[mysticstryk]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate it, truly.

I have put an order in for one. I'm going to always wonder until I try. If anything, I'm sure I could sell them for $600 pretty easily if I don't like them.

If I like them better than my 400i, then I've struck gold and am at my endgame. If I don't like them, I sell them and I'll never wonder again.

Win-win.

 

[fjrabon]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate it, truly.

I have put an order in for one. I'm going to always wonder until I try. If anything, I'm sure I could sell them for $600 pretty easily if I don't like them.

If I like them better than my 400i, then I've struck gold and am at my endgame. If I don't like them, I sell them and I'll never wonder again.

Win-win.

you've not considered the most likely outcome: "you like them on some things, LOVE them on some things, and don't like them as much on some other things, and begin trying to figure out how you can afford to keep both the HE400i and the LCD"

 

[Fearless1]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate it, truly.

I have put an order in for one. I'm going to always wonder until I try. If anything, I'm sure I could sell them for $600 pretty easily if I don't like them.

If I like them better than my 400i, then I've struck gold and am at my endgame. If I don't like them, I sell them and I'll never wonder again.

Win-win.

Just be weary of them a bit, the initial euphoric sound tends to come on strong and then grow thin.

When I first bought them I though I found my "end-game", I did not.

 

[swspiers]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate it, truly.

I have put an order in for one. I'm going to always wonder until I try. If anything, I'm sure I could sell them for $600 pretty easily if I don't like them.

If I like them better than my 400i, then I've struck gold and am at my endgame. If I don't like them, I sell them and I'll never wonder again.

Win-win.

Just be weary of them a bit, the initial euphoric sound tends to come on strong and then grow thin.

When I first bought them I though I found my "end-game", I did not.

Yeah, but that goes with a lot of great, fantastic gear. We can go nuts chasing that next 1% difference!

 

[mysticstryk]

you've not considered the most likely outcome: "you like them on some things, LOVE them on some things, and don't like them as much on some other things, and begin trying to figure out how you can afford to keep both the HE400i and the LCD"
:evil:

I can see myself now, "but my 400i was ONLY $300!"

We'll see.

 

[Fearless1]

Yeah, but that goes with a lot of great, fantastic gear. We can go nuts chasing that next 1% difference!

Definitely, but in his case I was smitten with them at first and now they hang there looking pretty as I reach for other HPs.

BTW I bet that liquid carbon is fantastic on the 400i.

 

[swspiers]

Yeah, but that goes with a lot of great, fantastic gear. We can go nuts chasing that next 1% difference!

Definitely, but in his case I was smitten with them at first and now they hang there looking pretty as I reach for other HPs.

BTW I bet that liquid carbon is fantastic on the 400i.

I can step in and affirm that one. Changed my whole perception of what they are capable of, as well as their limitations. Regardless, it's either a gateway to Summit-fi or it's an end-game combination for me. time will tell...

 

[a44100Hz]

I've found that a warm tube amp works really well with the clarity of the 400i. I've been using an APPJ PA1502A amp with new JJ 6v6 tubes and a new Mullatd 12V tube (both affordably priced IMO) and the increase in bass response and overall width and musicality is great. The APPJ sounds "sloppier" than my Vali 2 but it works very well with the already clinical 400i.

OTOH, the more controlled and forward sounding Vali 2 works better with the warmer TH-X00. Synergy!

 

[nokialover]

Now that I've had my he-400i's for a week now, and gotten many hours of listening they have changed my perception of headphones.  Every other pair of headphones that I have owned now sound lackluster compared to these.  I put on my v-moda m-100 on after putting these on and vocals sounded wiry and robotic with a ridiculous emphasis on the bass.  Then my Dt-990's lack any type of dynamics with a really poor bass response compared to the he-400i's.  There is an excellent amount of imaging and clarity especially in vocals.  Out of curiosity I went to best buy and tried on a pair of beats pro, and they sounded like utter garbage.  Had to put them down after 2 minutes.  Now I will have to get a pair of high end IEM's to complement these, and am looking at the se846 very strongly. 

 

[Invocation]

HE-400i is my first planar magnetic headphone. I do like it a lot and I also wonder among its various features, what are the ones that are unique/strength of a planar magnetic headphone?

 

[bongieto]

  Now that I've had my he-400i's for a week now, and gotten many hours of listening they have changed my perception of headphones.  Every other pair of headphones that I have owned now sound lackluster compared to these.  I put on my v-moda m-100 on after putting these on and vocals sounded wiry and robotic with a ridiculous emphasis on the bass.  Then my Dt-990's lack any type of dynamics with a really poor bass response compared to the he-400i's.  There is an excellent amount of imaging and clarity especially in vocals.  Out of curiosity I went to best buy and tried on a pair of beats pro, and they sounded like utter garbage.  Had to put them down after 2 minutes.  Now I will have to get a pair of high end IEM's to complement these, and am looking at the se846 very strongly. 

I have both DT990 and HE400i. I agree with your impression of 400i. It's really great but as far as DT990 lacking dynamics and poor bass response, I would respectfully disagree with you. DT990 plugged to an SMSL M8 and Little Dot Mkiii with Mullard tubes will really blow you to bass and dynamics nirvana. I was even tempted to sell my DT990 after I got my HE400i but this pairing changed my mind. I think its about the pairing, equipment and materials, different headphones really shines on perfect pairings. There is really no perfect headphone for all types of material and all sorts of device pairings.

 

[fjrabon]

  HE-400i is my first planar magnetic headphone. I do like it a lot and I also wonder among its various features, what are the ones that are unique/strength of a planar magnetic headphone?

the biggest strength of planars (well, most planars, the HE400s is an exception) is that the bass doesn't roll off.  It's nearly perfectly flat over the entire bass region, meaning it can have the most lifelike bass (though not necessarily the thumpiest).  Second, a good planar has speed that dynamics can't match, though it's short of what a good electrostat can do.  After that, it comes more down to the particular headphone.  

 

[RERO]

the biggest strength of planars (well, most planars, the HE400s is an exception) is that the bass doesn't roll off.  It's nearly perfectly flat over the entire bass region, meaning it can have the most lifelike bass (though not necessarily the thumpiest).  Second, a good planar has speed that dynamics can't match, though it's short of what a good electrostat can do.  After that, it comes more down to the particular headphone.  

 
By "HE400s" do you mean the whole HE-400 series (400/400i400S) or just the HE-400S?
 
As for the planar sound, I didn't really go "hmmm this sounds like a planar magnetic headphones and totally not a dynamic driver" when I demo'd the 400i a few weeks ago. That said, most of my experience with planars is with the LCD-XC (rabu <3) and the LCD-3 (I only tested one song, Hotel California, with the LCD-3s).

 

[Invocation]

 
the biggest strength of planars (well, most planars, the HE400s is an exception) is that the bass doesn't roll off.  It's nearly perfectly flat over the entire bass region, meaning it can have the most lifelike bass (though not necessarily the thumpiest).  Second, a good planar has speed that dynamics can't match, though it's short of what a good electrostat can do.  After that, it comes more down to the particular headphone.  

Thanks for the explanation. A friend of mine has a OPPO PM-03 and I should get a try to see what are the same and what are different

 

[fjrabon]

 
Thanks for the explanation. A friend of mine has a OPPO PM-03 and I should get a try to see what are the same and what are different

THe PM-3 is also a bit different because it is closed, so you will also be hearing closed/open differences in addition to variations on a planar