[MattTCG]

  I´m following this thread with great interest. Thanks to all for your impressions and reviews on He-400i !  I currently own Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, and although I appreciate its detailness and openness i find the overall sound signature ( because of mildly recessed midrange and accentuated treble) too bright and a bit cold. I´m looking for a headphone that has darker and warmer sound signature. 
I realised I am not a  "treblehead" at all and probably something with similar sound signature as Sennheiser HD 650  or maybe He-400i would be more to my likings. I would like to ask two questions:
 
1) Which headphone has darker and warmer sound signature, Sennheiser HD650 or Hifiman HE-400i ?
2) Which of these two headphones is easier to drive ?
( I do not have much experience with headphones, I understand that when headphone has low impendance and high efficiency its easier to drive, but Sennheiser HD 650 is at 300 ohms and  97.8 db SPL and Hifiman HE- 400i is at 35 ohm and 93.0 db SPL according to http://www.audiobot9000.com/ and I´m not sure how it all translates to "overall efficiency" )
 
 I would also be grateful for further comparisions between HD 650 and Hifiman HE-400i, as one of these headphones will probably/hopefully  be my next purchase.

( Wondering which one is going to be a better deal:  HD 650 for 300 euros or Hifiman HE-400i for 500 euros...) 
 
Thanks a lot !

 
1. They are in the same neighborhood, but the hd650 has an overall darker tonality especially in the treble. 
 
2. The 400i is easier to drive, no question.
 
3. 400i vs 650:
 
The hd650 is built with mostly plastic but hey, it's good plastic. Solid and true, this hp has been around for a long time and has stood the test of time. The signature is built on smooth, organic and easy to listen to. Great mids and also a mid bass hump (which I happen to like). The comfort is stellar. Some people have issues with the clamp but that is usually from two things. One, the pads have not compressed yet. And two, the headband has not been stretched out. 
 
The 650 scales well with better amping, although it sounds pretty decent from entry level amps. The best amps for the 650 include BHC (best), Valhalla (very very good), Asgard 2 and lyr 2 (good). The 650 comes with a decent cable and improves with a balanced termination. Parts are easily obtainable and replaceable. 
 
The 400i competes well against the hd650 as they are sold at the same price point. The biggest differences are that you're pitting a planar mag against a dynamic driver can. And that you have a tried and true model compared to a new release. The comfort on the 400i is as good as the 650 which is a generous complement. The look fit and feel of the 400i is top notch. It's a more impressive looking offering than the 650. The painted cups are "chrome black" and dead sexy. 
 
The sound signature is similar but different at the same time. The 400i is a quicker headphone and offers better decay of notes. It's just more lively with better staging and instrument separation. This advantage is further enhanced with the grill mod. While the bass does not match the original 400 (only the lcd2 did IMO), I actually prefer the bass on the 400i to the original and the 650 for that matter. This hp sports some real sub bass and with good definition...not just one note sub bass. The mids are excellent and trades blows with the 650, although I'll give the overall tone of mids to the 650. 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Matt, stop making me salivate...

 

[Ekul61]

Does the 400i have a 30 day money back policy

 

[MattTCG]

^^ Yes from razordogaudio...
 
http://www.razordogaudio.com/pages/return-policy

 

[conquerator2]

From head-direct as well...

 

[manbear]

 
While the bass does not match the original 400 (only the lcd2 did IMO), I actually prefer the bass on the 400i to the original and the 650 for that matter. This hp sports some real sub bass and with good definition...not just one note sub bass.

How do you think the 400i stacks up against the LCD2 in terms of:

1) Soundstage size/ openness 
2) Imaging/ separation
3) Detail retrieval/ overall resolution

I gather the LCD2 has more bass than the 400i, but how do you think they compare in terms of impact and texture? 

I've owned the HE-400 for over a year now and I'm thinking about upgrading. HE-400i, 560, and LCD2 are the main contenders. I like the bass of the HE-400 a lot and I don't want to give up too much there, but 1, 2, and 3 above are also important to me. I especially like a fast headphone that can reproduce textures well (it seems like Hifiman does this better than Audeze, which is more smooth?)

 

[TMRaven]

I would agree that the Hifiman house sound is more textured while the Audeze house sound is more creamy.
 
I also think that if you were wanting to upgrade from the HE-400, either the 560 or LCD-X are good choices (LCD-2 sounds too different), the HE-400i would be something of a band-aid solution, if you really wanted to get away from the HE-400's sound signature and wanted something immediately slightly more neutral and more comfortable on the 'cheap,'  while 560 and LCD-X will be a more appreciable step-up. 400i still has some signs of the original 400's wonky coloration that some people who've grown tired of the HE-400 might not enjoy.  That's all just my opinion of course!

 

[manbear]

  I would agree that the Hifiman house sound is more textured while the Audeze house sound is more creamy.
 
I also think that if you were wanting to upgrade from the HE-400, either the 560 or LCD-X are good choices (LCD-2 sounds too different), the HE-400i would be something of a band-aid solution, if you really wanted to get away from the HE-400's sound signature and wanted something immediately slightly more neutral and more comfortable on the 'cheap,'  while 560 and LCD-X will be a more appreciable step-up. 400i still has some signs of the original 400's wonky coloration that some people who've grown tired of the HE-400 might not enjoy.  That's all just my opinion of course!

Thanks. Yeah--sounds like another Hifiman is probably up my alley. I do like an aggressive rendition of texture. Aside from just wanting something new, the main thing that bothers me about it is that the treble gets fatiguing even after EQ. Something about it is just very hard and not delicate, which got me thinking LCD-2 treble would be up my alley. But if I'm going to cough up the big bucks, I want better texture, soundstage, and imaging than the HE-400 too. I don't particularly care for the HE-400 coloration but I mostly listen to electronic so it's not a big deal.

LCD-X sounds nice but that's more expensive than I can justify. I'm leaning towards HE-560 and just getting used to a little less bass. I had and enjoyed the Q701 for a while so the bass is probably not a big deal. 

I realize that auditioning the headphones would be best, but I'm not quite ready for that yet.

 

[Vartan]

Guys what you are thinking about He-400i vs Fidelio X1 ?

 

[MattTCG]

  Guys what you are thinking about He-400i vs Fidelio X1 ?

 
I think that MLE had the x1. You might ask him. 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

X1 is a great mid-fi headphone, but won't begin to touch something like the mid-fi Hifimans like the HE-4, and I assume the 400i.

The X1 does have a VERY agreeable sound signature. All it needs really is a smaller mid bass hump to be very balanced overall. It's a bit loose in the bass (needs some tightening for sure). Other than that, it's one of the best $250 headphones, without question.

I mean, look at Tyll's graphs....

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsFidelioX1.pdf

That is sexy, and sounds that good too.

I'd wait for the X2 though which has been released on the other side of the world, and now we play the waiting game. Same design, easier to remove pads, and incrimental improvements. Hopefully some tighter bass, as that is all that it needs to be REALLY stellar.



I honestly would want a planar version of the X1's graph with a deeper bass extension, and I'd be in heaven.

 

[marhol]

   
1. They are in the same neighborhood, but the hd650 has an overall darker tonality especially in the treble. 
 
2. The 400i is easier to drive, no question.
 
3. 400i vs 650:
 
The hd650 is built with mostly plastic but hey, it's good plastic. Solid and true, this hp has been around for a long time and has stood the test of time. The signature is built on smooth, organic and easy to listen to. Great mids and also a mid bass hump (which I happen to like). The comfort is stellar. Some people have issues with the clamp but that is usually from two things. One, the pads have not compressed yet. And two, the headband has not been stretched out. 
 
The 650 scales well with better amping, although it sounds pretty decent from entry level amps. The best amps for the 650 include BHC (best), Valhalla (very very good), Asgard 2 and lyr 2 (good). The 650 comes with a decent cable and improves with a balanced termination. Parts are easily obtainable and replaceable. 
 
The 400i competes well against the hd650 as they are sold at the same price point. The biggest differences are that you're pitting a planar mag against a dynamic driver can. And that you have a tried and true model compared to a new release. The comfort on the 400i is as good as the 650 which is a generous complement. The look fit and feel of the 400i is top notch. It's a more impressive looking offering than the 650. The painted cups are "chrome black" and dead sexy. 
 
The sound signature is similar but different at the same time. The 400i is a quicker headphone and offers better decay of notes. It's just more lively with better staging and instrument separation. This advantage is further enhanced with the grill mod. While the bass does not match the original 400 (only the lcd2 did IMO), I actually prefer the bass on the 400i to the original and the 650 for that matter. This hp sports some real sub bass and with good definition...not just one note sub bass. The mids are excellent and trades blows with the 650, although I'll give the overall tone of mids to the 650. 

Thank you Matt for your insights ! Have you also tried HD 650 with Oppo HA-1 ?  I´m leaning towards buying HA-1 as it can work as a preamp, DAC and powerful headphone amp and I know you praised the HA-1 + He-400i combo in previous posts. Maybe I will have a chance to listen 400i in my country (but no sooner than in November/December

) along with HE-560, probably running on Hifiman EF5  or EF 6.  I will make notes and post my impressions here in due time.

 

[Vartan]

X1 is a great mid-fi headphone, but won't begin to touch something like the mid-fi Hifimans like the HE-4, and I assume the 400i.

The X1 does have a VERY agreeable sound signature. All it needs really is a smaller mid bass hump to be very balanced overall. It's a bit loose in the bass (needs some tightening for sure). Other than that, it's one of the best $250 headphones, without question.

I mean, look at Tyll's graphs....

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsFidelioX1.pdf

That is sexy, and sounds that good too.

I'd wait for the X2 though which has been released on the other side of the world, and now we play the waiting game. Same design, easier to remove pads, and incrimental improvements. Hopefully some tighter bass, as that is all that it needs to be REALLY stellar.



I honestly would want a planar version of the X1's graph with a deeper bass extension, and I'd be in heaven.

Thanks MLE!
 
Tyll Hertsens
Hi Guys, got the X2 in and measured.
Measurements show them very similar to the X1.  Haven't done any comparative listening yet, but it looks like they'll sound very similar.
 
 
Maybe I'd wait for the Sony MDR-Z7

 
 Sorry, a little off-topic...

 

[TeskR]

  Grrrrrrr.  I hate to write this, and it really hurts...
 
yes, yes I do.  I admit it.
 
Whew. That was hard!

 
I feel you mate

 

[MattTCG]

  Thank you Matt for your insights ! Have you also tried HD 650 with Oppo HA-1 ?  I´m leaning towards buying HA-1 as it can work as a preamp, DAC and powerful headphone amp and I know you praised the HA-1 + He-400i combo in previous posts. Maybe I will have a chance to listen 400i in my country (but no sooner than in November/December

) along with HE-560, probably running on Hifiman EF5  or EF 6.  I will make notes and post my impressions here in due time.

 
No problem. Look for some hd650/HA-1 impressions in my review for headphone.guru coming out this week. 
 
http://headphone.guru/