[bagwell359]

To each his own but I personally did not hear the issues you described after removing the grills.. Did you also use the zmf Ori pads when you removed the grills?

No, I got a deal on MrSpeakers Ether - well reviewed by several folks for the 500 (I do not agree). Tried those, stock felts, Delkoni fenestrated, and Fostex 500 stocks. I'm buying ZMF's this week. I should have made it clear that the 500's showed this trait more than the 4xx. I used the stock felt pads for that evaluation since they are the best I have in hand for now.

I'll try to mod a few of the pads with more fiberfill and/or plastic tubes to see if that helps them.

 

[Mojo65]

I feel like I am the only one here that likes mine stock!

Hi, no you are not alone, I also like and use mine stock. I just might consider upgrading the cable but I am not sure. For the price point it is hard to find real defects. On the build quality I have no issues, mine is number 164 or 165 (shame on me, I don't remember...).

 

[trellus]

I feel like I am the only one here that likes mine stock!

Nope, not the only one! Haven’t touched a thing.

 

[ld100]

Any good aftermarket cable? I tried Venture and not too happy about it...

 

[luckybaer]

I feel like I am the only one here that likes mine stock!

I hope I am as lucky as you! I hate having to mod stuff to facilitate a high degree of enjoyment. I love it when a purchase meets my needs as-is.

 

[dgindlespergerd]

These are great right out of the box. The mods just add a little more but are not needed to enjoy these.

 

[bullbuchanan]

These headphones are amazing right out of the box. I just always want more. From my listening notes, removing the grill cloth with stock pads is a downgrade. If you add ZMF Ori Pads though, it's an upgrade.

 

[jdoo]

I was happy with mine stock except for adding a strip of foam worked into the inside of the pads to add a little more depth but the left cup started losing connection. I could remove the grill and touch the wire to make it come on and go off so got rma and sent them back.

 

[Paddy]

Hey guys I have the HE400i which I love. The only issue is the leather after a few months of use is already peeling off forcing me to tuck it back In. I will have to buy new pads which will cost around $100 New Zealand to buy and ship it here from Amazon. I can buy the HE 4xx for $300 New Zealand. I'm wondering is the HE4XX better in build and sound than the HE400i or should I stick with my HE400i? Cheers

 

[luckybaer]

Hey guys I have the HE400i which I love. The only issue is the leather after a few months of use is already peeling off forcing me to tuck it back In. I will have to buy new pads which will cost around $100 New Zealand to buy and ship it here from Amazon. I can buy the HE 4xx for $300 New Zealand. I'm wondering is the HE4XX better in build and sound than the HE400i or should I stick with my HE400i? Cheers

Don't know much about the sound quality because this will be my first HE4XX, but it uses HIFIMAN’s Focus-A hybrid ear pads. Per Massdrop: "The foam has extra cushioning and is specially angled for acoustics, and the part of the pad touching the ear is made of soft, luxurious velour." Also, the headband appears to be a special tweak/improvement: "The headband is made of spring steel—so it can bend without losing its shape—and hand-stitched with breathable protein leather." It sounds like the changes were made to address past criticisms, so hopefully this ends up being a solid, well-made product. Someone who actually owns one will probably chime in soon.

 

[Jerda]

Hey guys I have the HE400i which I love. The only issue is the leather after a few months of use is already peeling off forcing me to tuck it back In. I will have to buy new pads which will cost around $100 New Zealand to buy and ship it here from Amazon. I can buy the HE 4xx for $300 New Zealand. I'm wondering is the HE4XX better in build and sound than the HE400i or should I stick with my HE400i? Cheers

I really like the construction quality of the he4XX: its not lucid so you don't leave your fingerprints and the headband its steel made and built like a tank.
I really like it, more than the he400

 

[Paddy]

Thanks guys. How would people compare the sound between the HE400i and HE4XX. Is the HE4xx an upgrade or downgrade? Or even sidegrade

 

[Humblepie]

Thanks guys. How would people compare the sound between the HE400i and HE4XX. Is the HE4xx an upgrade or downgrade?

Neither. Side grade in terms of sound quality. However I will say an upgrade in terms of build quality and comfort. Although the comfort of the 400i isn't that far off from the 4XX

 

[Zackobrien]

Almost got these myself.. I am very indecisive haha

 

[Paddy]

I now have both the he400i and he4xx. The only difference i can tell is the bass. The he400i feel like they have more sub bass presence in some songs but the he4xx feels slightly more punchy in other songs. These differences are very minimal and literially I feel the HE4xx is just a cheaper version of the HE400i as they sound almost indentical.