Intro
Hifiman needs no introduction, it has already made itself well known in the audiophile community with various headphones ranging from the budget range all the way to their top of the line. Today i have with me the RE600 which was released some time ago, i’m here to find out in today’s day and age, is it still relevant?
Specifications * From Hifiman’s site Frequency Response : 15Hz-22KHz
Sensitivity : 102 dB
Impedance : 16 Ohms
Weight : 13.7g (0.48 Oz)
Plug : 3.5mm
Packaging
The packaging is very premium and not gonna discuss much about the packaging, you may refer to the pictures from Hifiman’s site.
Build/Comfort
The only gripe I have with RE600 is the cable. It doesn’t look like it will break anytime, but it is easy to get tangled, the plus point of the cable is that it doesn’t have much microphonic noise. The IEM itself is also very light, you can go to sleep with it as well
Source
Foobar2k -> Chord Mojo -> Hifiman RE600 V2 (Kbear Eartips)
iPod Touch 4g -> Hifiman RE600 V2 (Kbear Eartips)
Tidal Windows 10 -> Xduoo Link2Bal -> Hifiman RE600 V2 (Kbear Eartips)
iPhone 12 Mini Apple Music -> Apple Lightning Dongle -> Hifiman RE600 V2 (Kbear Eartips)
Sound
RE600 is not some IEM where you plug it in and you will be wow-ed by it. To me, it is the kind where you need to take some time to let it settle and grow to like. I find the RE600 to be quite neutral and balanced sounding. Despite sounding neutral, there is still some musicality in it. The timbre sounds natural to my ears as well, it does lack a little texture but not so much that it compromises the experience.
Bass
Bass isn’t the star of the show for RE600, however, i would say the bass is realistic and non boosted. It is fast and tight, hence it is very suitable for rock/metal tracks. Slow bass will make those tracks sound muddy
The bass has got a slight warmth to it, giving it a pleasant texture that doesn’t sound too thin
Sub bass is slightly rolled off, i find that it is often overpowered by the mid bass at certain track
This IEM is definitely not for basshead nor it is suitable to listen to EDM
Mids
The mids are detailed to my ears, especially when paired with DAC like Chord’s Mojo
Vocal doesn’t sound recessed but rather intimate to me (It is a matter of preference)
Both male and female vocal does sound a little crisp to me without sounding too harsh
Due to lacking some texture on the timbre, certain instruments like Piano does sound a little less vivid (Lacking in texture)
Treble
Treble is smooth and plenty of details in this range
Doesn’t sound harsh nor anywhere near sibilant
It has got a good amount of air to not make RE600 dark sounding
I would say that the treble on RE600 is balanced, nothing that sounds too peaky to my ears
Details are picked up easily without feeling fatigue
Driveability
RE600 is fairly easy to drive, but as with most micro drivers, they perform better with more power
Something like Apple’s Lightning Dongle will make RE600 sound good, however it does scale better when it is being fed with better source
Comparison (Final Audio E3000)
E3000 is a lot harder to drive, pair it with a weak source and it will sound muddy and non dynamic
Construction wise, they are more or less the same in terms of weight, both of them are quite light.
E3000 has got more bass emphasis compared to RE600 which has the bass tuned quite neutral
Treble on the RE600 doesn’t sound as warm as E3000’s
In terms of imaging and separation, hands down to RE600 as RE600 has got better separation and better imaging compared to E3000
Final Thoughts
Having the RE600 throughout the month, I enjoyed it thoroughly, it is very easy to like because it has got the balanced and mature tuning and it is very smooth. It’s not the kind of IEM where you put on and you are WOW-ed by it, it takes time to grow on you and some day you just find yourself listening to it on a daily basis.
At about 100USD based on the current conversion rate, the price is definitely on the higher side for a non detachable cable IEM, but the sound performance that you are getting, personally i think it’s worth it.
Ultimately, sound is very subjective and if you are going after a balanced sound signature, i’m more than happy to recommend RE600 to you, if you are looking for slight emphasis on the low end or soundstage, there are several models out there for your consideration.
For the performance of RE600, I’m giving it 4/5 stars, it would be a 4.5 if the stock tip fits well, but unfortunately I can't get the stock tips to sit well in my ears, hence I have to resort to 3rd party eartips.
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