HiFiMan HE-R10P Stealth Headphone Review

[taotone]

As much as I think we still have a very long way to go in accounting for HRTF with over-ear headphones here we can see that the measurements we do have still can deliver valuable information and these are just broken and insanely overpriced.

All I can imagine is that the person who was responsible for tuning these has a very strangely shaped head and ears, and a rather eccentric and very specific taste in music.

 

[JoetheLion]

Could it be that only this particular one was defective? Perhaps the company can send a second one to Amir so that he can check whether it is a systematic failure?

 

[Soria Moria]

Maybe to flip on eBay before people see this review.

I would feel guilty like a scammer.

 

[welwynnick]

Thanks for the review, Amir, but damn, I don't think EQ is going to sort out that mess!

 

[ayane]

The big money audio market remains saturated with products plagued by the "design using emotion" paradigm. It's a grift. That this headphone unashamedly commands $5500 further exemplifies this grift as the status quo.

Regardless of whether this is a QC issue, this performance is inexcusable for any product—let alone one which costs this much. In this day and age, everyone and their mother can readily access the tools to understand vibroacoustics during R&D. Such analysis is indispensable during product design, and would have ironed out the nonsensical output very early in the process. The requisite maths skills are non-negotiable for anyone making a serious endeavor in the name of "Hi-Fi". This is science and engineering, not guesswork and magic. Do better, HiFiMan.

 

[ILovePhonon]

Whatever happened to Dr Fang Bian

 

[mumadadd]

 

[Timmy]

After all, this is a pre-owned unit. So the value of any testing results here is limited to a certain amount. And it is uncertain what the certain amount in this case exactly is

 

[amirm]

Could it be that only this particular one was defective? Perhaps the company can send a second one to Amir so that he can check whether it is a systematic failure?

As I noted in the review, there is good correlation between my measurements and what is out there:

As you see, it is pretty close especially if you adjust for resolution and where "0 dB" frequency is.

 

[AudioSceptic]

This is a review, listening test, EQ and detailed measurements of the HiFiMan HE-R10P Stealth closed back headphone. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $5,499.
View attachment 414926
The HE-R10P has a whimsical look which I quite like. Surprisingly, it is quite light and combined with its large cups, very comfortable to wear. The included headphone cord oddly like other Hifiman cables, has 90 degree bend to it. Why? Are most folks using these with portable players out in the wild?

Fitment on the GRAS 45CA fixture was very easy, requiring almost no work.

HiFiMan HE-R10P Stealth Measurements
As usual we start with our frequency response measurement and comparison with our target:
View attachment 414927
My jaw fell down after seeing this! So much so that I measured again and got the same results. And it more or less correlated with the few other measurements on the net. I mean I like the bass but what is up with a major hump from 500 Hz to 2 kHz? There is deficiency in the 2K to 4K range but seems like that was intentional to try to copy the response of the Sony MDR-RP10. I expect highly colored response in listening tests.

Exact correction using EQ manually is going to be hard but here is what needs doing:
View attachment 414928

We have whopping 11 dB variation from our target!

If that is all that was wrong with it, maybe designers could sleep easy but not when you look at the copious amount of distortion this thing is generating:
View attachment 414929
View attachment 414930

We have to pull down some of the response which should help. But then again we also need to boost some.

Group delay shows copious resonances and other reflections creating a true "phase soup!"
View attachment 414931

Impedance is flat and low per spec but even that shows a kink, indicative of some resonance:
View attachment 414932

Sensitivity is very good especially for class:
View attachment 414933

HiFiMan HE-R10P Stealth Listening Tests
You can have no doubt that this headphone is highly colored the moment you listen to it. Some voices of forward while producing a muffled overall response. But you won't get the full scope of that variation until you create EQ and turn that on and off:
View attachment 414934
The improvement was massive. There was now good balance and the forwardness was gone. I actually started to enjoy them listening to my reference tracks!

Spatial qualities are good but not exceptional. Same with deep bass.

Conclusions
We have one heck of a broken (design) headphone here. With modicum of attention to audio science it could have been so much better.

Needless to say, I can't recommend HiFiMan HE-R10P Stealth.
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

It looks like the THD graph is truncated at the top, so is it even worse than it looks here? This must be one of the worst ever, let alone in VFM.

 

[Jimbob54]

So there are (at least) 3 adages with Hifiman products:

1. Avoid their electronics
2. Avoid their closed backs
3. QC/consistency/durability is all over the shop

I'd be minded to add a 4th- all their eggies are more similar than different so buy a the lower end.

 

[Dennis_FL]

Now THIS is actually a scam!

Or a bad sample. But who can afford to get a second sample?

 

[dr0ss]

When I think "stealth", bright orange certainly isn't the first thing that springs to mind

I can't believe we were 30 posts in before someone commented on the stealthiness.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

As usual, I skim through reviews, focusing on the graphs. But this time, I had to pause and scroll back up a few times, thinking, This can’t be right.

What an unusual pair of headphones these are...

 

[Bleib]

I would feel guilty like a scammer.

One man's treasure is another man's trash..

 

[Jimbob54]

Or a bad sample. But who can afford to get a second sample?

@amirm has pointed out his measurements arent out of line compared to others but just as another reference point- Hifiman closed backs generally are tuned....oddly. Assuming nothing was rattling or crackling with this sample (which Amir would surely have spotted) Im pretty certain we need to stop saying the DUT may be defective.

 

[Wunderphones]

Personally, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a headphone worth $5000. But this is a travesty at any price over $100.

Hifiman just doesn’t seem to know how to make closed headphones. I’m a little surprised that they released this into the wild at all, since they DO know what good headphones sound like. And I’m blown away that they are trying to convince us that this is worth flagship prices.

 

[AndreaT]

Laughable FR, horrendous distortion, for the price I feel sorry for those who foolishly parted with a lot of money to get a lemon.

 

[Deleted member 81112]

Oh dear. I'll stick with my Shure SRH440s that I bought used for $43. Heck, I can buy another 126 of them at that price and still come in under $5,500. (And no EQ is needed on the Shures). For open backs, HiFiMan Edition XS is my end game (even if I were rich and not a social worker).

 

[Cogito]

What an absolute piece of fecal matter. Do they not test their own products, knowing that reviewers will? HiFiMan already has a shakey reputation in the industry from what I see. As a Sundara owner (Love 'em), I'm almost embarassed for them.