[teofilrocks]

I'd strongly encourage listeners here to heed this advice. After about 5 years of listening to hp's at what I considered a very modest or medium level, I know have developed tinnitus/ringing in the ears. It's constant permanent and incurable. I have no hearing loss as of yet. But this is a real problem that I feel needs more attention. 

So I'm guessing that constant high-pitched sound of a television being on somewhere is not going away for me either? Man, I never thought I listened to music very loudly. Although that one year I went to 13 concerts probably didn't help. Those are loud.

 

[beaver316]

Quote:

Jerg,
is a comparison between HE 400 with J$ and a HE-500 with velours even fair ? I'm listening to the Electric Light Orchestra "Don't Bring Me Down" which has its periods of sibilance. I find little to no difference between the two HPs. I thought the treble was relatively tamed in the 500.

 
Perhaps the sibilants are present in the recording, in which case you should be able to hear it on any headphone.

 

[kothganesh]

Quote:

 
Perhaps the sibilants are present in the recording, in which case you should be able to hear it on any headphone.

You're right. I checked with the LCD 2 as well since my post. Thanks.

 

[Lohb]

If $150 is your limit for a desktop amp ,what would you go for to pair with HFM-400 ?
I guess that price range is strangling it a bit but I'd like something $250-$300 later but trying to juggle my overall budget for 2 sets of cans as well...

 

[Sniping]

Quote:

If $150 is your limit for a desktop amp ,what would you go for to pair with HFM-400 ?
I guess that price range is strangling it a bit but I'd like something $250-$300 later but trying to juggle my overall budget for 2 sets of cans as well...

E17 seems to be highly recommended on this thread.

 

[modulor]

Quote:

If $150 is your limit for a desktop amp ,what would you go for to pair with HFM-400 ?
I guess that price range is strangling it a bit but I'd like something $250-$300 later but trying to juggle my overall budget for 2 sets of cans as well...

The Schiit Magni will be your best bet, as it will provide plenty of power and is fairly neutral.  It's been a popular entry level choice since it was released, and at about $110 shipped to CONUS you can put the rest towards future upgrades.
 
Edit:  As Sniping recommended, the E17 would be another good choice if you'd like the option of portability and/or need a DAC.

 

[Kiont]

The Schiit Magni will be your best bet, as it will provide plenty of power and is fairly neutral.  It's been a popular entry level choice since it was released, and at about $110 shipped to CONUS you can put the rest towards future upgrades.

Edit:  As Sniping recommended, the E17 would be another good choice if you'd like the option of portability and/or need a DAC.

I wanted to add the O2/ODAC, I've been happy with this combo.

I wouldn't recommend the E17 if it's anything like the E07K. I have it and used to like it, but the sound quality difference between the fiio and O2 keeps increasing the more I listed to both. (Almost everyday btw, O2/ODAC at home, E07K at work)

I'm not an expert but the fiio seems to struggle to give power to the HE-400.

again the E07K is not the E17, but it's newer.

 

[Lohb]

I was all for the O2 and then I read it is lacking something,thin bass or something like that.

 

[TMRaven]

The O2/ODAC have no less bass than say, the highly praised Magni/Modi.

 

[Lohb]

Quote:

The O2/ODAC have no less bass than say, the highly praised Magni/Modi.

TMRaven would you run the 400's through your little dot ?
How does it compare to the O2 ?
I see these Little Dot's on ebay as well....!

 

[TMRaven]

I compared the Little Dot against the Objective combo at one point.  I came away selling the Little Dot and keeping the Objectives.  I did the same thing with the Objective combo vs Schiit Stack, but you can read my very detailed review and comparison on that from my sig link.

 

[Lohb]

Quote:

I compared the Little Dot against the Objective combo at one point.  I came away selling the Little Dot and keeping the Objectives.  I did the same thing with the Objective combo vs Schiit Stack, but you can read my very detailed review and comparison on that from my sig link.

 


Already read it.
My kind of review !

 

[stereolab]

Quote:

 
I'd strongly encourage listeners here to heed this advice. After about 5 years of listening to hp's at what I considered a very modest or medium level, I know have developed tinnitus/ringing in the ears. It's constant permanent and incurable. I have no hearing loss as of yet. But this is a real problem that I feel needs more attention. 

 
This. Tinnitus is such a maddening ailment, although years of drumming and concert-going are more the culprit in my case. I find headphones provide a nice distraction, but I continually have to be wary of volume. Protect your hearing folks!

 

[Ohnoitztotoro]

Quote:

I compared the Little Dot against the Objective combo at one point.  I came away selling the Little Dot and keeping the Objectives.  I did the same thing with the Objective combo vs Schiit Stack, but you can read my very detailed review and comparison on that from my sig link.

Yeah quite honestly I did not like the little dot paired with the HE-400. I was very underwhelmed the first time I listened to these headphones through a little dot amp. At first I thought it was the headphones that were off but I hooked up the HE-400 to a different amp and realized the pairing was just not working for me. 

 

[beaver316]

Quote:

 
This. Tinnitus is such a maddening ailment, although years of drumming and concert-going are more the culprit in my case. I find headphones provide a nice distraction, but I continually have to be wary of volume. Protect your hearing folks!

 
Having people around me constantly keeps me from raising the volume on my he400, so I guess Im fortunate in that regard. But still it's kind of annoying not having much privacy when I really want to rock out. I really feel for anyone suffering from tinnitus, an audiophile's worst nightmare.