vindicatelol]

the obtainable version of the he1 is hd800s

[@DarwinAllen]

Great review. I'd love to see this system in a blind test vs other tiers of headphones on some non-audiophile people!

[@xITzLittleDudex]

This was a review worthy of the HE-1 Well Done DMS!

[@Monsoon1030]

I pray to the audio powers that be: Let the spirit, passion and expertise that created the HE-1 continue at the new Sennheiser. The world would be a lesser place without the combination of dreamer and engineer we see here. Not only for the direct creation of objects like this, but for the inspiration objects like this create in others to visualize and bring into reality from the dream.

[@berkut971]

I have 2 hours clocked on these. The absolute audio experience.

[@jakesomeone2584]

Biggest flex of this video is having te he-1 around your neck! Great video

[@CoffeeXmusic]

wow this is sick! great review!

[@lextek595]

Excellent video. I had the privilege to listen to the Orpheus and was blown away. I almost don’t want to here this one. Sennheisers and tubes are always magic.

[@ion1q]

Song name: "We trust" by Johannes Bornlof

[@edwardl4141]

I was able to listen to these for about 10 minutes during CanJam Chicago this year. They are unlike anything I have ever heard before. I didn't cry, maybe I just needed the right recording and song to have that happen, nonetheless they are just exceptional, truly effortless and such a grand impactful viseral large sound, I was overwhelmed in the best way possible. They are truly magical headphones. Makes everything else even on the best systems irealivant in nature.

[@sennheiser]

Thank you for spending some time with them and Eric in the listening room!

[@Tidwillshare]

I would cry too if a piece of the marble broke off while I had it. Tell us the story!

[@samulhardif8331]

At Munich High End I was lucky enough to try all 3 halo flagships in less than 1 hours between all of them and with the same music. The shangri-la highlighted the biggest strengths of all big hifiman headphones. It had the largest, widest, deepest sounding sounstage ive ever heard on a headphone, but unlike the hd800, it was completely coherent and seemless. The aperio was the most dynamic, the least sacrificed slam for being an e-state, though dms way way overhyped how dynamic the bravura was (saying its on the same level as the flagship planars is simply misleading). The aperio was the headphone dms described in the bravura, and like the shang, it had that level of separation accuracy and stage size that it didn't feel like you were listening to a headphone. The funny thing about the HE-1 is its noticeably less detailed than the other two. Both the shang and the aperio are a noticeable step up from a susvara or x9000, while the HE-1 is no clearer sounding. Its also the most headphone like, with a much smaller stage. What it did had a massive advantage over any headphone I've ever heard was its timber. Its the most life like headphone experience ive heard by a pretty considerable margin, made in no small part by it having a mild bass boost, which sounds more natural to us than the DF flat line. Its the one I would buy if I had infinite money.

[@bhaktir2047]

Timbre was god like rest was so so.

[@ashishbarthwal6961]

@@bhaktir2047 Exactly what made the HD 600s so popular

[@canonlon311]

Great video review. So most of us will never own a HE-1. You’ve heard a ton of headphones. Would you list some that are characteristicly similar? Cheers.

[@icemann1908]

As expensive as my apartment. I have hearing loss but it would be a dream to listen to the HE-1.

[@SakuraShuuichi]

i've had the opportunity to listen to these on 4 seperate occasions, and it really is indescribable.

[@wagiqwq]

the sen 600 already make me cry though!!!!

[@donnytramp6955]

dw hd600 timbre still better than he1

[@andikawidianto9060]

hd 600 already the end game for me

[@evilvirtuoso9408]

Exactly. You don't need HE-1 to make you cry. It's the music that does that. "HE-1 makes me cry" is among the biggest audiophile BS in history, in same the league as "this USB cable sounds the best". It's fun to watch/read about these comedic reviews/anecdotes, though.

[@KingFiercer_zip]

​@@evilvirtuoso9408 But still, from an audiophile point of view, you can get some kind of revelation that can impress you. It kind of happened to me when I first time listened to the HE-6 with a good amplifier.

[@Goodbutevilgenius]

@@KingFiercer_zip yeah, if HE-1 is this good already, I can only imagine how epic the HE-6 must have been.

[@i3kel]

I listened to them at canjam 2017 in London. It was a surreal experience. With the demo CD the orchestra track felt like I was in a concert hall. With the acoustic track it felt like the singer was right in front of me. I left the demo thinking how I could go about affording these one day. I put it up there with other experiences like having wagyu steak. Sure there's other headphones. But they've all been ruined somewhat by the 15 minutes I spent with the HE-1

[@m3gAnac0nda]

Wagyu steak lol, nothing special, good beef can be found everywhere. Nothing justifies 60k for headphones, same with 1k wine bottle.

[@i3kel]

@@m3gAnac0nda if you've tried them and that's your conclusion then I guess we're just going to agree to disagree

[@m3gAnac0nda]

@@i3kel should'nt have said 'nothing special' but the price is insane. I'd like to watch a blind test like they sometimes do with 1000€, 500, 250 wines etc Edit: same with the headphones

[@HauntedAbysss]

🤯 Hearing DMS talk and gush about this really means a lot. He never really does that other than when he really means it. Im actually surprised.

[@fin3781]

TSHIRTS YES PLEASE, great vid, I would kill to demo these

[@MicahEdmonds]

Never clicked on a video faster my dude.

[@Immersive-r4c]

Sir, what an absolutely articulate and illuminating review you have offered of this head system! Your sincerity is utterly apparent and your understanding of the elevated level of sonics you experienced with this unique world class craftwork is extremely well explained. How does one share the ineffable? Maybe you can find a way to own the HE-1….you deserve to. Thank you.

[@theunknown21329]

Every audiophiles wet dream!

[@emilvaradi9393]

Love letter to music - great expression.

[@ImNotFlutters]

I think it would be funny one day to see a KZbin video titled "Watching Pixar Movies With a HE-1"

[@michaellam6612]

Please try to eq another headphone to match the frequency response of the He-1. I’d love to hear how that sounds and how much of the sound can be attributed to the driver tech and electronics on the he-1

[@borovorap464]

This intro music ohhhhhhhh Johannes Bornlöf - We Trust

[@Omar_ZX]

My mate had an opportunity to listen to them a couple of years ago and like you he cried, and he said there is no way to describe how the headphones are in words. He said it was like if the music was beamed into your brain, and with that description, DAMN these must be truly amazing

[@pascaljean2333]

this is how i fell about my koss porta pro 😢

[@sirslinki4]

The words to describe the feeling you lack a description from is emotional resonance. It is the ability of a song to cause your core vibration to feel what the singer/music says. I have read about it in other context but listening to you it rings true enough as a descriptor here.

[@beyond8981]

As an owner of HE1 - your review is spot-on. There is something very special about it. I hope you find a way to acquire one - it will be the reference for years to come, and despite the current price tag (which has just increased by about 35% btw - not widely publicised) - its value is set to increase in the future. Just look at the HE90/HEV90.

[@TheStreamerYT]

WTFFFFF YOU HAVE IT

[@zestplays]

@@TheStreamerYTdon’t believe everything you hear on the internet

[@lorddoobsworth144]

@@zestplays or the TV

[@proffessasvids]

Beautiful dude. Cheers for that xx

[@marcusnz232]

When I win Lotto, this is first on the list.

[@MrBjorn6]

Im excited about getting my Nakaimichi dragon sound system 11.4.6 for $3,500 and 3000 watts. That's i pre-order the pro-type sight unseen and unheard. I have to wait until August to receive it and no one has tested it yet. I'm looking to getting it. Hopefully im as satisfied with my Nakaimichi dragon sound system as you are with the Sennheiser headphones 😮

[@provisionalhypothesis]

not enough watts

[@Harzexe]

I was expecting the end of the video to be: "And now I have to announce that it's my last video ever, because I'm not going to return them. I'm stealing them and going to escape abroad. Goodbye! 😏"

[@Scrpius]

Dat thumbnail lol! The only thing that makes me cry about this headphone is the price 😂😭

[@bobsykes]

Now that we know what your true reference is, I guess comparisons with whatever other top-tier headphone/amp combinations you review going forward would be appreciated. Comparison with other electrostats seems obvious. Audeze + Bule Hawaii, etc? Thanks for sharing an experience few of us will have.

[@duncanny5848]

Beautiful impossible review I am certain I will NEVER get the chance to own one of these (unless I win the lottery!) but loved hearing your marvellous description of this beautiful but outrageously expensive amp & headphone

[@georgeorwell7776]

I heard it in a sennheiser store and cried. The only thing that ever came close is a Mysphere with a subwoofer, but its been quite a while

[@sjqideez6626]

The MySphere 3.2 off the Soloist GT with a REL subwoofer is incredible but… Practicality & reality does get in the way sometimes.

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

@@sjqideez6626 how does it compare to a speaker setup? If you have one.

[@georgeorwell7776]

@@En_Joshi-Godrez I got a nice speaker setup, but the Myspheres just replicates voices in a way nothing else can, thats why I compared them to orpheus, because orpheus does that for every frequency. Good Speakers give you more soundstage, deeper bass, more comfort, but I prefer the Mysphere. I really want to get an adapter to plug them in my ASR Emitter speaker amp. I prefer the Mysphere to Speakers, because they can sound way closer to you, but still far away and they also Image better, but you have to get used to them and learn to set them up on your Head. But they just sound naturell.

[@GregoryfromTrier]

What a good review!

[@Elrics_Allenn]

Guy who made linus cry back in 2019, cried himself to the level that he can break the unit with single, bare hands. Jokes aside, nice review. Pointed out the point that was difficult to explain but definitely correlates to my experiences as well.Well reviewed as usual!

[@Dovndyr13]

I think this goes for every HiFi headphone, listening to it in a controlled environment always gives a better picture compared to an exhibition - especially if you have a few weeks

[@Terra101]

Just the "stress" of not being at home changes the impression of sound imo.

[@gilpatmore4312]

would love to hear this system..

[@TheMak1S]

I would get emotional too, but how did I know you will mention the HD 600 series 😄

[@alihasanabdullah7586]

What's the first clip used in the video? With the piano and humming?

[@syanhc]

The legend continues...❤

[@lorddarphyve]

I envy you deeply that you had an HE-1 for 2 weeks to listen to it. I had about 20 minuts with one in 2015. It was a life altering experiance. I listened to Melody Gardot's Worrisome Heart. They way I would describe it would be akin to sitting at a campfire. You're being warmed by the fire, the warmth makes you feel at ease and calm. The same way the warmth of the fire is forcing you to have an emotional responce, the HE-1 does the same thing. It forces you to have an emotional responce to the music, like no other reproduction I've ever heard has. It is an absolute god tear headphone. Even at $60,000 worth every penny as nothing will ever sound as good even at 10x the money.

[@charlibratfammanfanstan]

I am happy to hear you're able to get tears with it. I love that I can get that with my LCD5 stack at a fraction of the cost.

[@snmdair]

The real question I want answered......Would Resolve still EQ it?

[@shawnmorris1636]

T shirts would be cool. Something like a schematic or exploded assembly drawing of some gear on it.

[@MrWizardjr9]

I heard it at canjam nyc and was actually really underwhelmed. It probably has the best tuning I've heard in a headphone but it sounded very unestat/planar like in that it doesn't have the speed. It's probably still a touch better than dynamics but probably closer to a dynamic than a planar/estat. Some people say that gives it a more natural timbre but that is a big negative for me specifically because I love that about planars/estats. Also the sound doesn't have as much of a presence. I personally much prefer the susvara, lcd 5, utopia etc.

[@MrWizardjr9]

@TheHeadphoneshow. win deez nuts

[@learnwhispering]

what was that intro music - wow!

[@fullforceinharmony1139]

Loved the video! Wondering if you guys have or will have international shipping...? If not food for thought ;) (greetings from Australia)

[@KingFiercer_zip]

You mean the price?

[@brentkjernisted2215]

I have been listening to I Did My Part by Randy Travis on my Audio-Technica MSR7B headphones. The DAC/AMP I am using is the SMSL C200. The clarity is wonderful. My first thoughts are magical. That is my option for detail. An affordable option.

[@kundakaps]

That DAC is a little pricey.

[@nikolaygramchev]

Had it on my head for 30 min playing Pink Floyd. - priceless!

[@sunny-sq6ci]

i can only imagine listening to mozart's requiem or Wagners Rhinegold with these works of art

[@robertoruizantonetti6385]

I love listening to EDM with headphones and a Sub that can dig deep. Best of both worlds. The node devices make it so easy.

[@stephendenagy3396]

The value of such devices is the validation of the pursuit of sound perfection. I have been moved to tears at live concerts, but it is rare that any reproduced sound rivals it’s there is something near but beyond response curves, near but beyond technicalities. Our ears and brain recognize reality. And very, very few devices get there. The HE1 may be there.

[@radarreally2110]

I hope I can get some listening time on one of these one day.

[@AstaginaProject]

Watching this video with HD660S and you can tell that I was envy with you :)

[@jakesmarchand]

I wonder if anyone else is watching this thread any longer. I am in the privileged position to have sold a pair of these amazing headphones. The demo sessions with my client extended over several hours. The source material was hires audio replayed via a high end portable player. There were Stax 009 for comparison. There was no comparison. These headphones are a Unicorn, unobtanium, call it what you will. They are unlike ANYTHING else you have ever heard. Do yourself a favour and listen to them if you ever get a chance!

[@hungry6479]

show us u breaking it in part 2!!

[@bernhardseitinger]

Trying to decide between this and Koss Porta Pros. Really a hard choise. I think the Koss may have a little better bass. Maybe that makes the choise easier for me.

[@RJ-vy4yd]

Would they be good for gaming though?

[@totoroutes5389]

Did you test it with Hi Res audio?

[@atypicalaudio]

Got to experience he-1 at canjam yesterday and it made me cry a lil, what an experience. Got to play Primus on it, might or might not be the first person to play that on he-1 but was blown away at how much i did not know was present in the songs i played on it

[@chungang7037]

The price tag on this product always felt like you were largely paying 30,000$ for Sennheiser's years of research and development on it, with the materials probably still fetching a profit at the 20000$ mark. I wonder if they will allow price drops someday, or swing straight into newer versions. Still waiting for Goldensound or someone else to do a comparison with other Uberflagships above the 10,000$ mark, but something tells me the manufacturers are specifically asking reviewers not to do that, which is unfortunate.

[@Joelsfilmer]

We can dream of a HE-1 Junior. It could hopefully be stunning even with the engineering and aesthetic prestige knocked down a level or two.

[@timkelmer1268]

Someone in this very comment section just did that comparison. lol

[@chungang7037]

@@timkelmer1268 indeed ConvincemeAudio will hopefully do one with the Aperio and Shang Sr one day,it would be an epic review.

[@charleshultquist9233]

I wonder how much it would cost if they did a stripped down technical version without the marble, tube and knob motorization etc.

[@joshlee1305]

One day… I will be able to try this

[@sjqideez6626]

Thanks for this Douglas, I once cried whilst listening to Apple EarPods… Because I stepped on a Lego piece ; )

[@KillaZamii]

I wonder what these would cost if senhieser didn’t include all the unnecessary luxuries like the marble and motorized metal knobs and tubes. Maybe an he1 with hd600 build quality and a metal amp/dac with a smaller convenience feature set. I’m still betting it’d cost a lot but still cheaper.

[@centillion7]

Finally... after years of searching, I now know how to moisturize my face and listen to my music on my headphones at the same time. Answer: I just put on the HE-1 and then use my own tears.

[@maegnificant]

I want to listen to it just once

[@ericlowenbach5151]

Hell, I cried listening to the Edition XS.

[@lb3537]

Ha ! Great comment!!!

[@Nuevo_El_Nagual]

DMS, what's the release date of Drop HE-x headphone? LOL

[@sirslinki4]

Also what headphone would you recommend that aren't 60k? I feel our ears need similar scratches.

[@RabbitConfirmed]

I know Im mental, but some part of me just wants to use thins thing as my daily driver on my gaming PC lmao! Good stuff!

[@ItsZim0]

0:25 Did DMS glued it back together?

[@Maoilios]

I want to try this bad boy so bad

[@shaker98]

The song in the intro, anyone? Please 🙏

[@PixelPipes]

I'd love to listen to it, but I have to be able to come back home to my not-$60,000 headphones and still be able to enjoy them.

[@geeva99]

One day I will own these

[@Hyperfocusgames]

hey bro Can you also make a Review about Abyss (MR)

[@johnmason6213]

All of my gear is worth about half of this in total. It makes me cry in musical joy almost every listen.

[@laika25]

How much for the 2nd set of headphones?

[@Thoughtflux]

How does the dac & amp sound on other headphones? (using the headphone out at the back?) Does it make other headphone sound better?

[@louise1974]

Since they are electrostatic, it wouldn't work with the majority of other cans

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Part of the amp is inside the headphones themselves, it's not compatible with other amps as a result. -D

[@Thoughtflux]

@@TheHEADPHONEShow ah I see! Very intriguing. Maybe an electrostat will be in my humble collection one day. Definitely not an He1.

[@cahyonderep1168]

Very good.

[@CThienV]

What song made you cry? I wanna test it on my Samsung buds pro 2

[@LovroSabljak]

It doesn't have Bluetooth or Spotify Connect??