[money4me247]

FocusPad or the A variant. Which ones better?

ive only tried the focuspads & i realy like them!

 

[thewind32]

  A link to the headband pad would be great.  The focus-a pads are tempting but a bit pricey, would rather spend the money on an amp/DAC upgrade.

The one I got was from ebay http://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/200799150982?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (not sure if the .sg affects anything for you)
I can confirm it fits the headband even with all buttons clasped (the stock headband will be slightly bent, but no permanent damage as far as I know)
It's sold by the same seller as the more expensive one on amazon, while at the lower price. Shipping to my location was also cheaper.
 
Just throwing in more options.

 

[htr2d2]

 
The one I got was from ebay http://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/200799150982?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (not sure if the .sg affects anything for you)
I can confirm it fits the headband even with all buttons clasped (the stock headband will be slightly bent, but no permanent damage as far as I know)
It's sold by the same seller as the more expensive one on amazon, while at the lower price. Shipping to my location was also cheaper.
 
Just throwing in more options.

If that is *not* the exact same product, I eat mine. Cheaper too if shipping is not a factor.

 

[thewind32]

 
If that is *not* the exact same product, I eat mine. Cheaper too if shipping is not a factor.

 
As far as I can tell, it should be the same item from the same seller, even has the same images. Product cost and shipping were both cheaper for me on ebay. I think Amazon might ship it faster though, if urgency is an issue.
 
Regarding your 2nd link (the cheaper option, by Geekria), looking at the listed dimensions, it seems to be more narrow than the one we both bought. This might prevent it from fully closing on the 400's headband since the wider one already required some headband squishing. The indicated thickness is thinner too, so it has less padding.
 
Granted, I do not have that 2nd link headband so I could be wrong, but I've never seen it suggested for the 400s. Its always the one we have that's being mentioned.

 

[htr2d2]

   
As far as I can tell, it should be the same item from the same seller, even has the same images. Product cost and shipping were both cheaper for me on ebay. I think Amazon might ship it faster though, if urgency is an issue.
 
Regarding your 2nd link (the cheaper option, by Geekria), looking at the listed dimensions, it seems to be more narrow than the one we both bought. This might prevent it from fully closing on the 400's headband since the wider one already required some headband squishing. The indicated thickness is thinner too, so it has less padding.
 
Granted, I do not have that 2nd link headband so I could be wrong, but I've never seen it suggested for the 400s. Its always the one we have that's being mentioned.

You are correct. My math is not so good this late, er, early in the morning.

 

[ArmAndHammer]

HE-400's in the hands of USPS. Kinda sad to see them go but I know it was the right decision for me. I'll keep up with this topic though since this is one of the threads that actually has decent conversation going on.

 

[Tempest228]

  HE-400's in the hands of USPS. Kinda sad to see them go but I know it was the right decision for me. I'll keep up with this topic though since this is one of the threads that actually has decent conversation going on.

 
Oh good.
 
In other news. I think I'm keeping the he-400s. I like how fun they sound. Now, I really need a set of focuspads to improve the comfort, but the college budget isn't kind atm.

 

[KewlMunky]

  A link to the headband pad would be great.  The focus-a pads are tempting but a bit pricey, would rather spend the money on an amp/DAC upgrade.

 
I have the Focus A Pads. After having them, going back to the pleather pads is like having plastic cups on the sides of my head. The Focus A pads are definitely worth it. They are a world more comfortable, and I felt they made the treble more detailed and less harsh.

 

[thewind32]

   
Oh good.
 
In other news. I think I'm keeping the he-400s. I like how fun they sound. Now, I really need a set of focuspads to improve the comfort, but the college budget isn't kind atm.

 
Did you try to stretch out the headband? It worked really well for me.
 
I really want a pair of focuspads too, mainly for the mentioned sound improvement even though I've never heard it personally. I also wouldn't mind more comfort either.
But yea, college budget is currently in the way for me too

 

[Oregonian]

These respond well to the Focus pads, Alpha pads and my favorite, the Audeze leather or vegan pads.

For headband help, try the headband suspension system offered by member Lohb seen in pic below. I have it on my HE-6 and love it.

 

[teofilrocks]

  I'd love to see your thoughts on the HE-400 vs. TH600. I think that they might be out of my price range even if they are much better. I'd definitely have to loose the 400 and X2 before I could even think about picking up a nearly $500 headphone.

 
Finally getting a chance to listen to the TH600. Unfortunately I had to sell the HE-400 first to help pay for them, so I can't do a side-by-side comparison — I've been without the HE-400 for about two weeks. So I'll give my first impressions as both being relative to the HD650, which I've had throughout.
 
Comfort: Well, one of the main reasons I've struggled with the HE-400 is due to comfort. A lineup of Beyers and now HD650s have spoiled me in terms of comfort, so neither the HE-400 or the TH600 feel as comfortable to me. However, the TH600 is clearly lighter on the head than the HE-400 and feels much more secure when moving my head around. The FocusPad-A makes up for quite a bit, though, since I'm partial to the feel of velour, just not enough to make them more comfortable overall compared to the TH600. The best I can summarize is that, as listening time increases, I become more aware that I'm wearing the HE-400 and less aware that I'm wearing the TH600. Does that make sense?
 
Build: Besides the weight in regards comfort, the HE-400's feel is more solid, as it should. The TH600 doesn't feel cheap by any means, but the magnesium cups don't have the same kind of solid feel or sound when you physically tap on them. I might buy wooden TH900 cups to replace them if I get silly. But yea, light weight and very solid feel don't always go hand-in-hand. Fostex makes up for it with a much better cable. No, the cable isn't detachable, and that might be a deal breaker for some, but the quality of the cable is clearly much higher: thicker but very flexible, soft fabric sheathing, satin metal 1/4" jack housing, all very nice. And honestly, the HiFiMAN connectors are about the most frustrating I've used, so the fact that they're detachable isn't a big selling point for me. I'll include the packing in the build part. Fostex puts the TH600 in a nice black inner box with formed padding (not quite as good but similar to the HD650). HiFiMAN put the HE-400 in a cheap cardboard/plastic box you'd see hanging on a Best Buy shelf. Especially at it's original price, I always found this disappointing.
 
Soundstage: Surprisingly close, given my recollection. I'm sure there's some differences, but I'd really need to do a side-by-side swap to focus on the specifics. I have to say that the TH600 sounds very open for a closed headphone, perhaps even more then the HD650. That's what puts in the same general space as the HE-400. If I had to guess, the HE-400 pushes some things a bit further out around the edges, but not by much.
 
Sound: How to describe the difference... Basically, when I switch from the HD650 to the HE-400, I hear a little more bass and soundstage, but all the vocals sound off in comparison and treble is pushed. The HD650 bass was surprisingly close to the HE-400 with the FocusPad-A. Enough so that moving back to the HD650 to gain better comfort, midrange, and rolled-off treble was generally a no-brainer with the recordings I listened to. When I switch between the HD650 and the TH600, however, it's quite different. The bass, especially sub-bass, in the TH600 is significant. For example, when listening to some tracks off of Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, moving from the Fostex back to Sennheiser's made the HD650 almost sound shouty in the midrange and kind of thin everywhere else. I hadn't experienced that before. I never thought the HD650 were ever deficient in the bass department while owning the HE-400. Compared to the TH600, I do. Not that I don't enjoy the HD650 anymore, I do, and I can acclimate myself to their sound after a few tracks of listening and be happy. But the fuller bass extension of the TH600 really adds enjoyment to a lot of recordings, even if there is just a bit of mids lost. Now some may say I was listening to a highly compressed modern-day pop/rock album, so it's a poor example or whatever. But it's an album I enjoy and will listen to again in the future, so I think it's a pretty good test subject personally. And I can say that The Division Bell album by Pink Floyd is currently sounding nicely weighted with the Fostex. When I was listening to this album with the HE-400, I was happy to return to the HD650. With the TH600, I'm happy they're on my head.
 
Mind you this is really is first impressions of the Fostex, and they're honestly in different price brackets. But when it comes down to it I'd rather have the TH600 on my head than the HE-400. The bass is really there and without sacrificing on mids or comfort, and without really loosing anything in the soundstage. If you can find some on sale or in the For Sale thread, I think they're worth looking into.

 

[money4me247]

great comparison review teofilrocks.
 
i just personally think the th600/th900 are pretty overpriced for their sonics.

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[teofilrocks]

  great comparison review teofilrocks.
 
i just personally think the th600/th900 are pretty overpriced for their sonics.

 
Thank you~
 
Yes, that may very well be true. I paid $480 for the TH600 new, which is obviously below MSRP, and the only reason I bought these. Would I pay double that for the TH900 and possibly a bit more refinement, or even MSRP for the TH600? Absolutely not. Although, I don't plan on spending $1,000 on any headphones. As to wether the TH600 is worth $500 for its sonics, I can't tell that yet. And I'm not sure what other headphones are in the same space at substantially less money, though I'd be very curious to try the X2 and see.

 

[SpienerVince]

Still got my HE-400s and I love them, the sound is so smooth! Now paired with the Schiit Fulla these babies rock

 

[Delphiki]

Hey all, just picked these up! Should be here by Thursday. I was temporarily going to only use my PC to power these, but I know that is only a short term solution. My question: Are there any amps you recommend to power these around or under 150 USD? I might be able to stretch by about 25-50 dollars. Thanks.