[coletrain104]

Last time I checked (a year and a half ago) the consensus seemed to be that there's really no direct upgrade path from the 400i in the Hifiman lineup - that the more expensive models have better resolution, soundstage, imaging ect., (more suitable for classical or jazz listening) but none of them are as forward/fun sounding for stuff like hip hop or electronic music?

I've owned and demo'd more expensive headphones but my 400i is honestly my favorite all around for the genres I listen to the most. For popular music I actually prefer them over most $1000 range headphones that I've auditioned. Is there anything on the market that's more fun sounding than the 400i for under ~$1200ish? I'd love to get an Abyss AB-1266 Phi one day while my hearing is still young but not convinced I should spend 5 months rent on something like that.

Also has anyone made their own 2.5mm headphone cable before? I think I've spent as much money replacing the cable over the last 3 years as I spent on the 400i itself. Most cables I've tried on Amazon are so thin my cat can chew through it in one bite. The GDK-1 HIFI Cable Replacement that cost $60 was better quality but still didn't last much more than a year before a 2.5mm jack wore out. I'll probably just solder a different jack onto the cable but would like to make something nicer.

400i are a gem, I feel much the same way. Apparently Sundara are very similar from a FR standpoint, almost identical, but has the thinner driver and more open grille. if you want more fun under 1200 I'd say maybe some pre-fazor LCDs would be a possibility. Personally I love the Elex (mine is really an Elear with Elex pads but they should be the same I believe).

 

[bystander]

Hello. Yesterday I bought used He-400i in a great condition for a very nice price. Never bought used before, and was hesitating a lot. My first planar headphones and my first higher class headphones (I only had Superluxes and Ath-m50 in the past). In fact I was planning to buy new IEMs and was bold enough to ask for a personal consultation from two nice people on Head-fi (they replied and helped me a lot without hesitation). I will still buy these IEMs but have to wait until the situation in China will be better. Shipping can be risky in my case. Anyway, I was listening to He-400i almost all night, listening after waking up right now too and I am so satisfied. I think it's a first revision with screw-in connectors, not sure. They are so energetic and lively. I have never heard anything like this before. They are absolutely not fatiguing in my case, everything is pleasant. They are very comfortable to me and I am very picky about that. I am into balanced signatures but what an impactful bass they have! I was searching a lot for something to sound great with my preferred genres and they have nailed it. I only have E10K since 2014 and I love how it sounds. Read posts about E10K lacking power but my volume knob is on 5 and I hear that it's more than enough. I planned to upgrade it as soon as possible but still, I think it drives these headphones very good. Read this thread too before buying so thank you guys. I am really glad I bought He-400i. Sorry for not coherent post, also first post ever.

 

[Blueshound24]

So I had the original HE400 and liked it a lot. Anyone know if the HE4xx on Drop is the same signature or not?

Somebody said the he4xx is the same as HE400i, any truth to that? And if so, how does the he4xx/he400i compare to the original he400?

 

[phthora]

So I had the original HE400 and liked it a lot. Anyone know if the HE4xx on Drop is the same signature or not?

Somebody said the he4xx is the same as HE400i, any truth to that?

It is definitely not the same as the 400i. Compared to the 400i, the 4XX sounds brittle and rolled-off in the bass, but without improving on the soundstage or imaging. For my money, I would take the 400i over the 4XX every time.

 

[DavidA]

So I had the original HE400 and liked it a lot. Anyone know if the HE4xx on Drop is the same signature or not?

Somebody said the he4xx is the same as HE400i, any truth to that? And if so, how does the he4xx/he400i compare to the original he400?

My HE400 and HE400i (first gen, SMC jacks and backplate) are quite different. The HE400 is quite V shaped while the HE400i is a bit better balanced from top to bottom. Also, both are modded: HE400 has sorbothane in the cups, Focus pads vs pleather, more open grill with a hard rubber pad in the middle to bring up the mids, and a slightly modded headband. HE400i has sorbothane in the cups and a more open grill. I haven't heard a HE4XX but some seem to like it.

 

[bystander]

Oh, guys, no way I could tell something new after almost thousand pages and quite some time after the release of these headphones, but just a bit more to add to my previous post. I love to watch certain live performances with high quality audio tracks and did it today to test the sound. So good without being artificially wide. I had an opportunity to listen to ATH-AD1000X and they were nice but there were so much air I was even lost and distracted a bit. Of course this is my personal thing. The stage here is just right to me. The positioning and vocals are very correct and natural. When I was watching these blu-rays with my own previous headphones my head was exhausted after 30 minutes, probably because of some weird peaks and my favorite gigs are already very "bright" even without these peaks. Today I enjoyed these two and a half hours without any discomfort both in sound and fit. Very, very interesting model to be introduced to planars. Some songs sound so crazy good that I want to say "GODDAMN" like that funny wrestler Masahiro Chono. I will definitely invest in them so they could live as long as they can. Bless this man who sold them to me. Such deals appear in my town every 50 years at best. I don't want to mislead some people who are also searching for nice headphones because there are different versions and all, but still maybe someone will find a good deal like me. And again one more thanks to posters of this thread for the information. This music lover is really satisfied.

 

[coletrain104]

So I had the original HE400 and liked it a lot. Anyone know if the HE4xx on Drop is the same signature or not?

Somebody said the he4xx is the same as HE400i, any truth to that? And if so, how does the he4xx/he400i compare to the original he400?

I literally JUST sold my HE-400 today, and to my ears it sounds like a slightly brighter 400i. I have an entire review that I wrote comparing the HE-400 to the 400i, and I still find it to be truthful to this day. TLDR of it is that the 400i has a little extra bass decay and bloom, has a more even treble and mids. It sounds warmer and more intimate, while the OG 400 sounds airier albiet a tad cleaner, and actually they have a particular snappy/aggressive sound to them. To me, the treble on the 400 is offensive on cymbals and stuff, and the vocals don't have enough body to my taste. 400i is more balanced with a ever so slightly lush timbre, and to me they are keepers in my otherwise much more expensive collection. The extra warmth and more forgiving treble make the tuning sound bassier IMO, even though some people seem crazy about 400's bass, I find the 400i to be much more enjoyable and fun without sacrificing definition. I've been to many meets and heard SO many headphones, and the ones I would trade my 400i for are all much much more expensive. I may even sell my Edition X V2, but the 400i are staying.

As far as the 4xx goes, I bought one for my mom since she fell in love after listening to my 400i! To my ears it has some extra brightness that isn't there on the 400i, and it kind of bridges the gap between the 2, but sounds closer to 400i. After taking off the pads, it visibly shares the one-sided magnet structure (isodynamic, not orthodynamic) and has the same magnet structure as the more recent 2.5mm connector 400i. This could be the different earpads, the fact that I have the SMC connector 400i before Hifiman's silent revision, or some combination.

If you liked the 400, I think both the 4xx or 400i may be enjoyable to you. Despite the depth of my comparisons, there are quite a few similarities, such as great bass extension, polite/recessed low treble, and similar soundstage/presentation.

 

[rar133]

hello. anyone would have a simple corrective 10-band eq for the 400i to correct it? i plan to use on the fiio q5s app.
i find the sound lacking in bass and muffled voices.
I normally eq through sonarworks (brilliant for me) but i want to more or less match it on my phone...

 

[Sonic Defender]

hello. anyone would have a simple corrective 10-band eq for the 400i to correct it? i plan to use on the fiio q5s app.
i find the sound lacking in bass and muffled voices.
I normally eq through sonarworks (brilliant for me) but i want to more or less match it on my phone...

Don't use a graphic eq if you can avoid it, use a parametric equalizer such as built into Neutron. Much better results, IMO.

 

[rar133]

Don't use a graphic eq if you can avoid it, use a parametric equalizer such as built into Neutron. Much better results, IMO.

actually by extending the discussion from the Q5S thread, I more or less came to terms that no eq was possible on LDAC or LDHC. so was thinking a basic 10-band eq for the q5s. i tried Oluv's gadget from his he-4xx video, it was an improvement, but hoping maybe someone has a 10 band setting to try. i might try the parametric. before buying sonarworks i tried a bit with REW/ Equalizer APO with settings from a pdf (don't remember where). was underwhelmed. maybe i did it wrong. who knows

 

[439598]

actually by extending the discussion from the Q5S thread, I more or less came to terms that no eq was possible on LDAC or LDHC. so was thinking a basic 10-band eq for the q5s. i tried Oluv's gadget from his he-4xx video, it was an improvement, but hoping maybe someone has a 10 band setting to try. i might try the parametric. before buying sonarworks i tried a bit with REW/ Equalizer APO with settings from a pdf (don't remember where). was underwhelmed. maybe i did it wrong. who knows

if the amp cant deliver the power the headphones need EQ is never gonna make them sound right, forcing a bit more quantity out of them w/ EQ is likely to sacrafice more quality in the process aswell, might be something to consider depending on your setup.

 

[Sebasistan]

I'm looking for a balanced (2.5mm) cable for the current (3.5mm) model. All I can seem to find on Amazon are these NewFantasia cables which seem to have a somewhat spotty reputation. On eBay I found these, which seem a) pricey and b) completely no-name. Not sure where to go for these... Any pointers? https://ebay.us/qHCN1c

 

[THGM]

Two suggestions for you, although both companies are based in Europe. I have purchased cables from Custom Cans myself and Forza gets recommendations here on Head-Fi:

https://customcans.co.uk/s/s/index.php/2-5mm-balanced-cable.html
https://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=105

Otherwise, try searching for Oppo PM1, PM2, Sennheiser HD700 or Audioquest NightHawk cables, which all take the same 2.5mm headphone connectors.

Hope this helps!