Can't decide [HE400i vs HE350]

[tigiboy2]

Hi guys,
 
I'm kinda stuck between these two headphones. You might say "these two are completely different headphones" and I know that. The thing is, I'm gonna buy my first pair of audiophile/hifi headphones, especially for home. 
 
While the HE350 is currently available on massdrop, I kinda got interested on these. That's why I made a search on google and youtube, to see how people think of these headphones. When I listened to the sound demo of the HE350's, i was kinda impressed. 100$ for such smooth highs and mids, I was astonished.
 
But then again, I catched the HE400i. Planar magnetic headphones... what's that ? People say it's an improvement from switching headphones with dynamic drivers (HE350) to planars (HE400i). 
 
HE350 for 100$ vs. HE400i for 249$ (on their website). I don't really know if the extra 150$ (ok, it's 149 to be exact) is worth it. I mean I don't want to send some pair of headphones back for which I have been waiting for a long time.
 
I love music, music is my life. Music brings me joy and a smile on my face (no joke). And I really need help to make the right decision.
 
I hope you guys can help me.
 
Best regards.
 
@tigiboy2
 
PS: I also listened to the sound demo of the HE400i on YouTube. These are also really great. I really seek for sound signature and brilliant treble (mid and highs). Bass shall be tight, not vibrating. But I somehow wanna feel it's presence, too. My headphones shall not lack of something.
 
I do love classical music and pop, rnb, anything with vocals, too.

 

[Headphile32]

Hi I ordered the 400i's on sale for $249. I think the HE-350's are not in the same category or nearly as good or I would have ordered them at Massdrop. The source plays a factor in the sound so the 400i's will reflect the quality. It is up to you. I have not heard the HE-350's. I have some reviews I found at the Yahoo UK listing for the 400i's that are interesting even though I live in the US:
 
Amazon UK Reviews 400i
Pretty fantastic sound
ByMikeyCon 26 June 2016
Verified Purchase
Amazing sound. My set up is a Surface tablet, an Audioquest Dragonfly Red and Tidal streaming. My previous headphones were the Philips Fidelio X2. I always thought the X2's sounded fantastic but was really keen to try Planar headphones. I thought long and hard and read all the reviews and decided to take the plunge. The packaging is excellent as is the build quality of the Hifiman's. They are exceptionally light weight with a light clamping force. Initially they were not quite as comfortable as the X2's as not as much free space in the earcups, top to bottom. After a few hours though that feeling disappeared.
The sound that comes from these headphones is amazing. The X2's are open phones and have a wide soundstage, but the 400i's make them sound dark and closed in. The soundstage is both wide and deep, which I have never experienced with any other headphone and is also so open that the music has this sense of not being beamed into my ears but rather just appearing in mid air around my head. Its remarkable. Large orchestral or choral pieces just expand into the space and never feel compressed. There is loads of detail from top to bottom but with no painful edge in the treble. The bass is very different to the X2's. There isn't the same quantity in the sub region, though its still there and extends all the way down. The mid bass is just great. They seem to have a flats response all the way through. Vocals and instruments are very present and pleasing with a great sense of air. Hifiman themselves recommend at least 150 hours of burn in. I don't really buy into this concept myself. These headphones sound amazing straight from the box but if burn in is real, the sound will only get better. As I've had open backs before I can only assume that the sound and air is due to the planar drivers and that being the case I can't see myself ever going back to dynamic drivers.
 
I don't usually write reviews but I am so pleased with these headphones I felt compelled to write something
BySteve G.on 9 June 2016
Verified Purchase
I don't usually write reviews but I am so pleased with these headphones I felt compelled to write something. I don't want to enter into all the technical detail written about these headphone's, all I want to say is WOW! I have been using a pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones for about three years and have to say they are very good. That said, it is like entering a different world with the Hifiman HE 400i's. The quality of sound is absolutely amazing, I have been hearing instruments and sounds that I have just not experienced before which is an absolute delight. The manufacturer recommends running them in for 150 hours to achieve maximum performance, I am no where near that in hours terms yet but every time I use them the sound just gets better and better. Thank you Hifiman.
5.0 out of 5 starsIncredible audiophile headphones from Hifiman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ByL. robinsonon 25 May 2015
Simply stunning set of audiophile quality headphones!!!!!!! For years I have been buying a certain brand of headphone, and have worked my way up through their product range, hoping for increases in sound quality with every purchase. but I found that at the higher end the sound got worse and I was paying more money!!!!!!!!!!!!. I looked at the reviews and an other customer was like myself dissatisfied and suggested we look at Hifiman. How right he was !!!!!!. these are a serious bit of beautifully crafted kit, they are light on your head and look gorgeous.I purchsed these, now heres the comical bit , for half what I paid for the other set of phones(several hundred pounds) They almost have an analogue sound .You must purchase a good quality headphone amp to make these work to the best of their ability( my choice is the fidelity audio hpa 100) they were good before the purchase of this amp but with the fidelity audio everything improves tenfold!!!!!. My assumptions for this review are after purchasing the amp because this is what the headphones are truly capable of. Now the soundstage is brilliant and expansive a realistic sonic picture as they say.seperation and detail is superb, in classical music where there is a full orchestra you will pick up all sorts of floor noises, such as chairs moving , coughs , instruments moving etc , its unbelievable. The bass is spot on with a slight warmness but very accurate, and the mids velvety. these are a fantastic set of headphones from a company that wants to deliver quality. Its all packaged in an absolutely beautiful case every attention to detail not like my previous headphones that came in a cardboard pizza box that in the end I had to sell!!!! Ive given it away the other brand havnt I?. My only one little gripe with these is that the cable is too short you will have to purchase an extesion headphone cable but thats no problem. these are absolutely superb!!!!!!!!!!!! buy these with no worries at all they are amazing I am so happy with my purchase, but make sure you buy a really good quality headphone amp, and extension lead . Well done Hifiman, superb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B00NGO1LBO/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=recent#RLOWX6R1C5RTI

 

[buke9]

Hi guys,

I'm kinda stuck between these two headphones. You might say "these two are completely different headphones" and I know that. The thing is, I'm gonna buy my first pair of audiophile/hifi headphones, especially for home. 

While the HE350 is currently available on massdrop, I kinda got interested on these. That's why I made a search on google and youtube, to see how people think of these headphones. When I listened to the sound demo of the HE350's, i was kinda impressed. 100$ for such smooth highs and mids, I was astonished.

But then again, I catched the HE400i. Planar magnetic headphones... what's that ? People say it's an improvement from switching headphones with dynamic drivers (HE350) to planars (HE400i). 

HE350 for 100$ vs. HE400i for 249$ (on their website). I don't really know if the extra 150$ (ok, it's 149 to be exact) is worth it. I mean I don't want to send some pair of headphones back for which I have been waiting for a long time.

I love music, music is my life. Music brings me joy and a smile on my face (no joke). And I really need help to make the right decision.

I hope you guys can help me.

Best regards.

@tigiboy2


PS: I also listened to the sound demo of the HE400i on YouTube. These are also really great. I really seek for sound signature and brilliant treble (mid and highs). Bass shall be tight, not vibrating. But I somehow wanna feel it's presence, too. My headphones shall not lack of something.

I do love classical music and pop, rnb, anything with vocals, too.

Haven't heard either one so take this with a grain of salt. I have the 400's and 400S. At times I like one over the other depending on what I'm listening to at the time. From what I've read the 350's tend to be a bit shrill. The 400i's are a bit more balanced from what I gleaned from reviews. Planars are just a different driver type that puts the magnet on a thin film covering the driver while the dynamic uses a coil and cone like a traditional speaker for the most part. Not that one is better than the other just different.

 

[kauljp]

400i are much better than the 350. I listened to them yesterday and what stood out was the detail they were retrieving, I have the oppo pm3s and I love them but the 400i were much better than them. The 400i have good depth, are generally very smooth and have a lot of comfort.
I will be selling my oppos as I made the mistake of listening to the he 560 lol. I will be selling a lot of my gear to fund that purchase i just made.
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE the he 400i are a tremendous value at any price let alone at $249.

GET THEM LOL, you will have no regrets

 

[Headphile32]

I agree wiith kauljp these 400i's are awesome. Depth, transients and Clarity are awesome. Highs are great not harsh at all plus layers and textures are revealed. They do like power to drive them.