**Hifiman HE-400 Impressions and Discussion Thread** - Page 10

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTCG 

Just ordered them. $10 plus $6 for shipping...ouch.

If $16, shipped, for a pair of earpads is "ouch", whatever you do, do not look toward Senn and AKG.   Senn pads are generally $40-60 shipped for a pair and AKG runs $40-45 PER PAD, UNSHIPPED.

I don't know what Audio Technica charges but the lack of seeing them in the wild leads me to believe it's some exotic custom order thing.

HiFiMan has the cheapest pads around, anywhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTCG 

Hey I just found a single HFM velour pad, don't know where the other is. It has the plastic tabs. My new he400 pleather pads seem to be slip on/off. The tabs will not work, correct?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerg 

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say. You received the velours you ordered an hour ago already? Also no all current Hifiman pads have clips/tabs that wedge in and out from the headphone shell.

How old were your HE500's?  The early HE-500's shipped with a totally different earpad system that's been discontinued.  The response to the original system resulted in yelling, screaming, and general disdain, and a lot of cracked pad rings.

The headphones I don't believe changed, just the pad assemblies.  The old ones (with the older, thinner velour pad) had the old system with the big huge plastic tabs on the stiff, brittle ring.  The new ones (new thicker velour and pleather) have the tiny wing tabs on a softer, bendable plastic ring. If your HE-500 was old enough your pad is the old style pad with the long tabs and the brittle ring (and the shallower, less padded velour.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTCG 

I do not use hp's for movies but I'm an occasional gamer. Playing BF3 or MW2 the he400 is very good. Nice sound stage and accuracy of sound with decent but not overwhelming bass. 

I would suspect that the neutral mids would lend themselves very well to atmosphere.  The neutral mids may not be ideal for lots of dialogue in movies though.  It would sound good, but may be harder to hear or require more effort than a mids-boosted lush can.  Hard to argue soundstage though!

Does any one know what is the best price one can get for a new pair of HE-400 anywhere?

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by willmax 

Does any one know what is the best price one can get for a new pair of HE-400 anywhere?

 

Cheers

Heyo,

I just posted about that here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/586885/new-hifiman-headphone-he-400-is-out/1365#post_8320720

Sorry for ya wallet!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerg 

 

 

Heyo,

 

I just posted about that here:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/586885/new-hifiman-headphone-he-400-is-out/1365#post_8320720

 

Sorry for ya wallet!

Thanks for that, I contacted a local store after the HE-400 and they said that there are still issues with this headphone and that the production has not been sorted out yet, they told me to wait but they have the HE-500 and HE-300 but not HE-400.

I also checked on HeadRoom website and the HE-400 will only be available in 1-2 weeks time.

Are people still reporting issues with their HE-400 headphone since the pre-order fiasco early in the year? Should I wait a bit longer for things to settle down before I pull the trigger on these?

Quote:

Originally Posted by willmax 

 

 

Thanks for that, I contacted a local store after the HE-400 and they said that there are still issues with this headphone and that the production has not been sorted out yet, they told me to wait but they have the HE-500 and HE-300 but not HE-400.

 

I also checked on HeadRoom website and the HE-400 will only be available in 1-2 weeks time.

 

Are people still reporting issues with their HE-400 headphone since the pre-order fiasco early in the year? Should I wait a bit longer for things to settle down before I pull the trigger on these?

 

 

Nope. The only thing I can think of is my pair developed an imbalance due to a combination of sudden humidity in my city and hot air from my laptop vent blowing on one diaphragm over an entire night; but that imbalance disappeared after 2 days as the weather cleared up. Other than that I don't recall anyone with QC issues with em in recent times.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerg 

 

 

Nope. The only thing I can think of is my pair developed an imbalance due to a combination of sudden humidity in my city and hot air from my laptop vent blowing on one diaphragm over an entire night; but that imbalance disappeared after 2 days as the weather cleared up. Other than that I don't recall anyone with QC issues with em in recent times.

Hum...that's nice to hear, I'm thinking about ordering straight from HeadDirect to Australia as shipping is just $17.5 only thing is what happens if I need to return them for warranty issues, would I have to send the headphones to US or China for repair/exchange?

Quote:

Originally Posted by willmax 

 

 

Hum...that's nice to hear, I'm thinking about ordering straight from HeadDirect to Australia as shipping is just $17.5 only thing is what happens if I need to return them for warranty issues, would I have to send the headphones to US or China for repair/exchange?

Not sure, shoot head-direct customer service an email perhaps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by willmax 

Hum...that's nice to hear, I'm thinking about ordering straight from HeadDirect to Australia as shipping is just $17.5 only thing is what happens if I need to return them for warranty issues, would I have to send the headphones to US or China for repair/exchange?

Here's a direct quote that I received from customer service for my issue.  This issue was in an e-mail that they sent to me as the last step;

Quote:

Originally Posted by IEMCrazy 

 

 

If $16, shipped, for a pair of earpads is "ouch", whatever you do, do not look toward Senn and AKG.   Senn pads are generally $40-60 shipped for a pair and AKG runs $40-45 PER PAD, UNSHIPPED.

 

I don't know what Audio Technica charges but the lack of seeing them in the wild leads me to believe it's some exotic custom order thing.

 

HiFiMan has the cheapest pads around, anywhere.

 

 

How old were your HE500's?  The early HE-500's shipped with a totally different earpad system that's been discontinued.  The response to the original system resulted in yelling, screaming, and general disdain, and a lot of cracked pad rings.

 

The headphones I don't believe changed, just the pad assemblies.  The old ones (with the older, thinner velour pad) had the old system with the big huge plastic tabs on the stiff, brittle ring.  The new ones (new thicker velour and pleather) have the tiny wing tabs on a softer, bendable plastic ring. If your HE-500 was old enough your pad is the old style pad with the long tabs and the brittle ring (and the shallower, less padded velour.)

 

 

I would suspect that the neutral mids would lend themselves very well to atmosphere.  The neutral mids may not be ideal for lots of dialogue in movies though.  It would sound good, but may be harder to hear or require more effort than a mids-boosted lush can.  Hard to argue soundstage though!

This is kind of ironic.  I was reading in one of the Grado threads several hours back about pads that Grado is now offering for their highest level headphones.  They are $150 for the pair.  However, it is claimed that with care and proper cleaning, they should last a lifetime.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by wje 

 

 

This is kind of ironic.  I was reading in one of the Grado threads several hours back about pads that Grado is now offering for their highest level headphones.  They are $150 for the pair.  However, it is claimed that with care and proper cleaning, they should last a lifetime.  

That gets me wondering, what kinds of earpads DO last a life-time or at least say 4~5 decades without significant foam deterioration / surface material damage?

Perhaps real leather with some sort of special rubber foam compound insert?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wje 

 

 

Here's a direct quote that I received from customer service for my issue.  This issue was in an e-mail that they sent to me as the last step;

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, I've emailed HeadDirect as jerg suggested but they still haven't replied to my question. 

It is a bit cheaper to ship to HK instead of US.

Quote:

Originally Posted by willmax 

 

 

Thanks, I've emailed HeadDirect as jerg suggested but they still haven't replied to my question. 

 

It is a bit cheaper to ship to HK instead of US.

Well I dunno if they reply emails during weekends. Maybe search around the forums see if you can find someone else who's had ismilar experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerg 

Well I dunno if they reply emails during weekends. Maybe search around the forums see if you can find someone else who's had ismilar experience.

Correct.  The support group for HifiMAN is off on weekends, and does not reply to e-mail messages.  That has been my experience.  Even with our time change between Hong Kong and the U.S., I'd get messages from them at 3:00 a.m. (my time) and assuming that would be around the end of their day.  When I'd respond upon waking, it would be nearly 20 more hours before I'd hear back from them again.  International trade can be both good and bad.  Adjusting to the various time tables is one aspect of consideration.  Another is the Chinese new year.  I'm all for respecting culture, etc.  However, it seems as though the two week or so shutdown of HifiMAN in Hong Kong had a much larger effect as they tried to play catch up in the months that follow.

Again, just my observation and opinion.