Introduction: well, let me start off by saying that I don’t come from the wealthiest background.
So, it shouldn’t come to a surprise that purchasing the hifiman even at $300 was a big move on my part and wasn’t an easy decision, but my love for audio made me detest using cheap audio products which didn’t honor music, instead spat on its face.
 
 

Da luuks and da build: I’ll say it, these look sexy. The chrome cups give for a very classy and sophisticated look IMO which helps it segregate itself as a higher class of headphones. The headband is not so ideal but you get used to them. Others really don’t. I wore these during a road trip and I stopped counting how many weird looks people were giving me. It was awkward to say the least. But tell you what? I didn’t care, (maybe I cared a little bit), but I wasn’t going to take them off my head.
 
~
But the sexy cups tend to be a fingerprint magnet, they don’t give me much confidence in terms of being scratch resistant. Take care of them will you? Try not to throw them around and be rough with them. The headband adjusters inflict scratches on the back of the metal structure. For the retail price of $499.99 this is unacceptable to me. Hifiman messed up big time in this part for me. The adjusters are very hard to adjust due to stiffness but ease up over time. The new 2.5 mm connectors look nice, I’d say they shouldn’t cause any problems.

~
Da cumphorttt: Holy schiit! Why would you take these of your head? Even if no music is playing, I would rather keep them on my head while they hug my head with those soft pads. It’s not a headphone that I want to keep on my head just for its sound, but its comfort makes me want to keep them on even if there is no music on! I have listened to these for hours at a time and felt little to no discomfort. These don’t disappear completely but they don’t keep screaming “hey I’m on your head, does that bother you?”.

 
Da sundddd:
First impressions when I received them were as follows,
***note: I am playing them out of an Objective2 amp with no external dac, only the crappy one from my HTC one m8 and my Lenovo notebook. So maybe that's the reason for my impressions.
 
 Unimpressed. I simply didn't see what the fuss was all about. The treble siblant and strident.
 
 The vocals were nice but there was no *magic* I wanted for 300 dollars.
 
 The bass, oh my God, where is the bass? Is hifiman pranking me? Is this a joke? Are my headphones broken? The mid bass sounds horribly anemic, like someone beating on plastic with plastic.
Unacceptable for it's price tag. Where is the liquid planner bass I was promised? There is no sign of sub bass. It's just missing. On "secrets" by tiesto and kshmr- this particularly showed.
 I tried eq from dobly atmos on my HTC one m8: on the "rich" setting with a bit more eq'ed sub bass. better. The treble calmed down, but not much. The mids still there and are nice but no orgasmic *magic*. They are just not forward enough for me. Mid bass less plastic feeling but still not good enough. Sub bass is helping the mid bass sound a bit more textured but it's still mostly missing and obscure. Hell I preferred the punchy textured bass on my $50 status audio hd one than the he-400i at this point.
 
 But slowly they started to improve, (burn in? What? It really works?) the treble calmed down a lot. And the Objective2 seemed to help, (ampless directly from phone with eq didn't work well enough). The mids started to sound a lot more nice. Vocal layering was very impressive. The bass improved and wasn't as plastic crappy feeling anymore. But it didn't go deep at all. Impact was almost non existent. It wasn't "accurate" there was certainly information missing my $10 earbuds with eq can dig out that this couldn't.
 
 On a jazz track it really shined. On "the look for love" by Stanley Turrentine - the instrument separation was impressive. The instrument's attack and decay is something I first realized on this headphone. The strings and drums sounded fantastic. They had life in them!
 On "better than anything" by Diana Krall and Natalie Cole - the vocal layering and separation was also quite impressive as I've never heard them on other cheaper audio gear.
 But at that time I thought that if they didn't improve drastically with a better dac (garbage in, garbage out and all that), and further burn in, I’d have to say that I really didn’t think they were even worth $300 let alone $500. But prices are really crazy in the audio world I’ll have to say. My perception of value for money might differ from yours but whatever.
 

Now these are my impressions after listening to them for around a month-
 
Bass: amazing sense of realism and the lightness of the slam helps clarity.  It can sound anemic depending on the song and the rig. There is a certain texture the bass presents that I’ve come to love. With the correct eq however it can reach higher levels of awesomeness! For bass heavy genres I use the eq to bump up the bass quite a bit and boy does it seriously hit hard! Most of that seductive texture is still retained but now it doesn’t just punch weakly, now it attacks you with authority! Yes, in a pleasurable way! On The Eagle’s Hotel California the kick drums with eq are very authoritative and make for a very addicting listen.
 
Mids: Oh. Thissss. This is amazing. The mids have a sweetness to them that is hard to describe, its unlike anything I’ve ever heard. The instruments are presented in a way that is just a joy to listen to! On Porcupine Tree’s song- My Ashes, the guitar sounds incredible and the imaging is very good. The vocals carried that sense of dark atmosphere which just stood out so much to me! And not surprisingly Steven Wilson’s songs are great on these. The Vocals and the instruments never sound congested, rather they flow. Green day is also amazing here. The guitar riffs have a sense of authority to them. On Diana Krall’s Let’s Fall in Love, her voice sounds intoxicating to say the least. I’m blown away each time I hear that song. Bjork and Carpenters also sound amazing! Blowing me away each time I put their songs on.
 
Treble: One cannot be perfect from every angle. Somewhere there has to be a problem. In this case for me It’s the treble. Don’t get me wrong, it is very extended and isn’t veiled or dull in any way. Rather it’s insanely lively and clear. But that clarity can get a bit displeasure-able at times. There’s peaks in around 4k and 7-9k that I can only describe as party poopers. They almost ruined the headphones for me! They made the vocals sound shrill and harsh as well as the cymbals and high-hats. Listening to Fetty Wap’s Trap Queen without eq ,the cymbals/high-hats are ear piercing and make for a very very bad experience. On Eminem’s Must be the Ganja, it’s torture. Everything sounds sibilant to a certain degree. But I was persistent, after weeks of trial and error I finally came up with a eq setting for me, which killed all the sibilance. Now this headphone for me had become worth $300 and even more. Everything sounded smoother.
 
Soundstage/separation/imaging: wow, coming from super low-fi gear this was amazing to me. The attack and decay, the transience, the flow of everything was spectacular! The clear identity of each instrument and their ability to stand out individually without seeming to be mashed into a crowd was something I hadn’t experienced before until I heard the Hifiman he-400i. While the soundstage isn’t HUGEEE it has its charm for me. The soundstage over all seems to expand more on some songs than others. Vocal layering is also very nice as I had stated above in my first impressions.
Amping: This needs and I mean NEEDS a warm sounding amp to sound like what people praise these so much for! I had to learn that the hard way. I didn’t have the budget at the time to get a rig for it so I was stuck with an Objective2 double amping out of my phone or laptop and using the onboard crappy dacs they come with.
So if you’re thinking of getting these for portable use with a phone, like I was, you can say bye-bye to that. (unless of course you have a warm sounding amp/dac in your phone e.g the nexus 6p?).

Conclusion: Over all I wanted to experience what good audio sounded like and hifiman he-400i gave me a bit more to bite than I could chew. It’s overwhelming treble extension is definitely something I could live without! It’s sibilance and harsh/shrill attitude is something that ended up making me decide that this wasn’t really the right headphone for me.  
 
 
P.S- here’s the eq that I was using for them:
 

 
 
 
And for when I wanted BASSSS~
 

 
 
 
Please do let me know what you think of my review (as it's my first), where I messed up and where I can improve on in the future.

HiFiMAN HE-400i and HE-560 review & comparison - w/ stock grilles and Focus pads
 
Disclaimer: The following review/comparison is my subjective assessment of the two headphones. The differences between the two are not night and day quantity-wise, but represent a difference I was able to hear. Both headphones are great sounding devices and this review and comparison should serve to highlight or point out the differences. If you have any questions or if you want to point something out, please do let me know. Hope you enjoy the read ^_^
 
Introduction
- I received the HE-560 in early July and the 400i last Monday. When I wasn't doing critical listening or direct comparisons, both headphones were being burned-in using pink noise or playing music. Initially, I did not find them very different - it was with time, precise volume matching, listening to many different songs of various genres and most importantly lots and lots of swapping headphones, comparing short segments of different songs, movies or games. After this exhaustive process, the differences finally became clear. I am confident that these comparisons represent my current [and hopefully final] opinion on these two headphones. One thing I very much want to point out - at their respective retail prices, both headphones represent tremendous value. If I only owned one or the other, I would most certainly not find any of either headphone's relative shortcomings troublesome enough to not live with. Also, please do keep in mind my particular setup as well. I will first evaluate each headphone based on its own merits and only then compare it to the other, mentioning where the differences lie, to keep it organized and easy to navigate. Without further ado, here's the comparison.
 
Equipment:
Media: JRiver Media player 19, using ASIO KS direct connection output
Source: USB output of a desktop-PC
DAC: Audio-gd NFB-7 via USB input
Amplifier: Audio-gd SA-31SE via single-ended RCA input
Headphones: HiFiMAN HE-560 & HiFiMAN HE-400i via a 1/4 TRS plug
Files: FLAC, 128-320kbps MP3, 256kbps AAC, AC3/DTS [JRiver upmixing - movies], Dolby Headphone/ SBX Pro Studio [via external DSPs - gaming]
Cables: stock power cables, decent RCA/USB/TOSLINK cables
 
Bass
 
HE-400i
- The 400i has a very good bass response. The mid-bass has a good punch to it and is slightly emphasized, which helps with tracks where the impact is less than desired. The sub-bass is quite good too but rolls off just a bit sooner than I'd like. As far as bass definition, timbre and clarity goes, the 400i keeps a good balance of things. The slight emphasis of the mid-bass does mean that a slight portion of clarity and definition gets lost in the “punch”. It also makes certain instruments sound just a bit boomy [like a timpani or toms] at times, while also having a bit less than perfect control. The bass overall has more punch than it has extension and depth. In terms of tonality still, don't expect it to stray too far away from neutral, just a slight, enveloping bass warmth-tilt. When all's said and done, the bass is very exceptional and capable of sounding phenomenal with the flaws being pretty small.
 
HE-560
- The 560 has likewise excellent bass. The mid-bass to sub-bass transition is perfectly linear, which means the bass stays neutral, with equal presence. That means, that it will not help with any bass deficiency in recordings but nor will it add any emphasis. The sub-bass is very impressive and goes very deep, giving bass instruments a very realistic tone. Timbre, definition and clarity is as good as I've heard. The punch might be perceived as slightly softer at times, but it is for the sake of preserving all the details in the recording - any more and you'd lose a tint of definition or texture or make that instrument a bit less natural. Nonetheless, it is something to consider. All, in all, if you seek a perfectly neutral bass response that can sound terrifyingly real, this is the one.
 
Differences
- The bass of the two is more similar than different. The 400i trades a slight mid-bass emphasis for a slight loss in texture and detail, while the 560 remains equal, give or take, in all of them. The sub-bass presence and extension goes to the 560 and so does the timbre and realness, more on that later. Both can hit hard, the 400i slightly more so, and sound equally impressive with the 560 just being more tonally correct overall, with better sub-bass, while the 400i bass retains more spotlight and presence in the mid-section and upper-bass.
 
Midrange
 
HE-400i
- The 400i has a midrange that is more forward and up-front than what would be considered neutral. All instruments in the midrange always have their place, with very equal presence. Everything is very easy to distinguish, thanks to exquisite separation. This makes up for a very euphonic, bigger-than-real midrage, which ends up sounding pleasant more often than not. However, this can bring a certain shoutiness to instruments as well. For example, an instrument playing solo [say a piano or a violin], which means there's already a spotlight shining on it, and when you double that, it might just become too much, blending strikes and keys together in a slightly harsh forwardness. The upper midrange-lower treble transition is an area that is a lot less forward in comparison and can sound a bit muted in relation to the rest of the midrange, but nothing too troublesome. Overall, the midrange is more or less forward and coherent, with just a few slight dips and peaks preventing it from being completely perfect as is.
 
HE-560
- The 560 has again a very coherent sounding midrange, not forward or laid back, with just enough presence to sound true. That does mean, that some instruments [like triangles or xylophones] can blend in just a bit at times, but the midrange is in no way recessed. The good thing is there's no harshness to be heard and instrument solos sound just lovely, be it pianos or guitars. In general, the more spotlight an instrument steals in the recording, the more it will get and even as its presence increases and disappears, the instrument always appears and decays with finesse. Much like bass, the midrange is the most realistic I've heard, bringing tears in breath-taking solos or just going with the flow among other instruments, while never sounding thin and retaining good dynamics.
 
Differences
- The key difference here is obviously that the 400i midrange is more forward and just brings attention to itself and every instrument there is, thus creating a more often than not, very pleasant coloration. The 560's midrange is just there and lets the recording [or the conductor] to bring the attention to a particular instrument, or not. As a result, the 560 is more natural and delicate, while the 400i presents midrange in a more euphonic and iconic fashion. Midrange, like bass, is where both headphones are competent enough, without any significantly detracting factors.
 
Treble
 
HE-400i
- The 400i's treble is a bit more complicated. As has been pointed out, the upper midrange-lower treble region is a bit less present, or to put it more simply, the treble is there but it is slightly overshadowed by the relative forwardness of midrange and bass, while the upper treble region is more present. The treble is smooth and well extended overall, without any major peaks but it just does not carry the airy presence I like, and what I assume is the side-effect of this - a noticeable lack of air to instruments that extend to the treble and female vocals. This negatively affects their timbre and accuracy, among other things. It is still a coloration, however, that might be desirable, especially for those people who don't want much treble energy and seek just that warm-tilt with a slight upper-treble sparkle this provides. This is thus a very subjective flaw. It does not affect other things as much, but it is definitely something to consider if you want a completely even and open treble. Other than the air issue, the treble is pretty great and smooth, and if you don't need lots of air in your music, you'll certainly like it. It also varies from genre to genre and track to track, depending on many a factors. Some tracks also add an artificial layer of air to vocals - this is not what I mean. This is natural and is present in each on to a degree.
 
HE-560:
- The 560 presents treble in an effortless and convincing manner. Much like midrange, the treble is just there. It isn't harsh or deficient but always present, contributing to an airy presentation. There's no emphasis on cymbals, like the HE-6 used to make. Female vocals sound especially lovely and energetic, with just the right presence. The treble region is an area that is said to be the hardest to do right without either artificially overdoing it or making compromises and cutting back. The treble is again the best I've heard. It is not always incredibly airy [the HE-6 is more so] but it has the power to be just as and more often than not it is and certainly to a point of sounding convincing and not artificial. It always straddles the line of being too smooth and too forward and thus ends right where it should - in the middle.
 
Differences
- What separates these two trebles is more than anything, the air. The 400i treble is handled in such a way that it allows very little room for air while the 560 allows for much more. This does mostly affect the decay, timbre and just the way how real and authentic things sound. Best way to demonstrate is with an example. As voices or instruments travel through the air and eventually disappear, they leave a trail around them, a faint presence of sound and movement, what is best described as air, as well as a part of timbre or decay. This air, produced by each instrument or vocal, moves with said instrument or vocal, until it eventually disappears. On the 560, this presence is more and it rises up or moves outside of the field of said instrument/vocal as it decays, almost as if it moved beyond the boundaries of the headphone and their drivers, in a natural and convincing way. If the bow of a violin is moving from left to right and disappears, so does the airy presence. The 400i has less and does not do it nearly as convincingly - you never feel the air 'leaving' the headphone, it stays inside, trapped in the cups and just stops, with a less convincing and shorter decay. This is for me subjectively the most notable deficiency in the 400i's treble, but a very subjective thing indeed. Air is obviously not limited to treble - it manifests itself in the midrange and bass as well, but is not as apparent there as it is here.
 
Vocals
 
Male
 
HE-400i
- The 400i handles male vocals beautifully. As they are part of the “Magical Midtange”, they are put more forward than female vocals and have great body and presence. The sibilance is never an issue as there's a noticeable dip in the region where major sibilance occurs. At the same time, this dip can have a negative impact, producing vocals that sound a bit muted in the 'S' region and slightly forced in the 'T' and 'F' regions. I suspect the lack of air is partially the cause for the hardness or roughness. This is a very minor issue, however, and is rarely present and hard to focus on without a direct comparison. Still a pleasantly natural vocal performance!
 
HE-560
- The 560 does male vocals the same way it does it's midrange. No extra body or forwardness, though certainly enough to appreciate the delicacy and realistic nature, but without any extra magic. The “S” region is slightly more pronounced and as a bonus sound more natural and relaxed. The trade-off is that sibilance is more likely to show and it does - so far it was an issue with one track, which the 400i handled better. I again praise the way how vocals vanish into the air and I suspect this naturalness does take away some of the sibilance or hardness there could have been.
 
Differences
- Both headphones handle male vocals exceptionally well. The 400i takes the “more forward and smoother” approach, with more body and presence but an easier tonality on the ears, while the 560 picks the “natural and present” approach, with less body but more nuanced. Both approaches are very enjoyable.
 
Female
 
HE-400i
- The female vocals have good presence and definition. They sound quite natural and without any sibilance. There's again slight mutedness in the sibilance region, and minor emphasis on the 'T's and 'F's at times, coupled with the lack of air, and consequently realistic timbre, does hurt it a bit. That's mostly treble vocals of course, so it is specific to singers in that range. If you listen to female singers with vocals that fall to the midrange more, then those will sound even better. There's definitely noticeably more presence to midrange bound vocals. Still, midramge, or not, the 400i does very good with female vocals too, with good body and presence, eliminating any sibilance there is, unless it is brutally present. It is still a midrange monster however, so it does best there.
 
HE-560
- The 560 puts treble female vocals more forward, giving their voice more presence. Coupled with great timbre, air and decay, treble bound vocals sound energetic and beautiful. There's less compensation for sibilance, still enough for vocals to not highlight it, but not enough to mute their transition through that range.
 
Differences
- Again, air makes the most difference here, contributing to a more contoured, and realistic listen on the 560, along with slightly better resolution and finesse. Consequently, the 400i is hurt much more by it's lack of any substantial airy quality than by anything else and should we ignore the differences in air, the two are surprisingly close, with the more expensive headphone having just a more even treble response, but which is to be expected at almost twice the price.
 
Sibilance
 
HE-400i
- The 400i has absolutely no issues with sibilance. There's that slight mutedness in this range but nothing major. A great accomplishment with regards to sibilance!
 
HE-560
- The 560 fares much the same in the sibilance range. The mute is slightly less and theoretically the susceptibility is a bit higher but not enough to be an issue, and it certainly does not take away from the beauty of the vocals.
 
Differences
- Both headphones deserve praise for the way they are tuned with regards to vocals as both fight sibilance equally well. The HE-6 struggled with it at times, the AKGs do too but the new HiFiMAN set an example in the way sibilance should be tackled. On my setup, obviously. Big thank you for this, team HiFiMAN!
 
Soundstage
 
HE-400i
- The 400i has a soundstage that is definitely on the smaller, intimate size. Width is just okay, while depth is quite good and so is height. As far as soundstage expansiveness goes, it is quite average. The sounds do not feel like they are coming from outside the headphone. I also believe this directly correlates and is connected with the lack of air, and consequently openness as well. However, while the soundstage is still well-integrated and feels natural. It might feel slightly claustrophobic where there are many instruments at play, but then soundstage separation always remains excellent. Detail retrieval is good too. It also does rather well with regards to imaging!
 
HE-560
- The 560 has a moderately wide soundstage, where instruments evenly spread across believably, with good stage depth and pretty spectacular height placement, thanks to great imaging capabilities. The stage is pretty expansive, which I again believe directly correlates with the amount of air and the way it opens up the stage and gives more space and room for instruments to breathe. It still probably won't win many awards either, at least not in terms of sheer size, but it is likewise very natural feeling and well integrated. It is just big enough to allow enough room for instruments to not feel compressed and coupled with brilliant instrument separation it works pretty well. Detail retrieval is likewise great.
 
Differences
- The differences lie mostly in width and openness, where the 560 clearly has the upper hand. Instrument separation is excellent on both headphones. Imaging also goes to the 560, though the 400i also images well. The 560 and 400i both have well-defined and respectable soundstages in the world of planarmagnetic headphones but there's still some catching-up to do to rival those headphones that are renowned in this category.
 
Imaging
 
HE-400i
- The HE-400i images pretty well. It might not be the most distinct, and vocalists that are close to each might blend in just a bit, but it still does it respectably and without any major hiccups - an imaging well done, where things are still not difficult to pick up and follow.
 
HE-560
- The 560's imaging is even greater. It is very precise, with great definition and makes locating various instruments and vocals in the soundstage even easier. Very accurate!
 
Differences
- The 560 has a slight advantage here but the difference is not too big. Yes, sounds are a bit easier to locate and follow but the 400i is not too far behind and certainly not as far as the price difference would suggest. Both imaging capabilities are certainly above average and better.
 
Instrument separation
 
HE-400i
- Excellent. Separating instruments is a breeze.
 
HE-560
- Excellent. Instrument separation is an easy-peasy task.
 
Differences
- A complete tie. Maybe that guitar has a bit more presence because of the 400i's forward midrange or that female vocal is a bit more distinct on the 560 because of its more uniform treble.
Both are exceptional. Both trade blows. An honest tie.
 
Overall Sound Openness
 
HE-400i
- In case you haven't noticed already, the 400i is not a very open-sounding headphone. It tries to be and at times it sounds quite open but it has too much going against it. The lack of air, the average soundstage size and openness, the bass/midrange X treble slight discrepancy. It is warm and it sounds the part. The 400i is a closed-in headphone. It still sounds like an 'open' headphone and covering the grills still produces the same effect as on the 560 but it is certainly one of the less open sounding cans.
 
HE-560
- The 560, on the other hand, sounds pretty open. Instrumental pieces especially come to life. I've been listening to a certain piano and violin duet and the resulting emotion was simply phenomenal. Amazing leading edge on the violin, great delicacy and definition on each key as the piano played and the amount of air each made. Yep, this sounds pretty open to me.
 
Differences
- HE-400i sounds closed-in, HE-560 sounds open. I think everything that needed to be said was said.
 
Air
 
HE-400i
- The 400i has little air. There's some air to male and female vocals in the midrange but vocals located in the treble and most instruments get very little air. It's all connected with the closed-in nature of the headphone. Openness, air and timbre/realism simply suffers for it and not much can be done.
 
HE-560
- Again, the polar opposite. A lot more air to all vocals and instruments. The most impressive thing, however, is how bass instruments [NOT synthetic bass] sound. Lots of air, deep, very tight bass with perfect texture and definition. String bass is just phenomenal, but any bass produced by a real instrument is like that with these.
 
Differences:
- Same as with openness. The 560 has it in much greater quantities. Thanks to overall openness, evenly integrated treble, etc.
 
Timbre/Realism/Decay
 
HE-400i
- To me timbre, realism, decay, openness, air... all these have to work on a certain level to create a headphone that is truly open and transparent. If one of them fails, then the rest can't be too great either. The 400i unfortunately does not perform too well in either of them, including timbre and realism. I find the instruments to sound slightly artificial [string bass instruments have wrong impact/texture ratio] or colored [the midrange forwardness] and the lack of air does not allow for realistic decay either. That, however, just means that the headphone isn't truly open and transparent, not that it isn't good! It is! And again, all just directly compared to the 560. They sound quite good on their own in timbre/realism, just colored.
 
HE-560
- The 560's timbre and realism is spot on and so is decay. Instruments and vocals appear and disappear realistically. Guitars, pianos, violins, tubes, horns, double basses, ... string, key, blow, percussion... male, female... The 560 is an open and transparent headphone. And it is also pretty good.
 
Differences
- The 560 once again wins in these categories. It is the 560's strong suit but not so much for the 400i. It gives instruments and vocals an artificial tone and/or coloration. It is still quite a pleasant sound, of course! You might even enjoy it more. It still sounds good, albeit less accurate.
 
Overall Cohesiveness/Balance
 
HE-400i
- The 400i certainly has a warmer tilt. Punchy bass, forward mids, smooth treble and good musicality and dynamics. Still, it is a rather coherent-sounding headphone with good detail retrieval, great instrument separation, decent imaging and an intimate soundstage and all that has been established. It is also a suitable all-rounder. Maybe not the best pick solely for instrumental or dub-step, but it does those genres likewise reasonably well, along with pop, rock, electronic, alternative and others.
 
HE-560
- The 560 is really a neutral sounding, balanced headphone, with excellent musicality and dynamics. Great bass, midrange, treble, imaging, soundstaging, separation, detail retrieval... Well, we already know that! It wouldn't be my pick if I only listened to hip-hop, rap or dance but they also perform well with the rest. I really love it with instrumental music. An extremely cohesive performer it is.
 
Differences
- A warmly tilt headphone and a neutral headphone. Both extremely good for the price. I am the first to admit that the differences were initially rather hard to discern until I trained my ears. I could honestly live with either of them but at the same time, I am glad I have the opportunity to extensively compare these and appreciate the things they do or don't. And then choose one.
 
Low-level listening
- Both headphones perform equally well in terms of low-level listening and do not lose anything from their qualities. The quieter you listen, the more their shortcomings come out but since none of them have any that'd noticeably affect your listening experience, you can pretty much listen as loud or quiet as you want without issues. I listen at listening volumes 35 and 31/100 respectively, then 30 and 25, 25 and 20 and finally 20 and 10 and they continued to sound just the way they did when they were louder... Just quieter.
 
Build Quality
Differences
- Both headphones are built better than their predecessors, no doubt. Though, the 400i had an extra month of polish and it shows. It looks noticeably more refined and made to a tighter standard than my one month old 560. The adjustment mechanism, the clamp ratio, the ear-cups swivel, the baffle and the pads-attaching mechanism look and feel more Swiss and precise. As far as aesthetics go, I like both - the more muted look of the HE-560 and the more bold appearance of the HE-400i, but build quality wise, with my two particular pairs, the 400i edges ahead.
 
Comfort
Differences
 
- Both get a 10/10 with the Focus pads from me! Easily the most comfy headphones I've had the pleasure to wear so far. The only difference is in clamp but that comes down to consistency and not a particular model. My 560 is a bit more clampy while the 400i is a bit looser, but ultimately nothing to detract from the ultimate experience. No itchy or sore ears. No pressure points on the top of my head. Nope. Nada. None. I am also not a fan of the Focus-A pads. Sorry ^_^
Gaming
Differences
- The 400i has the slight advantage in mid-bass thump. The 560 has a better sub-bass, more precise imaging and a bigger, more natural soundstage. along with a more focused treble and a bit better detail retrieval. Neither, provide an absolutely immerssive, head-rattling experience, obviously. I'd say they both work quite well for both competitive and immersive gaming if you don't require massive amounts of bass. For me, clarity, soundstage and separation are an integral part of my gaming experience and I'd give the slight nod to the 560 for that. Also, deeper bass ^_^
Movies/Series
Differences
- Same as with games. The better extension in the sub-bass along with extra clarity everywhere else comes in handy. Swords ring, guns fire, explosions explode, dialogues play out, all with an extra layer of resolution. Admittedly, the whole experience is a bit better for me with the 560, while the 400i still holds a pretty close second. Also, you can totally tell bad acting and fake sound effects with either... Eeeew.

 
And that's it. To recap, the most notable differences are by far the openness/air/timbre related ones, while the bass/midrange/treble are more subtle. That does not mean you should think of the one as a beefed-up version of the other. No! One is significantly warmer while the other is very neutral and balanced, These differences are real, just not to the point of being obvious from the very first listen. It took quite a bit more :] And I really like them both, though I have my preference, obviously.
Thanks for the read. Hope you like it! Feel free to ask, comment or point out.
Cheers!
Luke
 
Pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING and Build:
The HE-400I shipped in a very nice box, with black foam insert, that holds these amazing cans in place. Also in the box was the cord and 1/4th adaptor. The did not like the cord it was stiff, a tad short, and the adaptors were a bit awkward, for my numb hands, to attach to the headphones. Once I got the cans out of the foam insert I was amazed at elegant they look and feel. 880 found these headphones to be neo-spartan, exquisitely functional, yet elegantly beautiful. The crew at HIFIMAN, using high qualities plastic resin, leather, metal and chrome have created a headphone that is light and very comfortable to wear. Although I did find the stock pads to be a touch warm, to my ears. I would sometimes puts these cans on and forget I was wearing g them, just getting lost in the the music.
SOUND:
BASS:
The bass on these headphones, was the best I have heard so far. I found the bass to be full and textured, the sub bass seemed deep and impactful. I really like the way the bass sounded playing rock like Led Zepplin or Frank Zappa. On a ranking of 1 to 10, I would give these cans a 8.
TREBLE:
The treble on the HE-400i's is very nice, after listening to these cans, I now found my Alpha dogs a touch sibilant.
SOUNDSTAGE:
I found the soundstage to be intimate. The vocals seem to right in front of you, and the instrument seemed closet together than I though a open backed set of cans. Most musical genres sounded fantastic with this sound intimate, slightly forward soundstage. However I found the instruments in classical music seemed a tad congested at times.
SUMMARY:
The folk at HIFIMAN have rally created a great headphone for the money. These cans look great, are so light and comfortable wear. And most importantly these headphones sound great. They play most musical genres well,. Vocals, either female or male, sound great, very crisp and clear.
EQUIPMENT USED:
Kenwood Multiple compact player into a pioneer Reciever, from the Reciever to my Schiit Audio Lyr 2 powered with Gold Lions.
Music used for the review:
Frank Zappa's one size fit all.
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
Chesky's Ultimate Demonstration Disc.
Tomita Planets.
Mozart's Oboe Concerto.
Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas.
Led Zepplin's Bron-Y-Aur Stomp and Kashmir.
Henry the V.
Green Jelly Cereal Killer.
Negativeland Pepsi.
Talking Heads Stop Making Sence.
Eric Clapton Crossroads.
Dave Bruebeck.
Charles Mingus.
Thelonious Monk
The Residents The Tunes of Two Cities.

The HE-400i is a very neutral sounding headphone, not much emphasis or recession anyway and high frequency extension is better than 99% of headphones. On the other end of the spectrum however, bass extension is linear until 40 or so hertz, then it begins rolling off. I think this is due to the way the earpads are dampened. Typically planars have very linear bass extension, but I don't think its that problematic, especially considering most open-dynamic headphones are much worse in this regard. One thing you would expect from a planar is a smaller soundstage, and the HE-400i doesn't fail to meet expectations there. While the soundstage doesn't feel clausterphobic, it lacks a sense of air. Songs that have big soundstage are conveyed decently, but ordinary songs are pretty stereo sounding in a very left and right way. I'm a big fan of huge soundstage, so the HE-400i doesn't exactly excite me with how it portrays the soundspace, but the imaging and clarity are very good, as well as depth. Timbre, texture, realism, etc. are some of the best aspects of the HE-400i, combined with the quick decay the sound of the HE-400i is just really fast and responsive, never gets congested in genres such as dubstep or metal.

I think they're quite good, but not for everyone. I bought them because I wanted a more open and comfortable counterpart to my JVC FX850 IEMs. Based on technically merit alone, they're not much superior to the JVCs (well, FR is much more neutral) and comfort-wise I have a very large head so the clamping force makes them uncomfortable for me. Many others who I've had wear them say they're remarkably comfortable, though. I think I'm going to sell them and try the HD600, AD2000, DT150 or K612. 

The test unit has been in my hands for a week or two now and I feel it's due time to share some organized thoughts on these cans.
 
 
 
Build & Ergonomics
 
*** Readers are recommended to read Build&Ergonomics portion of my HE560 review, as HE400i shares majority of its external components with HE560, and I don’t want redundancy so HE560’s writeup will retain a portion of the physical description and my opinion on various parts of the shared physical build.
 
Cups
 
The HE400is use the tried-and-true resin plastic cups, in this case with a very high-chrome glossy finish. The resulting look is sleek and sexy, quite a juxtaposition beside the prudent and reserved look of HE560’s matte plastic / wood veneer cups.
 
Due to the chrome finish, it is hard to describe what the base colour actually is. Under normal lighting conditions it’s gunmetal grey with an extremely slight hint of cerulean blue / deep purple. Those coming from HE400s will be a lot more satisfied with how these cups show off.
 
Earpads / headband
 
The headband is the same as HE560’s; comfort-wise just perfection in my opinion, very few other headphones come close in terms of headband ergonomics.
 
The earpads that shipped with the test units are the Focus-A hybrid pads, which in my opinion is sonically superior than the Focus hybrid pads, but retaining a less perfect finish with the sewing seams. It is possible the production HE400i’s will ship with Focus pad though.
 
A quick note on comfort; the supreme ergonomics of the headband, coupled with the new earpads as well as the (relative to other planars) very light weight of the drivers, meant that the HE400i’s actually “disappeared” on my head 5 seconds after I put them on properly. I’ve not had that experience with any full-sized headphone I’ve tried in the past.
 
Cable
 
Again, same as HE560’s; a 2-metre crystalline copper / silver composite cable with fabric sleeving and ¼-inch plug. I have no qualms with it, but some may find it a tad too short.
 
 
 
Sound Quality & Characteristics
 
Treble
 
Treble is respectably extended with hardly any roll-off before 15kHz, and considerably smooth across the entire band. It still has a behaved mid-treble sparkle reminiscent of HE500’s treble, though is not as utterly smooth/grain-less as HE560’s treble performance. Resolution / microdetail extraction is a hair better than HE500s (mostly due to the better extension), but again falls short to HE560 by a significant margin. Since the driver assembly components are from the same pedigree as HE400’s, one might expect vestiges of HE400 treble showing through HE400i; but nope, I try to but hear absolutely nothing that reminds me of HE400’s treble issues. In the simpliest description, HE400i’s treble is smooth, very well-extended, with just a hint of extra sparkle.
 
Midrange
Midrange is very natural-sounding, and just a touch intimate. To put it in perspective with other Hifiman’s offerings I’m familiar with, HE400i’s mids are cleaner than HE500’s, but quite similar in intimacy; it (400i’s mids) is much, MUCH fuller sounding than HE400’s, and noticeably so vs. The HE560s too. Vocal/rock/solo instrumental listeners will love these mids, while orchestral/concert/soundtrack peeps might find it a bit too “familiar” and homely to be perfect. Again, I need to stress that these do sound less lush than HE500’s mids, so I’m talking fairly line-straddling differences.
 
Bass
Bass is tight/dynamic yet enveloping at the same time, which is a very interesting combination reminiscent of LCD2’s perceive bass behaviour. It is indeed slightly elevated, so those seeking a sound signature fit for bassy genres will find the tone perfect for that. Bass articulation/texture is excellent, which coupled with the slight bass elevation means all the low frequency detail is delivered in an effortless manner. I think that it offers comparable pros/cons relative to HE560’s bass, and is easily one of my favourite bass responses.
 
Clarity/Transparency
 
With regards to clarity and transparency, I think these strike as close to the mark as anything I’ve heard that tries to retain some intimacy and warmth, while keeping optimal clarity. That said, I will state that the “openness” of the sound (subjective perceived sense of how non-headphone-y, and speaker/real-life-like, the headphone delivers music) of these is not exceptional, it is about on par with HE500, but is a ways behind HE400’s openness, and nowhere near how open HE560s are able to sound. Instead of sheer openness, HE400i instead presents music in an enveloping, lounge-y manner, which in a peculiar way does sound quite appealing or even euphonic, especially with the right genres.
 
Soundstage
 
Soundstage of HE400i is decent but not exceptional; I am not a great judge of soundstage but these sound to be slightly narrower in width but deeper forward than HE500’s soundstage dimensions. Imaging is good, very similar to HE400’s imaging capabilities, though centre imaging is somewhat fuzzy / spread out across the front. If there is one thing that I find a bit weak in HE400i’s sonic repertoire, it is the soundstage/imaging capabilities. Most people will be satisfied though, just not those seeking ultimate monsters in these traits at $500 category.
 
Try out the regrilling mod for a welcoming improvement to the soundstage openness.
 
Timbre
 
HE400i’s timbre reminds me of modded HE500s a lot, with naturalness is the main descriptor. However HE400i does not stray too far into lushness/warmness, so the timbre with most instrumental stuff is musical but still considerably realistic. That seems to be the theme of HE400i, that it straddles the line between a warm/musical signature and a measured/neutral one. I do feel that fully modded HE500s have slightly more realistic vocal timbre than HE400i, while on instruments HE400i edges out due to its treble advantage. HE560 is on another level though with regards to timbre / believability.
 
 
 
Conclusion
 
In one fell swoop, Hifiman wants to have HE400i replace HE400 and HE500 at the same time, and I feel that it is indeed up to that task. Those familiar with HE400 will certainly welcome the much more even and natural sound of HE400i, while HE500 folks may come to appreciate the improvement in speed and tightness. On top of that, the ergonomics of the new line of Hifimans make this generational change all the more deserving of attention.
 
Of course, HE400is don’t quite excel in every domain compared to higher “tiered” cans, especially vs. HE560 which I compared extensively. But what HE400i does have is well-roundedness; it makes smart compromises in almost every aspect of its sound signature to bring out both musicality and technicality, which many will probably find to be extremely appealing.

Build Quality and Comfort
 
No matter how good the sound of a headphone, if you have a model that is poorly constructed or prone to break it will be difficult to enjoy and appreciate them in the long run.  Despite some problems with build quality on earlier hifiman models, there are simply no problems to report here.  I’m very appreciative of the crew at hifiman who’ve listened to the community and redesigned the 400i, making the quality, fit, and finish leagues above most offerings.  I just love the design choices here. The paint is beautiful and some of the best looking painted cups in the business.  The color is difficult to photograph, but looks much like the he4.  I call it black chrome. The suspension pad is without a fault in choice of material and fit. The adjustment of the headband comes with solid clicks and feels very secure.
 
Comfort, while previously questionable on older models, now leads the way with some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve had the pleasure to wear.  The clamp, reduced weight, and pad construction are exceptional and offer a headphone that can be worn easily for hours with no fatigue.
 
My only real complaint with the design of the headphone is the connectors. I just don’t like them, period. I know that many of you have never had problems but please appreciate that many have. There are just too many very nice single click and forget it connectors to be using these screw on type.  The cable is improved this time and with a nice insulated jacket and is more flexible.  But mine is only about six feet and I’d prefer a slightly longer cable.
 
Sound Quality
 
So now that I’ve proclaimed the 400i wonderfully redesigned and supremely comfortable, how do they sound?  I’m happy to say this this is a great sounding headphone.  There is good balance across the spectrum with that signature warm tilt of the sub bass. The bass blends well into the mids without bleeding into the vocals in any perceivable way.
 
And just what about that bass? Does it retain the wonderful extension and weight of the original he400? Well, almost. Previously the only bass that I’ve found to surpass he400 bass was the LCD 2.2 (pre-fazor). For extension, weight and texture it just doesn’t get any better than the lcd 2.2. I’ll give them a 10/10 for bass presentation in my book. The original he400 for me would rank a 9.0, while the 400i comes in at 8.0. Overall, across different  genres of music, the he400 seems to go down a little deeper and with better weight than the 400i. I’d call it a difference of about 15%. Disappointed? Don’t be. I’m certainly not. Let me explain why.
 
Other than the slight difference in sub bass, there is nothing that the 400i doesn’t trump the 400 on. The mids on the 400 are rich and tonally accurate. In fact, the only headphone that I’ve found to improve on the mids, in this price category, is the hd6x00. And the difference is surprisingly small. No tizzy, peaky treble here either. Just smooth and extended. The 400i is just a joy to listen to and does most every genre of music well. For me personally, the weak mids and peaky treble made the original 400 relegated that headphone to EDM, Dub and Chillstep. The 400i does those genres well also but now also does vocal centric music just as enjoyably. There’s a little sparkle to the treble but nothing harsh. Guitar plucks have a nice leading edge. Hi hat cymbals and drum brushwork come across clearly and naturally without getting muddy or unrefined. It’s a very good balance of sound.
 
I'll admit that I’m a poor judge of sound stage. I suppose it’s in the anatomy of my ear canals. I’ll leave this category to be judged by others who have a better appreciation for the subtle differences in this category.
 
Conclusion
 
Overall, I’m very pleased with the results with the 400i. There is enough sub bass to offer plenty of  a fun factor and enough good natural tone to the mids to be taken seriously with vocally centered music.  The goal stated by Hifiman was to voice the 400i similarly to he500. I’ll go on record and say that they accomplished that goal. Those two headphones are very similar in their voicing and overall sound signature.  This is a compelling headphone and should make a lot of waves in its price bracket against the likes of the venerable Sennheiser hd6x00 and soon the Oppo PM-2 to name just a few.  My hat is off to Fang and everyone on the Hifiman Team for an excellent product.
 

 
Miscellaneous:
 
*all testing was done through the Oppo HA-1/Normal Gain/Single ended
 
*Focus A-Pads came on this unit
 
*Grill Mod-if you put your hands over the cups while the music is playing you'll notice that the sound becomes muffled and deteriorates. Remove the grills and you'll get a nice improvement across the spectrum with this hp. Improved mids and sound stage with better air. 

The 500 dollar HE-400i is the entry level headphone that is part of Hifiman's latest line of single-sided planar magnetic.  Its purpose was to replace the hugely successful HE-400, while providing a sound quality closer to that of the venerated HE-500.
 
Having had extensive experience with the HE-400 for over 2 years, and my current goto headphone is the HE-560.  Sadly I have no experience with the HE-500, but it seems that from popular impression, the HE-400i is very, very close to it in terms of sound quality and presentation. 
 
 
To begin with, the build of the HE-400i largely mirrors that of the 560, and is representational of Hifiman's new efforts to make their headphones lighter and offer vastly superior comfort over their previous headphones, shattering any preconceived notion of planar magnetics being hefty and unwieldy beasts.  Although the plastic cups remain unchanged over the previous HE series form-factors, and although the same screw-in cables remain unchanged to many users' tears, the new headband with its suspension strap, and the lighter weight of single-sided drive makes this headphone miles better in comfort compared to the HE-400, and I can only assume an even larger disparity with the hefty HE-500.  The square, metal band that makes up the headband juts out from your head when these headphones on your head, and it makes the HE-400i a somewhat comical looking headphone, but the exposed metal band also means that stretching the corners out to adjust clamp to your liking is as easy as it gets.  In short you'll find these to be an extremely comfortable experience.  One note about the earpads is that their inner cavity is overall smaller compared to the previous Hifiman pads: the focus-a offers a slightly smaller opening than the focus pads, but have a lip for your ears to tuck in to, overall both pads have about the same volume inside for your ears.
 
 
The sound of the HE-400i some of the good aspects of the original 400, while improving in general balance by a considerable amount, although sadly sacrificing a couple of the original 400's best strengths in the process.  Like the original 400, the 400i shares a very warm signature, with a mid-treble peak centered around 10khz that will add sparkle and depth to its sound to avoid it from being too claustrophobic sounding.  While the original 400 had a hugely depressed region centered around 5khz-- an area that is responsible for the bite of a lot of instruments, especially brass and strings, the 400i has a secondary, mild elevation of this area compared to its upper midrange (2-3khz), which prevents it from being as dark and lacking as the 400 when it comes to sounding energetic.  Just like the 400, the 400i has a mid-treble peak, only this time around it's not as elevated or as harsh as the original.  Make no mistake that it is still above neutral in the mid treble though.
 
Some of the best aspects of the 400 still remain with the 400i, including a very yummy and textured lower midrange, and a very balanced but strong bass that extends super deeply without excess bloat or distortion. The 400i's upfront lower midrange will make for fun listening if you value the rich fundamental tones of acoustic instruments.  The hyper-detailed HE-400 sound is still present with the 400i as well.  Instrument separation is off the charts as per usual with any planar magnetic design, and the articulate and emphasized mid-treble help bring out texture and small details out of your recordings.  Furthermore, the weird midrange distortion that made the 400 somewhat messy sounding at times is gone with the 400i, and as a whole it sounds slightly more clear overall, thanks to minimal distortion and a lack of magnets on the diaphragm's ear-facing side, meaning less acoustical resonance.
 
However, even though the balance and clarity is a large step up from the HE-400, you lose some impact on the 400i's bass, and its soundstage isn't as large as the original HE-400.  Those who highly value bass impact and a spacious sound still have a reason to get the original 400, and especially these days when it can be found used for around 200usd-- a very, very good value.
 
 
Compared to its older brother, the 560, the 400i is actually very similar in overall presentation.  The 560, like the 400i, has a minor elevation in the 4-5khz region, giving it plenty of bite to make it sound energetic, but unlike the 400i, the 560 has a more balanced treble region, with more energy around 6-8khz, and less of a peak in the mid-treble at 10khz.  The lower midrange of both the 400i and 560 is excellent.  Bass of the 560 is a little bit more linear than the 400i, with the 400i showing some emphasis in the upper bass of around 200hz.  Overall the 400i is very similar to the 560, but offers less soundstage, and a slightly less refined sound due to rougher transitions from bass to mids and mids to treble.  If you can get around the colorations of the 400i, it offers around 70-80% of the performance of the 560 while being near half the price-- a damn good value.
 
 
Even though you lose some aspects to the original 400's sound, you gain so much in balance and comfort, making the 400i a stupidly good proposition for its asking price.  Complete with all the planar magnetic positives, it's a headphone a lot of people should try out if they're looking for open headphones in this price bracket.  

 
I was fortunate enough to be picked for the review tour for HiFiMan’s latest planar magnetic headphone, the HE-400i, billed as an improvement over the outgoing HE-400 model, and slotting in at $500, $100 more than the HE-400.
 
The HE-400i arrived in sizeable, leather appointed box, much improved from the simple paper box the HE-400 was packaged in. Right off the bat, my expectations were raised in the best way possible and when I opened up that box, I was greeted with a much classier setup than that of the HE-400. I knew then I was in for an interesting headphone in the HE-400i.
 

Design and Build Quality

Honestly, my first reaction to the HE-400i when taking it out of the box was…“cheap”. I’ve realized since that it’s not anywhere near that clear cut. Compared to the beefier, heavier HE-400, the HE-400i is significantly lighter, featuring more plastic in its build and a bit less metal. Contrasting the HE-400, the 400i has plastic ear cups and yokes, compared to the resin cups and metal yokes on the HE-400.
 
The cups themselves feature a nice, chromatic deep purple finish that’s classier and more immediately distinctive than the HE-400’s dark blue finish, which was rather polarizing among HE-400 owners. Personally, I didn’t mind the blue color but I do feel the HE-400i benefits from the chrome purple finish.
 
The headband has been changed from a more rigid leather wrapped affair to a suspension headband system employed in headphones like AKG’s K7XX series.
 
But, if I had to pick one failing of the HE-400i’s design, it’s one that was carried over from the HE-400, the screw-on, mini-coax connectors that secure the cable to the headphones. I’m not one to switch my cables often and this isn’t a problem that rears its head particularly often for most people but attaching the cables can be a bit of a hassle, as the opening where the cables screw into the headphones is just too small for one’s fingers to get into comfortably to secure the cables tightly. If you’re a set-it-and-forget-it guy like I am, this’ll only be a problem once, but if you like switching out your cables for different situations (say, a longer cable for living room listening and a shorter one for bedside listening), the connectors are bound to be a nuisance.
 
 
But, in many respects, the design is still distinctly HiFiMan in that I wouldn’t mistake them for headphones made by any other company. Though the materials have gotten lighter and arguably cheaper feeling, the design itself is sound and as long as you take care of it, it should last.

Comfort and Isolation

Isolation? No. It’s an open headphone. About as much sound comes out as goes in through those open grilles.
 
Comfort is provided by way of HiFiMan’s new Focus Pads, a hybrid design of pleather and velour. I originally bought a set for my HE-400 before I received the HE-400i and loved them right from the start. The HE-400i with the Focus Pads and the new suspension headband, combined with the lighter weight is a very comfortable headphone that should last long listening sessions without much in the way of fatigue. I, for one, wasn’t a big detractor of the HE-400’s comfort, even in its stock form but for some, the HE-400’s heavy build made it uncomfortable for many people so I believe the HE-400i will be a huge step up for those people.
 

Sound Quality

First, a note on amplification. The HE-400i is, unlike many planar headphones, surprisingly easy to drive from a number of portable sources. HiFiMan claims the HE-400i is efficient enough to be run straight from a portable device like an iPhone without needing an external amplifier and, while this is certainly true, the headphones do benefit quite a bit from adding a dedicated amp to the mix. Without one, they tend to sound sound a bit thin and – dare I say – dull.
 
Now here’s where things get interesting. Let me just say right off the bat that if you’re expecting a direct upgrade to the HE-400, you’re going to be disappointed. The HE-400i does not build upon the sound signature of the HE-400, fixing the “tizzy” high end and making improvements elsewhere, maybe adding a bit more texture to the already lovely bass and bringing the midrange a bit forward. Instead, HiFiMan went a different direction in tuning the HE-400i, making something of a bridge between the outgoing HE-400 and more expensive and also retiring HE-500.
 
The low end presentation is the biggest and most immediate difference when comparing the two headphones directly. The HE-400i is less impactful and immediate than the HE-400 but still retains much of the texture and richness that I’ve come to love so much. But, that lack of “oomph” in comparison is what makes the HE-400i so very different from its predecessor. My main reason for purchasing an HE-400 was because of that planar driver bass, a low end that’s about as good as you’re going to get without dropping a grand on Audeze’s LCD-2. Sure, it’s nowhere near the last word in terms of quantity, but its quality is unparalleled by anything I’ve heard and many who own the HE-400 and other high end headphones would agree.
 
 
The HE-400i doesn’t deliver that same wonderful low end. At least, not in the same way. The detail is there, the depth is there, the wonderful texture is there (to a degree) but the impact and presence just aren’t. But, I’m saying much of this as a basshead. I can’t get enough bass and there’s nothing I want more in a pair of headphones than a rich, meaty low end. And there’s no doubt that the HE-400i has this, just not as much so as the HE-400. The HE-400i is most definitely a very good performer in the bass department, it’s just not as “fun” as its older brother. At least in my opinion.
 
The midrange is another big difference between the two headphones in that the 400i presents it more forward and fuller. I would say the level of detail is similar, with the edge going to the 400i. The presentation is surprisingly similar as well, with a fairly small soundstage (for an open headphone) but good imaging and spatial presence. The high end sees some improvements as well, with less of that HE-400 “tizziness” in the treble. There’s less sizzle and more sparkle, more delicacy in the chimes but with similar airiness and speed.
 
The HE-400i isn’t a direct upgrade to the HE-400, but that doesn’t make it a lesser headphone. In many ways, it’s better than the outgoing HE-400, from the more present midrange, to the less strident treble. Though it has a slightly smaller soundstage, the sound is a bit more coherent and naturally presented. The result is a more neutral and slightly less colored headphone than its predecessor but one that doesn’t have the same distinctiveness but is arguably more suited to a wider range of music.
 

Conclusion

What we have here in the HE-400i is a much more neutral headphone than its predecessor. At the end of the day, I see the HE-400i as neither an upgrade nor a proper replacement for the outgoing HE-400. Though that may sound negative, that’s not how it’s meant to be perceived. The HE-400i is a great, versatile, neutral and well nuanced headphone, just not in the same way the HE-400 was.
 
It’s almost like the HE-400 to 400i has progressed in a similar manner to that one guy you knew in college who partied all the time yet somehow managed to get good grades in all of his classes. Sure, he’s a bit rough around the edges but that’s his thing and he carries himself well while being a fun guy to have around. That’s the HE-400. The HE-400i is that guy, after graduating from college and getting himself a big boy job working in an office and wearing collared shirts and ties to work every day. He’ll still meet you for a beer after work, but he’s settled down and his rough edges have been smoothed somewhat. Maybe he’s not as fun and rowdy as he was in his college days, but he’s just as likeable nonetheless, albeit for markedly different reasons.
 
 
So, no, the HE-400i isn’t an upgrade to the HE-400, it’s a sidegrade, offering a retooled and retuned sound signature that, while retaining some of the characteristics that made the HE-400 so special, doesn’t carry enough of them to warrant being called a true “upgrade” to the HE-400. Again, this sounds negative, but it’s not, unless an improvement on the HE-400 while retaining similar sonic characteristics is what you’re expecting in the HE-400i.
 
Nonetheless, the pair I have is currently on loan from HiFiMan and I now have a choice to make. I can either ship them back at my expense or I can keep them and pony up and pay retail. I think I’m leaning heavily toward paying up and keeping my pair. They’re not an upgrade to the HE-400, but they sure are a nice complement. For $500, the HE-400i is a great headphone that, while not without its flaws, is certainly good enough to stand on its own.

You’ll understand that once you start buying headphones, amps and dacs that you get the niggling feeling every once in awhile to try something new. Or to get the next upgrade. Well I purchased these during my niggly moment to do both.
 
I got these for about $450NZD which equates to $306USD as of this moment which is super cheap for a headphone of this build quality, let alone a planar from a reputable brand. I wanted to dabble into planar magnetic headphones and read great things about the HE-400i’s
 
Unfortunately I think I’ll have to let these go as they don’t really scratch the itch. This is not going to be an overly negative review just heads up
 
As you most likely already know, these headphones are low impedance and terminate in a 3.5mm jack which is angled. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to wear these outside. Luckily they do include a ¼” adapter.
 
Just FYI, I didn’t find I needed to mod the grills. My headphone didn’t actually come with padding inside so the sound was less impaired compared to some forums I had seen. I bought these second hand and I’m not sure if the previous guy took them out.
 
Build:
 
The build on this headphone is “O for Awesome” (NZ joke) need I say more?
 
Well since this is a review I will say more. The headphone is primarily made from metal, the cups are metal inside and out. The band is metal with nice tactile clicky tabs for adjusting. The only plastic parts are the yokes which I find a bit strange. I mean, the headphone is 2 pieces of nicely made metal with plastic joining them. Seems like a weak point to me. Anyways I digress.
 
The pads are also of good quality. My pair came with the newer version focus pads (Focus pad A’s). I believe the older versions were a bit thinner, but mine are very plush and comfortable. They don’t feel like memory foam, but are quite soft and feel decent.
 
The cables are very nice. The older versions had the old style screw on type connectors. However mine came with the detachable 2.5mm connectors on each ear. Much easier to take in and out as well as make replacements for. The cable itself is also well made with a braided exterior and decent thickness and pliability at the same time They are a much welcomed upgrade from the thin silver HE500 cables.
 
Comfort:
 
These are among the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn. I’d say even slightly more comfortable than the HD800s. They are extraordinarily light for a planar and the focus pads really just seal the deal.
 
Since they are so light, 370 grams. The thin head band doesn’t really matter. It is wide and can spread the weight evenly on your head without any one section pushing down to cause discomfort.
 
There is also a good amount of adjustment available on the headband. The very nice tactile feedback from changing notches is great and it doesn’t feel like it would change on their own without your say so.
 
One small gripe about the earcups. This really is just a nit pick. Since the yokes are so far out on the cup itself, when putting the headphone on there isn’t really a “correct” place to put your hands when holding them. I like to flatten out the ear cups before I put them on so they don’t have to rub on my face to flatten out themselves. The yokes make this very awkward.
 
Sound Quality:
 
When I picked these up I was looking for that “planar sound” I know there wasn’t going to be heaps of bass and I was fine with that. But I was expecting transparency, soundstage and clarity for days!! Unfortunately I might need to sell these and spend a little more to get that. This is definitely a good entry into planar.
 
Treble:
 
The highs on this headphone are in no way spiky or sibilant. They stop just before it gets too far. They are however very clear and precise. The word to describe these headphones is “fast” most dynamic drivers just can’t compete with the speed of planars. It doesn’t skip a beat. Listening to music with a lot of layered instruments is a breeze.
 
Mids:
 
In general the highs and mids of this headphone are slightly extended. These two areas are where the headphone shine. Vocals and instrumentals sound very detailed while wearing these.
 
Bass:
 
Now I know that planars in general have slightly less bass. But in my opinion these headphones were lacking a bit too much. They were ALMOST lifeless in terms of sound. They had plenty fn mids and highs but the warmth, if even for a little bit were not there. The sounds I heard for the low end though were very detailed and precise. They weren't that punchy the majority of the time.
 
Soundstage:
 
The soundstage on these were pretty good. Coming from the hD600s these far surpassed them. The transparency of the planar drivers and the earcup design were almost perfect. I’d say the soundstage was wide and had some back and forth to it. But the up and down directions were a bit smaller.
 
Imaging:
 
Very nice. With the accuracy of the drivers and deliverance of minute detail the imaging was very accurate.
 
Conclusion:
 
I PERSONALLY don’t think these cans are my thing. I was expecting a slightly warmer sound. I know planars can do it. But it seems this headphone was much more analytical for me anyways.
 
I can not fault the build or comfort at all. It is by far the most comfortable I have used. The pads are great, the overall aesthetic is very sturdy and tough looking. I like it
 
For this price range I think this headphone does a great job. But it seems like I need to spend a little more in order to get a more balanced planar.

I was quite blown away, having only listened to cheap IEM's until I finally bought the HE-400i.
 
On first impression, I noticed a brilliant forward texture this headphone added to the music. It makes listening very fun and enjoyable, as bass, mids, and treble all seem to come alive from the liveliness + body of this texture. I would think of it as the opposite of being "muffled," this headphone makes the sounds come out very strong with lots of presence and movement.
 
As for sound quality, I think it meets all expectation of an audiophile headphone. Treble is clear and neutral. Mids seem to be more of the focus, as they have a slightly more pronounced volume and realism, especially when listening to vocals you can hear great details in the voice. Bass is tight, focused, has lots of texture and impact, and depending on the music genre can be either just right or a little too quiet for one's tastes.
 
As for the negatives, this headphone has a small soundstage, which can be extended with the help of DAC's or other audio equipment and tools. Nevertheless, the imaging is very forward, so without a large soundstage some listeners could find it overbearing. I like my music to sound very intimate, so I personally don't think the soundstage is horrible, although I do think that it can still be improved greatly in order to bring out dimension and depth, as well as overall ambience in the music.
 
What I personally strongly dislike about this headphone is its lack of instrument separation in busy tracks. Normally the separation can be heard quite clearly in most songs, but since I love music with a lot going on, I was disappointed with the performance the HE-400i. Perhaps it is because of a small soundstage or a lack of layering, I'm not sure, that contributes to certain sounds often being "drowned out." Instead, it sounds like a mesh of instruments and sound effects that I can't quite make out individually, say if I wanted to focus on a particular instrument that was playing in the background. I'm guessing most people will not have a problem with this however, as my music tastes are rather particular.
 
Lastly, the physical quality of the HE-400i is overall not as good for an expected $500 value headphone. Adjustment of the bands don't feel very smooth or well-made, attachment of connectors is awkward, and the box it comes in has lost adhesion in the glue. These minor issues don't detract any value from the headphones to me however, as I personally don't find them to be detrimental to my listening experience. I have only taken a star off for lack of instrument separation in busy tracks, which is something very important to me.
 
In conclusion, if the soundstage/layering problem can be overlooked for you, this headphone wows in every other way.

Intro
The HE-400i is the latest headphone from Hifiman. It was released recently as a replacement for the popular HE-400. This write-up will give my initial impressions of the HE-400i as well as compare it to its predecessor.

I received my pair straight from Hifiman for reviewing and demoing purposes, here are my unboxing pics: http://imgur.com/a/04xke

Disclaimer: the last picture shows some kind of ink or colour on my hands. I thoroughly checked the headphones, contents, box, and packaging. I couldn’t pinpoint where it came from exactly. So let’s assume it wasn’t from the unboxing.

Presentation and Build Quality
The HE-400i came packaged in a nice leather box with foam insides. A huge step up from the cardboard and cheap plastic packaging of the HE-400. The only accessories included were the cable and the 1/8 to 1/4 adaptor. The cable is of a rigid fabric material. It is generally well-built and the cable itself isn’t too rigid. Much more flexible and a tad thinner than the black Canare cable included with the original HE-400. One thing that confused me about the cable is that it is very short – around 5 feet. Another thing that confused me was that it was terminated in an angled (90 degree) jack. Why is Hifiman including a short, 90 degree angled, cable with an open headphone? This cable would make more sense for a portable closed pair. The HE-400i uses the same coaxial cable connectors as the previous generation. Personally, I’ve never had an issue with this technology but I know many despise it.

The headphones themselves are primarily made of a light plastic with some metal here and there. They simply look amazing. Beside the HE-400, they don’t look as heavy-duty or strong. But once they are handled, it becomes apparent that the construction is solid. The main chassis is made out of metal. The headband seems to be made of layered fabrics with faux leather on the outside. No issues with the stitching. The gimbal portions are a matte black plastic, in comparison to the HE-400’s metal. The cups are a shiny silver which reflects different colour tones based on the lighting. Very aesthetically pleasing, but I wouldn’t put too much faith into them staying pristine. The outer shell or paint seems weak. My unit has some scuffs and imperfections on the cups. When I asked Hifiman, they told me that my unit wasn’t “new” implying that it was pre-handled. My HE-400, on the other hand, doesn’t have that issue with the cups. The grills of the two headphones are the same.

Pads included with the HE-400i are the new FocusPads. They are loosely based on Jerg’s modified pads. Angled pads with pleather on the outside circumference and velour at the end. They look and feel better to the touch than the pleather and velour pads of the old generation headphones.

Comfort
The new headband system is a very welcome change to me. Although thin and not well padded, the headband is very comfortable as it is wide and flexible, adjusting naturally to the shape of your head. The overall weight of the HE-400i is much less than the HE-400. When worn, it feels even lighter, due to the weight distribution of the new headband. In comparison, the HE-400 headband is much more inflexible, smaller, and uncomfortable. Another issue with the HE-400 was that it wasn’t friendly with smaller heads. The clamp was not enough, and even at the smallest setting – it was too big. The HE-400i adjusts wonderfully to a large variation of head sizes. However, Hifiman overcompensated when trying to remedy the clamp issue. The clamp is now ridiculously strong. I have never felt a clamp like this in a headphone before. Pulling the cups away from each other feels like you’re prying two magnets from each other (and in a way, you are). But when actually wearing the headphones, I didn’t have an issue with the clamp. Then again I have a small-average head, and I foresee many with larger heads having issues. The FocusPads are a step up for the most part. First, the pads themselves are very spongy and feel great around your head. The fabric used for the velour portion is also very nice on the skin. Much better than the HE-400 velour material. The pads are however shallower so it is more likely that your ear will touch the drivers. The inside diameter is also smaller so your ears will be touching more of the pad. For reference, my ears slightly touch the drivers on the HE-400i and the edges of my ears touch the inside pads. But with the HE-400 with velour pads on, my ears hardly touch anything. Which is more comfortable will be up to the user. All in all, the changes in comfort are a huge improvement. Within a few minutes, it always feels like the HE-400i has disappeared on my head. I don’t think anybody has ever said that about the HE-400.

Sound
The HE-400i is a 35ohm headphone with a 93db sensitivity. Almost the same as the HE-400 and should be fairly easy to drive. I used an Objective2 amp with the Fiio E17 as my DAC. The sound signature of the HE-400i is very balanced. If I heard this headphone willy-nilly, I would’ve never have guessed that it was the predecessor of the HE-400. It sounds closer to the HE-500, but even that comparison isn’t perfect. It’s certainly not v-shaped like the HE-400. I can’t pick out which frequencies are elevated above the others. It just sounds very neutral without being boring. Going to the HE-400 from the HE-400i, I can feel sounds missing from the music. Tonality is probably what the HE-400i does best. Everything sounds so accurate and natural. Similar to the HD600, maybe a smudge warmer if anything. None of that weird timbre that the HE-400 suffers from. Speed is also very good, on par with the HE-400. As is the detailing and clarity.
 

1. Treble

Treble is great. Well extended. It doesn’t have any of the imbalances that the HE-400 treble faced. I never noticed any stridence or sibilance. The HE-400 on the other hand is known to be sibilant with certain recordings. The HE-400i’s treble has a harder texture to it, and some may not like it over the soft airy treble of the HE-400. Part of this may have to do with the fact that upper treble is emphasized over the lower treble on the HE-400.
 

1. Mids

The mids will be the biggest shock to anybody coming from the HE-400. They are no longer recessed at all. I would go as far as saying the mids are forward. Tonally, they aren’t too thick or too thin. Both male and female vocals sound impeccable. Due to the forward mids, vocal presentation is up-close and personal. It sounds like the singer is right next to your ear. Some may like this, others may not. In comparison, the HE-400’s vocals sound much more distant due to the recessed upper midrange and lower treble.
 

1. Bass

Initially, the bass is what disappointed me the most and I am still disappointed. The bass is very nicely textured and accurate for the most part. However, it lacks the impact, body, and quantity that the original HE-400 had. Subbass, although not terrible, also doesn’t extend as well as the HE-400. Some may love the accuracy and neutrality of the bass, others will find it thin and boring. One of the main thing the HE-400 had going for it was the bass. It extended very low, was linear, and was powerfully pleasing. It was unparalleled in its price class. The only headphone I’ve heard which I thought did bass better was the Audeze LCD-2 at three times the current HE-400 cost. Not sure why Hifiman would go this route with the low end, especially when they released another can, the HE-560, which is supposed to be more of a reference product. Regardless, the bass isn’t terrible but if the bass was the main reason you liked the HE-400 then purchasing the HE-400i will be a downgrade in that regard.
 

1. Soundstage & Imaging

The biggest weakness of the HE-400i is the soundstage. The headphone simply does not sound very open at all. The soundstage is small and has an in-your-head sound. Very reminiscent of the LCD-2 – but more closed it. Some may prefer the intimate, close to the ear, sound, but others will find it congested and suffocating. There is OK depth, but very little width. The HE-400 by comparison has a much bigger soundstage, it is a very open sounding headphone. Fairly wide and deep. AB-ing between the two headphones, the “openness” is the most obvious advantage you’ll hear from the HE-400. There are two things which I think are contributing to the closed soundstage of the HE-400i over the original. The first is the signature. The forward mids and overall balanced signature sounds a lot less spacious than the v-shaped signature. Secondly, the shallower FocusPads (compared to the stock velours) may be to blame for the in-your-head sound since your ears are closer to the driver. Considering the limitation in soundstage size, I think the HE-400i pulls off imaging decently. Sounds come from where they should be coming from, but compared to the HE-400, the HE-400i does not impress. The HE-400 imaging is interesting, you can hear sounds popping up from empty spaces of air all around your head. Many are a fan of this, but others will criticize it for sounding weird and praise the HE-400i for sounding more natural and coherent. Instrument separation is good as well but due to the limitation of soundstage, sound signature, and lack of air in the treble – it doesn’t sound as great as the HE-400. Frankly, the HE-400i sounds pretty compressed and not very dynamic.

Value
At $400, and later $300, the HE-400 was a great buy and has always punched above its weight. The HE-400i, at $500, can hold its own against competitors like the Sennheiser HD600, HD650, Oppo PA2, Mr. Speakers Alpha Dogs, Beyerdynamic T90, DT880, and Hifiman’s own HE-500, but it’s clearly not the obvious choice in terms of value. Consumers are more likely to purchase something with better reputation and popularity over a new product – especially if it’s priced the same. The inevitable future price-drop is what I think will drive its popularity.

Conclusion
Overall, the new HE-400i does so much right and so little wrong. It is a great all-rounder open headphone and will definitely please many audiophiles. It’s a very technically proficient headphone. What it isn’t though, is a true replacement for the HE-400. Instead of just refining the HE-400, Hifiman took all the weaknesses and overcompensated for them – and in turn killed all the attributes the HE-400 was known for. Fit kind of loose? Let’s make it clamp like crazy. Pads are too hard? Let’s give them the squishiest pads ever so your ears practically touch the driver. Upper mids and lower treble a little unbalanced? Let’s get rid of the upper treble airiness and push the mids all the way to the forefront. Now we’re left with a headphone with a small soundstage, underwhelming bass, without the airy treble, overall spacious sound, or fun v-shaped sound signature. It’s a great headphone, and I may keep my pair, but it won’t be replacing my HE-400, even if it is “better”.

TL;DR: The HE-400i is a very comfortable, very balanced, easy-to-drive, Hifiman can with OK bass and a small soundstage. Not a true sequel to the HE-400.

Note: this is my first attempt at a proper headphone review and I’d love some feedback.

A little background before I start. I'm 16 years old and I slowly began to become addicted to fine, audiophile-quality headphones. I remember the first time I heard beats at an apple store. I thought they were amazing until I heard my friend's HE-400. Those blew me away and my whole perception on sound and music became a deception. So my journey is as follows: Audio Technica CKM500, Audio Technica M50, HiFiMan HE-400, and now HE-400i! Since I've owned the HE-400's before getting these I'll do a little comparison as well as an in depth review.

The type of music I listen to is usually EDM, POP, ROCK, sometimes classical, sometimes oldies like 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s music. This may play a role in my review. My set up is Mid 2012 MacBook PRO with retina display>schiit vali>cable pro freedom upgrade cable> he-400i. I have tried these with a Geek Out AMP/DAC and I'll get more into that later and I'm about to acquire a schiit modi DAC.

Bass: The bass on these are in a word, stellar. My god...my mind gets blown away every time I listen to heavy bass music like Zenith by Dannic. On songs by Lindsey Stirling (Transcendence or Electric Daisy) the bass creates such a pleasant sound I start to question reality. It's just so involving! Now, both the HE-400 and M50 have more bass impact and slam but not the same amount of refinement. The bass on HE-400 and M50 bleach into the other parts of a sound spectrum. Bass on the HE-400 and M50 along with the V-shaped frequency curve created the fun factor but these are different. They just do their job and reveal what needs to be revealed. There's no exaggeration or emphasis without reason. On songs that call for bass, these deliver. I know these won't satisfy hard core bass-heads but are more than ample for your average guy. The first thing I noticed with these from the HE-400 is how much less slam and impact they have but with enough time I realized that it's actually a good thing. For slam and impact: HE-400 (9) > M50 (8) > HE-400I (7)... But for refinement and accuracy: HE-400I (9) > HE-400 (8) > M50 (7)

Mids: I'm sure you guys have heard that these are quite neutral sounding headphones. But in my opinion these are on the fence on a lot of aspects. I find that the HE-400i somehow stand on a fine line between being neutral and a warm sounding headphone as well as a fun and boring headphone. Mids on these evidently more forward than both the HE-400 and M50. The mids on these are nice; however, on certain songs things do sound a bit congested and a little recessed. With enough experimenting, I found that this can be fixed through adequate amping and cabling also helps. On the Vali and stock cable, I find things congested. However, on the GEEK OUT 1000 with the freedom cable the mids on these are just so amazing. Listening to new POP songs like "Want to Want Me" by Jason Derulo and "I really like you" by Carly Rae Jepsen really shows how the mids on these headphones are spectacular. Mids on these cans are the most pronounced and my favorite part of the headphones.
Mids Rating: HE-400i (9) > HE-400 (6-7) > M50 (4-5)

Highs: The treble on these things is a beast. They really do sparkle and listening to certain songs over again can be a revelation. When I listen to my Kenny G album or acoustic/classical music, certain instruments just find a way to pierce my soul and heart. It's just so awesome. I can't find anything wrong with them. The treble spike present in the HE-400 is now gone and treble on the M50 were just average compared to these. There is no spike in these. They just do what the should.

**I know that I've made these sound like perfect headphones but they aren't......... some things I disliked about these are below**

Cable: The stock cable is extremely light and fairly short (5ft) for some people, but I didn't have a problem with them for my set up. Switching to the upgrade Cable Pro Freedoms ($200) I realized how much detail I've been missing. The cable makes the headphones more neutral (more forward mids, more tube-like bass, and less harsh highs). So many things were heard which were absent in the stock cable. Instrument separation is also better on the Freedoms. The biggest things that the Freedoms did was add to the soundstage. There is a sense of realism and you are there experience. It's 3D. I personally think the Freedom was an exceptional upgrade and a must for anyone buying these headphones. They are $40 cheaper at Todd the Vinyl Junkie check it out.

Soundstage/Imaging: Soundstage on these are terrible. YES! I said it...terrible. They were so bad I almost thought about returning them for my old HE-400. I did however found a way to fix this. The cable helped a lot as well as a proper DAC. Geek out 1000 are sufficient to make the soundstage manageable. These headphones alone sound almost like a closed back headphone and it's the one thing I wish HiFiMan could have improved on.

Product: The actual product feels somewhat cheap being a $500 headphone. The headband adjustment system makes a cheap noise whenever I adjust it and I lack confidence in it. The ear cup grills rotate when I touch them and it isn't stationary. These problems aren't noticeable unless you are a meticulous person and shouldn't really bother you.

In conclusion, I believe these are perfect for anyone looking to buy a mid-fi headphone. They work great on a wide variety of genres. They only thing is you must have a proper set up and cabling is recommended. The vali makes the headphones sound fast, but somewhat dry and congested. The Geek Out make the mids sparkle and enlarges the soundstage. The cable pro freedom does so many wonders. If you are choosing between these, HE-400, or M50, then go for these please. Now, if you already have an HE-400 I wouldn't recommend shelling $500 for these. If you have the M50 then yes these are a worthy upgrade.

HiFiMAN HE-400i:  A Low Cost Neutral Planar
 

 
SPECS:
http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/178
Driver Type                       Single-sided Planar
Plug Type                         3.5mm with 7.5mm adapter ( dual 2.5mm into the earcups )
Cord Length                     1.5m
Frequency Response       20 Hz – 35 kHz
Impedance                       35 Ohms
Sensitivity                         93 dB / mW @ 1kHz
Weight                              370g
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
http://store.hifiman.com/index.php/headphones/he-400i.html
$399 new
 
OVERVIEW
Being familiar with planars from Audeze, Fostex, and MrSpeakers I want to report how the HE-400i from HiFiMAN stacks up. HiFiMAN aims at delivering a comfortable headphone with tight bass while still keeping the planar sound signature. They also strive for the HE-400i to be easily driven by portables and we will investigate the efficiency along with the acoustics.
 
The initial impression is that the packaging, headphone, and cable all make one cohesive bundle with the exception of the right-angled jack plug on the end of the cable. I see no reason for a right-angled jack plug. This and all of my other headphones all have a straight jack plug. It appears to be an attempt to make it more portable, but the headphones themselves are so large it is unlikely that anyone is going to wear these away from their home rig. HiFiMAN did replace the screw in connectors that attach the cable to the headphone with 2.5mm stereo jacks making connecting the cable a cinch. Yay!
 
AESTHETICS

First of all the box is really well packaged. Adequate foam is placed during shipping and the headphone is neatly tucked inside the shaped compartment foam so they do not bounce around during shipment. The accessories are minimal including a single cable, 3.5mm to 7.5mm adapter, and the headphones. It would be nice to see a 3m cable included that has the straight jack plug, but the short cable was not a problem for my desktop setup.
 
The finish is dark blue with a metallic sheen. The grills are free of defects and add a hi-end look to the headphone. The gimbals, temples, and headband are all cohesive and because the earcups can swivel to completely flat, fit issues are minimal. The headband and head-size adjustment systems are one of the best I have seen in any headphone. They are superior to headphones like AKG and Audeze because they are easier to adjust and simpler. The earpads are pleather with a thin ring of felt on the part that rests against the ear/head. This allows for some air venting and typically tightens up the bass. It also adds to comfort. The earpads are angled with the thickest part of the pad designed to rest at the back of the head tilting the driver towards the ear canal. The earpads can be removed by gently deforming one side and pressing inward towards the center of the earpad and then bending the pad slightly. This reveals clips that hold the pad to the earcup. With the earpads removed one can replace them with other pads and play with the angle. To me this was an absolute must because the default angle for the pads made listening too fatiguing because the angle was too direct for my ears.

 
ACOUSTICS
After a long listen I determined that the peak extending from 3.5 kHz to 7.5 kHz is too fatiguing for my ears without moving the pads around. I reversed the tilt placing the thickest part of the pads to the front and thus the thinnest at the back. This drastically mellowed the troublesome peak and made the headphone much more listenable. It also shifted the soundstage from a back of your head experience to a more speaker-like sound. The bass is airy and renders very low bass notes. The mids remain extremely neutral and the treble keeps its rolled-off nature. If the HE-400i is too fatiguing for you try flipping the pads. Pro Tip: Some positions are not favorable and tend to negatively color the sound. I found the best positions are with the thickest parts of the pads either to the front or back. Having them up or down alters the sound too much.
 
Unamped: With an efficiency of 93 dB / mW the HE-400i does need a decent voltage swing to get loud enough. To achieve 110 dB SPL a voltage of 1.3 volts RMS is needed which should be fine for most devices. Acoustically, portable listening is superb. The bass is crisp and tight, the mids clear and mellow, and treble well extended be it a tad rolled off in the upper-most frequencies. This slight roll-off makes for a more enjoyable experience by not being bright. The treble is not so rolled off to the point of being colored or greatly attenuated, just rolled off into good balance. Chick Corea’s Three Ghouls, Part 1 sounds very even from bass to treble. The chimes and triangle are easily discernible without being drowned out by the midrange and bass. The bass is airy and engaging. Perhaps a touch of air is removed from the woodwinds, but the track sounds excellent in all other regards with the HE-400i.
 
Amped: Amping the HE-400i reveals how inefficient it is. Right away I had to go to the hi-gain setting on my desktop amp. Almost all other headphones run on medium gain A good tube amp, like Schiit’s Valhalla 2, will further mellow the somewhat direct sound of the HE-400i and provide plenty of voltage into this voltage hungry can.
 
Being very neutral the HE-400i reveals flaws in your music. It will not enhance an already neutral sounding track and some music among my hi-fi tracks fell flat. Take Dion’s Crossroads from his Bronx in Blue album. The midrange is very harsh and hard to listen to. The mix is just that way on this track and with a less neutral can it can be hard to catch. Others like Benni Chawes’ Always on My Mind from the Bang and Olufsen concert prove sublime. The bass is clear, but not overwhelming, Benni's voice is up-front and delicate and the brush strokes on the drums clearly audible. Amped the HE-400i sounds better with electronic and jazz over rock and metal, but once your brain adapts to its sound signature it becomes very competent at just about anything you throw at it.
 
Switching to the other amp in my setup, the Grace m903, I found the HE-400i to be more detailed, smoother in the midrange, and equally even in the bass compared to the BUDA. The BUDA sounds a bit colored with the HE-400i having too much bass and not enough detail in the upper treble. This leads me to think that finding a great amp synergy will allow the HE-400i to sound even better, but any reputable amp will suffice as long as it can swing the voltage. In fact I found the HE-400i to sound great from portables and my desktop amps.
 
CONCLUSION
There is no doubt that HiFiMAN is coming out with some great gear. The HE-400 and HE-500 are old favorites in the planar community, but with the new releases like the 400i and HE-1000 it is clear that HiFiMAN is picking up on improving their already great sound. The HE-400i, with the pads in the stock configuration, proved too up-front for my tastes. Perhaps I am just sensitive to the 3.5 kHz and 7.0 kHz peak as others have not really picked up on this issue, but to me it is important to mention that the pads can be moved. I have found that there are very few stock headphones that perfectly match ones preference. No surprise considering even our physiology is different. That said applying slight EQ or in the case of the HE-400i moving the pads around fixed any problems I found. It is definitely an awesome sounding headphone. Due to its neutral sound signature be sure to allow adequate time for your brain to adjust.
 
I think HiHiMAN met the goals of making a light, easy to drive, improved sound quality headphone that many, like myself, will thoroughly enjoy.
 
LINKS
Measurements
 
COMPARISONS
I have received a few requests to compare the the HE-400i to the AKG K712 Pro.
 
The AKG K712 Pro is one of my favorite dynamic headphones and I am intimately familiar with it. Through several iterations of upgrading I found it to be the most revealing headphone under $800. It does fall flat on its face when it comes to aesthetics because it feels cheap and does not have a great headband adjustment system. The HE-400i on the other hand is has a better design and is more comfortable. The HE-400i rests perfectly on my ears at the appropriate level while the AKG sits low and too loose. Both headbands are very comfortable, but the materials on the HE-400i just feel better made and thought out. The cables are both nice with the HE-400i being much shorter. The AKG K712 Pro cannot really be balanced without serious modification while the HiFiMAN can be easily balanced which is a plus if you have a fully balanced setup. The AKG’s finish is not a fingerprint magnet like the HE-400i which I know a few of you will enjoy, but how often do you look at the outside of your headphones anyway?
 
Sonically the two are similar being somewhat neutral and mid-centric. The AKG is more tinny sounding in the midrange compared to the HE-400i. Both generate bass well with the AKG sounding more airy and open while the HiFiMAN quick and direct. What I love about both is how they reproduce horns, drums, vocals, and especially guitar. Listening to Something To It by Great Big Sea on their Rant and Roar album shows how each sounds even. The HE-400i on this track can clearly be dissected into its various components. Bass, mids, treble separate out nicely giving each a very speaker-like presentation. The AKG focuses more on vocals and scopes in on the airy details like the slight echo in the room and the reverb of the drums. The AKG muddles up the soundstage and makes it harder to enjoy each instrument separately. The upper treble is easily discerned with the HE-400i compared to the AKG because of the muddling effect. I prefer the HE-400i because it sounds like the more competent headphone and is much more speaker-like.

I am one of the lucky ones to get a chance to be reviewer in the HE-400i "tour".
 
HiFiMAN has intrigued me since the start of my Head-Fi journey. The HE-400 was the first headphone I purchased where I thought to myself "now I'm getting serious about this headphone thing".
 
Fast forward to now and a lot of money thrown at gear I have gained some experience and heard a decent amount of headphones. I am ready to give my perspective on the HE-400i.
 
Packaging:
The HE-400i is one of my favorite packages for a headphone to come in. It comes in a simple but aesthetically pleasing case and seems well protected. I did have issues pulling out the headphone initially due to the tape wrapped around (which protects the gimbals) but I understand that HiFiMAN has done their best to address packaging concerns of the past.
 
Comfort:
As an owner of the HE-560 the comfort was no shock to me. Both of HiFiMAN's latest headphones are easily the most comfortable I've ever worn. That title was held by the TH-600 previously but the weight of Fostex's cable is the difference maker. I do think my HE-400i is more comfortable than the HE-560 due to less clamp. It's just the right amount where I don't feel like it'll fall off and will never squeeze my head too much in long sessions. The HE-400i does weigh a few more grams but it's nothing I can tell.
 
Sound:
There's a lot of reviews out there that break down each part of the sound in high detail so I'm just going to write about what stands out to me. I did most of my listening with the Oppo HA-1. I did try to use it with the WA7+tp but I found the HA-1 suited this headphone a little better. I used it balanced thru the XLR with a Q-Audio cable. I'm not really on either side of the cable wars, I got it for the aesthetics and it for sure does not degrade the sound.
 
My thoughts have been made after giving these headphones a week or so of burn in time and a week straight listening of head burn in time. From there I switched back to the HE-560 for a few days then back to the HE-400. I feel like that let get more accurate thoughts on the headphone's true sound vs what I can hear when I A and B.
 
I listen to various music from hip hop, r&b, pop, kpop, classical and so on. With these headphones I was satisfied with most of my music except classical. The first thing I noticed was the small soundstage of the HE-400i. It is a very intimate sound and that sound has stayed since my first listen. It's kind of an odd feeling since vocals sounded a bit recessed to me but the rest of the audio was still in a tight space. I like the presentation for a quiet night when I'm enjoying low level listening and trying to relax. It didn't match well when I was trying to get a more energetic feel.
 
The overall sound I feel caters well to casual listeners. It has a slight veil compared to the HE-560 but that can be a good thing when you don't feel like having every detail thrown at you. I do like the overall neutral sound and speed of the HE-560 a bit more but I never felt like the HE-400i was unlistenable in comparison. 
 
Final Thoughts:
If the HE-400i was my only headphone I would be quite satisfied. It is different enough than the HE-560 to keep both but they're not that much different.
 
At $500 I think the HE-400i is an awesome value. I can't think of anything else at specific price but I would pick em over anything else in the $400-600 range.
 
At the end of the day, sound is always going to be subjective but the HE-400i will always win in comfort.
 
Don't over think, buy it! I'm purchasing my reviewer pair for sure.

I am coming from limited headphone experience compared to most on Head-Fi, however I've had my fair share of listening to headphones over the years. I have listened to the following open back headphones: Senn HD-650, HD-580, AKG K712, AKG K240, Beyerdynamic DT 880, and Beyerdynamic T1. Out of all of these, I have to say I prefer the HE-400i over even the HD 650s, which were my favorite for nearly the 2 years I have had them so far. While I love the laid back sound of the Sennheisers, I could not really experience many of the "hidden" things in recordings and other details. The HE-400i's have a way of making instruments sound super realistic, and in my opinion they are amazing at instrumental and classical music. In some pop songs, this extra detail means slightly heightened treble because of compression and mixing for those rock and pop genres, however it is not so much that things become sibilant. Comparing to the Beyer T1, these have not nearly as bright treble, and I much prefer these over the T1s.
 
Bass extension is AMAZING on these. Sure I haven't listened to the other Hifimans or Audeze planars, but I have never experienced planar headphones before the 400is. Compared to everything I've heard, these win in bass extension hands down. They have the perfect amount of bass for me, I would call ever so slightly more than neutral, which I like. I just love the detail and the way they make things sound. The mids are great, but I do prefer the HD 650 mids over these. They are very close to the 650 mids, a little less smooth however.
 
I have 2 minor complaints for the HE-400i: the cable, and the fit. The cable terminated to a 90 degree angle 1/8th jack, which is very odd considering most headphones like this have a straight jack. But, the quality of the cable makes up for it, being completely cloth covered until the end of it. The fit for me is ok. I have a taller head than most people, so I have to click the headband adjuster all the way up for the pads to fully cover my ears. If the adjuster had one less click from the top, I would not be able to pull the pads down over my ears. So if you have a large head like me, see if you can try them before buying, because what's the point of having a headphone if it doesn't fit. The build quality however is extremely impressive, these feel more like $800 headphones than the $499 listing price.
 
If these sound so good, I can't wait to hear the HE-560s. I had my doubts about Hifiman before, but these guys are the real deal and make excellent quality headphones. I got these open box for $389, and even for the listing price of $499, I'd say these are well worth it. 

I will keep this short.  I currently have both the HiFiMAN HE-400i and the Beyerdynamic DT880 250 Ohm non-pro version.  I read a lot of reviews with people bagging on the DT880 vs the 400i, so when I got the DT880 I figured that I would be sending them back and keeping the 400i.  I had been listening to the 400i first, and I really liked them.  I love the focus pads and the sound is really good.  I got them on sale, so they were a great deal.  As a matter of fact, I did not even plan on opening the DT880.  However, I decided to give the DT880 a shot.  
 
Well, after listening to both the 400i and the DT880, I am returning the 400i.  I used my on-board sound card to power these.  I listened to Deadmau5, Nora Jones, Metallica Enter Sandman, Steppenwolf.  I did a side by side comparison switching back and forth adjusting volume levels, and honestly the DT880s just sounded clearer to me.  The bass on the DT880 hits harder, the trebles and mids were clearer.
 
I was shocked by what I found after reading all these reviews.  I don't know if people are making some of this stuff up, or what, but after owning both and doing a side-by-side comparison to me the DT880 seemed better, at least for my taste.  They are also lighter than the 400i.  Don't get me wrong, I like the 400i, but compared to what I experienced switching back and forth between the two.... That being said, I would consider myself to be your typical listener.  I got the 400i for $249 and the DT880 for $149.  I am surprised, but I am sending the 400i back to HiFiMAN.  For me the DT880 is the winner.  I still think the HE-400i is a cool headphone.
 
 
Other headphones I have owned that are worth mentioning are the DT990 Pro and the ATH-M50X.

Setup:

1. DAC: Aune T1 with upgraded 6922 tube. Purchased with the HE-400, great little DAC/AMP. Frequently compared against the ubiquitous Schiit Modi/Magni stack.
   
2. AMP: Emotiva X-Mini A100. Normally a speaker amp, but this one was modded to support a headphone jack. With two 150ohm resistors in series - supposedly a very decent amp for orthos such as the HE-500.
   
3. Software: Foobar 2000, and FLAC quality rips.
   
4. Burn-in hours: About 100hrs, wasnt able to get in a full 150hrs due to selling the HE-400s. 
   

*Both the 400 and 400i have Focus Pads and have been grill modded.

 

 

 
 
 

Bass: After reading multiple reviews, and forum goers opinions - the bass on the 400i's holds up remarkably well against the HE-400s. Much better than I thought it would.

The 400i's dont carry quite the body, but it is very much detailed, more punchier and taut. I had a few songs in mind that I would compare against:

1. The first one being the Tron:Legacy OST, specifically "Recognizer" the first 25 seconds there is a run of all kinds of sub and mid bass and the 400i presented bass that was controlled, layered never bled into the mids.
   
2. The second track was "The Game Has Changed" - and the 400is handles a barrage of bass slam at 20 seconds in without breaking a sweat. Discerning the onslaught of quick bass in the front while being able to render the violins and orchestra in the background seemed easy for the 400i. The 400s hit you in the chest a bit harder, but the 400i's was more refined.
   
3. Next song was Steve Aoki's "Rage the Night Away", strictly hip/hop EDM (i guess) - and at the 15 second mark there is a "drop" and again the 400i hits it pretty hard. Detailed while taking advantage of ortho speed, it is very very fun - found myself easily dancing along just as i did with the 400. The 400 did have slightly more body though, and hit with pinch more authority. A bit subtle, maybe tough to tell the difference if i wasn't directly A/Bing the two.
   

The 400i's Achilles heel is its bass, or so I thought. Maybe my expectations were really low coming in, but the 400i's can hold its ground.

A 9 to the 400's 10 when it comes to impact, but where it loses in output it makes up in detail and maturity. It doesn't need to be loud because it knows it just knows its more refined. Bottom line I was pleasantly surprised that the bass wasn't as bad as I feared and was in fact a very very small price to pay.

 

Mids: This is where the 400i's just straight up outperform the 400s. Orchestral music are a step up on the 400i's.

1. Frozen OST - "Elsa & Anna" - Hey, its a fun movie! Layered violins & brass, flutes & clarinets are presented in a level of clarity that the 400's aren't quite up to par. You get a sense that youre right in the pit of the orchestra - its very easy to get swept up in the music. The 400s are great as well, just a bit veiled compared to the 400i's - it also has no problems with instrument separation in my ears, but the 400i's just seem more pristine.
   
2. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20: Allegro Assai. A masterful piece that incorporates a very fast piano intro, then segue-ways into a flurry of string work accompanied with woodwind and brass. Then at the 0:56 mark it again features a drop to a single piano which shows the dynamic range and speed/decay of the 400i. The 400s also portray this very well, but with same veil and slightly less natural sounding. I can picture each piano hammer strike its string a bit more clearly compared to the 400.
   

The 400's mids are noticeably more recessed, especially when doing a direct A/B comparison. Slightly veiled where the 400i's mids are presented without any obstacles.

 

Highs & Sibilance: The 400's biggest weakness, an abrupt spike around the 10k region which wreck havoc on female vocals. The dredded "ess" sound reared its ugly head quite frequently on the 400s. Apparently the 400i corrects this problem.

1. Ellie Goulding "Burn" - this brought out the sibilance in the 400s almost immediately. This was my goto song for sibilance and damned near impossible to listen to without EQing the 400s by about -4db.

I was hoping the sibilance would magically disappear with the 400is, they didnt. It's better ut the "ess"es sprinkled this track all over the place. Turns out the 400i's do have a slight bump at around 9k, but its much more manageable and rounded compared to the 400s.

I only notice sibilance once in awhile, and when I do I conclude its the track haha.

1. Taylor Swift "Stay Stay Stay" - A really fun song, no signs of sibilance here. The 400i's are a touch more sparkly than the 400s, similar to how the mids are veiled, the highs are shown with a bit more shine.

The 400i handles the highs much better than the 400s, but this just shows how bad the 400s are as opposed to the 400i's doing it perfectly right.

The 400i's arent as fatiguing as the 400s which can sound downright shrill on some tracks. I may still need to EQ by a couple dbs, we'll see.

 

Sound Stage: Another weakness of the 400i's is its more intimate sound stage against other open backed headphones, not just the 400.

The 400i does have a slightly smaller sound stage, using YouTube's "Virtual Barber" at around 2:10 the barber snaps his fingers on both sides.

Closing my eyes and placing my hands to where it feels like the source comes from its - "left" snap feels about just under a foot and a half away on the 400s and about 2-3inches closer on the 400is (i move my hand ever so slightly closer).

I would've liked a larger sound stage, the 400's do have an advantage here. Luckily the 400i's do have better depth, I can slightly make out layers of an orchestra more precisely.

 

Vocals:

1. Male - Maroon 5 "Misery (Acoustic)" & Bruno Mars - Not the most manly vocal range, but both Levine's and Mars Tenor/Falsetto timbre do come off slightly more natural on the 400i than the 400. Both do very well with male vocals imo since sibilance isnt really an issue.
2. Female - Adele "Set Fire To The Rain" (Live at the Royal Albert Hall). If I close my eyes, it's almost as if I'm right up on stage with Adele. Her vocal range isnt as high as Ellie Gouldings but her force and power does come through rather well. I dont think the 400i's really get in the way of conveying her emotion. Pretty happy with how she sounds on the 400i. On the 400, her vocals sound great as well, but can be harsh for female vocals that are on the Soprano/Vibrato range

I think the 400s portray live recordings pretty well with its slightly larger sound stage, but the 400i's present timbre more naturally. Where the 400 wins n EDM, it loses when it comes to vocal presentation.

 

Comfort: No contest here, 400i buries the 400. On hand they feel pretty similar in weight (360g vs 440g) but the suspension style headband really does spread out the weight well across the top of the head.

It doesn't quite "melt into your head" but it is significantly more comfortable. I wore the 400's for hours at a time, but the 400is are a league more comfortable. Coupled with a less fatiguing sound, the 400i's a very easy to wear. The gaudy cable that comes with the 400s is comically long and heavy, it cant help the 400 when it comes to comfort.

 

Overall: Purchased for $395USD from Razordog, the improvements in comfort alone is almost worth the gap in price over used HE-400s (~$225-250). The cleaner mids, smoother highs and punchier bass take the 400i at least a step above the 400.

I'm pretty happy with the 400i's in all areas, its only weakness to my ears is its sound stage unfortunately, its not bad by any stretch but I wonder how a more spacious headphone like the HD800 sound like. Luckily the 400i also look sexy as hell, and order of magnitude better than the 400s. It even makes the HE-560 look old fashioned and boring in comparison.

I hesitate to call them a "mid-fi" headphone, I'm sure they're a shade under headphones like the HE-560, and Oppo PM-2 while being just outside the HD800s. I almost feel it beats the PM-1 and Alpha Dog in sound quality.

Overall the 400i bring fantastic clarity, detail and fun while being pretty damned comfortable.

 

I posted this over in another section, so i realize it should be here as well....     
 
 
 
 
 
 
       I have not really written a headphone review before, but after participating in the HiFiMan HE400i touring event (basically, they lent the headphones to me for a while) I have decided to give it a go. Please forgive me if my thoughts are scattered, but I’ll do my best.
 
       I should probably start with a little info about myself. I am a long time music lover, who used to sell audio equipment. (Anyone remember Nobody Beats The Wiz?) While I make no claims of expertise, I will say that I am not entirely unfamiliar with evaluating sound.  (How accurate my interpretation is will be up for debate, I’m sure.)
 
       Starting with the build quality, I think HiFiMan has a given a solid offering. Any plastic included is sturdy and attractive, as you might expect at this price point, ($499 USD as of this writing). The ear cups are somewhat fingerprint prone, but it’s not very obvious given the dark color, and they clean easily enough with a cloth or tissue. My set was solid, devoid of squeaks or clicks, with flawless fit & finish. The cable is thick with a nice braided cloth sheath over the wiring, which is not easy to tangle. The fabric & leatherette cushions are plush and well stitched, and the metal tension bar is quite solid. The only part that didn’t inspire my confidence was the position sliders that adjust the size of the headband. Although they adjusted with a solid click, the piece seemed more flimsy than the rest of the headphone. I will note that I didn’t experience any difficulty with the adjustment through my weeks auditioning them.
 
       …And what wonderful weeks they were! The comfort level the HE-400i affords is better than I would expect from a headphone weighing about 13oz. I was able to wear them for hours at a time, without experiencing any notable discomfort. One of the changes HiFiMan made to the HE400i (updated from the HE400) was the headband, and I can say with confidence that the clamping force was never harsh on my (small-ish) noggin. The new design distributes the weight across a strap below the top bar, which holds the tension. While I doubt this will win any style awards, it does the job admirably (and open back headphones such as these are best worn indoors, anyway). My ears did feel uncomfortably warm on occasion, but that’s to be expected of any over ear (Circumaural) headphones.
 
       HiFiMan recommends 150 hours (!) of burn in time (letting music/white noise play through the headphones continuously) so I deferred all serious evaluation until then.  I’ve never been a big believer in burn in, but if the manufacturer requests it, I won’t argue. Another (potential) improvement HiFiMan made to the HE400i is an adjustment to the impedance/sensitivity, so that they can be driven by smartphones and the like. As a result I had no problems driving these headphones from any device. My Sansa clip, HP all in one PC, Fiio X3, LG phone and my Yamaha receiver were all more than capable of achieving an adequate volume without noticeably sacrificing sound quality, although on some tracks, the LG & the Sansa’s volume was maxed out. I found that the better the amp I used, the better the sound, of course.
 
       Sound quality is what most people spend their cash for, and I found that the HE400i delivers. This pair of headphones simply drew me into the music. That experience of “Gee, I wonder what THIS song would sound like through these” was an all too common occurrence, causing me to jump excitedly back and forth through my catalogue of music trying to re-experience everything. Anything I played through the HE400i was a pleasure, provided that the recording/song was a pleasure, that is. These headphones are nothing if not revealing.
 
       Bass impact was a touch less than I prefer on some songs, although I found them no less enjoyable. Stevie Ray Vaughn’s older recordings like Texas Flood or his album version of Voodoo Chile, had less “oomph “ in the bass than I generally like, but that is just my preference. The pitch and definition was stellar. The drums in A.H. Rahman’s Jai Ho from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack had texture and depth. Songs recorded with more mid-bass presence I think were better represented. I felt nothing lacking in the bass line from Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust, nor did I perceive The Possibilities Are Endless by The Teodross Avery Quartet as bass shy in any way. The HE400i could definitely reach deep when the recording called for it. The electronic bass line in Fatali’s recording of Homeless was pleasurably authoritative and deep. Even if the bass wouldn’t be considered the star of the show, I still felt it played the part extremely well.
 
       The midrange, I’d say would be where the HE400i shines the brightest. Pat Wictor, my favorite undiscovered acoustic, bluesy, folky singer, never sounded so good. The well recorded a cappella song “Raise My Voice and Sing” was airy and crystal clear. Redemption Song had Bob Marley sounding as nuanced and intimate as I’ve ever heard him. Female vocals were just as gorgeous, from Stevie Nick’s trilling vocals to Jewel’s airy falsetto; I was constantly getting lost in the songs.
 
       Moving on to treble, I found the HE400i to be smooth and articulate. Sufficiently revealing, without harshness, I found the treble well balanced with the rest of the spectrum.  Cymbals sounded natural, and guitars soared without sounding edgy. What I found most appealing was the sense of “air” and space I experienced. More than any headphone I’ve owned, the HE400i gave me a sense of the environment the artist recorded in. One of my favorite classical downloads is of Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Bwv 1001-1006 by Oleg Kagan, and you get a distinct sense of openness from the venue through these headphones. Switching gears to AC/DC, even listening to a song as familiar (to me) as “You Shook Me All Night Long” had me take note of the echo/reverb added to Brian Johnson’s voice.  Song after song, I noticed subtleties I hadn’t noticed before.
 
       Obviously, I’m somewhat smitten with the HE400i, which is what prompted me to try my hand at a review. While I wouldn’t call these basshead phones, and the sound signature isn’t what I think of as “fun”…it’s not a v-shaped sound,  I still I found these headphones to be engaging, revealing, and for me, a delight to listen to. Although they aren’t perfect (what headphones are?) there wasn’t anything I played that I wasn’t satisfied with. Obviously, I highly recommend them.

Review by Mhark Jhoshua Q. Torres

The Company

HIFIMAN has been one if not the best headphone maker out there, they specialized in producing headphones with unconventional drivers, they used Planar Magnetic drivers as the owner, Dr. Fang actually has researches regarding the technology behind Planar Magnetic drivers. Up until now they are very popular in the audiophile realm with several awards and positive feedback. HIFIMAN ANANDA and SUNDARA are few of their new lineups and it is quite popular in audiophile groups. HIFIMAN continues to be one of the top brands in headphone class and it is my personal favorite.

“Easy-to-drive Full-size Planar Magnetic Headphone” this is the claim of HIFIMAN with regards of the HE400i, it is the newer version of the HE400 which is also a hit and was one of the first planar magnetic headphone that is designed efficiently. In my experience the HE400i can be driven by phones to audible volume at max, but it sounds thin and lacks resolution.

Fit, Comfort and Build Quality


The HIFIMAN HE400i, despite being outdated still looks good, the construction of the grills is nice as you can see the drivers when there is enough light to reveal it. The build quality is a mix of plastic and metal, in my honest opinion it feels flimsy and the left and right cups aren’t aligned and it looks off when resting at headphone hanger/stand. I got my 400i as a 2nd hand unit so there are some marks of usage but overall it is definitely presentable. I don’t like the ear pads especially when I compare it with the SUNDARA, it feels itchy and warm to the skin surrounding my ears so the area under the pads becomes more sweaty.

The weight of the 400i is generally light and it doesn’t cause much pain on my neck, it feels comfortable for long hours of listening given the listening area is well ventilated and is at least 3 or 5 degree Celcius below the standard room temperature, because as I said, the coating of the pads feels warm/hot. The cable included is a sleeved type cable, it doesn’t feel premium at all, it gets tangled easily and I find it worse than the cable of SUNDARA. Overall, the build of HE400i is just mediocre, it doesn’t feel premium and the alignment of the cups aren’t great, luckily it feels light and the clamping of the headphone is pretty good too, neither tight nor loose.

Technical Specification:
1. Frequency Response: : 20Hz-35KHz
2. Sensitivity : 93dB
3. Impedance : 35 Ohms
4. Weight : 370g
5. Cable Length : 1.5m
6. Plug : 3.5mm/6.35mm

Packaging


The box of the HE400i looks premium and sophisticated, it beats the packaging of SUNDARA by a notch or two, the box is very solid and is made out of premium materials. Inside the box are the sleeved 3.5mm cable, 3.5 to 6.35 adapter, paperwork and the headphone itself. The package is just okay, I just hope that there’s a carrying cloth bag at the very least just in case you don’t have any headphone hard case and you want to carry it around from home and your workplace. The included cable is just average too I hate it because it gets tangled every time they have contact, I like it because it feels robust and sturdy enough.

Sound

I love gears with midcentric to flat sound signature as I really love listening to vocals rather than instruments. My genre ranges from heavy rock, alternative rock, pop rock, acoustic, pop, jazz and folk. Majority of my test tracks are in 16 bit – 44 khz and 24 bit – 48 khz FLAC file and here is the list of my commom test tracks.

1. Reese Lansangan – For the Fickle (background, female vocals and upper mids)
2. Foo Fighters – Bridge Burning (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
3. Jensen and the Flips – Come Closer (Mid Bass, Mids)
4. Ed Sheeran – Dive (Mid bass, Lower Mids)
5. Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why (Upper Mids and Instruments)
6. Paramore – Hard Times (Imaging, Layering, Coherence, Sub bass and Mid bass, Mids, Treble)
7. Utada Hikaru ft. Skrillex – Face My Fears (Imaging Layering, Bass, Mids, Treble, Coherence, Quickness)
8. Passenger – Coins in a Fountain (Mid bass, Layering, Imaging, Instruments, Lower mids, Treble)
9. Tori Kelly – Hollow (Background, Upper mids)
10. Ariana Grande – Raindrops (Background, Upper mids)

Summary

For the Quality, higher is better as this includes resolution and dynamics while the quantity and positioning are subjective, it actually tells how close and how much the frequencies are.

Bass

Starting with the sub bass, it is well extended and has very good texture, planars are known for their bass and the 400i is not an exemption. The rumbles and riffs are deep and is resolving without being too forward, quantity despite of being a planar is not excessive at all, the sub bass are produced with enough body, great details, and in quick and agile manner. Mid bass, just like the sub bass is being rendered in quick, tight and accurate manner. Both attack and decay are just flawlessly rendered with enough body and weight. Just like the sub bass, the mid bass is placed linearly to slightly forward (maybe due to my warm source and op-amp that I equipped with my amplifier), the quantity might not be enough for bass-heads but the quality is definitely top notch. Despite the known lush sound of planars, the bass of the 400i is rendered in detailed manner, every bass notes are greatly textured and accurate.

Midrange


Lower midrange really depends on the source used and if the right power is supplied, this is the most noticeable part when plugged unamped and amped, it sounds thin and dry when unamped whilst it sounds lush and has good body when amped. It’s hard to find a good synergy too, pairing it with Shanling M3s + JDS labs O2 amp + Burson V6 vivid the details is literally smashing into my face but in return it sounds dry and thin for my liking, on the other hand when pairing it with Shanling M3s + Jazz R7.0 + Thai op-amp, it sounds lusher, smoother, and fuller without losing much details. The positioning of lower midrange is almost the same as the bass, it is just a bit forward, the timbre is natural (amped) and it sounds as natural as it can be. Upper midrange has moderate body, just enough for the female vocals not to sound shrill, it is transparent resulting to calming vocals and string instruments. As far as my journey goes, the midrange and timbre of the HE400i is definitely one of the best, it sounds natural and sweet while the fullness is just enough for it to stay away from being veiled or muddy. Positioning still the same with the lower midrange while the resolution is still great.

Treble

I made the review mainly using the Shanling M3s+Jazz R7.0 setup simply because among the setups I tried, this suits my preference well and it feels that it has better synergy with 400i than the other setups that I tried. The treble of the 400i in this pairing is smooth yet detailed and well extended, the treble isn’t airy but has good sparkle and definition, it doesn’t sound sibilant or harsh at all (except it is not well driven). Both attack and decay is quick making very agile even when playing complex tracks. Since it lacks airiness, the sense of depth, width and height isn’t that great the staging despite sounding realistic isn’t one of the most spacious cans out there, I find the closed back Beyerdynamic Dt1770 pro to be deeper and wider.

Sound Stage and Resolution

The sound stage of 400i is far from the best out there (Planars are not known for humongous stage) but I would say it sounds very real, imaging and layering is great and satisfying especially when playing tracks by Led Zeppelin, I can easily pin point the location of instruments in my mind. It sounds 3D-ish too when properly driven but still not as wide as D1770 pro maybe because the midrange of 400i is slightly forward and the treble lacks air too (Planars, duuuh). Resolution is nice too, I acquired the 400i for 7500 Php (150 USD) and it is one of the best buy that I’ve ever done in this hobby, bass region despite its quickness is very resolving, midrange is quite smooth but still resolves micro details, lastly the treble which has good sparkle packs a lot of details for the price.

Synergy and Sound Signature

Unlike other Planar Headphones, the 400i’s sound sinature ranges from warm and smooth to neutral instead of dark. Bass is a bit forward and is very quick, tight and resolving despite being smooth at the same time, the midrange is smooth and a bit forward in comparison to treble it has very natural timbre and sweet upper midrange that makes it a good gear for vocal focused tracks, lastly treble lacks air but offers good sparkle, resolution and speed to compensate. I suggest to use a neutral sounding DAP/DAC/AMP when using the 400i since the signature it has is flexible enough to tackle every genre you have in your music library.

Shanling M3s (High Gain, volume @ 90)

This is how I tried the 400i initially and it was my first headphone purchase, it sounds thin and the treble sounds metallic but still it is far better than any IEMs that I’ve tried under 30,000 Php (600 USD). Obviously it is not driven properly, the bass is still quick, mids sounds too dry but has natural timbre, the treble in this pairing is prominent and sometimes it is aggressive. Despite being efficient, planars are known to be power hungry but in comparison to SUNDARA the 400i requires a lot more power.


Adding Jazz R7.0 as amplifier and using copper IC, it sounded like a new gear. The bass extension became deeper, better texture and details and the mid bass became tighter and more controlled. Midrange gained a lot of body, it became balanced (enough lushness and transparency) the timbre became more natural due to added body, smoother yet resolving. Lastly the treble became smoother and less aggressive, sparkle and extension still remains the same.

Adding JDS Labs O2 (with burson v6 vivid) as amplifier and using copper IC, it sounded very detailed in comparison to jazz R7.0 and Shanling M3s (high gain), details on midrange and treble almost slapped me in the face but the overall tonality became thin and dry, it lacks body and I didn’t love the synergy.


Adding Periodic Audio Ni (double amping) as amplifier and using copper IC, It sits between the tonality of Jazz R7.0 and JDS Labs O2, the body is slightly reduced but it sounds more transparent than the R7.0, details are there but not as prominent as when I’m pairing it with O2. Noise floor is suprisingly low despite using it on PO and not on LO (the Ni doesn’t have volume control, same goes to the M3s when it is on LO so I have no choice but to use PO to be able to control the volume). Despite being small, the Ni was still able to power the 400i decently but among the three amplifiers, I’d pick the Jazz R7.0 because it was able to properly balance the lushness and transparency of the 400i.

Smartphone (Huawei Mate 10)

The Huawei Mate 10 has a sound signature of neutral-bright, sound quality far below the M3s, cranking the volume to 80-100 the sound of 400i is just decent compared to the SUNDARA, it sounds dry and thin to the point that male vocals doesn’t have sufficient body. I don’t recommend using it with smartphone alone cause you’ll get around 30 percent of its full capacity (soundwise).

Comparison

HIFIMAN SUNDARA

The SUNDARA is actutally the upgraded version of the HE-400 series, in terms of build quality I’d definitely pick the SUNDARA, the body is made out of metal and still maintaining it as lightweight as the HE-400i, the cable is better too it is less tangly than the 400i’s stock cable. The sound signatures of the SUNDARA and HE-400i are nearly identical except that the treble of SUNDARA is more relaxed. In terms of sound quality, the SUNDARA is definitely and upgrade, the timbre is even more natural, better tightness on the bass, wider and deeper sound stage, more transparent mids and smoother treble. Resolution is not night and day but still, SUNDARA picks more details and textures than the 400i, nonetheless for the 2nd hand price of the 400i it is still a good buy if you love the SUNDARA but can’t afford it.

Beyerdynamic DT1770 Pro

This is a dynamic driver headphone so obviously it has better staging and airyness, but lacks coherency, speed and transparency in comparison to planars surch as HE400i. Desptite being closed back headphone, the DT 1770 Pro sounds wide and airy, but for me the 400i seems to be more 3D-ish. Sub bass depth and weight easily goes to the DT 1770 pro while the tightness and speed of mid bass goes to the 400i. The midrange of the 400i and DT 1770 pro seems to be linear while the latter leans to be slightly recessed, transparency, timbre and resolution easily goes to the 400i. Lastly the treble of the DT 1770 pro wins in terms of airiness, resolution, and sparkle while the 400i snatched the speed and extension. Overall they are pretty close depending on usage, I can’t use the 400i outside of my workplace or house since it is an open back design and lacks isolation and sound seal.

Conclusion

This guy is my first love, I tried several Headphones before such as Sennheiser HD700 and AKG K712 but they never caught my attention the same way the HE-400i did. I love the timbre and how it scales very well with various amplifiers. Despite having pretty intimate sound stage for an open back headphone, it still sounds realistic since imaging and layering are top notch. Transparency is great as well while the resolution is just above average compared to other headphones that shares the price tag of the 400i. Despite being advertised as efficient planar headphone, it is not really meant to be used straight to your phone, adding some cheapo amplifier will make it sing a lot better than before. There are design flaws, bass isn’t the punchiest too, and the sound seal is far from being great but if you use it with proper source and place it is definitely a good buy.