**Hifiman HE-400 Impressions and Discussion Thread** - Page 300

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjames 

I'm really not crazy about the stock cables. Putting them in is awkward sometimes, requiring me to turn the whole thing (is this normal?) and the cable itself is rather stiff and rigid, I constantly have to lift it up and turn it manually so it's not fighting me.

 

Is there another cable that somebody might recommend? I'm not a big believer in cable-fi, but if there is something that will actually change the sound much, I don't want it. I also don't want to drop 1/4 of the cost of the headphones themselves into a new cable.

 

Just wondering if there's a go-to third party cable or something along those lines. Just plug and play, by the way. I yearn for modded headphones from time to time, but my hands are only good for few things, and tinkering with electronics is not one of them.

You might ask Hifiman's customer service for a HE-4 cable. I don't know if they will sell them separately though...

Among the 3 types of cable I have (500s, 400s and 4s), these are the most flexible and the best finition.

- The 500s are stiff and noisy (I can hear them in the cups when they move)

- The 400s are heavy but OK overall

- The 4s are flexible, with nylon sleeving.

I dunno why they didn't keep that cable for the HE-400? Is it of lesser quality?

As for attaching them to the cans, for the 3 cables I just twist them counter-clockwise (2-3 turns) and screw the whole thing to the connector. Very tight fitting and never had a problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTCG 

James...you can tighter those connectors very careful with small pliers or needle nosed pliers. Be careful not to scratch the paint. You have them way too loose. 

The suggestion of twisting them counter clockwise and letting them work themselves into the connection was a very obvious one that I should have figured out on my own. Naturally, I didn't. They're working fine now, but I do still hate the cord's rigidity and stiffness. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by YGuyG 

Next obvious question: How much of an improvement can I expect from the M&M Schiit stack over my E11? Night and day, quite noticeable or what?

It has been a while since I've owned the FiiO E11 amplifier.  However, the stack will provide plenty of power for the HE-400s as well as provide great sound - from a neutral aspect for your headphones.  But, to compare the two, it is apples vs. oranges.  The Magni will not have a bass boost button, but you'll be able to EQ the sound through FooBar, if you desire to customize the sound to your tastes.

I just want to be careful that I don't imply that differences can, or could be heard that would really "wow" someone, but when they get the devices they would then question why someone overwhelmingly praised a product, yet it was just OK, and not great.

I am, however, very happy witht he Magni / Modi now that I have them.  I won't brag about the sound, because another person's ears will hear differently than mine.  However, I can state that there is noting that I don't like about them because they do their job, and they do it quite well.  Finally, though, in my case, I do think the Magni / Modi is a better solution than the Audio-GD "Fun" that I had owned in the past.  When you consider that as used "Fun" sells for about the same price as a new Magni / Modi stack, you'll see and hear how far technology has come with regards to some pretty neat gear that will interface with our computers, which act as the source for our music listening.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTCG 

^^ Why don't I ever get deals like that?

Because, it's all about timing.    I feel very fortunate for those times that I've visited the F/S sections on the forum at the same time there was something interesting that had been recently posted and I make a move on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjames 

The suggestion of twisting them counter clockwise and letting them work themselves into the connection was a very obvious one that I should have figured out on my own. Naturally, I didn't. They're working fine now, but I do still hate the cord's rigidity and stiffness. 

Hehe I was going to post this trick when I saw your comment on the previous page. But I'd have to agree with you that even when they do stay screwed the cables and the connectors are the weakest part of these headphones, it's a bad design choice. I'm probably going to make my own cable though once I find a suitable one along with better "plugs".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okamoto 

 

But is the D03 DAC good quality? Will there be much difference SQwise to a Modi or UHA 6S MKII DAC for example?

Nope, I purchased this a few months ago for the PS3, needless to say it went straight into the draw after some critical listening.  Apparently you can op-am roll it, but you're time and money could be better spent elsewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMac 

I had the Denon D2000's and the HE-400's out of the box beat the D2k's.. although, The D2k's are great in their own right.  So, I wouldn't say a "night and day" difference, rather a "dawn to afternoon" difference, but the difference was still there.  I fell in love with HE-400's gorgeous mids.

 

Me too. They are definitely on another level.

I'll keep my D2K's though as I still really like them, they look great with Bubinga cups, and they're closed which come's in handy when my wife is around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjames 

I'm wanting the Magni less and less the more I listen to my Little Dot MKIII. Had the thing for about a year now but only really using it since I have my HE-400. Falling in love with the warm sound and how well it renders the highs without harshness. I feel like the Magni is going to add a lot of edge to the top end that will be harsh to my ears.

 

That being said, I was way too in love with the idea of the Magni when it came out so I think I will buy the full M&M stack when I get paid next week and then if I don't love it enough to keep it as a secondary, I'll give a Head Fier a good deal on it!

There have been others in this thread who praise the Little Dot MKIII and HE-400 synergy. In fact before I bought my HE400s I was trying to decide between the M-stage or the MKIII. I ended up going with the M-stage because I didnt want to get into tubes. But the Little Dot sure is pretty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wje 
It has been a while since I've owned the FiiO E11 amplifier.  However, the stack will provide plenty of power for the HE-400s as well as provide great sound - from a neutral aspect for your headphones.  But, to compare the two, it is apples vs. oranges.  The Magni will not have a bass boost button, but you'll be able to EQ the sound through FooBar, if you desire to customize the sound to your tastes.

 

I am, however, very happy witht he Magni / Modi now that I have them.  I won't brag about the sound, because another person's ears will hear differently than mine.  However, I can state that there is noting that I don't like about them because they do their job, and they do it quite well.  Finally, though, in my case, I do think the Magni / Modi is a better solution than the Audio-GD "Fun" that I had owned in the past.  When you consider that as used "Fun" sells for about the same price as a new Magni / Modi stack, you'll see and hear how far technology has come with regards to some pretty neat gear that will interface with our computers, which act as the source for our music listening.

Even though it doesn't have a bass boost button, do you think that someone who is into EDM music could be satisfied with enough bass from these cans and the M&M stack? I guess it is all subjective and I'm not a crazy basshead, however I do like that rumble/shaking of my ears that headphones can provide when the music calls for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

Buy an E17 instead, and use the bass balance. The HE400 has ample bass and the rumble is amazing with a +4 bass boost.

Too late, the M&M is already on it's way so if I have to boost the bass I'll need to figure something else out. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTCG 

^^ This is good advice. I really enjoyed the he400 on the e17. The hardware EQ was NICE!! Then...upgradititus and sell the e17...purchase lyr. 

All of a sudden I feel like I made a mistake by ordering the M&M combo...

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrokeStudent 

Even though it doesn't have a bass boost button, do you think that someone who is into EDM music could be satisfied with enough bass from these cans and the M&M stack? I guess it is all subjective and I'm not a crazy basshead, however I do like that rumble/shaking of my ears that headphones can provide when the music calls for it.

Keep in mind, the bass adjustment on the FiiO E17 is probably in the 100Hz range.  However, if you have your Magna / Modi connected to your computer, you'll have access to a software EQ, which will give you access to many more frequencies to really provide a custom tweak for the sound you're looking for.  Also, don't forget when it comes to using an EQ, it's better to reduce when making adjustments as opposed to heavily bumping up a frequency.  If you slightly reduce the other frequencies, and bump the desired one a bit, the turn-out can be better.  In the olden days, the EQ could rob a lot of power if you bumped the frequency adjustments too high and the theft of the power could mean that your amp could start to clip, and cause distortion for the speakers, which would be bad.

I've been into this since 1975. 

just received my he-400 from head direct. shipping took 9 days. so far very impressed