Sonic Compass · Mojo Review · Over-ear (open) · Session Review
HiFiMAN HE1000 WiFi
A flagship planar with the DAC, amp and Wi-Fi inside the cups. On Wi-Fi it gets very close to my wired Unveiled setup, with no cable at all.
The pinnacle of wireless. It takes the Arya WiFi's cordless freedom and lifts the technical performance to flagship standard: better slam, a wider stage and finer resolution, and it gets very close to the wired Unveiled.
- Huge, layered, airy stage
- Flagship micro detail with no cable
- Extra slam and punch over the Arya WiFi
- Vocals with texture, breath and weight
- Very close to the wired Unveiled
Where it sits
Sonic Compass does not score gear out of ten. Gear and listeners are plotted on the same seven axes, so a review tells you where a product sits — and you can see how far that is from where you sit. A position is a description, not a grade.
- Tone ColourBalanced · 55%
- Texture DetailVery detailed · 90%
- Dynamics JumpVery punchy · 80%
- Space & ImagingVery spacious · 92%
- Timing & FlowVery rhythmic · 82%
- Comfort & FatigueVery easy-going · 82%
- Emotional EngagementVery immersive · 85%
Rich and full-bodied, a touch more V-shaped through the mids than the Unveiled (high = warm on this scale).
Flagship micro detail and scale, finer than the Arya WiFi, with first-class resolution close to the Unveiled.
The Arya WiFi's fast, linear bass with an extra layer of slam and punch. Sub-bass is deep and controlled.
A huge, ethereal stage that is bigger than the Arya WiFi's, with 3D instruments, height and excellent layering.
Fast planar speed, with quick transients and solid note weight on The Aristocrats.
No hint of sibilance, treble that stays clean, and extremely comfortable on the head.
Enchanting. Vocals carry breath and weight, and I felt inside the performance.
Sonic Compass does not grade gear. We plot gear and listeners on the same seven axes, so a review tells you where a product sits and you can see how far that is from where you sit.
I've bought many HiFiMAN headphones over the years and I'm a bit of a HiFiMAN fan, so read that in. HiFiMAN's April let me take the HE1000 WiFi home from CanJam in Singapore. I reviewed the cheaper Arya WiFi first. HiFiMAN had no say in this review.
I listened mainly in Wi-Fi mode over Tidal from a Samsung Z Fold 7. For the comparison I used my HE1000 Unveiled through a Gustard R30 DAC and an Aune A17 amplifier, about US$5,500 of gear.
Listening journey
One, Metallica (thrash / metal) — An extra layer of slam and punch over the Arya WiFi, so the track sounds more dynamic.
Thick Walls, Glass Animals (indie) — A palpable boom as the bass starts, deep and well controlled on the WiFi, with a touch more depth and charge on the Unveiled. First-class resolution on both, with air and effortlessness, and sounds all around me outside my head.
Jolene (original), Dolly Parton (country) — Wide, 3D instruments with decent height, and I'm inside the performance. Her voice is pushed forward a tad on the Unveiled, fuller and richer. The WiFi is ever so slightly more V-shaped through the mids.
And Then There Were Just Us / Ducks End, The Aristocrats (instrumental rock) — Fast transients and solid note weight, natural and substantial. The band is all around me, with a deep, controlled bass run at about 3:00. The Unveiled throws images slightly further and the treble is a hair more detailed.
| Track | Position | Note |
|---|---|---|
| One | 90% | An extra layer of slam and punch |
| Thick Walls | 92% | Palpable, controlled bass and air; sounds outside the head |
| Jolene | 90% | Wide, 3D with height, a touch more V-shaped than the Unveiled |
| And Then There Were Just Us / Ducks End | 90% | Fast transients and solid note weight, deep controlled bass run |
Critical observations
Where the HE1000 WiFi sits — The Arya WiFi's smooth, full-bodied signature with flagship technicalities. Space, Detail and Emotional Engagement are its strongest axes. It gives ground on battery life and has no analogue input.
Stage and imaging — A huge, ethereal stage, bigger than the Arya WiFi's, with excellent layering.
Vocals — Female vocals have great texture and capture the breath, throatiness and weight, with no sibilance. Guitars are real, clean and weighty.
Bass — The Arya WiFi's fast, linear, controlled bass plus an extra layer of slam and punch.
Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi — A big difference. A friend preferred the Arya WiFi when the HE1000 WiFi was on Bluetooth. After I switched to Wi-Fi, the preference flipped.
Design and tech — Champagne finish with brown cups, a thicker headband carrying wires between the cups, grilles (unlike the Unveiled) and a premium presentation box. The HE1000-tier nanometre diaphragm, a Hymalaya mini R2R DAC and a class AB amp are inside. Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, USB-C up to DSD512, and Wi-Fi streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz via AirPlay, Roon and DLNA. It now supports Tidal. Retailer listings give a weight of 452g.
HE1000 WiFi vs HE1000 Unveiled (an unfair test by design) — The Unveiled ran through about US$5,500 of separate gear. The Unveiled has a bit more sub-bass depth and charge, slightly further-thrown images and a richer, more forward vocal. The detail is first class on both, and the WiFi is so close that you need to listen carefully to hear a difference. Against my old HE1000 Stealth, both have deeper, punchier sub-bass, a more holographic stage and a more vocal-focused midrange.
HE1000 WiFi vs Arya WiFi (US$1,450) — The HE1000 WiFi has better technicalities, finer micro detail, a grander scale, a bigger stage and extra slam. If your budget stops at US$1,450, the Arya WiFi is still a steal.
Cons — Battery life is about 5 to 6 hours on Wi-Fi, with a roughly 3 hour charge. There's no analogue input, only USB-C, so a dead battery means no listening.
Read this against your own profile — I lean V-shaped and I love a huge stage with plenty of detail, and I'm a long-time HiFiMAN listener. If you want wired-class planar sound without the cable, this fits. If you need a long battery or a wired fallback, or you'll mostly use Bluetooth, it doesn't.
Honest limits — Supplied by the maker. An unfair comparison by design. Wi-Fi mode only. By ear, with no measurements. My prediction that Wi-Fi will overtake Bluetooth in three to five years is an opinion, not a test.
- OneMetallica
- Thick WallsGlass Animals
- JoleneDolly Parton
- And Then There Were Just Us / Ducks EndThe Aristocrats
- Driver Configuration
- Planar magnetic, nanometre-thickness diaphragm
- Driver Details
- HE1000-tier diaphragm, Hymalaya mini R2R DAC, class AB amplifier (per the reviewer)
- Weight
- 452g (retailer listing)
- Build Materials
- Champagne metal finish with brown leather and fabric pads, grilles
- Cable Connectors
- USB-C only; no analogue input
- Isolation Leakage
- Open-back
- Power Requirements
- Battery: about 5 to 6 hours on Wi-Fi (reviewer), about 3 hours to charge
- Accessories
- Presentation box, booklet, USB-C cable
- Build Quality Notes
- US$2,699. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, USB-C up to DSD512; Wi-Fi up to 24-bit/192kHz via AirPlay, Roon, DLNA. Photos: HiFiMAN.
The pinnacle of wireless. It takes the Arya WiFi's cordless freedom and lifts the technical performance to flagship standard: better slam, a wider stage and finer resolution, and it gets very close to the wired Unveiled.
<p><strong>Buy it if</strong>… you want flagship planar sound at home without a cable; you want the HE1000 sound without a separate DAC and amp; or you'll listen mainly over Wi-Fi with Tidal, Roon or AirPlay.</p><p><strong>Skip it if</strong>… your budget stops at US$1,450 (the Arya WiFi is the better value); you need long battery life or an analogue input; or you'll mostly use Bluetooth.</p><p>Until next time: peace, and stay metal.</p>