[davidsh]

^You get used to it quite fast. Then they don't really sound bright, more like airy. But you should be able to hear the treble peak

 

[Techno Kid]

Quote:

I keep seeing posts about harsh treble but am just not detecting it.  Has anyone tried the AudioTechnica W1000X?  I think they are much brighter and harsher.  Maybe I don't notice it on the HE400s because I'm coming from Sennheiser PC350, Grado SR60, Hifiman RE0.

 
Do you have Rev 1 or Rev 2?
 
I don't think its harsh now either but as I said coming from warm IEM's with smooth laid back highs it took me a week or so to get adjusted to the brighter treble and now I thinks its very good.

 

[modulor]

I still stand by my statement that these (and any other headphone, really) are specifically tuned to cater towards a specifically target audience.  Aside from outside factors (source, preamp, amp, cables, etc.) some may not find that tuning preferential, which is completely understandable.  Some will like a headphone pure as-is, others will find some EQ or equipment pairing will bring them into their best, and the rest may just not like the tuning, something equipment and tweaks won't help.  Personally, I find if I prefer one headphone over another, price becomes irrelevant...if it works for you and makes you happy, that is what's most important IMO.  Also considering there is no one headphone that can do it all, the HE-400 does a tremendous amount, and does it well for it's price.  If something comes along that bests it for me and that headphone costs less, that's great.  If it costs more, I think I can justify the wait and/or investment to obtain them.

 

[Limniscate]

Quote:

 
Do you have Rev 1 or Rev 2?
 
I don't think its harsh now either but as I said coming from warm IEM's with smooth laid back highs it took me a week or so to get adjusted to the brighter treble and now I thinks its very good.

I have the latest revision.

 

[Techno Kid]

Modulor those are very good points and there isn't one type of headphones that can do everything right so you just have to find one that fits most of your criteria and works well with the music you listen to.  Before I bought these I did quite a bit of research (as everyone should do before buying a $400 headphone) and felt that they were the best fit for what I wanted but there's still some trade off's.  I'm a big mid lover and while the lower mids are somewhat forward the upper midrange is recessed but its worth it because they have the detail that I wanted along with an amazing bass response and soundstage.
 
So your always going to have some give and take when it comes to headphones and IEM's but you should be able to find one that fits most of your needs and can always adjust the signature with amps, DACs, source and other things.

 

[Techno Kid]

I was listening to some of the IEM's I still have left and man is not even a fair fight.  The HE-400 has as much and even more detail in most cases and the soundstage is a joke even with the IEM's that I thought of as having a large spacious soundstage.  I really don't see meself going back to buying a lot of IEM's like I have been for about 3 years though I still will probably get one really good pair to use when jogging, working out and when I'm just out and about when I can use my HP's.

 

[absolutk]

Having heard nkbg's HE-500's, I was tempted to check out the HE-400. A friend and I stopped by AVSF in San Francisco and auditioned everything they had on display. I believe the HE-400's were the only open back pair, and we both individually realized that nothing sounded even remotely in the same category as the Hifimans. Needless to say, we both bought a pair each and I've driven them with mostly with my iPhone 5, but sometimes with my Anedio D2. I wish I had more time to listen to them, but I can say without a doubt that despite the investment in my speaker setup (ANedio D2, Audiophilleo AP2+PurePower, Martin Logan Vantage ESLs, Jolida JD801 tube amp, RSA Haley power, etc.), there's more pleasure in hearing the HE-400s than I do with the speaker setup. 

 

[mindflayz]

Hey, has anyone heard the HE-400 from a Naim Headline 2 + Naim NAPSC 2 (power supply) I'm really tempted :O

 

[dryvadeum]

Quote:

Modulor those are very good points and there isn't one type of headphones that can do everything right so you just have to find one that fits most of your criteria and works well with the music you listen to.  Before I bought these I did quite a bit of research (as everyone should do before buying a $400 headphone) and felt that they were the best fit for what I wanted but there's still some trade off's.  I'm a big mid lover and while the lower mids are somewhat forward the upper midrange is recessed but its worth it because they have the detail that I wanted along with an amazing bass response and soundstage.
 
So your always going to have some give and take when it comes to headphones and IEM's but you should be able to find one that fits most of your needs and can always adjust the signature with amps, DACs, source and other things.

It strikes me as odd that everyone keeps praising how detailed the HE 400's are. It's not detail - the treble is over-emphasised. The HE 500's have a ton more subtle detail that the HE 400's don't have.

 

[TMRaven]

A ton more subtle detail, huh.  That sounds like hyperbole to me.  What specific songs and moments in said songs do you find the 'ton' more subtle detail?
 
Even against the LCD-2, HE-400 with treble EQ'd down is just about as detailed.

 

[Techno Kid]

I never could get into the whole speaker setup.  Now I've never had a good setup but a friend of mine had one and I don't even remember what it was but he said for everything cost around 20K all together which to me is a lot but I know there's a single speaker that costs that much and even more.  Now it sound very good but I just enjoy the sound of IEM's and headphones and the intimacy of it all.  

 

[dryvadeum]

Quote:

A ton more subtle detail, huh.  That sounds like hyperbole to me.  What specific songs and moments in said songs do you find the 'ton' more subtle detail?
 
Even against the LCD-2, HE-400 with treble EQ'd down is just about as detailed.

Have you never heard a real instrument before? It's not hyperbole; saying "Even against the LCD-2, HE-400 with treble EQ'd down is just about as detailed" is hyperbole in that sense.
 
In my opinion, the HE 400 is superficial sounding and doesn't do a good job at expressing the subtle nuances in notes. 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

A ton more subtle detail, huh.  That sounds like hyperbole to me.  What specific songs and moments in said songs do you find the 'ton' more subtle detail?
 
Even against the LCD-2, HE-400 with treble EQ'd down is just about as detailed.

Yeah, saying HE500 has a ton more detail than HE400 is a hyperbole indeed.
 
HE500 is more transparent in the midrange because of its more even midrange FR (both in smoothness and in levels) and nicer harmonic distortion figures; one could argue that transparency is rather like detail, but IMO it's more like "correctness" of the details.
 
I'd have to say though treble detail is a lot more "in my face" with HE400 due to its treble FR, than HE500 where everything in the treble is almost too subtle, enough so that it prompted me to look into alternative earpads and pad-fi modding.
 
The point that Dryvadeum is trying to make, it seems, is that the quality of detail is just as important as the presence of detail, and in that regard HE400 lags behind the heavy-hitters.

 

[davidsh]

Quote:

Have you never heard a real instrument before? It's not hyperbole; saying "Even against the LCD-2, HE-400 with treble EQ'd down is just about as detailed" is hyperbole in that sense.
 
In my opinion, the HE 400 is superficial sounding and doesn't do a good job at expressing the subtle nuances in notes. 

But it still allows you to hear quiet sound and such in music very well. I agree with you, though.

 

[TMRaven]

Quote:

Have you never heard a real instrument before? It's not hyperbole; saying "Even against the LCD-2, HE-400 with treble EQ'd down is just about as detailed" is hyperbole in that sense.
 
In my opinion, the HE 400 is superficial sounding and doesn't do a good job at expressing the subtle nuances in notes. 

 
I have, actually.  I used to play one for years.
 
Now, what are your specific examples where HE-500 has a 'ton more subtle detail?'