Employing the latest Balanced Armature Driver technology and advanced crossover design, the innovative and Hi-Res Audio certified HEM in-ear headphones represent a pinnacle achievement in performance and value. The HEM headphones reveal a whole new element of musical space to audio enthusiasts, redefining the stantard of premium portable sound.
HEM2
1BA
X1
Red/Blue/Black
USD$ 199
HEM4
2BA
X1
X1
Red/Blue/Black
USD$ 299
HEM6
3BA
X1
X2
Black
USD$ 399
HEM8
4BA
X2
X2
Black
USD$ 499
The HEM in-ear headphones are an innovative family of cutting-edge designs; each excelling in performance well beyond the price point. All based on the Hi-Res Audio certified Balanced Armature Driver technology and on the attention on finest details. The result is a series of headphones that deliver lightning-fast transient speed and percussive attack, extremely high output, varnishing levels of distortion and a degree of musical coherency that simply begs your audition. Their electrical impedance is free of extremes in magnitude and phase, allowing them to be used with smartphones, tablets, computers as well as headphone amplifiers.
The HEM headphones are equipped with multiple Knowles™ Balanced Armature Drivers. These drivers are Hi-Res Audio certified, and precision balanced and adjusted for seamless performance. The individual drivers are optimally tuned for specific frequency ranges.
With ultimate performance as their goal, from the onset NuForce engineers employed the latest computer modeling tools for developing a proprietary process of achieving a true linear-phase crossover design that, unlike most others, does not sacrifice low distortion performance or frequency linearity.
To improve fit, comfort and performance, and to avoid listening fatigue, the HEM headphones have been constructed with acoustically modeled, vibration-free Lexan™ earpieces. The earpieces are robust but at the same time lightweight. The angle and diameter of the sound nozzle have been optimised for the best possible performance.
The HEM headphones come with two earphone cables; one with microphone and inline remote for listening to music on-the-go, and one high-end cable for the best performance. The high-end cable is hand-made and manufactured from the finest OFC copper and silver. The 2-pin cable connectors are made of proprietary mix of silver and copper with separate ground return for each channel. Both cables are free of micro-phonic effects and noise as well as tangle free.
A balanced armature driver is superior to a single dynamic driver as it doesn’t flex or create distortion. Developed to attain the highest level of clarity and neutrality the armature drivers far exceed the accuracy of the single driver (inner speaker) found in most headphones and earphones. The HEM headphones use multiple such drivers for each ear, imitating the working of a full range professional speaker. Due to the miniature size of the Balanced Armature driver a number of drivers can be combined together to create a full range sound field. The result is an astonishing life-like, lush and accurate sound that is able to maintain clarity even at the highest volume levels and retrieve critical details at very low volume levels.
Using multiple drivers require a frequency dividing crossover network. This crossover network assigns a given frequency band to its respective driver, and therefore just as with any loudspeaker, it represents the critical “heart” of the total system. The ultimate system performance cannot be achieved unless the crossover topology results in a seamless blending of the individual drivers’ outputs into a single, coherent response that is void of significant distortion and extreme variations in frequency.
Optoma NuForce engineering undertook a challenge of desiging a headphone crossover with no such attitude of compromise as an option. Nothing but a truly optimized response for each of the individual HEM models was acceptable. To meet this challenge, an advanced level of computer modeling was required, but the tools commonly employed in loudspeaker design had no counterpart in the headphone world. Therefore, the only solution was to start over and find ways to modify and adapt existing tools to the task, and then apply a bit of innovative thinking to overcome the crossover part limitation issue.
For the ultimate in musical accuracy and coherency, extensive multi-variant nodal analysis & computer modeling has been employed in the development of the HEM headphones. The result is a full-spectrum design that exhibits both linear frequency and phase response.
Each HEM model offer an incredibly smooth frequency response seldom seen in any Balanced Armature Driver headphone regardless of price, a linear phase response for delivering lightning-fast transient speed and percussive attack, extremely high output capabilities sufficient for reproduction of dynamic peaks well beyond the tolerance limits of human hearing and varnishingly low distortion levels.
If ultimate-fidelity headphone listening is your passion, then one or more models of the NuForce Balanced Armature Driver headphones is also destined to become the cornerstones of your headphone playback system as well.
For maximum comfort, the HEM retail package includes two types of eartips in a range of sizes so you can be assured of a snug, slip free fit. These include Comply™ isolation T-100, memory foam premium eartips which shape themselves to fit perferctly in the ear canal, offering superior isolation and performance. The package also includes a waterproof and airtight polycarbonate case, a small carrying pouch, cleaning tool as well as airline adapter.
HEM2 | HEM4 | HEM6 | HEM8 | |
Plug type | Φ3.5mm | Φ3.5mm | Φ3.5mm | Φ3.5mm |
Cable length | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) |
Driver type | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature |
Drivers | Comes with two drivers, one in each earpiece. | Comes with four drivers, two in each earpiece. | Comes with six drivers, three in each earpiece. | Comes with eight drivers, four in each earpiece. |
Color | Red/Blue/Black | Red/Blue/Black | Black | Black |
Max-Input | 113dB | 124dB | 124dB | 122dB |
Impedance | 26Ω | 38Ω | 37Ω | 32Ω |
Max-Power | 2mW | 2mW | 2mW | 2mW |
Microphone sensitivity | -42 ±5dB | -42 ±5dB | -42 ±5dB | -42 ±5dB |
Frequency response | 20Hz – 40kHZ | 18Hz – 40kHZ | 18Hz – 40kHZ | 10Hz – 40kHZ |
Sensitivity | 110dB ±3dB | 113dB ±3dB | 113dB ±3dB | 124dB ±3dB |
Weight (without cable) | 3.4g | 5.2g | 5.8g | 6.4g |
HEM2 | |
Plug type | Φ3.5mm |
Cable length | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) |
Driver type | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature |
Drivers | Comes with two drivers, one in each earpiece. |
Color | Red/Blue/Black |
Max-Input | 113dB |
Impedance | 26Ω |
Max-Power | 2mW |
Microphone sensitivity | -42 ±5dB |
Frequency response | 20Hz – 40kHZ |
Sensitivity | 110dB ±3dB |
Weight (without cable) | 3.4g |
HEM4 | |
Plug type | Φ3.5mm |
Cable length | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) |
Driver type | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature |
Drivers | Comes with four drivers, two in each earpiece. |
Color | Red/Blue/Black |
Max-Input | 124dB |
Impedance | 38Ω |
Max-Power | 2mW |
Microphone sensitivity | -42 ±5dB |
Frequency response | 18Hz – 40kHZ |
Sensitivity | 113dB ±3dB |
Weight (without cable) | 5.2g |
HEM6 | |
Plug type | Φ3.5mm |
Cable length | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) |
Driver type | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature |
Comes with six drivers, three in each earpiece. | |
Color | Block |
Max-Input | 124dB |
Impedance | 37Ω |
Max-Power | 2mW |
Microphone sensitivity | -42 ±5dB |
Frequency response | 18Hz – 40kHZ |
Sensitivity | 113dB ±3dB |
Weight (without cable) | 5.8g |
HEM8 | |
Plug type | Φ3.5mm |
Cable length | 1380mm (OFC) 1380mm (Mic) |
Driver type | Knowles™Hi-Res Balanced Armature |
Drivers | Comes with eight drivers, four in each earpiece. |
Color | Block |
Max-Input | 122dB |
Impedance | 32Ω |
Max-Power | 2mW |
Microphone sensitivity | -42 ±5dB |
Frequency response | 10Hz – 40kHZ |
Sensitivity | 124dB ±3dB |
Weight (without cable) | 6.4g |
+ Silicone tips: Six pairs in different sizes, two colors. +Comply™ isolation T-100 tips: two pairs in (L/M). + Water – and air tight polycarbonate carrying box for the earphones. + Carrying case. + 3.5mm to 6.3mm connector. + Cleaning tool. + Safety guide. + High End OFC earphone cable. + Earphone cable with microphone. + Cable clip. |