[olsenn]

The HE-400 is the best sub $500 headphones on the market right now by far! Make sure to buy the velour pads with them as well as they make a huge improvement over the stock pleathers.
 
In regards to amps; I own the O2 amplifier from JDS Labs, and it is probably the best one you can get for these headphones, but they do cost about $150. If you are on a tight budget and you have access to a soldering iron, you can buy the Cmoy amp from JDS Labs and get a TL2426 as a free sample from ti.com... this will give you enough power to drive these suckers well and I can attest it sounds pretty good. This will run you about $50
 
I own the HiFiMan travel case as well, and I would recommend NOT buying it. The HE-400's will not fit in the case while the connectors are plugged in, and the sockets on the headphone will break if you keep removing them each time you put your headphones away. Furthermore, the styrofoam material on the inside of the case that keeps the headphones from moving around is two pieces which are cut or aligned with precision, so the HE-400 will get stuck easily when trying to pull them out of the case.
 
My last piece of advice is to purchase the headphones directly from HiFiMan's online store. There was recently a recall on the newest revision; HiFiMan's store removed the bad sets from their inventory, but if you purchase from somewhere else, you may get the crappy revision if that's what they have in stock. Don't worry though, shipping is very cheap and quick.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

Quote:

The HE-400 is the best sub $500 headphones on the market right now by far! Make sure to buy the velour pads with them as well as they make a huge improvement over the stock pleathers.
 
In regards to amps; I own the O2 amplifier from JDS Labs, and it is probably the best one you can get for these headphones, but they do cost about $150. If you are on a tight budget and you have access to a soldering iron, you can buy the Cmoy amp from JDS Labs and get a TL2426 as a free sample from ti.com... this will give you enough power to drive these suckers well and I can attest it sounds pretty good. This will run you about $50
 
I own the HiFiMan travel case as well, and I would recommend NOT buying it. The HE-400's will not fit in the case while the connectors are plugged in, and the sockets on the headphone will break if you keep removing them each time you put your headphones away. Furthermore, the styrofoam material on the inside of the case that keeps the headphones from moving around is two pieces which are cut or aligned with precision, so the HE-400 will get stuck easily when trying to pull them out of the case.
 
My last piece of advice is to purchase the headphones directly from HiFiMan's online store. There was recently a recall on the newest revision; HiFiMan's store removed the bad sets from their inventory, but if you purchase from somewhere else, you may get the crappy revision if that's what they have in stock. Don't worry though, shipping is very cheap and quick.

 
Referring to the online store, will they Ship to Australia.? if so, how much is the postage do ya reckon.?
Also do you know if ill be able to get Warranty on them.
 
I was actually keen on getting the case but now not so much lol i guess the pouch that comes with the headphones will do the job
 
you said that the 400's are the best for under $500, what's your take on the headphones MalVeauX suggested:
 
 
Hifiman HE-400
Beyer DT880
Ultrasone HFI 2400
AudioTechnica A900X
Mr Speaker's Mad Dogs
 
one concern i do have about the HE-400's is the amount of cushioning on the headband, it doesn't seem as though it has much comfort.

 

[MattTCG]

If you're considering Mal's list, and you should be, I'd be looking at the he400 or the MD.
 
The Maddog is champ on comfort and smooth effortless sound. It's a darker, more laid sound. So seamless between highs, mids and bass. There is coloration to the bass. It hits quite hard and with texture but doesn't quite equal the he400's bass. The MD is closed and isolates really well. 
 
The he400 is not as comfy but has a wonderfully open holographic sound. Velours are a must for it. 
 
Just depends on the experience you want. Both are great!! In fact just get them both as the are a great compliment to each other. 

 

[crossjeremiah]

fiio does a good job at amplifying your headphones sound wise but increased sound stage and fuller sound, you need at least a cmoy to do half the job still you wont get the full experience. I would look at http://www.aloaudio.com/ they have a good selection of amps. and for headphones. go in the classifieds and get a pair of used headphones, half the price and still does the job well. people at head-fi take pride and good care of their headphones. heck i bought some lcd 2s for $700 and jh-13s for $650. both headphones are $1,000+ retail (LCD-2s $995).

 

[davidsh]

The k702 is not bad, but for me it is a trade-off (compared to my dt-880) where you get a less prominent bass and a bright sound, which is not as satisfying. But then, on the other hand, I would expect more accuracy and better micro detail with the bright and bass light sound signature, which I did not really get. So not worth it for me.
 
I haven't heard the he-400, but i would expect it to be way better for me, and my everyday musical needs.

 

[SolomonPierce]

Quote:

but i have considered the Sennheiser HD650's but from what iv read you need a powerful amp/dac to get the most out of it, and that could be to one extreme to the other.
 
About the AKG K702's my friend recommended me to get a pair of HiFiMAN headphones over the 702's because the 702's are mainly for ppl who listen to allot of techno/trance/dub step and all that however the HiFiMAN headphones would suit me more because i listen to a wider range of music.. please don't quote me on all that, that's coming from my friend who hasn't even listened to the 702's but he does know a bit about headphones.

 
1. If you can find the 650s used, you could get a cheap amp / dac combo to start with (e.g. total bithead)
 
2. The 702s need amping BADLY.  Also, I think he must've been messing with you about the 702s being for techno/trance/dub step, they are completely NOT...  They are pretty neutral and the bass lacks the punch you want for those genres.  They do excel in classical though, very accurate reproduction of the music.  They just aren't that "engaging" to some, especially in genres where people would expect it.
 
The 650 is great for it's lush mids, but for the music you mentioned, I'd recommend the he400 also so I think you were leaning in the right direction anyway.  They are a great jack-of-all-trades from what I hear, although only from what I've "heard", I've never actually heard them haha.  Orthodynamics are great though, I love my lcd2s, so I think they sound like a great budget alternative.  I've always thought the he400s sound like a good set of cans, I just have no need for them, I also try to stay away from companies from the orient   I hear their customer service is pretty sketchy

 
Don't let that stop you though.  I do hear great things about their sound and that's all that matters.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

 
1. If you can find the 650s used, you could get a cheap amp / dac combo to start with (e.g. total bithead)
 
2. The 702s need amping BADLY.  Also, I think he must've been messing with you about the 702s being for techno/trance/dub step, they are completely NOT...  They are pretty neutral and the bass lacks the punch you want for those genres.  They do excel in classical though, very accurate reproduction of the music.  They just aren't that "engaging" to some, especially in genres where people would expect it.
 
The 650 is great for it's lush mids, but for the music you mentioned, I'd recommend the he400 also so I think you were leaning in the right direction anyway.  They are a great jack-of-all-trades from what I hear, although only from what I've "heard", I've never actually heard them haha.  Orthodynamics are great though, I love my lcd2s, so I think they sound like a great budget alternative.  I've always thought the he400s sound like a good set of cans, I just have no need for them, I also try to stay away from companies from the orient   I hear their customer service is pretty sketchy

 
Don't let that stop you though.  I do hear great things about their sound and that's all that matters.

 
 
We got a polite racist here.
 
Jokings aside (or am I?), Hifiman / Head-Direct has quite exceptional customer service, much better than your typical run-of-the-mill headphone company in fact. Stereotypes are stereotypes and don't mean jack here in this hobby.

 

[davidsh]

How does the he-400 compare to the he-500?
 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

How does the he-400 compare to the he-500?
 

 
HE400: more dynamic-sounding, laid-back, holographic, extremely clean tight bass, shinier treble
 
HE500: more extended, smoother, more neutral with a warm tilt, blacker background and more transparent

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

 
HE400: more dynamic-sounding, laid-back, holographic, extremely clean tight bass, shinier treble
 
HE500: more extended, smoother, more neutral with a warm tilt, blacker background and more transparent

Would you say that the mids are less thick/overly lush on the HE-400 than on the HE-500? At least that was the impression I got listening between the two. Agree with everything else though.

 

[davidsh]

Quote:

 
HE400: more dynamic-sounding, laid-back, holographic, extremely clean tight bass, shinier treble
 
HE500: more extended, smoother, more neutral with a warm tilt, blacker background and more transparent

I am just wondering, if i can get both for approximately the same price, is the one clearly better than the other?

 

[jerg]

Quote:

I am just wondering, if i can get both for approximately the same price, is the one clearly better than the other?

Definitely get HE500 if you can get either at the same price. The only exception is if HE400's sonic qualities (which I described in your quoted post) fit with your preference perfectly.
 
 
 
 

Would you say that the mids are less thick/overly lush on the HE-400 than on the HE-500? At least that was the impression I got listening between the two. Agree with everything else though.
 

Eh I find HE500 mids to be just about dead-neutral, lush but just enough so that there is both good clarity and good bloom. IMO HE400s are fairly specialized, they perform extremely well for certain music, and are lackluster for certain others; while HE500s are the true jack of all trades, master of none (except maybe vocal).

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Eh I find HE500 mids to be just about dead-neutral, lush but just enough so that there is both good clarity and good bloom. IMO HE400s are fairly specialized, they perform extremely well for certain music, and are lackluster for certain others; while HE500s are the true jack of all trades, master of none (except maybe vocal).

Definitely one of the more neutral cans that I've heard. I guess I just don't like rich mids, even if it's just a little bit lush. The HE-500 were like room-temperature homogenized milk in terms of mids, and the HE-400 would be soy milk (the thinner kind). LCD-2s would be like chocolate skim milk. HD800s would be distilled water?
 
It's fun to make headphones relate to food and drinks, lol.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

thank you everyone for all the comments, all your comments were really useful and some were extremely funny...and racist :/ haha ^_^ 
 
Im sorry if im kinda of drifting away from the 702's and comparing the HE400's with every pair of headphones i can think of, but i think this is gonna be the last comparison...maybe.  
 
1. Denon AHD2000's vs HiFiMAN 400's: the reason why im comparing these 2 is that i might not get as much as i expect from Christmas, i know the D2000's don't have a detachable cable but iv heard good things about them and your more than welcome to ''suggest-compare'' any headphones that are within the same price range as the D2000's so i don't annoy you.
 
2.  just by curiosity, you should all know what music i kinda listen 2 but i didn't mention that i do listen to music like M83 or music where there's quite allot of female and/or male singing. now onto the question, would the 400's or 500's compliment my taste in music more.? 

 

[MattTCG]

You can read the review that I wrote. There is a comparison between the two there...see my signature. The d2k add coloration to the sub bass to most music. It's nicely done though and their is some noticeable sparkle to the treble. Because the are discontinued the are hard to find both new and used varieties. There is one on the used forum now for $300. They are very different from the he400. Very warm, super comfortable, closed but leak a good bit of sound.
 
As far as the he500 goes, they are heavier, more expensive and not as "fun" as the he400 IMO. They also have considerable higher amp requirements than the he400.
 
gL!!