Sineaptic SE-1

A unique headphone experience from Sineaptic​

I love a company that tries to ’think differently’ (to borrow the Steve Jobs mantra from the early days of Apple) and I believe with the SE-1 Sineaptic are that type of company.

The Audio industry is constantly seeking the next sonic innovation and trying the SE-1 was a nice discovery at a super pragmatic price. What sets these headphones apart is some ingenious design choices that Sineaptic
made that means you get an Open Back headphone with Ribbon Driver that gives you that spacious sound while no longer ’tethered’ to a specific headphone amplifier due to the clever usage of special onboard amplifier, which you can use with bluetooth or even with a provided wired cable.

Note: I would like to thank Sineaptic for providing the SE-1 for this review. If you would like to read more information about the SE-1, here is their product page
There are some compromises involved but not many, so read on to find out what you can expect from the Sineaptic SE-1.

The New Retail packaging​

Before receiving my SE-1, I had seen a few pictures of its packaging, some reviewers seem to talk more about the ‘crazy’ packaging than about the headphone itself.

That packaging is still available as an option when ordering and is now called ‘AirGuard’.


It is essentially a huge box with the SE-1 in a box suspended with rubber bands, it was unnecessarily, not practical and not particular good for the environment and at $350 not very good for your pocket either.

The new retail packaging is environmentally friendly and brings down the overall package cost to a mere $199 so better for everyone, but it is a much more basic experience and for those expecting premium packaging with their premium sounding headphones you might be a little disappointed but for me, it was a great option, headphones should be all about the sound and not about the packaging:


Note: the only thing you might miss with this cheaper packaging is the carrying case with still comes with the AirGuard packaging is not provided with the newer packaging, though being an open back headphone you probably won’t be using it outside your house much anyway.

Overall I really appreciate this option, it doesn’t look ‘premium’ but it’s good for the environment and good for your pocket and because its very secure doesn’t affect the ‘final’ product in any way.

So, once you take everything out of the packaging you have these contents.

Build Quality and initial impressions​

At first glance, you will notice a few things about the SE-1: the size yet its light weight, the unconventional headband, the extra large ear cups, and it’s plastic construction. Let’s get into these:

Headband suspension mechanism​

I have seen this design on some headphones a few years ago, but it is an unusual design these days:


But it actually works well with nice comfort:



And because it just touches you head in 2 places:


This design keeps your head cool for long periods:



Given the suspension mechanism sit under the headphone, you might get some strange looks but given it’s an open back you will probably always be using it in own House or Garden. You soon forgot how large these headphones are due to its light weight construction, this I imagine is one of the reasons I think Sineaptic went with an all plastic design:

Large Ear cups​

It is hard to represent the size of the ear cups in these photos, but they are both large and deep and to my specific ear shape are extremely comfortable.

Here is a size comparisonto a Hifiman Sundara to give you an idea of how much larger these ear cups are:


When I measured the size of these ear cups I got 110mm external diamter, 65mm internal diameter and very generous 25mm deep.

Clamping force​

They do not provide that strong a clamping force but other than if I bend over or shake my head rapidally I never felt they would fall off. Because they are open backs the sound quality is not affected as much by having a tight clamping of the earpads on your ears. I could wear glasses easily without seen a drop in the quality or quantity of the bass, which is typically a problem.

A nice alternative use-case for these headphones​

One very nice use-case for these headphones that I had not anticipated before getting them was just sitting out in the garden in the sunshine or walking around my the house, even though its open back it won’t annoy the neighbors (like for example a outside bluetooth speaker) and provides a much wider more natural audio experience than either a TWS or a bluetooth headphone outdoors.

Features​

Let’s delve into some of the features of the SE-1

Bluetooth​

The Sineaptic SE-1 headphones come equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, providing a stable wireless connection. Since this bluetooth version supports multipoint connectivity, you can connect the SE-1 headphones to two devices simultaneously. I found this feature is particularly useful when I was using the SE-1 when working from home as I was switching between music via my smartphone and work calls via my Macbook Pro. The SE-1’s Bluetooth performance ensures low latency and high fidelity, making it suitable for both casual listening and more demanding uses like watching movies or gaming.

Note: But the SE-1 is limited to fairly basic codecs with SBC and AAC supported, this is one of those slight compromises that Sineaptic have made with the SE-1. I imagine in a future headphone they will add LDAC and AptX-HD (or other newer bluetooth codecs).

Analog Cable​

In addition to Bluetooth, the SE-1 also supports wired connections via a 3.5mm analog cable. The transition between wireless and wired modes is seamless, although users should note that there might be slight static when plugging or unplugging the cable due to the internal amplification always being active because the special class D amplifier is still required for the ribbon drivers even when using a cable.

Battery Life​

The SE-1 headphones are powered by a lithium-ion battery, according to the specifications up to 8 hours of playback time at 50% volume on a full charge. I found this was pretty accurate, in fact I think I was getting up to 10 hours playback over multiple days without need a charge. Charging is facilitated through a USB-C port.

Microphone​

The Sineaptic SE-1 is equipped with an integrated MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) microphone. This microphone technology is known for its reliability and high-quality voice transmission, making it ideal for phone calls and voice commands. The microphone’s performance is particularly beneficial in work-from-home settings or for users who need to take calls on the go.

In my usage, I found microphone was good but not great, it was very useful for quick calls, but occasionally it faded while I was on longer calls, I think this was mainly due to the varing distances between my smartphone and the headphone during calls (it is tempting to walk around while using the SE-1).

Before we get into how it sounds, let me share some of the research I made around the ribbon driver technology within the SE-1:

What is a Ribbon Driver​

A ribbon driver is a type of transducer used in audio equipment to convert electrical signals into sound waves. Unlike traditional dynamic drivers, which utilize a diaphragm attached to a voice coil, ribbon drivers employ a thin, lightweight ribbon made of conductive material suspended within a magnetic field. When an electrical current passes through the ribbon, it vibrates, generating sound waves with remarkable accuracy and efficiency.



In headphone audio, there are a few ’exotic’ types of drivers that have unique properties that everyone should try to experience but these typical require specialised amplification. Of these more ’exotic’ drivers, both electrostatic and ribbon driver headphones required special hardware and were up until now only available to high-end customers who would pay maybe thousands both for the headphone and maybe another thousand for the dedicated headphone amplifier.

So when I read that Sineaptic were cleverly bringing this exotic ribbon technology to the masses I was very intrigued and being a technology nerd I was even more impressed with how they are doing this. Instead of a dedicated amplifier which typically makes these ‘ribbon driver’ headphones unportable and super expensive. Sineaptic decided to build a special class D amplifier into the headphone itself and because they did that the next logical decision was to give it a long-lasting battery and make it work over bluetooth.

This to me is a genius move, effectively solving 2 big problems with exotic high-end headphones: custom amplification and portability and then delivering this is a package that costs an incredibly pragmatic retail of $199.

But I imagine you want to know if its any good, so read on to get my opinions.

Sound quality​

In summary, the SE-1 has a bass response that resonates deep and the overall sound is complemented by the intricate detail of its ribbon driver technology. While the midrange is good, but if I was being a little fussy, I would say it is a little uneven compared some planars magentic heapdhones, causing the tonality of certain songs to sound a little too forward. But this is more than made up for by the sound stage, those large drivers really shine in the width you get from these headphones, probably only better by my Hifiman Edition XS (which are two times the price).

Bass​

With the SE-1 headphones, bass enthusiasts are mostly in for a treat with the SE-1 especially for an open back. For example, the pulsating bassline of Pink Floyd’s"Money" or the thunderous kick drums in Miles Davis’ “So What,” the SE-1 delivers bass with authority and precision. Each note is rendered with satisfying impact, striking the perfect balance between depth and definition. I love listening to open back headphones in my house and hearing this level of bass from an open back (with resorting to EQ) while walking around my house (and garden) is a fantastic experience.

Note: One area though where the SE-1 struggles (and where I believe Sineaptic have some room for improvement was in “bass distortion” when playing loud. I believe the internal amplifier struggled when pushed on some heavily bass tracks, for example with the bass in James Blake’s ‘Limit to your Love’ at >80dB+ levels. So, If you like playing your music very loud you may (depdending on the tracks) hear some distortion in the bass region especially. Some EQ to lower the bass significant lowered this distortion.

Midrange​

With the SE-1, the midrange vocal performances are a real stand out with great clarity and emotion, songs like Norah Jones in “Don’t Know Why” or the raw emotion of Johnny Cash in “Hurt” where especially a fantastic experience with this headphone. But I noticed on some tracks the vocal and some piano pieces sounded a little muted, but this was rare as mostly the midrange is excellent.

Treble​

The treble on ribbon drivers is always a joy (hence why we all love AMT tweeters) and Sineaptic have rightly tuned the SE-1 to perfection to give as much detailed as possible in this region. From the shimmering cymbals in “Hotel California” by the Eagles to the delicate strings of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” the SE-1 reveals the intricate details and harmonic overtones with remarkable precision. The ribbon driver technology ensures that every high-frequency transient is reproduced with exceptional accuracy, adding a touch of brilliance to every musical passage. I never found the SE-1 sibiliant, but I can imagine it on that fine line between providing ribbon driver “based” technicalities you might want and when that detail gets a little ‘sharp’.

Soundstage And Imaging​

As I mentioned in the summary at the start of this section, I loved the soundstage of the SE-1, the extra large earpads together with the very specific tuning of the SE-1 really help to emphasise that soundstage. With tracks like “Time” from “Dark side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd or “Boléro” by Maurice Ravel I loved the instrument separation provided by soundstage of the SE-1.

But on some tracks were you would normally expect to hear some ‘depth’ to the music like “So What” by Miles Davis, I believe SE-1 was slightly let down a little by the quality of the bluetooth codec used (SBC and AAC rather than LDAC or AptX).

Specs and Measurements​

Lets get into some specifications and measurements

Specifications:​

The specifications of the SE-1:

Measurements:​

Here are some brief measurements taken on my 711 clone coupler with my KB5010x soft ear pinna:

Frequency Response​

The frequency response of the SE-1 is pretty good with a few key tweaks, the ’enhanced’ sub-bass around 40hz is well controlled and is excellent for an open back headphone.:


The 500 to 1K region is slightly elevated providing a mid-forward tuning there and the 1.5-3K dip is also typical of tuning that want to emphasize the soundstage (as you will see some Hifiman headphones also have a dip in this region). The channel matching is also pretty good.

Note: I believe Sineaptic have been quietly updating the tuning as every good audio company should and made significant improvements since the early reviews were published as this is significantly more neutral than earlier published measurements.

The Aux cable input also provides exactly the same frequency response which given it goes through the same internal amplifier this should be no surprise:

Some comparisons​

So firstly I am comparing the SE-1 with some 2 classic open back dynamic drivers:

Of these the SE-1 probably needs the least EQ IMO, the HD600 definitely needs a bass boost and the AKG K702 has too much treble gain to be comfortable listening too for too long. While the SE-1 is not perfect, the 2 obvious differences you see in this comparison (the sub-bass boost and the ‘soundstage dip’ around 2K) are some of the SE-1 best audio features.

Finally, just comparing to a planar known for its soundstage, like the Hifiman Edition XS - you can see that same dip on the Hifiman but a more balanced midrange:

Distortion​

As I mentioned earlier, I found at louder volumes you get more distortion ‘artifacts’ that to my ears meant I was getting a slightly ‘compressed’ digital ( i.e. ‘bluetoothy’ sound ) which is a shame, as mostly the SE-1 sounds fantastic. This was only when I played the music loud and during the brief quiet sections of songs with high dynamic range.

So this was the distortion level I measured:


Though as a % of the overall SPL the SE-1 was mostly well behaved except for the bass region:


But when pushed to 90dB levels you can see allot more distortion:

I asked Sineaptic and then mentioned they have some tweaks to reduce this on newer models, so if I get the opportunity to measure an SE-1 in future I will update this review with those newer measurements.

Rating​

I have given the SE-1 a pragmatic rating of 4 stars, it is an amazing to hear what can be achieved if a company think creatively about how to deliver a unique audio package. My only complaints are really the distorion when playing load and a minor complaint about a missed opportunity in that they do not have a companion mobile application with the ability to EQ this headphone and even provide personalised EQ as that is becoming more common place with Bluetooth headphones. They removed the EQ ‘boost’ capability that they had on earlier models.

Conclusion​

Only a few times in my life have I get to try a device with a unique combination of technologies and Sineptic have done a lovely job with providing the Ribbon Driver sound to the masses with the SE-1.

You get a very open soundstage, deep bass, mostly excellent tuning specifically designed to show off the capabilities of its ribbon driver, but the bluetooth codecs selection is poor and the onboard amplifier is not controlled enough for the ribbon drivers at high volumes.

But I encourage everyone to try it especially at its very pragmatic price.

Introduction to the Sineaptic SE-1 review​

The SE-1 is clearly Sineaptic’s main focus, as it’s the only thing that’s showcased on their Instagram, as well as their webpage. Coincidentally, it is the first time I have come in contact with a device designed by Sineaptic, and throughout my encounter with the SE-1, I have been surprised more than once, and said surprises were varying in nature.
The first one came when I unboxed the thing – the box in which those headphones come in is of gargantuan proportions compared to the headphones themselves. When receiving the package from my courier, I thought to myself – I do not recall ordering a microwave oven. The package was at least four times as large as the box you may know from Hifiman Susvara or HE1000SE – truly a behemoth. All of that is for a good reason, however, as it’s the first sign of Sineaptic’s desire for innovation.
The second surprise was the sound signature. It’s quite evident that beyond the nuances of ribbon drivers, unique packaging, and innovation-oriented philosophy, reviewed Sineaptic SE-1 is also a unique product in terms of sound. I had no idea what to expect from those, and still, they managed to catch me off guard and surprise me. Both in an enjoyable, and not-so-enjoyable way, but I’ll explain that further down the review – this is a trailer of the tale of the third surprise.

Packaging of the tested Sineaptic SE-1​

Inside the Sineaptic SE-1’s box is a hard pouch for your headphones in black, containing the paperwork, a dual USB type C cable, intended for charging the device, and another 3,5mm-3,5mm jack cable (three whole meters!) in case you prefer to use your SE-1’s in wired mode. All of this plus your headphones. Nothing more and nothing less than you need, which is perfectly welcome, especially if we’re talking about orienting the 200 USD budget towards the sound quality, and not necessarily towards fancy accessories.
The funny thing though, is the fact that the pouch is suspended in the air by four huge rubber bands attached to the pouch’s corners, reminiscent of Joerg Sprave’s most devious slingshot-like inventions. Sineaptic calls this technology AirGuard, and its purpose is to protect the delicate ribbon driver from any turbulence that may occur during shipping. Unfortunately, it’s a single-use solution, as the pouch is fastened to the rubber straps with zip ties, which you have to cut to detach the pouch from the rest of the contraption. Unless there are some more zip ties in your house, I don’t know. Nevertheless, I have to admit, it’s a pretty ingenious solution if you don’t mind the package’s size. Pause…

Build Quality, Tech, and Comfort​

The build quality of the reviewed Sineaptic SE-1 is quite good, especially keeping in mind that we are dealing with a headphone intended for use purely indoors, as their delicate, open-back nature suggests. They are made entirely of plastic and the construction is lightweight, so if you want to jack up that neck strength before your next boxing title defense, this may not be for you. Those play music first and foremost. Check in on Audeze though.
The construction of those is in a way reminiscent of headphones akin to the Audiotechnica R70X, where instead of a full-size headband, there are two “wings” with smaller pads on them, that come in contact with the top of your head. It’s an interesting and ultimately comfortable way to handle the matter, however, the plastic from which those wings are made isn’t very elastic, which in conjunction with my big head makes for a just-right fit. Big-headed users, beware! The earpads are quite similar to what you may know from the HiFiMAN Sundara – a leather-like outer part, with fabric lining on the inside. I like that! If slight pressure on the top of your head is not an issue, the Sineaptic SE-1 may seem like it’s not on your head at all.
Tech is by far the most interesting aspect of the reviewed Sineaptic SE-1. When it comes to ribbon drivers in headphones, there are few and far between, especially if you compare the numbers to planar magnetic drivers or even electrostatic offerings. Here, not only do we have ribbon drivers inside wireless headphones, but we also have amplification modules tuned specifically for use with such drivers. Pair all of that with Bluetooth 5.2 and 13 hours of battery life, as claimed by Sineaptic, and it comes across as one of the most interesting releases of 2023. There is one caveat though – allow me to testify.

Realizing that the Sineaptic SE-1s need to be fully charged to work when plugged via the 3.5mm cable hasn’t been the most glorious revelation I’ve come to experience in this life. I’m not a big fan of having to worry about the battery level of my headphones even when I won’t be making use of their wireless functionality. That being said, none of that is without a good reason – being fully charged is simply a requirement posed by the unique amplification solution showcased in the Sineaptics. Thankfully, the charging process is quite fast, as it doesn’t take much longer than an iPhone to reach 100%. That’s a pretty significant upside, and to some extent, alleviates the issue.
Apart from that, tested Sineaptic SE-1 is a pleasant device for daily use – it connects to your wireless device instantly, with no unpleasant artifacts like an unstable Bluetooth connection. The controls are simple and the buttons are laid out in a way that makes it easy to discern which ones are for volume, and which ones you would use to turn the device on. Combined with the aforementioned ergonomics, this turns out to be a very pleasant and accessible pair of headphones for daily use at home – I find myself coming back to those quite often, with ergonomics and ease of use being some of the reasons why.

How does the reviewed Sineaptic SE-1 sound?​

The surprises don’t end there, god forbid! Tested Sineaptic SE-1 sports a sound signature that stands out with its amazing technical performance, and that in general is what I would consider to be the pair’s biggest strength. Most people think of inventions such as Sony’s XM5 or AirPods Max when thinking of Bluetooth over ears, and the SE-1 is the polar opposite to those sonically, making technical performance its priority.
Other aspects of the sounds are no slouch either, but whether you like or love these will most likely be up to what kind of a sound signature you may be looking for – if you’re into a more lean, analytic yet spacious kind of sound, those will surely be up your alley. Thankfully, despite their penchant for detail retrieval, the Sineaptic SE-1 doesn’t make badly mixed tracks sound like a bunch of razors shoved down one’s ear. I take it as Sineaptic’s love letter to accessibility, which is impressive given the innovative solutions at hand. Let’s take a look.
Bass
The bass here has its strengths and shortcomings. The strengths include speed, cleanliness, texture, and extension – this kind of performance easily punches way above the 200 USD price point. If you’re into music with more complicated drum sequences, or, like yours truly, you are a fan of black metal, the speed and tightness of the bass will make sure you’re able to appreciate each drum hit separately, with each note having a distinct attack and decay, even if the hits reach incredible speeds and high variety, as it is often the case with my favorite BM band – Mgła. Check out “Exercises in Futility” if you haven’t yet, and don’t worry about the bass leaking anywhere.
The shortcoming within reviewed Sineaptic SE-1’s bass presentation, to my ears, is the quantity of bass – those sound a bit too lean to me. However, once again, your opinion may vary – less bass means more controlled and balanced impacts in bass-heavy tracks (as was the case with Key Glock), but is also damning for more bass-lean releases, like blues or classical, where there’s simply not enough punch and tactility. Nevertheless, I feel positive about the bass in the SE-1 – the technical performance in the lower registries is hard to match, even for more expensive headphone offerings, and is a welcome nuance in the wireless over-ear market.

Midrange
The midrange’s greatest strength is its detail and clarity. Reviewed Sineaptic SE-1s carry a huge amount of information in the midrange, which is especially evident in vocals-focused recordings. Many of my friends enjoy using Amber Rubarth’s Sessions from the 17th Ward as a reference for testing qualities like soundstage, air, and imaging, but personally, I am also a fan of how Amber’s voice was presented. The Sineaptic squeezes out a lot from Amber’s vocals, revealing information and details one wouldn’t expect from a product at this price range. All of that complements the satisfyingly realistic and quite natural presentation of music, which is a recipe for analytic listening without fatigue involved.
The midrange is not perfect though. Akin to the bass, I would’ve loved to see more warmth and tactility in the mix, because while female vocals and higher-pitched instruments benefit from this kind of presentation, male vocals suffer from a shortage of punch, power, and tangible texture. Lovers of a more cold, analytic, and reserved midrange presentation will love the tested Sineaptic SE-1, as it carries some benefits as well – such mids make way for the best-in-class air and imaging qualities because the Sineaptic SE-1 is not one to lack control. Every facet of the sound is presented in a tidy and concise way, though I wish the clinic was a bit warmer.
Treble
The upper registries are where the reviewed Sineaptic SE-1 impresses the most, showing off its feathers each time the detail carried by the ribbon drivers is maximized. The headphones strike a perfect balance between elite technical performance and the pleasure of listening – I have yet to encounter a track or even a single instrumental passage where the treble would get too hot or sibilant. Instead, the treble impresses with its dynamics, allowing violins to shine with all their might, as executed on “A Victory of Love” from one of the best pop albums of the 80s – Alphaville’s “Forever Young”.
Amidst the liveliness and magical sparkle, there is one little caveat to the treble – in some vocal performances, the consonants “s” and “t” sometimes come off as slightly metallic, in consequence making certain voices sound slightly artificial. That, however, is a nuance – observed only in a handful of occurrences throughout hours of listening. Apart from that, it’s hard to point out anything wrong with the treble’s presentation. Reviewed Sineaptic SE-1 is simply a great performer in that regard, with clarity and air being off the charts, no ifs, buts, and maybes. You’d have to spend a significant buck to obtain comparable performance.
Soundstage
Tested Sineaptic SE-1’s staging abilities are cut from the same cloth as the treble – the execution is nearly flawless, and it would be difficult for me to pinpoint the exact price point of the headphones at hand had I been doing a blind test. However, my guess would surely not be 200 USD. The soundstage is quite massive, giving some midrange planar magnetics a run for their money. Wow, I never thought I would say that about a wireless over-ear, yet here we are, and I’m dead serious – live performances involving orchestras seem to be exactly what Sineaptic SE-1 was made for.
Reproducing the feeling of a grand concert hall coupled with realistic and precise imaging is an easy way to impress the listener, and the price point makes an even greater impression on said listener’s wallet. Another great aspect of the soundstage when it comes to the Sineaptic SE-1 is its three-dimensionality. The headphones reproduce depth and scale with ease, making for a well-put-together and clean presentation, even when things get complicated and a lot starts happening at once in the music piece. This lends itself to some impressive realism as well – the overall staging ability is almost like a party trick at this price point.

Comparisons​

Well, this one gets quite tricky, as I don’t feel comfortable making direct comparisons with any other headphones in the market, be it wireless or wired, open or closed-back. The reason is simple – reviewed Sineaptic SE-1 is a unique product, unlike anything else you and I have seen in the past when looking out for new headphone gear to be released, with its one-of-a-kind technological advancements carrying their own compromises.
That being said, reviewing this product instilled hope in me, that the idea of ribbon drivers being used in wireless headphones will become more and more popular – I love to see innovation taking place, and the SE-1 has the “i-word” written all over it. While no direct comparison is made in this review, I will gladly take a shot at reviewing further products involving similar technology, and when that happens, you can bet your last freedom buck that the SE-1 will be there to serve as a benchmark.

Sineaptic SE-1 Review – Summary​

Tested Sineaptic SE-1 shocks, surprises, and impresses all at once even before you’re done with your first hour of listening. While not without certain compromises or issues that require ironing out sooner rather than later, the SE-1 aims to impress, and when it does, it does so with flying colors. I can say with a clear conscience that the level of technical performance in those is unlike anything I’ve heard at the price point at which Sineaptic operates, all of it coupled with great comfort and ease of use.
Speaking of compromises, one of the things that impresses me the most is the innovation and courage that some manufacturers display when making new products. This is an aspect of Sineaptic SE-1 that won me over – it’s an interesting invention with a very impressive sound signature, and the level of craziness involved in designing this product is worth the compromises made along the way – after all, I’ve caught myself forgetting that I’m writing about a 200 USD product more than once.
If you’re someone who appreciates expansive staging and precision written with a huge P, as well as good detail retrieval, all packed into a comfortable and lightweight headphone, those may be right up your alley. Have I mentioned they’re 200 bucks?
Recommended.
Big thanks to Ari for providing the SE-1 for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion.

Sineaptic SE-1 - Review


The Sineaptic SE-1 is the world's first dual-ribbon array wireless headphone.



TLDR: YouTube video version of this review

---

Build and Ergonomics

For the price of this headphone ($199), the build is a few notches below my expectations.
The plastic feels a bit cheap, the joint between the half-yokes and cups are not rigid enough to prevent friction between the two and there is no mechanical swivel between the headband and cups.
However, the entire build and the tolerances between all the parts are not bad at all.
The wing suspension pads work quite well. In my case a little too well. I feel like they force the headphone just a few millimeters higher than my prefered level, but they are actually fairly comfortable and not as distracting as I expected, since they put pressure on a different part of my head than I'm used to, and distribute the 412g of weight quite well.
The 3.5mm aux cable is bad, but it's an accessory and I don't recommend using it - it's simply too long and has too much memory.
Most will prefer using their own 3.5mm 'aux' cable.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that this is the goofiest headphone I've ever worn. It looks really ... interesting... on the head.

---

Features & Functionality

This headphone is first and foremost a wireless headset, and if you want to use the Auxiliary Input, the headphone must be charged.
The headphone will not play any audio without charge.

Ribbons are unlike most of the common transducer types and as such, they possess very low resistance, even in the single digits.
The SE-1 runs off an internal battery powered D-class amplifier, just like any regular wireless headphone, however unlike regular wireless headphones, I'm certain it was carefully designed to power these ribbons.
This means that if you plug your mains-powered, desktop headphone amp into the Auxiliary Input, not only are you significantly bi-amping which is prone to introducing distortion, you are also dealing with a headphone sensitivity rating your amp is almost certainly not designed to perform correctly with.
This is exactly the reason that the headphone will not play audio without being charged - they can only* be powered by their specially designed internal D-class amp.

Another small oddity I noticed is that if you unplug the headphone from one auxliary source and into another, the headphone will effectively turn itself off.
You need to turn it back on and into 'wireless mode' and then plug the aux cable back in to go into auxiliary mode.
This isn't a bad thing in of itself, it's just not according to my intuition.

---

The Sound

In my testing, the SE-1 sounded mediocre to quite bad when paired with mains and USB powered desktop amps through the Aux input.

The three most significant problems are:
• loud background hissing (loudest with mains powered amps)
• poorly altered frequency response
• high distortion

So, when using this headphone how it's actually meant to be used - in order from worst to best:
• My phone's 3.5mm headphone-out wasn't bad, but the volume was weak.
• My laptop and phone's bluetooth connection was the next best, but still about on par with the wired 3.5mm output.
• Finally, the very best sound I achieved by far was plugging these into my Walnut V2 portable WAV player.

EDIT: Updated Unit has fixed all the humming problems. There is still VERY quiet humming, but they sound even better than wireless when paired with an AUX input now!

It seems that either the ribbons or the amp inside the headphone is extremely sensitive to the electronics inside mains powered amplifiers - as soon as you take it off the grid, and give them the beans, they really open up.
And I don't mean that in a hyperbolic way - rarely does one get to hear such an obvious difference between amps.

I should think that similar results should be achievable when using other powered DAPs and phone dongle DACs, but your mileage may vary.
I should also note that a friend of mine was also able to get good results out of his desktop amp which has a mains-free battery power mode - so going off the grid, and finding the right amp synergy really seems to be key.

So, when amping it properly, at this level, the only two things holding the headphone back are the quiet constant humming of the amp, which is notably much quieter in wireless mode and battery-bi-amped than when incorrectly mains/USB-bi-amping, and the treble - which can be at times extremely piercing.

EDIT: Humming is now extremely quiet, and only really noticeable on Wireless Mode on VERY quiet songs.

Here is a Frequency Response graph.
(Measured with miniDSP EARS)

Everything above 6KHz is louder than the rest of the sound.
I would simply dial down the treble on the phone, DAP or through Windows, but some purists may be turned off by this.

---

Subjective Impressions

For a $199 headphone the sound is quite a few notches above my expectations.

The first thing you might notice is just how clear, extended and airy the treble is - as long as you're not listening to a music that transforms it into an acoustic razor blade.
While the treble is too strong, it is undeniably punching up... very high up.
Direcly compared with the treble on my Hifiman HE-500, I believe the SE-1 edges out in the lead, but was inevitably quite fatiguing after an hour or so.

Mids are tuned a bit cold, with a very slight rise all the way up that can make it sound a bit thinner and less full bodied than other headphones. There's also a small dip between 1-2KHz so the upper mids might sound a bit too far back for some, but in reality it doesn't make a big difference compared to the other aspects of the tuning.
While it doesn't have a conventionally 'high end' midrange tuning, the SE-1's ability to render detail is unquestionably excellent, and can compete comfortably among some flagships models.

This is the most unique presentation of bass I've ever heard.
If you're not a big fan of thicker, boomier high and mid bass, these sound something like a set of small bookshelf speakers in combination with a small sub woofer with a high cut.
The rise down to 30hz gives these such an oddly separated low-end that is both extremely airy and strangely well layered and textured, with some actual very low-end slam.
No doubt the dual ribbon array is responsible for this.
Bass will never bleed into the midrange. It is completely separated.
Some might find this jarring, as it straddles the fence between a v-shaped fun signature and sterility.
An utterly unique presentation that I'm not used to, but I don't hate it.





Music

In all my testing, the type of music that these seemed to excel with was more simple acoustic and vocal music.
The scooped midbass made this type of genre sound more realistic in some cases, as if the more common type of tuning is put into other headphones not to reproduce the music more accurate, but to reproduce the sound of loudspeakers in a room situation more accurately.

Pop and EDM was mostly very good.
I thought there might not be enough mid-bass for pop, but some tracks actually sounded better in some cases compared to some of my other headphones.
Then there were some more complex, more layered tracks that lacked dynamics and punch.
Occasionally a very bassy electronic track would introduce slight bass distortion, and other times, they would dig down lower into the sub bass with more air, texture and authority than some planars costing over 10 times the price!!

The weakest genre was rock and metal, which suffered a lack of 'full bodiedness' and imaging.

I thought the imaging and soundstage was actually the only significant weaker part of the sound - the sense of instruments in a stereo space is definitely smaller than large planars like the HE-500, and of course smaller than large dynamic headphone staging.

---

Pad Rolling

I found only one successful candidate in my pad drawer, which is 10cm diameter fenestrated leather pad.
It did a pretty good job of warming up the midrange response without affecting the bass or treble too much.
While the bass reponse appears to remain untouched, there was a notable increase in slam from using a less porous material.

---

Conclusions

At this price point it is more than fair to expect some compromises from a headphone that markets it's headphone directly in comparison with "renowned audiophile favourite" and "leading luxury model" - see https://sineaptic.com/

I'm certain that most of the cost went into the RnD and the technology behind the ribbon drivers, internal amplification and the tuning of this headphone.
I believe that headphones are firstly a wearable, and secondly something that makes sound.
With those as my basic requirements I cannot help but give this headphone not only a passing grade but a soft recommendation.
The sound quality alone is exceptional at this price point, but the drawbacks listed are many.

I can't say I'm a fan of always-on policy - one day the battery will either eventually die or need replacing due to repeated charging cycles, and the lack of earcup swivel wasn't a big problem for me personally, but with billions of other shaped heads in the world, it's surely going to become a problem for someone else down the road.

Personally, I think the quest for the world's best wireless gaming headset is not over.