When the foreign audio media auditioned the Sennheiser HE1 Olympus static earphone system and wrote the title of "55,000 US dollars of voice", it seemed to be a bit sour to read. It was hard to expect HE1 to come to Taiwan and grab the first time to listen to the show. A few songs have been heard, and there are already a few in my heart: HE1 is the best earphone system in the world! No second sentence!
Cyclone type stays in Taiwan for a short timeSennheiser first introduced the most expensive earphone system Orpheus at the time in 1991. After more than 20 years, Sennheiser tried to make the second "world's most expensive". The basic method is the same. HE1 and 1991 Orpheus are electrostatic headphones with vacuum tube. Headphone amplifiers, DACs inside, ear extensions and electrostatic headphones are complete systems.
I remember that the first generation of Orpheus was about 10,000 US dollars. The new HE1, which was launched more than 20 years later, has risen to $55,000 and is limited in production, with only 300 sets per year.
For the TAA Round Mountain Sound Show in August, Zhou Xuan specially sought the HE1 exposure opportunity from the original factory, and finally borrowed the HE1 sample machine from Sennheiser. It is said that there are only three sets of sample machines in the world to audition. The one borrowed from Taiwan is prototype C, and although the TAA sound show has only four days to extend, this set of HE1 can not stay for four days, only 8/11~8/12 It can be exhibited on Thursdays and Fridays. The 8/13 HE1 will fly abroad and continue to travel around the world.
The HE1 currently in the office of Ze Xuan is one of only three samples in the world. The 8/13 will be returned to Germany, and the stay is quite short.
Super gorgeous boot modeRegarding the details of HE1, we didn't see much information. Sennheiser probably didn't plan to write any white papers to detail, because HE1 is too special and the price is too expensive, even if the price of 55,000 dollars, compared to Hi End audio The price of a single machine is not too expensive, but in the world of headphones, HE1 has deviated far from the normal price!
The average person always feels that a set of hundreds of thousands of earphone systems is already very expensive, but HE1 uses millions of Taiwan dollars as a unit. Really, this is a super sports car rated electrostatic earphone system. The HE1 is like a super sports car. You don't need to talk about C/P values. HE1 has no C/P value at all. It is the world's top earphone system, and it is very expensive. Limited production makes people more rich. Also can't buy it.
Turn on the HE1 power supply, the dazzling startup process, the vacuum tube and the control knob appear one by one, then open the top cover of the left earphone storage box, you can start listening to HE1. There is another headphone output hole behind the HE1. It seems that you can buy another pair of HE1 static headphones and enjoy the world of two people's headphones. However, I don't know how to buy it or know the price.
This second headphone output hole has a purpose, that is, the "key" of the HE1. When using the HE1, the key should be inserted on it to get the HE1 earphone. If the key is not plugged in, the vacuum tube and the control knob will normally appear when the power is turned on, but the cover of the earphone storage box will not open, and the same will not be given.
The metal bar with the red button on the top of the black USB cable is the HE1 “keyâ€. Without it, the cover of the earphone storage box will not open and the vacuum tube will not appear.
The amplifier circuit is integrated into the earphoneThe HE1's electrostatic headphones are held in the hand, and the weight seems to sink more than the HD 800S. The headband structure is similar to the HD 800S, but the detailed processing looks more refined than the HD 800S. The aluminum alloy CNC is a one-piece system, and the texture is certainly better. . Sennheiser's specifications are superb, the frequency response is 8Hz~100kHz, and the distortion rate is the most today: 0.01% (1kHz, 100dB SPL). The headphone amplifier circuit uses the so-called Cool Class A MOS-FET amplifier line and is integrated in the headphones. This is completely unaffected by the capacitive reactance of the headphone cable. The internal use of 2.4 micron white gold vapor deposition diaphragm, the acoustic energy converter sandwiching the electrostatic diaphragm uses ceramic vapor-deposited gold material, the wire uses 99.9% silver-plated OFC Conductor, almost all State-of-the-art technology, all fusion Go to HE1.
The head-mounted structure of the HE1 earphone body is made of CNC one-piece, and its thickness is very thin from the photo, and it is lightweight. As for the monomer, the 2.4 micron white gold vapor deposition diaphragm is used, and the sound energy converter is made of ceramic evaporated gold material, which looks golden.
As for the DAC part, HE1 has 8 ESS SABRE ES9018 DAC chips built in parallel, which is equivalent to 4 DACs per channel, achieving the highest conversion accuracy in a fully balanced architecture. Because there is MOS-FET amplification in the HE1 electrostatic earphone, I speculate that the vacuum tube is used for analog amplification of the DAC. The eight vacuum tubes are also provided with a quartz protection tube, which is used to isolate the external airflow disturbance and interfere with the vacuum tube amplification. In short, HE1 has a lot of attention to detail, for a set of 55,000 US dollars headset system, it is really the ultimate.
The 8 vacuum tubes are also protected by a quartz protection tube, which can block the external airflow disturbance and interfere with the vacuum tube amplification.
Before coming to the show, editor-in-chief Cai Chengrong had already attended the audition in Hong Kong at the end of March 2016. He said that he was very nice and said: "If you have money, you will want to buy it." And because of the price of $55,000, I tried to listen. It is with "prejudice." What stereotypes? The US$55,000 headset system is good, but can you hear what it costs to be worth $55,000?
Low frequency performanceThe source of the collaboration with Ze Xuan is the Weiss MAN301 music server, and there is also an Astell & Kern AK240. Because the MAN 301 also needs to put the CD RIP into the machine, the response speed is slow, so I will use the AK240 to listen. When wearing HE1, AK240 is already playing music, and looked at the screen, which is "2010 Kaohsiung Sound Exhibition Commemorative CD", listening to "Chopard Lullaby", is a familiar record, but it sounds like HE1 So natural and relaxed.
I can't say where the performance of HE1's piano is particularly good. I just feel that emotions are sucked into the music all at once. The subtle touch of the piano directly conveys the emotions of the performers. The three-lap lullaby is soft and soft. As the child falls asleep, the baby wants to sleep but wants to open his eyes, and the lullaby is so swaying and swaying, and the soft music is swaying.
Listen to the lullaby, find the familiar record on the AK240, and see the first recording of Aglich in DG in 1975. I just wrote the EMI version of vinyl in the recent past, so I reviewed the DG, Aglich, and listened. The Chopin piano sonata Op. 39's witty song, HE1's piano sound is very close, the sound image is huge, but it sounds no pressure at all. This is a very strange feeling - many headphones are too loud, it is easy to feel To the pressure, it may be because HE1 is an electrostatic earphone, so it is a little more relaxed, but HE1 does not have the problem of low frequency of traditional static earphones. The low frequency band of HE1 is solid and solid, and it is quite natural. It is not a low frequency deliberately squeezed out.
Aglich's performance is free and smooth. On the HE1, listening to Achilles's Chopard, you can feel the kind of look. Yes, I am completely in the music, the colleagues next to me are busy taking pictures, and the people of Ze Xuan are busy setting up MAN 301. I listened to Chopard with my headphones and completely forgot that they were still busy.
There is a lot of music in the AK240, and I look down to see the "Baha Unaccompanied Cello Suite" played by Fouri.
Immediately starting from the prelude, Fourier's speed is a little slower, the starting style is frustrated, the melody is calm and heavy, and on the HE1, the cello is relaxed and relaxed, and the left hand is finger-changing between the fingerboards. The subtle sounds bring life to the recording scene with great care.
Have I heard a natural and smooth cello like HE1 in other headphones? No, never!
Clear and unheard of natureListening and listening, Gu Xuan’s colleagues got MAN 301 and listened to the Aglich “Xiao Shita Gaoqiu Piano Concerto No. 1†that I brought. This is a very difficult track. It’s heard on HE1. So easy and comfortable, the music is so strong. The piano concerto of Xiao Shita Gaoqi is not entirely written for the piano, but for the piano, brass and string, so the three are the protagonists, the three are mutually reinforcing and competing with each other. If the headphones do not have a balanced frequency band performance, It's easy to lose balance, and the music sounds noisy, but HE1 is a well-organized music scene, and Aglich's piano is full of heat, and the brass and string groups are not too many. Let this one be both a cooperative and a concerto of competition, and it will be wonderful to hear on HE1.
Is HE1 only for classical music? Of course not, but I like to listen to classical, so most of them use classical music to try HE1. I also listened to Amy Winehouse on the AK240. Listening to the lively "Hey Little Rich Girl", the low frequency band of HE1 doesn't sound like an electrostatic headset, full and thick, but its low frequency still has the characteristics of an electrostatic headset, clean and The lines are full, even if you listen to the lively Amy Winehose, it is very high.
On the HE1, you can feel the unique voice of Amy Winehouse. The vocal is very direct, with a wild and unyielding personality. Some people may say that it is a misty sing of alcohol, cigarettes and coca, but I am HE1 listened to Amy Winehouse and listened to it. She also lamented such a talented female singer, but she was so young and fragrant.
Top super-running in the headset industryAfter listening to more than half an hour, I can only listen to Hong Kong for 15 minutes than the editor-in-chief Cai Cheng, and I have more than doubled the time. The rest of the time is for the editor Dong Hongjun. Unplug the HE1 and hand it to Xiao Dong to listen. There is only one conclusion in my heart: HE1 is really the first earphone system. But is it worth $55,000? This is an issue that does not need to be discussed. Like the super-running of Ferrari and Porsche, the top performance is certainly worth the top price. They can't afford to buy it, they can only show the ultimate in car art, and HE1 is the same. Sennheiser may not Too much to care about the price of HE1, just want to create the most advanced headset system.
Although I can only get along with HE1 for a short time, I have already felt the incomparable musical charm, and I only sigh that the commentator is useless. I thought I could "evaluate" all kinds of HE1, but I only listened for half an hour, and I bowed down to the world. The title is well deserved.
Of course, the $55,000 HE1 is not affordable for everyone, but Sennheiser generously lets the three sets of prototypes tour the world, allowing the headphone fans to get together. At the 2016 TAA Round Mountain Sound Show, only two days can be "reserved to listen to the audition", and I want to hear the world's first earphone system, please take the opportunity.
The amplifier panel has different function knobs, which are selected from left to right for volume, output terminal selection, crossfeed gear position and input terminal.
The earphone terminal is hidden in the storage box, so that the marble base can be prevented from being damaged on the one hand, and the terminal is also protected in two aspects.
Equipment specificationsSennheiser HE1
Type: Open earmuffs Headphones: Electrostatic monomer
Overhead Conductor Co., Ltd. , http://www.nspowercable.com