[money4me247]

  Well, i got my pair of HE-400 today ( $220 shipped, used for almost 3 months, focus pads included ), and it need to say, it's so FANTASTIC !!!
even i'm not a audiophile, it changed my listening experience so much.
The question is : is it worth to upgrade/rebuild the headphones cable ?
will a shorter cable with better material quality and connectors do a better job ?
Thank you.

 
short answer: no.
 
long answer: probably not worth it though there are people here who argue differently. considering that the cheapest pair of 'upgrade' cables will probably cost you $150+ which is almost the price of your headphones, the money will definitely be better spent elsewhere. If wanting to upgrade the sound quality, you should always go in this order to maximize your dollar: source files > headphones > amp > dac > other. If you don't have an amp, that would be the first thing I get. I would spend less than $100 on this personally. sound quality improvement is probably about 15% max if you are being generous. cable sound quality improvements would be like maybe 1-5% haahh. switching between your focuspads vs velour vs pleather pads will have a bigger impact on the sound than cables to give you a sense of how minimal change cables bring hahah.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

In terms of bass as a whole, yes, the HE400 has about the best bass there is in terms of finding the perfect balance between quality and quantity. You're probably just used tk bass heavy headphones, which doesn't mean better bass, it means more bass.

Find an open headphone that hits as deep and powerfully as the HE400. There really is only one I can think of, the LCD2. Thats it.

 

[htr2d2]

   
short answer: no.
 
long answer: probably not worth it though there are people here who argue differently. considering that the cheapest pair of 'upgrade' cables will probably cost you $150+ which is almost the price of your headphones, the money will definitely be better spent elsewhere. If wanting to upgrade the sound quality, you should always go in this order to maximize your dollar: source files > headphones > amp > dac > other. If you don't have an amp, that would be the first thing I get. I would spend less than $100 on this personally. sound quality improvement is probably about 15% max if you are being generous. cable sound quality improvements would be like maybe 1-5% haahh. switching between your focuspads vs velour vs pleather pads will have a bigger impact on the sound than cables to give you a sense of how minimal change cables bring hahah.

Shinayasaki,
 
I second money4m247. I have been experimenting with different audio cables with my HE-400 cans. Frankly, I have challenges hearing the difference between the $5 Hosa, $40 Grado, and $xxx cables. My ears are far from perfect, but I, personally, would use the money elsewhere to either improve you setup or some other facet of your love for audio. Can anyone say "HDtracks?"

 
 
+1 on the velour pads (and the beyer headband pad for comfort)

 

[Saoshyant]

The only reason I've bought a cable is to have a short cable, which at the time for my he400 still cost $84. I'd like to hear a $500 cable one day, but certainly have no interest in buying it.

 

[TontonJoK]

deleted

 

[manbear]

 
Funny when I moved up to the HE-560 I was actually initially disappointed as well because I was so used to the HE-400's sound sig.

How do you like those HE-560s? Do you EQ the bass up?

I've had the itch for new headphones lately. HE-400i doesn't seem like enough of an upgrade to be worth the money. 

 

[TMRaven]

I think the only reason you'd want to 'upgrade' to a 400i from a 400 is if you absolutely hated the 400's sound signature and wanted a fast and inexpensive fix to get something around the same level of sound quality but with a slight bit more neutrality.
 
The Audeze LCD-X will be a much better overall upgrade from 400's sound signature.  

 

[manbear]

I like the HE-400 sound signature overall, but the treble is too harsh for me, even with EQ. A more forward midrange would be nice too.

I love inner detail and texture. It seems like the HE-560 has plenty of that, plus a more balanced midrange and smoother treble. All of that sounds great, but I'm not sure how I feel about losing some oomph in the bass. Considering that I had the Q701 before the HE-400, I could probably get used to it. But the bass is one of my favorite parts of the HE-400...

 

[TMRaven]

You're losing about as much oomph in the bass with 400i vs the 560 if you were to move on from the 400.  The LCD-X will have about the same oomph in the bass.
 
400i vs 560 is if you want a more linear midrange and treble.  400i still showcases some of the 400 coloration, with a somewhat withdrawn upper-midrange and spiked mid-upper treble, while the 560 is much more even in that area.  

 

[money4me247]

How do you like those HE-560s? Do you EQ the bass up?

I've had the itch for new headphones lately. HE-400i doesn't seem like enough of an upgrade to be worth the money. 

No, I do not EQ my headphones normally. I like to let myself get used to the sound signature before fiddling with software settings.
 
I am definitely appreciating and enjoying the HE560s more the more I use them!!! however, whether that results from the HE-560's sonic capabilities or my own personal bias as new HE-560 owner is probably debatable .
 
The one really baller key thing about the HE-560 is its linear neutral response compared to everything else I've gotten the pleasure to try. I feel like I understand what people are talking about when they speak of "audiophile neutral." I used to equate it to the AKG's Q701 treble-focused sound signature, but after trying the HE-560, it is really amazing how they excel across all genres without any added emphasis to the frequency response. When I first heard the HE-560, I was kind of just like whatever because that really flat sound signature seemed a bit boring. There was no exciting rumbling bass boost or that extra piercing sparkle of treble-focused headphones.
 
Now that I've gotten a chance to listen to them more in-depth (or become more biased towards them hah!), I have found that these headphones can rumble extremely well and has that great sparkling detail of great treble notes. However, it is all dependent on your source!! If the song has no sparkle, there is no sparkle. If the song has no bass, the bass isn't very prominent. It is like all the instruments across the frequency range are lined up and tuned to the exact same emphasis. However, when a song has that sick bass drop or a crescendoing melody, it is almost like that instrument/singer is walking towards you. Very cool effect! I thought it was very eye-opening to hear the different emphases over the frequency response be dictated by the song rather than your headphone's coloration. Do note this is a pretty subtle thing that wasn't really apparent when I first started listening to them.
 
The HE-400i and HE-560 are both great upgrades. Just remember you will be pushing into the point of diminishing returns.
 

  I think the only reason you'd want to 'upgrade' to a 400i from a 400 is if you absolutely hated the 400's sound signature and wanted a fast and inexpensive fix to get something around the same level of sound quality but with a slight bit more neutrality.
 
The Audeze LCD-X will be a much better overall upgrade from 400's sound signature.  

I agree. From what I've read the HE-400i is a really great all-rounder pair of headphones with amazing sound quality and slightly forward mid-range. However, it does not retain the HE-400's sound signature, but goes in a different direction.
 
To upgrade in terms of better sound quality with the same sound signature, I have heard the LCD-2 being suggested. I have not had the pleasure of listening to any Audeze headphones yet though.
 

I like the HE-400 sound signature overall, but the treble is too harsh for me, even with EQ. A more forward midrange would be nice too.

I love inner detail and texture. It seems like the HE-560 has plenty of that, plus a more balanced midrange and smoother treble. All of that sounds great, but I'm not sure how I feel about losing some oomph in the bass. Considering that I had the Q701 before the HE-400, I could probably get used to it. But the bass is one of my favorite parts of the HE-400...

I totally agree!!!!!!!!! I am actually keeping my HE-400 just because it's bass is just so amazing, I just can't bear to part with it. The sound quality of the HE-560 is definitely in a different league than the HE-400, but dudee, I do enjoy some of dat bass bump!! The HE-560 can bump the bass, but the bass is never over-emphasized. I feel like for EDM music you just want that bass-line just about to cross the line to over-whelming the rest of the frequency response. heh!!!!
 
There is naturally an adjustment period when moving to a different sound signature, but damnnn, I am a bit of a secret basshead at heart. I am upgrading from my cheap V3 amp to the Lyr 2 to see if more power makes any difference in the HE-560's sound. If it just boosts up that bass response just a tad, I would be ecstatic! If that doesn't work, I will just get a warmer tube and I am sure I'll be very satisfied with the HE-560 for everything.
 
Great pair of headphones the HE-400s tho! Always hold a special place in my heart for that sound quality/price & that bass.

 

[21quest]

That's true, I am beginning to like this headphone, I finally understand about the bass, maybe I expected quantity instead of quality, but this is okay, I like how the bass on these makes my eardrum tighten up sometimes, but I am most impressed by the detail, when there's harmonization I got goosebumps, and finally rock music sounds not shouty and loud because the sounds do not stick together, I can hear all the instruments, that's very great. However I dont understand by some of u saying having this on is like live concert, its not that big of a soundstage, I still got the impression that the sound is in my head. Right now I am still using the stock faux leather pads, I will definitely buy the velour or the focus pads, I am torn in between them, the focus pads cost twice the velour, I feel like I just wanna get the velour, but I am worried if I am missing on anything great on the focus pads, does the focus pads worth it?

 

[money4me247]

  That's true, I am beginning to like this headphone, I finally understand about the bass, maybe I expected quantity instead of quality, but this is okay, I like how the bass on these makes my eardrum tighten up sometimes, but I am most impressed by the detail, when there's harmonization I got goosebumps, and finally rock music sounds not shouty and loud because the sounds do not stick together, I can hear all the instruments, that's very great. However I dont understand by some of u saying having this on is like live concert, its not that big of a soundstage, I still got the impression that the sound is in my head. Right now I am still using the stock faux leather pads, I will definitely buy the velour or the focus pads, I am torn in between them, the focus pads cost twice the velour, I feel like I just wanna get the velour, but I am worried if I am missing on anything great on the focus pads, does the focus pads worth it?

I am really glad to hear you are growing to like them!!!! 
 
http://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php
Under the Wiring section, there is a center vs twisted. So talking about good headphones, the sounds are 'centered' not 'twisted', so that you can pin-point exactly where each note is coming from.
Under the Binaural section, try it! That demonstrates imaging and soundstage as you can pick out the exact spot where the sound is coming from.
 
For pleather vs velour: velour pads are only $10, so not a big deal if you want to experiment. FocusPads are the improved earpads designed for the new gen HE-400i and HE-560. $40 is too pricey for me for earpads.
 
Some people say earpads make a really big difference in the sound, and other people don't. I am personally too lazy to experiment. I did do a brief personal comparison between pleathers & velours, but it's hard to really know if there are any sonic changes as it takes a few minutes to switch them, so you cannot direct A/B compare. Honestly, really the biggest change I noticed was comfort, velour was more breathable so your ears don't get as stuffy and hot. I kind of thought the pleathers may have actually sounded 'better,' but I already put on the velours and didn't feel like taking them off. That is how small I thought any sonic differences were... not even worth my time to go back-and-forth testing.
 
I honestly personally wouldn't worry about it. Get velour if you think your ears are getting too hot & stuff or want to experiment. Remember a lot of the things you read on these threads are discussing extremely subtle changes that sound more exaggerated just because it's typed out. Switching out pads are not going to revolutionize your headphones regardless of what people here say. Maybe 5% sound change tops?

 

[mandrake50]

  That's true, I am beginning to like this headphone, I finally understand about the bass, maybe I expected quantity instead of quality, but this is okay, I like how the bass on these makes my eardrum tighten up sometimes, but I am most impressed by the detail, when there's harmonization I got goosebumps, and finally rock music sounds not shouty and loud because the sounds do not stick together, I can hear all the instruments, that's very great. However I dont understand by some of u saying having this on is like live concert, its not that big of a soundstage, I still got the impression that the sound is in my head. Right now I am still using the stock faux leather pads, I will definitely buy the velour or the focus pads, I am torn in between them, the focus pads cost twice the velour, I feel like I just wanna get the velour, but I am worried if I am missing on anything great on the focus pads, does the focus pads worth it?

Soundstage is relative. After hearing lots of headphones over lots of years... none sound like they are not centered in the middle of my head.
Some stretch this a bit , some move the focus a little, but it is a matter of small degrees. I still search for something that replicates a theater, concert hall, or even my home system.
It seems to me that people that talk about these differences in soundstage have very good hearing and very analytical minds. I think that even then they are talking about inches and not feet  when analyzing the differences.

 

[manbear]

 
I am definitely appreciating and enjoying the HE560s more the more I use them!!! however, whether that results from the HE-560's sonic capabilities or my own personal bias as new HE-560 owner is probably debatable .
 
The one really baller key thing about the HE-560 is its linear neutral response compared to everything else I've gotten the pleasure to try. I feel like I understand what people are talking about when they speak of "audiophile neutral." I used to equate it to the AKG's Q701 treble-focused sound signature, but after trying the HE-560, it is really amazing how they excel across all genres without any added emphasis to the frequency response. When I first heard the HE-560, I was kind of just like whatever because that really flat sound signature seemed a bit boring. There was no exciting rumbling bass boost or that extra piercing sparkle of treble-focused headphones.

 
Thanks for the impressions. I think I will probably hold off for now and possibly try to audition some Audezes. If anything, I'd like a little more bass than the HE-400 but I also love a fast, layered, textured sound. Not sure if I can get both.
 

I am worried if I am missing on anything great on the focus pads, does the focus pads worth it?

From what I've noticed on this thread, it seems like the focus pads are worth trying. My attempt at using search hasn't brought up much about focus vs focus a pads for the HE-400 though--is there much difference?

 

 

[manbear]

Also, here's a little something to tickle everyone's eardrums with some planar bass needles.