[Thujone]

Agreed. It's actually pretty weird for me. Most cans I've tried with the Alphas tended to have an increase in bass impact and quite the mid recession. V-shaped, so to speak. The HE-4 is an exception though. Bye-bye bass impact/quantity.

 

[mrscotchguy]

  Agreed. It's actually pretty weird for me. Most cans I've tried with the Alphas tended to have an increase in bass impact and quite the mid recession. V-shaped, so to speak. The HE-4 is an exception though. Bye-bye bass impact/quantity.

 
So I am NO expert, but this is my guess.  Have you put your ears on the grill (the outside one) while music is playing?  I find more impact and spl coming from that side.  Maybe by creating "too good" of a seal, there is less movement for the membrane.  No idea why this came to mind, but I bet bass presence would be better if Fang flipped the orientation... guessing it wasn't that way in the first place for a reason. 

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I'd try a back-vent between pad and cup. Maybe a front vent since the pad is too thick on the back already

 

[hemipowered007]

if anyone ever makes a closed can that sounds like the he4, id sell everything i own. I love the isolation of the mad dogs, but you just miss all that air and treble detail. The mad dogs dont show my faults in source/amp though, the he4, oh man, i can hear "static" from my amp, so hyper detailed. Cant wait to get a better setup, dont dont dont want to sell these mad dogs though, i think theyre a great neutral relaxing partner to the he4, a really good match. Different enough sigs, the he 4 to rockout, the md to relax and be quiet.

 

[hemipowered007]

we will see when thujone gets his new toy

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Alpha Dog sounds like something you'd want. Very airy and spacious. Easily the only closed headphone that fooled me into thinking they were open at times.

 

[Ron12]

Alpha Dog sounds like something you'd want. Very airy and spacious. Easily the only closed headphone that fooled me into thinking they were open at times.

 
I would agree with this - a good closed-back alternative to something like HE-4 or HD800.

 

[Makiah S]

  I had the Hifiman HE-6 here for the last few days doing an A/B listening test against the HE-4.  I used all of the cables I have doing the comparison.  With the ALO 8 wire copper braid that I am using, the HE-4 had better instrument placement and separation, and a bigger soundstage than the HE-6, imo.  The HE-6 had a meatier sound, the tradeoff was I lost the airy sound that the HE-4 has.  I also think the HE-4 has better detail, there were things I could hear with the HE-4 that I couldn't hear with the HE-6.  I have about 40 test tracks that I use when comparing headphones and cables, with various combinations of both.  To me the HE-4 has a more real sound!  Speaker taps really give me more resolution than using HP out, that has less power!  I retuned the HE-6 for refund, I'll be getting the HE-560 when it comes out next month!

thank gawd
 
I'm getting or sending my HE 4 off to get wood cups and a new cable built by Brian at BTG, getting a OCC 8 strand copper, midnight half sleeve. It's going to look very nice :3 and I'm converting my HE 4 to azuded mini xlrs as well
 
but I worry about what to ugrade the HE 4 to, hoping the HE 560 will be a worthy upgrade [seeing as it's already got the wood cups :3] Or I might have my HE 4 for a long time... I'm curious how the LCD X sounds compared to the HE 4, non the less. I to like the HE 4 out of my NFB 10ES2 ^^ plenty o power

 

[Makiah S]

   
I would agree with this - a good closed-back alternative to something like HE-4 or HD800.

bleh I need to try the Alpha Dog >.>, I like my W1000x, yea it sounds closed but it's easily as deep and intrumentally spaced as the HE 4 [it
s not got the width or speed of the HE 4, or the body]

 

[cute]

 

   
I would agree with this - a good closed-back alternative to something like HE-4 or HD800.

bleh I need to try the Alpha Dog >.>, I like my W1000x, yea it sounds closed but it's easily as deep and intrumentally spaced as the HE 4 [it
s not got the width or speed of the HE 4, or the body]

I just did a new cable for my HE-4.  It is a 4 wire braid out of ALO SXC 22 awg wire....between my 8 other cables and this, I think the SXC matches the HE-4 perfectly on my setup.  I have tested out of my Denon receivers, and out of my tube amp, speaker taps on all.  This wire smooths the treble, deeper bass with texture, and extremely good mids, perfect......still all the detail, air and soundstage as before, imo everything sounds better, and this from my experience would be my recommended HE-4 goto detachable cable!

 

[Makiah S]

 
I just did a new cable for my HE-4.  It is a 4 wire braid out of ALO SXC 22 awg wire....between my 8 other cables and this, I think the SXC matches the HE-4 perfectly on my setup.  I have tested out of my Denon receivers, and out of my tube amp, speaker taps on all.  This wire smooths the treble, deeper bass with texture, and extremely good mids, perfect......still all the detail, air and soundstage as before, imo everything sounds better, and this from my experience would be my recommended HE-4 goto detachable cable!

I think brian uses 24 AWG Copper
 
BUT I had a Silver Copper Hybrid Cable [not SPC] from Frank at Toxic Cables [wish I kept it q.q] and it did just that for my HE 400, smoothed the top end a little, kept all the detail and gave me some deeper bass extension 

 

[cute]

Zach at zmfheadphones uses ALO wire among others, to wire the drivers to the mini xlr's in the cups of the headphones he mods.  Ken, owner of ALO told me he does that with all of his high end recables.  If you go to Zach's website, he describes the sound difference on each of the wires he offers on his ZPEX mod.  What he says about the ALO wire is spot on, and the ALO wire is available to the DIY'er!

 

[Makiah S]

  Zach at zmfheadphones uses ALO wire among others, to wire the drivers to the mini xlr's in the cups of the headphones he mods.  Ken, owner of ALO told me he does that with all of his high end recables.  If you go to Zach's website, he describes the sound difference on each of the wires he offers on his ZPEX mod.  What he says about the ALO wire is spot on, and the ALO wire is available to the DIY'er!

When and If Brian get's back to me Today [it's 3pm I know the guy must hate me by now]
 
I'll ask him to do that. re wire everything 

 

[rodweb]

I sold my HE-400 because I loved the sound/comfort of the DT880.. but now I'm tempted to get the HE-4...
What amp that wound't force me to rob a bank would pair well with them?

 

[Sorrodje]

  I sold my HE-400 because I loved the sound/comfort of the DT880.. but now I'm tempted to get the HE-4...
What amp that wound't force me to rob a bank would pair well with them?

 
The one I'm currently selling .

 
 
 
More Seriously. The HE-4 need 0,7W to give all dynamics you need at 90db.  I powered mine successfully with an O2 ... That been said , the best result I heard is with my Old MG Head.