[sgt244]

Hey guys, I am new to the "higher end" headphone world... 
 
The most Ive spent on a pair has been around $150...
 
I am ready for a commitment as I wear headphones dam near ALL day at my computer desk while on the computer either listening to music/ watching a movie/ or playing games...
 
I REALLY LIKE the look of these HE-400 they look amazing and I wouldn't at all mind paying near $400 for them IF THEY ARE REALLY WORTH IT....
 
Ive been reading through the forums and you guys have dam near sold me on them... 
 
But I just wanted to make sure ...
 
SO, all i listen to are things like vocal trance, "technoish" stuff along with.. dance music... (armin van buuren for example..) .. obviously this all includes ALOT ALOT of bass and "beats"... 
 
I want a headphone that is going to "WAW" me.... I DONT listen to anything else ... pretty much ALL my music is trance/techno/drum and bass/dance/chillstep/even dubstep occasionally Ill listen to rock too but thats not my primary concern at all... My main enjoyment is to listen to trance/dance..ect.ect.. (again things like armin van buuren and other things related to this genre)  
 
This headphone is at the VERY TOP( honestly too much, but i could swing it =/)  of my budget, as ive just built a brand new PC.. that I rather not say the price of! =p... this is why I am bothering you all with this post!
 
It is to my understanding that if I get this high-end of a headphone I will need an AMP...? and MAYBE even a soundcard for my PC..? I intend on using them for my PC full time.. (Please suggest which ones i should purchase to choose to really bring these He-400's to their full potential) also, why do i need to get these things..(what would they "do" for me) 
 
Currently I dont have a soundcard for my motherboard and Ive been here with my computer for a few weeks and im rather "hungry" for a VERY GOOD pair of "cans" as you all call them! (my mobo   has a PCI-E slot available ..it does not have a PCI slot) 
 
I feel as though a HUGE experience that I have while on the computer is the sound.. which at the current time is less then satisfying =/ 
 
Please guys, any help will be much appreciated! (sorry for rambling on)! 
 
My e-mail is aaj4000@yahoo.com if you'd rather contact me like that.. Though I will be checking in on this thread as well .. 
 
Thanks again!

 

[nicholars]

  Hey guys, I am new to the "higher end" headphone world... 
 
The most Ive spent on a pair has been around $150...
 
I am ready for a commitment as I wear headphones dam near ALL day at my computer desk while on the computer either listening to music/ watching a movie/ or playing games...
 
I REALLY LIKE the look of these HE-400 they look amazing and I wouldn't at all mind paying near $400 for them IF THEY ARE REALLY WORTH IT....
 
Ive been reading through the forums and you guys have dam near sold me on them... 
 
But I just wanted to make sure ...
 
SO, all i listen to are things like vocal trance, "technoish" stuff along with.. dance music... (armin van buuren for example..) .. obviously this all includes ALOT ALOT of bass and "beats"... 
 
I want a headphone that is going to "WAW" me.... I DONT listen to anything else ... pretty much ALL my music is trance/techno/drum and bass/dance/chillstep/even dubstep occasionally Ill listen to rock too but thats not my primary concern at all... My main enjoyment is to listen to trance/dance..ect.ect.. (again things like armin van buuren and other things related to this genre)  
 

 
Yes get the HE400 and a Xonar STX or if you want something cheaper some used Denon D2/5000... Both are excellent for those genres.

 

[amigomatt]

My HD598s get more head time than my HE-400s. Some of you may not understand that, but until I try my new pads ordered from Modulor, the failings of the HE-400 are too much of a distraction from the music for me, unfortunately. There's a certain presence in the mids of the 598s that is much more involving for me. Add in their comfort and I end up listening to music and not a headphone. I'm truly hoping for something great to happen with these pads. If not, I'll have to sell on and go higher up the ladder (HE-500 or maybe T1).

 

[catspaw]

  Hey guys, I am new to the "higher end" headphone world... 
 
The most Ive spent on a pair has been around $150...
 
I am ready for a commitment as I wear headphones dam near ALL day at my computer desk while on the computer either listening to music/ watching a movie/ or playing games...
 
I REALLY LIKE the look of these HE-400 they look amazing and I wouldn't at all mind paying near $400 for them IF THEY ARE REALLY WORTH IT....
 
Ive been reading through the forums and you guys have dam near sold me on them... 
 
But I just wanted to make sure ...
 
SO, all i listen to are things like vocal trance, "technoish" stuff along with.. dance music... (armin van buuren for example..) .. obviously this all includes ALOT ALOT of bass and "beats"... 
 
I want a headphone that is going to "WAW" me.... I DONT listen to anything else ... pretty much ALL my music is trance/techno/drum and bass/dance/chillstep/even dubstep occasionally Ill listen to rock too but thats not my primary concern at all... My main enjoyment is to listen to trance/dance..ect.ect.. (again things like armin van buuren and other things related to this genre)  
 
This headphone is at the VERY TOP( honestly too much, but i could swing it =/)  of my budget, as ive just built a brand new PC.. that I rather not say the price of! =p... this is why I am bothering you all with this post!
 
It is to my understanding that if I get this high-end of a headphone I will need an AMP...? and MAYBE even a soundcard for my PC..? I intend on using them for my PC full time.. (Please suggest which ones i should purchase to choose to really bring these He-400's to their full potential) also, why do i need to get these things..(what would they "do" for me) 
 
Currently I dont have a soundcard for my motherboard and Ive been here with my computer for a few weeks and im rather "hungry" for a VERY GOOD pair of "cans" as you all call them! (my mobo   has a PCI-E slot available ..it does not have a PCI slot) 
 
I feel as though a HUGE experience that I have while on the computer is the sound.. which at the current time is less then satisfying =/ 
 
Please guys, any help will be much appreciated! (sorry for rambling on)! 
 
My e-mail is aaj4000@yahoo.com if you'd rather contact me like that.. Though I will be checking in on this thread as well .. 
 
Thanks again!

 
 
First thing id sugest is that you test those headphones.
I had the chance to do so and i knew in under 30 seconds that i was going to buy this headphone. However there are people who dont enjoy it (thats where sound signature comes in).
 
In the end i enjoy this headphone after a few mods and a little EQ, but some of those were required. 
The most common problem people have with this headphone is the treble spike. Most people get a huge problem with this in the firs 50 hours of litening. In other words, its normal to get fatigue from it untill your brain gets used to it. Personally i still decided to lower the treble a bit, but thats personal preference.
 
About if you need a new soundcard amp etc.... Well you actually DONT need it, but it sure helps.
Lets start with the most important info:
 
-The Headphones will have the most impact in sound quality, no doubt about it. This means that once you get those, and get that *WOW* effect (assuming you do, this is very subjective), everything else you improve will not give you that big of a jump in terms of quality (well... we are not taking in consideration 10k+ equipment here). In terms of improvment this would be a 100%
 
-The amp is probably the second best thing to improve. While DAC (sound card is basicly a DAC for you) is definitly responsible for the quality and sound signature of the music/sounds, the amp is the "meat" in your lunch. This does not mean it will sound "better", but it means that everything that should sound good will be easier to hear.
When a headphone does not recive enought power, bass seems to have less power for example, soundstage is reduced, high notes can distor a bit.... etc.
In terms of improvment, this would be a 20%
 
-The DAC or soundcard is basicly a converter, so while there are extremly expensive ones, even normal onboard audio from a PC is actually quite good. Most people think sound cards like Creative are flat out "better" and thats why they sound "better", but in reality they are a bit better, and have a sound signature that "wows" people more. This means more bass 90% of the times and a forward midrange. This improvment can be a 5-10% in my expirience, but it even can be no upgrade at all depending on what signature you like. I advice you to leave this component for last.
 
-Cables, pads, etc, those are cosmetics to be done if you really want to experiment. Personally i only do this for comfort.
 
The first thing that will probably happen if you use this headphone with no amp is that you will think its rather quiet (its not actually, but the quality is so good it tends to feel that way).
Your absolute best bet is to grab a MP3 player or your laptop or something similar and go to a store where they let you demo a HE-400 and an amp.
 
As far as HE-400 goes, Schiit audio reommends a Asgard amp before the lyr (lyr is more expensive, has more power and is generally better, so they are recommending their cheaper model, wich i think is something few companies do nowdays), so you dont need a monster amp to get the best out of the HE-400 (or at least its not worth the money at some point).
 
The great thing about this headphone is the fact that it actually can run rather nice from a strong mp3, so you can take them with you if you want to risk it (like I do).
 
The last thing that is complex is the weight. These babiesgave me problems for about 2 months in terms of weight. After that my neck adjusted and now I can use them for over 5 hours.

 

[Makiah S]

  Hey guys, I am new to the "higher end" headphone world... 
 
The most Ive spent on a pair has been around $150...
 
I am ready for a commitment as I wear headphones dam near ALL day at my computer desk while on the computer either listening to music/ watching a movie/ or playing games...
 
I REALLY LIKE the look of these HE-400 they look amazing and I wouldn't at all mind paying near $400 for them IF THEY ARE REALLY WORTH IT....
 
Ive been reading through the forums and you guys have dam near sold me on them... 
 
But I just wanted to make sure ...
 
SO, all i listen to are things like vocal trance, "technoish" stuff along with.. dance music... (armin van buuren for example..) .. obviously this all includes ALOT ALOT of bass and "beats"... 
 
I want a headphone that is going to "WAW" me.... I DONT listen to anything else ... pretty much ALL my music is trance/techno/drum and bass/dance/chillstep/even dubstep occasionally Ill listen to rock too but thats not my primary concern at all... My main enjoyment is to listen to trance/dance..ect.ect.. (again things like armin van buuren and other things related to this genre)  
 
This headphone is at the VERY TOP( honestly too much, but i could swing it =/)  of my budget, as ive just built a brand new PC.. that I rather not say the price of! =p... this is why I am bothering you all with this post!
 
It is to my understanding that if I get this high-end of a headphone I will need an AMP...? and MAYBE even a soundcard for my PC..? I intend on using them for my PC full time.. (Please suggest which ones i should purchase to choose to really bring these He-400's to their full potential) also, why do i need to get these things..(what would they "do" for me) 
 
Currently I dont have a soundcard for my motherboard and Ive been here with my computer for a few weeks and im rather "hungry" for a VERY GOOD pair of "cans" as you all call them! (my mobo   has a PCI-E slot available ..it does not have a PCI slot) 
 
I feel as though a HUGE experience that I have while on the computer is the sound.. which at the current time is less then satisfying =/ 
 
Please guys, any help will be much appreciated! (sorry for rambling on)! 
 
My e-mail is aaj4000@yahoo.com if you'd rather contact me like that.. Though I will be checking in on this thread as well .. 
 
Thanks again!

Try not to give out your eMail in Public forums [unless it's a spam box]
 
but I spend about $500 on mine :x... that includes new pads and a new cable. So that said it is a very good headphone.  But you might not need a sound card but rather go with a USB Dac/Amp... what is your price range for a Sound Card or External Sound/Amp
 
Still if your listening to mostly EDM... these are pretty kickin! 

 

[nicholars]

My HD598s get more head time than my HE-400s. Some of you may not understand that, but until I try my new pads ordered from Modulor, the failings of the HE-400 are too much of a distraction from the music for me, unfortunately. There's a certain presence in the mids of the 598s that is much more involving for me. Add in their comfort and I end up listening to music and not a headphone. I'm truly hoping for something great to happen with these pads. If not, I'll have to sell on and go higher up the ladder (HE-500 or maybe T1).

 
Although I agree with you to some extent if you are talking about the treble on the HE400 etc... I would feel the same about the HD598's... That the "failings of the HD598 are too much of a distraction from the music for me" Depends on what you are looking for a what genres you listen to... You should try using EQ as well as the new pads and it makes a big difference on the HE400 if you have not tried that yet. Personally I cannot even listen to the HE400 with no EQ because the treble hurts my ears...

 

[Thujone]

My HD598s get more head time than my HE-400s. Some of you may not understand that, but until I try my new pads ordered from Modulor, the failings of the HE-400 are too much of a distraction from the music for me, unfortunately. There's a certain presence in the mids of the 598s that is much more involving for me. Add in their comfort and I end up listening to music and not a headphone. I'm truly hoping for something great to happen with these pads. If not, I'll have to sell on and go higher up the ladder (HE-500 or maybe T1).

What are the things about the HE-400 that you don't like? The pads will help tame the treble a little bit, but you may still require EQ for certain tracks (I do anyway).

 

[Makiah S]

Might be selling my AGD NFB 10ES2 [need to dwon size might be moving] going to try a RSA Protector actually [if I can get a sale on my NFB] sourced from my hm801

 

[TMRaven]

  What are the things about the HE-400 that you don't like? The pads will help tame the treble a little bit, but you may still require EQ for certain tracks (I do anyway).

 
I'm assuming it's the laid-back upper-mids.  HD598 is the exact opposite in that area. Upper-mids tend to provide a lot of the energy within the music.  It's why some people looove grados, and why some hate them.  HE-400 has that same polarizing effect, only for the opposite reason.

 

[Makiah S]

   
I'm assuming it's the laid-back upper-mids.  HD598 is the exact opposite in that area. Upper-mids tend to provide a lot of the energy within the music.  It's why some people looove grados, and why some hate them.  HE-400 has that same polarizing effect, only for the opposite reason.

:O I might like graods then :x
 
I like the upper mid boost in my pb1, although the pb1 gives the dt 880 TO much upper mid... 

 

[hifimanrookie]

A bit oftpic..

Hey peeps! ayone in europe interested in a jerg pad modded (by modulor), grill modded he500 thats bought last year in oktober at madooma.de? (Pics in my profile) I am thinking bout getting myself a different phone..
Price is 600euro excl. postage in europe and paypal fees.. U all know i care about my stuff like they are my kids... So its nobrainer!

for europeans this is a excellent deal..especially because its modded (original cable never used and its with the better carying case..not the bulky rubbish jewelery case)
Pm me if ur interested.

Sorry for the oftopic post guys..but just got a deal i cant resist on the other phone..so wanna sell it fast.lolz

 

[Thujone]

If that's a good deal, the HE-500 must be insanely expensive in Europe...

 

[hifimanrookie]

If that's a good deal, the HE-500 must be insanely expensive in Europe...

Yep it is...as u maybe know..hifiman pricing of 699 is for all the world...699usd, 699GBP!!, 699eur
Thats why i said for europeans...

Ps..the he6 is 1299euro here! And there its 1299usd! Thats a HUGE difference because of the differences of euro to the usd..and the pricing of hifiman..

 

[nicholars]

  If that's a good deal, the HE-500 must be insanely expensive in Europe...

 
It does not work out much cheaper to buy things from the USA either because in the UK we have to pay about 25% tax and customs charges so by the time you have added that back on it almost costs as much as the USA price but in UK £ so it is 25% more expensive + international postage in the UK If you convert the final UK price back into $$$ it would cost $880!
 
Nobody tried my EQ out then? ... You can add a 1-2 DB onto the upper mids as well but for some reason when I do that it sounds sort of odd to me, I would like more upper mids but I do not think the HE400 were designed to have them so it sounds a bit odd to me.

 

[hifimanrookie]

It does not work out much cheaper to buy things from the USA either because in the UK we have to pay about 25% tax and customs charges so by the time you have added that back on it almost costs as much as the USA price but in UK £ so it is 25% more expensive + international postage in the UK If you convert the final UK price back into $$$ it would cost $880!

I feel ur pain my friend

Here in the netherlands we even pay about 35% over the price AND postage together!! So as i said before...my phone with the mods is a good deal..for any UK and european citizen.

And to be honest..i hate u U US guys... U get everything so cheaply compared to us poor europeans and u dont even cherish that or even think its expensive..lolz