CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

Lobby => Headphone, IEM, and Other Audio Related Discussion => Topic started by: ohhgourami on August 22, 2015, 02:57:15 AM

Title: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: ohhgourami on August 22, 2015, 02:57:15 AM
In case anyone wants to see the internals or want to find ways to mod it. These pics were taken over 3 months ago.

All disassembled:
(http://i.imgur.com/VA8gD7Al.jpg)

After you remove the screws and the black piece:
(http://i.imgur.com/4ZkUwnCl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/rukYTpxl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/T38Uwxzl.jpg)

How the wires are routed:
(http://i.imgur.com/IDB2DsSl.jpg)

Lift carefully:
(http://i.imgur.com/UHEq8Ddl.jpg)

SPC wire:
(http://i.imgur.com/sUWDQkdl.jpg)

The "wood":
(http://i.imgur.com/SNyRxqil.jpg)

Yup that's actually window screen:
(http://i.imgur.com/lsZBF6Kl.jpg)

That's not nanometer thick:
(http://i.imgur.com/QXeAGFNl.jpg)
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: n3rdling on August 22, 2015, 04:12:10 AM
Fake wood, fake chrome, fake leather, and fake "nanoscale" diaphragm.  Called it from the start :/
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: aive on August 22, 2015, 04:33:20 AM
Fake wood, fake chrome, fake leather, and fake "nanoscale" diaphragm.  Called it from the start :/

Yeeeep and most people lapped it up. Sads.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: ohhgourami on August 22, 2015, 05:38:51 AM
edited with embedded pics so you guys don't need to click the links!
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: madaboutaudio on August 22, 2015, 05:44:25 AM
Looks authentic "made in China"  to me.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: Luckbad on August 22, 2015, 05:53:06 AM
Is that a real HE1000? Apart from looking like a little less craftsmanship went into them than you'd expect from a $200 headphone, how do they sound?
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: knerian on August 22, 2015, 05:57:36 AM
Is that a real HE1000? Apart from looking like a little less craftsmanship went into them than you'd expect from a $200 headphone, how do they sound?

Like a $200 headphone.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: paranoidroid on August 22, 2015, 06:36:11 AM
Actually, the fact that the diaphragm shows light interference (different colors, like soap bubbles) from all the pics of the driver and also seen a bit in your last pic means it's probably sub-micron. You can solve the rough thickness of the diaphragm by the color you see at what angle and entering all the details here (with some rough guesses on index of refraction for types of polyester film):

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/phyopt/soapfilm.html
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: paranoidroid on August 22, 2015, 06:47:17 AM
Another view of the driver (taken from HF). You can see the greenish tint at the top of the driver and purplish at the bottom from the light phase interference.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: ohhgourami on August 22, 2015, 06:50:24 AM
I traded my HE1ks away already. Just feeling the bit of extra diaphragm out the edge of the assembly, it felt very similar to saran wrap. We already know that's not nano thickness.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: knerian on August 22, 2015, 06:54:36 AM
Actually someone asked if it was a real HE-1000.  I would have laughed, but at $3K, it makes sense to knock it off.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: aive on August 22, 2015, 07:02:13 AM
I can't believe that's actual fly screen material cut to size lol!!  :)p13
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: paranoidroid on August 22, 2015, 07:03:48 AM
I traded my HE1ks away already. Just feeling the bit of extra diaphragm out the edge of the assembly, it felt very similar to saran wrap. We already know that's not nano thickness.

Saran wrap doesn't generate phase interference like that. You have to be a certain thinness to phase change the color like you see - so I believe it's probably < 1000nm (if that's what Hifiman considers 'nanometer grade'). So you can either trust science, or your ability to 'feel' for thickness ;) Did you actually take the screen off the other side and put the diaphragm between your fingers or just touch it?

Man, I'm glad I'm not the one that ended up buying the beta HE1000s that you flipped. :)
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: ohhgourami on August 22, 2015, 07:49:29 AM
I didn't flip it damn it. Traded for something of about equal value.

Also this is the beta unit that was sent back to HFM. I did not bother to open up the production that is no longer mine.

I was afraid to touch the diaphragm. Didn't want to break it like jerg did.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: TMRaven on August 22, 2015, 08:27:01 AM
That's not nanometer thick:
(http://i.imgur.com/QXeAGFNl.jpg)


I can't tell shit from that picture.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: Chris F on August 23, 2015, 06:49:08 PM
Do they use better materials in the non beta units?

I've always seen Hifiman as a price/performance value proposition where the sound and price are good but the manufacturing is mediocre.  At least this has been the case with all the Hifiman IEMs I have owned (RE0, RE-262, RE-600) though they have been improving over the years.

I don't understand them releasing a 3K headphone.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: ohhgourami on August 23, 2015, 08:31:58 PM
Didn't look like any internal changes were made when I removed the pads. Doesn't look like Fang was willing to make any changes in parts except for minor corrections (headband length).
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: MuZo2 on August 24, 2015, 07:36:08 AM
Compared to T50Rp it looks quiet thin.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: Judeus on August 24, 2015, 10:09:45 PM
lol this thing must cost like $50 to make, what a joke

3 grand and they can't use real wood and leather? :vomit:
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: knerian on August 25, 2015, 12:13:14 AM
I can't believe that's actual fly screen material cut to size lol!!  :)p13


That's audiophile grade fly screen.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: Filbrik on August 25, 2015, 03:59:29 AM
I had a beta unit, but didn't have the cajones to open it up. I traded it for a production unit, and the second time I used it,
the head strap pulled loose on one side, so back it went for a refund. After seeing this, I'm darned glad I went that route.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: MattTCG on August 27, 2015, 10:52:46 PM
I traded the beta for a production model. The production model only worked from one channel. I wonder how much it would cost to get sound from two channels? Let me get out my trusty calculator.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: shaizada on August 28, 2015, 12:21:34 AM
This isn't a joke?  That REALLY is an a HE1000 right?  :)p3 F'ed up.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: aive on August 28, 2015, 08:22:36 AM

That's audiophile grade fly screen.

LOL nice :D
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: fishbone on August 31, 2015, 10:03:43 AM

That's not nanometer thick:
(http://i.imgur.com/QXeAGFNl.jpg)


Hi,

You can't tell with your bare eyes if it's nanometer thick or not. You can deposit few layers on a surface and you can see with reflection that there is something. If you can use an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) go ahead but from here it's impossible to tell.
Though, people in nanosciences can tell you that 600 nm is nanometer scale. So telling that's nanometer scale when it's < 1µm is totally subjective (and good for marketing purpose I suppose).
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: Priidik on August 31, 2015, 12:46:07 PM
Though, people in nanosciences can tell you that 600 nm is nanometer scale.

Western universities and tech centers regard nano-material as something under 100nm in at least one dimension.
Title: Re: HE1000 Disassembly/Internals
Post by: fishbone on September 01, 2015, 12:02:47 PM
Western universities and tech centers regard nano-material as something under 100nm in at least one dimension.

As I said, it's subjective. I did a PhD in Nanosciences and we consider few hundreds nanometers thick as nanothickness. And I think that's what the new Hifiman membrane is about, few hundreds nm.