**Hifiman HE-400 Impressions and Discussion Thread** - Page 518

After 2 hours of work I came up with this, the Hifi'ze LCD-400.  Sounds closer to the LCD-2 but still not the LCD-2.  The Hifiman will forever be airier and the Audeze forever more thick/lacking of air.  Plus there's some timbre differences as well even still, and I think it's because of damping scheme.  LCD-2's lower treble has a bit of hardness to it, I wouldn't call it a smooth treble, but it's a non fatiguing treble.  LCD-2's bass also has this super tightness thing that even HE-400 doesn't have.

Been loving my jergpads more recently, especially with the pleather screen re-attached. I was worried about earwax for the long run going naked... And my pads are fragile, but that's fine for a desktop pair of headphones (and my poor craftsmanship). 

Jerg- are you still preferring the pleather screen the most? 

I tend to agree.

I haven't tried velour screen on jergpads, but it's because I don't have another pair of velour to cut up. My velours are staying stock. The pleather screen definitely sounds more polished than no screen. Nothing sounds bad or crunchy to my ears. 

with the pleather screen, I hear zero 'ice pick spike'-effect as I read (overly exaggerated of course) somewhere as one of the main flaw of the 400's. 

I never did the modification to attach additional layers of electrical tape to the back for buffer, but I think my eyeglasses do that a bit on their own (opening up the seal between pleather and cheek except front) for probably a bit more bass and airiness. 

I have jerg/eyeglassespads :D

I love how DIY my whole chain is even though I didn't assemble my O2 or ODAC and bought them second hand (for M&M prices too). 

Is the margin between he-400 and he-500 narrower now with these pads for you? 

I didn't imply that was the case.  Comments can easily be taken out of context if not properly prepared.  There are many new people often reading these forums for constructive advice on getting a good understanding of a product that will perform well for the certain cost point that they are looking at.  Yet, too many comments get interjected into the threads because one feels the need to participate.  People can then read the comments of one individual and just that single comment could either make or break a deal on a product that hundreds of people have been considering.

This is why I'm working to distance myself.  Lately, it has been too much "wash, rinse and repeat".  Sure, there are constructive moments where great ideas get shared and the forum really comes together and collaborates to make or take an idea much further than the original person who started the idea ever considered.  Then, we have the other 80% or 90%.  It's a good way to fill up time, but not necessarily the most constructive way.

I know for myself, I was drawn here a decade ago because I had a $25.00 pair of Panasonic headphones, then a pair of Grado SR-60 headphones, but I desired more.  I counted on the informative posts of the members here to feed some of the questions that I had.  It was quite educational.  However, at the moment, I seem to suspect that oftentimes people spend more time here talking about their headphones than actually using them.  In the end, we all have to realize it all comes down to the music.  It is that music that makes us feel good when we can sit back, close our eyes ... avoid distractions and just get into the "moment."

Anyone got a link to whoever sells these J$ Pads? I'm not quite what y'all are talking about.  

Personally, from all of my DAC testing from a month ago, I found the following:

Wolfson chip-based DAC.  These are used in the Fiio amp/DAC combinations as well as their D03K DAC.  I have heard quite a few Fiio-based DACs, and admittedly, Fiio does something that just isn't right when they build around a fine chip.  I found the high frequencies to be somewhat stident and not necessarily the best pairing with the HE-400.

Burr-Brown PCM2704 chip-based DAC.  To me, this old, trusty DAC while showing some age, still provided the best balance of sound with a shade of influence in the neutral to warm end.  I have (3) Squeezebox players that I've had in use for 4+ years, which bear the Burr-Brown DAC chip - with the exception of the Squeezebox Touch.  I don't believe it has been noted who's chip it is.  However, the sound has always been "just right" and I've really never felt a need to move away from them due to their abilities to pleas my ears.

Schiit Modi.  I found this DAC to fall somewhere in between the Wolfson-based DACs and the Burr-Brown DACs, with a slight lean towards the Wolfson sound.

When it comes to pairing with the HE-400s and taming some of the upper-end, I found that the Wolfson chips were hard to work with.  It was more than just upper-end detail that could be heard.  It was more of a grating high frequency "blast" that took some listening pleasure away at the time.

I do find though, that what each of us hear is purely subjective.  I don't mean for any of my observations to "push" someone in one direction or another.  But, hopefully, my experience that I describe and write about will provoke some thought about how one DAC may or may not break an experience.  If you unknowingly have a DAC with some strident attributes, there's a good chance that people will often blame the headphone, sell what they have and move along.  But, if the DAC signature sound would be considered a bit more, it might be as simple as a DAC swap-out that will make a listener happy and they would be able to keep their existing headphones.

As a side note.  The J$ Beyerdynamic pad sales have been quite brisk.  52 pair of pads (4 Denon, 48 Beyerdynamic) have shipped in the past 6 weeks.  I can't promote a sale that is not in the regular F/S section.  However, I can indicate that only 6 pair remain, and I'm looking forward to having the big box that I posted about 6 weeks ago completely emptied so I can take it out of my basement, and up and out to the trash bin.  It's been a good ride.  All part of my personal, and orderly shut-down.

Anyone got a link to whoever sells these J$ Pads? I'm not quite what y'all are talking about.  

I have one pair left.  It's nearly over.

I have jerg/eyeglassespads :D

Oh man... You guys are costing me a fortune. 

I actually don't have any problem with the stock pads, but you guys make it sound like I NEED these. Are these just stock pads from a Beyerdynamic set or are they specially modified somehow? Got a pic?