[peter123]

I'm quite limited in the budget of what I can import to my country :/ I have a max of 200 USD so that's why I was seeing the Little Dot... I can may buy used, and that would give me some more options in the price range...
I heard about tube rolling, again, not an option for myself, Is impossible to get these things in my country and the amount of packages I can import a year is limited too :/

I should go with a solid state amp and keep that as long as I can

The Nuforce HA-200 is $200 on Massdrop right now and it's what I prefer to use with the HE400i these days (I even prefer it over my Burson V2+ with the HE400i). If they ship to your country it could be exactly what you're looking for.

I've said it before and will probably say it again but the HA-200 is a very very good amp

 

[mib91]

Not sure what rubber band you're talking about or if that was a metaphor. But anyway, yes, you can just stretch the steel band, a little at a time, until it's perfect for you. You have to pull really hard on it, because it's spring steel, but after a hour or so of firm, but careful pulling, it should be perfect.

Thank you for your reply. Let me try to be a bit more precise this time. The way this phone serves clamp force is quite decent for me. Issue arises with the rubber/leather band that has levels to adjust with the skull. I feel like I could use two more levels to get more height on them which would let the pads to sit over my ear perfectly.

 

[mrs1986]

  why can't Hifiman do the same quality pads. That's interesting. 

Sure they can, but those pads are 80 alone, thats almost half the price of the headphones itselfs :/

 

[mrs1986]

The Nuforce HA-200 is $200 on Massdrop right now and it's what I prefer to use with the HE400i these days (I even prefer it over my Burson V2+ with the HE400i). If they ship to your country it could be exactly what you're looking for.

I've said it before and will probably say it again but the HA-200 is a very very good amp

That Nuforce looks really nice... This is just amp right? I need a DAC to source clean sound...? 

 

[peter123]

  That Nuforce looks really nice... This is just amp right? I need a DAC to source clean sound...? 

Yes, it's just an amp. A nice feature with it is that you can use two of them as monoblocks and running them balanced. This means that if you need more power in the future you can just get one more (and a balanced source of course) to take things up a level. I haven't had the chance to try out my pair in balanced mode yet so can't really say much more about it other than you'll have enough power for anything with two of them
 
At the moment I'm using my pair as regular single ended amp's in two different set up and enjoy them a lot in both of them. 

 

[mrs1986]

  Yes, it's just an amp. A nice feature with it is that you can use two of them as monoblocks and running them balanced. This means that if you need more power in the future you can just get one more (and a balanced source of course) to take things up a level. I haven't had the chance to try out my pair in balanced mode yet so can't really say much more about it other than you'll have enough power for anything with two of them
 
At the moment I'm using my pair as regular single ended amp's in two different set up and enjoy them a lot in both of them. 

The price is actually awesome, but, you may think it is ridiclous, but I can't get them because of the shipping price :/

 

[peter123]

The price is actually awesome, but, you may think it is ridiclous, but I can't get them because of the shipping price :/

No I don't find that ridiculous as it's somewhat similar when importing stuff here in Norway so I was afraid that might be a problem.

At least over here there's no limitations on how many imports you can do but the cost will be higher over a certain value (shipping included) so I'd guess I'm still lucky.....

 

[mrs1986]

No I don't find that ridiculous as it's somewhat similar when importing stuff here in Norway so I was afraid that might be a problem.

At least over here there's no limitations on how many imports you can do but the cost will be higher over a certain value (shipping included) so I'd guess I'm still lucky.....

Yes I guess you are... Here I have only 3 imports with a 200USD total value each, I can get one used later

 

[peter123]

Yes I guess you are... Here I have only 3 imports with a 200USD total value each, I can get one used later

Patience is a virtue

 

[phthora]

   
i'm not sure if your comment is good or bad 

 
Haha... Sorry. I was just trying to list the price so people didn't have to go through the hassle of adding it to cart on the website. (I hate when companies do that.) At $300 they are a steal. I'm sure people would snap them up at that price, if HiFiMan didn't just finish an insanely aggressive Black Friday sale on them. Hell, if I had auditioned them first, I would have bought them at MSRP.

 

[trivium911]

The Project Sunrise III look intersting for the 400i's, but alot more than i wanted to spend. Has anyone tried the Bravo v3 tube amp on these? Still trying to find the Objective 2 of the tube amps, low cost and good sound and a removable tube, hoping it would be DIY aswell like the objective 2. Also looking at the Vali 2, but maybe down the road.

 

[spookanide]

Originally Posted by Dopaminer /img/forum/go_quote.gif
...
Both times I have bought the `vegan` pads, a kind of synthetic suede material (alcantra?) that is not sticky in hot/humid weather.  Comfort is out of this world - like beds for my ears.  
 
Sound-wise I do not notice any detriment to the highs or mids; I just notice bass boost, and it`s quality bass.  But this will be variable for each individual - moving the drivers away from the ear increases bass incrementally, while incrementally decreasing bass quality - increasing muddiness, mushiness, whomp and blimp.  
 
I think I have mine right exactly at growling thunder rumbles. 

Thanks a lot for replying, this sounds like it's right up my alley. I do miss a bit of umph to the bass of these now that I've used them for a while. I just ordered them and will report back to the thread.
 

  Sure they can, but those pads are 80 alone, thats almost half the price of the headphones itselfs :/

My wallet weeps reading this thread sometimes. Bought mine around 550, because imports to EU are ****ed. Do feel like it was money well spent as I sat for about 3 hours doing a listening session at a store with a table full of cans and my own gear.

 

[drwlf]

 
How have you found (Ori, HM5, Audeze, etc.) pads to affect soundstage and imaging, if at all, in the 400i? Does distance from the drivers, or non-angled pads increase or change soundstage? My only complaint with the 400i (as a noob to hi-fi currently using the stock focus pads) is that the music feels like its near the back of my head. I find myself prying open the phones at the front while I'm listening, which seems to deepen the bass, broaden the stage, and move the plane of the soundstage from the back of my head toward the front. I feel like I'm constantly pushing the pads forward almost subconsciously. This is my first set of open-backs and planars. Any other suggestions (for pads, mods, or tricks)?
Thanks

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/698974/hifiman-he-400i-impressions-and-discussion/9270#post_12667630
Never got around to the review/impressions, as I was sucked in to the general goodness of pleather HM5 angleds
I've tested the Audezes lambskins and the HM5 angled pleathers on the 400i. Both are quite similar. The soundstage actually does take a minor, I don't like percents, but perhaps a >5% hit. Also the soundstage moves _even_ closer to you, by some amount, hence, it won't help with your current predicament. Perhaps this movement with the general soundstage accumulates to the perceived "loss" of soundstage. Instrument separation/clarity does not take any hits however, in my perception.
Additionally, the soundstage does not open up by any measurable amount via re-grilling/more open mods of similar tricks, if you have the latest backplateless version with 2.5mm connectors, I'm afraid.
I feel like some of the excitement I have is due to the soundstage being moved even closer to my head tbh. It's even more in your face, almost akin to inside your face
Read these comments as YMMV, I've just had a lovely steak dinner with too much good wine, on a holiday in Spain atm, and can't actually A/B the pads atm.

 

[drwlf]

 
The TorpedoIII is discontinued by ECP/Beezar now.  No more PCBs being made for it.  There's a TorpedoIV in the works, but I don't believe it will be DIY (but not sure on that, would have to ask Tom or Doug).  Towards the end the TorpedoIII had gotten so complicated that really only a handful of people could build it, and most units ordered were either built by Tom himself, or somebody would pay one of the more experience DIYers to build one for them.  As Doug said, basically it had just become a way to get a $3000 amp for $1600.

 
*******it, was eyeing to this. However, was wondering about doing the PCB by myself anyways.

 

[drwlf]

  In general, velour gives better sound stage (air-er), more leakage, lower bass while leather is the other way around.
 
I do not really know the correct term but air-er to me means I can hear the sound escapes from my velour pads which gives it a better decay?
 
Leather pads tends to bounce off and have some resonance kind of decay?
 
The stock is a hybrid velour / leather. (more towards leather sounding for me)
 
I have not really get to compare like cowhide vs lambskin vs sheepskin though.
 
Distance between the ear and driver is important too.
 
I do prefer the stock 400s angled velour pads on my 400i but none of the pads will actually shift the ultra wide and V soundstage of 400i.
 
You can also try changing the direction of the thicker part (facing back by default) of the stock pad to see if it fits your liking.
 
You can try using software crossfeed like canopener (like suggested) or maybe dac/amp like ifi / m9xx / sound blaster.
 
Most closed headphone actually bounces the sound to the front while most planar mags are actually extra wide causing the vocal to be elongated side ways and instruments behind the ears.
 
Movies are awful without any kind of virtual surround sound and crossfeed.

 
Better decay = subjective, the pleather/leather options also absorb soundwaves differently. Especially if you have holes in them, akin to the stock FocusPads.