[Michael1026]

I've seen some on the FS forums at head-fi. I believe Head-direct is the only place selling them new at this point. They are still cranking to meet supply and demand issues from what I understand. (My order was delayed by 3-4 days, but shipping was very quick once they got back in stock).

If you are wondering if the product is worth the $40 they are charging... In my opinion, unquestionably. Especially if you enjoy rock.

That's actually what I listen to. I'll definitely consider it.
 
Edit: one more question. What's the difference between the Focus Pad-a and just the Focus Pads?

 

[HesterDW]

Why/how do focus pads make such a difference? What on the inside is different from the stock pads?

 

[Hansotek]

Why/how do focus pads make such a difference? What on the inside is different from the stock pads?

Lots of things going on vs. stock pads. It feels like much more thought and engineering went into these. I posted a lot of impressions a couple of pages back. Coletrain104 and Mani ATH 87 have been posting lots of excellent impressions along with me. I've done lots of mods and pad swaps on lots of different cans, and this has been one of the most dramatic and impressive I've come across.

Mesh on inner side of earpad and softer/less dense fill are the most obvious differences. I believe these changes contribute to the lift in the upper mids I noted a few pages ago. These are much more neutral, present and aggressive vs. the stock pads.

The pads are also thinner on the front side, which angles the driver toward the ears. This improves imaging.

There is a softer velour on the top side at the contact point with the head and a cushier overall feel compared to the stock velours, which I always found to be hard and itchy. These are now among the most comfortable headphones I've worn. As good or better than Sennheiser, but not quite up to the level of the Beyerdynamic DT880/990.

If you want to learn more about the engineering behind these, read Jerg's excellent posts about his JergPads. That dude knows infinitely more about the damping and pad engineering than I do. The FocusPads are essentially HiFiMan's version of his design.

 

[HesterDW]

Lots of things going on vs. stock pads. It feels like much more thought and engineering went into these. I posted a lot of impressions a couple of pages back. Coletrain104 and Mani ATH 87 have been posting lots of excellent impressions along with me. I've done lots of mods and pad swaps on lots of different cans, and this has been one of the most dramatic and impressive I've come across.

Mesh on inner side of earpad and softer/less dense fill are the most obvious differences. I believe these changes contribute to the lift in the upper mids I noted a few pages ago. These are much more neutral, present and aggressive vs. the stock pads.

The pads are also thinner on the front side, which angles the driver toward the ears. This improves imaging.

There is a softer velour on the top side at the contact point with the head and a cushier overall feel compared to the stock velours, which I always found to be hard and itchy. These are now among the most comfortable headphones I've worn. As good or better than Sennheiser, but not quite up to the level of the Beyerdynamic DT880/990.

If you want to learn more about the engineering behind these, read Jerg's excellent posts about his JergPads. That dude knows infinitely more about the damping and pad engineering than I do. The FocusPads are essentially HiFiMan's version of his design.

Thanks for the info. I was under the impression that they were designed with mainly comfort in mind, but just happened to sound better. Now knowing they were actually engineered for sound quality and comfort $40 seems like a fair price.
 
 
 

  That's actually what I listen to. I'll definitely consider it.
 
Edit: one more question. What's the difference between the Focus Pad-a and just the Focus Pads?

Focus A-pad: Velour on the front and inside / Leather on the outside.
Focus pad: Velour on the front / Leather on inside and outside.

 

[coletrain104]

I ran a variety of A/B tests with the FocusPads and velours. (For all of the observations below, I'm referring to the FocusPads.)

I agree with your assessment that the imaging is better. Rear location accuracy was the most noticable improvement, IMO. No surprise with the angled drivers. Height perception seemed a tad more specific to my ears. Cener transition area from left to right seems a touch more specific as well.

I didn't notice any notable change in overall soundstage size. Panning different sounds to test for width, I found the maximum L/R distance to be almost exactly the same.

I just noticed your edit about the pads hugging your head tighter. My theory was that your observation about the soundstage was actually due to an increase in presence. Because of the boost in the 2-5khz region, your brain may perceive certain instruments as being closer to you. It's kind of like taking a couple steps coser to the stage. One could argue that since that area of the frequency range is now closer to neutral, those instruments are now more positionally accurate.

If you want to test this theory for yourself, simply try EQing the frequencies in this region down a bit and see what you observe. (-2db at 2khz and -4db at 4k should get you back in the neighborhood of the velour sound, if memory serves.)

This is 100% in-line with what I've heard, and I was considering the increase in presence to be a possibility. I'll probably give the EQ thing a try when I get bored

 

[Tetonpowskier]

Going to order a Fiio E12 and velour pads tonight. Even If i hear 10% improvement, I will die in sound heaven. I always hate committing to a new brand without trying a pair first, unsure of sound signature, but im glad I went with hifiman. These are the most engaging headphones I have ever had the pleasure to listen to, nvm own. Thats exactly what I wanted. 

 

[Mani ATH 87]

  Going to order a Fiio E12 and velour pads tonight. Even If i hear 10% improvement, I will die in sound heaven. I always hate committing to a new brand without trying a pair first, unsure of sound signature, but im glad I went with hifiman. These are the most engaging headphones I have ever had the pleasure to listen to, nvm own. Thats exactly what I wanted. 

 
I'd spend a bit extra on the Focuspads over the original velours. I liked the original velours quite a bit, but the focuspads give you everything the original velours did (they sound a tad warmer actually) with 10X the comfort. $10 vs $40 I guess is significant, but worth it in my opinion.

 

[retskrad]

Hoooly crap the treble on these headphone tear my ears apart, the treble has so much sibliance on almost 90% of the songs I listen to.

I thought my dt990 was on the treble heavy side, but its no match for the damaging treble on the he400.

lets not even mention the treble with velour pads, it gets worse, which i didnt think was possible.

kind of dissappointed, I paid 300 bucks for it and its nowhere near balanced as people made it out to be. sorry guys, planar headphones seems like a gimmick to me.

 

[Saoshyant]

I've never had the impression it was balanced, and I'd disagree planers are a gimmick. It's one of the bassiest open phones with strong treble as well, making them wonderful for some of the music I listen to.

 

[HesterDW]

Hoooly crap the treble on these headphone tear my ears apart, the treble has so much sibliance on almost 90% of the songs I listen to.

I thought my dt990 was on the treble heavy side, but its no match for the damaging treble on the he400.

lets not even mention the treble with velour pads, it gets worse, which i didnt think was possible.

kind of dissappointed, I paid 300 bucks for it and its nowhere near balanced as people made it out to be. sorry guys, planar headphones seems like a gimmick to me.

I did a bit of research before buying my HE-400s and I don't recall people considering this a balanced headphone, especially people with HE-500s. They're also known to be sibilant. I'm not sure because I haven't done it, but I believe the JergPad mod can help with sibilance.
 
Here's an example: http://www.head-fi.org/t/692229/he-400-vs-he-500-vs-he-4-comparison
Go to the treble section. This is the opinion I found in most of the reviews/comparisons I read. I think you picked the wrong phone. :/

 

[Mani ATH 87]

Hoooly crap the treble on these headphone tear my ears apart, the treble has so much sibliance on almost 90% of the songs I listen to.

I thought my dt990 was on the treble heavy side, but its no match for the damaging treble on the he400.

lets not even mention the treble with velour pads, it gets worse, which i didnt think was possible.

kind of dissappointed, I paid 300 bucks for it and its nowhere near balanced as people made it out to be. sorry guys, planar headphones seems like a gimmick to me.

 
Pretty much nobody would describe the HE-400 as a balanced headphone. It's not, it has slightly recessed upper mids, an emphasis on bass and bright treble.
 
Pad modifications and EQ respond excellent with the HE-400's. You can turn the HE-400 into into incredible sounding headphones with some patience. Out of the box they sound OK, but sibilant with some recordings (as mentioned). They take some time to fine tune, but once you get them to that sweet spot, they exceed the price of admission easily.

 

[coletrain104]

   
Pretty much nobody would describe the HE-400 as a balanced headphone. It's not, it has slightly recessed upper mids, an emphasis on bass and bright treble.
 
Pad modifications and EQ respond excellent with the HE-400's. You can turn the HE-400 into into incredible sounding headphones with some patience. Out of the box they sound OK, but sibilant with some recordings (as mentioned). They take some time to fine tune, but once you get them to that sweet spot, they exceed the price of admission easily.

^ this. I understand the criticism, but I've always been ok with a hot treble. Now that I have the Schiit Vali and focus pads, it sounds very different, kinda like a brighter HD650 with linear bass (though I've only tried the 650, never owned) and from what I have heard, I like the 400 better. Guess that's part of why this hobby is great

 

[Tetonpowskier]

Ya this is not the headphone for everybody, too bad. Balanced is not the word I'd use either, however it is not the most V shaped out there. I love a semi balanced v shape honestly, I use my headphones for fast paced fun listening, and I know its going to be hard for me to beat the Hifiman in terms of having that fun engaging feeling. The HE-400 is not unlike the Sennheiser HD-25 in it's sound signature, which is a very accomplished headphone, as everyone knows.. I would say the amount of sibilance is similar as well, just a touch worse than my amperior(fixed hd25 sibilance issue). But on the other end, the HE 400 has the best bass I have ever heard. Its just insane the quality/quantity ratio. I feel bad for those who can't appreciate the HE-400, because I really think its the perfect set of home cans for a fun, fast paced listening experience. I have only listened to it un-amped as well, so I can only go up from here. I have a feeling im going to be blown away, and it's unfortunate others cant feel that same experience. 
 
I just bought a pair of hifimans a few days ago and the treble has calmed down a fair bit, and they only have about 7 hours of listening time. The combo of burn in, new pads,  and a Fiio E12 is going to be euphoric. And I am not having problem with the comfort at all. I find I can wear them longer than my amperiors, which have some serious clamping pressure. 

 

[Saoshyant]

The E12 will do no disservice to the HE400, giving it quite a bit of power to help fill out the sound, and the bass boost is helpful as well.  The bass becomes almost heavenly with enough power behind it, and still not overpowering the mids.  Always glad to see a person happy with them!  They can be a bit quirky, and are certainly odd by many headphone's standards, but a real gem if they suit your needs.

 

[Tetonpowskier]

  The E12 will do no disservice to the HE400, giving it quite a bit of power to help fill out the sound, and the bass boost is helpful as well.  The bass becomes almost heavenly with enough power behind it, and still not overpowering the mids.  Always glad to see a person happy with them!  They can be a bit quirky, and are certainly odd by many headphone's standards, but a real gem if they suit your needs.

What does "fill out the sound" mean? Like there will be better presentation, because the driver will me moving optimally?