I bought these in early May based on nearly unanimous recommendation from people on a bunch of websites, and I must say they don't live up to their reputation. Some of the common things people pointed out were that they are excellent for the price, they have great mids, and they have bad build quality, the bass could be better, and that they are great for all genres. Most of these points definitely stand up, I don't think I have ever heard better mids in my life, they are fairly cheap, but to me they have nothing else going for them. The bass isn't just leaving more to desired, it is so bad it makes some genres hard to listen to, it is almost comically weak, more like a tickle than a punch. They aren't especially neutral, they are just very mid heavy. I guess it sounds neutral at first glance, but the lows are extremely recessed, and the highs aren't very sparkly, they also have bad sibilance in a lot of cases. It is basically the opposite of the classic "V-shaped" sound signature, whereas normally mids are recessed and there is too much emphasis on lows and high, these have way too much emphasis on mids and bad lows and highs. They also definitely don't work for all genres. When listening to classical instrument seperation suffers, soundstage seriously suffers, bass suffers, highs suffer, and volume suffer. For metal the vocals are amazing but a lot of the rythm is lost in the weak bass, funk is amazingly smooth and probably the best genre for these, for techno in general they are terrible due to the bass problems, although as usual vocals stand out and are excellent. 
 
In terms of physical qualities they aren't great either. They look quite cheap, which is the downside of their otherwise nice minimalistic style, the 3.5mm jack is very obviously low quality, as someone who fixes headphones on a regular basis that stand out like a sore thumb, the cord definitely also feels a bit flimsy and I don't expect it to last long. If you don't wrap your earphones around the back of your ear these suffer from constant annoying microphonics leaving you with no obvious choice except to wrap the, but they also have a tendency for the wire to constantly fall off my ears, which can get very frustrating at times. The sound isolation is mediocre, nothing really to complain about but also not worthy of praise, I often have to bring the volume up a lot compared to where I normally do with IEMs. The choice of included tips is strange to me, there is a bunch of flanged ones that scratch and irritate the inside of my ears, there is ones that are way too small, ones that are way too large, and only one set that is similar to what is normally included with all IEMs which is medium sized rubber tips, but it's still not exactly the same it's like a half flange, the tip is two different sizes but it isn't separated, 
 
In conclusion, I definitely do not recommend these earphones. I have had 40 dollar Sony earphones perform twice as well as these for less than half the price, and they lasted me almost 2 years, where these apparently have a tendency to fail after only a few months. These are an exceptionally mediocre pair of earphones with a huge list of major downsides that are only redeemed at all by the excellent mid range performance.

Unfortunately, I find these to be the most overrated iems going on the market at present. Anybody who claims that these have sufficient bass response are just deluding themselves, or others. They are extremely bass shy, to the point where it just ruins the music. I also own the Trinity Deltas, Vsonics vsd3s, and senns cx-300ii; and the Hd-600s and Fidelio x1 for full sized cans. Even next to the hd-600 which is hardly 'bassy' is not lacking in this department, while the re-400s are just deflated there. Such a shame.

The midrange is lush and smooth, and the treble is just right. The soundstage is very narrow, however, and the presentation lacks clarity and transparency. Also, the build quality is truly terrible: the wire  from the Y split to the driver casing is very thin and the actual connection to the case is weak (it separated barely 6 months into usage). The tip assortment is fine, with the Comply Foam tips giving it a bit of extra bass hump it sorely needs. However, they make the presentation even narrower and more congested than it already is. Sillicon tips uniformly give the same bassless response.

These are horrendously overrated.

Bought them for $47 for my mobile believing the measurements used for full sized cans will have the same indication to real performance but found out the hard way the measurement don't apply the same way for IEM's - see this thread.

They aren't that much better than any Chinese $15 IEM. There are no free meals and to get quality looks like you'll have to be ready to part with $100 or more.

I ordered these when my Astrotec AM-90s finally bit the bullet. Liking them so far, however the Left side is cutting out possibly due to a short on the plug.
 
Messaged HiFiMan and hope I get a replacement. I would had given a 5/5, but I'm knocking off 1 1/2 stars due to the durability problem.
 
I hope its just this one and it doesn't happen on the replacement.

Build / Fit
They are much smaller than I expected. The aluminum casing is nothing too special, it looks very clean, and simple. The wires above the split are very thin with a feel like they could break easily if you use then regularly on the go. But, below the split is a very nice cloth cable that leads into a 45 degree plug. The fit seemed very loose, even with the comply tips.
 
Sound
Neutral with a very slight rise in a bass. For the price, even for the $99 MSRP, they are incredible. The detail and sound stage are as good or better than some full sized headphones I've listen to. IMO the bass could use just a bit more impact?, not too much though. The Highs were just great, non-fatiguing, but still held the detail very well. The mids are neutral, nothing sounded too out of place. Again, for the price you can not get better than this. There is a reason why HiFiMan calls them the waterline.
 
Packaging
I guess this is something take into consideration? I thought is was very simple, clean, like the headphones that lay inside. There is a thick plastic sleeve that I thought was neat.
 
Overall
They are fantastic pair of IEMs to keep in your collection, I will be using them when I am too lazy to put on my SE-215s or is a rush. BTW, Microphonics are a thing. I love the RE-400s, but they feel like something was holding them back from being spectacular.

Source: Macbook 12 with Audioquest DragonFly v1.2
 
Comfort and Construction:
 
Overall the comfort level was good to me for an in-ear monitor. The key is to correctly size the inserts. Cord length is good for this type of ear monitor. Ended into a 1/4” plug with a 45 degree angl. For use on an iPhone or iPod, this may be a slight distraction. The cord is sturdy. Seemed to have good thickness without being too thick. There are no controls on the cord. This could be a deal-breaker for some.
 
Sound:
 
Overall, the RE-400 has a good sound. The highs are crisp and detailed. The mids are solid. It does lack base, but most in-ear monitors will be the same. Isolation is good for an in-ear monitor. No active noise cancellation, but with a good fit using the correct inserts, the isolation is satisfactory. I was impressed with the clarity of these. Good sound separation.
 
Thoughts:
 
Easy to recommend if you are looking for a reasonably priced in-ear monitor. Good sound and comfort. Need to decide if the angled plug will detract or lack of in-line control forces another choice.

VIDEO REVIEW



ALL REVIEW ARE DONE @ SOULSIKREVIEWS.COM and more insightful review can be found on our site.

INTRODUCTION

If you are on a budget then you are in for some good luck because Hifiman re400 might be just for you. Hifiman claims this IEM to be the “waterline” IEM, which means, not only them but the industry should be doing THIS with 99 dollars. Bit of a big claim? But I must say, they deserve the big talk. The re400 is not only small and compact but brings you quality that you would see in much higher end IEMs.

DISCLAIMER

The Hifiman re400 was sent me for a review by audioexcellence, a audiophile store in Canada. As usual, my reviews are not bias in any way.

ABOUT Hifiman

HiFiMAN Electronics is a designer and manufacturer of audio products including headphones, amplifiers, and portable audio players. Hifiman is known for its high-end audio products made under the brand Mee Audio. Its most popular products include the HE-400 which are full sized open back headphones and the RE-400 which is an IEM (In Ear Monitor). Both products are supposedly critically acclaimed for their sound quality

SPECS

Divers: Titanium coated 8.5mm dynamic drivers

Frequency: 15 – 22 Khz

Sensitivity: 102 dB

Impedance: 32 Ohms

Cable length: 1.33m

Plug: 3.5mm

 

WHERE DO I BUY IT?

If you are in Canada, https://www.audioexcellence.ca/ is the place to go, not only for this product but for any hifi products, their price is competitive and ensures quality service. Their store is well worth a visit if you are located within the GTA.

Internationally, amazon is your best bet far as I know.

 

BUILD QUALITY

HOUSING: the housing is made of aluminum and is very small and compact.

 

Cable: the cable is fabricated cable up to point of the splitter and then it is

rubber/plastic material from then on. The slider is metal, which is very nice touch. It terminates in a 3.5mm gold plated right angled jack.

 

Accessories: A lot of tips for any fit, however I found the comply foams to be the best. A very nice hard carrying case that is practical in size and portability is included. There are also extra filters in case you damage the filters with earwax, which is a nice touch and shows that HIFIMAN wants you to keep the IEM for a longer time.

 

Overall, the build quality is exceptional for 99 dollars. From drivers to the accessories, it screams quality. Also, the isolation and fit was perfect for me. There is 2 ways to wear it. Straight in or over the ear (found the 2^nd fit to eliminate any microphonic)

 
PRACTIALLY

This IEM would be something I would recommend my university friends that are not audiophiles because of its cheap price point and what you get for it. With the comply foams, there was much more isolation, however even with the normal tips included with the re400s, the sound isolation was enough to be used in quiet places like the library and loud places like the gym.

SOUND QUALITY

GENERAL: These are neutral sounding IEMs. The bass is not as extended as modern bass heads might like it, and this might be a turn off for some people. However, the fact that you can hear the music you love, the way it was recorded, the way it was supposed to be heard for 99 dollars, is something to appreciate. If you are like me and listens to almost anything, these are perfect. You can hear these for hours and hours without any problem because there are no sibilant highs or no booming bass that might bother you in long listening sessions. Everything is clear and represented “the way they are supposed to be”

Sound Stage: the sound stage is very intimate, which may be a good thing for some and a turn off for others. Again, priced at 99 dollars, these are exceptional in sound stage and imaging.

Final Thoughts

Hifiman re400 really did amaze me with its price to performance ratio. I wish to see more budget iems like these in the future. I truly believe they deserve the title of “waterline.” 

Link to my review and measurement index thread where one can also find a full review overview, more information about myself as well as my general-ish audio and review manifesto: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/956208/


HiFiMan RE400i


Source:

Personal unit.


Miscellaneous:

Plastic packaging appears cheap, but that’s okay.
Ear tip selection doesn’t seem to follow any real pattern – while many different pairs are provided, they sometimes differ considerably in length and properties; it would have been much better and more logical to include three different sizes of tips for each type of tip. Quality and texture is good, though.

Round storage case that is simply just an unbranded case without any logo. Protective, though.

Cable feels and looks cheap; cannot really be described as flexible. Strain relief not good and no chin-slider either. Quite microphonic.
The three-button remote control has a pleasant pressure point. Although the individual keys are not so easy to recognize as such haptically, it's still quite easy to distinguish the two volume keys from the centre key due to the size of the remote control. What I don't like so much is that the remote control is located on the left side. By the way, I also doubt whether the remote control is actually mfi-certified, because on my Apple iPod Nano 7G, the volume buttons remain without function after being pressed twice, no matter for how long, until I remove the in-ears and plug them into the jack socket of my iPod again (that even though I’ve got a genuine pair of RE400i without any defects), and on my Apple USB-C to Headphone Jack Adapter, a short press of the volume up button results in an irreversible maxing out of the volume.

Shells made of metal. Look very nice. Their build quality is good.

One dynamic driver per side.




Sound:

Largest included black dual-flange silicone ear tips.

Tonality:

Fairly neutral leaning somewhat towards the warmer side.
Actually quite comparable to my InEar StageDiver SD-2 but with a brighter/less dark upper treble response.

Mild to moderate warmth in the root with the bass’ maximum quantity reaching around 5 dB in quantity above flat neutral at ca. 100 Hz in the upper bass. Flat extension into the sub-bass.

Ultimately a bit of warmth in the lower mids but not as much as my SD-2.
Flat central midrange with slightly reduced presence range but in the end still correct and neutral timbre.

Treble on the smooth and neutral/slightly darker side with a mild lift in the upper highs that ultimately leads to cymbals not always sounding sounding right but somewhat artificial/metallic. Never sharp or peaky.

Overall smooth, heading into a neutral direction and pleasant. Ultimately not as even as Etymotic’s in-ears but still some of the very best neutral-ish tuned dynamic driver in-ears regardless of price.

Perhaps the highs are brighter with shorter ear tips and/or a shallower insertion.

Frequency Response:


ER-4S-Compensation

To my ears, there is no such elevation in the highs but just a mild lift.


ProPhile 8-Compensation

Resolution:

Decent but nothing that’s outstanding or special.

Somewhat on the softer/slower side without really becoming muddy. Would still be appropriate for the ~100$ original price and is clearly nothing to worry about when purchased at around half of that or below; good value.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Compared to the Etymotic ER2SE:

Apart from the bass and root, the two are tuned quite comparably neutral, with the ER2SE however still taking the lead in the end due to their higher treble linearity and evenness (my RE400i are a bit more forward in the lower upper and upper highs, with comparatively more metallic, less realistic sounding cymbals compared to the Etymotic).
In the bass and root, the HiFiMan have got an elevation that is stronger than the ER2SEs’ by around 4 dB, which makes them sound bassier and warmer (therefore their tuning would be more comparable to the ER4XRs’).

The HiFiMans’ bass texture is softer compared to the Etymotic, and the ER2SE sound somewhat tighter in the lows, too. The Etys’ bass control is superior.
In terms of resolution, I see the ER2SE one or two leagues above my RE400i – they just sound cleaner and their minute detail resolution is higher, just like their speech intelligibility and note separation in fast and busy parts of the music.

The ER2SEs’ soundstage appears larger than that of my HiFiMan in direct comparison, especially in terms of spatial depth and three-dimensionality, while the spatial width is more or less comparable.
The imaging (instrument placement and separation) and especially the portrayal of “emptiness” around and between instruments is more precise on the ER2SE.




Conclusion:

Smooth, neutral-ish sound that is heading somewhat into the warmer direction.
Rather “typical” dynamic driver technical performance but not muddy yet.
Cable could be better, just like the ear tip selection.


Photos:

The neutral, balanced sound of these earphones made me realize what good audio could sound like. They reveal and retrieve so much detail, which at first can come across as only thin and lifeless, but if you're like me, that's because you are used to hearing bloated, bassy equipment that is made to appeal to the masses.

The metal housings are nice, but that's about the only good thing about how they physically feel. Their build quality and durability are poor, the cable is lackluster, and the eartips feel cheap.

I believe I paid close to $100 for these back in 2014/2015. They're currently on sale for $20 through Amazon and Hifiman. At $20, they're a no-brainer for sound, even in 2021, imo. But the fact that they will eventually break much sooner than earphones of this caliber should, gives me hesitation. I would gladly pay $100-$150 for a MMCX/2-pin version from the factory.

Hifiman is mostly known for their open-back planar magnetic headphones and I myself own 3 pairs. As you may already know, almost all of their headphone offerings have become benchmarks in their respective price ranges. Other than headphones, they make IEMs, digital to analog converters, amplifiers and digital music players which are more or less successful in their own right and this is a review of one such product: their bullet style IEMs RE-400.



RE-400 is their cheapest IEMs as of now and although the original price for it was 79.00 USD when it first came out, now it’s sold for 19.99 USD on their official site and Amazon.

Disclaimers​

Hifiman RE-400 was provided to me by Hifiman for free and I only paid for the customs fee. As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Build and Accessories of Hifiman RE-400​

Shells of the RE-400 are bullet shaped and relatively small. Not as small as Final Audio E series IEMs, but still very comfortable. As materials used, they are made out of aluminum, not the smoothest aluminum out there, but still feels premium especially for the price.The cable which is fabric coated below the splitter by the way, isn’t replaceable and has some memory unfortunately. Cable termination is 3.5 mm single ended and angled.



RE-400 comes in a compact plexiglass packaging. It doesn’t look too cheap and they probably decided to increase the contents along the way since there is also a bag of accessories that comes with it. Apart from the IEMs, you get a carrying case and 8 pairs of different eartips. I mostly used double flanged ones in my testing.

Sound of Hifiman RE-400​

Tonality​

RE-400 has a neutral tuning, almost like an average Etymotic. It isn’t particularly devoid of bass but there is not too much of it to speak of. As a character, the bass is relatively fast and tight.



Mids are very clean and clear but also a little lean. Vocals mostly keep their distance. In this sense, RE-400 kind of sounds almost like their open-back planar magnetic headphones.

There is no harshness in the treble region but it also isn’t very smooth. There are narrow peaks you notice occasionally and treble extension isn’t great either.

Technicalities​

The most impressive aspect of RE-400 is its staging capability. Stage expands sideways and it creates an interesting hall effect. In fact, it was the first thing I noticed as soon as I put them in my ears. Imaging is also pretty good.



RE-400 sounds kind of dry but other than that timbre is mostly fine, nothing jumps out as unnatural. Lack of extension kind of hampers the rendering capability but at this price, I won’t complain too much. As always comparisons shed more light to how RE-400 sounds.

Comparisons​

Hifiman RE-400 vs Final Audio E3000​

Volume Matched at 1 kHz

• E3000 is much warmer, has much more bass and subbass than RE-400. However, the E3000's bass is more pillowy. RE-400 isn’t really devoid of bass and it’s tighter.
• RE-400 is much cleaner.
• Vocals are more forward on E3000. RE-400 leaves room to breathe.
• Neither is harsh. E3000 has a better treble extension but that might also be because of the deeper insertion it provides. RE-400 rolls off earlier in the upper treble.
• RE-400 has a wide spacious sound and interesting hall effect. E3000 on the other hand, also has a very tangible staging and it feels like you are in the studio with the artists. Both have their stages expanding to the sides but RE-400 is wider. Imaging is very precise on both.
• Personally I find overly warm iems suffocating. On that note RE-400 feels fresher for me.
• Both have decent timbral qualities but RE-400’s timbre is more lifelike. E3000 warmth skews the balance a little too much.
• E3000 renders more details but warmth drowns a big part of these details so RE-400 might come as more revealing to most.

Hifiman RE-400 vs Tanchjim Tanya​

Hifiman RE-400 vs Tanchjim Tanya​

Volume Matched at 500 Hz

• Tanya is V-Shaped while RE-400 is neutral. Again Tanya is warmer but it also has upper mids presence so vocals are slightly more forward. Vocals on RE-400, although not too recessed, aren’t too close and personal either.
• Bass on Tanya is also more impactful and extends deeper.
• Although Tanya is shoutier, neither is necessarily harsh.
• Treble on Tanya is noticeably better. It has good energy and is smooth at the same time; pretty much on point and it has better extension too. RE-400’s treble sounds blunted compared to Tanya’s.
• Tanya’s timbre is objectively better but I find RE-400’s timbre somewhat more agreeable. Maybe Tanya's shoutiness affects my perception.
• Tanya is more detailed by a good margin. Staging is extraordinary on RE-400. It expands wider than Tanya’s headstage but Tanya’s stage is deeper. RE-400’s imaging is also better.

Conclusion​

I wasn’t expecting too much from the Hifiman RE-400 but I was pleasantly surprised. It doesn’t set the world on fire, no, however for the price now it sells, it’s hard to make an argument against it. Especially in a market that is flooded with V-Shaped and Harman tuned IEMs, it feels fresh with its clean neutral tuning and the interesting hall effect it creates. All in all, maybe not at the full price, but for 19.99 USD, I think RE-400 deserves a place in everyone’s collection.

Hifiman RE400 Waterline Review

Liquid and Relaxing like Water


About Hifiman:

Hifiman was founded by Dr. Fang in New York - USA and is one of the most well-known personal audio companies in the audiophile word.

Hifiman has a wide variety of Hi-Fi, Reference and Premium class products like Portable Audio Players, Planar Magnetic Headphones, Desktop Amplifiers and Earphones/In-Ear Monitors like the Hifiman RE400, which I will now review for you.





Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Hifiman for providing me this sample for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Hifiman and/or any third person beyond this review and all these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.


Price:

The Hifiman RE400 is available for 49,00 USD.



Package and Accessories:

The Hifiman RE400 In-Ear Monitor comes in a small rectangular box, which has a semitransparent plastic housing.

The box includes the following contents;

• 1 pcs x Hifiman Re400 In-Ear Monitor
• 7 pairs x Silicone Tips
• 10 pcs x Nozzle Filters
• 1 pcs x Shirt Clip
• 1 pcs x Carry Pouch

The RE400 comes with a wide variety of silicone tips and some of them have a very unique shape like the bi-flange tips on the pictures bellow.



The carry pouch came separately, because the box is too small to carry all accessories. I think that Hifiman has added this carry pouch after some customer feedbacks.

The box includes also 10 pcs of Filters, which should help to protect the earphone’s inner components from dust and earwax.






Technical Specifications:

• Driver Type : Single Dynamic Driver
• Freq. range : 15 ~ 21000hz
• Sensitivity : 102db
• Impendence : 32ohm
• Cable length : 1.33m
• Plug : 3.5mm 3 Pole Unbalanced (TRS)

Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The Hifiman RE400 In-Ear Monitor has a pretty small and comfortable housing, which has a minimalistic design. The monitor housing is in silver color and is made of CNC machined metal that looks robust in my hands.



There is a small vent on the housing that is necessary to balance the pressure inside the housing.

On the front of the monitor is the sound nozzle that has a dust/earwax filter on the top, which can be replaced.



The cable of the RE400 is fixed to the monitor and is protected by relative long plastic strain reliefs where you can find also the left and right markings.



The cable of the RE400 is relative thin but and has a fabric coating which has pretty low microphonic effect. This fabric isolation goes up to the y splitter and the rest of the cable up to the strain relief is made of regular TPU material.



The cable has a plastic Y splitter, which sport the Hifiman branding and there is also a small metal chin slider in silver color same as the housing.



The Hifiman RE400 has a 3.5mm unbalanced 3 pole headphone jack with a 90 degree angled profile which is protected by a plastic housing.



The RE400 is very ergonomic due to the small and lightweight housing, which makes it ideal for long listening periods and to wear even while sleeping. The noise isolation is pretty good for an In-Ear Monitor with such a small design and has blocked much of the noise in relative noise environments like bus, train etc.






Equipment’s used for this review:

IEM’s : Hifiman RE400, Shozy Hibiky, Meze 12 Classics
DAP&DAC’s : Cayin N5II, Fiio M7, Chord Mojo, Xduoo XD10, Audirect Beam

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining (Spotify)
• London Grammar – Interlud (Live) (Flac 24bit/44kHz)
• Laura Pergolizzi – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Minor Empire – BulbulumAltinKafeste (Spotify)
• Adam Taylor – Colour to the Moon (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Casey Abrams – Robot Lover (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Steve Srauss – Mr. Bones (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Future Heroes – Another World (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Lorde – Team (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Tom Player – Resonace Theory “Album” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)

The Sound:

This review is written after a burn-in process of approx. 70 hours and I have used the stock bi-flange silicone ear tips.





Sound Signature:

The Hifiman RE400 is an In-Ear monitor with a relative balanced, slightly mid-centric sound signature. The overall tonality of this IEM is slightly on the warmer side of neutral and is ideal for long listening periods due the smooth and relaxing presentation.



Bass:

The bass of the Hifiman RE400 sounds pretty clean, controlled and very linear from the sub-bass up to the lower midrange and is nor bass-light neither bass-heavy in its presentation.

When it comes to the sub-bass region of the RE400, it shows moderate depth and rumble with average extension, which makes it not so suitable for genres like Trance and Edm music, but is good enough for jazz and acoustic music.

The midbass of the RE400 are tight, not very boomy and have the right quantity to add some warmness to the sound and to avoid a dull presentation. The bass speed is above average and has pretty good control for an IEM in this price category.


Midrange:

The midrange of the RE400 is where it really shines. It sounds smooth, forgiving and pretty detailed, especially at this price range. The positioning of the midrange is what it differs from other In-Ear Monitors in the same price class, because it sounds neither too forward nor recessed.

The overall presentation in the midrange is missing some transparency and is slightly veiled, which doesn’t sound unpleasant; on the contrary it gives the RE400 a special character. Both male and female vocals sounding quite emotional and pleasurable, especially female vocals have a more realistic presentation due to the brightness and sparkle, which comes from the upper midrange around 2-3 kHz. Male vocals are missing a slightly fullness and depth, due to the midbass / lower midrange tuning.

The upper midrange of the Hifiman RE400 sounds pretty controlled with a fairly acceptable level of sibilance and harshness. The song "My Silver Lining" of the group "First Aid Kid" is one of my new reference tracks to measure the stress in the upper middle range, which can be caused by female vocals, where the RE400 has done a great job.

The Hifiman RE400 sounds more realistic and successful with instruments such as guitars, drums and contrabass those have a relatively thicker tonality, than instruments like violins, flutes, etc. that are showing a thinner character.

Treble:

The treble range of the Hifiman RE400 is very linear and balanced like the rest of the spectrum. There is a slightly boost in the 6 kHz range that is adding some clarity and definition to the overall presentation and is avoiding hollowness.

Some instruments like Hi Hats are slightly recessed, which makes it a bit too difficult to hear, while crash cymbals have a moderate extension. The Hi Hat cymbals are quite clear to hear in genres like Jazz, but harder to define in faster tracks like metal music.

The overall detail level of the treble range is pretty good for this price tag and extension is on a moderate level which is acceptable for an entry level In-Ear Monitor. The treble tuning is very ideal for those who are looking for an IEM that is fatigue free and ideal for long listening periods.


Soundstage:

The soundstage of the Hifiman RE400 has moderate expansion, while the stage shows more wideness than depth. The stage has enough space to track the instruments in most types of music with low instrument quantities, but is not that suitable for songs with higher density, such as classical music.




Comparisons:


Hifiman RE400 vs Shozy Hibiki

The Shozy Hibiki has more bass quantity than those of the Hifiman RE400 that shows a more linear bass response. The RE400 has less sub-bass rumble and depth than Hibiki with faster decay and less extension, while the RE400 is slightly faster and has better control.

The midrange presentation of the Shozy Hibiki shows a more V shaped sound signature with a more recessed midrange. The midrange of the Hifiman RE400 is more forward and intimate than those of the Shozy Hibiki. The midrange of the Hibiki has also a brighter tonality with more presence that is adding additional sparkle to the timber of the Hibiki. This relative high peak around the 3-4 kHz makes the Shozy IEM prone to sibilance and can cause to ear fatigue. This was very noticeable in the song "My Silver Lining" of the group "First Aid Kid" where the Hifiman RE400 sounded much smoother and controlled than the Hibiki.

The treble range of the Shozy Hibiki is brighter and more pronounced in the 8 kHz region which is increasing airiness and sparkle, while the Re400 has a more natural and linear treble presentation, which makes it to the more ideal IEM who prefer less brightness and more relaxing presentation.

When it comes to the soundstage performance, the Hibiki shows more depth, while the difference for wideness is less noticeable, maybe slightly better with the Hibiki.

Hifiman RE400 vs Meze Classics 12:

The Meze Classics 12 has a more V shaped sound signature than those of the Hifiman RE400 with emphasizes to the lower and upper frequency regions. The sub-bass quantity and depth of this two IEM’s is nearly identical, while the RE400 has slightly better extension.

The bass and midbass region of the Meze 12 Classics sounds fuller and has more impact than those of the RE400 with pretty equal speed and control.

The midrange of the Meze 12 classics sounds more recessed than those of the RE400, which has a more intimate and emotional presentation for vocals. The boost in the upper midrange region around 2-3 kHz makes the RE400 more successful with female vocals and is adding slightly more detail without to be sibilant ant harsh.

The treble range of the Meze 12 Classics has a noticeable boost around 4-6kHz with a peak at 5 kHz that is adding more brightness, air and crispiness compared to the RE400, which has a more linear tuning. The Meze 12 Classics has treble extensions, while the Hifiman RE400 has better control and offers a more fatigue free listening.

The soundstage performance of those two IEM’s shows not a night and day difference. The Hifiman RE400 and Meze 12 Classics are performing head to head in terms of soundstage wideness, while the Meze 12 Classics has better depth performance.







Conclusion:

The Hifiman RE400 is very lightweight and comfortable to wear In-Ear Monitor with a smooth and relaxing presentation. The great vocal performance makes the RE400 to a real joy, especially with acoustic songs, while listeners who prefer more bass in their tracks will be less satisfied.


Pros and Cons:

• + Intimate and Emotional Vocal Presentation
• + Balanced Sound Signature
• + Fatigue Free Presentation
• + Very Lightweight and Comfortable
• + Lots of Ear Tips

• - Sparkle
• - Treble Extension
• - Maybe too Neutral for Some

I have been using RE400 for over few months now. these are rather well known and well documented so I will only put stand out points that I think make it unique.

Build:

Light weight, made out of aluminium. Chord is fabric covered below y splitter. above that its plastic. no microphonics if i wear them from above my ears. Otherwise it can be bothersome. Jack is 45 degree. Overall looks solid and mine is working well without problems.

Comfort and isolation:

Comfort is above average. Isolation is great if I use comply tips, otherwise I think its above average. I do need to insert them a fir bit in my ears to get a good seal, more than other IEMs I have used.

Sound:

Two words that best describe the sound is: Tactile and balanced.

Bass is present and slightly lifted thus gives instruments slightly more realistic feel. Bass is Fairly transparent and conveys what was played well enough. Its fairly tight, though I do find sub bass lacking a bit.

Mids are well balanced with bass. Its not a huge soundstage and mids sound rather intimate. Slightly lush, overall maintain neutrality.

Treble is extended and can be delicate or harsh depending on source, with fair amount of resolution. Again nothing alarming, its not a bright sound to my ears.

Amping: Rather strange in amping department (I guess its common with iems). Sounds best out of my PS Vita, a gaming console, compared to my phone or amp. Detail retrieval drops when used with either compared to my other full size hps, that sound best out of amp.

Value: Overall amazing. I has quiet a lot of hype surrounding it. I do think if you factor everything, comfort, accessories, sound, its very good $100 iem. Taken only in terms of sound, will it beat a $200 hp? I don't think so. But I do think its very competent hp for $100 and a great value.

HIFIMAN RE400 WATERLINE REVIEW

INTRODUCTION

Hifiman is one those brands that you cannot forget when it comes to high quality audio, the product range is complete and unique, with premium and reference material, from the budget oriented to the super luxury.

The main reason i like their products is because of the outstanding build quality and reliability; premium products are really expensive, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for.

Disclamer:

My kind thanks to Hifiman for sending me the RE400 for testing purposes. My review is not biased in any way.


BUILD & DESIGN:

I really like the metal machinery there, precisely crafted, tiny and comfortable, during the first test i was really impressed how tiny and compact they are. The entire presentation of the earphones and accessories is nice and a really pleasing experience throughout: the casing, the foamy and velvety box inside, everything well presented and most importantly, well protected from the shipment; this is a really important feature because we have to imagine that the products travel all over the world before going into our hands. Design wise i would consider them minimalistic: the cable is not detachable, the first part of the cabling (the splitted part) is plastic only and the last part is covered with fabric, the two sections divided with the logo; L & R is printed behind the iem on the connection. On my version there is no mic nor input commands. I cannot stress enough how small they are, and in my opinion this is a good thing for a pair of all round easy fit and solid iem. I believe the connector has changed on a revision, as is now slightly different from previous model revisions, and probably more sturdy and ruggedized now. Everything comes within just 14 grams of weight, in line with other qualitatively equal models.


TECH SPECS & WHAT’S INSIDE THE PACKAGE

· Sensitivity 102 dB

· Driver size 8.5 mm

· Frequency 15 Hz - 22 kHz

· Impedance 32 Ohm

· Weight 14 gr

Re-400 has a neodynium magnet and a titanium 8.5 mm driver; the loudspeaker has been designed and produced directly by HiFiMan to guarantee maximum performance of the medium frequencies. The technical specifications are in line with the earphones of the same price range; the sensitivity is 102 dB, the impedance is 32 ohms and the maximum power reaches 30 mW.


Inside the package we can find:

· Hifiman Re400 In-Ear Monitor

· 7 pairs of Silicone Tips

· 1 carry pouch

· 10 Replacements for the nozzles filters

· 1 Clip


Two main things to consider that i really like: the pouch included is a plus, and for the tips there’s a pretty good selection of them, wether you fit bi flange, small or big tips. There are no foam tips included unfortunately, and i do not understand why the tips are presented in 2 different positions in the packaging, as if the bigger ones are a later addition to the overall packaging: some are on the front in the casing, some are inside the pouch. One thing to consider is that the 3.5mm cable is not balanced, and cannot be detached from the units, however, there’s a moderately long strain relief (compared to the tiny bodies). The included nozzles filters are a nice addition, in particluar for people with a lot of ear waxing; when they become impossibile to clean and/or ruined, you can simply change them withut worrying too much.


SOUND:

Overall the RE400 is a neutral sounding iem, the bass is a bit recessed and needs a some burn-in to shine in my opinion. I had to put the bigger tips to seal them better into my ear canals. The presentation is spacious and well-rounded. The soundstage is fairly large, and the earphones have a fairly open, airy, and uncongested sound.

Presentation:

The presentation of the RE400 is pleasant, wide and with a good overall sense of space and distance. There is less depth and height to the stage than with other multidriver iems, but the presentation is really good for this price point. Instrument separation is decent and overall very enjoyable. What i have found is a natural and pleasant presentation with great density that shines with an high level of clarity, especially with bright instruments and some particular tracks like the instruments found on the Chesky heaphone test disk.

Bass:

I have found the bass lackluster, even if i am not a basshead myself. With a bit of burn in it gets better, and i think that playing around with the correct tips helps a lot also. Definitely not a basshead iem, but i am able to live with it. The bass is there when you need it, but is definitely not so powerful. For a straight basshead i would consider something different, even if, to my taste, this can be enough and i was satisfied with the results after the burn-in process and the discover of the correct tip for my ear canals. Bass speed, on the other hand, is tight and precise, quick to play, and doesn’t linger too long; in my opinion this is really important. Definitely not a bass oriented iem, and again, if you are a basshead just choose something else.

Midrange:

Midrange is the best part of this iem in my opinion: it is very upfront and it blends very well with treble while retaining its space without going out of boundaries. The low-mids are well separated, and do not disturb some other frequencies; mids are really bright and some kind of vocals are better than the others: say for example forward female vocals are amazing: the overall result is a very open sound; obviously you miss some detail, some transparency, but at this price point, the midrange are really amazing, something that you are usually able to listen if you have an higher budget, on other brands.

Treble:

I like the treble because it’s sparkling and vivid, but not fatiguing. You lose a little bit of detail in the treble, but nothing to be worried too much. The extension is fair; overall to my ears the treble sounds good; it feels more natural and it has a good separation from the other frequencies, if you think that this is a single driver iem, the result is pretty good for the price range. I like the fact, again, that you can listen to them for hours without fatiguing your ears, i think that this has to do with the natural sounding, even if the treble are really sharp. In my opinion the treble is not affected too much from the break-in process, not quite as much as the bass to my ears; they are consistent out of the box and after 50h break-in period.


Overall sound impression:

Natural is the correct word for the RE400. The iem plays the music as it should be, without over emphasizing one thing or the other. The Midrange section is for sure the best one. Bass, on the other hand, is a bit lacking and you need some break-into get some and some good isolation, especially the sub-bass region, very recessed out of the box.


Final Impressions:

Well presented, natural and consistent: a nice tiny package that is good for the price and everyday listening without worrying too much about special sources. Buy them if you like vocals and midrange oriented tracks, do not buy them if you are a strong basshead and you want a lot of boom out of the box. Nothing special in the accessories, but the flange selection is nice, something they added later i guess, with the carrying pouch, that is a generic one and not personalized in any way with the name of the company or logos. I really like to listen to ambient tracks on those, especially filled with female vocals.


EQUIPMENT USED:

PC + Fiio E07K @ Foobar 2000 FLACs

Rockboxed Sandisk Sansa clip+

LG G7 thinq with quad dac

Hifiman-RE400 Review​

I would like to thank Mark from Hifiman for providing these IEM’s for this review

I came across this IEM maybe 10 years ago - it was then a steal at $99 for its then reference sound. But allot has happened in the IEM market in 10 years so has this ‘old dog’ still got tricks for the ‘young pups’ of the IEM market. And mostly importantly how does it sound stack up against its competition.

Original launch​

It can be funny to look back at old reviews for products that are still around, for example, here is Steve Guttenberg written Review(‘i.e. The Audiophiliac’) of the RE-400. The major complaints in this review and others from the original launch was the lack of a carrying case and a limited amount of ear tips. The price of the RE-400 at the time was $99 but unlike nearly every other bit of classic audio gear, the new RE-400 starts at an incredible $19.

Let’s see in detail how an upgraded RE-400 “waterline” stacks up - first lets have a look at what Hifiman now provides ‘in the box’:

Whats in the box:​

So looking at what we get now with the RE-400, never let it be said that Hifiman do not listen to their customers feedback as the “new” RE-400 addresses these issues mentioned above immediately once you open the box.

IEM and Cable​

While the IEM itself is tiny and cable is permanetly attached, which for $19.99 that is perfectly fine but obviously more expensive IEM’s now have detachedable cables unlike when the RE-400 was launched.

Eartips​

What I think is excellent is the sheer variety of sizes and even shapes of the ear tips provided and they have even provided some filter replacements. Different tips can have a massive effect on the sound profile and comfort of an IEM so having this variety is a massive benefit over similar priced IEMs.

Comfort​

For such a tiny IEM, the variety of eartips sizes can greatly effect the comfort. For me and my large ears, I found the largest ‘fat’ tip provided excellent seal and was very secure in my ears during a few long walks. I love how they provided angled eartips also which no doubt will suit some people.

Because it’s so small, it is incredible lightweight and mostly you can wear this for hours without any discomfort, it never feel out of my ear and it lack of weight greatly helped it stay in place compared to much larger IEM’s like the Truthear Zero (see photos later), my one issue with the comfort was the cable. I found it caused some microphonics as it rubbed again my clothes. I did change its position to around my ear which greatly helped but it is something to bear in mind.

My wife on the other hand has tiny ears she loved the size of the small tip and she has now taken the RE-400 as per favourite IEM’s for comfort and sound quality.

The difference is size can be seen in these 2 photos:

Sound quality​

So running through my long audiotext playlist - the RE-400 came across as very neutral, but does lack a little in the sub-bass region. As a sound signature, I thought it was more like the Etymotics ER2SR than the ER2XR, so bass heavy tracks like James Blake’s"Limit to your Love" didn’t have the bass punch you might expect coming from a Harman or V-Shaped IEM. But it more than made up with the with female vocal tracks - Kate Bush sounded amazing and Amy Winehouse had a liveliness that I have not often heard from IEM’s.

Midrange Clarity​

Midrange performance is exemplary, delivering vocals and instruments with a natural and lifelike presence. This midrange fidelity is a testament to the RE-400’s engineering especially looking at the size of the IEM it is hard to believe it can make such beautiful sound, appealing to audiophiles who appreciate a true-to-source experience. It actually sounds more like a Sennheiser headphone than a Hifiman.

Realistic Treble and Imaging​

High frequencies are handled with precision and without harshness, contributing to an extended and airy soundstage. This attribute makes the RE-400 particularly suitable for acoustic and vocal-centric genres.

Specs and Measurements​

The main specifications:

With measurements, due to its size this IEM especially will highly dependent ear tips and there objective measurements especially of bass and treble with vary greatly.

But I thought this might graph from Crinacle IEM comparison tools might provide a good match for what I heard from the RE-400, specifically compared to an classic Etymotic IEM:



As you can see both are incredible similar until the treble region where each manufacturer has their own unique take on treble. I personally like the RE-400 more, that boost in the 5-6Khz region provided excellent dynamics while to me was never fatiguing.

Comparisons​

Here is a comparison of the sizes of some similar priced IEM’s, the difference in size is remarkable with the Truthear Zero Red on the left, the Moondrop Chu in the middle and RE-400 on the right:

Sound quality wise the Truthear and Chu have more sub-bass both targetting that Harman curve but the RE-400 is much more balanced especially in the midrange. Basically if you want a reference IEM’s go for the Hifiman if you want a ‘fun IEM’ go for the Truthear. I would probably not recommend the Moondrop Chu due to its poor treble response, though its a similar price to the RE-400.

Summary​

The Hifiman RE-400 is a remarkable contender in the in-ear monitor market. Its focus on delivering an accurate and balanced sound profile makes it a prime choice for audiophiles on a budget. While its non-detachable cable may not appeal to everyone, its sound quality undoubtedly places it among the top performers in its price range. The RE-400 is a testament to Hifiman’s commitment to high-fidelity audio, packaged in a practical and everyday use design.

Along with the summary below, I have posted a Youtube video review of the RE-400. If you like the video, check out my channel for more reviews
 

 
Summary
 
BUILD
 
The RE-400 has a sensible, well thought out design. Of special note is the half-rubber / fabric cord which cuts down on microphonics. The RE-400 is comfortable to wear with cable up and the metal earpieces seem quite durable. However I find the plug to be overly large and can be difficult to accomodate in some pockets. The included accessory selection is quite poor, with only a few tip sizes included. Unfortunately I could not get a good seal with any of the tips and ended up using Sony hybrids, so please bear this in mind when reading the following sound impressions.
 
SOUND
 
The RE-400 has a neutral, smooth sound with perhaps a slight emphasis on the lower mid-bass, though this is certainly no bass head earphone. Everything is very tight, very fast and this is truly an amazing performer - not even considering the price at this point. Soundstage is not immediately very wide however, and people after something with a wider soundstage should perhaps look at the Sony MDR 7550.
 
Overall
 
I think despite the small issues I have with the RE-400, it offers absolutely stunning value at the $99 price point and really lays down a challenge to other manufacturers. As a neutral IEM the RE-400 stands shoulder to shoulder with other good dynamic options like the VSonic GR07 and Sony 7550, and does it at a lower price and better ergonomics. I absolutely applaud HiFiMan for the sharp pricing on the RE-400 and would heartily recommend it to almost anyone.

I got these as a backup to my RE-262.  I wanted something I could run without an amp.  The 400 provides that refined HiFiMan sound I have come to admire.  The 400 absolutely squares up with my 262 when amped, but I really got them so I could run lighter (just a dap), they totally impress in this regard.
I think I may be the only one that really liked the twist-to-lock fit of the 262, they just work perfectly for me.  Moving around I loose the seal on the 400 a bit too easily, but there was a generous helping of tips to play with including comply which I have never tried.  I am quickly becoming a comply convert.
 
Phone + amp + dap too much for your pockets?  Need to simplify?  this may be the solution.  It works for me, I don't mind leaving the amp behind any more.  The RE-400 fills the void until I can plug into a full size rig. 
For a Benjamin the cost to quality balance on these is stone solid.  They look great, sound great, and anything can play them.  Build quality looks like a nice step up from previous generations of HiFiMan portable gear too.
 
A word of caution:
While any flea-powered source can drive these, this is a high quality IEM, they will reveal how horrible music sounds on your phone...regardless of encoding, regardless of make.  You can listen to your phone with the RE-400, but to hear them you still need a decent dap (sansa clip is disposable at $40 and still sounds about 1000x better than your phone...ok, maybe 100x better than the htc one).

I am only listening to acoustic music, So I had no issue with the amount of bass (only plugged to my FIIO X5II, Flac, APE, Highres and DSD files). Even though they are not as tight as on my Shure's Se425 they are well balanced with the rest of the spectrum.
Slightly on the warm side but perfectly balanced, not in the face , musical, smooth apart from a little peak on the high mids, they have an amazing respect for the timbres, which is for me the main point.
The relative lack of definition participate to how "liquid" the music is just like in concert. Everything is integrated in a delightfull way, not much sticks out.
On some tracks I was expecting a little bit more dynamics but I have never heard a pair of IEM's that accomodate so many different style of recordings. 
Bought second hand (perfect condition) for 40€, it's the bargain of the century.
Higly recommended for classical music lovers.

FOREWORD

I got those IEMs for 35€ at my local store. I have no interest in making good advertising for the brand. I only share my opinion hoping some find it helpful. I also aim at supporting/disputing existing measurments and consensus with subjective impressions.

What I'm lookink for: I believe EQ is the cheapest, quickest and more accurate way of achieving excellent audio quality with IEMs. This is why the ideal IEM should have virtually perfect electro-acoustic properties before anything else.

What I listen to: Wide variety of music, but mainly jazz, guitare oriented genres and modern mainstream pop & hip hop. Few classical tracks that I know well for reference purpose only.
I also use IEMs as a chirurgical tool when recording/producing, Occasionnaly for field recording (Etymotics are best for that).

Sources: 192 kbs ogg/ 320 kbs mp3 made from CD quality flac files or CDs on Rockboxed FIIO M3K/ Thinkpad x230 under Debian using Pulseaudio Parametric Equalizer and MPV.

REVIEW

Build: It's surely not the most well built IEMs in it's pricrange. No flashy designe here... Just super discreet and simple. I like that. The lack of mmcx interface is a drawback though, and I don't really like the cable which lacks flexibility and sometimes gets on me nerves.

Tips: A lot of different types of silicon sleeves ar provided which is very nice. The small ones with waxguard gave me the best and most confortable fit. They allow deep insertion which is beneficial in this case. Sound isolistion was sufficient in most everydaylife cases, but pretty far from what an etymotic offers.

Sound: I see no drawbacks technically speeking. Well extended distortion free behavior is clearly shown. It feels almost unreal when turning the volume up. That is a sensation very specific to IEMs. The driver is extremely well damped, it feels precise and capable in very satisfiying way. Listening carefully really gives credit to innerfidelity and Rin Choi's Measurments. Just perfect.
Now tonally, it's quite off. The tuning makes it sound bloated, it severly lacks clarity. It's not unpleasant, but it cannot really be called neutral. It pretty much kills the chance to make it sound realistic and spacious. But you might like it, I have to admit I turn off EQ from time to time for a relaxing mellow ride.

When EQed: You'll have no trouble EQing to diffuse field or Harman target, or whatever sound profile you want. I personally use the Diffuse Field target a lot, it really manages to trick my brain, even slightly better than the Etymotic target (even if they are veeeeery close). These IEMs reacts per-fect-ly to whatever filter you apply to it: A perfect minimum phase system that can even handle pretty hardcore boost. Balanced armature based monitors or things like the Etymotic MK5 which uses an helmotz resonator as a tuning trick typically don't welcome EQ that warmly. In the end I found myself with something just as good as the ER2XR, even less distorted.

Conclusion: I just don't need any other IEM for my every day music enjoyment. If you're ready to experiment with EQ and elaborate a sound profile that matches your personal Head Related Transfere Fonction, it's just a perfect base to build upon. It's price point is very low now, and it can deliver pretty much everything the IEM world has to offer (perfect electro-acoustic behavior which translates into perfect "imaging" and cray amount of "details").

 
Thanks to the folks at HiFiMan for sending me a sample of their latest IEM to review.

Introduction

Around here, HiFiMan needs no introduction. I first learned of them in early 2010, back when they were known as Head-Direct (which is still the name of their web store) and I purchased the RE0 after my faithful V-Moda Bass-Freq IEMs gave up the ghost and reading impressions on Head-Fi. Since then I’ve been a fan and I’ve reviewed a few of their products over the past three years. So, when the RE-400 was released, I was pretty excited to give them a listen. So, does the RE-400 have what it takes to carry on the HiFiMan legacy? Read on to find out.
 
Packaging and Accessories: The packaging is comprised of a long, rectangular black box with a translucent plastic outer sheath covering the IEMs, nestled within a thick foam insert. Accessories include four pairs of silicone tips ranging from a simple single flange set to two sets of new biflange tips and familiar black large biflange tips, similar to those included with previous models. Also included is a white rubbery cable winder, a bit of a superfluous accessory in my book, one that I would rather have seen omitted in favor of a proper carrying case.
 
Design and Build Quality: The metal housings are made of anodized aluminum with familiar long strain reliefs exiting the silver housings into a plasticky black cable that joins at the y-split and is from there sheathed in black nylon and terminates in a beefy and well relieved 45 degree L plug. I’m not a fan of the nylon sheathing as it makes the cable quite noisy and prone to distracting microphonics but on the whole, the IEM seems well constructed.
 
Comfort and Isolation: Being fairly small straight barrel dynamics, isolation is about average but long term comfort was quite good. As mentioned above, the RE-400 is annoyingly prone to microphonic noise but this issue can be mitigated (for the most part) by wearing them over the ear.
 

Sound Quality

Given my experience with so many of HiFiMan’s back catalog of IEMs, I had a general idea of the type of sound signature to expect from the RE-400 and actually listening to them didn’t surprise me much in that regard. The RE-400s focus on neutrality, offering a mostly uncolored and nearly ruler flat audio presentation. But unlike its forebears, the RE0, it lacks the thinness present in that ‘phone. But let’s start at the bottom and work our way up, shall we?
 
The low end response is different from other HiFiMan IEMs in that it’s…well…present. Now don’t go thinking that this is the sort of bass that’ll shake your eardrums because it’s not but it possesses more body and texture and a bit more depth than the RE0 and RE-ZERO could muster. They have the ability to reach very low, with little discernible roll off even down to 20 Hz. Because of this, it has enough grunt that I’m not left wanting more.
 
The midrange is smooth and, though a bit dry like its precursors (RE-262 exempted), is more liquid and detail rich than either the RE0 or the RE-ZERO. Detail retrieval is excellent and they’re remarkably transparent but I’m impressed more by the spaciousness of the sound. Though the soundstage itself isn’t especially large in comparison to, say the Triple.Fi 10 or the RE-262, it is larger than average and separation within the stage, not to mention stereo imaging, is great.
 
 
Treble is right in line with every other frequency in the spectrum in that it is neither forward nor recessed. It’s quite linear and airy, detailed and clear. There’s plenty of sparkle and shimmer without sounding overly metallic and sibilance is non-existent. Top end extension is fantastic, rivaling the RE-ZERO and giving the omnipresent treble of the RE0 a clear run for its money.
 
The result is a tonally neutral, linear presentation that is absolutely phenomenal. Yeah, I know this sounds like hyperbole but it isn’t. It has certain seductive qualities that belie its true abilities, luring you in with its completely inoffensive sound signature and allowing the detail to sink in rather than shoving it in your face the way the Rock-It Sounds R-50 does. The RE-400 doesn’t try to impress with aggressive detailing or a presentation that errs on one side of neutral or another or emphasize one frequency range (mids, treble, bass) at the expense of the others. But, oddly enough, it’s because the RE-400 doesn’t try to sound great that it actually does. This is one of the few IEMs in my collection I’d truly say sounds “effortless”. It doesn’t try to sound as good as it does, it just…does.
 
One issue I have to note is that they’re perhaps a bit too polite in their resolution of tracks. They aren’t as unforgiving as the R-50 and are generally quite smooth in that regard. Personally, I didn’t find this to be an issue because it isn’t really a knock against their overall sound quality.
 

Conclusion

The HiFiMan RE-400 is available from head-direct.com for $99 and at that price, they are highly competitive. At $50 cheaper than the now discontinued RE-262 and $20 cheaper than the R-50 but competitive with both of those earphones in terms of pure technical ability, I’d say they’re quite the steal. Overall, I’d say they’re clearly better than the outgoing RE0 and ZERO and within striking distance, if not on the same level, of the best earphones I’ve heard.
 
It goes without saying that I like the RE-400 quite a bit. The neutral sound signature might not appeal to everyone and likely won’t be the best fit for more mainstream oriented listeners but those who value tonal accuracy and transparency should give these a look. These face stiff competition from other relatively inexpensive IEMs like the Rock-It Sounds R-50 and VSONIC GR07 (the latter I haven’t heard, just going by impressions I’ve read) but HiFiMan’s combination of low price and high performance should be more than enough to help them compete.
 
So, yes, I’m positively enamored with the RE-400. It reminds me of my first days of owning the RE0, how they wowed me with sound quality like I’d never before heard. While the RE-400 comes at a time in which I have a great deal of experience with high end earphones, it still had the chops to impress. I guess you could say things have come full circle.

 
 

1. Driver: 8.5mm Dynamic-Driver​
2. Impedance: 32 Ohm +/- 3.2​
3. Sensitivity: 102dB/1mW​
4. Frequency Response: 15 – 22 kHz​
5. Plug Type: 3.5mm Gold-Plated
6. Cable Length: 1.2m​

 
 
Packaging- the RE-400's packaging consists of two layers; the first one being some kind of a black translucent plastic case, which has the RE-400's main-features written on its front. The left packaging layer is a black-cardboard box;
 
 
 
 
the RE-400s are placed on a velvet-like surface on this layer's top, in a presentation that resembles jewelry presentation. On the other side of this velvet-like surface we can find the included accessories. You can watch me unboxing the RE-400s on my new YouTube channel here.
 
 
Accessories- you do not get a great amount of accessories with the RE-400s. The included accessories are:
 
Four pairs of ear-tips- HiFiMan includes four pairs of silicone ear-tips, which I've found to be of a quite good quality and well designed. We get two pairs of medium-sized bi-flanges, a pair of single-flanges and another pair of VERY-large bi-flanges. The single flanges have a silicone-splitter in the middle of their bore, a thing which I don't know the purpose of, but I do have a guess, which is that it might be there in order to put some filters inside the tips (because some companies have already done some similar things in the past).
 
 
Cable Winder- HiFiMan also includes a white silicone-made cable-winder, which you can wrap the earphones' cable around. I've tried to wrap the cable around it, but any time I did so, the cable slipped out of it after a few minutes.
 
 
The lack of a case is very noticeable, because now, even most of the $50 IEMs are provided with a one, so a $99 one should have a one included too in my opinion. I would've preferred to get a case instead of the not really helpful cable-winder. As for the ear-tips, I'm quite happy with them as they come in three different shapes, which means that fit most-probably won't be a problem.
 
 
Building Quality & Design- The RE-400's design is focused on the functionality and usability rather than of their look; it is a very low-profile and not-flashy one, and no one is going stare at you when wearing these. The small housings are fully metal-made; their body is chrome/silver colored and their back is covered with a small shiny metal plate, which is scratch prone; this part on both of the earpieces of my RE-400s is already quite scratched. The housings feel solidly-constructed and built with durability in mind.
 
 
They are vented in their bottom side. The nozzles are on the shorter side, but the tips do not stay in your ear, like it happens with many short nozzle'd IEMs.
 
The sound-tube is covered with a protective fabric-filter, which is rather unusual (because usually, a metal or a plastic piece is used for this purpose), but I've had no problems with it so far. The cable's entry into the housing is protected with a plastic strain-relief, which is on the longer side. It is both tough and flexible in the needed levels, and it seems to protect this weak point quite well. The left and right markings are printed on the strain-reliefs in white "L" & "R" letters.
 
Similarly to what was done by T-PEOS in their H-100s (which I've also reviewed, here), also HiFiMan chose to divide the cable into two parts, each part coated with different-materials. The upper part is thinner, and is coated with rubber, while the lower part is thicker and is cloth-coated. That is done in order to make the cable produce less microphonics and also to make it more comfortable for the user, since the part that is close to him is lighter. So far, I haven't experienced any kinks in the cloth-coated part of the cable, a thing which I'm mentioning because some of the cloth-coated cables start to have some annoying kinks in them after a while, and I hope that it's not that case with the RE-400.
 
 
 
The Y-Split is an about 2 centimeters-long piece of black-plastic. It has HiFiMan's logo printed on one of its sides, while the model's name is printed on the other side, both in white letters. We also have a very low-profile cable-cinch, which is colored in the same silver color as the housings (you can see it in both photos of the Y-Split).
 
 
Comfort & Ergonomics- I remember hearing about people that were having some comfort problems with HiFiMan's former RE-262s and RE-272s. It seems that the feedback regarding to the comfort & the fit was taken seriously by the company, since the RE-400s are one of the most comfortable IEMs that I've used till now. Their housings are not only tiny and light, but ergonomically designed too, so comfort isn't a problem with these. Also, I've found the included ear-tips, and especially the Medium-sized bi-flanges to be almost a perfect fit for me. They are different than other bi-flanges, as their two flanges are closer than usual, a thing which I guess that helps with comfort. The small housings make these suitable for deep-insertion, but not as deep as Etymotic's IEMs.
 
 
The RE-400s can be worn either with the cable down or over the ear; personally, I wore these over the ear for most of the time, but it's only my personal preference, so you might prefer wearing these with the cable down.
 
Isolation & Microphonics- the fact that the RE-400 is vented doesn't make its isolation mediocre; actually, I was surprised to find that the RE-400s isolate outside noises quite well. I think that the explanation to this is that the vent is inserted relatively deep into the ear, so it doesn't really enter outside noises into the housings, and also because of the great seal that is achieved when using the included ear-tips. Due to the smart cable design (dividing it to two parts, each with a different coating), there are almost no microphonics present; the rubber-coated cable is almost silent, even when worn straight down.
 
In addition, you can always wear these over the ears, and then, the microphonics are almost fully eliminated.
 
Sound-Quality- The RE-400s were given about 150 hours of burn-in prior to beginning the critical listening; no changes were noticed after the burn-in period.
 
The gear that I have used during the reviewing process is my 4^{[size=small]th[/size]} Generation iPod Touch, which is loaded with mostly iTunes Store M4A files and 320 KBPS file. For some of the time I've listened to the RE-400s directly out of my iPod, while I've also tested it with amplification, provided by Firestone Audio's Fireye HD amp, connected to the iPod's dock input through a generic LOD to 3.5mm adapter.
 
The 8.5mm large Titanium-coated dynamic driver produces a balanced, detailed (but NOT analytical in any way), natural and neutral (with a slight bass-boost) sound-signature, with clarity and cleanness all over the place. I have heard some calling these too "polite" sounding, and even boring, a thing which I could understand in some cases, but it all depends on the sound-signature that you prefer; I do agree that these aren't the most "exciting" sounding IEMs, but I can also tell you that I enjoy listening to these quite a bit honestly. We will now move on to a more detailed description of every one of the sound's parts:
 
Bass- the RE-400's bass is on the tighter and more accurate side of things, but it is not lacking in amount by any means (though you should not expect these to be some bass monsters, as they're not) and it has a full-body with a nice presence when the track "calls it". The impact is a tad soft in my opinion, and the extension isn't so deep, but both things didn't really bother me when looking at the "full-picture, i.e., the RE-400's other technical abilities serve as a "compensation" to these disadvantages. The bass' speed is just amazing, moreover for the RE-400's $99 price-tag. Its dynamics and punch are quite good too, both which are said to be improvements over HiFiMan's older models such as the RE-0 and the RE-262 (I didn't get to hear these, but such things were mentioned by people that did get to try all of these and have compared them).
 
Midrange- the mids produced by the RE-400s are just beautiful; they feel so open, airy and natural, while being very clear, transparent and tonally balanced. Detailing is exceptionally good for their price. The details aren't "thrown" at you; they're just there, waiting for the listener to "catch" them. The timbre is done wonderfully, being so realistic and "live"-feeling, so guitars and strings sound really good with the RE-400s. I would've liked the midrange to be a bit more energetic and powerful, but that's my only real complaint about it.
 
Treble- the treble is nicely integrated with the midrange, both being in each other's line. The highs extend very nicely, and are well detailed in all of their areas, just like the mids. I have detected only a minor amount of sibilance, so there are almost no ear-piercing's' sounds that these produce, which is great. Clarity and cleanness are present in the highs too, giving the sound that kind of special transparency that is also in the RE-400's mids. Sparkle is produced in the right level, causing the cymbals to sound natural and quite real, while not being fatiguing or overly-done.
 
Sound-Staging and Instrument Separation- the sound-stage isn't as amazing as the sound's other parts. By this, I'm not trying to say that it is bad, as it's not by any means, but rather only decent. It does give the sound a nice sense of space, but I would've liked it to have a bit more depth. On the other hand, instrument separation is a really sweet surprise when looking at the $99 asking price, as the RE-400's performance in this department is comparable to many higher-priced IEMs.
 
HiFiMan brings a new standard of sound-quality to the below $100 market with the RE-400. With their sound-quality, I could've easily seen them sold for around $150 or even more. The RE-400s possess a neutral and balanced sound-signature which won't appeal to anyone, as some listeners might find it a bit light on the bass, though I'd say that most of the people that would try them would also like them. I liked the way that they sounded with every genre that I've listened to with them, so I would say that they are quite versatile; I might even call the RE-400 an all-rounder. Offering an ergonomically-designed housing and a great isolation together with an amazing sound-quality makes the RE-400 "a full package". For only $99 I couldn't recommend these more!
 
 
Where to Buy? The HiFiMan RE-400's MSRP is $99. It can be purchased for that price directly from HiFiMan's web-store, here. The RE-400s are said to start shipping to HiFiMan's dealers all over the world soon, so check out if your local dealer will have them in stock.
 
I'd like to thank Peter for the review sample.
 
This review was reposted from my audio reviews & news website "It's A Headphones Thing". Check it out for some more IEMs and Headphones reviews, here. http://iahpt.wordpress.com/