Looks like it, as they are not available in US or europe websites (as far as i know). Anyways I've been enjoying mine a lot, and this makes me want to try the Sundara,
Hifiman HE400se
- Thread starter Tano
- Start date
Could we get a measurement from somebody?
Hi guys, I got them today, let me share some first impressions after a 2 hours session. (Sorry if the photos are bad, my mobile camera is not great).
The package is ok, I wasn't expecting much for the price I paid. Cable is bad as usual with Hifiman.
Build quality is average, they feel plasticky and cheap, a bit worse than the Devas, which feel sturdier. In the other hand the pads feels good and they are very confortable, even more than the Devas, mostly because they have a bit less clamping force. Pads are the same hybrid type, but they are softer and a bit more rounded in the he400se while Devas pads are slightly more oval shape.
So let's go with the important part: the sound.
Out of the box the sound is great for a 100 euros pair of headphones. I spent like an hour going back and forth between the HE400se and the Devas using the stock cable on both without EQ, and I was impressed because it was really hard to tell the difference. After a bit more time I can say that the the Devas got a bit more of subass and more detailed highs but the difference is really small, at least for my ears. The mids sound rather the same to me in both headphones.
I couldn't tell big differences in the soundstage and imaging either.
If the Devas are a hard to drive because of the low sensitivity, the HE400se is even harder and the volume was lower every time I switched between them, using both the Fiio Btr5 and my mobile (Xiaomi MI10 lite).
Still need to use them with Eq and the Soundblaster XG6 to see how they behave with a bit more of power.
Overall I feel that for 100 euros (they are 140 now on AliExpress but a sale is coming) they are a no brainer. Good, fun sound and comfortable headphones out of the box. Althought I can't do any tipe of measurements, I feel that the Devas, He400se, He4xx and the He400i 2020 are basically the same headphones with some minor tweaks.
To sum up, the He400se are perfect if you want to start with planars or you just want a cheap headphone with good sound. It's insane how far the technology has come, 10 years ago you can't even imagine to get this sound quality for this price.
I will probably sell mine, as there's no point of havin these and the Devas.
The package is ok, I wasn't expecting much for the price I paid. Cable is bad as usual with Hifiman.
Build quality is average, they feel plasticky and cheap, a bit worse than the Devas, which feel sturdier. In the other hand the pads feels good and they are very confortable, even more than the Devas, mostly because they have a bit less clamping force. Pads are the same hybrid type, but they are softer and a bit more rounded in the he400se while Devas pads are slightly more oval shape.
So let's go with the important part: the sound.
Out of the box the sound is great for a 100 euros pair of headphones. I spent like an hour going back and forth between the HE400se and the Devas using the stock cable on both without EQ, and I was impressed because it was really hard to tell the difference. After a bit more time I can say that the the Devas got a bit more of subass and more detailed highs but the difference is really small, at least for my ears. The mids sound rather the same to me in both headphones.
I couldn't tell big differences in the soundstage and imaging either.
If the Devas are a hard to drive because of the low sensitivity, the HE400se is even harder and the volume was lower every time I switched between them, using both the Fiio Btr5 and my mobile (Xiaomi MI10 lite).
Still need to use them with Eq and the Soundblaster XG6 to see how they behave with a bit more of power.
Overall I feel that for 100 euros (they are 140 now on AliExpress but a sale is coming) they are a no brainer. Good, fun sound and comfortable headphones out of the box. Althought I can't do any tipe of measurements, I feel that the Devas, He400se, He4xx and the He400i 2020 are basically the same headphones with some minor tweaks.
To sum up, the He400se are perfect if you want to start with planars or you just want a cheap headphone with good sound. It's insane how far the technology has come, 10 years ago you can't even imagine to get this sound quality for this price.
I will probably sell mine, as there's no point of havin these and the Devas.
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Nice write-up Man. Besides the sound, looks like these are also looks strikingly similar to Deva, while the HE400se has thicker housing and the Deva has little drop shape on the bottom.
do they pair good with BTR5?
do they pair good with BTR5?
Thank you! For me, they are really close in terms of performance. As I said, the Devas sounds a bit better, but definitelly not 2x better, considering the Deva wired version cost almost twice.
And yes no problem driving the He400se with the Btr5. The max volume I reached was 23 and it was already loud for me (I usually listen to my devas between 17-20).
Althought the HE400se aren't easy to drive I think most modern mobiles can handle them without problems (unless you like to hear your music at unhealthy levels).
I recently picked a Philips SHP9500 as my first open-back headphone and now a Takstar Pro 82 to complement it. I wonder how much the SHP will differ from this Hifiman. I never tried planar and this looks like a good time to jump into the hype train.
The seller is the Lusya store right? This HE400se didn't appear on the (not sure) official store on Aliexpress yet.
The seller is the Lusya store right? This HE400se didn't appear on the (not sure) official store on Aliexpress yet.
Thanks, i'm a little bit worried as this headphone needs 70% volume on both my Mac and Xiaomi phone to reach a comfortable level.
I also have the SHP9500 and I love them but the Hifiman sound is a step up. It has more bass and it's less sibilant and bright than the SHP9500. I think they are a perfect start if you wanna get into planars.
And yes the seller I got mine is Lusya store. It took less than 2 weeks to arrive to Spain, so not bad at all.
Nice! I'll probably give it a try!
FastAndClean
Previously known as presata
so i found one photo of them without pads and from the look of it the magnets on that pair are silverish in color, neodymium magnets
can someone that has them take a pic without pads ?
can someone that has them take a pic without pads ?
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Hi, wonderful pics..this is what I discovered when I took a pic of the driver's shadow using a LED torch. Thick dual sided magnet, compared to single sided (thinner magnet) on the he400i. I prefer the sound of the 400se...not sure why..will the driver make a huge difference?
FastAndClean
Previously known as presata
the magnets make a difference, i have he400i 2020 with single side neodymium magnets and the dynamics are weaker compared to my previous HE500 that has double sided array
Agreed - and probably explains why I am gravitating towards the 400se (despite them being cheaper by 20% vs 400i)
As i understand sundara is step up from these headphones as from price point it should be some step up. Not 3 times but still. Don't know if if it is worth to start with first planars in this entry level or a little bit higher.
Sundaras are a great and definitelly a step up from these headphones. It all depends of your budget, but both are great purchases for what you pay.
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