[Epoch]

The impressions seem to be pretty positive despite the limited number of them and the limited details posted.  I owned the K702 for a while but slightly preferred the HD650, mainly wishing for something between the two for presentation/tonal balance.  So my question to Farnsworth would be about the HE-4 compared to the K702.

Does the bass have more weight/impact compared to the K702?  (I expect that this is the case since it is an ortho and my Thunderpants clone probably poses a health risk due to prodigious bass.)
You say that the mids are a little more recessed, is it a slight difference?  Is it more of a slight warmth to the sound of the mids?
Is the treble a little less pronounced with the HE-4?

The HE-4 does sound like what I wanted, a midway point between the K702 and HD650.  Something slightly more relaxed than the K702 is what I am after, with more weight and extension in the bottom end without the bloat that the HD650 can sometimes present.  I like both the K702 and HD650, I just found myself using the HD650 more often.  Overall I would like a step up and really don't want to buy the LCD-2 at this point in time, so the HE-4 looks quite promising.  I just wish that there was more info available.

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

The impressions seem to be pretty positive despite the limited number of them and the limited details posted.  I owned the K702 for a while but slightly preferred the HD650, mainly wishing for something between the two for presentation/tonal balance.  So my question to Farnsworth would be about the HE-4 compared to the K702.

Does the bass have more weight/impact compared to the K702?  (I expect that this is the case since it is an ortho and my Thunderpants clone probably poses a health risk due to prodigious bass.)
You say that the mids are a little more recessed, is it a slight difference?  Is it more of a slight warmth to the sound of the mids?
Is the treble a little less pronounced with the HE-4?

The HE-4 does sound like what I wanted, a midway point between the K702 and HD650.  Something slightly more relaxed than the K702 is what I am after, with more weight and extension in the bottom end without the bloat that the HD650 can sometimes present.  I like both the K702 and HD650, I just found myself using the HD650 more often.  Overall I would like a step up and really don't want to buy the LCD-2 at this point in time, so the HE-4 looks quite promising.  I just wish that there was more info available.

Why didn't you get the HD 600 if you wanted something in between the K701 and HD 650?  Not that the HE-4 isn't a good solution.  I'm still torn on whether to get one (or a used HE-5LE) myself.  But I'm a little apprehensive of the potential for recessed mids, and the need for power.
 

 

[Philimon]

I don't have a powerful amp, so I haven't wanted to post any impressions on the HE-4 yet. However, I will say I too find the vocals off/recessed with my Sparrow, so I am using a little equalizer. The reason I haven't bought an amp yet is that I am waiting on the reviews for the Lyr. I tried the Lyr and EF5 with HE-4 at the Bay Area meet but it was too loud in the room to do any critical listening... 

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

I don't have a powerful amp, so I haven't wanted to post any impressions on the HE-4 yet. However, I will say I too find the vocals off/recessed with my Sparrow, so I am using a little equalizer. The reason I haven't bought an amp yet is that I am waiting on the reviews for the Lyr. I tried the Lyr and EF5 with HE-4 at the Bay Area meet but it was too loud in the room to do any critical listening... 

The Audio-GD Sparrow?  Isn't that a 10 V RMS DAC/amp capable of putting 3.5 W into 25 ohms?  It should have more than enough power - more than the EF-5 even!

 

[Epoch]

The Sparrow is a class A/B amplifier as far as I know, so despite its overall output power its a different league compared to something like the Lyr.
 
As for why I didn't buy the HD600, I had limited choices as to what I could get at the time, so I got the HD650 and the K702.  I also don't know if the HD600 would have been what I was looking for anyways.

 

[KuKuBuKu]

Huh. I read that the HE-4 only has magnets on one side of the driver. Did Hifiman invent a new orthro?

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

Huh. I read that the HE-4 only has magnets on one side of the driver. Did Hifiman invent a new orthro?

No...  Although they may be the first to implement a single-sided planar magnetic transducer in a headphone.
 
"Orthodynamic" is Yamaha's marketing term for its planar magnetic headphones.  "Planar magnetic" is the generic term for transducers like this, although in Europe the term "magnetostatic" is more common, and "isodynamic" is another term used to describe the technology.  All refer to the same thing: A thin-film plastic diaphragm is etched with an metal trace and suspended in a magnetic field.  When current passes through the etched trace, it acts as an electromagnet and... well, you get the picture.
 
Magnepan has been making planar magnetic panel speakers since 1969, and I believe all of their designs are single-ended like the HE-4.  Infinity has been making various sized push-pull planar magnetic drivers - from tweeters to mid-bass couplers - since 1976, and Genesis (among other companies) today carries on that tradition.  I believe the concept is much older, but it certainly wasn't ever developed commercially until Magnepan and Infinity did so.
 
So this isn't anything new, really.  Just a change in the character of the magnetic field.  Oh, and no more obstructing magnet in front of the diaphragm, either.  That should have some benefits in dispersion to mitigate the reduction in control from being single-ended.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Damn, another new can too add to my list of complimentary headphones to my D7000. I plan on getting a Lyr. If I were to get the HE-4, what else would I need exactly to make it work?

edit: As of right now, I'm seriously considering the Schiit Lyr to pair up with my D7000 and POSSIBLY this or the T1. One thing I really want out of my open backed headphone is velours (which both have), and some pretty impressive bass. I come from a DT990 as my most recent open backed can, and I was blown away by the quality and quantity of the bass in the DT990. If the HE-4 approaches that sort of bass or maybe (wishfully thinking) the D7000's bass, consider me absolutely sold.

I currently have the E7/E9, so it's good to hear that the E9 has enough power, leaving me with a DAC upgrade to look forward to, which I'm still on the fence with. I may upgrade my DAC first and upgrade to the Lyr later on, as right now the E9 has plenty of juice for the D7000, and they sound bloody fantastic with the E7.

I'm *this* close to getting the HE-4, but need more impressions on it's bass.

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

How audible/annoying is music through these headphones for other people in the room? I have no experience with open headphones aside from Grado which don't seem particularly objectionable to others except maybe in a quiet room. The HE-4 is very tempting just when I had settled on the woody version of the Fischer (FA-002W). With the amp I had decided on would cost more than the HE-4/EF-5 combo! Only issue with the HE-4 is the open design I'm not sure about.

 

[blankdisc]

don't think HE-4 as a headphone, but two speakers.  
 
Quote:

How audible/annoying is music through these headphones for other people in the room? I have no experience with open headphones aside from Grado which don't seem particularly objectionable to others except maybe in a quiet room. The HE-4 is very tempting just when I had settled on the woody version of the Fischer (FA-002W). With the amp I had decided on would cost more than the HE-4/EF-5 combo! Only issue with the HE-4 is the open design I'm not sure about.

 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

blankdisc, how much does the HE-4 allow your ears to breathe? That's another reason I need an open backed can to compliment my closed D7000.

 

[blankdisc]

very much i guess. not sure how to measure such thing. i think that HE-4 is as open as a headphone can be...other than K1000 of course. I don't feel anything that is covering my ears. never gets hot or sweaty. the only complain i have is that because the earpad is so big, it actually clamps my jaw. It's OK if you are not eating stuff.  
 
Quote:

blankdisc, how much does the HE-4 allow your ears to breathe? That's another reason I need an open backed can to compliment my closed D7000.

 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Great, thanks. I hear you on that. Reminds me of practically all big cupped headphones. Jaw discomfort. XD

 

[nc8000]

I have been spending a few days with the HE-4 that Fang has kindly sent for demo for the Danish meet at the end of the month and I really like what I hear and agree with what others have stated that it seems to take the beste parts of the HD650 and K701 and mix them together to form a really lovely listening experience however I also agree that the vocals and midrange might be ever so slightly recessed but ir really is very little. They are power hungry beats, I use them from the single ended output of my RudiStor RPX-100, and where my Edition8 would require something like 9-10 on the dial the HE-4 requires 12-3 to achieve the same volume. The cups are truely huge but on my head the pressure isen't big enough to create any kind of discomfort, I could probably wear these all day even when it gets hot (it rarely does in Denmark though).

 

[immtbiker]

The cups are the same exact size as the HE-5/5LE and 6. But it weighs less because of the 1 sided ortho. It's really no bigger than the HE-90 or the LCD-2's. 
 
Even though they are big, which gives a really nice soundstage, you forget that you have them on. I've worn them for 5 hours straight in a comfortable temperature environment.
Like the O2's, they grow on you quickly, as far as size and comfort are concerned.