If you go for the HE-400i, it can usually be found for around $380 on the for sale forums. (I sold mine for $350, but you probably wouldn't be able to find a deal as good as that.)
Also, one more thing about either of those, in addition to what Music Alchemist said..."epic" here means "really flat all the way down to 10hz." There is no headphone in that price range that got that part as perfectly as these.
The interesting thing about the HE-400i's bass is that, as opposed to being punchy, it is more spread out and integrated with the overall sound. This can be a good or bad thing, depending what you are looking for.
The interesting thing about the HE-400i's bass is that, as opposed to being punchy, it is more spread out and integrated with the overall sound. This can be a good or bad thing, depending what you are looking for.
Yeah just look at that - it's basically Kansas. The only time I had a system anywhere near as flat as that (but not really) was in my car, but a time alignment DSP and a custom design subwoofer box (plus an amp with its own gain) is easier to tweak if you know how vs designing a fullrange dynamic driver to do the same.
Yeah just look at that - it's basically Kansas. The only time I had a system anywhere near as flat as that (but not really) was in my car, but a time alignment DSP and a custom design subwoofer box (plus an amp with its own gain) is easier to tweak if you know how vs designing a fullrange dynamic driver to do the same.
On that topic... Despite the fact that Audeze headphones are not known for having neutral measurements, their bass (well, at least some of the LCD-2s) is the closest to perfectly neutral (at least in terms of the measurements and not more ambiguous aspects) I've seen.
Green line = flat speaker HRTF (what a neutral headphone should follow)
Black line = Harman-Olive HRTF
Thank you all for the info. After learning he-400 has its flaws and he-400i being light on bass i looked for alternatives and found Philips Fidelio X2. Seem like perfect fit for me. They say its good value too.
I considered JVC HZS2000 but that headphone is just bass cannon. I really despise muddy, veiled sound.
Ultimately, i want a Fostex TH900. Maybe some day...
Thank you all for the info. After learning he-400 has its flaws and he-400i being light on bass i looked for alternatives and found Philips Fidelio X2. Seem like perfect fit for me. They say its good value too.
I considered JVC HZS2000 but that headphone is just bass cannon. I really despise muddy, veiled sound.
Yeah, I heard the X2 sounds like an HD 600 but with stronger bass.
The JVC HA-SZ2000 is one of the few headphones on my "definitely buy" wish list. I ordered it in the past, but canceled my order because many of the sellers take forever to ship it, since it can only be imported from Japan unless bought on the used market. Most people who buy it boost the bass with EQ and use aftermarket pads and an amp with it. Without EQ, it's not exactly a bass cannon, though it is generally used for that purpose. Since it basically has a woofer and tweeter on both sides, the frequencies are separated. I heard it actually isn't muddy or veiled, though EQ would still be necessary to get the best sound out of it.
Yeah, I read a lot of reviews of SZ2000 and people generally say pretty much what you said.
They say it doesn't lack clarity like other basshead headphones. And it seems to respond amazingly to EQ. And even it doesn't need an amp, it just gets better with more power.
Now I started to strongly consider buying this. I can buy it from amazon.jp via tenso for 170$ + 17$ shipping. A good deal! Half of what would cost if I bought Fidelio X2. I can buy it right now!
I am so tempted right now. But i need to read more about it before i decide.
BTW, I used to really want to buy Sony XB1000. As of what i read so far, SZ2000 seems like superior to it.
Yeah, I read a lot of reviews of SZ2000 and people generally say pretty much what you said.
They say it doesn't lack clarity like other basshead headphones. And it seems to respond amazingly to EQ. And even it doesn't need an amp, it just gets better with more power.
Now I started to strongly consider buying this. I can buy it from amazon.jp via tenso for 170$ + 17$ shipping. A good deal! Half of what would cost if I bought Fidelio X2. I can buy it right now!
I am so tempted right now. But i need to read more about it before i decide.
Just keep in mind it's not an audiophile headphone.
What is the delivery time like from that seller? Many of them take weeks before they even ship it out. The eBay seller I ordered from said it would ship out on the same or next day in the listing, but then told me that it would take weeks (if not over a month) for them to be able to ship it. Grr. I may just buy it used from an American seller when the time comes.
Since you will be buying directly from japan, amazon.co.jp, it will be shipped the next day probably. And tenso is a mail forwarding service, which reputed to be fast. You should have your headphone in a week or two.
Some reviews said that some 58$ headphones have better clarity than sz2000. I concluded that it is really fun headphone to listen specific genres but not qualified to be the only headphone to have. If I had a really good audiophile headphone at hand, i would buy sz2000 as secondary but in my case i have to pass, sadly.
I will save up for Fidelio x2
Not exactly fair to compare headphones to speakers. XD
But I actually prefer headphones over speakers. That might change once I hear some high-end speakers, but I will probably still prefer the presentation of headphones.
another suggestion for sub-$80 dac only is Stoner Acoustic UD120. I had the UD110v2 for my old HE-400 and that pairing worked well. Also tested it with the Q701, HE-560, LCD-X, and K7xx among a ton of random mid-fi closed portables.
wrote up a quick review on the old version if you are interested here: http://www.head-fi.org/products/stoner-acoustics-ud110-v2/reviews/12785
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