**Hifiman HE-400 Impressions and Discussion Thread**
Jan 12, 2013 at 10:37 PM Post #4,831 of 22,116
MLE you still enjoying your Annie's or finding yourself back on he400 more often?
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 11:06 PM Post #4,832 of 22,116
Lol, I use my Annie 90% of the time now. The HE400 is definitely the alternative, not the main anymore.
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 11:06 PM Post #4,833 of 22,116
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"miracle" ear buds driving by the Schiit at my computer.  Really, really good stuff.  I need to try it all out on the HE-400s.  I was

What JVC buds are you speaking of? I need something to wear while mowing the grass or running at the gym...
 
Quote:
I'm still trying to track down a copy of the 461 Ocean Blvd that I hear on MOG. None of the copies I've found have the same tracks listed and NONE of them seem to be mastered like this one. Gotta find it though. 

I see there's a 1996 and a 2010 that both say remastered on amazon - I assume y'all are talking about the 2010 version?
Quote:
Why'd you get the E07K? I'm assuming for the LO bypass for bass/treble controls.
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Does it have the same dac as the E17, just a weaker amp section? I'd be interested for the E07K if the dac is the same as the E17, which was overkill as I didn't need the amp portion, just the bass/treble control.

 
LOL - I was wondering the same thing.  I've been trying to decide between the shiit amp/e17 and was waiting for the reviews on the e07k vs the e17 before ordering something.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DangerToast /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Lastly, with certain songs I feel like the sound lacks body.
 
Will burn-in address these issues, or does the sound of the HE-400 pretty much stay the same? Is three days of pink noise the answer?
 

Heya Danger - yes - the burn in will help. I was very skeptical about the burn-in theory - but some nasty resonances went away after a few days or so (playing loud pink noise continually between listening sessions) and now they sound very good.  I'm playing from my x-fi hd titanium -> logitech Z4 dock (which is amplified some, I suppose). 
 
Quote:
Newest owner of the Magni/Modi + HE-400 club!  Quite a noticeable difference from me coming from the E17s. 
 
 
What I like about this stack over the E17 is the gain of clarity.  Everything sounds cleaner and clearer than ever before. 
I'm forever the skeptic, always questioning how much of what I read on Head-fi is exaggerated claims, etc. 
 
beerchug.gif

 
But I can honestly say that the Schiit stack makes a difference to my ears.
 
One complaint.  I am hearing loud hissing on some songs, and then no hiss at all on other songs.  Is this what they mean by "revealing"?  Am I finally noticing bad recordings? 
 
And even though I am content with this stack so far, I can't help but wonder about either upgrading the DAC or going with the Aune T1 tube amp/dac.  Any thoughts?

I wonder about the dac situation, but I've had to make a large playlist of FLAC or better recordings.  You can really hear a lot of what's going on in the music.  I would really love it if there was an easy way to do a blind ABX with a dac.
 
Jan 12, 2013 at 11:25 PM Post #4,834 of 22,116
Hey everyone,
 
First off, thanks to everyone for being so helpful and answering my questions about the HE-400. I've started playing pink noise between listenings and I feel like the HE-400 losing it's shrillness and opening up really fast. I also ordered the velour earpads, so we'll see if those make a difference for me.
 
Now I'm trying to decide between the Magni/Modi or the Aune T1. I really want something that will maintain the base quantity/quality as well as give the HE-400's a little more body. At the same time, I don't want to sacrifice detail.
 
 
I hear the Magni/Modi is fantastic in terms of detail but can make the HE-400's sound sibilant. Meanwhile the Aune T1 is supposed to be solid all around. If possible, I'd like to avoid hissing.
 
Between those two, which would you guys suggest? Any other suggestions around that price range would also be welcome!
 
Thanks again
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 12:55 AM Post #4,836 of 22,116
Quote:
Hey everyone,
 
First off, thanks to everyone for being so helpful and answering my questions about the HE-400. I've started playing pink noise between listenings and I feel like the HE-400 losing it's shrillness and opening up really fast. I also ordered the velour earpads, so we'll see if those make a difference for me.
 
Now I'm trying to decide between the Magni/Modi or the Aune T1. I really want something that will maintain the base quantity/quality as well as give the HE-400's a little more body. At the same time, I don't want to sacrifice detail.
 
 
I hear the Magni/Modi is fantastic in terms of detail but can make the HE-400's sound sibilant. Meanwhile the Aune T1 is supposed to be solid all around. If possible, I'd like to avoid hissing.
 
Between those two, which would you guys suggest? Any other suggestions around that price range would also be welcome!
 
Thanks again

 
I don't feel that the Magni / Modi has neither worsened nor improved the sibilance.  With many of the amps and DACs that I've been using, I use the EQ to perform the sound adjustments.
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 12:59 AM Post #4,837 of 22,116
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Yes. The cables have their own markings, so I find it nicer to look at without those cheap white markings. I could just use a small sticker or something on the underside of the headband to let me know what side is the right, etc, if I remove the cables. Not that it matters, as the Hifimans can be worn either way.
 

 
Say what?  
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Music was definitely mixed for a "L" and a "R" difference.  I've tried to listen to music with the headphones reversed and the sound was just "odd" on the songs that I'm familiar with in regards to the stereo separation and the uniqueness that can be applied to each channel.
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 1:05 AM Post #4,838 of 22,116
Lol, dude, you can reverse the cables. The hifimans dont have any orientation, so you can flip the headphones around and reverse the cables, and you'd be fine. The pads would have to mold to your head shape again, but that wouldn't take long.
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 1:06 AM Post #4,839 of 22,116
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Lol, dude, you can reverse the cables.

What? I always thought a driver labeled for a specific channel would explode if it is fed with the wrong channel?!
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 1:31 AM Post #4,841 of 22,116
Gah, I prefer velour now.
 
It's interesting that people prefer pleather for he500 that prefer velour on he400. I can't wait to give that a whirl.
 
I've had these sets for a month now, 1 week with velour 3 with pleather. it's like a brand new pair again :D
 
only thing that nags me is I hear some static occasionally when pausing a track (muting it) it's occured in both channels but more often it happens in the left but i swear it's my o2 amp because keeping it plugged into my headphone out on macbook air I don't think I ever heard the same static. Same thing when I had my udac2-hp before i sold it off a few days ago, never heard occasional static. When I turn down the volume too, the right channel makes a bit of distortion too like a crackle (which is 100% the amp because it only occurs when lowering volume, reminds me of changing the volume on my klipsch 2.1)
 
Is it possible the DC power isn't clean as the reason? This amp is wonderful otherwise.
 
.. I know this is HE-400 thread, but I figure somebody must know
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 2:55 AM Post #4,842 of 22,116
Quote:
Lol, dude, you can reverse the cables. The hifimans dont have any orientation, so you can flip the headphones around and reverse the cables, and you'd be fine. The pads would have to mold to your head shape again, but that wouldn't take long.

 
Yes, I know the cables can be reversed.  
size]
  However, from the way I read your initial statement, it almost implied that one could wear them reversed - with no mention of flipping the cable.  Ahh ... sleep deprivation at its finest.  Nearly 3:00 a.m., I'm off to get some rest before I put more comments in the forum that I'll regret in the morning.  
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Jan 13, 2013 at 3:01 AM Post #4,843 of 22,116
Just ordered the leatherette headband, can't wait to give it a whirl to see how it enhances comfort. Not that comfort is bad at the moment, but for $17 and being compatible with multiple hp's...
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 3:10 AM Post #4,844 of 22,116
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Just ordered the leatherette headband, can't wait to give it a whirl to see how it enhances comfort. Not that comfort is bad at the moment, but for $17 and being compatible with multiple hp's...

It's a big boost to headband ergonomics, especially when you 'wear it in' (the center area will depress more than the sides after a while to mold to the head better).
 
Jan 13, 2013 at 3:23 AM Post #4,845 of 22,116
Good to know thanks jerg.

I'm sure it's been asked but why keep he-400 and he-500? Aren't you finding yourself using one over the other most of the time?
 

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