HE1000 Stealth - How to check for imbalances?

[HighanDry]

HI All,

Relatively new to the audiophile verse. I started out with astro pro amp + sennheiser hd598 in 2010. I now have going through a series of purchases/returns with HiFiman and have landed on the HE1000 Stealth with Topping DX3 Pro+ dac/amp combo.

I am looking into getting a slightly more powerful amp / dac setup (I need thoughts on this, reading around it seems the go to is a e30 ii amp with whatever DAC)

My other thing is checking imbalances in my headphones, I read a comment in the forum here about a user returning this exact headset because and I quote "there were imbalances in the 4kHz range, so I had to return). I was wondering how I might check for these imbalances that I may not notice since I'm relatively an amateur still but might notice this stuff as time goes on.

So far I am loving these headphones... I started out with the Sundara -> edition XS -> ananda (really did not like these -> Arya stealth (almost perfect) -> He1000 stealth, only $400 more so I figured why not.

 

[staticV3]

I read a comment in the forum here about a user returning this exact headset because and I quote "there were imbalances in the 4kHz range, so I had to return). I was wondering how I might check for these imbalances

The most basic way would be to use a tone generator like this: https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

Press play, adjust volume to comfortable levels, then slowly slide the slider from left to right and listen if at any point, the tone shifts from the center to either your left or right ear.

If you want to be extra rigorous, note down the frequencies at which you hear an imbalance, then switch the HE1000 around so that the left cup is on your right ear, then repeat the test and see if you get the same imbalances at the same frequencies, just on the other side naturally.

If you end up with a consistent imbalance that sticks with the earcup as you wear the headphone the wrong way around, then that's a solid indication of a defective unit.

 

[Blorg]

Make sure you do the reverse check, I have an imbalance in my ears in the upper mids and I initially thought it was the headphones but it's not, it's my ears, and it's there on everything if I do I sine sweep.

Hifiman headphones in general have very good channel matching* and it would be unusual to get one with a bad imbalance.

*with possibly one exception of the HE6SEV2- but even there I think the channel issue is linked to a "stuck membrane" defect which although somewhat common with that model is more of a gross fault than just normal poor channel matching.

 

[ReaderZ]

The most basic way would be to use a tone generator like this: https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

Press play, adjust volume to comfortable levels, then slowly slide the slider from left to right and listen if at any point, the tone shifts from the center to either your left or right ear.

If you want to be extra rigorous, note down the frequencies at which you hear an imbalance, then switch the HE1000 around so that the left cup is on your right ear, then repeat the test and see if you get the same imbalances at the same frequencies, just on the other side naturally.

If you end up with a consistent imbalance that sticks with the earcup as you wear the headphone the wrong way around, then that's a solid indication of a defective unit.

And if you always find one side to be louder now matter how you wear your headphones... bad news now you know your ears have imbalance