Gramophone Dreams #15: AudioQuest Niagara 1000, HiFiMan HE1000 V2 Page 2

The first sound I heard, from Masked and Anonymous, was the explosive voice of John Goodman, saying, "Man has the mind of God but a body of dust . . . God does not suffer!" Next came Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages," performed (and sung in Japanese) by the Magokoro Brothers. One line into the next track—Shirley Caesar singing Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody"—and I was laughing at the amount of change I heard. I was also worried about how to tell you about it. Sure, there was less noise, more dark and empty space, less hashy veiling, etc. What's most difficult to describe was how the music seemed to go from indirect and fuzzy to a condition of extreme directness. Think presence plus enhanced clarity and momentum. I admire and desire these rare traits of high-fidelity sound more than any others, and the Niagara 1000's ability to deliver them was not subtle. It was as if my system had gotten a heart-shot of adrenalin. I'll stake my reputation as a reviewer on it: This $1000 chrome thingy delivered an adventure-enhancing clarity, speed, and directness that I am suddenly unprepared to live without.

Dylan's "Most of the Time," performed by Sophie Zelmani, went from nice, interesting, easy listening to a powerful, hypervivid poetic event. This effect only increased as I added to the Niagara 1000 the AC plugs of my DAC, preamp, and phono stages. I heard no improvement by just using the Niagara with only my Palmer 2.0 or Roksan Radius 7 turntable. I still plug those, and whatever product I'm reviewing, directly into my 123VAC, 59.78Hz Brooklyn power.

Really, folks . . . I am by nature a preacher and pontificator, but as an audio journalist I try, mostly without success, to avoid being a fabulist. And I'm here to tell you, AudioQuest's Niagara 1000 delivered conspicuously—as in 100% double-blind recognizable—more tangibly real, jumpin', jivin', easier-to-follow music than my Brooklyn wall power. It might be the single most important, most high-value component I've auditioned for Stereophile.

HiFiMan HE1000 V2 headphones
Former acid-house club DJ Gilles Peterson, of Caen, France, got his start in South London's pirate-radio movement in the early 1980s. Today he hosts an eponymously titled weekly show on BBC Radio 6, and travels the globe spinning musical gospel by the likes of James Blake (London), Flying Lotus (Los Angeles), Acid Arab (Paris), and Sun Ra (Birmingham, Alabama). Peterson doesn't stop there; he's started three record labels, and works as an A&R man, and a producer, remixer, and curator of recordings. Peterson's taste in music is so eclectic and high-level that he's replaced legendary BBC DJ John Peel (1939–2004) as today's go-to man for new musical discoveries.

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I doubt that Dr. Fang Bian knows much about Gilles Peterson, but the new V2 version of his HiFiMan HE1000 headphones (footnote 2) is today playing the livin' international outer-space bejesus out of all of the abovementioned artists, and especially Gilles Peterson Presents Sun Ra and His Arkestra: "To Those of Earth and Other Worlds" (2 LPs and 2 CDs, Strut 125). What's better than music and audio globalism? Audio-musical galacticism!

Fang Bian founded HiFiMan in 2007. He and his main competitor, Audeze, founded a year later, practically invented today's hurricane-paced world of high-quality personal audio. HiFiMan has spent the last decade raising the bar of what's possible with planar-magnetic headphones, while also creating some of the highest-quality, moderately priced planar-magnetic models—eg, the esteemed HE400S ($299) and HE400i ($449).

The V2 is a significant and multifaceted upgrade of the HE1000, though the price remains unchanged: $2999. The biggest change is the new "nanometer thickness" diaphragm—which, without disclosing its actual thickness, HiFiMan claims is the largest, lightest diaphragm in the history of headphones, and the only one made in the shape of the human ear. The impedance is 35 ohms, the sensitivity a low 90dB. The HE1000s' weight has been reduced from 16.9 to 14.8oz in the V2, and the earcup depth by 0.12". The HE1000 V2s are, to my taste, the most artfully designed, timeless-looking, ultra-high-tech headphones on the market.

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The V2 earpads are thicker and more asymmetrical than the originals, to better "conform to more heads." The outside of the earpads is still made of pleather (ie, plastic "leather"), but to "increase sound transparency," the part of the pad that contacts the head is now made of polyester, not velour. To enhance durability, three new, "stronger" cables are included, each with three conductors of crystalline copper and silver, one each terminated with a ¼" plug, a 3.5mm plug, and a four-pin XLR. (The original HE1000s had two-conductor cables foe each earpiece.)

I used my iPhone 7 and four amplifiers while auditioning the HiFiMan HE1000 V2s: the Simaudio Moon Neo 430HA, the Pass Labs HPA-1, the Mytek Brooklyn, and Linear Tube Audio's recently updated (power supply, 12SN7 tubes) microZOTL2.0 (Follow-Up on the way). The HE1000 V2s played music as well as whatever DAC and headphone amp I used. Although they're relatively insensitive, the HiFiMans were consistently more sonically invisible than the amplifiers I plugged them into. They never seemed to drag an amp down. They were also more invisible than the original HE1000s, which I loved for their robust clarity and spiderweb detail. The V2s sounded quicker, more electrostat-like, with an improved octave-to-octave energy balance that I experienced as more analytic than robust or sensual. The HE1000s are very transparent; the V2s are extremely transparent, and excel at imaging and spatiality. Only the Focal Utopia, and Stax SR-009 headphones might rival them in these areas.

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From Outer to Inner Space: Which brings me back to Gilles Peterson's epic Sun Ra compilation, "To Those of Earth and Other Worlds." This set of two CDs and two LPs is beyond perfect for evaluating headphones and speakers because, over the course of the LP set's 16 long tracks, it has everything: a wide range of instruments, dialogue and singing, celestial spaces, subtle and gross dynamic episodes, and, best of all, the artful charm and inspired free jazz of Herman Poole Blount, aka Le Sony'r Ra, aka Sun Ra.

I have two kinds of friends: those who prefer cool 1950s jazz and those who prefer angry '60s jazz. Some, like me, think jazz ended with Louis Armstrong, then returned in the '60s with an alternative, painterly jazz that I've always called the Albert Ayler Effect. Among its so-called "free jazz" practitioners, I best understand Ornette Coleman, late Miles Davis, John Zorn, and Sun Ra. None of my friends appreciate Ra. That's because they have yet to experience the super-sophisticated version of his Myth-Science Arkestra playing "On Jupiter" or "Blackman" in the sound quality audible on Gilles Peterson's compilation.

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Great audio systems are those that can reproduce complex music such as Sun Ra's with ease and panache—those like the HiFiMan HE1000 V2s driven by the Pass HPA-1. This kind of ease is not about high highs or tight lows or even spectacular transparency. It's about balance, flow, and composure—things at which the V2s are masters. The V2s did serpentine flow better than any headphones I know. Their transparency was not simply audiophile "super-clarity"; its unique viscosity made me feel as if I were physically immersed in the sound. As if I could feel the air I'm breathing while standing near the stage. I felt this stage air on my face because the texture of the entire space felt real. Very few audio components accomplish this.

The texture and density of the HE1000 V2's spatial recreations radically changed with each amp I tried. Air had the greatest density with the Mytek Brooklyn DAC–preamp–headphone amp; it felt strikingly tangible, but it was too dense for the Arkestra. The Simaudio Moon Neo 430HA delivered the thinnest space—almost a vacuum. In between, the Pass Labs HPA-1 added a kind of vaporous ether that was extremely fine and evenly dispersed, and contributed a sense of spatial connectedness. With the HPA-1, details were never over-etched or sculpted in aural bas-relief, because the Pass Labs' rarefied ether smoothed their pointy edges.

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As usual, Linear Tube Audio's microZOTL2.0 overachieved in its liquid, June-sun way, ever so slightly wetting up the HiFiMans' slightly dry sound. It was funny to note that my juicy Audeze LCD-X headphones sound perfect with the almost-cool, but neither wet nor dry Moon Neo 430HA, and that the V2s perfectly balanced out their yin/yang thing with the microZOTL2.0. I can never overemphasize the importance of matching headphone amps to the headphones they drive—especially at the level of the best, where subtle issues become magnified.

But here's the extraordinary part: The 35-ohm HE1000 V2s have a sensitivity of 90dB, which meant that I needed to turn up the volume only a little bit more with the above amps. This lowish sensitivity never once let the music hesitate, or lack for sparkle or momentum—not even with my iPhone 7.

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With HiFiMan's included 3.5mm-terminated cable and AudioQuest's DragonFly Red USB DAC-headphone amplifier, the V2s played Tidal streams and Chesky downloads better than I'd ever dreamed possible. Who needs a hi-fi? Passengers on Brooklyn's L and G trains opened their eyes wide when they saw (and heard) me listening to Sun Ra through the fully open-backed HE1000 V2s. A gray-haired teen even gave me a hug and handed me her signed copy of Tao Lin's novel Eeeee Eee Eeee. That type of fun will never happen with the Abyss AB-1266es.

In the End: The HE1000 V2s are luxury audiophile headphones that must be regarded among that elite group we call "the best." Are the HE1000 V2s better than Audeze's LCD-4s ($3995)? I think so. I love my Audeze LCD-Xes ($1699)—they remain unchallenged as my day-in, day-out 'phones for enjoying music. But I feel certain that the HE1000 V2s are more truthful, more transparent, and way more comfortable than any Audeze model. Are the HE1000 V2s better than Focal's Utopias ($3999)? Perhaps, but I doubt it. Sadly, my Utopias have been returned to their French masters, so I couldn't directly compare, but they and the HiFiMan HE1000 V2s danced and sang at similar levels of personal-audio wonderfulness. And that is how "best" I think this latest upgrade from Dr. Fang Bian is.



Footnote 2: HiFiMan, 2602 Beltagh Avenue, Bellmore, NY 11710. Tel: (201) 443-4626. Web: www.hifiman.com.
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
tonykaz's picture

I can easily see why your Boss ( & lifestyle consultant? ) brought a Factory Rep. to your place, who else could parse such convincing Prose over a simple power-bar??

But:
you get a consistent bump in sound quality, over a 6-month stretch, phew, it must be the "real thing", something you'd rather not "live without". So, I guess you get a long term loaner, a darling device, lucky you. Be sure to include it in your system descriptions.

In fact, it might be a nice idea for you to up-date your previous reviews to include their Sound Quality improvements from this recent upgrade!

Since you didn't bother mentioning it, I'll ask: How much Chinesium this thing is made out-of?, dare you ask, dare they tell you?

Another darn good bit of journalism,

Tony in Michigan

dalethorn's picture

If you have a low-power system - headphones, or low-power speakers where the amp runs off of an AC-DC wall-wart, you can rig up a battery with enough voltage and current to run the thing, and thus test the difference yourself between AC line power and clean power. The difference isn't always dramatic if you're listening when the demand in your neighborhood for power is at a low point, but oftentimes the difference IS dramatic.

tonykaz's picture

I assume/presume that gear I'm auditioning has a properly designed power supply. If an electronic device doesn't perform against my known standard it gets a pass. I'm accustomed to working with gear that performs well in horrendous environments i.e. Tektronix, HP and such. My Schiit gear works quite well from it's well designed linear power supply.

However, Li- Battery power is now available for home use and Class D Amplification is superb lately, I'd convert over to a Genelec type system if I felt the need.

Power supply design for smallish companies is a problem, it's a specialization that requires a talented and persistent designer, I doubt that many of our smallish Audiophile outfits have the resources to hire out a good implementation. Jason Stoddard writes about the lengths he goes thru to get a good functioning piece of gear with an on-board power supply.

I feel a piece of electronics needs to perform properly in real world environments, the customer/buyer shouldn't need to "fix" the manufacturer's problems. If Audioquest can "fix" a noise problem than so can the Manufacturer.

The obvious point here is that Audioquest notices the poorly designed power supplies prevalent in our Audiophile gear and Stereophile seems willing to point it out.

Tony in Michigan

dalethorn's picture

On the one hand, you're saying what manufacturers *should* do, but OTOH suggesting that they don't often have the resources to design their own high-tech power supplies, etc. A big part of the reason we've had high-quality component audio for all these years is not so much because an amp manufacturer can't make or buy a "good enough" power supply, it's because entrepreneurs can come out of nowhere with breakthrough ideas that push the state of the art further along than you'd expect.

Herb Reichert's picture

Please note,
My boss is not my lifestyle consultant. Steve Guttenberg (Sphere) and bb share those duties.

Meanwhile,
The main premise behind all of my reportage to share my personal experiences with a product in the hope that I may be able to describe how that component might seem to YOU in your system.

Therefore I never use a line conditioner on review products and rarely with more than one other component in my system.

herb in Brooklyn

tonykaz's picture

I met him at RMAF 2011, he and Tyll pointed me in the direction of Schiit. I accepted his recommendation and still benefit from it, I have his CNET comments on my Bookmark Bar. Who or what is bb?

I value your premise and applaud your work & reporting as well as JA for bringing you to the Public.

"Never use a line conditioner" I'll keep that "in-mind" as I read your reports, I would've asked about it if you hadn't just mentioned it.

Thanks for the Clarifications

Tony in Michigan

Herb Reichert's picture

I did not mention where the Niagara 1000 was made because "my boss" only allows me so many words and I try to use them wisely.

As for made in China issues: I am not presently aware of a higher value or better made amp or preamp (at any price) than the PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium and Line Magnetics LM518 amplifier I am using in my reference system -- total cost under $7K (And dare I say it? Both are hard wired, choke-filtered, and feature potted shielded transformers, expensive caps and tube rectifiers.)

tonykaz's picture

You kinda look like Imelda Marcos, hmm.

China has the "Parts" in abundance and they have a Skilled Workforce plus the "willingness" to build for the world market. China is "Hitting em outa da Park". iFi, PrimaLuna, Parasound and an ever increasing number of others are having their stuff built in Taiwan & Mainland China.

SCHIIT is the dogmatic holdout! god bless em

I'm having a close look-see at PrimaLuna because of your discovery!, I'd like to hear what you have to say about their Headphone Integrated Amp ( which does not have a Pre-Out capability ).

Those pesky Print Editors, darn em. So much needs say'n with so few words. Guys like you and Paul Krugman seem to pack multiple complete thoughts into such short phrases and sentences. I do have to say that your writing doesn't read like it's compressed or abridged. I'll submit that you're reporting range seems ideal for the everyday aspiring Audiophile ( much like Steve G. ) and that JA should name your Column: Audiophile Adventures. Pied Piper us down those alleyways of Brooklyn's Audiophile World, take us with you, let us tag along, I'll buy lunch ( at Taco Bell ), we'll have fun times whilst forgetting about that Bafoon in DC.

Feliks in Poland builds like PrimaLuna but JA will tell ya that ( like Schiit ) they don't have 5 USA dealers.

Tony in Michigan

ps. yes you can: "dare to say it"! I'm counting on you to "say-it"!!!

dalethorn's picture

I bought a Schiit Fulla - $79 USD. It didn't work out, so I tried to return it within 5 days. I will spare you the gory details, but getting that little amp returned and refunded was like getting declassified missile details from the CIA. Maybe Schiit is the CIA, I dunno, but what I do know is I don't have the time to deal with such a nightmare like that ever again.

ChrisS's picture

...they were "Fulla Schiit"?

dalethorn's picture

Heh heh...

tonykaz's picture

That might be an Omen.

I've been following the Company since 2011 and I've purchased a few of their Amps which I'm quite taken with butttttttttttt they've banned me from reading their HeadFi writings, it's almost like I'm an undesirable customer, imagine that. In fairness to them, I've reviewed their Yggy Dac and found it and their many other DACs to be "nothing special" and I've responded to their bullschiit whenever I've noticed it. They are using my T-Shirt idea about printing a little power switch on the back of the shirt. ( I own a Textile Printing outfit and have tons of clever stuff we print on Cloth, we haven't printed any money -- yet )

The remarkable thing is that they design and produce their products "in-house" so I use Schiit as an example of we USA manufacturers being able to compete with the Asians. My Lady CEO tells funny stories about Schiit from info I've supplied her.

I'd like to see Schiit survive and excel, like PS Audio has ( or seems to have ).

Getting bad PR is not a good sign but, then again, these guys seem fond of their Scotch tastings, maybe its getting to be too-fond. Burning their loyal customer base is ....

That microZOTL looks interesting.

Tony in Michigan

rom661's picture

Many years ago I was a dealer for a line that someone involved with Schiit was involved in. When they pulled the plus it left a lot of consumers high and dry and some very bad feelings. I hope your experience is an unusual one.

Bruceov's picture

I just bought this thing. It does everything the writer says

Kal Rubinson's picture

Shipping carton says "Designed and Engineered in USA, Manufactured in Taiwan."

leec's picture

As much as I respect the nuances different systems bring, I'm inclined to think that something as fundamental as pure power should benefit everything? Yet, in my modest system of Devialet Expert and Focal Utopia Diablo's the Niagra 1000 was a significant step backwards in every respect - veiled, compressed and shrouded best described what I heard. My benchmark was nothing more extravagant than 1.5m Wireworld Silver Electra 7 - and that plugged into 12" of Home Depot 6GA extension as it is too short - hardly high-end let alone optimal!
I caa only imagine that a full 2m length of Wireworld would be light years better, let alone something truly esoteric?
Does Portland, OR really have that much better mains that Port Townsend, WA?

rom661's picture

I can't comment about your experience since I haven't heard the piece but I would disagree that your system is modest. Sounds quite nice to me. Keep in mind that high end pricing seems to be logarithmic these days...

757Stereo's picture

Herb Reichert's review of the Audioquest Niagara 1000 was very interesting, as power conditioners are a very complex topic. I looked up the product on the Audioquest website and it states that the Niagara 1000 does not come with a power cord. I can't find a reference to what cord(s) Herb used in his evaluation of the Audioquest Niagara 1000. I think this would be helpful in putting the review in context.

Stephen Mejias's picture

Thank you for the excellent question. AudioQuest provided an NRG-10 AC cable for the evaluation. Like all AudioQuest cables, our AC cables use solid conductors that are carefully controlled for low-noise directionality. We see this as a benefit for all applications -- one that becomes especially important when discussing our Niagara units. Because our AC cables use conductors that have been properly controlled for low-noise directionality, they complement the Niagara System’s patented Ground-Noise Dissipation Technology. Other AC cables would work, but may or may not allow the Niagara to reach its full potential. If you'd like more information on our use of directionality to minimize the harmful effects of high-frequency noise, please visit http://www.audioquest.com/directionality-its-all-about-noise/ or the Niagara 1000's owner's manual (available on our website).

Thanks again.

Stephen Mejias
AudioQuest

Solarophile's picture

LOL.

Are we supposed to believe that on the web page!?

"Alternative facts" around physics seems to be alive and well with AudioQuest. All words, all marketing, all the time.

markotto's picture

I guess Stephan needs that job. Tow the "line" .

757Stereo's picture

Stephen,

Thank you for the information about the cable provided for the Niagara 1000. That helps a lot.

I still have fond memories of The Entry Level you used to write for Stereophile. It looks like you are doing well at AudioQuest and I wish you continued success.

David

Staxguy's picture

Beautiful looking power bar, especially the first photo. So chrome like. Almost, car! :)

Beautiful review(s) also!

Only thing missing, for me, was a comparison between the LCD-3, pre-fazor (I prefer to the X) and the V2.

And with respect to the imaging of headphones, I would respecfully disagree that the 009 and the Utopia Headphone image well at all.

Only the Sennheiser HD 800, and it's varient, I believe images really well, for a headphone.

I haven't heard the new Orpheus however.

Ok, and the AKG K1000 did rather well, also, if I may remember back 20 years.

Some headphones like the AKG Q701 do image reasonably well, or the Stax SR Sigmas back in the day.

But I can always remember being so dissapointed getting so many CD's recorded in Binaural, and even going so far as to getting the same Stax headphones as they were mastered on, and yet never getting any front-of-head (true front of head) imaging.

Rear imaging, yes. Sides, yes. Even up/down. But what should of been proper distance cues from the front of house (20, 30+ feet out) were mostly in-head affairs.

Only the Sennheiser HD 800, IMO, get's it right as far as imaging is concerned.

The 009 is yes amazing!

Allen Fant's picture

Pretty good article-
I will second, the Jazz references and the Wireworld Electra7.

jporter's picture

I believe he called the Audioquest Niagra 1000 the "model xqj-37 nuclear powered pan-sexual roto plucker"...I hope Herb learned from Joe and didn't short it out. $8k is way more than a cheap handy...

avanti1960's picture

like reviews for power conditioners that do not specify the power cord used and especially reviews for DACs that do not specify that they cannot be used with a traditional integrated amplifier because their integral preamp cannot be bypassed. we should not have to dig for this information after reading an otherwise detailed review. it's basically passive deception and has no place in a reputable publication.

PS- a 3-ft version of the power cord used is retail $538.75. if you need 10-ft that will run you an additional $1098.75 over the cost of the $999.99 unit itself.

pw's picture

My electrician (works for Rock Stars and Livermore Labs) begs to differ.. And he will install a private Circuit Breaker box at 20 Amps and 4 Oyaide R1 plugs for $1500..

rom661's picture

It's refreshing to find someone who shares my reservations about power conditioning. For me it has always been a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Yes, I hear the improvements provided by the better ones, and I'm talking multi thousand dollar pieces. However the music always seems to lose a bit of... urgency. Something more important to my enjoyment of music than a touch more purity, not that it wouldn't be welcome. You conveyed your feelings about that well, Herb. I haven't heard any of the AQ conditioners except for the big guy at a couple of shows. I have heard Garth's work with another company and his best stuff came close. Thanks for a description I can relate to.

Herb Reichert's picture

"However the music always seems to lose a bit of... urgency. Something more important to my enjoyment of music than a touch more purity, not that it wouldn't be welcome."

vandy2c's picture

The difference was not heart stopping. Neither was it subtle. Everyone in the room heard it.

donlin's picture

I recently bought a Niagra 1000 and agree with the review completely. One of the most satisfying audio purchases I've made in a long time.

BillK's picture

The issue is the Niagara 1000 only has one high current outlet, so you will need one unit per monoblock amp.

mariofl's picture

Hi, I own an integrated amplifier Rogue Audio "Cronus Magnum", a Rega RP3/Exact2 turntable and a pair of Triangle Altea speakers... As you can see my system, do you recommend as a must the Niagara 1000?

Thanks!

Blackbox's picture

I was a skeptic. I used cheap power strip but then tried low level Monster power center and heard some improvement. After spending many hours about reading about the Niagara 1000, I pulled trigger. Everything Herb said it true. If you don't believe, read this:

https://www.alpha-audio.nl/2017/06/multitest-lichtnetfilters/

They actually measure noise using a meter to show how much noise Niagara reduces. I have not read a single negative review on this product on the net which speaks volumes, IMO.

Cheers!

jimmyt's picture

Not to be contrary but:
No power cord.
I could copy and paste from above (well not THAT above but above) but lots o' talk about directionality (did I make that up?) that points toward the unit working at it's utmost with a power cord that will have this feature. oh, Audioquest powercord (now stormy(s)) have this feature!!! But that pp means you gotta shuck.

vandy2c's picture

I contemplated buying one of these many times but the comments below always stopped me. "The difference was not heart stopping" "the difference was huge"

The difference was not heart stopping. Neither was it subtle. Everyone in the room heard it.

The difference was huge. AudioQuest's Niagara 1000 not only cleaned up the power, it did everything that is the opposite of killing the boogie. It took me two seconds to recognize this, two songs to confirm it, and two hours before I could stop listening and try to describe these effects.
Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-15-audioquest-niagara-1000-hifiman-he1000-v2#HS5ERSJ2jvhooy0H.99

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