[merkil]

Update from my end:

The J-money pads just came. they are fantastic, the HE-400 sounds so much like my Lcd-2 now it is scary. I had a bit of doubt due to the fact the Denon J-money's were so horrible on them, I could not have been more wrong. Loving the taming of the treble as well.

Any more comparisons with the J$ pads and the LCD2??

 

[TMRaven]

Sounding so much like the LCD-2 that it's scary?  Where are these J-Money Beyer pads and how much are they?

 

[chewy4]

Quote:

Sounding so much like the LCD-2 that it's scary?  Where are these J-Money Beyer pads and how much are they?

Send wje a PM. I got mine for about $50(including shipping) but the price may have changed.

 

[wje]

Quote:

Sounding so much like the LCD-2 that it's scary?  Where are these J-Money Beyer pads and how much are they?

 
Yes.  It is.  However, I'd like for the HE-400s to have their own sound with the pleather, the velour or even the J$ Beyerdynamic pads.  When we go into the sound space of another headphone, it gets a bit weird, as people who don't hear the same connection, can often be disappointed.  The same thing is happening in the Fostex T50RP modification thread.  When the initial impression was made that the modified Fostex could come within [fill in the blank] percent of the LCD-2 headphones, people jumped on it like crazy to get a $100 pair of headphones and apply a few mods, a new pair of pads ... and presto!  You all of a sudden have headphones that sound like the $995 LCD-2 by Audeze.
 
However, to me, sound is one thing, yet being able to own a beautiful product such as the LCD-2 in Rosewood with the luxurious leather pads and leather headband seems like a completely different experience all alone.  Also, for me, personally, I think I'm done in using a cheaper headphone to chase the sound down of a higher-end headphone.  I'll still use the cheaper headphone, but view it for what it is and what it's capable of.  If it can sound like a headphone that is $995.00, then fine.  However, if it costs $100.00, but sounds like anything greater than $100.00 is cost, I'd think the objective was met.  However, if I have a $100.00 headphone that sounds like an $80.00 headphone, then my objective would not be met.
 
That's just my rationale.  Others might see it differently.

 

[wje]

Quote:

Send wje a PM. I got mine for about $50(including shipping) but the price may have changed.

 
No, you are correct with regards to the pricing.  However, TMRaven has been dinging me a bit on this thread about my EQ comments, so there is some special pricing reserved for him. 

 

 

 

[TMRaven]

Yes, but I assume the j-money beyer pads add to some of that luxury with their leather skin.  There's no getting around that eventually I'll get some of that Rosewood goodness no matter what.
 
If the j-money beyer pads mitigate some of the HE-400's treble and contributes to a fuller sound overall without the he-400's stock pleather's downfalls, I'll no doubt look into some.
 
Do they come with a fabric cover or would I have to put that on myself?
 
 
I'm making you use better EQs so I think that means I get discount!

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

Any more comparisons with the J$ pads and the LCD2??

They do not sound exactly the same by any measure, but the J-money pads add some warmth and a deeper bass that sound reminiscent of the Lcds. They are the first thing I thought of after the pad swap.
 
The timbre of the Lcds is something that I feel can't be replicated with its natural and accurate mids and highs, but the J-money pads definitely get the best sound to my ears from my He-400 and the comfort level (as compared to the Lcd-2) is much better(I can wear them all day). I also have the Jerg grill mod done to mine so it might also play a factor in the synergy these pads have with the HE-400.
 
Oh, and for the couple of folks who asked, I use the dust covers from a set of DT-770s that I had laying around. Once i put the pads on I went through the ear-hole and just tucked it in (no significant change in sound).

 

[ninjames]

I finally listened to my favorite song of all time for the first time on my HE-400 and there's stuff in there I'd never even heard before. So that's wild. The song is called "King's Crossing" by Elliott Smith. Blows my mind.
 
Also, this thread basically single-handedly got me to 500 posts :]

 

[wje]

Quote:

Yes, but I assume the j-money beyer pads add to some of that luxury with their leather skin.  There's no getting around that eventually I'll get some of that Rosewood goodness no matter what.
 
If the j-money beyer pads mitigate some of the HE-400's treble and contributes to a fuller sound overall without the he-400's stock pleather's downfalls, I'll no doubt look into some.
 
Do they come with a fabric cover or would I have to put that on myself?
 
I'm making you use better EQs so I think that means I get discount!

 
Unfortunately, these pads do not have the fabric cover present.  I created a brief FAQ on the available pads, which can be viewed in the following post:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/604583/hifiman-he-400-impressions-and-discussion-thread/5940#post_9085229

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

Yes, but I assume the j-money beyer pads add to some of that luxury with their leather skin.  There's no getting around that eventually I'll get some of that Rosewood goodness no matter what.
 
If the j-money beyer pads mitigate some of the HE-400's treble and contributes to a fuller sound overall without the he-400's stock pleather's downfalls, I'll no doubt look into some.
 

That is exactly what they do. The Beyers gel pads did the same thing but gave them a hollow mid-range but ridiculous bass (most I have heard any of my HP) Where the J-money pads (and Jergs mod) fix the hollowness is in the vented underside of the pad.

 

[CPhoenix]

So after I ordered the HE-400 my parents saw no reason for me to keep the M50's so they returned them.  I was leaning towards the E17 because I wouldn't have enough to get the modi if I got the magni, but now I have another $100 to get the modi with the magni if I choose too 

 
Also just found my HE-400 at the door last night.  Got here faster than I thought, excellent. Although I don't have an amp or dac for them yet.
 
Quote:

So my Schiit Magni + Modi arrived today, and five minutes later, my new RCA cables from Blue Jeans arrived as well :] First: extremely pleased with the price to quality ratio for the Blue Jeans cables. I just wanted them to ... work, with the knowledge that they were well-built.
 
The Magni drives this SO WELL. I started with the E17 and thought that it was driving the HE-400 well, and then I tried the Little Dot MKIII and came to the conclusion that the E17 was about 85% up to the task. Now after trying the Magni, I have to say the MKIII is maybe at 90-93%, because they sound a lot better. I will still use the MKIII when I want the intimate tube sound but the Magni is driving these SO WELL. The bass impact is increased by a decent amount, and I don't notice any kind of harshness to the highs that some might have suggested.
 
Very well built, and kind of adorable in their size. I'm pleased. As a side note, my music was skipping a lot plugged into my USB 3.0 port with three other things plugged into the same side of the laptop. I switched the Modi to the 2.0 port on the other side, by itself, and no problems. Just a note. I get zero hiss at any volume, intensely minor channel imbalance at whisper volumes and play on the knob until about 10 o'clock or so. I bought some attenuators which are not here yet, but I also am running in 24 bit so I can reduce system volume a little bit and get more play on the knob

This makes the Magni/Modi sound worth the extra cost over the E17.  I know the E17 would be good enough, but all the things I keep hearing about the Magni/Modi make them so tempting 

  Plus I have nothing else to spend my money on...

 

[wje]

Quote:

That is exactly what they do. The Beyers gel pads did the same thing but gave them a hollow mid-range but ridiculous bass (most I have heard any of my HP) Where the J-money pads (and Jergs mod) fix the hollowness is in the vented underside of the pad.

 
This is all great information and it's what I think makes this forum invaluable.  The contributions from the various members collaborating to make something that's pretty good even better.  Jerg even suggested to me a few days back regarding the idea of applying a covering of velour over the foam that is used on the HifiMAN pleather pads, as it appears to be a different type of foam used. 
 
The only issue with me trying this mod out at the moment is time.  Work is consuming me, so I've cut back a bit on headphone time.  I sold a few headphones and DACs that I wasn't using, but they were just a distraction for the bigger picture I'd like to work on.

 

[ninjames]

Quote:

So after I ordered the HE-400 my parents saw no reason for me to keep the M50's so they returned them.  I was leaning towards the E17 because I wouldn't have enough to get the modi if I got the magni, but now I have another $100 to get the modi with the magni if I choose too 

 
Also just found my HE-400 at the door last night.  Got here faster than I thought, excellent. Although I don't have an amp or dac for them yet.
 
This makes the Magni/Modi sound worth the extra cost over the E17.  I know the E17 would be good enough, but all the things I keep hearing about the Magni/Modi make them so tempting 

  Plus I have nothing else to spend my money on...

I really, thoroughly am impressed with the E17. I love it, and I love that I can plug other things into it just to get a better-than-average source/amping. I have 20+ pairs of headphones and IEMs and the E17 sees a lot of time. But if the HE-400 was my only pair of headphones I might be a little dissatisfied, having heard something better (the M&M and the LDMKIII). If I just got the E17 and only had that, never having heard the other things, I would be pleased for sure, though.
 
In my opinion, it is worth the extra money for the M&M, provided portability isn't an issue. The M&M are tiny, adorably so, but there's still a wall wart you have to plug in, and full-size RCA cables, etc.

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

So after I ordered the HE-400 my parents saw no reason for me to keep the M50's so they returned them.  I was leaning towards the E17 because I wouldn't have enough to get the modi if I got the magni, but now I have another $100 to get the modi with the magni if I choose too 

 
Also just found my HE-400 at the door last night.  Got here faster than I thought, excellent. Although I don't have an amp or dac for them yet.
 
This makes the Magni/Modi sound worth the extra cost over the E17.  I know the E17 would be good enough, but all the things I keep hearing about the Magni/Modi make them so tempting 

  Plus I have nothing else to spend my money on...

 
Although you'll see a modest improvement over the e17, if you have other hp's that you'd like to be portable then I'd get the e17. If you don't need portable then the small schitt stack is the way to go. 
 
Welcome to the club and enjoy!!
 
Just wanted to point out that I am on the 400th page of the he400 thread. 

 

[modulor]

Happy 400(th) page, everyone!
 
Just got a little squishy package from one J. Lin...