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.
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.
