[buonassi]

Classical and particularly orchestral is tough on headphones. I'd have to look at the HD800S or something over $1,000. Having said that, I will say that listening to classical on the HE400i has been very enjoyable. I've already listened to chamber music, concertos, symphonies, and opera on them.

They are excellent for this genre given the excess energy in the highs. Really brings the strings to life, doesn't it?

 

[buonassi]

And for those of us not scared of EQ it ends up being just a question of soundstage size. But since soundstage for me is always wrong on every headphone - all sources seeming to be either in my head, to the sides, sometimes behind me, but never ever forward (not without substantial effort/expense to get some kind of god-tier personalized HRTF-compensated crossfeed effect, something I have not found a properly working example of to this day), I've come to the point where I no longer worry about soundstage size - if it's not going to sound correct positionally, its size will be little consolation to me. So it was only a relatively hard decision because of the hype surrounding the 1060 launch. Once I cooled off and weighed all the arguments...

if you use a mac, you can try CanOpener Studio by Goodhertz. It won't place stage in front of you, but really creates a nice sphere of sound around you, like sound was coming from an arc you're sitting under. Someone on head-fi uses this in combo with the goodhertz "midside" product and was supposedly able to get image in front - though I couldn't.

I will say that the sonic quality of goodhertz is outstanding. It will not degrade the purity of the music like waves NX tends to do - but Waves NX did seem to pull it in front a bit more if that's what you're after.

 

[Little Bear]

Yeah, I listen to about 75% classical too, and agree the 400i does a good job with it. Orchestral crescendi can cause a smearing of the soundstage and loss of detail, but that's a problem with every headphone I've heard so far. Chamber music and solo piano sound terrific.

 

[drwlf]

I'd like to make a suggestion. From now on, everyone who comments on 400i sound quality needs to specify which version the comments pertain to. V1 had the back plate and screw-on connectors. V2 deleted the back plate and has 2.5mm push-in connectors. They sound different! Anyone who reads this thread to help them decide if they should buy new 400i's needs to be aware of the fact that the first 700 pages or so of this thread are now irrelevant, and they should treat with skepticism any comment or comparison involving the 400i that doesn't specify what version it pertains to.

The unannounced change happened around 2015 Black Friday.
https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/n...n-or-just-a-mixup-with-he400s-drivers.791185/

700 pages gets you to Dec 2016, 400 pages to the early Dec 2015.
No reported backplate stock sold anywhere since early 2016, and the discussions been on point, and the versions been mentioned regarding Innerfidelity measurements, sub-bass roll off etc. ever since.

 

[abm0]

Linear Phase mode messed up the attack of the bass kick, providing a sub bass crescendo right before a smack on the batter head (aka pre-ringing). But Natural Phase mode was absolutely perfect to my ears. It prevented the transient smears that are usually accompanied by traditional digital EQ that alter the phase too much.

Try it yourself, if your chain allows VST or AU plugins.

The "chain" I use the most is my Android phone + the Oppo HA-2, so no VST support there. The EQ I'm using is the "FIR Equalizer" that comes with ViPER4Android, and lately I've been trying to create more accurate EQ curves in the form of impulse response files, to be used with V4A's convolver function. Maybe these two options introduce phase problems, I never knew this was something to worry about, I'll have to look into it.

LE:
OK, I've looked into it a bit and... hmm. (I won't go further than "hmm" since this is not the sound science forum. )

 

[393699]

I ended up receiving my HE400i in the mail from Hifiman already. It came earlier than expected. As an added bonus, Hifiman put the headphone value on the receipt as "$20 - headphone replacement" on the package, instead of its real value. As a result, I ended up paying absolutely nothing in taxes, duties, import fees, or any other nonsense from FEDEX. Hopefully, if anyone else on here in Canada wants to buy, they will end up with this same outcome. I am super impressed.

I have not sat down for any listening yet. I did my usual one minute listening test, then played music for one full hour. I then did another one minute listening test, and then music for another full hour. When I have time tonight, I will do a couple hours of listening, and see how things are compared to my DT880 250 Ohm Premium. At this point, it is just burning in with music going in the other room. It has 3 hours on it so far.

 

[cutter807AA]

I ended up receiving my HE400i in the mail from Hifiman already. It came earlier than expected. As an added bonus, Hifiman put the headphone value on the receipt as "$20 - headphone replacement" on the package, instead of its real value. As a result, I ended up paying absolutely nothing in taxes, duties, import fees, or any other nonsense from FEDEX. Hopefully, if anyone else on here in Canada wants to buy, they will end up with this same outcome. I am super impressed.

I have not sat down for any listening yet. I did my usual one minute listening test, then played music for one full hour. I then did another one minute listening test, and then music for another full hour. When I have time tonight, I will do a couple hours of listening, and see how things are compared to my DT880 250 Ohm Premium. At this point, it is just burning in with music going in the other room. It has 3 hours on it so far.

Is that the summer sale going on right now? Currently using HD650, really wanna try planar. I'm worrying about across border rip off at the door too. Thanks for the info.

 

[393699]

Yes, I contacted customer support before I purchased, as I was concerned about duty and fees. The customer service rep told me that I should buy direct from them at their EBAY store, and that any fees would then be avoided. I honestly did not believe them, but decided to try my luck anyways. It turns out that they lived up to their promise. I paid no tax, fees, duties, or any other nonsense. Here is their EBAY store.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/HIFIMAN-HE40...112851?hash=item3d2bd0dad3:g:Cm4AAOSwnK9ZR45p

 

[Trunks159]

I ended up receiving my HE400i in the mail from Hifiman already. It came earlier than expected. As an added bonus, Hifiman put the headphone value on the receipt as "$20 - headphone replacement" on the package, instead of its real value. As a result, I ended up paying absolutely nothing in taxes, duties, import fees, or any other nonsense from FEDEX. Hopefully, if anyone else on here in Canada wants to buy, they will end up with this same outcome. I am super impressed.

I have not sat down for any listening yet. I did my usual one minute listening test, then played music for one full hour. I then did another one minute listening test, and then music for another full hour. When I have time tonight, I will do a couple hours of listening, and see how things are compared to my DT880 250 Ohm Premium. At this point, it is just burning in with music going in the other room. It has 3 hours on it so far.

I'd just like to say that the HE400i kicks the DT880's *** in the midrange.

Random note: Prefer the sound of the HE400i out of my Little Dot i+ compared to the Magni 2.

 

[cutter807AA]

Yes, I contacted customer support before I purchased, as I was concerned about duty and fees. The customer service rep told me that I should buy direct from them at their EBAY store, and that any fees would then be avoided. I honestly did not believe them, but decided to try my luck anyways. It turns out that they lived up to their promise. I paid no tax, fees, duties, or any other nonsense. Here is their EBAY store.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/HIFIMAN-HE40...112851?hash=item3d2bd0dad3:g:Cm4AAOSwnK9ZR45p

Really appreciated! Thank you very much

 

[393699]

I have been listening to HE400i for the last few hours now. Mine is the Version 2, as I bought it direct from Hifiman. I will start off by saying that this is an interesting headphone. First off, the presentation when unboxing is impressive. You would think by the box alone that this headphone costs more than it does. I have no issues with the build quality of these headphones. They are gorgeous looking, and no blemishes are present. Everything looks like it will maintain integrity over substantial hours of use. Comfort here is impressive, just as it is on the DT880. The clamping force is higher, however, the clamp literally disappears within a couple minutes, After this, I then barely notice the headphones. I have no issues with my glasses. I do have to mention though that I absolutely hate the included cable with the right angled connector. Obviously, Hifiman felt that since this headphone is 35 ohm, that many people would be willing to run it straight from portable devices. However, in testing, it is clear that this headphone need a good source, and a good amplifier to shine. In all honesty, this is clearly not a portable headphone in any regard, so a right angled cable makes absolutely no sense. I will be replacing this in the very near future.

In terms of sound quality, it is quite different from the DT880 in some ways, and similar in others. The HE400i is a better sounding headphone, no question. The bass on the HE400i is capable of better extension, and does not have the same level of sub bass roll off when compared to the DT880. At this point, without many hours of burn in, I would describe the HE400i as a "groovilizer". The bass is not insane with authority, but it is tight, fast, accurate, and punchy. If the music asks for it, it easily delivers. It just does not attempt to overpower the other frequencies with its presence. This is the level and punch of bass that I like. I have been tapping my feet to music for the last 3 hours. It is really a grooving headphone. The bass does not bleed into the mids even the slightest. Now, oh my, the midrange. I have seen statements claiming that the HE400i is recessed in the mids. There is no bloody way this is true. These people are clearly using trash onboard audio, or another trash source/amp. The mids on the HE400i are lush, rich, and musical.

I have always enjoyed the midrange on the DT880, but this is just a straight up improvement across the board. What the HE400i offers, is all male and female vocals, are much more up front. There is a lushness and beauty to the presentation. Everything is so cohesive and transparent. It reminds me of sitting in a smaller concert hall, and being a couple rows directly away from the vocalist. I tested both headphones several times to hear the differences. Imaging is also superior on the HE400i. Instruments are nicely separated, and location is very realistic. In terms of soundstage depth, the HE400i is the winner. In terms of soundstage width, the DT880 is a bit wider. The HE400i is not quite as wide, but it is more focused, with with ability to reveal smaller details. Now, regarding the treble, these two headphones both share an 8kHz spike. However, I find the spike on the HE400i to be more sibilant. The DT880 also has more detail in the upper treble at 14kHz-16kHz. The HE400i is rolled off somewhat in that region. The HE400i is certainly a warmer sounding headphone, but I would classify both headphones as neutral. One other thing to note, is that I am surprised at the power needs of the HE400i. On my M-Stage HPA-2, both the DT880 250 Ohm Premium and the HE400i actually require the same amount on the dial. Literally, it is almost identical. I expected the Hifiman to require somewhat less being 35 ohm. She definitely likes to be well driven.

In terms of the treble, I am using the following EQ. Edit: I have updated the EQ again.

Edit: Be aware, that after using this EQ adjustment, the bass will also end up becoming more impactful with improved extension as a result.

7kHz: - 2
8kHz: - 2
10kHz: + 1
16kHz: + 2

Other than this, no other EQ change is needed. I just cant deny the sound quality this headphone offers. If anyone is noticing what I am with the treble, just give this a try with an EQ. It just evens the treble right out.

Edit: In case anyone is wondering, this is my setup.

DAC: Creative ZXR with all 4 opamps upgraded to the LME49710 Metal Can opamps on adapters.
Headphone Amp: M-Stage HPA-2 with opamp upgrade to LME49990 on adapter

 

[Slim1970]

Finally got a chance to do some listening to the HE-400i V2's and these headphones are little tougher to drive than I expected. I first tried them out of the Oppo HA-2SE and HE-400i's sounded somewhat subdued to my ears. I then switched to the Chord Mojo and the HE-400i V2's opened up and sounded more like the headphone I was expecting.

The Mojo brings out all the details of the 400i's. The 400i's are extended in both the upper and lower frequencies and the midrange is pretty much untouched out of the Mojo. Nothing is exaggerated in this headphone so I would call them a neutral headphone. The bass is there but it's not elevated or overpowering. It just blends in with the rest of the frequency range of this headphone. I could here some sibilance but that is just in some of the brighter recordings.

I'm next going to try them out of my iCan Pro to see if they scale or not. Overall I think I will enjoy this headphone. Hopefully more bass will come when I get more hours on them because to me that's the only thing really missing.

 

[cutter807AA]

Would you guys tell me how to find out HE-400i V1? or V2? Cos I find a local physical store www.visions.ca/catalogue/category/Details.aspx?categoryId=0&productId=33850&sku=HE400I
Around CAD$10 cheaper than on their ebay.ca? I would like to check with them tmr. Thank you

 

[DavidA]

The picture shows a V2, 2.5mm jacks versus SMC jacks. I don't think you will find any V1 for sale these days since its been about a year and a half since the change over.

 

[cutter807AA]

The picture shows a V2, 2.5mm jacks versus SMC jacks. I don't think you will find any V1 for sale these days since its been about a year and a half since the change over.

Great!