[manishex]

I just checked, theres a velour version of that pad too. Which would be better?

 

[mike138]

I've spent about two weeks with these now after burning them in for the recommended 150 hours. Main rig is my computer to Schiit Magni/Modi 2 Uber stack. "Portable" (I don't take them out, but I do wear them around the house a bit) setup is the Fiio X3 2nd Gen with no amp (it adequately drives the 400i).
 
The headphones had a very tight clamp at first, but after wearing them they've loosened up a little, and they are now very comfortable. But for the music it would be easy to forget you are wearing them. The stock cable is stiff and can just be in the way. However, it feels very durable and Hifiman has changed the odd twist on connectors to a conventional plug. If you sit a ways away from your setup, you will need an extension; the stock cable is pretty short.
 
These headphones are an upgrade for me from my Sennheiser 558 (an incredible value headphone, btw). This is not an apples to apples comparison given the price points of each, obviously, but I'm not a guy who has owned a lot of headphones. Overall, the Sennheisers seem to have a more expansive soundstage, but that is the only are where they'beat' the 400i. There is a real richness to the sound of the 400i; I now see why people like planars. 
 
Bass is there but not overbearing. The mids aren't the centerpiece the way they are with my RE600s, but they are very nice. The highs weren't that great when I first got the headphones, but now sound good after the burn-in. The sound fits together in a very nice way.
 
Overall, the reduction in soundstage took a little getting used to, but man these headphones sound beautiful. I was able to snag them at the $299 price point. I'm not sure why Hifiman and its authorized dealers keep making them available at the same price as the entry-level 400s, but I'm happy they did. 
 
Next up for me is a bit of tinkering - I am probably going to upgrade my amp at some point to the Asgard 2, and I may try a few different portable amps with the X3 just for fun. I also plan to get the Brainwavz ear pads and see how that goes. If any of these make a radical improvement I will update.

 

[Mr Rick]

  wow its on sale a lot lately. so should they be considered 300 dollar headphone now?
i never buy anything unless its on sale. basically for normal price. well its the jcpenny effect.

 
We might have to start calling them the best headphones.................under $300.00.

 

[bharat2580]

  I've spent about two weeks with these now after burning them in for the recommended 150 hours. Main rig is my computer to Schiit Magni/Modi 2 Uber stack. "Portable" (I don't take them out, but I do wear them around the house a bit) setup is the Fiio X3 2nd Gen with no amp (it adequately drives the 400i).
 
The headphones had a very tight clamp at first, but after wearing them they've loosened up a little, and they are now very comfortable. But for the music it would be easy to forget you are wearing them. The stock cable is stiff and can just be in the way. However, it feels very durable and Hifiman has changed the odd twist on connectors to a conventional plug. If you sit a ways away from your setup, you will need an extension; the stock cable is pretty short.
 
These headphones are an upgrade for me from my Sennheiser 558 (an incredible value headphone, btw). This is not an apples to apples comparison given the price points of each, obviously, but I'm not a guy who has owned a lot of headphones. Overall, the Sennheisers seem to have a more expansive soundstage, but that is the only are where they'beat' the 400i. There is a real richness to the sound of the 400i; I now see why people like planars. 
 
Bass is there but not overbearing. The mids aren't the centerpiece the way they are with my RE600s, but they are very nice. The highs weren't that great when I first got the headphones, but now sound good after the burn-in. The sound fits together in a very nice way.
 
Overall, the reduction in soundstage took a little getting used to, but man these headphones sound beautiful. I was able to snag them at the $299 price point. I'm not sure why Hifiman and its authorized dealers keep making them available at the same price as the entry-level 400s, but I'm happy they did. 
 
Next up for me is a bit of tinkering - I am probably going to upgrade my amp at some point to the Asgard 2, and I may try a few different portable amps with the X3 just for fun. I also plan to get the Brainwavz ear pads and see how that goes. If any of these make a radical improvement I will update.

it might be easy to run but the maximum power rating is 6 watt. so put in something more powerful then the assgard in the mix to leave some room for dynamics and fast faced planers and if you upgrade later.

 

[bharat2580]

my burson takes almost 2,3 hours to get warmed up, else it sounds **** with the 400i but after wards its..  hahah ahahaehhahhaahahahah
 
though i miss my ld mk iii which should be back soon the tube takes 5 mins maybe less to report for duty and then sings all night long.

 

[Invocation]

  So as I said before, I've been listening to my HE-400i with the Brainwavz pads on, and I can't recommend them enough.  When I first got my HE-400i, I liked them a fair amount.  I found them similar to my beloved HD-600 with a bit more bass extension, but they didn't quite wrap me in warm happiness the way the HD-600s did.  They never had that mind-blowing bass I expected from planars, With the Brainwavz pads on though.... hhhnnnnngggg
 
Comfort: Better.... kind of.  The part of the pads that contact your head have a smaller total surface area than the Focus Pads, which means there is a bit more pressure on your head where the pad makes contact. The increased depth of the pads also increase the clamping force.   The BW pads dont put pressure on my TMJ though... so I like them better overall.
 
Bass: Better extension, texture, body, slam.  Closer to what you expect when you think of "planar bass"
 
Vocals: Smooth and musical  Gone is the metallic sound of the vocals, replaced by silky smooth goodness.  

How you stick the pads to the headphones? Do the Brainwavz pads have plastic clips that help connect to the base?
And how does it sound compared to the focus pads?

 

[Crimguy]

Seems everyone is cannibalizing the clips off a pair of Hifiman pads and attaching the new pads to the Hifiman clips.

 

[shuto77]

We might have to start calling them the best headphones.................under $300.00.

I don't think they're going to do that, as it will cannibalize sales of their new (oddly named) HE-400s.

I think they should price the 400s at $250 and the 400i at $400, personally. This would destroy the competition from a value perspective.

But, yeah, that's interesting to see.

 

[Kyno]

I'm joining the club 

 
Had a interesting journey in the HiFi world. I wanted to try the big guys - at least some flagships around 1k - to see what they were all about. 
 
Coming from the HD650, I've went with the HD700, T1, HD800, then HE-560 route... didn't like with the first three despite them being connected to an uber Crack+SB with great tubes. The HE-560, I liked it a lot. But the highs were bothersome to my ears, physically fatiguing, even after months.
 
Tried the 400s since beginning of this month. Not very impressed, the resolution was quite disappointing. I've bought them for about $240 used here in Europe though so I can't complain about the value. It would be unfair to compare them with the HE-560.
The 400i wasn't actually far off the price however. I bought them on the forum for $350. 
 
Did it feel better right off the bat! Something to smile about from a technical standpoint. Darker/warmer too, which I like. Smaller soundstage, which I prefer... and an overall joy to listen to! Have been for a few days now, I can't stop going through my library to see how every track sounds with it.
 
I only have the Crack+Speedball and the Asus Essence STX as amps currently. Strangely, it sounds awful to me with the Asus. "Shouts" a lot. It does sound pretty good out of my smartphone however, that's very impressive. 
Also sounds good out of the Crack, even though it's not supposed to work very well with low impendance headphones. Maybe I'm just a tube addict. I've tried the Garage1217 Polaris in the past, and the Gustard H10 a lot of people rave about, but I've disliked both with my previous headphones including the HE-560. They were somehow "lifeless" (/cold) compared to the Crack.
 
Would you have any suggestions regarding a more suitable amp in theory? It would be interesting to compare. 

 

[E8ArmyDiver]

  I'm joining the club 

 
 Maybe I'm just a tube addict.
Would you have any suggestions regarding a more suitable amp in theory? It would be interesting to compare. 

Check out the little Transformer Coupled, APPJ Audio amp in my Signature.I have left impressions throughout this thread,a search for "PA1502"should turn them up...There are also 2 or 3 other users here with the same rig...

 

[nahpungnome]

So I took off my ear pads out of curiosity and noticed on both sides that the diaphrams are wrinkled.  Anyone else have this issue? Is this cause for concern?

 

[NA Blur]

  So I took off my ear pads out of curiosity and noticed on both sides that the diaphrams are wrinkled.  Anyone else have this issue? Is this cause for concern?

Picture?
 
Do you turn down the volume to zero and unplug your headphone from the amp, if you use one, before turning the amp off?

 

[nahpungnome]

 

[nahpungnome]

 
Picture?
 
Do you turn down the volume to zero and unplug your headphone from the amp, if you use one, before turning the amp off?

 
I stop playing music, then turn off my DAC, then turn off my amp, then unplug the headphones.

 

[AsterFenix]

Hi guys, I'm using a HE-400i with my setup: PC > Schitt Wyrd > HRT Music Streamer II > Schiit magni 2 Uber. Is it worthwhile to upgrade the Music Streamer to a modi 2 uber for the consistency with other components? Or will it be a degrade over the HRT Music Streamer II?