General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
HiFiMAN is well known for doing headphones and some of their sources (DAC/AMP). Build quality is quite similar to HE400SE, with the exception of, the ear-cups are not open backed as this is a closed back headphone, headband’s cushion is more or less similar as well. It is also very comfortable to listen to for a long period of time. The ear-cups finishing made the headphone look very elegant, but at the same time, it is also prone to being a fingerprint magnet.
Sound Impression
HE-R9 tonality is tilting towards the warmer end of the spectrum. Personally, I find it to pair very well with an amp that’s neutral and cool sounding for a more dynamic listening experience if you prefer. Timbre sounds very natural as with most dynamic drivers.
Bass
- The mid bass is punchy and tight, quality kind of bass i would say
- Sub bass however, does sounds a little bit rolled off to my ears, but it is still sufficient to enjoy EDM tracks
- Mid bass doesn’t bleed into the mids
- Bass has good texture overall and doesn’t sound thin
- The speed is good enough to handle tracks like Metallica’s Lux Aeterna, and Slipknot’s People = crap!, the speed drum doesn’t sound bloated/muddy and every hit can be heard clearly
Mids
- The mids are not overly forward nor recessed,
- Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them
- Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male
- Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty
Treble
- The treble here is very smooth and nowhere near energetic to my ears, perhaps a little too safe to my taste
- Detail retrieval is alright but not the best in class
- Not sibilant at all and never will be
Soundstage/Imaging
- Soundstage is slightly out of your head, not exceptionally wide
- Good height and width perception for the soundstage
- Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from, but when the track gets a little busy, it does suffers a little
- Good layering and separation for the asking price
Drivability
- HE-R9 is not that hard to drive, but when fed with more power, it does perform at its best, in terms of slightly better dynamics, better bass in terms of control, a little bit more energy on the treble (depending on the amp that you are pairing it with)
- A mid range/budget amp will do just fine
- I have tested the R2R Module from Deva Pro (Blue-mini), they sounded quite energetic and a little bit more air on the top end, a very good synergy i would say