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Hifiman he-400i Impressions and Discussion
Dec 2, 2015 at 10:02 AM Post #5,822 of 14,386
aami2techie said:
  official page states, both have planars 20Hz to 35KHz one is 22Ohm other 35Ohm and 400i has 93dB sensitivity and 400S has 98dB
Click to expand...

 
The parameters you quote pretty well indicate that the two are not the same.
 
Dec 2, 2015 at 10:31 AM Post #5,824 of 14,386
aami2techie said:
  ok thanks for sharing. 
 
but im really curious as to how 2 cans with literally same specs and same drivers, and same size with one more sensitive and thats about it, can be different. its really weird.
 
i really thought that the difference in cost would be for the quality of material as one is all metal and one has lots of plastic.
also one more thing, NOBODY would sell at loss, the recent black friday sale for 300 was so great. but i think, this should be the real price of 400i from now onwards. 
 
audiophile segment is not so vast. the main reason for that is the prices of these products. like myself many many people would be interested in these great phones, but when it comes to price, its too damn high for most of these. the price premium is so high it just makes people just contend on lesser products 
 
i wish these companies start considering this price factor as well, which i highly doubt they would. 
 
im from Pakistan. u people might even have very negative ideas about my countries, but here im 100% interested in these products. im student, its hard to save cash for these products. 
 
hope someone from hifiman or some other big company person reads this and considers lowering their prices. im sure they could double or even triple their sale by decreasing prices.
Click to expand...


1) Their specs are not the same.  different resistance, different sensitivity, different FR graphs, different THD measurements, different sine wave responses
2) Their drivers are NOT the same.  
3) The HE400S has a more resonant body (lower quality plastic on 400S) and grill (plastic vs metal), this is why it's not quite as clear as the HE400i, most likely.  
4) The HE400i isn't going to see a price drop unless the HE400S does too.  The HE400i is very clearly positioned by HiFiMan as an upgrade, not just a different product line.  It would make 0 sense whatsoever to make them cost the same, other than something like a very special black friday sale.  Sure, they likely didn't sell them at a loss, but that doesn't mean much.  Talking to some people from HiFiMan, fi they permanently sold the HE400i at $299, they wouldn't recoup the R&D costs.  The thing costs less than $299 to make per unit in manufacturing costs, obviously, but the real cost is a fixed cost up front R&D cost.
5) If you're not interested in the HE400i at its normal price, and can't wait for a sale or buy used, that's EXACTLY THE REASON THE 400S exists!  It's a great headphone.  It's not the HE400i. 
6) Companies do consider the price factor, heavily.  They put in a ton of R&D, and want to make a decent profit.  It's not like HiFiMan is making billions of dollars.  They actually, IMHO, charge the fairest prices of any company in the world.  I'd say the HE400i is a $799 headphone.  I'd say the HE400s is a $399 headphone.  I'd say the HE560 is a $999 headphone.  Their summit-fi flagship stuff is crazy, but that's summit-fi.
7) Yeah, I get that these headphones are a luxury item.  There was a long time in my life that I couldn't afford something like the HE400i.  But there are a lot of great headphones, not on teh HE400i's level, obviously, but headphones that can make you perfectly happy, for a third of the price or less.  I'd be perfectly fine if I could only afford a Grado SR60e.  it's a cool little can.  Of course the HE400i blows the doors off of it, but it's also a revolutionary technology that Fang has poured his whole life into, the SR60e has been basically the same for like 20 years.
8) If they cut their prices by the amount you are suggesting permanently, they'd have to slash their R&D budget.  And we wouldn't get the breakthroughs in technology we get now.  Fang puts jsut about everything HiFiMan earns back into R&D and it shows.  This is an incredible headphone at an incredible price, even when it isn't on sale.  
 
Dec 2, 2015 at 11:29 AM Post #5,825 of 14,386
Dr. Bian went on to add, “We also did three years of research on this new single-ended driver. Though this design has had limitations in the past, our in-depth engineering has managed to greatly improve its efficiency and sound quality in every way."
 
 
Key Features of the HiFiMAN HE-400i:

  1. Newly-engineered, single-sided, planar magnetic driver provides tighter bass with superior soundstage and spatial imaging

 http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/hifiman-ready-to-deliver-he-400i-planar-headphone/

 
Dec 2, 2015 at 11:47 AM Post #5,826 of 14,386
aami2techie said:
  official page states, both have planars 20Hz to 35KHz one is 22Ohm other 35Ohm and 400i has 93dB sensitivity and 400S has 98dB
Click to expand...

Dude, buy what you can afford. The 400s is a very good headphone for the price. Just don't try and wiggle your brain into thinking the 400i and 400s are equal, they are definitely not. Both the 400s and 400i (non sale price) are well known for being very good buys, and from what I have read the 400i is worthy of the upgraded price. Doesn't mean you are missing out if all you can afford is the 400s as it is a good headphone. It just means the 400i is even better for more money as an upgrade in the future. 
 
Buy what you can afford and stop trying to pretend there is no discernable able difference between the 400s and 400i.
 
Dec 2, 2015 at 11:51 AM Post #5,827 of 14,386
bavinck said:
  Dude, buy what you can afford. The 400s is a very good headphone for the price. Just don't try and wiggle your brain into thinking the 400i and 400s are equal, they are definitely not. Both the 400s and 400i (non sale price) are well known for being very good buys, and from what I have read the 400i is worthy of the upgraded price. Doesn't mean you are missing out if all you can afford is the 400s as it is a good headphone. It just means the 400i is even better for more money as an upgrade in the future. 
 
Buy what you can afford and stop trying to pretend there is no discernable able difference between the 400s and 400i.
Click to expand...

The 400i's are currently available for $330 shipped here http://www.acgears.com/hifiman-he-400i-headphones.html
 
Dec 2, 2015 at 3:03 PM Post #5,830 of 14,386
born2cuddle said:
  The 400i's are currently available for $330 shipped here http://www.acgears.com/hifiman-he-400i-headphones.html
Click to expand...

 
bavinck said:
  Well there you go then!
Click to expand...

i have the money. the only problem is i cant get these as im not in usa. only if there was some good person whom i could trust and give my year saving and he would buy these for me and ship these to me. i will pay via paypal before all, including shipment... hoping for positive reply from either of you guys :)
 
Dec 2, 2015 at 3:04 PM Post #5,831 of 14,386
aami2techie said:
   
i have the money. the only problem is i cant get these as im not in usa. only if there was some good person whom i could trust and give my year saving and he would buy these for me and ship these to me. i will pay via paypal before all, including shipment... hoping for positive reply from either of you guys :)
Click to expand...

Bad news, the price is now up to $500.00
 
Dec 2, 2015 at 3:37 PM Post #5,835 of 14,386
I think it was mentioned earlier.  It is all speculation of course.  But I wouldn't be surprised for them to have a Christmas sale as well and drop it for the same price.  Until then, it isn't 100% though.
 
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