[ClassicThunder]

I like to fall asleep wearing  me he400s and seem to have sheared through the cable somehow. Anyone know where I can find a affordable pair of replacement cables? The ones on the HiFiMan site are nearly 1/3 the price of the cans new. 

 

[canthearyou]

I like to fall asleep wearing  me he400s and seem to have sheared through the cable somehow. Anyone know where I can find a affordable pair of replacement cables? The ones on the HiFiMan site are nearly 1/3 the price of the cans new. 

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=281735379097&alt=web
Not sure of quality, but this should work. I believe HD700 cables will work on the 400s

 

[ClassicThunder]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=281735379097&alt=web
Not sure of quality, but this should work. I believe HD700 cables will work on the 400s

 
Awesome thanks. After a bit of double checking yes they are compatible with the HD700 which opens up a lot more options. 

 

[Eustachian]

Liking the smooth sound of these

 

[nickisnoob]

How do they compare to the HE400?

 

[jjgr]

looks like Tyll's review is coming today:
https://www.twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks/episodes/279?autostart=false
(see at ~10:00).
 

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[Pianist]

  looks like Tyll's review is coming today:
https://www.twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks/episodes/279?autostart=false
(see at ~10:00).
 

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Yes! Can't wait - I love Tyll's reviews and it will be really interesting what will happen on the Wall Of Fame!

 

[JPlaquia]

  looks like Tyll's review is coming today:
https://www.twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks/episodes/279?autostart=false
(see at ~10:00).
 

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Watching it now. Thanks for this, been waiting for his review on HE400S.

 

[BenWaB3]

   
Awesome thanks. After a bit of double checking yes they are compatible with the HD700 which opens up a lot more options. 

I just wanted to double-check on the compatibility here - the HiFiMan cables have the stereo 2.5 plugs where the HD-700 has mono 2.5's. Will this still work correctly? I'd really like to get a longer cable. Thanks.

 

[money4me247]

Tyll's HE-400S review is up! Link HERE.

 

[Hachiko270296]

I dunno what's up with Tyll. He's been trying to find a headphone that can derail the HD600 for years but hasn't been able to. He stated that the X2 could of been that headphone but because it didn't play well with OTL amps it wasn't. It also had a more fuzzy treble where as the HD600 is more refined and has a more natural mid range. The HE-400s is a basic, entry level headphone that sounds good out of portable players and phones but doesn't really scale much and it's limits can be reached quite quickly. It also has a bit of a fuzzy treble, a bit unrefined sounding. I don't see how he can say it is better than the HD600 let alone the HD650 which has a better mid range and is more refined than the HD600 and scales a bit better than the HD600 IMO. I can't find a single area where it's a better headphone personally, the HD600 is Hifi and the HE400S is entry level to me.
 
He also has been contradicting himself a lot lately and I know he suffers from some hearing damage but I can see how he can say something liek the HD650 is distant when the mids are more upfront than the HE400S(Graphs also show this)
 
I disagree with Tyll on this review but it's his opinion.

 

[eeggddss]

  I dunno what's up with Tyll. He's been trying to find a headphone that can derail the HD600 for years but hasn't been able to. He stated that the X2 could of been that headphone but because it didn't play well with OTL amps it wasn't. It also had a more fuzzy treble where as the HD600 is more refined and has a more natural mid range. The HE-400s is a basic, entry level headphone that sounds good out of portable players and phones but doesn't really scale much and it's limits can be reached quite quickly. It also has a bit of a fuzzy treble, a bit unrefined sounding. I don't see how he can say it is better than the HD600 let alone the HD650 which has a better mid range and is more refined than the HD600 and scales a bit better than the HD600 IMO. I can't find a single area where it's a better headphone personally, the HD600 is Hifi and the HE400S is entry level to me.
 
He also has been contradicting himself a lot lately and I know he suffers from some hearing damage but I can see how he can say something liek the HD650 is distant when the mids are more upfront than the HE400S(Graphs also show this)
 
I disagree with Tyll on this review but it's his opinion.

With due respect, me having owned more than 45 headphones in the $500 to $1100 range, think that the hearing problem is yours. the HD600 and HD650 are both veiled and distant sounding headphones like many of Sennheiser's. The only basic thing in the HE400s is price. It is a superlative sounding headphone, very well balanced, fast, refined and enjoyable. I wonder if you really has taken the time it requires to appreciate it or just "talk because is cheap". It is very well constructed piece of equipment considering its low price. And outperforms all headphones I've owned and listened at twice the price. Proffesional reviewers like Tyll or Steve Gutenberg can not say that in public because it would hurt severely the sales of more expensive headphones that are also reviewed by them. You can notice that they are very carefull when downscaling any model. But the point is: the HE400s sounds like a headphone in the $700 to $1000 tier, period. I'm convinced that a properly done blind test will prove that and will shut the mouth of many.

 

[Hachiko270296]

 
With due respect, me having owned more than 45 headphones in the $500 to $1100 range, think that the hearing problem is yours. the HD600 and HD650 are both veiled and distant sounding headphones like many of Sennheiser's. The only basic thing in the HE400s is price. It is a superlative sounding headphone, very well balanced, fast, refined and enjoyable. I wonder if you really has taken the time it requires to appreciate it or just "talk because is cheap". It is very well constructed piece of equipment considering its low price. And outperforms all headphones I've owned and listened at twice the price. Proffesional reviewers like Tyll or Steve Gutenberg can not say that in public because it would hurt severely the sales of more expensive headphones that are also reviewed by them. You can notice that they are very carefull when downscaling any model. But the point is: the HE400s sounds like a headphone in the $700 to $1000 tier, period. I'm convinced that a properly done blind test will prove that and will shut the mouth of many.

Considering I have quite higher than normal hearing that has been marked as excellent by military testing I'd say I'm doing ok. Anyone can own more than 100 headphones it doesn't mean they know anything about sound.
 
Please stop saying veiled, that's amateur 90's throwback rubbish. The HD600 has a treble that lean towards being quite bright where the HD650 is a bit rolled off giving them a bit of a warm sound. With all due respect, I don't think you know what you are talking about. Distant sounding? They have linear mids which is the dominant aspect of their sound lol

 

[money4me247]

  I dunno what's up with Tyll. He's been trying to find a headphone that can derail the HD600 for years but hasn't been able to. He stated that the X2 could of been that headphone but because it didn't play well with OTL amps it wasn't. It also had a more fuzzy treble where as the HD600 is more refined and has a more natural mid range. The HE-400s is a basic, entry level headphone that sounds good out of portable players and phones but doesn't really scale much and it's limits can be reached quite quickly. It also has a bit of a fuzzy treble, a bit unrefined sounding. I don't see how he can say it is better than the HD600 let alone the HD650 which has a better mid range and is more refined than the HD600 and scales a bit better than the HD600 IMO. I can't find a single area where it's a better headphone personally, the HD600 is Hifi and the HE400S is entry level to me.
 
He also has been contradicting himself a lot lately and I know he suffers from some hearing damage but I can see how he can say something liek the HD650 is distant when the mids are more upfront than the HE400S(Graphs also show this)
 
I disagree with Tyll on this review but it's his opinion.

I can see where you are coming from, and I do think there will be people who rank the HD650/HD600 over the HE-400S.
 
I do agree that it does not really scale up too much, but I view that as a plus more than a minus. It will still pick up different characterizations based on your gear, and you do not need to invest in any specific type of equipment to reach its full potential. There are many other headphones that can achieve really solid performance without needing crazy amplifiers to reach their full potential such as the Ethers, and I do really think that is a benefit for us rather than a con. I do see high performance while being very efficient with less picky requirements being the new standard rather than the other way around with the headphone releases by companies.
 
I would say though that price point does not really correlate well with performance and I do think from my direct comparisons that the HE-400S can compete well with many much more expensive headphones and is an extremely solid option in the mid-tier category. The HE-400S can easily beat out the X2 and K7xx (which are also really solid mid-tier options) in some technical performance aspects as well imo. There are a lot of more expensively priced "mid-tier" options that do not really have the sound signature tuning or technical attributes to compete against solid classics. If you can't find any area where the HE-400S excels over the Sennheisers, but are interested in trying, I would I would recommend doing comparisons specifically for that sense of speed, transient response (attack/decay) and bass tightness.
 
I would view the HE-400S as a solid mid-tier offering personally. So I would just caution making assumptions on where a headphone sits in performance based on price point. Its sonic performance is extremely extremely competitive for its price point. There are reasons for choosing the HD650 over the HE-400S, but I think extensive comparisons will demonstrate that they both provide very solid performance while subtle nuances that will sway individuals towards one or the other. I personally would be quite happy using any of those options as my main mid-tier.
 
Cheers!

 

[Hachiko270296]

  I can see where you are coming from, and I do think there will be people who rank the HD650/HD600 over the HE-400S.
 
I do agree that it does not really scale up too much, but I view that as a plus more than a minus. It will still pick up different characterizations based on your gear, and you do not need to invest in any specific type of equipment to reach its full potential. There are many other headphones that can achieve really solid performance without needing crazy amplifiers to reach their full potential such as the Ethers, and I do really think that is a benefit for us rather than a con. I do see high performance while being very efficient with less picky requirements being the new standard rather than the other way around with the headphone releases by companies.
 
I would say though that price point does not really correlate well with performance and I do think from my direct comparisons that the HE-400S can compete well with many much more expensive headphones and is an extremely solid option in the mid-tier category. The HE-400S can easily beat out the X2 and K7xx (which are also really solid mid-tier options) in some technical performance aspects as well imo. There are a lot of more expensively priced "mid-tier" options that do not really have the sound signature tuning or technical attributes to compete against solid classics. If you can't find any area where the HE-400S excels over the Sennheisers, but are interested in trying, I would I would recommend doing comparisons specifically for that sense of speed, transient response (attack/decay) and bass tightness.
 
I would view the HE-400S as a solid mid-tier offering personally. So I would just caution making assumptions on where a headphone sits in performance based on price point. Its sonic performance is extremely extremely competitive for its price point. There are reasons for choosing the HD650 over the HE-400S, but I think extensive comparisons will demonstrate that they both provide very solid performance while subtle nuances that will sway individuals towards one or the other. I personally would be quite happy using any of those options as my main mid-tier.
 
Cheers!

I see your point about them reaching their potential easier thus making that a benefit but it also makes them harder to compare to the HD650 or HD600 since it's not fair on the Senns.
 
I personally think these shouldn't be compared at all, regardless of how close they are in price. I think the X2 is a more fair comparison and I personally think the X2 has the advantage due to it's bass. Both have a tizzy treble as well and mids quite close. I guess after writing this I'd have to say the X2 is a more sensible buy unless people are willing to experiment with different ear pads which will make them moire expensive to get that bass.