HiFiMan HE-560 vs HiFiMan HE-400i
I finished my homework a little early (nothing due until next Friday! #WIN! <<< Yes, that deserves a hashtag!
). I first heard these two Head-Fi Chicago meet and was impressed with both. For the most part, my original impressions still hold, but with the closer examination and audition of them for a longer period of time, little nuances have also come through a little more clearly. In short though, the 400i and the 560 are voiced in a similar fashion, and for those that did have issues with the 560 brightness, the 400i is a little better with that. Though I'm not sure how much is too much subjectively speaking.
Build Quality and Comfort
I'm going to start off with this section. Coming from the same manufacturer, the design on both of the headphones share many characteristics. They shape of the housings along with the entire head-band assembly are identical. It should be noted, though, that the HE-400i has a glossy, chrome finish to its plastic which looks slick and catches the eye quickly. On the other side of things, the HE-560 has an aged look to it that was given a modern twist. The complexity that the wood brings cannot be denied. Some love it, some hate it. In many ways, the design of the 400i seems like it would appeal to a younger crowd while the 560's design seems like it would appeal to an older generation.
There are some slight differences in build between the 400i, the first is that the 400i's forks don't seem to have that slight abrasion that the 560's had coming out of the box (this seems to have been fixed by using some tape before sending them off, so that issue seems to have been fixed. The 400i I received have joints and moving areas that are stiffer in comparison to the HE-560 counterpart. The cable has the same great build quality with a fabricated finish that leads out into a 90-degree, 3.5 mm headphone jack; the 560 has a straight, 6.3 mm jack.
Regarding comfort. I can't compare them. Haven't had enough time with the 400i. My 560 have been sitting on a headphone stand, and my head for quite a while, so the headband has loosened up, but so have the pads (the pads have also compressed quite a bit).
Sound impressions
If someone were to tell me that the 400i and 560 shared similar internal components, I would actually believe them. The Two are voiced similarly, but definitely do share a slightly different signature. The 400i offer a lush tone over the 560 with more controlled treble and a thicker sound overall.
Starting down low in the bass, I found both to do great in terms of depth and sub-bass texturing. The 560 was able to reproduce some of the more subtle textures and offer a little more fluidity in contrast to the slightly larger 400i bass response. The trade off here is that the 400i has better presence as a whole in the bass. The low-bass on both are well defined with a solid impact while control and tightness are well done; though it should be noted that the 560 might have a slight edge on tightness. The 400i has a slight focus quantity, while the 560 has a slight focus with quality.
Moving up into the midrange, the differences become more apparent. The 400i have a lush tonality to them in contrast to the 560. The sound becomes easier to listen to and less bright as a whole. Detailing isn't lost completely, but again, 560 takes a slight edge here. Clarity and dynamics are very well done by both, but again, 560 takes a slight edge. The midrange quickly becomes a battle of lush and warmth vs detailing and "aggression"*.
As we go up into the higher areas, we find that these two are voiced similarly. The 400i, in many ways, takes the 560's treble, and tones it down ever so slightly. This results in treble that is more forgiving and less fatiguing as a whole. Detailing and presence is still strong in the lower treble. In the upper treble, the 400i can keep up with the clarity and separation of the 560 with ease, though the 560 has slightly better detailing.
I still have to say that all these differences are tiny, but do add up. For those that felt that the 560 were a little too hot, or too bright, the 400i may help alleviate that. Both are great headphones and very well done. The 400i is to the 560 what the HF-5 is to the ER-4 in my opinion. You get 90% of the 560 sound for nearly 56% of the price.
Conclusion
From a value perspective, the 400i is definitely well up there, especially against the 560s. They do have a slight warm tinge and lush tonality over the 560 which is sure to put a smile on a face or two. They are voiced in a very similar fashion to the 560, so if you did like those, I see no reason why you won't like these. As I've stated, the 400i are essentially 90% of the 560's sound for nearly half the price. I can definitely see these being popular cans for HiFiMan (seeing that their past cans were popular as well).
