[priler]

  I should have been more clear,i didn't mean a big V shape,a more milder one. also,doesn't that V begin at the mid treble and ends somewhere in the mid or upper bass?(not the "air" treble,which is above 10kHZ,and sub bass?)
 
 believe me,i'm in no way,shape or form trying to devalue the HE-4,..it just freaks the heck out of me how in the world can it maintain a very good even strength field of magnetic flux or isodynamic magnetic field with only magnets on one side without causing any distortion or dynamic compression at all.(on the other hand,having the magnet on only one side should eliminate reflection which adds speed and air).
 
  iirc,the abyss HP is said to have some distortion but there are those who say it sounds great that way. I think the HE-4 eliminated the magnet on the correct side though,the abyss has it on the ear side iirc.

 

[kernel8888]

Would a FIIO e12 or JDS Labs C5 (not C5d) power the he-4? I know that these offer a lot of power for portables, especially the e12, and they aren't ideal for this inefficient of a headphone, but will they do a DECENT job? anyone have experience with either of these or at least the ability to try?

 

[hemipowered007]

To put it in reference, an e17, sounded terrible with the 4. Yes they played music, but compared to a vintage amp/emotiva/ember or lyr, night and day. So I'm guessing, no the e12 won't satisfy the 4...

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I would think that 800mW is enough to run the HE400 but absolutely not for the HE4. I think you'd need something with 4x the power for the HE4.

 

[hemipowered007]

Would a FIIO e12 or JDS Labs C5 (not C5d) power the he-4? I know that these offer a lot of power for portables, especially the e12, and they aren't ideal for this inefficient of a headphone, but will they do a DECENT job? anyone have experience with either of these or at least the ability to try?

 
For what its worth, buy the hp now if you can find it at a decent price, or even at full price. Then get the amp later. I can guarantee the 4 will still compete if not best the new models. Just requires pairing, but whos to say the new models arent the hardest to pair hps ever? They may be efficient, doesnt mean theyll sound good out of an odac/e17/magni modi stack. I AM BIASED.....He4 until i hear better.....

 

[Rinx7]

  I would think that 800mW is enough to run the HE400 but absolutely not for the HE4. I think you'd need something with 4x the power for the HE4.I

It works absolutely fine on my Audinst, it may not be able to get to full dynamic range, but there is no distortion or clipping that signals a power problem, and modern music is compressed to hell anyway so getting full dynamic range isn't a major concern. If an amp has enough power to get it to 105dB (about 300mW) it can power the HE-4, but just barely you will get better dynamics if you upgrade, however, upgrading is nowhere near required. 

 

[Rinx7]

    I should have been more clear,i didn't mean a big V shape,a more milder one. also,doesn't that V begin at the mid treble and ends somewhere in the mid or upper bass?(not the "air" treble,which is above 10kHZ,and sub bass?)
 
 believe me,i'm in no way,shape or form trying to devalue the HE-4,..it just freaks the heck out of me how in the world can it maintain a very good even strength field of magnetic flux or isodynamic magnetic field with only magnets on one side without causing any distortion or dynamic compression at all.(on the other hand,having the magnet on only one side should eliminate reflection which adds speed and air).
 
  iirc,the abyss HP is said to have some distortion but there are those who say it sounds great that way. I think the HE-4 eliminated the magnet on the correct side though,the abyss has it on the ear side iirc.

I don't hear any audible distortion, in fact I hear less distortion than I do on my Airmotiv 6s which has very low distortion levels <.5% THD full spectrum at max power. Though part of the reason they sound cleaner is probably due to better acoustics since there is no room to worry about.

 

[hemipowered007]

borrow my mini-x or pioneer and youll state upgrading is a must for the 4. Power may not mean everything, but trust me, these things change alot based on amping.

 

[hemipowered007]

On a side not, ive never heard Opeth sound so insanely good. Man im glad they take time on their recordings.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

It works absolutely fine on my Audinst, it may not be able to get to full dynamic range, but there is no distortion or clipping that signals a power problem, and modern music is compressed to hell anyway so getting full dynamic range isn't a major concern. If an amp has enough power to get it to 105dB (about 300mW) it can power the HE-4, but just barely you will get better dynamics if you upgrade, however, upgrading is nowhere near required. 

I suppose to some.... just like how an ath-m50 with an e7 won't need upgrading to better gear depending on who you ask and that's not to knock ath or FiiO.



I try my h4 on the SE port of my dac/amp which puts out 1200mW at 32ohms. Then I plug into the balanced port which puts out 4W... the difference is very noticeable.

 

[hemipowered007]

Lets all go over to the he400 and HFM CES forums and start chanting...HE4...HE4...HE4....

 

[Thujone]

SGTM, did you try the Denon pads yet?

 

[kernel8888]

So what is needed to hook these up to speaker terminals? With the right equipment could i potentially just hook it up to my yamaha receiver?

 

[Rinx7]

So what is needed to hook these up to speaker terminals? With the right equipment could i potentially just hook it up to my yamaha receiver?

A custom made cable, a modded normal cable, or the thing from HiFiMAN.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

SGTM, did you try the Denon pads yet?

I have but I'm at the peak of a cold so impressions are off for now. Initially they're stiff and uncomfortable but after 4hrs or so they feel an improvement over hf velour and pleather.

Initial impressions seem to be better bass impact, with a slight boost in the lower frequencies. On first install there seem to be a slight bleed of mid bass to the mids but after awhile that has disappeared. Maybe the pads breaking in and being more conforming?

The presentation is more natural in a sense of depth and soundstage. You can get a sense of this by holding your hp at an angle to your ear with the back of the pad away from your head.

The mids and treble doesn't change with the pads. Just bass and presentation. I wouldn't say it's not worth the $40 in a sense of sound but there's quite a mark up on these pads from a material stand point imo. Maybe wait for hf it'll probably be in the $25 range but that's pure speculation. Fwiw, it took 10 days from date of order to me (West coast).