MattTCG
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Both are very good. I prefer the warmth of the vali 2
Hifiman he-400i Impressions and Discussion
- Thread starter MattTCG
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yangian
Headphoneus Supremus
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Thank you, Matt!
BrotherKathos
500+ Head-Fier
Does anyone know where I can get a better cable than the stock one for my 400i? I just got one and its the model that has the 3.5mm plugs for the earcups and the right angle plug for the source device. I'd like to only spend $50 tops for the cable if I can get something better.
CADCAM
Headphoneus Supremus
Okrelayer
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Curious, going into a 12 inch MacBook. Would I be better to use the fulla 2 with it's amp and dac. Or use the Magni 2 with the macbook's onboard dac.
BrotherKathos
500+ Head-Fier
Thank you for the reply, but that cable will not work for my 400is. I actually already bought that one and found that out. The connectors on that cable are 2.5 mm for the earcups and my 400i uses 3.5mm connectors. I think they changed the design a bit on the latest models following the introduction of the Sundara
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cobrabucket
1000+ Head-Fier
https://m.ebay.com/itm/HiFiMan-Sund...006704?hash=item285bde9930:g:ibwAAOSwE-xbDMjU
You just have to make sure that the 3.5 mm connectors will fit. I think this would work.
You just have to make sure that the 3.5 mm connectors will fit. I think this would work.
I'm sure that the Forza AudioWorks basic cable is better than the he400i standard cable, search their site on google
BrotherKathos
500+ Head-Fier
Thanks for the info Jerda. I had never heard of that company before, but the products they sell look great. They are a bit more than I had originally thought, but at least much cheaper than moon audio or cardas's stuff. I might get their cable eventually, but first I need to really figure out just what I need to specify when orsering the cable. I know my headphones are different than the original he-400i because the earcup connection does not have the screw on jacks. They are also not 2.5mm jacks either, since the neomusica cables were much too small. The earcup plugs on my 400i are stereo 3.5mm jacks. I've never seen stereo 3.5mm jacks used for both left and right earphone connections before, but if I unplug the earcups' cord the male 3.5mm plug is exactly the same as the one that goes into the dac.I'm sure that the Forza AudioWorks basic cable is better than the he400i standard cable, search their site on google
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BrotherKathos
500+ Head-Fier
I wanted to post up my impressions of 2 different setups I have with the 400i. The first one using the SMSL SU-8 dac and JDS labs EL amp. That setup on low gain works best for me and gives the 400i a very black background and very clean detailed sound. It has good drive and the big knob allows me to get very precise control over my volume. The bass is there with the 400i, but not overwhelming. Great punch, but does not have the super low rumble you'd get from a subwoofer in a ht setup. The imaging is great and the soundstage is open, but not as large as the Sennheiser hd 558s I own. They feel like an in-between from a closed and open back headphone.
The other setup is with a Topping D50 and Schiit magni 3. This setup is a bit less clear. Sound stage is the same as the SMSL and el amp setup. The background is a little less black, and you can tell there is more distortion in the signal from the magni 3 vs the El amp. This system is a bit darker in overall tone, but also has the benefit of more drive. Rock tracks like Blu oyster cult's Godzilla really come alive with the D50 and magni 3 combo. Bass heavy songs like Massive Attack's Angel also benefit slightly from the magni 3's darker more powerful implementation. There is a bit more overall smoothness here at higher volumes that makes loud listening more tolerable even though you definitely loose the finer details of the music somewhat. Having twice the power at the same ohm rating seems to help the magni 3 here. Its able to create a fullness that the SMSL El amp setup is not. This is not a huge difference though, being subtle. I'd really have to real time AB switch them to tell the exact differences, but they are there and this is the impressions I'm getting as I move from system to system with my 400i.
I'm really not sure which one I prefer. I think it comes down to what kind of music I wnt to listen to at the time and how much of the recording I'm looking to hear. If I want to be truly immersed in the recording and feel like I'm in the studio with the artist, then I think I'll spring for the SMSL EL amp combo. If I want to get the felling that I'm at an outside show while getting bombarded with hundreds of thousands of watts of speaker fury, then I'm going to the magni 3 setup. Both are 2 great flavors that I'm very happy to own. I have no plans to get rid of either setup and have nothing but praise for all of these companies. They have put out great products at a great price in a very bloated audio market where its very easy to spend more and get much less.
The other setup is with a Topping D50 and Schiit magni 3. This setup is a bit less clear. Sound stage is the same as the SMSL and el amp setup. The background is a little less black, and you can tell there is more distortion in the signal from the magni 3 vs the El amp. This system is a bit darker in overall tone, but also has the benefit of more drive. Rock tracks like Blu oyster cult's Godzilla really come alive with the D50 and magni 3 combo. Bass heavy songs like Massive Attack's Angel also benefit slightly from the magni 3's darker more powerful implementation. There is a bit more overall smoothness here at higher volumes that makes loud listening more tolerable even though you definitely loose the finer details of the music somewhat. Having twice the power at the same ohm rating seems to help the magni 3 here. Its able to create a fullness that the SMSL El amp setup is not. This is not a huge difference though, being subtle. I'd really have to real time AB switch them to tell the exact differences, but they are there and this is the impressions I'm getting as I move from system to system with my 400i.
I'm really not sure which one I prefer. I think it comes down to what kind of music I wnt to listen to at the time and how much of the recording I'm looking to hear. If I want to be truly immersed in the recording and feel like I'm in the studio with the artist, then I think I'll spring for the SMSL EL amp combo. If I want to get the felling that I'm at an outside show while getting bombarded with hundreds of thousands of watts of speaker fury, then I'm going to the magni 3 setup. Both are 2 great flavors that I'm very happy to own. I have no plans to get rid of either setup and have nothing but praise for all of these companies. They have put out great products at a great price in a very bloated audio market where its very easy to spend more and get much less.
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CADCAM
Headphoneus Supremus
I can't believe HiFiMan changed the connector going in each cup to 3.5?? That seems way too large. You sure about this?
Anyone else have a pair with 3.5 to the cup?
youngarthur
1000+ Head-Fier
My recently purchased 400i are 2.5 at the cup. In Comparison my Monoprice 560 are 3.5 at the cup.
CADCAM
Headphoneus Supremus
Mine are also 2.5 to the cups and I just recently got them new from AA, I'm thinking these were bought modified.
cobrabucket
1000+ Head-Fier
Nope. Mine definitely came with 3.5mm connectors.
BrotherKathos
500+ Head-Fier
Yeah, I was a bit surprised when I got the replacement cable and it did not fit with 2.5mm earcup connectors. I can compare the amp end to the earcup end on the stock cord and its exactly the same. 3.5mm all around. 3.5mm stereo connectors all around mind you.
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