[money4me247]

true.. but the resale value is low.. not worth getting rid of.

ya i agree. my he400s sit on their stand all day, but for $230ish, u cant rly find a betta pair of headphones

 

[Ekul61]

Do any of u 400i owners have another set of headphones u enjoy more than your 400i?

 

[reddog]

Do any of u 400i owners have another set of headphones u enjoy more than your 400i?

I enjoy my alpha dogs over the HE-400i, because the AD's isolate so well. But I only had the demo set and I still miss them sometimes.

 

[howdy]

Do any of u 400i owners have another set of headphones u enjoy more than your 400i?

 

I will be the first to say that I do not have any that sound better. The others are VMODA M100s and ATH-M50s, the 400i are by far more superior.

 

[Ekul61]

Do you prefer a tube amp or ss with the hifimans. Which amp do you have?

 

[Richsvt]

I am really drawn to 400i and wanting to get into planars. Had been thinking about the older 400, but with the improvements made and reviews mentioning outstanding comfort, got a little analysis paralysis. Is the 400i close enough to the 500 that I should be considering the older 500? Trying to augment my HD700 and like its signature. Anyone who's had both the new 400i and the older 500 provide some insight? Also considering the Oppo PM-1 or PM-2...

 

[Richsvt]

Forgot to say that I have an older HE300 and looking to upgrade it...I like its signature too but really looking to try out planars.

 

[money4me247]

Do you prefer a tube amp or ss with the hifimans. Which amp do you have?

I have tube amplifiers, but never had a chance to compare to a solid state. I think the quality of the specific amp is more important than the type. You should avoid OTL tube amplifiers for planar magnetics though as they are generally geared for high impedance headphones.

 

[money4me247]

I am really drawn to 400i and wanting to get into planars. Had been thinking about the older 400, but with the improvements made and reviews mentioning outstanding comfort, got a little analysis paralysis. Is the 400i close enough to the 500 that I should be considering the older 500? Trying to augment my HD700 and like its signature. Anyone who's had both the new 400i and the older 500 provide some insight? Also considering the Oppo PM-1 or PM-2...

 
I think it just depends on your budget and sonic preferences.
 
If you are on a tight budget, the HE-400 is available at $200ish used nowadays and is a steal for the price. slightly colored with a upper mid-bass recession & treble spike, but very quality sound. better than most other headphones at this price range. weight can be an issue as well. these are stellar at edm/hip hop/rap/bass-heavy tracks with its outstanding tight bass with great linear extension, detail, texture, and impact.
 
The old HE-500 vs new HE-400i would really be whether you think comfort will be an issue for you & which sound signature you think you will like better.
 
If you are considering the PM-1, you should also consider the HE-560 which is cheaper and can be found at ridiculous savings at razordogaudio for open box ones. These two would be more 'flagship.' from non-direct comparisons, the he-560 is more neutral/detailed while the pm1 are more smooth. i will be having both soon so I can do a more accurate actual in-depth comparison.
 
otherwise, another pair of planar headphones to keep on your radar will be the closed portable PM-3, releasing in januarary. I am personally very excited for those as I have been wanting a portable planar forever. there is also the new fostex open TH500RP and mr. speakers alpha dog primes for new planar news.

 

[Richsvt]

Money,
Thanks for suggestions. Lots to take in. Cost is not too much an issue. Like to keep it under 1k, the more the better. I listen to mostly classic rock, jazz and classical. These new phones might also be my movie watching ones, that's why I was concerned about comfort. Got to be able to sit for 2-3 hours without fatigue.
Would love to hear your take on the Oppo PM1 against the 560...I read that it was more relaxed vs the clinical side of the 560.
Problem is I will most likely not get to audition any of these before purchase, so trying to get some feedback on the 'flavor' to see how they stack up to my preference. I am leaning more towards a relaxed and smoother phone to balance my HD700, which can be a little too accurate.

 

[money4me247]

Money,
Thanks for suggestions. Lots to take in. Cost is not too much an issue. Like to keep it under 1k, the more the better. I listen to mostly classic rock, jazz and classical. These new phones might also be my movie watching ones, that's why I was concerned about comfort. Got to be able to sit for 2-3 hours without fatigue.
Would love to hear your take on the Oppo PM1 against the 560...I read that it was more relaxed vs the clinical side of the 560.
Problem is I will most likely not get to audition any of these before purchase, so trying to get some feedback on the 'flavor' to see how they stack up to my preference. I am leaning more towards a relaxed and smoother phone to balance my HD700, which can be a little too accurate.

i personally have not found the he560 too be overly 'clinical.' they perform very well for classical. dont rly listen to jass or classic rock. i will have the oppo pm1s next week so i can give u more feedback.

for ur music & usage i wld think stayin away from the heavier he400 & he500 may be wise

 

[beaver316]

Has anybody tried their 400i straight out of an iPod Classic? I'm really curious as I have one coming in...

 

[Ekul61]

As much as I like these 400i. Many songs sound like a good car stereo. That s missing a sub woofer.

 

[swspiers]

  swspiers, would you be kind enough to compare sound of 400i to your Grado 225?

Wow, I actually typed 1000 words on the comparison, but when I read it I found it to be the precise pontification and BS that I usually skip and ignore when I read it on this site.
 
So- in brief: Grado's are awesome.  If you like Grado's.  The 225i's have a narrow and intimate soundstage, recreate Tony Iommi's Gibson SG through Laney tube amps really well, and are incredibly revealing with gobs of micro-detail.  But they have a bump at 100 Hz, and an abrupt roll-off below that.  So- no bass in the lower octave and 1/2.  Which helps to make them so clear and efficient.  People either love them or hate them.  I love them!
 
The 400i's, to me, are what a planar would sound like if Grado made them.  These are great rock headphones, but unlike my 225i's, they bring the secret sauce to all genre's.  But they are NOT bass-head cans by any means.  They remind me of a perfectly integrated sealed Rythmik sub that one only notices when it's not on.  Perfect balance, and when a song or soundtrack has meaningful content below 40 Hz, it is quite impressive.  Otherwise, I can hear how some people think they are lean.
 
My Grado's used to get 75% of my listening time.  For the past 2 months, they get maybe 10%.  I like the 400i's that much...

 

[SigRHassan]

  swspiers, would you be kind enough to compare sound of 400i to your Grado 225?

Wow, I actually typed 1000 words on the comparison, but when I read it I found it to be the precise pontification and BS that I usually skip and ignore when I read it on this site.
 
So- in brief: Grado's are awesome.  If you like Grado's.  The 225i's have a narrow and intimate soundstage, recreate Tony Iommi's Gibson SG through Laney tube amps really well, and are incredibly revealing with gobs of micro-detail.  But they have a bump at 100 Hz, and an abrupt roll-off below that.  So- no bass in the lower octave and 1/2.  Which helps to make them so clear and efficient.  People either love them or hate them.  I love them!
 
The 400i's, to me, are what a planar would sound like if Grado made them.  These are great rock headphones, but unlike my 225i's, they bring the secret sauce to all genre's.  But they are NOT bass-head cans by any means.  They remind me of a perfectly integrated sealed Rythmik sub that one only notices when it's not on.  Perfect balance, and when a song or soundtrack has meaningful content below 40 Hz, it is quite impressive.  Otherwise, I can hear how some people think they are lean.
 
My Grado's used to get 75% of my listening time.  For the past 2 months, they get maybe 10%.  I like the 400i's that much...

 

 
Thanks for your reply, swspiers (and I apologize for not being adept enough to figure out how to properly frame your post). Currently own Grado 225s, enjoy them a lot, and recently auditioned a set of HE-500s. I loved the physical presence, the body, of the music (the 225s sounded much thinner in comparison). Although I missed the detail compared to the 225s, the ultimate reason I returned them was the weight. I just couldn't wear them for long periods. What I'm hoping for from the 400i is some of the body of the 500, possibly a bit more detail, and definitely a lot more comfort. Apparently the only "B" word that applies to my head is bald, and not bass. Thanks again; I am very appreciative of the time you spent on the reply.