[mistersprinkles]

Thanks mandrake

 

[gopanthersgo1]

Okay guys, maybe I don't have trained ears, but I cannot tell a difference between amps, I'm going through a switcher where I just turn a knob to change which amp is outputting and it's the exact same to me. Just putting my input in before you rush out and spend $200 on an amp. (I was comparing the amp of the Aune T1 to the Asgard 2)

 

[Semont]

Okay guys, maybe I don't have trained ears, but I cannot tell a difference between amps, I'm going through a switcher where I just turn a knob to change which amp is outputting and it's the exact same to me. Just putting my input in before you rush out and spend $200 on an amp. (I was comparing the amp of the Aune T1 to the Asgard 2)

 
Generally that's how it usually is; you don't know whether if the differences that people claim to hear are real or just placebo. You also get a lot of people vouching for products they've never tried. Hype around amps can also cause a mass placebo effect where people think there are differences because "everyone else" heard it.
 
Just enjoy your music.

 

[bracko]

The price for HE-400i here in Sweden is 680 USD. HE-560 costs 1280 USD. Don't you think those prices are relatively high? Sennheiser HD600 costs 325 USD while HD650 costs 360 USD. I think it is very hard to justify the price difference between HE-400i and HD600. Is it really that better?
 
EDIT: Beyerdnamic DT880 600 Ohm costs 250 dollars in Sweden. 

 

[DavidA]

Okay guys, maybe I don't have trained ears, but I cannot tell a difference between amps, I'm going through a switcher where I just turn a knob to change which amp is outputting and it's the exact same to me. Just putting my input in before you rush out and spend $200 on an amp. (I was comparing the amp of the Aune T1 to the Asgard 2)

The difference between amps is dependent on the amps being compared and the headphone that you are using to do your comparison. 
 
If you were to use a HD-800 on the Asgard2 and compare it say BH Crack you will hear a difference because the Asgard2 is on the bright side making the HD-800 extra bright while the BH Crack (depending on the tubes used) can mellow out the highs of the HD-800.
 
Another example would be to try the HE-400i on the BH Crack and then compare the sound with a Ember, there will be a noticeable difference in sound because the HE-400i does not pair well with the BH Crack while the Ember is a pretty good match.
 
If you were to compare 2 SS amps or 2 OTL amp the differences might not be much since they may be using similar designs.  As always YMMV.

 

[Music Path]

Hi,

Can somebody tell how does perform in subass compared to open back dynamics like HD650 and X2 which rolloff? I heard they perform well. Just want have a better notion since i never listened to planars.

They are now 499$, but where those at 399$ already?
There is another model, the he-400s, which is similar to this one but at the end i would prefer the build quality of the 400i.
Im curious how those compare in sound quality though.
The 400s are 299$, so they are reasonably priced too.

Thanks for reading.

 

[manbear]

Hi,

Can somebody tell how does perform in subass compared to open back dynamics like HD650 and X2 which rolloff? I heard they perform well. Just want have a better notion since i never listened to planars.

They are now 499$, but where those at 399$ already?
There is another model, the he-400s, which is similar to this one but at the end i would prefer the build quality of the 400i.
Im curious how those compare in sound quality though.
The 400s are 299$, so they are reasonably priced too.

Thanks for reading.

You can get them for $399 by purchasing B-stock from Razordog Audio. B-stock are usually returns but I have hard time believing that his are--mine came in an unopened box with plastic shrink wrap still on the headphones, everything brand new. 
 
Anyway, I haven't heard the X2 specifically but compared to open back dynamics I have heard (HD650, DT990, Grado PS500e, Audio Technica AD-900x), the 400i has very good extension. It goes lower than any of those headphones, but the subbass quantity is still more or less balanced. It is also very fast and tight--no boom or bloat. 

 

[chowmein83]

Hi,

Can somebody tell how does perform in subass compared to open back dynamics like HD650 and X2 which rolloff? I heard they perform well. Just want have a better notion since i never listened to planars.

They are now 499$, but where those at 399$ already?
There is another model, the he-400s, which is similar to this one but at the end i would prefer the build quality of the 400i.
Im curious how those compare in sound quality though.
The 400s are 299$, so they are reasonably priced too.

Thanks for reading.

 
Agreed with @manbear about the sub-bass of the HE-400i. To add to that list of headphones that he mentioned, I find that the HE-400i has better sub-bass than the HD700.
 
As for comparisons between the HE-400i and the HE-400s, I think @tinyman392 has a great comparison in his post over at the HE-400s thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/766529/new-2015-hifiman-he400s/780#post_11775934

 

[Music Path]

Agreed with @manbear
about the sub-bass of the HE-400i. To add to that list of headphones that he mentioned, I find that the HE-400i has better sub-bass than the HD700.

As for comparisons between the HE-400i and the HE-400s, I think @tinyman392
has a great comparison in his post over at the HE-400s thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/766529/new-2015-hifiman-he400s/780#post_11775934

I saw the review and it is very good.
My question though is that the reviewer sais that the 400i is a bit analitical and harsher then 400s? I thought that both have similar sound signature, leaning to the warm side. 400i being more the neutral one. Some said the signature is comparable to the HD600 because it is so neutral.

 

[Hifi59]

The price for HE-400i here in Sweden is 680 USD. HE-560 costs 1280 USD. Don't you think those prices are relatively high? Sennheiser HD600 costs 325 USD while HD650 costs 360 USD. I think it is very hard to justify the price difference between HE-400i and HD600. Is it really that better?

EDIT: Beyerdnamic DT880 600 Ohm costs 250 dollars in Sweden. :blink:

While I tend to like Planar headphones over dynamic, I would not pay those prices for the HE-400i. It's a nice headphone,but to really make it sing, I needed to buy an aftermarket cable (Cardas $100.00). But even with the aftermarket cable, it will still come down to preference between the 650 and the 400i, I believe. I have owned and or heard both. The HE-560 at 1280 US dollars in Sweden MIGHT still be worth it to you. To my ear, it is superior to both of those headphones with nice deep bass to die for.

 

[bracko]

While I tend to like Planar headphones over dynamic, I would not pay those prices for the HE-400i. It's a nice headphone,but to really make it sing, I needed to buy an aftermarket cable (Cardas $100.00). But even with the aftermarket cable, it will still come down to preference between the 650 and the 400i, I believe. I have owned and or heard both. The HE-560 at 1280 US dollars in Sweden MIGHT still be worth it to you. To my ear, it is superior to both of those headphones with nice deep bass to die for.

I see. I guess that US and EU citizens have different references  

 Those are the prices that we have here in Europe, not only Sweden, now when dollar rate is that high. European products have approximately same price in US and in EU. American and Asian products cost much more in EU than in US. Lowest price in EU for HE-400i is £370 ($580) and the highest is $680. 
 
 
Oppo PM-3 for instance, costs here in Sweden the same as HE-400i. Oppo PM-1 costs 2000 USD. LCD 2 costs 1500 USD dollars in Sweden (slightly less in the UK).  Even if I order a HE-400i from USA or head-direct for 500 USD it would still give me a price of 650 USD after taxes, shipping and customs fees are added to the price. I think that everything at the end comes to preference and that it is hard to put a price tag on our personal aural satisfaction

. When reviewers here in Sweden and in the rest of Europe test HE-400i they do it with the price tag (600 Euro I believe)  in mind. I still haven't seen any of them complaining about the price 

 The reviewers are raving about the sound and build quality and comparing them to much pricier headphones.
 
When buying headphones I am thinking like this: "Is there any other headphone that I can buy for that amount of money that performs better (to my ears of course) and that is as or more comfortable?" Then I pick out a couple of candidates and listen and compare them to each other using the music I mostly listen to. Besides the sound quality I also care about comfort, looks, warranties and technicalities. 
 
I have a HD650 and like it but I doubt that it is technically superior to 400i.

 I don't know. I hope that there is more difference between 400i and 560 than in bass for those 600 USD extra. I would certainly not pay that amount of money for some extra bass 

 
 
Anyway, I ordered HE-400i yesterday. I got it for a much lower price (600 USD) and I will give it a try. I have heard many headphones up to that price level, all the important ones I guess

. I own some of them and will compare 400i to those. I have 14 days to test them. If I am not satisfied I can return them and get full refund.

 

[cyclops214]

I have had my HE400i for two months and the focus pad on the right side is now busting open the fake leather is ripping from the ear cup I remember before I bought these headphones Reading through the posts someone else had the same problem I sent a email with the attached photo to hi-fi man being that it is a weekend I probably will not hear back from them until Monday or Tuesday hoping they will replace the focus pad without having to send back the headphones since there is absolutely nothing wrong with the headphone itself only problem is the Focus pad ripping open.

 

[Hifi59]

I see. I guess that US and EU citizens have different references    Those are the prices that we have here in Europe, not only Sweden, now when dollar rate is that high. European products have approximately same price in US and in EU. American and Asian products cost much more in EU than in US. Lowest price in EU for HE-400i is £370 ($580) and the highest is $680. 


Oppo PM-3 for instance, costs here in Sweden the same as HE-400i. Oppo PM-1 costs 2000 USD. LCD 2 costs 1500 USD dollars in Sweden (slightly less in the UK).  Even if I order a HE-400i from USA or head-direct for 500 USD it would still give me a price of 650 USD after taxes, shipping and customs fees are added to the price. I think that everything at the end comes to preference and that it is hard to put a price tag on our personal aural satisfaction . When reviewers here in Sweden and in the rest of Europe test HE-400i they do it with the price tag (600 Euro I believe)  in mind. I still haven't seen any of them complaining about the price   The reviewers are raving about the sound and build quality and comparing them to much pricier headphones.

When buying headphones I am thinking like this: "Is there any other headphone that I can buy for that amount of money that performs better (to my ears of course) and that is as or more comfortable?" Then I pick out a couple of candidates and listen and compare them to each other using the music I mostly listen to. Besides the sound quality I also care about comfort, looks, warranties and technicalities. 

I have a HD650 and like it but I doubt that it is technically superior to 400i. :rolleyes:  I don't know. I hope that there is more difference between 400i and 560 than in bass for those 600 USD extra. I would certainly not pay that amount of money for some extra bass   

Anyway, I ordered HE-400i yesterday. I got it for a much lower price (600 USD) and I will give it a try. I have heard many headphones up to that price level, all the important ones I guess . I own some of them and will compare 400i to those. I have 14 days to test them. If I am not satisfied I can return them and get full refund.

I think you will enjoy the 400i. It is a fine headphone and it's even better with an aftermarket cable. It only pales in comparison if you have the HE-560s on hand and are used to their sound. I often felt something was missing in comparison. This is not to say that the 400i is not worth it's asking price. I really liked their sound after I changed cables. Enjoy!

 

[gugman]

Can you please advise exactly the cable you are talking about?
Thanx

 

[Hifi59]

Can you please advise exactly the cable you are talking about?
Thanx

The cable I used was Cardas 24x4 bulk cable made and sold by Venus Audio on EBay. Search for hifiman on eBay.