[Wildcatsare1]

I will pray that the Lord may minister to your father in this time of hardship.  Looking forward to the review later on! 

Additional prayers from Kentucky, hope your Dad recovers quickly.

 

[conquerator2]

A bit more info on my controlled listening tests and what's to come in the near future:
 
Smile Venomously - Hidenori Shoji - Ryu Ga Gotoku 4 [Yakuza 4] original soundtrack - 250kbps mp3 [best available quality] - 1:10 - 1:45
EP 16 Score - Black and White - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 2:40 - 3:05 
EP 13 Score - Forever Fall pt. 1 - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 0:00 - 0:30
EP 8 Score - Players and Pieces - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 5:15 - 5:50
EP 7 Score - The Emerald Forest pt. 2 - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 1:10 - 1:35
EP 6 Score - The Emerald Forest pt. 1 - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 1:00 - 1:20
EP 5 Score - The First Step pt. 2 - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 0:15 - 0:40
EP 4 Score - The First Step pt. 1 - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 2:25 - 2:55
Ep 1 Score - Ruby Rose - Jeff Williams & Alex Abram - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 1:40 - 2:10, 2:10 - 2:35 & 2:55 - 3:30
Time To Say Goodbye - Jeff Williams & Casey Lee Williams [vocals] - RWBY Volume 1 original soundtrack - 256kbps m4a [FLAC coming soon] - 0:00 - 0:50 & 1:05 - 1:40
Pink Noise - 705kbps wav 0:00 - 0:10 [loop]
 
I'll extend the length and amount after tomorrow, when the grill mod is done for both. Of course comparing the 400i & 560 in stock form, the difference is obvious. We'll see how they fare with a more open grill 

 
 
If I find the more open grills to perform better than stock and similarly to no grills [I'll test right away tomorrow w/ the most reliable source - pink-noise and possibly female vocals as the mod would open up treble the most - by hovering the stock/open grills over] then I'll say so. I have decided I will not be using the headphones with no grills regardless because a] the difference vs the stock grill is little [and should be practically none vs a more open grill] b] I am not willing to take the risk to use the headphone without any protection for a long time and c] the difference the more open grill [without fabric, later possibly with organza fabric] provides should be quite sufficient - sonically similar to no grills - with comparable performance and at least minimal protection.

 

[vertical]

Additional prayers from Kentucky, hope your Dad recovers quickly.

Prayers from NY as well...

 

[conquerator2]

I've also tried the 400i without the grills and compared it to the 560 with the grills to see whether the openness difference would be reduced. It is slightly, but they both gain about the same from the mod.
The slight resonance/bounce-backs are the same with the grills [vs. without] on both headphones as verified via pink-noise.
So while the 560 sounds already very with the grills and gains just a tiny bit of openness, so does the 400i, except it still sounds closed because that's how it sounds with the grills.
The gains would be a slight increase in treble energy, a slight increase in imaging accuracy and a slight increase in air.
But even when the 560 is handicapped with the grills and the 400i is not, they still sounds leagues apart in the timbre, realism and openness - as the benefit really is comparatively little and does nothing to change the core performance of a headphone, just nuances.
After the mod is done then, I'll compare again but the results won't change much, I'll just have more time to compare them in this closer-to-no-grills state [and run the sweeps].
 
The 400i slight air gain might be just a tiny bit more desirable overall, especially with treble-bound female vocals, but the quantity gain is about the same.
 
For openness/realism/timbre I used the 'Episode 13 Score - Forever Fall pt.1' track from RWBY. as it is just a recurring theme of piano and violin switching places/intensity coupled with other background instruments backing them up, along with a short choir part. I find the differences very easy to discern between the two headphones in this song and it serves as an ideal source for this specific task. It also sounds awesome
 
Other miscellaneous facts - the 560 seem to be using stronger magnets than the 400i - the 560 was far likely to pull the grills towards them than the 400i was by a lot. As soon as the grilles got anywhere close to the magnets they just stuck to them very tightly, while the 400i was much less likely to do this and stuck with less friction/
The 400i plastic retaining rings seem to fit tighter to the grilles than the 560 and they were harder to remove.
As for the retaining rings themselves, they seem actually pretty solid and while I might have chipped the paint a bit, they seem sturdy enough to withstand many removals 'touches wood' 
 
More tomorrow.

 

[SoundDragon]

 
More tomorrow.

 
Thanks for all your impressions and great work in helping to decide the best set of cans for my purchase

 

[LaPierre]

Comparing the 400i and the 560 almost makes me feel bad about getting the 400i, but I'm pretty sure once I hear them for the first time my unease will go away. They both sound like they're fantastic in their respective price ranges, I'm very excited. It's been a week since their official release, I can't help but wonder when I'll get mine from headphone.com 

 

[SoAmusing777]

 

Oh, so the 400i finally released or what? I'm getting LFF's Paradox Slants instead. I even started a thread dedicated to their prowess.

 

[bowei006]

I was lucky enough to hear both at CAF and was able to take the HE-400i for review. 
 
The review will be up soon (I'll post it), but I'll put down my general impressions and comparisons of them tomorrow. 

 

 

[LaPierre]

 
Oh, so the 400i finally released or what? I'm getting LFF's Paradox Slants instead. I even started a thread dedicated to their prowess.

I'm pretty sure they released, I could be wrong. Not many if any at all seem to have received them yet (aside from tour units). If my memory is correct they were officially 'released' on Headdirect about 6 - 7 days ago, or rather are available on their site. Having pre-ordered mine from headphone.com I can't say when I'll get mine, but I was told as soon as they're received my pair will be heading my way and it was expected to be within the next week or two. The Slants look very interesting, as do the Enigmas. LFF's work is pretty impressive, in all honesty.

 

[SoAmusing777]

  I'm pretty sure they released, I could be wrong. Not many if any at all seem to have received them yet (aside from tour units). If my memory is correct they were officially 'released' on Headdirect about 6 - 7 days ago, or rather are available on their site. Having pre-ordered mine from headphone.com I can't say when I'll get mine, but I was told as soon as they're received my pair will be heading my way and it was expected to be within the next week or two. The Slants look very interesting, as do the Enigmas. LFF's work is pretty impressive, in all honesty.

I see. For sure though! Give it a look: http://www.head-fi.org/t/732789/paradox-slants-as-endgame-hp-over-everything-else

 

[LaPierre]

  I see. For sure though! Give it a look: http://www.head-fi.org/t/732789/paradox-slants-as-endgame-hp-over-everything-else

Those impressions are great, and I was wrong in my saying they were released 6-7 days ago, the post I was thinking of saying they were now released was 2 weeks ago, so those who pre-ordered should probably expect them quite soon, I'd hope. The Slants might just be my perfect closed headphone, I'm drooling reading about them. If I'd know about them and the 400i at the same time, I'd probably still go with the 400i for aesthetics + comfort and the fact isolation isn't ideal for me 24/7. Sometimes it's preferred, but I do like to be able to not feel paranoid someone is trying to get my attention 

. The Slants seem to set the bar a little higher in terms of value, though. LFF is very impressive, to think the Slants surpass the Alpha Dogs. I wonder if LFF and Dan combined their methods something a little bit greater could be achieved? Wishful thinking. c:

 

[conquerator2]

Nah, don't!
They're still great headphones.
The differences here are always exaggerated... Or most of the time.
The 400i still sounds super lovely and again without direct comparison, you wouldn't know.
I'd certainly love them enough if they were my only cans and at their price, they're absolutely terrific, save for soundstage width and air but in every other category they're phenomenal pretty much.

 

[SoAmusing777]

  Those impressions are great, and I was wrong in my saying they were released 6-7 days ago, the post I was thinking of saying they were now released was 2 weeks ago, so those who pre-ordered should probably expect them quite soon, I'd hope. The Slants might just be my perfect closed headphone, I'm drooling reading about them. If I'd know about them and the 400i at the same time, I'd probably still go with the 400i for aesthetics + comfort and the fact isolation isn't ideal for me 24/7. Sometimes it's preferred, but I do like to be able to not feel paranoid someone is trying to get my attention 

. The Slants seem to set the bar a little higher in terms of value, though. LFF is very impressive, to think the Slants surpass the Alpha Dogs. I wonder if LFF and Dan combined their methods something a little bit greater could be achieved? Wishful thinking. c:

TONS of impressions, lol.
So glad I stumbled across them.
Reading about the 400i left me wanting still. I've found my EndGame headphone with the qualities that I've been searching for, which I never expected to be a closed one.
Ah, I still haven't gotten any news from headphone.com about them being released.
They are THE perfect closed headphone, and perfect headphone overall IMO. Obviously below Stax's SR-009, but to me, they are the best, given the price they can be had for, as I state in the thread. I could care less about aesthetics for the most part, but the comfort seems to be great around the board, although I know the 400i will be more comfortable of the two. Isolation is actually going to be a plus for me when it comes to me going to college. I'm going to have to get a safe or something for all my gear. Sheesh.
The Slants I feel set the bar the highest when it comes for bang for buck in it's price range and hell, even below and above it. I NEED to get it. I just need to sell my amp, HE-400, and VModa M-100's.

 

[LaPierre]

 
TONS of impressions, lol.
So glad I stumbled across them.
Reading about the 400i left me wanting still. I've found my EndGame headphone with the qualities that I've been searching for, which I never expected to be a closed one.
Ah, I still haven't gotten any news from headphone.com about them being released.
They are THE perfect closed headphone, and perfect headphone overall IMO. Obviously below Stax's SR-009, but to me, they are the best, given the price they can be had for, as I state in the thread. I could care less about aesthetics for the most part, but the comfort seems to be great around the board, although I know the 400i will be more comfortable of the two. Isolation is actually going to be a plus for me when it comes to me going to college. I'm going to have to get a safe or something for all my gear. Sheesh.
The Slants I feel set the bar the highest when it comes for bang for buck in it's price range and hell, even below and above it. I NEED to get it. I just need to sell my amp, HE-400, and VModa M-100's.

They do seem good, I've had mixed feelings about HE-400i impressions but now and then I take a step back and think about how people are on head-fi. Exagerations, highly personalized and biased views and a lot of people fool themselves into believing concepts that aren't exactly relevant, but assume they apply to certain scenarios. If you were to wittle things down, the 400i is a slightly better HE-500 soundwise that costs a good amount less and provides better comfort. I think that's good enough for me. If and it seems as though the Slants surpass the Alpha Dogs they're surely a bargain. End all be all in audio is a comforting idea when seeking to 'upgrade', but personally I've found realizing every headphone has its strengths and weaknesses, (I speak mostly of those inherent to the design) so finding a headphone of relatively good value and coming to like it may be satisfactory enough. I think anything above 300$ should be of enough technical prowess that one can focus on its signature sound more than it's lack of resolving ability. (obviously not applying to overpriced models such as the infamous Beats Pro)

 

[SoAmusing777]

  They do seem good, I've had mixed feelings about HE-400i impressions but now and then I take a step back and think about how people are on head-fi. Exagerations, highly personalized and biased views and a lot of people fool themselves into believing concepts that aren't exactly relevant, but assume they apply to certain scenarios. If you were to wittle things down, the 400i is a slightly better HE-500 soundwise that costs a good amount less and provides better comfort. I think that's good enough for me. If and it seems as though the Slants surpass the Alpha Dogs they're surely a bargain. End all be all in audio is a comforting idea when seeking to 'upgrade', but personally I've found realizing every headphone has its strengths and weaknesses, (I speak mostly of those inherent to the design) so finding a headphone of relatively good value and coming to like it may be satisfactory enough. I think anything above 300$ should be of enough technical prowess that one can focus on its signature sound more than it's lack of resolving ability. (obviously not applying to overpriced models such as the infamous Beats Pro)

Agreed about that. An upgraded HE-500 sounds right. And the Slants are a bargain for the starving student version. The thing is though, they don't even have a signature sound and have plenty of "resolving ability" The signature sound is nothing. Nothing as defined as neutral. Lol. No coloration to what was produced. I know I'll be extremely happy with them. The 400i is still going to be a great phone, but I do believe the Slant will be better. There was another guy on here Ron12 a couple pages back or so that actually decided to do the same thing as me. I was surprised. Here's what he said after I asked him why he chose to go with those instead of the 400i...
 
Ron12 - I am becoming a neutralhead... And there are people I trust a lot based on their huge experience and knowledge that call Slants one of the most neutral while musical enough (they should be like a perfected basic Paradox, better suited for audiophiles). They are supposed to be technically nice enough to satisfy even an experienced audiophile and their sense of openness should be really good for a closed-back headphone (again, improvement over the basic Paradox due to special angled pads). Whether this is going to be true or not for me, I cannot tell until I hear them myself... We will see.
 
Why not the current Hifimans?
 
1) I sense several revisions... I am not going to invest in a product that is not the final and best version. I don't want to be an early adopter.
2) I strongly dislike FocusPad and FocusPad-A pads... And there are no impressions or measurements of HE-400i or HE-560 with any other pads, unfortunately.
3) Both HE-400i and HE-560 do not look more neutral than Paradox/Paradox Slant (a speculation based on HE-560's measurements and some impressions about HE-400i released so far). Again, we will see in the future when more measurements, impressions etc. will be released...
 
So maybe, after a year, I will be giving them a chance... I am certainly still interested.

As for me though, I'm not even interested in anything else after what I've read. When I get them it may be a different story, but I don't think so!