[TMRaven]

400i has a less forward midrange overall than the 560, so I don't think an Audeze owner would like them so much, but you never know.

 

[jerg]

HE400i has a lusher midrange, HE560 has a more bitey/aggressive midrange. Both are forward in their own ways.

 

[rgs9200m]

I really like both my 560 and my LCD3. 

 

[Rlb257]

Those looks quite beautiful to boot!

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

400i has a less forward midrange overall than the 560, so I don't think an Audeze owner would like them so much, but you never know.

Really? I was hoping the 400i's more intimate mids meant it was more akin to the kind of mid emphasis the 650 and LCD2 are known for. You're the only one I know who has said the opposite.

 

[money4me247]

Also when trying HE-560 you should try Focus A pads plus try to rotate pads and check if it makes difference you like as it happened to me

hahah like wearing the pads the wrong way? how did that change effect the sound?

 

[TMRaven]

Really?

I was hoping the 400i's more intimate mids meant it was more akin to the kind of mid emphasis the 650 and LCD2 are known for. You're the only one I know who has said the opposite.

 
 
The soundstage is smaller than the 560, that might lead a lot to think it has forward mids.
 
However it has an upper midrange suckout in comparison to the 560.  Think a 400 coloration, only to a lesser extent.  Unlike the 400, the 400i has more energy centered around the 4-5khz.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I personally don't mind an upper mid suckout, as I prefer the lower mids to remain relatively forward. As long as that is forward, it will still sound forward in general to me. Upper mid recession just cuts out the tizz and fatiguing aspects of sound, for me, personally.

 

[tinyman392]

I personally don't mind an upper mid suckout, as I prefer the lower mids to remain relatively forward. As long as that is forward, it will still sound forward in general to me. Upper mid recession just cuts out the tizz and fatiguing aspects of sound, for me, personally.

In contrast to the 560, the 400i will do that.  The edge is taken off of the upper mids and lead to a lusher sound that is less fatiguing as a whole.  A slightly, ever-so slightly, thicker bass response helps this as well.  

 

[TMRaven]

Then you will quite like the midrange presentation of the 400i then.  Its lower midrange is in good showing, although not quite as forward as the original 400.  (Think of it as a balancing game, the less upper midrange, the more the lower midrange will be present, if the bass is well controlled that is.)

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Yeah, true that. That is my current battle between what I'd go for next: getting another 400 and dealing with it's imperfections, or just getting a 400i and dealing with the lesser bass. I think I'm at a point where I could live with less bass for smoother, richer sound, but I certainly don't have the funds to plop down $500 atm.

 

[Eric_C]

What's this thread think of amping the HE-560 with Vali vs Asgard 2?

 

[TMRaven]

The 400i isn't that smooth in the mid-treble, it still has some irregularities like the original 400, but it is overall warmer than the 560 and linear than the 400 no doubt.  Of course when looking for ultimate in smoothness I think Audeze is still top-dog.  PM-1 is pretty smooth and creamy as well so I assume PM-2 follows in pursuit.  Based on my impressions of the 400, 400i and 560, the Hifiman house sound is less creamy and more textured, or even dry to some people.  (Maybe the 500 is more along the lines of creamy and smooth?)

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Sigh, I just want a lightweight pre-fazor LCD2.

 

[TMRaven]

I'm surprised you weren't on the list for one of the 560 or 400i demo units, MLE.  That would have been the best time to decide whether or not the new Hifimans were for you.