[ChesterYonany]

 
Really don't want to stress the cans so much right out of the box, but when you mean bend, how exactly do you describe the way i should do that?

here are the 400i pretty stock:

 
 
after some bending:

 
current state:

 
 
 
Bend it!

 

[marhol]

  Its a sound thing. The 400i has enough treble energy to be more engaging, whereas the LCD-X is more relaxed. It isn't totally rolled off or anything, just mids and bass prominent. The 400i has a smaller soundstage, so technical ability might go to the X, but I prefer the increased vocal clarity and energy of the 400i. That's probably a personal preference, and I would need more time with the X to judge, but my first impression is that the treble detail like cymbals and stuff fall to the back of the soundstage, making it too relaxed sounding. They both sound very good with vocal, bass-heavy, and soul tracks, but I don't think I'd like my rock music as much with the X.

Interesting impression, on the other side when I heard LCD-X it sounded very energetic, fast paced, especially through its balanced cable. LCD-X had similar warm/neutral tonality with HE-400i through single ended cable but sounded somewhat neutral through the balanced cable (tiny bit brighter than HE-400i  on single ended stock cable). With head amp Violectric V281 and balanced cable LCD-X´s treble really opened up. I would say LCD-X is more technical performer than both HE-400i and also LCD-2, differences mostly apparent in soundstage expansiveness and PRaT /dynamics but HE-400i is very solid performer even against LCD-X, very natural sound, with smooth treble, very nice bass impact/texture and engaging mids. Actually I prefered the tonality of HE-400i and LCD-2 vs LCD-X, despite LCD-X being technically "the better headphone". HE-400i and LCD-2 simply sounded more " silky" than LCD-X and that appealed me more.  Of course this is very subjective and take my impressions with the grain of salt because my listening session with LCD-X was fairly brief and besides of that it is neither correct nor fair to compare two headphones with completely different setups (cables, transport, headphone amps etc.)  

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

[size=10pt]My subjective score on sound quality alone would be HE-400i - 88%, LCD-2 92%, LCD-X 94 %.  Regarding comfort it is no contest  to me HE-400i scores 85 % , LCD-X 55% and LCD-2 around 40%. [/size]

 

[mysticstryk]

Anyone here try the Audioquest Nighthawk ever? I bought the 400i on Newegg but they oversold apparently and they are offering me the nighthawk for the $299 price if I want it. Should I go for it?

 
That is a steep discount.  You should be able to easily sell it at what you paid for if you don't like it.
 
(heck, I may even buy it off you if you end up putting it in the for sale forum)

 

[clarktrent]

Is it worth it to buy these with the EF2A DAC? I'm stuck in a rut, I don't know whether to go with DT 990s with the Schiit Vali+Modi or these with the EF2As. What is the better deal?

 

[fjrabon]

Is it worth it to buy these with the EF2A DAC? I'm stuck in a rut, I don't know whether to go with DT 990s with the Schiit Vali+Modi or these with the EF2As. What is the better deal?

Yes. The latter is the better deal. Unless soundstage is the only thing you care about, these wipe the floor with the DT990.

 

[DavidA]

  Is it worth it to buy these with the EF2A DAC? I'm stuck in a rut, I don't know whether to go with DT 990s with the Schiit Vali+Modi or these with the EF2As. What is the better deal?

Depends on the sound signature that you like and also the genre of music that you listen to.  I have both and they each have their own sounds that I like but if you can get only one, the HE-400i is probably easier to live with and works well with almost any amp while the DT-990 premium 250ohm that I have sound best with a BH Crack.  I've never tried the Vali but many say is a good amp

 

[chowmein83]

  i really want to go for Sennheiser HD 700, i have money atm.
how do 700 and 400i REALLY compare to each other?  do you think at around $500 700s are better than 400i? are 700s good deal at 500 bucks than 400i? my main interest are sound stage, clarity and detail, i love detail
 
i use primarily for well, everything. lots of music, lots of gaming and lots of music.
 

 
Hey @aami2techie, I actually own the 400i and the HD700, so I can give you a comparison between the two headphones.
 
In an earlier post, I said this when comparing the two headphones:
 
"The HD700 and the 400i have noticeably different presentations. The HD700 in a sense sounds more like the HD800 - with a big soundstage (in terms of both width and depth), upper-mid and treble emphasis, and sounds a bit dry because it somewhat lacks "texture" (though I find that to be true for all dynamic driver headphones I have heard in comparison to planar magnetic headphones). The HE-400i overall sounds warmer, with a noticeably smaller soundstage (mostly in width) and has the texturing to all sounds that I really like.
 
For mids and highs, the HD700 has much more energy than the HE-400i. For bass, while the HD700 has a surprising amount of good quality and harder-hitting bass, I feel that the 400i still has the more solid-feeling, textured, and detailed bass.
 
Personally, while I really like the HD700, to me the 400i sounds more natural, mainly because the HD700 sometimes has too much treble. For example, with cymbals the HD700 sounds like somewhat of a mess because its too overdone. With the 400i, you don't get any of that."
 
To add to all of that, I actually prefer the 400i for most kinds of music. But I prefer the HD700 for gaming and movies, mainly because of its larger soundstage and its slightly more accurate imaging.
 
To sum it all up, I don't think the HD700 is any better than the 400i, mainly because of its (the HD700's) pretty bright treble. If you do want a bigger soundstage, get the HD700. But if you are talking about which headphone has more clarity and detail, personally I think both headphones are around the same here. It's just that the HD700 pushes the details into your face more while the 400i still has all of the same details, it's just there in the background, naturally fitting alongside the other parts of the music.
 
At least for me, while the HD700 at $500 is a good deal, the 400i at $300 is a better deal. The $200 difference is just too big.

 

[aami2techie]

   
Hey @aami2techie, I actually own the 400i and the HD700, so I can give you a comparison between the two headphones.
 
In an earlier post, I said this when comparing the two headphones:
 
"The HD700 and the 400i have noticeably different presentations. The HD700 in a sense sounds more like the HD800 - with a big soundstage (in terms of both width and depth), upper-mid and treble emphasis, and sounds a bit dry because it somewhat lacks "texture" (though I find that to be true for all dynamic driver headphones I have heard in comparison to planar magnetic headphones). The HE-400i overall sounds warmer, with a noticeably smaller soundstage (mostly in width) and has the texturing to all sounds that I really like.
 
For mids and highs, the HD700 has much more energy than the HE-400i. For bass, while the HD700 has a surprising amount of good quality and harder-hitting bass, I feel that the 400i still has the more solid-feeling, textured, and detailed bass.
 
Personally, while I really like the HD700, to me the 400i sounds more natural, mainly because the HD700 sometimes has too much treble. For example, with cymbals the HD700 sounds like somewhat of a mess because its too overdone. With the 400i, you don't get any of that."
 
To add to all of that, I actually prefer the 400i for most kinds of music. But I prefer the HD700 for gaming and movies, mainly because of its larger soundstage and its slightly more accurate imaging.
 
To sum it all up, I don't think the HD700 is any better than the 400i, mainly because of its (the HD700's) pretty bright treble. If you do want a bigger soundstage, get the HD700. But if you are talking about which headphone has more clarity and detail, personally I think both headphones are around the same here. It's just that the HD700 pushes the details into your face more while the 400i still has all of the same details, it's just there in the background, naturally fitting alongside the other parts of the music.
 
At least for me, while the HD700 at $500 is a good deal, the 400i at $300 is a better deal. The $200 difference is just too big.

now thats the kind of answer i was hoping for!!!
thank you so much mate, u really described it so well. i myself have been convincing my inner self to just not think about 700s anymore as i have already paid for 400i. 
u know there is a part inside you, which gets something but still keeps thinking about something u loved for many many years. i know, 400i at 300 is extremely great deal compared to 700s at 500. but i have been thinking about 700s for so so long that they are just my ideal cans. its like i dont NEED it, but i WANT it!
 
its my deep deep wish to own 700 or 800 just because of how they look and how they sound. but, now that i have got 400i 700 is out of my list. now next target, 800 InshaAllah.
 
again thanks for satisfying myself, hope u understand what im trying to say here

 

[Mr Rick]

My new 400i arrived on my doorstep last night at 7 PM. I didn't realize it, and they sat there all night. Amazon didn't get around to updating their website until this morning. I'm lucky I have honest neighbors. 
 
Initial impressions vs the 400S: Materials used in both cans look to be about the same, but the difference in color,  400S ( silver ) 400i ( black ) and the ungraded packaging, give the 400i the illusion of higher quality. The only obvious difference is in the ear-pads, as the 400S sports velour, and the 400i is fitted with pleather and velour. Both headsets have the "new" 2.5mm phono plugs to afford easy attachment and removal to the ear-cups. Wouldn't it be nice if all manufacturers could standardize on this arrangement? Both cords are a little short for my purposes and I'll be upgrading to balanced cables for use with my Cavalli Liquid Carbon. I only wish the balanced cables offered by HIFIMAN were not two thirds of the price of the headphones themselves. $200 cables for $300 headphones?  Really?
 
I had been listening to the 400S this morning so I quickly switched to the 400i. Initial impression is that the 400i seems to have a bit more of a bass emphasis. Not necessarily better bass, just  more. This may be a function of the different ear-pads, I don't know. I am not a believer in burn-in changes, but I will respect the recommendation from HIFIMAN that the 400i "needs" 150 hours of burn-in, and will defer further comments for the time being. 
 
I will say this. My first test track is always Ave Maria, by Sarah Brightman. After listening to it, twice, I had to take a cold shower.

,

 

[aami2techie]

  My new 400i arrived on my doorstep last night at 7 PM. I didn't realize it, and they sat there all night. Amazon didn't get around to updating their website until this morning. I'm lucky I have honest neighbors. 
 
Initial impressions vs the 400S: Materials used in both cans look to be about the same, but the difference in color,  400S ( silver ) 400i ( black ) and the ungraded packaging, give the 400i the illusion of higher quality. The only obvious difference is in the ear-pads, as the 400S sports velour, and the 400i is fitted with pleather and velour. Both headsets have the "new" 2.5mm phono plugs to afford easy attachment and removal to the ear-cups. Wouldn't it be nice if all manufacturers could standardize on this arrangement? Both cords are a little short for my purposes and I'll be upgrading to balanced cables for use with my Cavalli Liquid Carbon. I only wish the balanced cables offered by HIFIMAN were not two thirds of the price of the headphones themselves. $200 cables for $300 headphones?  Really?
 
I had been listening to the 400S this morning so I quickly switched to the 400i. Initial impression is that the 400i seems to have a bit more of a bass emphasis. Not necessarily better bass, just  more. This may be a function of the different ear-pads, I don't know. I am not a believer in burn-in changes, but I will respect the recommendation from HIFIMAN that the 400i "needs" 150 hours of burn-in, and will defer further comments for the time being. 
 
I will say this. My first test track is always Ave Maria, by Sarah Brightman. After listening to it, twice, I had to take a cold shower.

,

do share with us about the details in terms of comparison between 400s and 400i. talk about details and especially sound stage.
 
would help a lot of people here

 

[emester]

Honestly, if it weren't for the recent sale for 299 on the 400i's, I would have just stuck with the 400s'. Yes, the 400i's suit my tastes in music remarkably better (underground extreme metal, black and death metal for the most part), But when I put on Mahler's 1st for some more refined listening, the step up in overall wow factor between the 400s' and the 400i's was really not so significant. If the 400i's were, lets say 375 USD, I would consider it worth the extra cash but at 500 I feel its digging a bit deep.
 
Yet again, I was very disappointed with the build of the 400s', and I am much more satisfied with the construction of the 400i's

 

[aami2techie]

  Honestly, if it weren't for the recent sale for 299 on the 400i's, I would have just stuck with the 400s'. Yes, the 400i's suit my tastes in music remarkably better (underground extreme metal, black and death metal for the most part), But when I put on Mahler's 1st for some more refined listening, the step up in overall wow factor between the 400s' and the 400i's was really not so significant. If the 400i's were, lets say 375 USD, I would consider it worth the extra cash but at 500 I feel its digging a bit deep.
 
Yet again, I was very disappointed with the build of the 400s', and I am much more satisfied with the construction of the 400i's

so what you are saying here is that 400s and 400i are almost identical in terms of how they sound, and difference is in the build, right?

 

[Mr Rick]

  Honestly, if it weren't for the recent sale for 299 on the 400i's, I would have just stuck with the 400s'. Yes, the 400i's suit my tastes in music remarkably better (underground extreme metal, black and death metal for the most part), But when I put on Mahler's 1st for some more refined listening, the step up in overall wow factor between the 400s' and the 400i's was really not so significant. If the 400i's were, lets say 375 USD, I would consider it worth the extra cash but at 500 I feel its digging a bit deep.
 
Yet again, I was very disappointed with the build of the 400s', and I am much more satisfied with the construction of the 400i's

Interesting, as I said the only apparent differences I could perceive were in the ear-pads and the color of the cups. No difference in build quality. 
 
The 400i comes in a much nicer box, but I just throw that in the closet anyway.

 

[Mr Rick]

  do share with us about the details in terms of comparison between 400s and 400i. talk about details and especially sound stage.
 
would help a lot of people here

 
 I can run both headphones out of my Emotiva Stealth DC-1. It has two 3.5mm headphone outputs. I might try that after the 400s has a bit more run time.

 

[fjrabon]

  Honestly, if it weren't for the recent sale for 299 on the 400i's, I would have just stuck with the 400s'. Yes, the 400i's suit my tastes in music remarkably better (underground extreme metal, black and death metal for the most part), But when I put on Mahler's 1st for some more refined listening, the step up in overall wow factor between the 400s' and the 400i's was really not so significant. If the 400i's were, lets say 375 USD, I would consider it worth the extra cash but at 500 I feel its digging a bit deep.
 
Yet again, I was very disappointed with the build of the 400s', and I am much more satisfied with the construction of the 400i's

yeah, I think that this is simply diminishing returns in headphones at work.  The especially maddening aspect is as the incremental increases become smaller and smaller, the cost of them becomes greater and greater because manufacturers have to go through greater and greater lengths to get them. The 400S is still an incredible value and a great headphone.  I really think that HiFiMan, even before it did the sale on the HE400i and HE560 were easily the best values in headphones, from top to bottom in the line.  In some sense I don't even understand the HE400i sale, as it was already, IMHO, the best value in headphones at $499.  $299 was just stupidly good value.  
 
I looked at it this way: I haven't heard a headphone that I clearly preferred to the 400i until I got to systems that were $5000 or more.  Seriously.  I haven't tried everything, but up until we got to things like the bass light R10 and Stax 009 and Orpheus, I didn't prefer any other headphone on all or even most aspects, they were always tradeoffs.  I loved the new versions of the HD800 (not the S, which I haven't heard, but simply the higher SN versions of the HD 800, which are more balanced to my ears), but there are some ways that I preferred the HE400i to it.  I was 100% ready to pay $499 for the HE400i when I got wind that this sale was going to happen.  Unless some tech comes along that completely transforms the headphone game, this will likely be my end game main piece (same with the Grace M9XX on the DAC/Amp side) for a very long time.  It's kind of funny that I am actually spending more on the THX00, when I fully expect it will be a companion piece to the HE400i's centerpiece, and that I don't regret that at all, because I simply don't view the HE400i as a $299 headphone to me in terms of worth.
 
After hearing it now, if I had to replace it, and somehow the price got jacked to $799, I'd gladly pay that for the 400i, I'd be annoyed, but glad to have it back.  It's everything I absolutely want most in a headphone (neutrality with lower mid power, good bass and present highs, incredibly detailed and transparent, can be enjoyed even from an iPhone), and its only weaknesses are the things that are less important to me (sound stage).