YtseJamer
Headphoneus Supremus
No, absolutely not. Quicky, give me the seller's contact info.
http://www.razordogaudio.com/collections/hifiman/products/hifiman-he-400i-full-size-planar-magnetic-headphone-open-box
Hifiman he-400i Impressions and Discussion
- Thread starter MattTCG
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http://www.razordogaudio.com/collections/hifiman/products/hifiman-he-400i-full-size-planar-magnetic-headphone-open-box
MattTCG
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I suppose that there is more than one.
SoAmusing777
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Holy crap. That's a GO for anyone at that price. My goodness, and I thought I had it good at $450 with 10% off. Sheesh. I didn't even plan on getting these headphones, but at this price it's REALLY hard not to buy them just for the sheer fact of review/hearing purposes. Ugh, must... resist...
wje
Unmodified = Not worth listening to.
I was able to log more time with the HE-400i headphones well into the early morning hours today. The stock cable is a bit of an unruly little bugger. Fortunately, I had another cable to use which resolved my issues with the stock cable.
My main focus again was on female vocals. I can still detect a small bit of sibilants in female vocals. It is nowhere near what I experienced with the HE-400 though. If I were to describe the sound of the HE-400i at this point in time, and in an single word, I'd call it: Polite. The sound brought back some memories of when I had the HE-500 in the past. The sound - to my ears, was really quite smooth. There were not any frequency issues that shot out at me or seemed to be present.
I think for many of us who purchased the original HE-400 a few years back, we were really impressed by the bass. That was really a strong point of the original HE-400. The HE-400i, though, doesn't come across as being nearly as aggressive in the bass department. It's strong - in all the right ways. However, with some genres, owners of the HE-400 might have found it to be the perfect headphone for them. I'd hate to portray that the HE-400i could out-do the old 400 in some of those areas. For many of us who were quite impressed with the HE-400, we quickly set our sights on the HE-500 because hearing what the HE-400 could do, we thought the HE-500 could provide more. Between the HE-400i and HE-500, there does appear to be similarities in sound (from what I can recall). When one would move to the HE-500, they could appreciate the better balance to the sound, yet would notice a bit less bass. The sound signature of the HE-500 did come across as a more refined sound though.
With the HE-400i, I feel that it was good to have owned the HE-400 in the past because it could allow one to appreciate what the totally revised HE-400i offers. The comfort is far superior over the HE-400 and HE-500 models. HifiMan really seemed to pay a lot of attention into getting the fit options right so that the headphone would be able to accommodate a wider array of a listener's head shape, ear position, etc. I can't say enough good things about the slimming down of the HE-400i when it comes to that 2 oz. decrease in weight. It really does make a difference. On extended periods of listening, the HE-400i is getting near where I would have placed the HD-600 or HD-650 from a comfort perspective. For the Sennheisers would permit longer listening sessions due to the comfort and fit that many would find comfortable.
I'm content at the moment where I am. Maybe down the line, I'd like to have the option to try the HE-560, just to see how the two would vary with sound, etc. I've found that I'm a bit more laid back in the headphone scene than I was a few years ago. Receiving a new pair of headphones every few weeks prevented me from taking the time to truly enjoy the sound. It also meant that I'd have to explain to my wife about the shipment that had arrived at our house. Now, I just want to be able to enjoy the music. The next move I'd like to try would be using a balanced connector cable for the HE-400i and drive it off of speaker taps. The curiosity of seeing, and hearing what the balanced cable offering would provide me with another option to hear how varying amplifiers could change the sound in subtle ways.
My main focus again was on female vocals. I can still detect a small bit of sibilants in female vocals. It is nowhere near what I experienced with the HE-400 though. If I were to describe the sound of the HE-400i at this point in time, and in an single word, I'd call it: Polite. The sound brought back some memories of when I had the HE-500 in the past. The sound - to my ears, was really quite smooth. There were not any frequency issues that shot out at me or seemed to be present.
I think for many of us who purchased the original HE-400 a few years back, we were really impressed by the bass. That was really a strong point of the original HE-400. The HE-400i, though, doesn't come across as being nearly as aggressive in the bass department. It's strong - in all the right ways. However, with some genres, owners of the HE-400 might have found it to be the perfect headphone for them. I'd hate to portray that the HE-400i could out-do the old 400 in some of those areas. For many of us who were quite impressed with the HE-400, we quickly set our sights on the HE-500 because hearing what the HE-400 could do, we thought the HE-500 could provide more. Between the HE-400i and HE-500, there does appear to be similarities in sound (from what I can recall). When one would move to the HE-500, they could appreciate the better balance to the sound, yet would notice a bit less bass. The sound signature of the HE-500 did come across as a more refined sound though.
With the HE-400i, I feel that it was good to have owned the HE-400 in the past because it could allow one to appreciate what the totally revised HE-400i offers. The comfort is far superior over the HE-400 and HE-500 models. HifiMan really seemed to pay a lot of attention into getting the fit options right so that the headphone would be able to accommodate a wider array of a listener's head shape, ear position, etc. I can't say enough good things about the slimming down of the HE-400i when it comes to that 2 oz. decrease in weight. It really does make a difference. On extended periods of listening, the HE-400i is getting near where I would have placed the HD-600 or HD-650 from a comfort perspective. For the Sennheisers would permit longer listening sessions due to the comfort and fit that many would find comfortable.
I'm content at the moment where I am. Maybe down the line, I'd like to have the option to try the HE-560, just to see how the two would vary with sound, etc. I've found that I'm a bit more laid back in the headphone scene than I was a few years ago. Receiving a new pair of headphones every few weeks prevented me from taking the time to truly enjoy the sound. It also meant that I'd have to explain to my wife about the shipment that had arrived at our house. Now, I just want to be able to enjoy the music. The next move I'd like to try would be using a balanced connector cable for the HE-400i and drive it off of speaker taps. The curiosity of seeing, and hearing what the balanced cable offering would provide me with another option to hear how varying amplifiers could change the sound in subtle ways.
MattTCG
Headphoneus Supremus
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Nice impressions Wayne. You'll definitely want to try the balanced cable and speaker taps.
SoAmusing777
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How in the hell is that Open Box HE400i not gone yet?
Direct from Brian Larson
President and Audiophile Geek!
RazorDog! Audio
in my email...
"Not on open box, sorry. Those are as low as I can go. Only 1 of those.
Not sure why no one bought. Only have 1 that was returned."
I could buy it right now if I wanted, but I wouldn't end up keeping it as I'm getting something else. I'd buy it just to listen, but I feel someone else deserves to get it at this price.
Direct from Brian Larson
President and Audiophile Geek!
RazorDog! Audio
in my email...
"Not on open box, sorry. Those are as low as I can go. Only 1 of those.
Not sure why no one bought. Only have 1 that was returned."
I could buy it right now if I wanted, but I wouldn't end up keeping it as I'm getting something else. I'd buy it just to listen, but I feel someone else deserves to get it at this price.
Indeed. I have audtioned three cans in the past two months, and it's time to enjoy all my new gear.
Speaking of a break, I'm also taking a break from the relentless metal-fest of the past week. I'm letting Kate Bush seduce me with Aerial. It's hard to fathom that my FiiO E10 is driving a set of planars fully and sweetly out of my laptop. Sure, I have it on high gain, but it sounds every bit as lucious as my Burson amp. Oh, the advantages of 93 dB sensitivity!
I see some high-powered gear of mine being sold off soon...
llcook51
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- wje
- wrote:
Just curious. What did you use as a replacement cable for the stock 400i?
Kate Bush is fantastic, I love to listen to her, late at night, when all are in bed, always puts a smile on my face.
Yeah. I've been a fan since about 1985. I was watching a British show called "Happy Valley", and she was blasting in a car stereo in a couple of scenes.
Here in the US, not so much. Over there, it's like she's Madonna. Only with talent...
Ekul61
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Can we say the he400i is the best headphone under $500 ?
SoAmusing777
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Who knows, lol. Opinions vary widely. I'd certainly say it is at under $400, but what do I know?
Good price but kind of redundant in my view. I have the audition set and own the 400 and other than the 400 having better bass they are very similar to each other.
I'd be lying if I responded, "no". I am extremely excited by this heapdhone.
But it's way too early. It will be worth paying attention as Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, and other dynamic headphone users drift into the more affordable and efficient planars that are out right now.
In any case, this is in my view a strong statement that is bucking against the "bigger heavier more power more money" trend that I've seen over the past few years. HFM and Oppo seem bent on taking things in a different direction, and perhaps appeal to a wider audience.
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