HIFIMAN HE-R9 Review: The $200 Closed-Back Bass Monster
Both terrible and amazing at the same time - the HE-R9 is a closed-back bass monster at $200 with a tuning that's either perfect for you, or completely wrong.
Corrections
- - Impedance corrected from 32 to 60 ohms, to match HIFIMAN's published specifications; frequency response, weight and connector added from HIFIMAN's specifications.
above three of the 69 other reviews in the catalogue
Value Steep. You are buying performance here, not value.
- Standout
- Massive, punchy bass that doesn't bleed into the mids
- Watch out for
- Pads are too shallow
- Better alternative
- Sivga Luan: $100 more, scores 1.2 higher.
Is it for you?
Buy it if
- You want a big, out-of-your-head stage
- You do not want to buy an amplifier before you can hear it properly (from the pros: Extremely easy to drive (60 ohms, 100dB sensitivity))
Skip it if
- You want vocals right in front of you
- $199 has to buy value as well as performance (The HE-R9 scores 6.9/10 for $199, rated steep on value against the 29 other headphones reviewed here with a list price)
Read the Sivga Anser review instead: its stage is closer in. Read the Sivga Robin SV021 review instead: $50 less, scores 0.9 higher.
For the wider field, our Best Open-Back Headphones guide ranks 14 rivals in this class. This one is not among them.
HIFIMAN HE-R9 headphones are both terrible and amazing at the same time. Let me explain why that's the case.
First of all, the HE-R9 is a closed-back dynamic driver headphone from HIFIMAN. You can get it for $200 directly from HIFIMAN's website, and there's also a wireless version available for $440. They use the "topology diaphragm" technology, which features a special nanoparticle coating applied to its surface, supposedly resulting in a more natural and detailed sound.
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Comfortable, apart from the shallow pads
Let's begin with their build. I'm going to say it's... interesting.
They feature the solid headband, which I was not a fan of on the Edition XS, as it was causing some hotspots on top of my head. But here's the thing: the HE-R9s are much lighter - really lightweight - so at least in my case, there are no uncomfortable hotspots. The headband has some swivel and a little bit of tilt.
The pads are very soft, but not deep enough. My ears touch the drivers, and it's a little bit uncomfortable. You have to keep that in mind and simply get used to it.
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A huge, all-plastic design that feels cheap
The design aspect of this headphone is... weird.
They're huge and can look really dumb on your head. I've heard mixed opinions on their aesthetics - some people think they look cool, others don't. But it has a reason to be so huge, which I'll discuss later.
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The headphone generally feels cheap. It's all made of plastic, and really light - which makes them more comfortable, but on the other hand makes them feel cheap. I don't necessarily have a feeling of them being fragile or anything like that, so I wouldn't be worried about their longevity.
Massive bass and stepped-back upper mids
They're extremely easy to drive, being a dynamic driver with an impedance of 60 ohms and a high sensitivity of 100dB. You don't need to worry about their amplification at all.
Now the tonality - haha, that's the fun part. Just take a look at the frequency response graph.
There's a massive, enormous boost to the bass and low mids - I'm pretty sure that the big size of the earcups has an effect on the bass, as it has room to reflect. That's paired with stepped-back upper mids and somewhat peaky highs. That combination has one downside, which I found really noticeable: it makes many female vocals sound boring and lacking in energy.
The HE-R9 specializes in bass. There's a lot of it, and it's really punchy. I'm not sure what they did, but the bass doesn't bleed into the mids most of the time. With that crazy amount of bass boost, it's unexpected. What's also unexpected is that it doesn't sound muddy - at least most of the time. There are songs where it can get a tiny bit muddy.
A wide soundstage but weak separation
For a closed-back dynamic headphone, you'd think it's going to have an extremely intimate sound, but you couldn't be more wrong. Fine, it doesn't sound the most open - because it's not an open back - but the massive space behind the driver makes them sound significantly wider.
The sound separation is not the greatest. It's not quite what this headphone is trying to achieve, but it can get easily overwhelmed by a lot of sounds at once, so you won't be able to catch every sound and instrument in the mix. This effect is even more amplified by the lack of higher frequencies, which often lead to a sense of detail in sound.
Worth it for bass heads or as a second pair
Should you buy the HIFIMAN HE-R9? It depends on what you're looking for. If you're a bass head, then sure - it's pretty cheap for the bass quality and quantity it offers. If you're in the market for some unique-looking and sounding headphones, and it's not your only pair, then probably it would be a good buy. But if you're in the market for a headphone with a really wide soundstage, image separation, sound clarity, or the ability to hear every single detail, it's definitely not a headphone for you - look elsewhere.
Sound signature
Derived from the words this review uses: each axis runs between two opposite descriptors, and the shape leans toward whichever side the writing does.
- Warm ↔ Bright Neutral, no clear signal in the review language
- Relaxed ↔ Analytical Neutral, no clear signal in the review language
- Polite ↔ Aggressive Leans aggressive
- Lean ↔ Bass-heavy Neutral, no clear signal in the review language
- Intimate ↔ Wide stage Leans wide stage
Hear what "aggressive, wide stage" means: a short synthesized loop, flat and then with those leanings. An illustration of the words, not a recording of the HE-R9.
Not sure which signature suits you? Find yours with a blind A/B test
HE-R9 price history
List price on this review: $199. US stores charge $120 less (60%), Oct 7, 2026. The figures below are what retailers charged for a new unit on the days shown.
$79 at Audio46 and Bloom Audio is the lowest current new price we track at US stores, checked Oct 7, 2026. In stock at all 3 stores below.
- Since Oct 6, 2026
- unchanged at $79
- Tracked since
- Oct 6, 2026 (2 days observed)
| Retailer | Price | Stock | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio46 | $79 | In stock | Oct 7, 2026 |
| Bloom Audio | $79 | In stock | Oct 7, 2026 |
| Apos Audio | $109 | In stock | Oct 7, 2026 |
US prices are before sales tax and shipping.
New condition only, as each retailer listed it on the day shown. Every store is checked once a day and this page is rebuilt daily, but a price can change at any time, and past prices do not predict the next one. Only the retailers in the table are tracked. No link here is an affiliate link and no retailer pays to be listed. How prices are tracked
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Common questions about the HE-R9
Is the HE-R9 worth $199?
For bass lovers, it can be. It scored 6.9/10, a Mixed verdict, and rates steep on value because better value exists among the headphones reviewed here. The $199 buys massive, punchy bass that mostly stays clear of the mids. Shallow pads, cheap-feeling plastic and boring-sounding female vocals keep it from being an easy pick.
Who is the HE-R9 for?
Bass heads, plus anyone who wants a unique-looking and unique-sounding headphone that won't be their only pair. Look elsewhere if vocals, clarity or hearing every detail come first: the upper mids are stepped back, and separation suffers when a lot happens at once.
Can a phone drive the HE-R9?
Yes. It's a dynamic headphone at 60 ohms with a high 100 dB sensitivity, which makes it extremely easy to drive. The review found no reason to worry about amplification at all, so a phone, a laptop or a basic USB dongle will do. At most 167 mW to reach 110 dB peaks, and as little as 10 mW: a phone jack or any dongle at the low end, a desktop headphone amplifier at the high end. The review records 100 dB without saying against what, and the two conventions differ by a factor of 17 at this impedance, so which end applies depends on the one it uses.
What else have you tested around the price of the HIFIMAN HE-R9?
No head-to-head page for this one yet. The closest reference points we have scored in the same bracket: the Sivga Anser at 8.0/10, the OneOdio Max 1 at 7.0/10, and the Sivga SV021 Pro at 7.6/10.
Will your ears touch the HE-R9's drivers?
Quite possibly. The pads are very soft but not deep enough, and in testing the ears touched the drivers, which is a little uncomfortable and takes getting used to. The headband is kinder: it's solid like the Edition XS's, but the HE-R9 is light enough that it causes no hotspots.
Does the HE-R9's bass get muddy?
A little, on some bass-heavy songs. The boost to the bass and low mids is enormous, yet most of the time the low end stays punchy, doesn't bleed into the midrange and doesn't sound muddy. With that much bass on tap, the control comes as a surprise.
Why are the HE-R9's earcups so big?
The size seems to help the sound. The reviewer suspects the large cups give the bass room to reflect, and the big space behind each driver makes the HE-R9 sound far wider than a closed-back usually does. Opinion on the looks is split: some people think the cups look cool, others that they look dumb on the head.
Sources
- IEC 60268-7: Headphones and earphones
Standard · International Electrotechnical Commission · Paid full text
The headphone standard: how impedance, sensitivity and frequency response are specified and measured.
- NYU perception lecture notes: Auditory pathways and sound localization
Lecture notes · New York University
How the ear places a sound from the timing and level differences between the two ears, the cues behind soundstage and imaging.
Discussed in A wide soundstage but weak separation
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