Decent planar magnetic upgrade from HD600?
Feb 24, 2016 at 3:32 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19
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I have HD600s for mixing/mastering but I want to buy a better pair of headphones for listening, 

I'm keen on trying out planar magnetics... could you recommend a good upgrade in fidelity from the HD600? I dont want to spend over 600 and keep in mind this is for recreational listening not producing .
 
Feb 24, 2016 at 4:37 PM Post #4 of 19
It has very linear bass, excellent square wave response, and the frequency response is very flat making it ideal for general listening by not overcoloring the sound. The drivers are large so you get that visceral speaker sensation at times and it does well with just about any type of music you can throw at it.
 
A decent amp makes it truly shine, but is not needed if you have an iPod.
 
Feb 25, 2016 at 8:23 AM Post #6 of 19
New HE400i is significantly more open. Even without grill mod, it can sound close to HE1000, when fed from a good amplifier.
And it had been selling for $299, from time to time, during the last few months of 2015.
 
Feb 25, 2016 at 9:09 AM Post #8 of 19
dackzy said:
  What is a good amp for the HE-400i?
Click to expand...

You're not going to like me - Liquid Carbon was used at a recent meet in the Atlanta area. There are comments from persons who attended and liked the setup, running balanced into the HE-400i. I too own a Carbon. So I got some balanced cables and tried this at home. To me, the difference HE-400i versus HE-1000 was more of a sound signature than a huge difference in sound quality. HE-1000 is slanted more towards treble detail, and allows you to hear treble more clearly without harshness.
 
I'm sure there are plenty of other amplifiers. But I am rather novice in regards to having heard many of them - at meets yes, but not using my own headphones to discern which mate well with HE-400i or HE-1000.
 
Feb 25, 2016 at 9:27 AM Post #9 of 19
sheldaze said:
  You're not going to like me - Liquid Carbon was used at a recent meet in the Atlanta area. There are comments from persons who attended and liked the setup, running balanced into the HE-400i. I too own a Carbon. So I got some balanced cables and tried this at home. To me, the difference HE-400i versus HE-1000 was more of a sound signature than a huge difference in sound quality. HE-1000 is slanted more towards treble detail, and allows you to hear treble more clearly without harshness.
 
I'm sure there are plenty of other amplifiers. But I am rather novice in regards to having heard many of them - at meets yes, but not using my own headphones to discern which mate well with HE-400i or HE-1000.
Click to expand...

WOW man if I say a max of lets say 300$ for a amp what would you say? I don't have my 400i yet and there isn't really any places in Denmark where you can try amps.
 
Feb 25, 2016 at 9:35 AM Post #10 of 19
Hifiman is the way to go. I got a jerg-modded He-400i and really can't complain. If you can get your hand on an He-500 or 560 for cheap, don't hesitate. Watch out for those sales on the 400i as well. I missed the 2015 Black Friday and year-end sales (less likely to happen though because it seems those sales events were to get rid of those 400i with the smc connectors and replace with the new 2.5mm connectors) and had to spring for a used pair.
 
Feb 25, 2016 at 9:56 AM Post #11 of 19
If you can spend a bit more, 560 is really good too. Not a direct upgrade, but with good warm amplification it can sound excellent. Extension, speed, clarity, and imaging along with soundstage compared to other planars are strong suits.
 
Feb 25, 2016 at 10:10 AM Post #12 of 19
dackzy said:
  WOW man if I say a max of lets say 300$ for a amp what would you say? I don't have my 400i yet and there isn't really any places in Denmark where you can try amps.
Click to expand...

400i will truly run off anything - normal use, I'm connected to a Asgard 2, bought for $180 used. It is a balanced headphone, that scales quite high!
 
haiu2323 said:
  Hifiman is the way to go. I got a jerg-modded He-400i and really can't complain. If you can get your hand on an He-500 or 560 for cheap, don't hesitate. Watch out for those sales on the 400i as well. I missed the 2015 Black Friday and year-end sales (less likely to happen though because it seems those sales events were to get rid of those 400i with the smc connectors and replace with the new 2.5mm connectors) and had to spring for a used pair.
Click to expand...

Not sure I understand - not sure I understand the purpose for sales either. However I bought my HE-400i with the new connectors during one of the sales.
 
Feb 25, 2016 at 10:11 AM Post #13 of 19
willowbrook said:
If you can spend a bit more, 560 is really good too. Not a direct upgrade, but with good warm amplification it can sound excellent. Extension, speed, clarity, and imaging along with soundstage compared to other planars are strong suits.
Click to expand...

Agree - do not limit yourself to 400i. Try to get a good bargain is all...
 
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