Hifiman HE-400i and HE-560: From CES to Pre-Launch
Feb 21, 2014 at 4:35 PM Post #1,996 of 3,091

I am 99% sure a HiFiMAN rep mentioned it here.
But that was a few weeks, possibly months, back so it could have changed a bit.
 
He said that the 400i will be tuned more towards 500 and he 560 being more tuned towards 6.
How much and how similar they will be is still up for grabs though...
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 4:59 PM Post #1,998 of 3,091
  I am 100% sure TeamHiFiMAN mentioned it here.
But that was a few weeks, possibly months, back so it could have changed a bit.
 
He said that the 400i will be tuned more towards 500 and he 560 being more tuned towards 6.
How much and how similar they will be is still up for grabs though...

Exactly.
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 5:02 PM Post #1,999 of 3,091
  I am 99% sure a HiFiMAN rep mentioned it here.
But that was a few weeks, possibly months, back so it could have changed a bit.
 
He said that the 400i will be tuned more towards 500 and he 560 being more tuned towards 6.
How much and how similar they will be is still up for grabs though...

I too recall this...it seems the main goal with tweaking the HE-400i at this point is to improve on efficiency, but the goal of having a similar signature to the HE-500 remains relatively the same which is good news.  As long as it has a fairly rich/fullness to it, and sweet mids...I'd be game.  I can imagine the tuning process to be quite difficult when you're trying to increase efficiency and retain the same signature, especially with the single sided magnet.  I'm curious how the diaphragms/housing will look, and if the tracings will be in a different configuration as a result (or as a way to increase said efficiency).  I'm on the edge of my seat!
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 5:19 PM Post #2,000 of 3,091
  I too recall this...it seems the main goal with tweaking the HE-400i at this point is to improve on efficiency, but the goal of having a similar signature to the HE-500 remains relatively the same which is good news.  As long as it has a fairly rich/fullness to it, and sweet mids...I'd be game.  I can imagine the tuning process to be quite difficult when you're trying to increase efficiency and retain the same signature, especially with the single sided magnet.  I'm curious how the diaphragms/housing will look, and if the tracings will be in a different configuration as a result (or as a way to increase said efficiency).  I'm on the edge of my seat!

Indeed!
I mean I wish they both released simultaneously as I'd love to have them both directly compared but as it stands now, I can't wait another month or two for the 400i. I couldn't take it.
 
On the other hand, if it means the 400i gains a significant efficiency boasts by further tweaking the drivers, by all means HiFiMAN should take their time and make it as efficient as they can.
 
Nevertheless, as soon as the 560 pre-order appears, I am game I guess.
I've been waiting for a HiFiMAN headphone since selling the HE-6. The 560 should be efficient enough for my Mstage [though it used to be 90db, it might get even better] and the tonality was very appealing to me.
If the 560 is a bit more weighty HE-6, retaining most of its bells and whistles, more efficient and lighter/comfier, then that's basically a dream come true :]
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 7:01 PM Post #2,001 of 3,091
Balance is key word. I don't expect the refinement. Just the balance

I certainly expect refinement for $900 haha.  My K712 is almost perfect on tonal balance IMO but falls just short in overall refinement from the top flagships.
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 7:47 PM Post #2,002 of 3,091
  I certainly expect refinement for $900 haha.  My K712 is almost perfect on tonal balance IMO but falls just short in overall refinement from the top flagships.

He is talking about the HE400i ($500).
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 8:44 PM Post #2,004 of 3,091
Jerg, give me your EF6
mad.gif

 
Lol. Just curious, is there anyway to decrease the decay time for the lower frequencies??
 
Feb 21, 2014 at 9:12 PM Post #2,005 of 3,091
I went back in the thread.  you all are correct in the goals for the 400i and 560.  It will interesting how they implement.  while the 400 treble is a little messy, it was crisper and had more high end then the 500, which I liked.  So.. hoping they don't just make the 400i as muddy as the 500.
 
Feb 22, 2014 at 10:34 AM Post #2,007 of 3,091
  I went back in the thread.  you all are correct in the goals for the 400i and 560.  It will interesting how they implement.  while the 400 treble is a little messy, it was crisper and had more high end then the 500, which I liked.  So.. hoping they don't just make the 400i as muddy as the 500.

I have a feeling the Single Sided Magnet will still retain some of the air that previous Single Mag hifimans have had, I own the HE 4 [great ORTHO] and I hear the HE 5 and HE 5LE also had a lot of treble energy, still as many have hoped for an expected it should be EPIC
 
Feb 22, 2014 at 10:41 AM Post #2,008 of 3,091
  I have a feeling the Single Sided Magnet will still retain some of the air that previous Single Mag hifimans have had, I own the HE 4 [great ORTHO] and I hear the HE 5 and HE 5LE also had a lot of treble energy, still as many have hoped for an expected it should be EPIC

are they able to retain also the bass of the He-400 in the 400i? I hope it....
 
Feb 22, 2014 at 3:30 PM Post #2,010 of 3,091
   
It's interesting though that while the He-400 and the He-6 had several revisions if not more the He-500 while released at the same timeframe/period didn't undergo many revisions. The only revision I had possibly read about was to the He-500 earpads from the Techpowerup June 2011 article (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Head-Direct/HE-500/2.html). The He-500 that the Techpowerup reviewer may have had could have been a pre-production or review unit. Amazon lists the He-500 release date as July 2011 so this is quite possible.

I know HE500 had a cosmetic change, where they changed the outer shells from a matt gunmetal finish to a glossy one. Earpads did change when they updated them from the old flimsy clear plastic tabs to the new detachable black plastic mounting rings.
 

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