[ashutoshp]

I notice we have a bit of "amp creep" going on with the 400i's. Which is okay- if an amp/headphone combo does for you, this is the place to write about it and share.

However, my iPad can drive these headphones to levels that can make me wince. Convincingly full and articulate bass, mids to die for. Out of an iPad Air 2.

Just a different POV...

@swspiers +1 to his POV as I have a similar experience, albeit with the iPad Air. 
 
which says a lot about the iPad. But thinking out aloud, I'm wondering if this means that you need a really good amp like the Lyr and co. to take the 400i to the 'next' level.   

 

[drbluenewmexico]

The old IPad Retina (model from two years ago, NOT an IPad Air but heavier
original weight and size iPad with improved screen) has the best sound output
of any of the iPads.  I spent a bunch of time comparing all the models at Applestore with really good iems and the iPad Retina was CLEARLY the best sound, more detail, clearer, and more volume to the sound.  The air series compromisedthe audio circuits when it was designed.  The Apple staff had no clues as to why thiswas so and could only say "maybe more space in the larger model for audio circuits" Anyway, if you take the digital signal out of the iPad Retina with a lightning cable and
feed it into a Denon HA10 DAC/Amp and then feed that signal (i use a Shure volume attenuator get the ideal volume control) into the 400is you get portable audio bliss.
its the best portable set up i have heard yet.  Im using a standard lightening to usb cable out into the Denon DAC, but just found about about an upgrade ADI Furutech based lightning to  USB cable that Moon Audio sells that is supposed to increase signal quality and musical fidelity.  In any case the iPad Retina is the musical champ even just out of the headphone jack.

 

[marhol]

  I should be getting an Oppo HA-1 soon to pair with the 400i.  I was told that the single ended may not have enough power for the 400i so I should go balanced.  Has anyone had experience with this setup?  
 
If balanced is indeed the way to go, does anyone have recommendations for an affordable balanced cable for the 400i?  I saw the earlier post linking to ebay but I was confused whether that was only for Pono players.  I'm not looking for anything fancy, just a simple balanced cable so I can take advantage of the higher power output of the HA-1.
 
Thanks!

Hi, I haven´t heard HE-400i balanced with Oppo HA-1. I´ve only heard this combo with the single ended stock cable and while listening I never had a feeling, that HE-400i was underpowered. All was there: deep and controlled bass, clear and rich mids, extended and detailed treble. No distortion or lack of dynamics whatsover. It sounded great.
 
According to the manual  http://download.oppodigital.com/HA1/HA-1%20User%20Manual%20v1.2%20US.pdf    Oppo HA-1 via RCA (single ended cable)  delivers 500 mW into 32 Ohm.   HE-400i impedance is at 35 Ohm, so it should deliver (est.) 457 mW which is more than enough for moderately sensitive headphones like HE-400i.  E.g. for 115 dB, which is a very loud level, it needs only around 2.4 Vrms and 161 mW  as Oppo HA-1 output impedance for RCA connection is 0.7 Ohm  The following online calculator was used - http://auditry.blogspot.com/ 
 
Of course it should sound even better with the balanced cable. I don´t have enough experience to recommend a particular one, the one offered by Hifiman also doesn´t look bad http://head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=211#

 

[swspiers]

  Hi, I haven´t heard HE-400i balanced with Oppo HA-1. I´ve only heard this combo with the single ended stock cable and while listening I never had a feeling, that HE-400i was underpowered. All was there: deep and controlled bass, clear and rich mids, extended and detailed treble. No distortion or lack of dynamics whatsover. It sounded great.
 
According to the manual  http://download.oppodigital.com/HA1/HA-1%20User%20Manual%20v1.2%20US.pdf    Oppo HA-1 via RCA (single ended cable)  delivers 500 mW into 32 Ohm.   HE-400i impedance is at 35 Ohm, so it should deliver (est.) 457 mW which is more than enough for moderately sensitive headphones like HE-400i.  E.g. for 115 dB, which is a very loud level, it needs only around 2.4 Vrms and 161 mW  as Oppo HA-1 output impedance for RCA connection is 0.7 Ohm  The following online calculator was used - http://auditry.blogspot.com/ 
 
Of course it should sound even better with the balanced cable. I don´t have enough experience to recommend a particular one, the one offered by Hifiman also doesn´t look bad http://head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=211#

Great link.
For the record, 115dB is extremely dangerous, and can cause permanent hearing loss very quickly.  Think ringing in your ears forever kind of stuff.
 
The HA-1 is total and absolute overkill for the 400i's.  Now, I myself love overkill, so I have both a Benchmark DAC-1 and a Burson Soloist.  Just because I can 

 
But heck, even the Schiit Magni is overkill, and my old FiiO E-10 can drive them fully. My HTC One cellphone- not so much. 
 
Anything more than that is a preference, not a requirement. One of the most wonderful things about the 400i's is the ability to drive them fully without spending hundreds on an amp.

 

[imac2much]

Thank you all so much.  I love this community - you all are so helpful!
 
I guess I can save money on the balanced cable then - good to know  I know the HA-1 is overkill, but I decided to upgrade the rig in preparation for an eventual upgrade of the 400i's.  I just can't tell what to replace them with haha!  I live in a small city in China so it's impossible to audition headphones here (the only headphones they sell here are Beats by Dre knock-offs and ironically some gaming headsets).  I listened to both the 400i and the 560 when I was in Beijing and while I enjoyed both, I didn't find the improvements of the 560 worth the steep price difference.  So for now I am happy with the 400i's and the HA-1 when it comes in - hopefully within the next year I will be able to audition some more headphones in another city!

 

[DavidA]

  Thank you all so much.  I love this community - you all are so helpful!
 
I guess I can save money on the balanced cable then - good to know  I know the HA-1 is overkill, but I decided to upgrade the rig in preparation for an eventual upgrade of the 400i's.  I just can't tell what to replace them with haha!  I live in a small city in China so it's impossible to audition headphones here (the only headphones they sell here are Beats by Dre knock-offs and ironically some gaming headsets).  I listened to both the 400i and the 560 when I was in Beijing and while I enjoyed both, I didn't find the improvements of the 560 worth the steep price difference.  So for now I am happy with the 400i's and the HA-1 when it comes in - hopefully within the next year I will be able to audition some more headphones in another city!

As an upgrade or change to a different sound signature I would suggest a HD-650 as there seems to be quite a few who have both of these headphones.
Agree with the part of your post about the cost difference between the HE-400i and HE-560, while the HE-560 does sound better IMO its not worth the $400 premium.

 

[ashutoshp]

  As an upgrade or change to a different sound signature I would suggest a HD-650 as there seems to be quite a few who have both of these headphones.
Agree with the part of your post about the cost difference between the HE-400i and HE-560, while the HE-560 does sound better IMO its not worth the $400 premium.

Cheers for this. I have been curious about what would be a good complement to the 400i but could you say in what sense the HD650 represents an upgrade?
   The reason I ask is because I have only once heard the HD650s for a few minutes through a Woo Audio tube amp. IIRC, I found it to have a fairly dark sound signature, but don't really remember anything about the micro-details, soundstage, etc. 

 

[DeBilbao]

  Cheers for this. I have been curious about what would be a good complement to the 400i but could you say in what sense the HD650 represents an upgrade?
   The reason I ask is because I have only once heard the HD650s for a few minutes through a Woo Audio tube amp. IIRC, I found it to have a fairly dark sound signature, but don't really remember anything about the micro-details, soundstage, etc. 

 
As an owner of the HE-400i and also the HD 650 from Sennheiser, I would say that it all depends on your tastes and the amplifier you choose to move the headphones.
 
I took the upgrade path from the HD 650 to the HE-400i and I was impressed by the fascinating detail that the HE-400i revealed in comparison with the HE-400i. I was using the HD 650 with a Burson Conductor amplifier and the HE-400i with an iFi iDSD micro.
 
Recently I've changed my setup and sold the Burson Conductor in order to try a tube amp and after buying an Icon Audio HP8 MKII I'm completely in love again with my HD 650. The combination is simply superb and the HD 650 have gone one more step further. I don't know where is the limit, but I'm amazed.
 
The HE-400i with the iFi iDSD micro is also a killer combo, and I enjoy it every weekend connected to an iMac, but when I go back to the Icon Audio HP8 MKII with the HD 650 and listen to the same recordings, it's a delight.
 
It all depends on your taste, and for me it isn't all about detail and resolution. I appreciate much more the dynamics and musicality of the tube sound.
 

 

[mistersprinkles]

I got 400i's today and I am quite smitten with them. Using the headphone out from a Marantz PM5005. Sounds frickin amazing... but I am an audio addict and I must have better!

So far I'm hearing Gustart, Project Ember, and Schiit Lyr 2. 
What's the best I can do for about $500 Canadian before taxes, amp wise?
 
Unless there will be a mind-melting difference by going with a tube amp I would prefer solid state. When I had aquariums I had my filters rigged so I never needed to change cartridges. I'd like the same operating environment for my audio gear.

 

[DavidA]

  Cheers for this. I have been curious about what would be a good complement to the 400i but could you say in what sense the HD650 represents an upgrade?
   The reason I ask is because I have only once heard the HD650s for a few minutes through a Woo Audio tube amp. IIRC, I found it to have a fairly dark sound signature, but don't really remember anything about the micro-details, soundstage, etc. 

For me the HD-650 is more musical sounding if that makes sense and it needs a OTL amp as many have suggested on the HD-650 thread to sound its best.  The HE-400i is a more technical sounding and not as forgiving of mediocre recordings.  Another that I would look at is the K7XX, wide sound stage, bass a little boosted and highs which are nice and smooth.

 

[money4me247]

  I got 400i's today and I am quite smitten with them. Using the headphone out from a Marantz PM5005. Sounds frickin amazing... but I am an audio addict and I must have better!

So far I'm hearing Gustart, Project Ember, and Schiit Lyr 2. 
What's the best I can do for about $500 Canadian before taxes, amp wise?
 
Unless there will be a mind-melting difference by going with a tube amp I would prefer solid state. When I had aquariums I had my filters rigged so I never needed to change cartridges. I'd like the same operating environment for my audio gear.

The solid state options from Garage1217 would be the Project Polaris and from Schiit would be the Asgard 2.

 

[Ultrainferno]

Just FYI, the winner of our HE-400i giveaway will be anounced tomorrow

 

[torta]

I have a 400i for a while ... work great for me. I would like to get similar sound in iems. Similar in terms of freq-response and similar in terms of audio quality (I really like smooth and liquid sound on 400i). I have shure SE215 now and switching between the two the thing that annoys me most is treble ... 215 just don't cut it - treble is hard and grainy (and I don't need all that bass). Well the price difference makes them hardly comparable.
Anyway - any recommendation for me? I am willing to spend for good custom iems. Maybe I should post this on other forum, but I wanted try here first.

 

[DiscoProJoe]

Well guys, last week at my local hi-fi shop ( Chongqing Feixiang HiFi Shop, the shop's online store is here), I had a chance to sample the HE-400i as I was ordering my second pair of M-100s and purchasing my second Cayin C5 amp. (See this post...and this post...to find out why I ordered a second set.)
 
I hate to say it, guys, but the HE-400i didn't impress me in the least. It's totally meant for audiophiles and not at all for bassheads!
 
As I plugged it into my portable handheld rig and listened, the HE-400i's low sensitivity made it seem like I was driving a pair of 150-ohm cans, rather than 30-ish ohms. It also made me realize something else: using an open-backed pair of headphones is like running a subwoofer without a box.
 
I was playing the second-to-last song featured in my long post about my custom EQ presets (on my Rockboxed iPod), which is the first of the two Chinese pop songs at the end of that list (Phoenix Legend's "Fly Freely"). Using the exact same EQ preset for that particular song that I normally use,...not only could I not play it very loud on the HE-400i (through my Cayin C5 amp with its bass-boost switch turned on), but it didn't throb hardly at all, either. I started getting amp clipping from the attempt at driving a lot of sub-bass, and the music wasn't even playing very loud!
 
Of course, if I turned off the EQ in Rockbox and set everything to flat, then I could get the HE-400i to play loud, but it lacked even more of a low end that way.
 
As for soundstage, the HE-400i paled in comparison to the soundstage of the M-100 with my custom EQ presets and Cayin C5 amp running with it. Whether using an EQ or not, the HE-400i just can't deliver the proper amount of low-end sub-bass to support and complement the soundstage and make it seem wider, deeper, and fuller. Of course, without an EQ, the HE-400i has somewhat of a better soundstage than the M-100 without an EQ. But with an EQ, the M-100's soundstage absolutely blows away the HE-400i if done properly.
 
But I will say one other good thing about the HE-400i: at least I can't use my Cayin C5 to make the drivers bottom out and go "snap, crackle, pop," as I could do with the Sennheiser HD 650 at the shop a few months ago! 

 
So the HE-400i must be for audiophiles who crave some extra power handling, I guess. 

 

 

[headwhacker]

Never heard/seen anyone said HE-400i is for basshead so I don't know where you got the idea.