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**Hifiman HE-400 Impressions and Discussion Thread**
Mar 8, 2013 at 3:28 PM Post #8,357 of 22,116
Quote:
jerg said:
Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. 
rolleyes.gif

 
The distance that the J$s puts the ears away from the drivers accentuates treble and bass relative to midrange, it's not even a matter of damping. Midrange becomes more prominent (relative to treble and bass) when your ears are closer to the drivers, try it, it is an apparent effect even sans earpads. 
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Well I can clearly hear a more prominent midrange on the J$s, and I don't think distance from the driver is all that matters in this case.
The opening is smaller on the J$s, and the pads are cylinder shaped. This might cause an increase in the upper midrange since the sound waves are more concentrated. And are less spread out.
 
I can clearly hear a more prominent midrange, I'm not saying you're wrong, maybe the dimensions on our pads were slightly different? We all know the J$s aren't perfect.
 
Mar 8, 2013 at 3:35 PM Post #8,361 of 22,116
Speaking of Foobar 2000 EQ, is there a commonly used configuration that helps "balance" the 400 anyone could share?
 
I must say the 400's are growing on me a bit. I'm likely just not used to such a revealing headphone. I still feel a "hollowness" exists, but man that bass sure is satisfying.
 
Mar 8, 2013 at 3:36 PM Post #8,363 of 22,116
All I can say I WOW, the imaging and separation is like nothing I've ever heard before not to mention the detail.  Also the mids are amazing and not to recessed at all and the bass is super clean and impactful with great depth, ok I'm done typing back to musical bliss.
 
Oh one thing I hate is the huge cord, its very cumbersome.
 
Mar 8, 2013 at 3:38 PM Post #8,364 of 22,116
Quote:
marleybob217 said:
Well I can clearly hear a more prominent midrange on the J$s, and I don't think distance from the driver is all that matters in this case.
The opening is smaller on the J$s, and the pads are cylinder shaped. This might cause an increase in the upper midrange since the sound waves are more concentrated. And are less spread out.
 
I can clearly hear a more prominent midrange, I'm not saying you're wrong, maybe the dimensions on our pads were slightly different? We all know the J$s aren't perfect.
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I dunno but that just sounds like speculations without any real basis. 
 
In terms of variations between J$s, practically it is only cosmetic differences, which should not at all discernible constitute sound variations. The difference between J$s and other pads are overwhelmingly more drastic (completely different materials/dimensions/shapes/damping).
 
Maybe you could contact purrin and see if he is interested in measuring the J$ pads on HE500s or HE400s; the results could be compared against stock / jergpad measurements.
 
 
 
 

ninjames said:
Hah I just don't understand measurements, is all.
 
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If you think discussions about headphone measurement compensation is nerdy, you've seen nothing yet. Speaker-talk is leagues ahead in terms of convolutedness and nerd-level (aka tend to delve much deeper into actual acoustic sciences).
 
Mar 8, 2013 at 6:45 PM Post #8,367 of 22,116
You guys certainly do sound like HE-400 apologists, especially when claims that the HE-400 is as good as the LCD-2 are thrown around. 
 
I'm convinced the HE-400 is a good, but flawed headphone. Vocals disappear behind the drums, hi-hats, and instruments when they clearly shouldn't. Sibilance is a frequent problem and treble balance is also an issue. The "thinness" of the overall sound is also a negative. Plus, the lack of decent bass impact with velours and a less-than-ideal subbass extension. 
 
In the end the HE-400 is very technically adept but I don't think I can call it "musical". It doesn't make the music fun and engaging the way my D2000s did, for instance (and I'm sure there's a multitude of headphones that can be described as more musical in or around this price range). 
 
Mar 8, 2013 at 6:56 PM Post #8,368 of 22,116
Quote:
jiggahwhat said:
You guys certainly do sound like HE-400 apologists, especially when claims that the HE-400 is as good as the LCD-2 are thrown around. 
 
I'm convinced the HE-400 is a good, but flawed headphone. Vocals disappear behind the drums, hi-hats, and instruments when they clearly shouldn't. Sibilance is a frequent problem and treble balance is also an issue. The "thinness" of the overall sound is also a negative. Plus, the lack of decent bass impact with velours and a less-than-ideal subbass extension. 
 
In the end the HE-400 is very technically adept but I don't think I can call it "musical". It doesn't make the music fun and engaging the way my D2000s did, for instance (and I'm sure there's a multitude of headphones that can be described as more musical in or around this price range). 
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I was with you on the "sometimes sibilant" but you lost me on the lack of Bass. I had a set of HE400s and they were anything but "bass light". Quite the opposite for me. I thought they had fantastic Bass /shrug. 
 
Mar 8, 2013 at 6:59 PM Post #8,369 of 22,116
Have you heard the LCD2, jiggawhat?  If you think the HE-400 lacks bass impact and extension, then you will think the same with the LCD2.
 
If you think the D2000 is fun and engaging next to the HE-400, then you would probably think of the LCD2 as even less fun and engaging.
 
I auditioned both for several days on my personal time-- which is more than say comparing at a meet or at a store, and I personally think the HE-400 comes close to LCD2.
 
You might like the D2000 a lot in comparison, but don't say musical in comparison.  Musical is an ambiguous word with no meaning, it merely describes what a person thinks is more enjoyable to them, and it differs from person to person quite a lot.
 
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