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HIFIMAN HE-R9 Closed-back Topology Driver Dynamic Headphones (open-box) $69 + Free Shipping
$69
$599
88% off
Hifiman
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HifimanDeal Details
HIFIMAN Official Store [store.hifiman.com] [hifiman.com] has their HIFIMAN HE-R9 Closed-back Topology Driver Dynamic Headphones (open-box) on sale for $69. Shipping is free.
What's Open-box:
What's Open-box:
- HIFIMAN offers great deals on open-box products. Those products are only unboxed and in good condition but don't meet HIFIMAN's standard as brand new.
- Open-box products also come with HIFIMAN's standard warranty as brand new products and if you are not satisfied with the product for any reason, you can return the item in 30 days.
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Community Notes
About the Poster
HIFIMAN Official Store [store.hifiman.com] [hifiman.com] has their HIFIMAN HE-R9 Closed-back Topology Driver Dynamic Headphones (open-box) on sale for $69. Shipping is free.
What's Open-box:
What's Open-box:
- HIFIMAN offers great deals on open-box products. Those products are only unboxed and in good condition but don't meet HIFIMAN's standard as brand new.
- Open-box products also come with HIFIMAN's standard warranty as brand new products and if you are not satisfied with the product for any reason, you can return the item in 30 days.
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10 Comments
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wonder if there is a modding community around these. or maybe a driver transplant. lol
"Okay Bass...and That's About It--Hard Pass
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2023
Style: Wired
This one has me scratching my head. There are a ton of great reviews on this set of cans from graph purists, popular YouTube reviewers, and long-time Head-Fi users. I don't get it. The bass is strong with this one, but it's mostly mid-bass (sub-bass is subpar) while the mids/treble are so far back in the mix that you need to blowout your eardrums with volume to get a balance between bass/vocals. I tried them on an AKM, ESS, Burr Brown, and a Cirrus Logic DAC to try to find what reviewers were praising and I could not find it on any of them. This set sounds best on DACs with authoritative bass (IFI in particular), but that's really only on tracks with no vocals. The initial $600 MSRP is one of the biggest ripoffs in audio and I stared in disbelief at the $180 I paid for them. They are worth $60-$100 and only if you like somewhat niche genres of just straight bass. There are so many other IEMs and full-size cans for the same or less that have better bass and decent balance in the mids/treble. I am fully in the "bass head" community, which is why I wanted to try these out, but do yourself a favor and buy any of these instead: Fostex T50RP ($160), Meze 99 Noir ($200), Rinko IEM ($100), QKZ x HBB IEM ($20!), any of the Monolith Planars ($100-500), Hifiman's own Sundara, 4XX, or 400SE ($100-300), V-Moda Crossfade, or even something mainstream like some Skullcrushers or Beats ($50-150). I will say that they are insanely light (they feel like a Fisher-Price toy) and have a ton of height adjustment for those with giant heads, so comfort is great, but unless you want expensive space earmuffs for the winter, that's about all they have going for them. I want to assume I received a busted pair, but these are just not good. Even just bass boosting whatever cans you have near you will likely give you a better listening experience. Hard pass."
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
Style: Wired
First off, the HE-R9 is one damn ugly lookin' freakshow of a headphone. It demands behind closed doors enjoyment.
Second, the clamping force is way too loose for a closed back. You'll need to apply strategic yoke bends on each side to guarantee a tight fit for the best/tightest sound.
Third, out of the box these phones are bassy...I'm mean BASSY. If you don't have any means to EQ "these aren't the headphones you're looking for."
However, once you tame the bass and add some extra to the mids (around 1-2 kHz especially) the sound really opens up. With extra fine-tuning the HE-R9 can be properly tamed. It won't compete with $1000 phones, but they're currently closer to $100 which is a tremendous value.
Put in the effort and the HE-R9 can offer an unique, audiophile sound with good bass, spacious soundstage (for a closed-back), and decent detail retrieval in a light weight and comfortable shell. Recommended. "
Edit: was hoping these had the same pads as their other round cup headphones but these are supposed to be slightly different. The pads alone are about 40 bucks from them so now I'm hoping they put up some B-stock or refurbs of the He400's since I need some new ones for my HE6se
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They aimed at the sony basshead crowd, and I think they've succeeded (the bass on these absolutely slams... it's visceral, the kind that tricks your brain into thinking you feel it in your chest sometimes). I've listened to them side by side stock (and modded... a set of JM Audio R9's) with z7m2's and z1r (headphones)... they nail that same kind of spacious, dancehall vibe.... but with better timbre than the m2. Stock they lack the control and detail of the z1r, and the detail of the m2. Bass bleed between stock r9 and stock z7m2 is very similar. Overall this is a very nice set for the price, especially if they're just selling new returns
The only direct knock I have against them is that they're goofy looking, like they really stick out horizontally, more than you could imagine until wearing them. One other con is that hifiman does not stock replacement earpads for them....they have to be custom ordered from the factory, according to cs, for like 90 shipped in the US. Dekoni offers replacements in velour and fenestrated sheepskin (the pads for their Cobalt model, are the same as these), but they too are expensive (and having tried the velour model I wouldn't recommend it, makes them sound thin).
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