Because of soon expiring great deals on the Clear OGs and Radiance, and Arya Organic is my other choice (all of which are not available in my city), I went to the local store to listen to the HE1000v2 as a proxy since many have said are fairly close to the Arya Organic (basically; HIFIMAN downloaded 95% of the technology and sell it at a lower price point with a different name).
I love my HD600, and the purpose of this is to both find and all-rounder that has bass for my fun music -- pop/hip-hop rap; ballads. I would say that both bass and vocal is equally important. (Although I am probably somewhat of a bass head compared to most)
I was quite impressed by the HE 1000 v2
the mid range is just clean. While I probably have less use for soundstage for the genres I mentioned, but the image separation was sublime. The bass extension where there -- there is bass quality but I think bass quantity/impact could be better.
I started this journey few weeks ago with an audition of the MG. So I asked for the MG again. This immediate A/B showed that the MG is definitely punchier, meatier sound and sound is more fun/dynamic. BUT -- coming of the HE 1000v2, everything mid-range sounded a tad muddier -- it's just less clean -- I don't think I can go back to the MGs anymore having heard the HE1000v2. If the MG and HE 1000v2 had a love child, maybe that is product I am looking for.
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Anyways, I know that Clear OG (available $750) is suppose to be quite a bit cleaner than MG, but I am afraid I am be found wanting for more substantial bass.
Despite the overwhelming number of recommendation of Clear OGs, quite a few community members here, particularly those that took time and and said they have both, highly recommend the radiance (also $750) over the Clear OG for my genres. However, some have said that Radiance are muddy and too warm. If Radiance is even muddier than the MGs, then I don't think I can go for them even if they are "fun".
There is no availability of the Arya Organic locally, which is supposed to be a slightly meatier but slightly less resolute version of of HE 1000v2. So I can't test them. But I kind of don't want to wait.
The HEv1000v2 and Arya Organic are 1300 and 1200, respectively on the website I am looking at. So decent deal but not super deal like the Clear OG/Radiance.
I was so close to hitting buy on either the OG or Radiance. Now I am just confused what to do.
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I think this is that they recently brought the Western prices down massively. Possibly to compete with they grey market sellers. Like I got the Edition XS on release for a bit of a discount from 2,499 (~$345 at the time) while it released to the West at $500. Ananda was selling for ~$350-400 from China while it was still $700 in the US. Arya was $1,000 when it was $1,600 in the US. There was a time HE400SE was ~$100 or less in China but $150 in the US. Sundara for some reason wasn't any cheaper though.
I got the impression though it was these middle ones, the higher end ones didn't seem to be so much difference either.