[legion1capone]

Differences between 400i and 400s summed up. Scroll towards the bottom to see differences and conclusion. FYI have not heard he400s.
https://homestudiobasics.com/hifiman-he400s-vs-he400i-warm-or-cool/

I'm going to hook up my fiio q1 mk2 up to my spark through my he400i. May also be a great combo. I'll let you know.

Update:
Take this for what it is my opinion and I am far from an expert. I was using my liquid spark as the headphone amp to my HE400i's. I switched between my X1S, JDS OL DAC and Fiio Q1 mkII. Hands down which I already new is the X1S is the better DAC. The Fiio has a few qualities that I really like. One being the sweetness of woman vocals and string instruments. It has that magic that the X1S gives me and sounds very good in this respect. The OL DAC does not have this quality. It doesn't sound bad at all, but doesn't do it for me. The OL is like taking a slight step back if that makes sense. Where I find these all differ the most is how clear the background is between instruments and sounds happening in the background. X1S wins hear hands down, second I give to the OL, and third to the Fiio. Listening to Liza Anne Dreams There is a constant sound moving left and right throughout the song along with a few other bits of background sounds going on. I can't easily distinquish each sound through the Fiio and when the drummer comes in at 1:23 and the song starts to pick up it does not grow with emotion like through the X1S. Also the drummer is there but not crisp and in its own space. The OL dac is kind of in the middle, I have an easier time hearing the details in the background but not to the extent of the X1S. The drummer is better presented but still not like the X1S, But again the OL doesn't have that sweetness you get with vocals and strings that for me really pulls me in and makes my eyebrows raise when I hear those special moments. I'm not trying to sell you the x1s but I had it and its the best dac I owned so I wanted to throw it in as a comparison. I will say if you are slightly treble sensitive the he400i can be a little hot at times. The spark tames them very well and doesn't ever bother me, unlike with the Schiit magni 2U. It's a horrible pairing. My ears hurt so bad when listening through that amp.
One thing I should not is some of the sound coming through the Fiio could possibly improved using a better USB cable (I used the one provided from Fiio) and I was using a monster 3.5mm to RCA cable (I couldn't find my mogami cable anywhere). But I don't know how much of a difference that would make.

I think overall if I had to recommend between a budget option that I have heard I would suggest the OL dac over the Fiio. It's just a more cohesive sound, seperation is better, it is smoother than my x1s which I don't personally care for but we are talking small gripes at this point.

My SDAC will be here next friday. What a suprise a massdrop item not shipped quickly. I will give a comparision to the x1s and OL dac when it arrives. I'm crossing my finger it bridges the gap between the 2 and becomes an easy recommendation.
And.... because I have a problem I just ordered a Geshelli labs Enog pro dac.

 

[legion1capone]

Have you heard any other headphones that you liked?

Do you like it to sound like your in the front row listening to the music, the 3-4th row, 6th row? Do you like hearing details in music? Is bass or sub bass very important? Are you sensitive to highs?

 

[Selmer52]

I‘m inclined to give it a try. How do you connect the FiiO to the LittleDot? I think I will compare the sound of the AKGs together with the FiiO AND the MKiii and without the MKiii. Curious to hear the differences.

So I just used a 3.5mm to RCA cable and that was it sorted! I really would recommend this setup. It has a real musical and enjoyable sound to it. Thats what its all about after all, something you actually want to listen to!

 

[AlexCross]

Have you heard any other headphones that you liked?

Do you like it to sound like your in the front row listening to the music, the 3-4th row, 6th row? Do you like hearing details in music? Is bass or sub bass very important? Are you sensitive to highs?

Bass or sub bass is pretty important. Mainly because I listen to all kinds of electronic music most of the time but also a bit of Rock or Jazz. Highs are also important, not too accentuated and too harsh that it hurts of course. As to the positioning I prefer 3-4th row, so not getting "punished" in 1st row and not to be too far away from the music in the back rows. Overall I would say I am looking for a lively yet detailed sound to get "lost" in the music. I once had a Beyerdynamic DT770Pro which I liked although I was not too blown away by the sound, maybe a decent DAC was missing. Also the Audio Technica ATH-M50x were quite nice especially for electronic music. I hope this is not too vague but I think it describes my personal preferences quite well.

 

[AlexCross]

So I just used a 3.5mm to RCA cable and that was it sorted! I really would recommend this setup. It has a real musical and enjoyable sound to it. Thats what its all about after all, something you actually want to listen to!

Do you use the FiiO in balanced mode? Many claim that it sounds much "better". I am not sure if the AKG supports a balanced cable and I could not find any to buy...

 

[Selmer52]

Do you use the FiiO in balanced mode? Many claim that it sounds much "better". I am not sure if the AKG supports a balanced cable and I could not find any to buy...

I have used both balanced headphones and regular. Both perform excellent. The only difference I have found is that with a balanced output on the FiiO there is more output. However if using this setup with an amp (e.g. the LittleDot), this becomes a moot point to me. Sound quality wise I could not hear a difference between balanced and unbalanced and I must admit I have very good ears (If I do say so myself, possibly an enhanced sense due to my TERRIBLE eyesight ).

Go with the AKG 7xx, FiiO Q1 MKii and the LittleDot and I think you will be a very happy chap!