HiFiMan HE-300 Coming Soon! - Page 57

Yes, straight out of the DX100 on medium gain with the HE-300.  I have the music on random most of the time so it ranges from electronica, rock, hip-hop, classical, vocals, etc.  The nice thing about the HE-300 is that it sounds great with music with good beats but also sounds excellent with vocal music.  I also have the RSA SR-71A and the HP-P1 and the music sounds best using the DX100.  Also, my DX100 is not fully burnt in.  

 

Wanted to give an update on the new cable, it arrived and is slightly different than the first silver cable I got back in February, they're both identical except the strain relief on the headphone connections is much stiffer and tougher (the reason I had to get a new cable in the first place was because the strain relief broke on the old one) and they're changed the very large 6.3mm connection to a much smaller 3.5mm one, well thought out changes and hopefully they can stop messing around with the cable and start making the headphone better now.

Thankyou HiFiMAN for being a smashing company!

 

Thanks... they're high on my wishlist
 

 

did everyone just email head-direct customer service?

 

Why do you ask?

Those who have owned and listened to both the HE-400 and the HE-300, can I get some comparison between the two? 

 

I can't provide you with that answer today.  However, after Tuesday or so when my HE-300s arrive, I'll be able to provide you with a better response.

 

OK, I received my HE-300s yesterday, so I can offer some sort of comparison.  

 

The HE-300s surprised me quite a bit as from the reviews I've read, they can have quite a "U" shaped frequency response.  In most of the genres that I listen to, I didn't feel myself craving for those frequencies, though - or, the HE-300s just seemed to cover them well.  The HE-300s provide a nice amount of bass.  Yes, actually, quite a good amount of bass.  The upper frequency detail is there, too.  I was listening to some Jonny Lang - Live ... and when the slower guitar portion was being played at the start of the song, it was very easy to make out the details of those cheering and making specific verbal comments.  I'm actually quite surprised at how this dynamic driver headphone from HifiMAN performs.  It feels quite a bit lighter than the HE-400s.

 

Now, what does one give up by opting for the HE-300s as opposed to spending $150 more for the HE-400s?  For one, the HE-400s, being an orthodynamic headphone have a unique sound that is capable of handling many music types and doing it with a slightly flatter frequency response.  However, the HE-400 can get a bit aggressive with the upper frequencies.  But, the HE-400s are orthodynamics - as mentioned before.  They have better power handling capabilities, etc. and can behave in many ways quite a bit different than the HE-300s.  I'm not implying the HE-300s are bad in any way - I love the sound and for me, they're "Keepers".  Though, I haven't really determined what the term length of a "keeper" is in this frenzied hobby of mine.

 

I also want to mention that coming from a Grado past, I thought the HE-300s were very compatible with some of the offerings from Grado.  I'd love to hear a dual between the HE-300s and the HF-2s.  The HE-300, on the used market, can be fetched for about $200.  The HF-2, meanwhile, still commands in the range of $400.  I suspect the bass on the HE-300 would be better from my recollection of owning the HF-2s and the upper end detail of the HE-300s would not disappoint a Grado user in any way.  In fact, I'm sure if they heard the HE-300s, a Grado lover might really take to the sound they are hearing.

 

Final verdict.  If you have a chance to purchase a pair of HE-300s used, do so.  They are easily worth $200 in the headphone world of $200 plastic wonders that are out there from so many vendors.  But, if someone wants a bit more refinement in their music, don't overlook the HE-400s.  The HE-400s get you into the ortho league without too much of a financial burden in making the leap. 

 

 

For a U shaped response, there would need to be a rising top end. Does not come close to happening on the HE300, at least not on the two pairs I have/had.

 

This headphone seems focused on midrange and midbass but the whole area is locked together, not separated in sections. No honking or shrieking with these headphones! I find they sound similar to the older Grados that used flat pads.

 

I would love to hear more thoughts from you comparing the HE-300 to the HE400

I've had the Hifiman HE-300's for a couple of days with at least 24hrs of burn-in. The band holding the ear cups are darker, almost a gunmetal color. Also, it comes with a silver cable instead of the Canare cable and includes the new velour pads.

My impressions of it so far is that they sound rather bright, almost too bright with some modern rock. The crash cymbals can sound piercing in certain songs. Coming from Sennheiser HD-25 1 II' s, they sound less clear, not less detailed, but less clear. They sound almost digital at certain points. I'm going to build a cable for them and hope that it tones down the highs and improves clarity. Soundstage is spacious.

Gear used is as follows:
Zune HD 16Gb
JDS Labs C421 headphone amp with AD8620 omap
Sennheiser HD-25 1 II with custom cable by me for comparison
Obviously, the Hifiman HE-300's
My collection of songs are about 1/4 WMA lossless and the rest are MP3 320 Kb/s

Excuse any typos in this, I typed this up on my phone since my desktop is unhooked for some upgrades.

So how are the mids on the HE-300, as opposed to, say, the HE-400/500?  From what I gather, it seems that the HE-300 are focused on bass and treble, since not many people talk about the mids. I like to have slightly forward and smooth mids, which was why I liked the HE-500 when I had the chance to hear them. But I'm looking for something that can be driven easier, which is why I'm looking towards the HE-300/400. And I've also heard claims of both sounding comparable, or even edging out, the hd600/650s, which interests me greatly, since I've had them for a while, and loved them. Even if the mids aren't forward, I'd like to hear from anyone who's had experience with either of these, regarding the overall quality relative to the HE-500s. Are they comparable, or a significant step down? And what will the HE-400 offer better than the HE-300? I'll probably get a chance to listen to them during the weekend, so I might just find out the answers to all these questions myself, though I'd like to get some impressions on what to expect.

 

Also, what are the pros/cons concerning pleather vs velour pads on either of the cans?

 

I know user wje from over the other threads has owned or still owns HE300 / 400 / 500, best you PM him eh.

 

I linked to some very good objective measurements and comparison between Hifiman pleather vs velours on HE400s by purrin over the big HE400 thread just yesterday.

Ii wrote a review on these that you can look up. The 300 focuses on bass and mids, not treble. In fact, they are quite veiled when compared to a senn 600 or 650. Both of those are far superior cans then the 300. Much more difficult to drive though.

The 500 is the star player in the affordable ortho lineup. Remember that the 300 is not an ortho.

 

I haven't heard either of the Senns, but I also found the HE-300 (rev1 so take with a grain of salt) bass to veil the treble a bit. The bass, while fun at first, was much too strong for my taste. It made a low note on an acoustic bass during a jazz ballad sound like an earthquake, haha.

Just bought a pair, gonna be a gift for my dad. I'll probably audition it a bit first when I receive it though, and compare it against my HE400s.