[phthora]

Heard 560? 90% of 400i or what? I have a Mahogany TH-X00 here and it kinda sounds like a bad joke compared to 400i to my ears. It's a d2k with wooden cups AFAICT, pretty steep for 4 benji's if you ask me.

I have not heard the 560, but it is the next headphone I plan to buy. According to what the reviews suggest, it improves upon the 400i for my particular tastes (less mid-bass, better bass extension, a bit more air in the treble). If it weren't for the change in sound signature, I wouldn't be interested in paying the premium. Not very helpful, I'm sure.

I certainly prefer the 400i to the Mahogs, but I was surprised at how much I liked the Fostex considering it's aiming for a sound profile I don't usually love. At $400, I probably won't ever buy them, but I'd sure love to have a friend that owned them.

 

[DavidA]

Having had the TH-X00 Mahogany, TH-600, HE400i, and HE560 all at the same time the only one that I don't currently have is the TH-X00, they are great if the ear pads fit for you but for me and a few others its a problem and getting alternative pads for them is not cheap. The other issue I have with the TH-X00 series is the non-removable cable which is easily fixed with SMC jacks. While the SMC mod is reversible those that decide to go with the 2.5mm jack mod it is non-reversible since you need to cut part of the frame, cup and baffle.

TH-X00 and HE400i have different types of bass, TH-X00 bass is over emphasized and a bit muddy at times but its why some like it while the HE400i to some can be bass lite but is never muddy. The highs of the TH-X00 can be sibilant and grainy/harsh to some but it also depends on the recording and support gear wile the highs of the HE400i is not as extended as the TH-X00 its a little smoother to me.

HE560 is a different sound signature from HE400i, some like it some don't, to me its good with well recorded/mastered classical, jazz and blues but is not as forgiving of poor recordings. Bass goes lower and is more detailed/cleaner than the HE400i, highs are a bit more extended but can make the HE560 seem bright to some but to me they are never harsh or grainy..

 

[koover]

Having had the TH-X00 Mahogany, TH-600, HE400i, and HE560 all at the same time the only one that I don't currently have is the TH-X00, they are great if the ear pads fit for you but for me and a few others its a problem and getting alternative pads for them is not cheap. The other issue I have with the TH-X00 series is the non-removable cable which is easily fixed with SMC jacks. While the SMC mod is reversible those that decide to go with the 2.5mm jack mod it is non-reversible since you need to cut part of the frame, cup and baffle.

TH-X00 and HE400i have different types of bass, TH-X00 bass is over emphasized and a bit muddy at times but its why some like it while the HE400i to some can be bass lite but is never muddy. The highs of the TH-X00 can be sibilant and grainy/harsh to some but it also depends on the recording and support gear wile the highs of the HE400i is not as extended as the TH-X00 its a little smoother to me.

HE560 is a different sound signature from HE400i, some like it some don't, to me its good with well recorded/mastered classical, jazz and blues but is not as forgiving of poor recordings. Bass goes lower and is more detailed/cleaner than the HE400i, highs are a bit more extended but can make the HE560 seem bright to some but to me they are never harsh or grainy..

For the most part, I agree about the Massdrop/Fostex when they're stock. You have to spend another $150 with Mods though to get them to sound their best. I had no issues with that because it changed the entire SS and one I like very much so. The Lawton 1 driver dampening only and pad swap (I have ZMF leather Ori) does improves this HP exponentially. There is no muddy bass whatsoever as it's now much faster, cleaner and punchier, the treble is tamed and the detail is there. It's a good sounding HP but it's gonna cost you as it's now a $600 set of cans. Cost doesn't mater to me because if that's what I "love" it's a moot point.

@phthora, I do have the 400i and I quite like them....a lot and I'm pretty much a bass-head. They're extremely detailed BUT they are bass light when you're a bass-head. Understand though, being a bass-head doesn't mean I like slow, fat and muddy. That's garbage.

 

[rez11]

basshead as well, i agree 100%, although lite, i've grown to love the bass on these. I listen to alot of DnB and it still sounds great, sure times i wish i had some th-x00 or those expensive 900's but thats later down the road as a side-grade i guess, i really really love planar bass and its accuracy/speed, so if anyone knows the big upgrade for planar bass then by all means let me know i may save up for one.

 

[DavidA]

basshead as well, i agree 100%, although lite, i've grown to love the bass on these. I listen to alot of DnB and it still sounds great, sure times i wish i had some th-x00 or those expensive 900's but thats later down the road as a side-grade i guess, i really really love planar bass and its accuracy/speed, so if anyone knows the big upgrade for planar bass then by all means let me know i may save up for one.

If you want planar bass then HE400 with mods would be my recommendation. If dynamic driver then TH-X00 with a few mods, bass quantity is more than TH900 but its not as clean or detailed as the TH900. You can also start with the TH-X00 and do some mods which will get the bass really good IMO but you will be spending some $$$ as @koover noted above

 

[peter123]

HE560 is a different sound signature from HE400i, some like it some don't, to me its good with well recorded/mastered classical, jazz and blues but is not as forgiving of poor recordings. Bass goes lower and is more detailed/cleaner than the HE400i, highs are a bit more extended but can make the HE560 seem bright to some but to me they are never harsh or grainy..

Couldn't agree more, they're certainly different from each other.

Talking about 90% is totally meaningless imo as there's no way to describe headphones in percentage. To me they're definitely clearly different headphones no matter what some other says on some other site or which kind of connector they use.

On a side note I find it pretty funny that people with the old version(s) always seem to think that they're the best while people with the new ones seem to pretty much think the opposite. Human nature I'd guess......

 

[DavidA]

Couldn't agree more, they're certainly different from each other.

Talking about 90% is totally meaningless imo as there's no way to describe headphones in percentage. To me they're definitely clearly different headphones no matter what some other says on some other site or which kind of connector they use.

On a side note I find it pretty funny that people with the old version(s) always seem to think that they're the best while people with the new ones seem to pretty much think the opposite. Human nature I'd guess......

While I think my SMC HE400i sounds a little better than the newer version due to the slightly fuller sound I didn't notice any difference between the newer and older HE560 but its a sample size of 2 older and 1 newer version, YMMV.

 

[Tetonpowskier]

Well since I already own the Original HE-400 for home use, which has great bass quality, and some good quantity (for open) without being muddy at all. As well as My V moda m100s, which sound pretty darn good unamped (much better when amped), and are way more portable than TH-X00..

Seems like the TH-X00 will just be overlap for me. Last thing I need is another fatiguing headphone. Going back to the drawing board. HE-400i and HD600 now high up on my list, as well as Audeze Sine.

 

[oswalakhil]

I just wanted to say I'm finally in the owner's club after buying these from a forum member!
I'm powering them off a Project Polaris amp through a Schiit Modi, running Equalizer APO to tame the sibilance and boost sub-bass.

They sound absolutely fantastic! The bass especially, on good recordings, is very natural, textured. I finally understand what "fast" headphones mean - the speed and decay is very accurate. Nothing seems muffled and that's fantastic. Even though these are the old version, I don't feel the sound-stage lacking, it's intimate but accurate (IMO, used to speakers and IEMs and these are my first open-back cans).

My only complaint with these headphones really is the timbre of some instruments. Now I'm not sure if it's the recordings, my poor EQ skills - but some instruments (acoustic) seem a bit off. Chamber, cello, cymbals and flutes sound great - but acoustic guitars and sometimes drums (final music from Whiplash) don't have a natural feel to them. Any suggestions for this, or any equalization that works for you all?

In any case, these are achieving 90% of what I dream of in sound, an extreme value for money. I'm in on the December Massdrop for HD6xx, and after a one-off between the two I'll keep just one.

 

[drwlf]

I just wanted to say I'm finally in the owner's club after buying these from a forum member!
I'm powering them off a Project Polaris amp through a Schiit Modi, running Equalizer APO to tame the sibilance and boost sub-bass.

They sound absolutely fantastic! The bass especially, on good recordings, is very natural, textured. I finally understand what "fast" headphones mean - the speed and decay is very accurate. Nothing seems muffled and that's fantastic. Even though these are the old version, I don't feel the sound-stage lacking, it's intimate but accurate (IMO, used to speakers and IEMs and these are my first open-back cans).

My only complaint with these headphones really is the timbre of some instruments. Now I'm not sure if it's the recordings, my poor EQ skills - but some instruments (acoustic) seem a bit off. Chamber, cello, cymbals and flutes sound great - but acoustic guitars and sometimes drums (final music from Whiplash) don't have a natural feel to them. Any suggestions for this, or any equalization that works for you all?

In any case, these are achieving 90% of what I dream of in sound, an extreme value for money. I'm in on the December Massdrop for HD6xx, and after a one-off between the two I'll keep just one.

The timbre issues for me are related to harmonics along with the unnatural quickness driver, the attack and decay properties, I haven't been able to fix them with simple EQing, some DSP would be required for that. It's quite production, mix/master dependant. For example, I found that older prog with analog devices in the production worked well, but some newer stuff (with the "same" vintage moogs/mellotrons/hammonds), sounds dead awful. Not to mention the crunchy wet guitars in general grunge from the early 90s.

 

[marhol]

I have the focusA pads on mine and I like the low end that they provide. I use them with my iFi iDSD BL with XBass+ on and now I have plenty of bass. No other mods are necessary to my ears.

I still have my stock HE-400i with Focus Pads and I still like the bass response and overall balance of this headphone. Personally I don´t have any needs for mods or EQ. However I have older 400i version with backplate which is supposed to have a tad more subbass and maybe a bit smoother treble than the new version (sorry I never had a chance to compare both versions, just saying what I read here and there) I´m glad people like the sound of HE-400i - whatever version - stock or after some modding or EQing. I recently auditioned a few fine headphones like Audioquest Nighthawks, AKG 712, Focal Elear and Utopia and only Utopia out of them had better tonal balance than HE-400i to my ears.

 

[DavidA]

I just wanted to say I'm finally in the owner's club after buying these from a forum member!
I'm powering them off a Project Polaris amp through a Schiit Modi, running Equalizer APO to tame the sibilance and boost sub-bass.

They sound absolutely fantastic! The bass especially, on good recordings, is very natural, textured. I finally understand what "fast" headphones mean - the speed and decay is very accurate. Nothing seems muffled and that's fantastic. Even though these are the old version, I don't feel the sound-stage lacking, it's intimate but accurate (IMO, used to speakers and IEMs and these are my first open-back cans).

My only complaint with these headphones really is the timbre of some instruments. Now I'm not sure if it's the recordings, my poor EQ skills - but some instruments (acoustic) seem a bit off. Chamber, cello, cymbals and flutes sound great - but acoustic guitars and sometimes drums (final music from Whiplash) don't have a natural feel to them. Any suggestions for this, or any equalization that works for you all?

In any case, these are achieving 90% of what I dream of in sound, an extreme value for money. I'm in on the December Massdrop for HD6xx, and after a one-off between the two I'll keep just one.

I have to agree with @drwlf that its not the EQ that makes the timbre sound off, I think its an issue with many planar headphones. What do you think of the sound without any EQ? I would not think the HE400i to be sibilant with the Polaris amp since its a bit on the warmer side and boosting the sub-bass might affect some of the lower mids and cutting some of the highs might also affect some of the upper mids/lower treble.
You might want to try the Focus-A pads since they will affect the bass and highs a touch and I'd suggest trying some attenuation rings in the stock Focus pads to tune the bass since the rings are easily made from card stock and completely reversible:

I found using 2 separate attenuation rings gave the best sound to me but its something you will have to try and see what you like.

 

[oswalakhil]

I have to agree with @drwlf that its not the EQ that makes the timbre sound off, I think its an issue with many planar headphones. What do you think of the sound without any EQ? I wouldn't not think the HE400i to be sibilant with the Polaris amp since its a bit on the warmer side and boosting the sub-bass might affect some of the lower mids and cutting some of the highs might also affect some of the upper mids/lower treble.
You might want to try the Focus-A pads since they will affect the bass and highs a touch and I'd suggest trying some attenuation rings in the stock Focus pads to tune the bass since the rings are easily made from card stock and completely reversible:
I found using 2 separate attenuation rings gave the best sound to me but its something you will have to try and see what you like.

I quite like the sound of the stock, unequalized sound, except for a certain powerful, shouty "beaming" somewhere in the high frequency. It comes across in some recordings, and a lot of music I listen to has a lot of energy in the upper registers. Based on what people said in a few previous posts, I just pushed down the 8kHz area a little and bumped the <120Hz up a bit.

I'm cutting out the attenuation disks right now! Thanks.

 

[mandrake50]

I am very curious to hear your thought on the attenuation rings. DavidA talks bout them quite frequently, but I have not yet taken the time to try them out.

 

[rgmffn]

I have to agree with @drwlf that its not the EQ that makes the timbre sound off, I think its an issue with many planar headphones. What do you think of the sound without any EQ? I wouldn't not think the HE400i to be sibilant with the Polaris amp since its a bit on the warmer side and boosting the sub-bass might affect some of the lower mids and cutting some of the highs might also affect some of the upper mids/lower treble.
You might want to try the Focus-A pads since they will affect the bass and highs a touch and I'd suggest trying some attenuation rings in the stock Focus pads to tune the bass since the rings are easily made from card stock and completely reversible:

I found using 2 separate attenuation rings gave the best sound to me but its something you will have to try and see what you like.

I'm going to try this 'card stock'. After being married to the M1060 for a couple 3 months, I'm not happy with the bass on the 400i anymore.