General Information

  • Audiophile Sound: Outstanding sonics that eclipse most other headphone designs. Massive diaphragm allows high signal input and flexible tone control. Very fast response time due to the lightweight diaphragm design. Evenly distributed magnetic force for low distortion and reproduction of live sound.
  • Breakthrough Innovation: Single-ended planar magnetic driver provides an ultra-wide soundstage and spatial imaging.
  • Lightweight and Comfortable: 30% Lighter than Comparable Headphones; All-new Headband and 3.5mm connector for increased comfort and durability. ABS polymer ear cups in a gloss charcoal finish give the HE400i a striking contemporary appearance. The improved pressure pattern provides best-in-class comfort.
  • Extended Warranty: Get an extra three-month warranty by registering your headphone at HIFIMAN website

Latest reviews

Harisankar

New Head-Fier
Endgame Open back headphones for the Beginner Audiophile
Pros: 1) Great Soundstage and Scale
2) Great for Instrumental music
3) Does not require much power
4) Good for almost all music genres
5) Responds well to bass adjustments by Portable Dacs
6) Comparatively light weight planar
7) Very good build quality
Cons: 1) Earcups can be more spacious
2) Not the most efficient headphones and requires some dac/amp combo to bring out their best
My journey into the audiophile world started three years back with the Critically acclaimed closed back headphone Audio Technica ATH M50X. However, contrary to my expectations, that head phone's sound signature was too analytical for my taste. The sound stage even for a closed back headphone was very narrow. I sold the ATH M50X and brought an Amazon Refurbished Sennheiser HD 598SR for half the cost. HD 598SR which was my first open backed headphone amazed me by its wide Soundstage and relaxed audio signature. The only complaint I had with regard to that headphone was its poor bass response and that headphone stayed with me for nearly two years in conjunction with the modest Fiio E10K Dac.

In February 22 of this year, I decided to upgrade from the HD598 SR and I decided to buy a brand new He400i 2020 version from Headphone Zone, India. The package arrived few days later and the headphones were resting perfectly in a nice satin bed. I have also brought from Headphone Zone, an iFi Hip Dac to pair with the 400i.

Even now, I have only used the headphones for nearly 20 hrs and I am far from the 150 hr burn in period recommended by Hifiman. However, I can even now notice very significant improvements in the sound signature compared to HD598 SR. The Soundstage is more large and the sound profile is much more dynamic and full. The sub bass of this headphones is very thumping especially after I have turned on the XBass feature in the Hip Dac. Orchestral and Instrumental music especially sounds exceptional in He400i. I am also able to drive the headphones properly from the 3.5mm S-Bal jack in the Hip Dac without resorting to using the balanced port. I have listened to Tidal Hifi and MQA tracks along with regular YouTube music videos.

Some music that sounds especially good in He400i
1) Carnatic classical music
2) Centuries- Fall out Boy
3) Survivor - 2Wei
4) Your Love- Kate Linn
5) Durum- Kate Linn
6) Animals - Maroon 5
7) Natural - Imagine Dragons
8) Grapes of Wrath- Weezer
9)Apollonia soundtrack- The Godfather
10) Love me like you do- Ellie Goulding
11) Thank you- Led Zeppelin
12) Music by AR Rahman
13) Here Comes the Sun- Beatles

My Audiophile Setup
Hifiman He400i 2020 paired with iFi Hip Dac (power match and XBass turned on)

This is my first review in this forum, please share comments and feedback.

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Tisir
Tisir
And how hard are these to run? I have a zen dac V2 which I bought at the same time.
I hear people with far harder to drive cans having to settle at 70 percent volume, because that's the most pleasurable listening. And again I'm literally cranking it as far right, power match on and connected via unbalanced input on both I should add.

Tried to watch a movie like that and stopped petty quickly, hell I might as well get my xm3 out and go with ldac and get far better results.

What the hell is going on. On my phone I have zero post-processing enabled, followed all ifis instructions, and likewise while hooked on the pc via zen dac 2.
Tisir
Tisir
And strange how at first my phone recognized the ifi hip dac instantly. 'usb audio device' ifi hip dac connected. Or along those lines. Even outside USB player pro, Sony a champ in the that department. Don't even have to use USB player pro as it works in all music apps and correct options can be set in the device self.

But after the flashing of firmware my hip is called ifi HD audio by amr, which doesn't bother me but it makes me wonder. The ifi software can't even show my product Id, serial neither just the firmware.

There went 600 euros, and I have no clue who to address my grievance to. Is my 400i busted? Bought it from an different vendor, both ifis from a few vendor also Trustworthy.

I thought I I had the system overrated in my mind, but in glad to hear this is not supposed to be happening. I crap you not. A well configured ldac xm3 beats my setup by miles now. :frowning2:
H
Harisankar
Hai Tisir,
I suspect you may have got a damaged he400i 2020. I have not tried the hip dac with smartphones, so I can't comment on that. I know the sound signature of XM3 as I own it as well. A good working pair of He400i 2020, properly driven by a capable dac/amp is miles ahead of the XM3 whether you use LDAC or not.

jonthebaron

New Head-Fier
The Hifiman HE 400i 2020: A Headphone for the People
Pros: Great fit, clear sound, definition in instruments, relaxed tone, versatility across genres, price
Cons: Sometimes harsh high end, occasionally low bass response
Intro

I bought these headphones as my first purchase of planar magnetics, so for anyone also venturing into this domain, this review could be helpful to determine if you want to dive into this corner of the headphone world. I use an OLYMPUS FiiO 2 (yes, it’s cheap, but it works!) through my MacBook, and use Spotify Premium for most of my listening. On the FiiO I have the high gain on and the bass booster.

Packaging

The headphones come in a fairly standard box: pull off the top and you’ll find the headphones resting in a cloth lined bed with the cable and the 3.5 mm adapter in the middle. The minimal contents are pretty standard for higher end cans, which is another indicator that these headphones punch well above their weight class. If you like having a case for your headphones, you’ll have to look elsewhere, though because these are open-back this isn’t such a big deal since all listening will be done at home. I tend to just return them to the box when I’m done listening, and it works well enough. I don’t have a headphone stand but I imagine it would make the experience even easier. Personally, I enjoy the pre-listening ritual of taking out headphones and hooking them up to my amp and computer.

Fit

These headphones are incredibly comfortable. The ear pads are nice enough, and the slanted fit work well in making your ears feel like they’re in their own space. They do a nice job of channeling the sound, and from what I can tell the only leakage is through the backs, which is the whole point, so no complaints at all about the ear pad material. They certainly aren’t the most expensive material on the market, but others say that swapping the ear pads on these work great. The only thing I can think of is if you like your ear pads to dampen some higher end noise, but with EQ that nuance can be solved easily.
The headband for me was a little hard, but I really am not the one to make a comment on that -- by nature of my head all headbands hurt, so I can’t claim to have an objective view of this feature. But compared to other headphones I’ve tried, like the V-Moda M100s, this headband is very comfortable.
One would expect with the size and type of drivers in these cans that they would be heavy, or at least pretty solid. For me they were surprisingly light and I found no fatigue in my neck, even after several hours of continuous listening. I have scoliosis and some shoulder problems, so this is a huge plus for me, and any others put off by the weight of planar magnetics.

Sound

I like to listen to my headphones before and after (obviously) the burn-in period. It goes without saying on a site like this, but give these cans the proper time to loosen up. Especially if you’re looking for bass response and clarity, they need several hours to finally come into their own. But enough about what they sound like when they’re being held back: how do they play when they’ve gotten their due time?
The short answer is these headphones blew me away, and blow me away every time I put them on. The bass and the mids sound crystal clear on these, given the price point. The bass is- to use the industry term- FAT. Especially with non-synth bass, the 400i 2020s cover every frequency in the bass you need. On albums like D’Angelo’s Voodoo you get incredible sub and great response all the way up to the harmonics when Pino’s playing way up the neck. The result is a full sound. You never feel like you’re being cheated out of any of the response by the hardware, which happens a lot at the sub $500 price point. The one place where the bass falls short is in its ability to punch hard in modern rap music. Artists like Travis Scott or the like tend to feel like they’re losing energy on these headphones. I compared it to my pair of M100s and they did a better job of delivering the punch that genre needs, though they are famous for their big bass and aren’t much of a fair comparison. The vibe of these headphones is very relaxed, so less bass isn’t necessarily a losing feature. I love listening to soul, jazz and alternative genres on these, then switching to either my M100s or my Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds for more intense-genre listening sessions.
The mids and the highs are where these headphones really shine. Some have said the highs are a little harsh and forward on these, and I think I would agree with them. There are definitely times when I’ve felt they could be a little more subdued, but this problem is hardly noticeable when stacked up against the pros of these headphones. Even if they are a bit forward at times, what that also brings with it is clarity. And what a clear sound it is! Electric guitars, hi hats, synth leads and vocals sound absolutely sublime on these. Add to that the fairly wide soundstage and it really does feel at times you’re listening to speakers in the room. If you like soul, jazz, classic rock, or any of the “vinyl” genres you’ll love these. They react beautifully across genres, and more than once I’ve sat with these headphones getting goosebumps for minutes at a time. This of course is helped by the open-back design which lets the highs run unimpeded (or more free than usual) by bass reflections.
I was considering early on when I had these to buy a tube amp to possibly warm up the sound a little bit, but I decided against it. If the highs are a little too much on the ears but clear, I’ll take that clarity in trade for a little fatigue. And there are plenty of tricks to balance out that sound if you don’t want to buy a whole new amp (I’ll leave explaining those tricks to someone in the comments).
Clarity of instruments is also something these headphones do great. The sound hardly ever gets muddy, and even with pretty complex arrangements, you’ll almost always be able to hear every piece of the band. The wider soundstage again helps with this, since mixes appear much more pronounced, which I love. Even with a “wall” of sound coming from these drivers it sounds unbelievably nuanced and balanced. My one wish would be for even a little more clarity in this area, but for how much these cost you’re already getting an incredible bargain.
Overall, the sound of these cans is unbeatable for this price. Add to that you’re getting an open-back and planar driver- $170 is absolutely bananas! Much applause to HiFiman for opening up this design for us less financially-blessed listeners. Are these the greatest headphones to ever walk the Earth? No. But for how much they cost the value is fantastic. You get a versatile, responsive and clear sound across almost every genre. They sound relaxed and mellow, with crisper notes on the top, which help bring a bit more energy into the mix.
These headphones are a bargain to say the least, and won’t leave you disappointed or underwhelmed with just about any song you can throw at them.


Conclusion

These cans are probably the best headphones you can get in this price range, hands down. For at home listening, they give a great relaxed and defined sound to almost every genre. The pronounced high end can be annoying at times, but is easy enough to remedy. I would recommend these to anyone looking to get into higher end headphones, or for more experienced listeners to have a little fun with some well made and relatively cheap cans. Happy listening everyone.


Recommended Albums on these Headphones: Voodoo by D'Angelo, Blame Game by Beach Bunny, Aja by Steely Dan

P.S. this is my first review on Head-Fi!
Adnen Ayed
Adnen Ayed
Thanks for sharing. You made me feel like trying them out. I listen to classical rock and jazz mostly. But like some progressive rock also.
J
jonthebaron
Jazz sounds great on these; I find a lot of headphones don't really capture the space and ambience of a jazz session well, but these definitely do.

intoitreviews

New Head-Fier
HIFIMAN HE400i 2020: same old, same old, or the new hotness? You decide...
Pros: Lighter Weight, Better Pads, Great Audio Quality for the Money, Greater Speed than HE4XX, but worse tonality.
Cons: Toss up with the HE4XX at best, and I still prefer that headphone.
Hello All!

Welcome back to the Neighborhood. Today we are taking a look at the HIFIMAN 400i 2020. I have yet to get around to reviewing the Deva, and that review will come out shortly (before the end of 2020, I promise), but when I first saw the 400i 2020, I was very interested in it because I love the sonics of my 4XX and adore the form factor of the Deva. The Deva just fits my head nearly perfectly. What I am trying to say, is that I was hopeful that the 400i would be just as comfortable as the Deva, and potentially sound just as good, if not better than both that headphone and my HE4XX. So, did this headphone rise to the challenge, or did the 2020 moniker curse these cans like it has everything else this year?

Let’s get InToit!

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Getting started with the build, I do prefer aspects of this build to previous iterations of this headphone. The headband is nicely padded and wrapped in a nice leatherette material. The yolks do not swivel, but there enough play in the adjustment mechanism to get a good fit and seal, and I think this will generalize to most people’s domes. While the yolks appear to be made out of a metal or dense plastic, the cups are grilles are for sure plastic. The grilles appear to be exactly the same as the ones from the HE4XX, but the cups are significantly cheaper feeling, even if they are lighter in weight. In general, in comparison the HE4XX this is a notably lighter headphone than the HE4XX from drop, and weight is more evenly distributed across one’s head as well.

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The pads on the 400i 2020 seem to be of a hybrid, Focus A variety, and comprised of both leatherette and velour with plastic ring backing. They are fenestrated leatherette on the inside, solid leatherette on the outside, and velour for the portion that rests against your face. These pads are somewhat known for being easily damaged when removed, and I’m not a huge fan of velour in general, but from a sonic perspective I found them quite enjoyable, and softer sounding than the Dekoni Elite Sheepskin variants that I experimented with over the course of this review. I also noted that like the Dekoni pads, the stock pads that come with the HE400i 2020 were also slightly more angled. This is a deviation from the HE4XX, which, came with slightly, less-angled, Focus A pads with terrycloth rather than fenestrated leatherette inside, instead. Furthermore, I found that this pad adjustment by HIFIMAN seemed to not only help out with the sound, but also the fit. My final conclusion regarding these new stock pads, was that the 400i 2020 pads sounded more similar to the HE4XX with Dekoni pads than it did to the original HE4XX without them.

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The cable that comes with the HE400i 2020, is one of HIFIMAN’s newest cable types and comprised of a somewhat, stiff cable wrapped in a black, braided material. Like the newer variants of the HE4XX, it initiates in a dual-poled, right and left, 3.5mm connectors and terminates in an angled 3.5mm, unbalanced connection with a quarter-inch adapter. But, despite some chintziness here or there, especially with specific regard to the cup material, the HE 400i 2020 does, nevertheless, feel more polished as a whole in comparison to its prior iterations. And, it is lighter weight, in the end, as well.

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With regard to the sonics, let me get this out of the way and say that the HE400i 2020 sounds remarkably similar to the HE4XX. So much, so that they’re virtually indistinguishable. I’ve already reviewed the 4XX, but I’ll place that review in the description below for your reference, in case you were interested.

Generally speaking, both the 4XX and 400i 2020 are excellent planarmagnetics, especially for the money. Like the 4XX, what you get with the 400i 2020, is a neutral headphone with a heightened treble presentation, for the most part; but, I will also note that, with the newer pads, the 400i 2020’s treble appears less aggressive to my ears compared to my memory of the stock HE4XX.

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General resolution, detail, clarity and sparkle are great for both sets- especially for the price. Like the 4XX, the 400i 2020 punches well above its price-class. Bass extension is sufficient, and like its predecessors, these also hold up relatively well to EQ; but what you miss out on here vs. other planarmagnetics is a surplus of slam and dynamics. Not to say that either of these qualities are bereft in these cans, but they are certainly less present than other, more-expensive planars by a few Db or so, even despite the fact that they actually have decent bass extensions. Having said that, dynamics are soft, subtle, and detailed enough to appease most listeners in my opinion. And while bass detail is also not mind-blowing either, it is definitely respectable for the price, and adds to the enjoyability factor for these sets.

The midrange is also enjoyable in these sets. They have enough presence, but they are less than perfectly flat around 2K, and as a result, vocals may be perceived as less forward, a tad laid back, and more “in the mix” than others may like, say in comparison to something like the reference, HD600 series from Sennheiser. Nevertheless, I think most would actually prefer this presentation for most music, as most “normies” that I have listen to my headphones prefer the overall presentation of the 4XX to that of the Sennheisers.

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The treble is the "Achilles’ Heel" of these sets for some, as they find them too bright. However, I find that on the right amp, with the right pad, the treble presentations of both the 4XX and 400i 2020 are much more tolerable than many tend to indicate. And while I recommended changing to Dekoni Sheepskin pads on the 4XX to tame its treble, the stock pads on the 400i 2020 are mostly fine, and I never really found it a necessity to change to pads here, because sonics never crossed the line into a harsh territory for me. I think the adjustment that HIFIMAN made to include fenestrated leatherette on the inside of the pads on the 400i 2020 may have contributed to a smoother treble presentation in its stock form. And while I don’t like to confuse treble for detail, as many other reviewers tend to do, I do think the heightened treble here in these sets does contribute to the detail retrieval capabilities of these drivers, in these particular cases. Nevertheless, like the 4XX, I tend to prefer the 400i on warmer, class A power with sufficient current. My general amp recommendation for the 4XX has been the Bravo Ocean, which is a class A amp with a tube-pre stage, and I’m sticking with that recommendation for the 400i 2020 as well.


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I would describe the soundstage for these as generally spacious with greater width than depth. Depth is decent, but in comparison to something like the Sundara, the 4XX and the 400i 2020 lack some depth of field to their staging, which results in a more 2D sound field compared to the 3D sonics and layering capabilities of the Sundara. Any distinctions in imaging, transients, and decay, I feel were more attributed to pad type than to the headphones themselves, and general imaging, decay, and transient performances are stellar in each set.

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With regard to pad experimentation, while I ultimately do not think switching pads for the HE400i 2020 is as necessary of a process as it is for the HE4XX, I do prefer the HE400i with the fenestrated Elite Sheepskin Pads from Dekoni, while I prefer the HE4XX with non-fenestrated Elite Sheepskin ones. Having said that, while, I will save my auditory comparisons with the Deva for that review, I will say here that I preferred the pads of the Deva most from a comfort perspective out of all the headphones discussed in this review.


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In terms of other, specific, distinguishing characteristics between the HE4XX and the HE400i 2020, I will say that the HE400i is faster, slightly leaner in presentation, and mildly drier and brighter in timbre. Because of this, I do find the 400i 2020 to be a tad more fatiguing to listen to over the course of time, but I will not label this headphone as fatiguing in general, so your milage may vary. In HIFIMAN’s lineup, I would say that the 400i 2020 sits somewhere in between the 4XX and the Sundara along a characterological continuum- a continuum which is based on auditory characteristics, and not necessarily based on either value or desirability.

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And I also want to be clear, that these differences are rather trivial in the grand scheme of things. In terms of my recommendations, I would generally recommend both headphones, but I do have a small preference for the overall sound of the HE4XX due to its additional layers of warmth and liquidity. Having said that, separation, depth of sound, and instrument distinction goes the HE400 I 2020. The HE4XX seemed more musical and immersive, while the HE400i 2020 felt more slightly more articulate and defined.

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So, from an auditory perspective, if you already own a 4XX, I would not rush out to replace it with a HE400i 2020 anytime soon, as the two sound more similar than they do different. Also, while the comfort is slightly better for the HE400i 2020 than the HE4XX (due to a lesser weight and more padded headband), I do not find the overall difference in comfort as significant as going from say the 4XX to the DEVA. Yet, if you value speed or want a slightly sharper presentation both with regard to tone and articulation, then the HIFIMAN HE400i 2020 might be, more uniquely, for you.

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Comments

intoitreviews

New Head-Fier
I hope to hear one for myself soon. I love the Deva headband, and would love it if this really was the best variant of the HE400 series for HIFIMAN. There appears to be diverse opinion on that still.
 

Ichos

Reviewer at hxosplus
It seems to be a little better behaved at 2-5Khz.
Crinacle measurements seems to be on par with what I am hearing.
 

HoJ76

New Head-Fier
I have now had he400i-2020 for a little over a week, tested these on dx3-pro (v2). I can not say anything other than that I am incredibly happy with these. Have tested them against the K701, and all in all, the he400i seems to do the job very well, these suit me even better than the 701, more dynamics - more control over it all - and with an even better calmness in the soundscape.
Well delivered HiFiMan
 
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