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This is my first pair of high end headphones and I just have a few questions (hifiman he-400) - Page 2

post #16 of 41
1/18/13 at 7:59pm
Thread Starter 

So, so far I'm seeing a lot of posts for the grado SR325is. I will probably go the route, as that's the headphone I see recommended the most.

 

Here's the deal. I started off with a 500 dollar budget to do whatever I wanted with that budget. I'm about to either go 100 dollars over my budget so I can get a schiit amplifier for these headphones, so I can hope to hear more of a difference, or I can switch to these grados, which are supposedly different than these he400s. If I go for the grados, and just return the he400s for a full refund, would I be downgrading? Does the headphone have tonal imbalance?

 

There is always secret option C. which is that maybe high end headphones just aren't for me. One of the biggest reasons I decided to order these is in the first place was because I listen to a lot of music, except I learned that low quality produced music doesn't necessarily sound better on headphones that produce more revealing sound. Who uses high end headphones anyways? What is the purpose of high end headphones? Am I just completely on the wrong course here, or what? What do people usually use their headphones for, and what are some common things people expect to get out of spending hundreds of dollars on headphones, because I find it hard to tell the difference. That's what I want to know before I go ahead and keep going through the process of returning and then re-buying. 

 

Back to the grados. Would they sound good with any music, or let's say, just any sound that comes through them, and not just metal? Supposedly these he400s are just a good jack of all trades kind of headphone. I will say I do kind of recognize that the production of very loud songs does sound more clear, like I am hearing all of the instruments instead of a cacophony of noise.


Edited by Hifi Man - 1/18/13 at 8:04pm
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post #17 of 41
1/18/13 at 8:07pm
Another wallet gets chewed up with nary a peep of wow. But when you do get your amp, listen to it for a week and then go back to what you were using. I think you'll notice a difference. The usual way of noticing most upgrades are done that way.
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post #18 of 41
1/18/13 at 8:11pm
As for your musical genre, that 400 should be just fine. They do need an amp though, as much as HiFiMan thinks they fit the portable world.
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post #19 of 41
1/18/13 at 8:24pm
Thread Starter 

These are strictly strictly for private listening, and I wouldn't plan on taking them anywhere unless it was a long trip. I see what you're saying about trying these for a week and then going back to my old headphones. It was pretty damn hard to tell a difference when I first tried these. Except maybe after a week, when I put on my old ones they'll sound bad to me. Who knows.

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post #20 of 41
1/18/13 at 8:30pm

Can you answer where exactly your plugging the headphones into?

 

There is no headphone jack in the Modi... it doesn't exist.

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post #21 of 41
1/18/13 at 8:36pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bboy500 View Post

Can you answer where exactly your plugging the headphones into?

 

There is no headphone jack in the Modi... it doesn't exist.

Oooooh, I see what you people are talking about now. I have an RCA to 3.5mm stereo cable and a 1/4inch - 1/8inch adapter. That adapter is plugged into the RCA adapter.

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post #22 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:03pm
I think one of your problems and many other peoples problems is that they come across this website and by the way everyone talks you get the idea that what you have right now is just the worst thing in the world, and that you are missing out on so much.

The truth is that the difference between a 16 grand stax system and the usual $20 iem's at the superstore isn't really that much, as you hear better and better stuff your ears will adjust and you'll begin to notice the smaller things, but the fact of the matter is that to a causal guy, with ears not used to this kinda stuff, will just think you are just wasting money and that there's no real difference.

For some reason this is never talked about here much, I'm guessing people just want justify the huge sums of money they spend, but I find that is misleads a lot of new people.

But in reality there's no huge mind altering wow! moment when you get upgrade from nothing to something really nice (like the sweet hifimans)

But on that note I'm still in love with higher end stuff and wouldn't give it up,I'd suggest to keep them for a week or two and see if your brain kinda "burns in" and adjust, then see if you began to appreciate them, if not I'd return them and buy some booze or a nice watch.
Edited by hippie - 1/18/13 at 9:08pm
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post #23 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:06pm
Thread Starter 

Quote:Originally Posted by mastershake2393 View Post
 

 

Haha that's what I was wondering too.

 

Yeah, most black metal (save for Enslaved, Watain, Lose, etc.) is recorded like ****. The HE-400, because they're so revealing, will make those records sound really, really bad. Maybe once you get the Magni things will get better, but I personally would've gone with a cheaper, more forgiving can given your favorite genres.

 

I totally overlooked this post. I missed some posts because I wasn't on this site all day. That is an excellent point. In that case, would you recommend the grado 325is? That seems like what everyone else here is suggesting. Also, I'm glad I finally figured out what people meant about plugging the headphones into the DAC. It sounds like given the fact that my headphones aren't good for metal, it's a better idea to go for cheaper headphones. Okay, except that feels a bit ironic to me. Also, I'm glad to see at least some people on this forum share relatively the same taste in music as me.


Edited by Hifi Man - 1/18/13 at 9:13pm
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post #24 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:08pm
Thread Starter 
damn double posts
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post #25 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hippie View Post

I think one of your problems and many other peoples problems is that they come across this website and by the way eveyone talk you get the idea that what you have right now is horable, and that you are missing out on so much.

the truth is that the diffrence between a 16 grand stax system and the usual $20 iem's at the super storei isn't really that much, as you hear better stuff your ears will ajust and you'll begin to notice the smaller things. the fact of the matter is that to a causal guy, with ears not used to this kinda stuff will just think you are just wasting money and that there's diffrence.

For some reson this is never talked about here much, I'm gussing people just want justfy the huge sums of money they spend,

but really there's nohuge mind alltering wow! moment when you get upgrade from nothing to something really nice.

But on that note I'm still in love with higher end stuff and wuouldn't give it up,I'd suggest to keap them for a week or two and see if ypur brain kinda "burns in" and see if you begain to appricate them, if not I'd return them and buy booze or a nice watch.

I agree, however he's using the rca outs from the modi to power his headphones. Adding and amp from his current setup will give him a "wow" I believe.
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post #26 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:20pm
Thread Starter 

I'm so on the fence about this it isn't even funny. I am on the fence about sending everything back all together and just enjoying my low quality music with low quality headphones, spending more money on these headphones; do people who recommend that I spend more money on these headphones know that I listen to 99% banging distorted and loud metal(?); downgrading to lower quality headphones to give me supposedly make different sound qualities stand out in the music I listen to. So that's quite a few things to consider. I guess I should just try getting the amp, trying it out for the remainder of my time I have it for before the return policy expires, and when I probably will want to try new headphones, do further things... to what end though? I wish I could just be happy with what I have.

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post #27 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:22pm
Thread Starter 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostchili View Post

Post a pic of how you have the headphones plugged into the modi . I'm confused ;-)

http://i.imgur.com/uxAxWT9.jpg It's not hooked up to my laptop. I just wanted the mayhem logo I drew onto it in the background :-)


Edited by Hifi Man - 1/18/13 at 9:25pm
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post #28 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hifi Man View Post

I'm so on the fence about this it isn't even funny. I am on the fence about sending everything back all together and just enjoying my low quality music with low quality headphones, spending more money on these headphones; do people who recommend that I spend more money on these headphones know that I listen to 99% banging distorted and loud metal(?); downgrading to lower quality headphones to give me supposedly make different sound qualities stand out in the music I listen to. So that's quite a few things to consider. I guess I should just try getting the amp, trying it out for the remainder of my time I have it for before the return policy expires, and when I probably will want to try new headphones, do further things... to what end though? I wish I could just be happy with what I have.

 

 

You have your HE-400s playing directly out of your DAC, listen to what these guys are telling you, you need an amp. The HE-400s are fantastic head phones. you really should not contemplate anything until you hear them amped.

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post #29 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hifi Man View Post




http://i.imgur.com/uxAxWT9.jpg It's not hooked up to my laptop. I just wanted the mayhem logo I drew onto it in the background :-)

Until you get an amp i think you would be better off just using the headphone jack on your computer :-)
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post #30 of 41
1/18/13 at 9:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostchili View Post


I agree, however he's using the rca outs from the modi to power his headphones. Adding and amp from his current setup will give him a "wow" I believe.

whoops! I forgot the modi didn't have some sort of head phone out, ya I agree with everyone else get a amp before you make judgements, just my opinion but I'd always upgrade an amp before a DAC, there is a real noticeable difference between a stock in computer DAC and a separate one, but a more noticeable difference will always come from the amp, just my 2 cents, but then again I don't yet have a really nice DAC the is on the level with the rest on my system.

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