Sineaptic SE-1

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

The SE-1 from the company Sineaptic is a very unusual headphone, so I really wanted to test it. It is the world's first wireless headphones with ribbon drivers. Ribbon there was what? Exactly RAAL-requisite SR1a/b is also a ribbon headphone. And as you know, to drive them you need special amplifiers that can deliver extremely high currents. This amplifier unit is of course also on board with the SE-1 and you need nothing else to operate, except a sound source with Bluetooth chip or a source with 3.5mm connector, because the SE-1 can also be operated with cable connection without Bluetooth.



When the delivery arrived I first wondered about the huge box. However, the size has its purpose. The SE-1 is transported in a special AirGuard packaging unit, which acts like a protective buffer and shields the headphones from external pressure. This ensures that it also arrives at the customer in pristine condition.

The scope of delivery includes a carrying bag, a 3.5 mm connection cable, and a USB-C charging cable. The build quality is impeccable for the price of 199 USD. It looks very sturdy due to its size and weight of about 400 grams. The design is modern and appealing. The velour ear pads look high-quality processed and are pleasantly soft as well as offer enough space for the ears. A spring clip and two cushion pads for the head make it easy to adjust and sit loosely on the head. The contact pressure is not very high, so that it does not slide down directly, but sits a bit too loose for headbanging.




Wireless headphones have two main tasks for me. One is watching movies on my LG OLED EVO TV and holding conference calls during my time in the home office. And of course, the SE-1 also has a built-in microphone. For testing with music I use my great iBasso DX320 MAX Ti and connect the SE-1 once via 3.5mm cable with the DAP as well as via Bluetooth. For the transmission via Bluetooth AAC is used. I had no problems with any of my devices to connect to the SE-1 and the connection was all the time in the radius of 10m absolutely stable.

The manufacturer promises in advertising that the SE-1 can keep up with models up to 1500 USD and provides absolute precision, clarity and authenticity in the reproduction. The promise, of course, I wanted to get to the bottom and since I also own a RAAL-requisite SR-1b I can compare the sound of both Ribbons.



From the first moment it is clear that this is a headphone that provides a wealth of detail and is really agile to the point as you are used to from the Ribbon drivers. Even in the lower range, it surprises with a punch that you did not expect at first, because a RAAL-requisite is not exactly known for its strong bass range, but attaches importance to other attributes. By the way, the SE-1 has an open design and leaks the sound to the outside. Also, you get everything from its environment. For this, it also provides a very airy sound representation, but not quite like the SR-1b, which is then simply constructed even more open.

Tonally, it plays on the brighter side with a slightly raised midbass range. The low bass does not protrude quite far down. Explosions in movies are nevertheless reproduced brute enough. It's not a orthodynamic, which is known for making a lot of pressure in the bass range down to the lowest registers. However, there is a lot of precision in the bass here.

The soundstage reproduction is rather intimate and not very expansive. But it is extremely precise. Sound sources in music and movies can be located effortlessly and even the smallest details, such as actors' breaths, can be heard. That's exceptionally good in this price range, and it's one of the strengths of a ribbon driver.

The midrange reproduction is very neutral, neither too close nor too far back, and seems very natural due to the high resolution.

As I already said, the highs are on a really high level in terms of resolution. It is also not withdrawn, but kept neutral. The SE-1 is not a whitewash and therefore also mercilessly reveals recording errors. Depending on the recording, sibilants can be a bit annoying. At my listening levels, however, this was not really a problem.

If you use the SE-1 via cable, the headphones really need a lot of power. I ran my DX320 MAX Ti at gain 3 at 12 o'clock for this purpose. The built-in amp module in wireless mode delivers enough volume for me, so that I can also listen a little louder. However, really loud levels at concert volume are not possible with it. When no music is playing, a very low noise can be heard in the background. When the music starts playing, it is no longer audible.

The headphones are charged for about 3 hours via USB-C and then run for 10-12 hours. Buttons can be used to control calls, adjust the volume, and navigate between tracks. Standard functions that every wireless headphone offers today.

I tested the SE-1 for a day in the home office and have to say that the built-in microphone delivers good to very good voice quality and cuts a very good figure compared to my wired headset with microphone boom.

In summary, I can say that the SE-1 is a really exceptional wireless headphone that delivers a crystal clear sound quality due to its built-in ribbon drivers, which you will probably not find in this price range. I will use them in the future for watching movies and in the home office for conference calls.