[Tuco1965]

More impressions from last night.  I don't care what they say about using these out of a smart phone, but you definitely have not heard them if that is all you drive them with.  They pair very well with my Lyr.  I feel like I'm in the first or second row with these.  Very close presentation.  For lack of better words quick and snappy come to mind.  More again to follow.

 

[reddog]

More impressions from last night.  I don't care what they say about using these out of a smart phone, but you definitely have not heard them if that is all you drive them with.  They pair very well with my Lyr.  I feel like I'm in the first or second row with these.  Very close presentation.  For lack of better words quick and snappy come to mind.  More again to follow.

+1 the lyr and lyr2 go quite well with the HE-400i, especially if you swap out the stock tubes. The best I heard the the HE-400i, through the lyr2, was with the Telefunken E88CC platinum tubes, the sound signature became so bloody intoxicating, the bass was so tight and controlled and the mids became more detailed, and lush sounding.

 

[Tuco1965]

6n23p Voskhods have been parked in my Lyr for a while and loving them.  

 

[DavidA]

+1 the lyr and lyr2 go quite well with the HE-400i, especially if you swap out the stock tubes. The best I heard the the HE-400i, through the lyr2, was with the Telefunken E88CC platinum tubes, the sound signature became so bloody intoxicating, the bass was so tight and controlled and the mids became more detailed, and lush sounding.

 
Have those same Telefunken's in now.  Dam this hobby is expensive.

  6n23p Voskhods have been parked in my Lyr for a while and loving them.  

 
Have ordered these and sound be here in a week.

 

[Tunkejazz]

I just got my pair. Until my MDAC2 arrives in a few months, I can only use them with my portable Ifi nano iDSD. Out of the box, the sounds it just so nice! I am comparing them with my former Bose Quietcomfort 15, and they are in another league!
 
In a few words: very fast, detailed and surprisingly smooth at the top end!

 

[swspiers]

Well, then maybe there's hope. Although I'm not sure what I'd do with my idle time. Oh, wait... I'd listen to music!

How would you describe the bass of the primes, relative to the 400i? I don't *think* I'm a basshead, but I do have to have it. For example, I recently let go of a pair of hd700's that, however great they were, really didn't have the bass I needed (and didn't seem to like EQ, either).

I love the bass on the 400i's,  Its' fun, engaging, and almost perfect for rock and other bombast stuff that I listen to.  Also very, very good for movies.
 
However, the Primes go deeper, clearer, and much more uniform.  When I have an absolutely stellar recording, the Primes deliver in ways the 400i's just can't.

 

[Tuco1965]

Geeze I'm really enjoying these! 

 

[Robert777]

Could someone comment on the sound leakage of these headphones for me please?
I get that they are open so they will leak sound and offer no isolation but I would really love to get a planar headphone and these tick all the boxes for me except that I do most of my listening when my wife is asleep in the next room.
Is leakage likely to travel through a wall or closed door to wake my wife from her slumber?
 
I was close to pulling the trigger on the Alpha Dogs which obviously will not have any problems with sound leakage but I am slightly concerned with reports of different performance between each Alpha Dog, but more than that I will always be wishing I had saved for the Primes.
 
The hifiman is also considerably cheaper for someone in the UK and I do not like the Audeze offerings.
 
Cheers.

 

[Tunkejazz]

Could someone comment on the sound leakage of these headphones for me please?
I get that they are open so they will leak sound and offer no isolation but I would really love to get a planar headphone and these tick all the boxes for me except that I do most of my listening when my wife is asleep in the next room.
Is leakage likely to travel through a wall or closed door to wake my wife from her slumber?

I was close to pulling the trigger on the Alpha Dogs which obviously will not have any problems with sound leakage but I am slightly concerned with reports of different performance between each Alpha Dog, but more than that I will always be wishing I had saved for the Primes.

The hifiman is also considerably cheaper for someone in the UK and I do not like the Audeze offerings.

Cheers.

To get an idea of the volume of the leakage just take any on-ear pair at hand and turn the cans outwards while playing music at a similar volume that you would normally use, the effect will be similar. I have now the He400i and there is no way that the sound can go through my walls

 

[reddog]

Could someone comment on the sound leakage of these headphones for me please?
I get that they are open so they will leak sound and offer no isolation but I would really love to get a planar headphone and these tick all the boxes for me except that I do most of my listening when my wife is asleep in the next room.
Is leakage likely to travel through a wall or closed door to wake my wife from her slumber?

I was close to pulling the trigger on the Alpha Dogs which obviously will not have any problems with sound leakage but I am slightly concerned with reports of different performance between each Alpha Dog, but more than that I will always be wishing I had saved for the Primes.

The hifiman is also considerably cheaper for someone in the UK and I do not like the Audeze offerings.

Cheers.

You will be fine listening to your uber sexy he-400i headphones, in another room. And yes the Alpha Prime's are the cats meow and I highly recommend, you save up, if you can.

 

[lawrecedent]

Could someone comment on the sound leakage of these headphones for me please?
I get that they are open so they will leak sound and offer no isolation but I would really love to get a planar headphone and these tick all the boxes for me except that I do most of my listening when my wife is asleep in the next room.
Is leakage likely to travel through a wall or closed door to wake my wife from her slumber?

I was close to pulling the trigger on the Alpha Dogs which obviously will not have any problems with sound leakage but I am slightly concerned with reports of different performance between each Alpha Dog, but more than that I will always be wishing I had saved for the Primes.

The hifiman is also considerably cheaper for someone in the UK and I do not like the Audeze offerings.

Cheers.

I guess it depends on how loud you listen, how lightly your wife sleeps, how far away she is, how thick the walls/doors are etc. For reference I have just turned mine on whilst on the stand and while I can clearly hear the track it is quieter than the tv which is just on moderate volume. Therefore, if you can watch tv you should be fine. In another room I can't imagine it being a problem unless your wife has the hearing of a wolf.

 

[Robert777]

Thank you @Tunkejazz, @reddog and @lawrecedent for your quick and informative responses. Your help is very much appreciated.
My wife is a heavy sleeper and I listen at moderate volume levels so I am excited to hear that the he-400i's should be acceptable.
Unless of course I can save up for the Alpha Primes.
 
On a separate note I do find myself drawn to so-called mid-fi headphones at the moment, rather than summit-fi.
I have always pursed top of the line in everything but I am beginning to realise that I may not have the ears / music to really appreciate top of the line headphones.
 
Cheers.

 

[politbureau]

Heard the Primes a few days back. Good god they are great. Reminds me of the Beyer T1s - they seem to do a lot really well, but nothing outstanding. Just a fantastic all-rounder for someone looking to own a single set of cans which they can use at home or on the go.
 
They are different beasts tho. I could see someone who listens to Jazz, Classical and a lot of vocal tracks preferring the HE-400i/560, while electronic and rock fans will like the Primes.
 
The problem is there is now a lot of competition at thie $1000 price point: Alpha Prime, PM-1, EL-8, HE-560, TH500RP, LCD-2, GS1000e... the list goes on. You could even grab a used HD800 or T1 for that price.
 
The hardest part I find is matching a specific headphone not only to your listening style, but also your equipment. My 'required' list for critical listening contains 3 amps, 2 dacs, and 6 headphones - just to get the most out of every type of music I like. No wonder this hobby is so damn expensive!
 
The He-400i is superb with the Lyr 2, agreed. I had borrowed some Orange Globes and the sound was sublime. I've got 75 Vokshod grays and some Amperex OGs on route for permanent use.
 
Cheers

 

[reddog]

Heard the Primes a few days back. Good god they are great. Reminds me of the Beyer T1s - they seem to do a lot really well, but nothing outstanding. Just a fantastic all-rounder for someone looking to own a single set of cans which they can use at home or on the go.

They are different beasts tho. I could see someone who listens to Jazz, Classical and a lot of vocal tracks preferring the HE-400i/560, while electronic and rock fans will like the Primes.

The problem is there is now a lot of competition at thie $1000 price point: Alpha Prime, PM-1, EL-8, HE-560, TH500RP, LCD-2, GS1000e... the list goes on. You could even grab a used HD800 or T1 for that price.

The hardest part I find is matching a specific headphone not only to your listening style, but also your equipment. My 'required' list for critical listening contains 3 amps, 2 dacs, and 6 headphones - just to get the most out of every type of music I like. No wonder this hobby is so damn expensive!

The He-400i is superb with the Lyr 2, agreed. I had borrowed some Orange Globes and the sound was sublime. I've got 75 Vokshod grays and some Amperex OGs on route for permanent use.

Cheers

+1 well said sir, well said indeed.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  Thank you @Tunkejazz, @reddog and @lawrecedent for your quick and informative responses. Your help is very much appreciated.
My wife is a heavy sleeper and I listen at moderate volume levels so I am excited to hear that the he-400i's should be acceptable.
.
 
Cheers.

One more thing... listen with your mouth closed.
 
My wife says that when I listen with my mouth open, the sound leakage is much greater, from resonating around in my head and amplifying, then escaping through my open mouth.
 
For some music, esp. with heavy bass, I am also told to keep my nostrils closed for the same reason.