[icebrain1]

I finally got my HE-400's from the HIFiman service center. Just wanted to let you guys know everything went great.
It has been around a week since sent out my headphones for repairs, well I got them back again incredibly fast since they had to reach China, be serviced, and returned back to Dubai.
Intriguingly though I think they either did a great job repairing my headphones or they sent me a brand new one; with a pair of  ear pads attached (I think Alpha Pads-A).
The headphones fit great once more and everything sounds great with a slightly sharper highs (I think due to the tighter fit cause they seem new).
 
I have achived Aural bliss once more.
This time away from my he-400s gave me a chance to enjoy these wonderful headphones all over again.
My kudos go out to The HiFiMan service.
 
 
Good listening 

 
 
Here are some pics the headphone were returned to me in a hifiman brown box and protected with lots of bubble wrap.

 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Fix the pads were the stitch line matches up on both and both sit next to the front side screws holding the headband. Right now, your pads are horribly misaligned.

edit: Oh, I don't know if the Focus A are even angled, so it may not matter for those.

 

[DavidA]

@icebrain1, those look like the original pleather that come with the HE-400.  Do they have velour on the surface where they touch the side of your head?  The original pleather could be the reason for the slightly sharper highs.

 

[icebrain1]

Fix the pads were the stitch line matches up on both and both sit next to the front side screws holding the headband. Right now, your pads are horribly misaligned.

edit: Oh, I don't know if the Focus A are even angled, so it may not matter for those.

 

  @icebrain1, those look like the original pleather that come with the HE-400.  Do they have velour on the surface where they touch the side of your head?  The original pleather could be the reason for the slightly sharper highs.

They seem to be to be the Focus Pads-A and have the velour in the center, they are slightly angled.
Although, you can see in the pictures, when the stitch lines match up on one ear pad the thick pad is toward the back of my head and the other is to the front, but when i inverse them (one line on the top and one on the bottom) the thicker part is toward the back of my head like it should be.
 
Its not really an issue though since I am still using my Veg Pads, but just wandering.
 
Thanks.

 

[DavidA]

Focus -A, looks like they gave you two left sides, lol

 

[icebrain1]

  Focus -A, looks like they gave you two left sides, lol

HAHA, that explains it.

 

[Alexium]

Hi everyone. I've got stock HE-400 with leather pads, and I was going to sell them because I don't like the frequency response peak at 1KHz. But I've been told that it may possibly be addressed with the Focus pads. So I wonder: FocusPad or FocusPad-A?
 
Did anyone else notice this problem, BTW? I've found one frequency response measurement result, and the peak is there, too.

 

[icebrain1]

  Hi everyone. I've got stock HE-400 with leather pads, and I was going to sell them because I don't like the frequency response peak at 1KHz. But I've been told that it may possibly be addressed with the Focus pads. So I wonder: FocusPad or FocusPad-A?
 
Did anyone else notice this problem, BTW? I've found one frequency response measurement result, and the peak is there, too.

Yes that tend to be the biggest complaint about these, the stock pleathers are pretty terrible for sound. 
Not sure which is better though, I think from the images I saw the focus pads are leather on the side and out with velour only at the top, while the focus pads-a are leather on the outside and velour on the inside an top.
 
on hifimans website it states the that (headfiers liked the linearity of the sound more on the focus pads-A) more than the focus pads, but on the other hand the fit and finish on the focus pads should be better, perhaps though the pleather on the middle could effect the sound weirdly even with the dampening holes there.
 
take a look at the the images on hifimans website,
http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/168
http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/173
 
 
But wait for a reply from someone who tested both of them.
Best of luck and good listening.

 

[coletrain104]

  Hi everyone. I've got stock HE-400 with leather pads, and I was going to sell them because I don't like the frequency response peak at 1KHz. But I've been told that it may possibly be addressed with the Focus pads. So I wonder: FocusPad or FocusPad-A?
 
Did anyone else notice this problem, BTW? I've found one frequency response measurement result, and the peak is there, too.

Pretty sure the 10kHz is the real killer there, even if its slighly less pronounced. Most people are more sensitive to those very-high frequencies. if it bothers you on cymbals, its probably the 10k. Even voices in modern recordings have added energy in those high 8-10 range that can cause sibilance. Also, the focuspads help a tiny bit but if its an obvious annoyance right now, it won't be enough to stop it in my experience.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

10khz is definitely the worst area on the HE-400. 1khz is nothing.

 

[Lohb]

Diameter across on stock pads, focus, focus-A is 10 cms ?

 

[Alexium]

  Pretty sure the 10kHz is the real killer there, even if its slighly less pronounced. Most people are more sensitive to those very-high frequencies. if it bothers you on cymbals, its probably the 10k.

No, I mean 1K, the problem is with some voices, harp etc. Equalizer adjustment of -4 to -5 dB at 1 KHz solves or almost solves the problem.
I noticed no problems whatsoever in any other frequency range, and I have decent monitor headphones to compare HEs to. And yes, I can certainly hear 10K, I'm not that old

 

[Alexium]

  Diameter across on stock pads, focus, focus-A is 10 cms ?

Yep, looks very much like 10 cm.

 

[Kur0]

Does anyone know how a Schiit Vahalla would compare to a Schiit Magni for this headphone?(both original version)
 
I have read conflicting reports on whether a high output impedance would have an effect for planarmagnetic headphones.

 

[Alexium]

IMO the first thing you should do is compare the amp's output impedance to that of the phones. The difference should be at least 10-20 times.
But generally, high output impedance = bad. Why even consider bad tech?