[Lohb]

For those in the tour, keep an eye out. Answers incoming from Hifiman.

GOOOO TEAM CYPRUS !!

Glad you got a pair.

 

[tinyman392]

One month sounds like plenty of time to get a full review through.  That's a very generous time period.  

 

[conquerator2]

That's indeed aplenty. Good times ahead

 

[Oregonian]

I'm on the tour list as well. A month is way beyond my expectations! Looking forward to comparing against the HE-400 and HE-6, tho I don't expect the He-6 comparison to be a fair fight.

 

[beaver316]

So a little information from Hifiman. It is indeed confirmed that once we have finished evaluating our unit, we will be responsible for shipping it back to Hifiman. We also have the option of purchasing it directly. People from Southern Asia and Russia will ship it back to Hifiman's factory in China, and everyone else will ship to their US office. So USA folks have it good, us Europeans not so much.

 

[thug behram]

I'm also on the tour. Cannot wait

 

[KidA81]

And getting "on" this so-called tour?

 

[MattTCG]

Grill mod is done. I learned a lot through the process.
 

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Grill mod is done. I learned a lot through the process.

Do tell Matt?

 

[AxelCloris]

  Grill mod is done. I learned a lot through the process.
 

 
Very nice cut job.

 

[MattTCG]

Here is what I learned from the process. The first grill took 50 minutes...the second was ten minutes.
 
First, use the original grill or pattern of the exact diameter to draw the pattern on the new material. A contrasting color/sharpie helps. 
 
Second, use tin snips to cut away the large areas of material. Just straight cuts...don't try to follow the circular patter very closely. And Always err on the side of leaving extra material rather than trying to cut too close. It's easy to cut away more material later, but pretty tough to put it back on. 
 
Next I used a grinder to carefully shape the outside of the new grill going slowly and getting a true circle. On the second grill I made a plastic template, same diameter as the stock grill, and held that piece sandwiched with the new grill and used it to put the finishing touches on the new grill with the grinder. Don't forget to take the burr edge off the new grill as it can be very sharp.
 
Last, I tried a couple different kind of paints. Krylon semi-gloss worked best. It dries quickly and smooth and the color seem to coordinate with the paint on the cups very well. 

 

[Wildcatsare1]

^^ Trying to patient and let other changes sort out before doing this one, damn you Matt your making that hard too do !

 

[imac2much]

I was able to audition the HE-400i and HE-560 today at AnRun Technology in Beijing.  I also tried the HE-400 and the HE-6.  I am amazed at how much more comfortable the newer 400i and 560 feel on my head compared to the older HiFiman models.  I also could distinguish a noticeable sound improvement with the 400i over the 400.  The difference between the 400i and 560 was a bit harder for me to discern, though I am rather new to hifi so my ears are probably not the best judge.  However, it did seem like the 560 sounded more open with a wider soundstage.  The difference was there, but honestly I don't think it was worth the extra cash.  
 
I asked them when they would be able to sell the 400i but they weren't sure yet.  They said they would call HiFiman on Monday and call me back.  Hopefully I will be able to purchase these headphones from them before the end of the month!

 

[money4me247]

  I was able to audition the HE-400i and HE-560 today at AnRun Technology in Beijing.  I also tried the HE-400 and the HE-6.  I am amazed at how much more comfortable the newer 400i and 560 feel on my head compared to the older HiFiman models.  I also could distinguish a noticeable sound improvement with the 400i over the 400.  The difference between the 400i and 560 was a bit harder for me to discern, though I am rather new to hifi so my ears are probably not the best judge.  However, it did seem like the 560 sounded more open with a wider soundstage.  The difference was there, but honestly I don't think it was worth the extra cash.  
 
I asked them when they would be able to sell the 400i but they weren't sure yet.  They said they would call HiFiman on Monday and call me back.  Hopefully I will be able to purchase these headphones from them before the end of the month!

cool! glad you got a chance to demo.
 
what was your impressions of the sound difference between the 400i vs the 400?

 

[imac2much]

To be honest, my first impressions had nothing to do with sound.  Jerg warned me that if I ever tried the 400i (or 560) first before any other HiFiman products, I would be spoiled and "throw the HE-400/500 to the floor" haha.  Although I was able to control my throwing arm, I do admit that the 400 was noticeably less comfortable... and not just because of the heavier weight!  I thought the headband and the overall seal over the ears were inferior compared to the 400i and 560.
 
As for sound, I mostly listened to some classical and opera (that's all they had playing and my Chinese wasn't good enough to ask them to change it, haha).  The 400's sounded more intimate than the 400i, and the 400i were likewise more intimate than the 560.  I feel that the 400i was a good sweet spot for me, but I would not complain at all if I had the 560 instead... I just didn't feel the large price hike justified the sound differences.  I think the 400's also lost points due to its inferior seal, as some notes felt "muddier" to my ears.
 
Take my impressions with a grain of salt.  I'm not a seasoned hifi vet so I'm just trying to give my layman impressions.... but it's really difficult putting it into words!  I would have loved to compare the 400 and 400i with some bass-heavy songs like EDM or dubstep, but with classical and opera I just wasn't able to tell the difference in the lower frequencies.