[Zoom25]

  though you could afford the hd800+nice amp if you didn't purchase the he-400, hd-400i, x1, and th600s ($1800ish+ total). heh =P
 
I think it's always better to have one flagship than multiple mid-fi headphones. you only have one set of ears afterall

 
Agreed.

 

[Yeswecan]

I think it's good to have another phone just to compare at times. I have right now HD-600 beside T1, Planning HD-600> HE-400i, T1> coming successor of HE-6 (will there be one?)

 

[money4me247]

  This - there just isn't one headphone that does it all in my opinion. On another topic, the 400i is waaaaaaaay too beautiful for the small number of photos in this thread!
 

the he400i is really beautiful!!! but i think there are many headphones out there that are very versatile & can do it all.
 

  Agreed.  My problem with 'high-end' is they tend to have awesome strangths, but their weaknesses can make them unsuitable for certain genres.

that's weird. I feel like flagship headphones may have a certain tonality or sound signature, but they perform admirably across all genres & all applications (music/movies/gaming) as long as you like their sound signature.
 
Considering that flagships have better sonic qualities (like clarity, detail retrieval, sound stage) than mid-fi headphones and are often tuned to be more neutral, I don't really understand that kind of thinking. If you have a pair of neutral headphones, I don't see how they can be unsuitable for certain genres as they portray the song as recorded. If a pair of headphones have a weakness for me (eg. anemic bass or too bright), it's a dealbreaker across all genres.
 
I do like to have a pair of reference headphones that I am very familiar with compare new headphones/amps/dacs against, but if I find something I like better, then I would just switch over to the new pair. I've tried the multiple headphones for multiple applications, but personally found that I just ended up sticking with the headphones I like best. 

 

[MattTCG]

Call me weird...I put a light coat of carnuba wax on the cups of the hp. Damn they are now buttery smooth. 

 

[tinyman392]

 

 

 

[money4me247]

^^^ stoppp itttt!!!! you are making mee jellyyyy. damn those are soo much sexier than the he560's wood imo

 

[tinyman392]

 

I've more...  But they'll come when the review is written  

 

[Zoom25]

  the he400i is really beautiful!!! but i think there are many headphones out there that are very versatile & can do it all.
 
that's weird. I feel like flagship headphones may have a certain tonality or sound signature, but they perform admirably across all genres & all applications (music/movies/gaming) as long as you like their sound signature.
 
Considering that flagships have better sonic qualities (like clarity, detail retrieval, sound stage) than mid-fi headphones and are often tuned to be more neutral, I don't really understand that kind of thinking. If you have a pair of neutral headphones, I don't see how they can be unsuitable for certain genres as they portray the song as recorded. If a pair of headphones have a weakness for me (eg. anemic bass or too bright), it's a dealbreaker across all genres.
 
I do like to have a pair of reference headphones that I am very familiar with compare new headphones/amps/dacs against, but if I find something I like better, then I would just switch over to the new pair. I've tried the multiple headphones for multiple applications, but personally found that I just ended up sticking with the headphones I like best. 

 
Yup. If you find a sound in the high-end that works for you, it will work with just about any genre or application. Found this to hold up with headphones and speakers. It's only with headphones where you hear different headphones for different genres. I rarely ever hear even the concept of having different speakers for different genres. People usually find a set of speakers that work for everything, at least music wise (some do separate music vs home theatres…but still).

 

[zanderwebb]

 
anyone else notice this beautiful stand? and only $20? Picked myself up the he 400i's and this beauty of a stand today

 

[kothganesh]

  Call me weird...I put a light coat of carnuba wax on the cups of the hp. Damn they are now buttery smooth. 

OK Matt.. you're now officially weird.

 Did you try out the Gungnir at all with the 400i?

 

[llcook51]

 

 
anyone else notice this beautiful stand? and only $20? Picked myself up the he 400i's and this beauty of a stand today

You are so right. The stand is "outstanding". Where did you get it?

 

[MattTCG]

  OK Matt.. you're now officially weird.

 Did you try out the Gungnir at all with the 400i?

 
Ha! The gungnir or mjolnir? Yes for both. What would you like to know?

 

[YtseJamer]

FYI:http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/first-listen-hifiman-he-400i-planar-magnetic-headphones/

 

[reddog]

Ha! The gungnir or mjolnir? Yes for both. What would you like to know?

How well does the gungnir/ mjolnir run the HE-400i and the HE-560? I am hoping to get the Gungnir later this year and if a sell my old gto berreta, perhaps the Mjolnir.
Please have a great day.

 

[MattTCG]

The mjo/gun work well with both of these headphones, but somewhat better for the 560. Because of the massive amount of power coming from the mjo (8watts into 32 ohms) there is not quite as much play in the pot as I'd like. BUT...if you are okay with 9:00 on the pot being medium and 10:00 medium loud, the pairing is quite good with the 400i. Great dynamics and finesse.