The original HiFiMAN HE6 earned a lasting reputation among audiophiles for its demanding power requirements and uncompromising planar magnetic sound. With the HE6 Remastered, HiFiMAN revisits that legacy for listeners seeking a high-end open-back headphone capable of delivering exceptional scale, detail, and dynamic authority. Let’s examine its build, amplification needs, soundstage, and overall sound quality to determine how successfully it brings the celebrated HE6 formula into the present.
What You Get
- HE6 Remastered headphones
- XLR Cable
- 6.35mm Cable
- User manual
Look & Feel
The HE6 Remastered isn’t built like some of HiFiMAN’s more famous headphones, like the Arya and Ananda. These are part of their not-so-frequently-seen headphones with circular ear cups as opposed to their egg-shaped ones like the headphones I mentioned. Thankfully, the suspension headband still gives the HE6 Remastered a HiFiMAN look that has been a staple of the brand. This is a nice-looking headphone strictly based on its appearance. It has glossy, reflective earcups and solid aluminum yokes that keep everything stable, as well as adding to durability. The headphones also have some weight to them, but it helps add to this strong build that feels like the standard for the price. As for the fit, the ear pads are plush and sit comfortably on your head, even with its more weighty build. I enjoyed wearing them throughout my listening time with pretty much no major hiccups.
Design
The HiFiMAN HE6 Remastered is an open-back headphone built around the original HE6 planar magnetic driver, featuring a nanometer-thick diaphragm engineered for fast response, low distortion, and an extended 8 Hz–65 kHz frequency range. With a 50-ohm impedance and low 83.5 dB sensitivity, the HE6 Remastered is designed to be paired with a powerful desktop headphone amplifier. I started my listening test by pairing the headphones with an iFi GR 2, which couldn’t get the job done, so I switched to a Chord Mojo 2, then a Ferrum Wandla HP/Hypsos combo, and finally a Luxsin X8. The Mojo 2 and the Luxsin X8 did a serviceable job, but the Wandla did the best job driving these headphones the way it feels like they should be driven.
Soundstage
Having listened to most of HiFiMAN’s catalog for the past few years, I’m more than familiar with how they operate in terms of soundstage and imaging. That is to say, they consistently rank among the best, and the HE6 Remastered confidently joins that list with its immense spaciousness. It’s not just the horizontal width, but the vertical space that gets propelled forward for a truly open headspace that allows sounds to occupy more specific areas for a more holographic presentation. Everything is pushed outward, but the HE6 Remastered also has an intimate quality to it as well. Warm bass tones can appear very close, especially in the low-mids, giving this sonic environment a great sense of depth and dynamics.
The HE6 Remastered expresses that characteristic HiFiMAN airiness in its soundstage, while also communicating accurately translated mixes that are coherent with the headphone’s intentional display. Layers of sound are separated with precision and grace, while instruments fold over and around each other for some excitingly dimensional imaging. It actually doesn’t quite wrap around in a way that makes you feel like the soundstage is engulfing your head in sound, but the HE6 Remastered still appears dome-like and simulates a live room monitor.
Low End
The presence of the bass can always be felt, even in tracks that appear more reserved. Its natural ressonance fills the space with realistic bloom and thickness. When called for, the bass can really punch with authority, resulting in low end with a lot of character. Electric bass strings are plucked with a dense weight, giving the tone a solid thump that has tons of clarity and coloration. This textural presence is given a grounded foundation thanks to some ample sub-bass definition. When driven correctly, the sub-bass can really make or break the fullness of the bass tone.
All of the vibrating, rumbly properties that make up its clarity are stored here. The HE6 Remastered isn’t as efficient with bass tactility in its transient response, so the lows rely on their engrossing sub-bass frequency content. It lifts the bass to make a necessary statement, all while keeping dynamics in play. Everything is tightly controlled without bleed, and the bass still gets to express the impactful response it provides.
Mids
The midrange has a rich tonality in the fundamental and lower-mids, showcasing full instrumentals. Everything comes through with distinct resolution and no fogginess. Individual notes have great clarity and dynamism, exhibiting physical edges in strikes and plucks. Where things get interesting for the HE6 Remastered’s midrange is its vocal response. Most male and some female voices sound extremely intimate, like the vocalist is performing directly in front of you. They have a very clear body to them that puts them in a different field of liveliness compared to how the instruments respond.
Voices take a commanding presence in the mix, but if the vocal is more ethereal, shimmery, the HE6 Remastered isn’t as expressive. The mid-treble appears a lot leaner, though, not completely attenuated. This is how the HE6 Remastered balances its tone, and it does so with great ability. The flattening of the upper-mids is definitely noticeable, but not to the point where the sound signature becomes diluted and hollow.
Highs
I remember the previous version of the HE6 having a more metallic flavor to it, and while there are certainly remnants of that, it is so much more forgiving. The way the treble is tuned, the HE6 Remastered actually needs some of that metallic texture, in my opinion, to put some clarity on these high frequencies. There really ends up being no issue here when it comes to the overall clarity of the highs. The brightness refines the treble, allowing for clear high frequencies with some strong bite. The upper-highs really extend, trailing off and ringing out certain bells and high synth notes. It all comes in a manageable package for people who are sensitive to certain tones, but also want some strong definition in their high end.
Summary
The HiFiMAN HE6 Remastered is a powerful return for one of the brand’s most respected planar magnetic headphones. Its expansive, dimensional soundstage is supported by weighty bass, richly resolved mids, and extended highs that retain some characteristic metallic bite without becoming overly harsh. Vocals can sound remarkably immediate, while the controlled low end gives instruments convincing weight and physicality.
Its extremely low sensitivity makes amplifier pairing an essential consideration, as the HE6 Remastered needs substantial power to reveal its full bass response, dynamics, and spatial scale. With the right desktop headphone amplifier, however, it delivers an authoritative and highly engaging sound that stands apart from much of HiFiMAN’s current lineup. For experienced listeners prepared to build a capable system around it, the HE6 Remastered is a distinctive high-end headphone that successfully recaptures the ambition of the original HE6.
The HiFiMAN HE6 Remastered is available at Audio46.
