[Raskolnnikov]

Hi All,
 
I've been lurking around head-fi for quite some time, nevertheless I think this is my first post. I just pulled the plug on a pair of HE400 and was wondering a couple things:
 
1) Has anyone ever tried a Centrance Dacport (the amp version) with them? Would the SQ be comparable to lets say the magni/modi stack (I know they're just out, but I'd appreciate some speculation here)
2) Will I notice a big updgrade from my all time Sennheiser IE8's?
 
Cheers!

 

[catspaw]

Quote:

Hi All,
 
I've been lurking around head-fi for quite some time, nevertheless I think this is my first post. I just pulled the plug on a pair of HE400 and was wondering a couple things:
 
1) Has anyone ever tried a Centrance Dacport (the amp version) with them? Would the SQ be comparable to lets say the magni/modi stack (I know they're just out, but I'd appreciate some speculation here)
2) Will I notice a big updgrade from my all time Sennheiser IE8's?
 
Cheers!

 
1) No, cant help there.
2) Should be. As far as i know full size cans are better almost always in a similar price range (except maybe custom made IEMs?).
The HE-400 sound Significantly better than my HD 380, and those sounded Significantly better than my previous IEMs (CX-300).
Now i dont know how much better the IE8 are than the CX-300, so keep that in mind.

 

[MrMateoHead]

Quote:

The sound on the right driver is softer. The vocals and details are much louder on the left side. So right now it seems like everything is not balance or symmetrical. I tested with my iem and it is fine.... and i have already make an appointment with an ent specialist after christmas just to make sure that it is not my hearing problem.

I had a complete left channel drop-out one morning. Headphones -> O2 -> computer. Immediately thought I was screwed.
 
The solution was, disconnecting phones -> disconnect O2 from computer -> reconnect. The headphone / O2 connection seemed to be the "weak link" in the chain, but I couldn't correct until I just played with the plugs gently. I usually leave mine plugged in full time, so this was an odd occurrence. I hope it is not a symptom of a long-term issue brewing.

 

[Daemos]

Okay,

How do these compare to the HE-6? I sold my HE-6 a while back and I'm missing proper planars (I have modded T50RPs, but I prefer open back headphones). The one flaw I had with the HE-6 were that they were way too bright and had too much sibliance for my liking, even EQed you couldn't hide the sibilance.

 

[MrMateoHead]

BTW special announcement - I ordered an ODAC today!
 
Not sure it was worth the money, but then I am a sucker.

 
I am hoping it will make some audible difference or lower my noise floor a tad.

 

[chewy4]

I don't have any noise floor with the Asgard even at full volume... that probably is indeed within your DAC.
 
 
 
Quote:

That's basically mid recession! Lol

 
Not really... It's just that the voices in particular are at lower volumes(or the sound effects and music are boosted). It's not like they mastered the sound and then equalized the mids down; mid-heavy music and effects are still going to be loud. Although I guess sub-bass is generally pretty heavy.

 

[beaver316]

Quote:

Hi All,
 
I've been lurking around head-fi for quite some time, nevertheless I think this is my first post. I just pulled the plug on a pair of HE400 and was wondering a couple things:
 
1) Has anyone ever tried a Centrance Dacport (the amp version) with them? Would the SQ be comparable to lets say the magni/modi stack (I know they're just out, but I'd appreciate some speculation here)
2) Will I notice a big updgrade from my all time Sennheiser IE8's?
 
Cheers!

 
Having owned the IE8 in the past, I can confirm that the HE400 is much better and you'll certainly notice the upgrade. The IE8 has plenty of bass with an accentuated mid-bass, but the HE400 has a far more textured bass that extends deeper. The HE400 also much better detail retrieval and obviously sound stage is no comparison, despite the IE8 having a larger than average sound stage for an IEM. 

 

[kstuart]

Quote:

Use them. That's how you burn them in.

Psychological burn in is psychological.

Sigh, two HE-400s, same from the first moment I used them. This expectation bias is getting out of hand.

Speaker and headphone burn-in is one of the more well documented phenomenons:
 
* - I experienced it with a different headphone, when I was really hoping it did not occur, so that disproves "expectation bias".
* - Tyll has documented response changes over time in headphones.
* - Even the Objective guy acknowledges there is changes in headphone response due to use
* - Unlike many other audiophile claims, this one has an obvious and likely explanation of the materials changing their flexibility when being repeatedly pushed by a motor (voice coil)
 
And, in the case of my pair of HE400s, I did not notice any change with burn-in.   So, it might be mostly a phenomenon in dynamic drivers.
 
But please stop with the " anything I don't experience doesn't exist ".

 

[chewy4]

Quote:

Speaker and headphone burn-in is one of the more well documented phenomenons:
 
* - I experienced it with a different headphone, when I was really hoping it did not occur, so that disproves "expectation bias".
* - Tyll has documented response changes over time in headphones.
* - Even the Objective guy acknowledges there is changes in headphone response due to use
* - Unlike many other audiophile claims, this one has an obvious and likely explanation of the materials changing their flexibility when being repeatedly pushed by a motor (voice coil)
 
And, in the case of my pair of HE400s, I did not notice any change with burn-in.   So, it might be mostly a phenomenon in dynamic drivers.
 
But please stop with the " anything I don't experience doesn't exist ".

You must have really low standards on documentation.

 
I'm interested in these changes Tyll has documented though, I never heard about that, are they actual audible changes?

 

[TMRaven]

No, the results he documented were so dramatically small, I doubt they were audible.  
 
Most of the things you hear about burn-in on head-fi are portrayed to be night and day differences.  Then of course you always get the 'have you burned them in?' question whenever someone makes a topic to share their disappointment of certain cans.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

I just tested it .... and it is as you suspected, it is the cable!! When i put the left cable on the right driver it is louder on the right......This is totally unexpected, so what do i do know that i have identified the source of the problem?

Well, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the cable, it just means it's something upstream from the headphones themselves. Could be the cable, the cable-amp connection, the amp, amp-dac connection, dac, PC, etc.
 
To make sure it's the cable, try testing it by driving the headphones directly out of your PC rather than through your dac/amp chain.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I'll bring this up again:

This bullsh*t burn in is:

- ALWAYS POSITIVE
-Adds bass if a headphone is bass light
-Subdues bass if a headphone has too much
-Brings out the midrange, if a headphone has mid recession
-Brings out the treble clarity if a headphone sounds veiled
-Lowers treble sparkle if a headphone is too bright

It adds/takes away where it's needed by the person claiming burn in occurs. I love how beneficial and perfect burn in is every time someone mentions of it happening.

I do believe changes in sound occur randomly. However, I absolutely call BULLSH*T on anyone who claims a certain hour mark, or after a certain period= better performance than earlier hours. For one, no two headphones are exactly the same. Two, even with Tyll's measurements, you can see the subtle changes being sporadic, and nothing 'settled'.

Again, burn in is more people adjusting to the sound of a headphone, as well as believing something would change so much for the better that their brain tricks them into thinking it's true.

 

[wje]

Quote:

Again, burn in is more people adjusting to the sound of a headphone, as well as believing something would change so much for the better that their brain tricks them into thinking it's true.

 
For headphones, maybe so - especially, of the orthodynamic design.  Those with dynamic drivers could be a bit different, though.
 
In the loudspeaker building communities, Please do take a few moments to read Danny Richie's comments regarding burn-in. Danny Richie is quite well known in the loudspeaker building communities, and is a well-trusted source: http://www.gr-research.com/burnin.htm

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Again, 100% positive effects of burn in.

Ridiculous.

Where's the part where this 'burn-in' negatively affected the sound?

I don't have time for this mythological nonsense.

Enjoy your gear, not your wishful thinking.

 

[Marleybob217]

I got home to today, to find the HE-400 and the velours on my desk!
 
Finally!
 
First I listened through the E9 in stock mode and I really liked it.
 
Then I removed the grills, replaced the pleather with velour and plugged it straight into the audinst hud-mx1.
Much better! Velour pads made the mids shine and removing the grills improved airyness and soundstage.
 
The biggest surprise was that the audinst amp actually sounds quite a lot better than the Fiio E9. Probably because of the lower output impedance, rule of eight and stuff.
 
Hud-mx1 vs E9: the Hud-mx1 wins on clarity, speed and detail. The bass is also quite a bit tighter on the audinst. The E9 however does sound warmer, but also more diffused, especially the bass.
 
So I'm selling the E9, and probably buying the magni. Any reviews up yet?