Mine were so shockingly muddy when I got them, thought I got a defective piece or they got damaged in shipping. They cleared up dramatically after about 150 hrs. of burn in. Give it a shot. A high current amp helps. I use the Fiio K5 Pro. To my ears, the quality of bass is a bit of a let down...

Thank you for the prompt clarification. Have placed an online order.:thumbsup:

Hi, Thanks for the update on new products. I'm planning to get a K5 Pro to drive my He400i 2020. Is it worth waiting for the revision model with the new 9038Q2M DAC chip from ESS? Is it expected to improve the DAC stage performance from the previous chip? Will there be a price revision?

Just to report that the driver installed on Win10 and is working fine. Repeated the whole process at least a dozen times though. Phew!

Thanks for the tips guys. I went back and tried the routines you suggested, but no luck.   I uninstalled the driver, restarted the laptop and plugged in the X3, which switched off immediately.   On forcing the X3 to restart during installation, it showed this error:  Preparation...

My X3 first gen stopped working as a usb dac after the Windows 10 upgrade. Have reinstalled the driver after many tries (Installation did not start saying 'Connect the device' although it was connected.)   Even after the driver installation it is not working.   Any suggestions or advice?

I've been using the first gen X3 as a USB DAC on Windows 8.1 for a while now. After the Windows 10 upgrade it has stopped working.   So I disabled the 'Install Driver without Signature' setting and tried to install the driver again, but could not, since the device was not recognized during...

Deleted post. Issue solved

  I'm using the HE400 with the Fiio X3 and found that I could not get full capability until I added an amp. Using the X3 on hi gain helped, but still dint sound effortless.   Tried the O2 and the Fiio E12 and found a huge improvement. The low end came to life and the overall texturing became...

Thanks Lohb, will try that. Also will try the EQ on Foobar.    To tell the truth, I've not had much luck with EQ settings so far. Its always sounded better when i turn off the EQ.    But now that I really need it, I may get the hang of it.

I've had the HE-400 for a month now and have put in around 80-100 hours on it. The sound has settled down wonderfully though the sharp highs are still an irritation on some recordings. I am playing it off  Foobar> Fiio X3. The volume was sufficient on hi gain though it still felt a little...

Tried taking the Line Out from the X3 to a borrowed O2 amp and yes! I can feel it now, the power and the glory! Got to get an amp now,

 I'm waiting to complete the burn in and to try some amping options before deciding on the pads. Thanks for the suggestion!

  The difference is quite large. The 558 is quite balanced but polite and laidback with less bass presence.   The HE-400 is not at all balanced. The vocals and guitars are pushed back, but has strong deep bass and bright highs (extreme V shape). So it's ideal for genres like electronic music...

Yes, though not all the way to the 150 hrs recommended in the manual. Maybe around a 80-100 hrs and the improvement is huge since the beginning. It seemed harsh and out of control in the beginning. In about 30-40 hours, it started getting more coherent and together. The burn in difference was...

Got myself an HE-400 a month back. If anyone in Mumbai wants to try it out, you're most welcome to drop by. I play it off  a Fiio X3. Also have the HD558 and the M-50 if you wish to compare between them. 

Thanks HarleyZH, that's a relief. Have ordered one off Ebay and should be reaching in a few days, so guess I'll find out soon enough. 

Hi folks,   Is there anyone here who uses the HD-400 with the Fiio X3? Does the amp do justice to the headphones? The X3 did a lot for my HD558 and M50, but worried about the hard-to-drive tag that the orthos have built up. Would love to hear from people who've already heard the combo. Thanks!

  Gulp! My hearing must be fading. Thanks for your response Ananasov!

Thanks for the clarification ClieOS, and I dig the finer volume control on the 3.0.   I listen on low gain. Shift to high gain occasionally when using it as a USB DAC for watching downmixed 5.1 video (which seems to lower the volume level) on my laptop.   Does my level of 90-100 seem...

That's worrying.   I seem to need much more volume than those reported here. An average volume of 90 -100 on 3.0, using an HD558 and M50.   Is this normal?

I upgraded to 3.0 directly from 2.1 and it took a couple of days to get used to the new sound. Initially it sounded thinner and less meatier than the 2.1. But when it settled in...Wow!   I was not very impressed with the SQ earlier, but was willing to live with it considering the price and...

Hi guys,   I live in Bandra, Mumbai and got into headphones while learning music a few years back. Found it much easier to listen to individual instruments though the cans. Own the Senn HD 558 and the ATH - M50s LE (should arrive today!) and waiting for the Fiio E17 DAC/Amp to launch here...