The RE2000 Pro Silver IEMs by Hifiman caught the attention of many enthusiasts at the time of their launch thanks to their excellent audio reproduction quality, back when they cost nearly €2000. Now, about three years later (the standard RE2000 version, from which it all began, dates back to 2017), they are available at a price of €350 or slightly more. The question is: does this high-end gem launched three years ago hold its own against more recently released entry-level earphones? In our opinion, no—meaning that the RE2000 Pro Silver are far superior to the vast majority of devices in the same price range. But now it’s worth taking a step back and explaining what kind of device we’re talking about.
Prodotti consigliati
RE2000 Pro Silver: presentation
Born as an improvement over the RE2000, this wired earphone model was launched in 2021 (the release timeline of this series is quite intricate, as you can see from the image further below) and was initially reserved for a niche group of enthusiasts willing to spend between €1500 and €2000. Interestingly, you can immediately sense the device’s noble origins from the box, which remains the elegant, black, finely finished packaging typical of high-end products.
The box includes the in-ear monitors, the connection cable ending in a 3.5 mm jack, the housing (the case for storing them), the user manual, the warranty card, a pair of spare mini connectors for the cable in case of damage (well done Hifiman), two ear hooks, and the classic set of tips to test in order to find the best fit for your ear.
The RE2000 Pro Silver uses the Topology Diaphragm, one of the most famous proprietary technologies of the Chinese-American company, based on the use of nanomaterials, an area in which the founder is internationally recognized as an expert. Another interesting and far from obvious feature is the ability to replace the IEM cable. The included one is certainly of good quality, but those inclined toward experimentation can swap it as they wish (as well as the tips, of course; in this regard, some enthusiasts report improvements with Spinfit tips for the RE2000, a customization we have not yet tested).
Here are the key technical specifications:
- 9.2mm Dynamic Driver
- Frequency response: 5Hz – 20kHz
- Sensitivity: 103dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
- Impedance: 60 Ω
- Cable: Silver Coated, Crystalline Copper Wire
In this version, the company’s engineers refined the aluminum housings to make them more comfortable: we don’t have a direct comparison with non-Pro models, but we can say that the device’s fit is excellent, provided you try all the tips to find the ones that best suit your ear. It should be noted that the RE2000 Pro Silver can be worn in two ways: the classic way, inserting them into the ear with a slight rotation so that the cable exits downward, or reversed, with the cable looping over the top of the ear (see image). We preferred the classic solution, but ear shape plays a major role with earphones, so we recommend experimenting to find the perfect fit for your needs.
The weight of these IEMs is negligible, but at the same time, their extremely light weight is an important factor for those used to wearing heavy headphones (like many planar magnetics, which sound great but are heavy): the comfort of earphones can go hand in hand with great audio quality, as demonstrated by the RE2000 Pro Silver. For those planning to pair them with a good portable DAC/headphone amplifier, they represent an excellent solution for listening to music on the go (on trains, trams, or during long walks, for example).
RE2000 Pro Silver: how they sound
Naturally, the following considerations take into account the price range in which the model sits. In general, we can say first of all that the tonality tends to be neutral, and particularly notable are the strong dynamics, speed, and precision. These are earphones that, needless to say, should be used with lossless files and perform best with a proper decoding and amplification setup: we tested them with a wide range of devices, including several Hifiman models (EF600, EF400, EF499, and others). Although they perform well even with entry-level DAC/headphone amps, we strongly recommend pairing them with higher-quality electronics and turning up the volume—this is where the RE2000 Pro Silver truly prove to be on another level compared to most similarly priced devices.
But let’s go into detail.
The low frequencies are, in our opinion, the real highlight of these IEMs: detailed, fast, powerful, tight, and punchy, they immediately make an impression with strong personality, yet without overshadowing the other frequencies. Genres and tracks with strong bass are reproduced exceptionally well, considering the price range, so if you enjoy hard rock, metal, or electronic music, you’ll have plenty of fun (also thanks to the dynamics and speed characteristic of these IEMs).
The mid frequencies are well-detailed, with excellent instrument separation and positioning within the soundstage. Even though they are slightly overshadowed by the bass, they hold their ground and blend well into the overall sound, demonstrating that despite their dynamics, speed, and strong bass, the device maintains a controlled performance.
The high frequencies aim for maximum clarity and are in 99% of cases sufficiently balanced to be enjoyable without becoming harsh (in a few rare cases, peaks were slightly too high for our taste, but these are very rare occurrences mentioned for completeness). Vocal reproduction is melodic and always characterized by an excellent level of detail.
The soundstage is surprisingly good: its width and height (which we would describe as “medium” if these weren’t IEMs) allow notes to resonate and fade naturally, something many IEMs struggle with.
As mentioned above, the RE2000 Pro Silver benefit greatly from pairing with high-quality electronics and scale with improvements in the decoding/amplification chain (with an EF600 or with a Topping A90/Lake People G111 MK2 + good DAC they can truly shine, though it depends on your budget). For those planning to pair them with a portable DAC/amp, we would even suggest spending as much or more than their current reduced price, perhaps browsing the used market to match them with something like the excellent and great-sounding iFi Gryphon, just to give an example. A small note: if your electronics have a 6.35mm output and you don’t have a good adapter, get one!
Conclusions
Hifiman surprised everyone by dropping the price of the RE2000 Pro Silver to around €350, but the move proves successful in relaunching a truly excellent model that will appeal to those on a budget looking for high-quality wired IEMs to pair with a solid amplification and decoding setup—especially if you’re after a fun sound characterized by strong dynamics, engaging bass, and excellent detail.
We would have called them a good deal even at €500; at €350, in our opinion, they should be considered a benchmark in their category, absolutely worth considering for any enthusiast looking for fast, energetic wired earphones.
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