Audiophilepure

When I think of HIFIMAN, lately I’ve also been thinking about Dr. Fang Bian and his visionary push for his company. I remember him once saying that he doesn’t like to simply repeat success, but to keep pushing into new territory. He has many “firsts” to his name, including the first “First True High-Fidelity Portable Music Player” that HIFIMAN brought out in 2009 called the “HIFIMAN HM-801”. That was followed by the first planar magnetic headphones designed for the mass consumer market, the “HE-5” in 2009, and the world’s first R2R True Wireless Earphones, the “Svanar Wireless”, in 2023. This was followed by the “Unveiled” open-back technology that removed the outer protective grill from the headphones. This started with the flagship Susvara, which I reviewed in Oct. of 2024, and has now been incorporated in several of the HIFIMAN models. And now, in 2026, we have the release of the Arya Wi-Fi and the HE1000 Wi-Fi, another bold first in the headphone world.

Though this world’s first Wi-Fi planar magnetic headphone series has had some network set-up issues (at least for me) and is awaiting an iOS app as of this writing, the headphones themselves are stellar. Not stellar because they are the first Wi-Fi headphones, but simply stellar. They have the quality of “soul” that I love to find in a headphone. It is an intangible quality that makes me stop analyzing for a review and simply get lost in the music. Considering the amount of hi-tech packed into these headphones, it may be odd to say they have soul, but for me, they do.

Give them sufficient power, and they will sound excellent at any listening level. For better or worse, the EXPANSE encourages you to listen at unsafe levels. They are so smooth, balanced, and free of distortion that their sound doesn’t induce fatigue, even at high volumes. It’s not that the sound changes or improves with more volume; it just keeps giving you more.

As the name implies, the soundstage is large and open, without sounding artificially distant. Imaging is distinct, and layering is phenomenal, especially with music that has a lot of space and separation.

The bass response is fast and relatively full for a planar. The bass is satisfying for most genres with a focus on texture and musicality over quantity. While the EXPANSE are not ideal for EDM and super-heavy bass tracks, they can hold their own surprisingly well and reach low, with fantastic bass texture and control, especially given that they are open-back planar headphones. They will not achieve the kind of physical sub-bass rumble that a large dynamic driver can more easily.

The midrange will reflect the quality of the recording and mix. It can be enchanting, or thin, or centered, or lacking. The treble is the same. If sibilance is inherent to the recording, you will hear it. If it’s detailed and crisp, you will be the beneficiary.

https://www.headfonia.com/moondrop-skyland-review

As with most higher-end planar magnetics, two things immediately hit you. First, the low end extends effortlessly into the infrasonic range. There’s no roll-off like we’ve come to expect with dynamic drivers, which usually dive after 60Hz. Then there’s the fact that the low-end, no matter how abyssal, is effortless and extremely clean. I still think that the absence of low-end distortion is a part of the stereotypical “planar bass”.

The low-end on the Skyland just begs for tracks where a lot is going on down low. In other words – electronica. Lorn, Moderat, Monolake – they all take extra care to deliver a layered architecture down under. While Moderat relies more on impact and stays danceable, the other two are unveiled by the low-end prowess of the Moondropo Skyland. This headphone is made to dive, not too boogie.

If you are looking for a luxury headphone in this range that offers fine design, solid build, exceptional comfort, and sustainability, the Poet should be on the list for audition. Texture and tone are fantastic, across the spectrum. In comparison to similar designs, its center of gravity is lower, and somewhat contained by its smaller driver, earcup, and pad design. Resolution is on a par with others in this category, and dynamic expression is agile, refined, and consistently delivers the feel of our favorite performances, regardless of the fare. Meze has a sophisticated voice in the Poet.

Though the synergy with the SRM-700T energizer was spectacular, the SR-009D cable is a standard 5-pin design and will work with any other 580V Pro bias electrostatic amplifier on the market. Using STAX’s own SRM-D10ll portable driver, which retails for $945.00 and which I’ve reviewed and can recommend highly, can liberate the SR-009D from the desktop and can play up to DSD128 music files.

STAX is held in an almost mythical regard by audiophiles who seek the holy grail of the perfect reproduction of music, though it may never be possible to capture that enchanting goal. And STAX has competition these days, ironically because it was STAX that brought the magic of their earspeakers to the audio world and inspired other companies to reach for that elusive sound. We all benefit as these companies strive to reach the gold, but STAX is not resting on its exalted history; it is clearly continuing to innovate as the SR-009D clearly demonstrates.

If you are looking for a luxury headphone in this range that offers fine design, solid build, exceptional comfort, and sustainability, the Poet should be on the list for audition. Texture and tone are fantastic, across the spectrum. In comparison to similar designs, its center of gravity is lower, and somewhat contained by its smaller driver, earcup, and pad design. Resolution is on a par with others in this category, and dynamic expression is agile, refined, and consistently delivers the feel of our favorite performances, regardless of the fare. Meze has a sophisticated voice in the Poet.