[phthora]

Step 1) sell
Step 2) buy 560

I agree with the spirit of that suggestion, but the one thing it won't be is less bright.

 

[Voxata]

I agree with the spirit of that suggestion, but the one thing it won't be is less bright.

I find the 400i to have a more steely/unevel treble as to where the 560 is more linear. Both are brighter sets but, I find the 560 much more tolerable and better all around. Just my humble opinion having spent 100s of hours with both.

 

[phthora]

I find the 400i to have a more steely/uneven treble as to where the 560 is more linear. Both are brighter sets but, I find the 560 much more tolerable and better all around. Just my humble opinion having spent 100s of hours with both.

Fair enough. I suppose I would say that the 560 is brighter overall, but much more even in the treble, whereas the 400i has less treble but runs into issues of peakiness or glare. It sounds like we agree and are just thinking of 'bright' slightly differently.

I certainly find the 560 much more tolerable and better all around, as well.

So is there a common mod that makes the 400i less bright and sibilant ?
I have my 400i for a year now and upgraded to hm5 angled which are an improvement in bass but not in treble.
any suggestions?
THX

I switched from the stock Focus pads to the ZMF Ori pads and I found that they balanced the treble better by bringing the sub-bass and bass up a bit. They didn't lower the treble really, but made it less emphasized in the mix. And the new pads are also outrageously comfortable.

 

[katzolik]

I've tested many things in the last days and came to the conclusion that the treble spikes are not caused by the driver but by reflections inside the pads.
so I've lined the inside of my HM5 angled pleather with cloth these are the results:

it really only effects the wanted area especially 8k..
I will do further tests tomorrow!

 

[DavidA]

@katzolik , that's a fairly large drop in the 7 to 9 kHz range so its something easily noticed but it might also be a little too much IMO to the point that it might start to sound "veiled" like a HD650. What kind of cloth are you using?

 

[katzolik]

@katzolik , that's a fairly large drop in the 7 to 9 kHz range so its something easily noticed but it might also be a little too much IMO to the point that it might start to sound "veiled" like a HD650. What kind of cloth are you using?

8k is where du must harshness is so i am happy to reduce this.
I am using an old sock =D so relatively thick material..
the huge 5k to 6k dip is normal on the 400i i think? I've seen that in every measurement.

 

[bobo64]

Hi, I need advice. My primary phones are AKG K 712 (together with AKG K 550) and I love them. I've never had any planars. I was thinking of buying HE 560, but since HIfiman QC isn't on a high level I don't want to gamble with 450$. So, now I'm in for 400i being much cheaper. The question is: are they significantly different from AKG K 712? Is their planar bass so much different? I will appreciate any comment.

 

[LasherV]

I have had the 400i for a while now and I will say this. They are not kidding about the 150hr burn in period. The Bass response gets much deeper, the Highs smooth out, and the Mids get more width and depth to them the more you use them. They also respond very well to EQ. A great bargain for what they are selling for these days.

Lasher

 

[DavidA]

Hi, I need advice. My primary phones are AKG K 712 (together with AKG K 550) and I love them. I've never had any planars. I was thinking of buying HE 560, but since HIfiman QC isn't on a high level I don't want to gamble with 450$. So, now I'm in for 400i being much cheaper. The question is: are they significantly different from AKG K 712? Is their planar bass so much different? I will appreciate any comment.

While I haven't heard a K712 in a long time and have never heard the K550 I have a K7XX & K553. My HE400i (older SMC verion) has more bass, goes lower and in cleaner and more detailed than both the K7XX and K553. But since you are asking about the bass I'm going to assume that you want more than what the K712 and K550 have and I'll say that it depends on a few factors: genres that you listen to, amps used, and the level that you listen at. For some of my friends the HE400i seems a little lite on the bass compared to the K712 since its not there in as much quantity and the K7XX has a slight mid-bass bump so with some tracks it does seel like it has more bass but the HE400i goes lower, is better detailed and is never muddy. If you are more interested in the bass then I'd suggest looking at a Fostex TH series, an old HE400 (but it will need to have some mods) or maybe even the Sony MDR-1A.

The QC issues with the HE560 seem to be an isolated batch that many got from Adorama where the headband is breaking but if you were to find a used one with SMC connectors or ones that are a year or older I don't recall seeing many issues with them at this point in time and the problem with the headband could easily show up in the HE400i since the headbands are basically the same. Another thing to consider with the HE560 is that it tends to be more picky with amps where the HE400i seems to be less affected by various amps.

 

[Selfish Android]

I have had the 400i for a while now and I will say this. They are not kidding about the 150hr burn in period. The Bass response gets much deeper, the Highs smooth out, and the Mids get more width and depth to them the more you use them. They also respond very well to EQ. A great bargain for what they are selling for these days.

Lasher

I had the same experience, i was a little dissapointed at first, i even bought a Schiit Magni thinking it was a problem with my hybrid tube amp, the point is that after a while they really improved in every way possible, i removed the thin cloth in the grill and replaced the earpads with the ZMF Ori Earpads, right now they sound amazing and i'd say they sound better out of my Little Dot i+.

 

[Swiftfalcon]

Hi, I need advice. My primary phones are AKG K 712 (together with AKG K 550) and I love them. I've never had any planars. I was thinking of buying HE 560, but since HIfiman QC isn't on a high level I don't want to gamble with 450$. So, now I'm in for 400i being much cheaper. The question is: are they significantly different from AKG K 712? Is their planar bass so much different? I will appreciate any comment.

If you were thinking of HE560 which is near $500, also check out Hifiman Sundara.

 

[bobo64]

Thanks for all replies - very kind of you all. I must say I'm not a basshead. I don't like a coloured sound, prefer more neutral, detailed sound with good separation (it doesn't have to be anything spectacular), so I enjoy my AKG's a lot. But never experiencing planars, I would like to know if it is a considerably DIFFERENT experience from my AKG's. Nothing about bass quantity (I'm pretty much sure that 400i have quite enough bass for my taste - considering the fact that I listen to jazz, snooth jazz, male and female vocals, orchestral music, classic, acoustic). They will be driven by my Asgard 2 + Arcam Irdac - probably a nice match with 400i. I'm just wondering if it is worth investing some more money to hear and feel something new, different and unique, but more or less on the same quality level compared to mu AKG's.

 

[DavidA]

Thanks for all replies - very kind of you all. I must say I'm not a basshead. I don't like a coloured sound, prefer more neutral, detailed sound with good separation (it doesn't have to be anything spectacular), so I enjoy my AKG's a lot. But never experiencing planars, I would like to know if it is a considerably DIFFERENT experience from my AKG's. Nothing about bass quantity (I'm pretty much sure that 400i have quite enough bass for my taste - considering the fact that I listen to jazz, snooth jazz, male and female vocals, orchestral music, classic, acoustic). They will be driven by my Asgard 2 + Arcam Irdac - probably a nice match with 400i. I'm just wondering if it is worth investing some more money to hear and feel something new, different and unique, but more or less on the same quality level compared to mu AKG's.

I'd say the HE400i will be a new experience and at the current prices totally worth it. I still have my Asgard2 but since its in the bedroom I rarely use it with the HE400i but its not my preferred pairing but its not bad either.

 

[Selfish Android]

Thanks for all replies - very kind of you all. I must say I'm not a basshead. I don't like a coloured sound, prefer more neutral, detailed sound with good separation (it doesn't have to be anything spectacular), so I enjoy my AKG's a lot. But never experiencing planars, I would like to know if it is a considerably DIFFERENT experience from my AKG's. Nothing about bass quantity (I'm pretty much sure that 400i have quite enough bass for my taste - considering the fact that I listen to jazz, snooth jazz, male and female vocals, orchestral music, classic, acoustic). They will be driven by my Asgard 2 + Arcam Irdac - probably a nice match with 400i. I'm just wondering if it is worth investing some more money to hear and feel something new, different and unique, but more or less on the same quality level compared to mu AKG's.

I'd say the HE400i are what you are looking for, i'm not a basshead myself and that's the last thing a look in a headphone, but the first time i hear planar magnetic bass i was blown away, it's very different, now speaking about treble and midrange the HE400i are very well balanced and they are a bargain for the price they are currently on, i would say they are on the brighter side so i think they will suit your tastes.

 

[LasherV]

Thanks for all replies - very kind of you all. I must say I'm not a basshead. I don't like a coloured sound, prefer more neutral, detailed sound with good separation (it doesn't have to be anything spectacular), so I enjoy my AKG's a lot. But never experiencing planars, I would like to know if it is a considerably DIFFERENT experience from my AKG's. Nothing about bass quantity (I'm pretty much sure that 400i have quite enough bass for my taste - considering the fact that I listen to jazz, snooth jazz, male and female vocals, orchestral music, classic, acoustic). They will be driven by my Asgard 2 + Arcam Irdac - probably a nice match with 400i. I'm just wondering if it is worth investing some more money to hear and feel something new, different and unique, but more or less on the same quality level compared to mu AKG's.

As I said before I own the 400i. However I also own the M1060 from Monoprice. You can get it refurbished for around $250USD and IMHO it will give you a far better representation of what "Planar Bass" really is and why people love it. More so than the 400i and it is also a little bit easier to drive set of Cans. Both headphones respond really well to EQ and if you own Planars you find out quickly that none are perfect and sound better with a little tweaking from the EQ to your preferred sound. I'm also really into Smooth Jazz that has a nice Bass line and Planar Bass extension is far better on the M1060. If Smooth Jazz is your thing then the M1060s are the way to go. Hope this helps

Lasher