[IEMCrazy]

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Yeah, I think I'm not going to do it. Just can't get excited enough about them.

 
How can IF not review one of the more popular headphones in its price range? Blasphemy!

 
Yeah, they do a few things wrong in the upper mids, but they get a lot of things right for the price point...I mean it's not like they're asking you to re-review the Ed. 10

 

[preproman]

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Yeah, I think I'm not going to do it. Just can't get excited enough about them.

 

 

[MattTCG]

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Yeah, I think I'm not going to do it. Just can't get excited enough about them.

 
Wow...Tyll on my lowly thread. 

 I feel a little tingly all over. jk...kinda
 
After seeing how much attention you have given the m100, you gotta give the he400 a little Tyll love!!

 

[jerg]

I don't blame him, it's always been the case that Tyll favours something in-between "full neutral" and "forward rolled-off" sound signatures, and HE400s are the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Even if he deems these to be good headphones, the review would be conflicting because in terms of his personal preferences this is very unlikeable.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Have you modded your KSC35s (kramer / headband etc)?

I've been eyeing them for a while now, the kramer + headband modded KSC75s are fantastic but if there is potential of an additional big boost in SQ with just $30 more, I'm tempted to just snag a pair. Though IMO the price is a bit ridiculous for at least what quality of material you get with KSC35...heck it looks even cheaper than KSC75.

No reason for me to mod them. I like them as is. I'm not a modder. I tried the quarter pad mod, and Sennheiser pad mod on the KSC75 and it made them horrible to me. That was the last thing I bothered doing. The only thing I wanna do to the KSC35 is get a pair of KSC75s, and use the clips for it, which are 1000% more comfy. I had both on hand last time, but I bent the KSC75 clips and couldn't get them back to their original shape. The only problem I see, its that the 75's clips puts the drivers a little further, making it lose some SQ.... though that WAS with the bent clips, so maybe it will be better with a fresh pair.


As for the HE-4's half planar design, it honestly doesn't matter. It sounds organic, and very much like the HE400, just better balanced. I think they should try the half planar design again, if only for the massive increase in comfort due to less weight. I LIKE that they are unique that way.

 

[Madmollusk]

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I don't blame him, it's always been the case that Tyll favours something in-between "full neutral" and "forward rolled-off" sound signatures, and HE400s are the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Even if he deems these to be good headphones, the review would be conflicting because in terms of his personal preferences this is very unlikeable.

 
What you say makes perfect sense, and what's more, I would like to thank Tyll for taking the time to post here, succinct as his post was. But I must confess, such a cavalier dismissal chafes just a little bit, in part, because I'm so enamored with these dang headphones. And let me tell you: I seldom ever feel this way about tech. Oh well. I'm quite sure we will all cheerfully continue to praise, in our own plebeian ways, the virtues of these headphones, and maybe someday Tyll (sage headphone guru that he is) will reconside--  Nah, I won't even go there. 

 

[jerg]

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No reason for me to mod them. I like them as is. I'm not a modder. I tried the quarter pad mod, and Sennheiser pad mod on the KSC75 and it made them horrible to me. That was the last thing I bothered doing. The only thing I wanna do to the KSC35 is get a pair of KSC75s, and use the clips for it, which are 1000% more comfy. I had both on hand last time, but I bent the KSC75 clips and couldn't get them back to their original shape. The only problem I see, its that the 75's clips puts the drivers a little further, making it lose some SQ.... though that WAS with the bent clips, so maybe it will be better with a fresh pair.
As for the HE-4's half planar design, it honestly doesn't matter. It sounds organic, and very much like the HE400, just better balanced. I think they should try the half planar design again, if only for the massive increase in comfort due to less weight. I LIKE that they are unique that way.

 
That's the main reason why a headband mod makes these (and I bet the KSC35s too) all the better; it pushes the drivers even closer to the ears, makes a complete seal, and really makes the bass kick because of that.
 
Kramer mod is optional but it does bring some improved clarity to the sound because there is just more direct air between the diaphragms and the ears.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I don't want a headband. I love the clip ons, because no matter what I do, they stay in place. Perfect for work. I literally have them on for like 6 hours at work, even if I'm not listening to anything. They disappear.

 

[tuna47]

I love the he400 could not care if tyll likes them or not

 

[Errymoose]

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I love the he400 could not care if tyll likes them or not

^^ This. I don't need someone to tell me what to like.  I'm always interested in other people's opinions, but you can only ever completely trust yourself.

 

[jerg]

Haha, I just found something very cool - the ORIGINAL grill-modding effort on Hifiman headphones was by none other than Fang himself:
 
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/hifiman/system_3.html (scroll down about 3/4 way, starting @ "postscript" section)
 
Interestingly enough, Fang himself there used bare grills with his own 5LEs and "

The first prototype was made without grill cloth. It has been used for more than four years without any problems.

"
 

So perhaps the protective dust cover really is unnecessary?

 

[MattTCG]

^^ Wow!! I had actually read that article way back before I bought the he400 and completely forgotten about the reference to the grill mod once the topic came up on this thread. Nice work Jerg!!

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

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I love the he400 could not care if tyll likes them or not

 
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^^ This. I don't need someone to tell me what to like.  I'm always interested in other people's opinions, but you can only ever completely trust yourself.

 
Exactly. I wish more folks could take this stance.
 
The problem is if I write a wishy-washy review, it'll do damage to what for many are a headphone that delivers good value. So it's really better to just shut up and let the rest of the market do its thing.
 
Also, I do keep coming back here to remind myself to give them another try some day soon. Maybe I was just having a bad day when I tried them previously.  Maybe listening to your comments will cause me to be better predisposed to enjoy these cans for what they are. I'm on the fence and know it. Not gonna solidify my tenuous position with a review when a might like them more later.
 
Have fun guys.

 

[IEMCrazy]

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Exactly. I wish more folks could take this stance.
 
The problem is if I write a wishy-washy review, it'll do damage to what for many are a headphone that delivers good value. So it's really better to just shut up and let the rest of the market do its thing.
 
Also, I do keep coming back here to remind myself to give them another try some day soon. Maybe I was just having a bad day when I tried them previously.  Maybe listening to your comments will cause me to be better predisposed to enjoy these cans for what they are. I'm on the fence and know it. Not gonna solidify my tenuous position with a review when a might like them more later.
 
Have fun guys.

 
A wise enough position!  I'd say, I'm not sure if you used the pleather or velour pads, but since the overwhelming majority of fans that like the headphone insist on the velour, if you try them agan and try to acclimate yourself to the, be certain to use the velour pads.  IMO I really don't know why HFM insists on selling those pleather pads.  They do nothing but harm the sound on all of the HE-series.  They really need to just discontinue them or fully redesign them.  With the velours, to me personally, even though they're voiced differently, I've found HE-400 to have much in common with HE-6.  HE-6 does everything better, but for $400 or less it has a sufficient portion of the HE-6 magic to make it outstanding for the money.  Then again...last I checked you weren't a huge HE-6 fan, so preference may be at work across the HE-series for you

 

[TMRaven]

Speaking of HE-6, all the HE-6 followers are pulling the speaker amp card on Tyll's 'comparing world class headphones review.'  It'd be interesting if Tyll revisited the HE-6 with whatever speaker amp the HE-6 are known to sound good off of, and sees if he agrees or disagrees with the speaker amp followers.