HiFiMAN recently announced that they will launch a new version of the legendary HE6 headphone. This is not another HE6SE, which used a different driver. This time HiFiMAN claims to have actually reproduced the driver of the original HE6. The expected price is around 1899 USD.
HIFIMAN HE6 REMASTERED SPECIFICATIONS
- Impedance: 50 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 83.5 dB/W
- Frequency Response: 8Hz – 65kHz
- Weight: 522 g
- Diaphragm: “Nanometer-thickness”
- Cups: Legacy circular cups
- Headband: 2nd gen. with strap
- Expected price: 1899 USD
HiFiMAN launched the original HE6 in 2010 and it soon became known as one of the best headphones in the world at the time. It soon became a reference, especially for bass performance. Since then it has become a legend.
It became an object for countless modifications. There were some changes made to the HE6 while it was in production, and especially the so-called 4-screw and 6-screw versions had slight differences in sound. I previously did a comparison of three original HE6 versions here:
The HE6 Remastered claims “HE6 early version planar magnetic driver unit re-production” but also boasts “nanometer diaphragm thickness” , which I assume indicate a diaphragm that is less than 1 micrometer (0.001mm)
From what info I can find, the diaphragm of the original was 0.005mm thick, which equals 5000 nanometers. In other words, we don’t know if the thickness of the diaphragm is the same as the original, even though HiFiMAN have attempted to reconstruct it.
The HE6 Remastered uses identical cups to the original but with 3.5mm cable connectors. It also comes with the new 2. gen. headband which is used on the HE600 and XV, and of course, different pads – which will affect the sound. You can easily change the pads to your liking, however. The Remastered is slightly lighter than the original, at 522g instead of 550g.
AMPLIFICATION
One aspect of the original HE6 that made it special was the extraordinarily low sensitivity at 83 dB/mW. This was a real challenge for headphone amplifiers at the time, which primarily were aimed at higher impedance headphones (high voltage, low current).
The HE6, along with the new wave of planar magnetic headphones, demanded different amplifiers that could deliver much higher amounts of current. Many users ended up using speaker amplifiers for their HE6, with good reason. HiFiMAN still sells the HE-adapter, which ensures a safe connection to your speaker amplifier for your headphones.
As time went by, some headphone amplifier manufacturers produced headphone amplifiers that could drive the HE6 properly. The market also grew because there were several other headphones with similar demands, like the HiFiMAN Susvara and later the HE6-inspired Modhouse Tungsten. However, in general, many planar magnetic headphones benefit from very powerful amps to get the headroom and dynamic contrast to really shine. Headphone amplifiers that are powerful, especially at lower impedances, have become the norm.
Anyway, the new HE6 Remastered will have similar amplifier requirements to the original. In recent years headphone manufacturers have tried to make their headphones easier and easier to drive, especially to be compatible with portable gear. However, this limits the types of design that can be used, and I personally welcome more hard-to-drive headphones. Another example of a newly produced hard-to-drive headphone is the Lilly Audio Genesis One, which I will soon publish a review on.
HE6SE and HE600
The HE6 Remastered is not the first time HiFiMAN has tried to recreate the magic of the original HE6. The HE6SE was launched in 2018 as an upgraded HE6, but even though it was a pretty good success and shared the same low sensitivity and demands for a powerful amplifier, it soon became known as inferior to the original. The HE6SE ended up being sold at quite low prices, especially the v2/Adorama version (2021). That said, at the prices it was sold for in the end, the HE6SE was probably the head-fi bargain of the decade.
As mentioned, the HE6SE came in two versions: one grey with a headband strap (v1) and one blue with a padded headband (v2/Adorama). According to HiFiMAN the headband and the colour are the only differences, but many claim to hear sonic differences between them. Personally, I think it is likely just about unit variation.
The HE6-inspired HE600 was launched in late summer 2025 and was not an effort to remake the original, but rather to take the sound signature and character and bring them into a more easily driven headphone with updated ergonomics. It uses the same headband as the HE6 Remastered.
Anyway, here at The Headphoneer, we are huge fans of the original HE6, so we hope to get our hands on the HE6 Remastered when it becomes available.
If you want to discuss the HE6 Remastered with other enthusiasts, there’s an active thread on Head-fi:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hifiman-he6-remastered.980436
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