[hriki]

As promised, here's the equalization for deep fitted Comply T-400 Small. RE-400 have the damper removed, but filter still in.
Sound is generally warmer and meatier, as typical with these foams. What's more interesting is that detailing is improved, equalization or not.

Subbass is like HE-500 w/ Jergpads, except slightly less impactful, yet thicker but just as fast. Bass decay is better, linearity is just as perfect after correction. Beats HE-500 and Paradox at timbre, except at highs. Ends at 17.5kHz with this equalization - I'd need way steeper highs adjustment. It is I think less dark than SE-5 unequalized - instead of sounding hard shelved, sounds relatively smoothly rolled off with a bit of shout/glare.
Reacts way better to equalization and keeps superior distortion handling. Ringing is vastly reduced compared to silicone tips.





More: Detailing easily beats Brainwavz B2 in direct comparison, whereas without foams it was comparable, with B2 being edgy and distorted, and RE-400 being too smooth. Now it's way less smoothed over. Sounds super dampened, akin to a studio or T50rp Paradox. Hard to describe space size because of this, but it's definitely not a free field.
The loss of definition due to shell ringing now sounds more like a bit of de-esser (or anti-sibilance) and is much more limited in range, whereas previously it was all over treble. Doesn't affect cymbals, guitars or trumpets for example.
The timbre is closest to HE-500 with Jergpads, but "more". Soundstaging is more coherent - possibly because the correction is easier and thus more precise. They're mercilless in exposing any kind of artifact (among them: lowpass, rolloffs, compression, clipping, MP3 dropouts, preecho) except minor amounts of sibilance.

EDIT: Precisely adjusted peaks and updated image. Even more detailed description. Removed silly idle speculation.

Nice and detailed review. I wanted to buy Vsonic VSD1 or Soundmagic E10 until I read your review for RE-400. I use my ipod classic and my music is jazz and electronic. So I need clarity, bass and good separation of instruments. I would like to hear your opinion. Thanks

 

[Sephael]

I'm guessing this is the main RE400 topic.. if not, please advise
 
 
What tips are you guys using for the RE400? I used to have RE0 with the clear biflanges that fit me perfectly - now I got the RE400 with extra tips for tenner, and none of them fit me well... the clear ones are too wide (great seal ,but hurt after a while) and the black bi flanges are too rigid, thus hurt as well.

I've been using my Sony hybrids on these with mixed effects... anything else you guys can recommend?

 

[yalper]

First time I didn't like sony hybrids and mh1c tips on RE-400. They cut treble, which is unnecessary  
 
I like filtered tips best in the package

 

[modulor]

  I'm guessing this is the main RE400 topic.. if not, please advise
 
 
What tips are you guys using for the RE400? I used to have RE0 with the clear biflanges that fit me perfectly - now I got the RE400 with extra tips for tenner, and none of them fit me well... the clear ones are too wide (great seal ,but hurt after a while) and the black bi flanges are too rigid, thus hurt as well.

I've been using my Sony hybrids on these with mixed effects... anything else you guys can recommend?

If the bi-flanges from the RE0 fit perfectly, you should still be able to get them from head-direct:
 
http://head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=33
 
I know it says RE1/RE2 in the description but they're the same AFAIK.
 
I personally use these:
 

 
They have a wide bore and I can get a nice, deep seal with them.  Honestly, these should be available in several sizes and should be a more common shape.  The opening on the Sony Hybrids is too narrow for the RE-400 IMO.

 

[maguire]

Hey guys, My Re400's, seem to have a problem, When I plug them into my ipod classics, they seem to play for a little while then die, I move the plug about a bit plays again then either dies or goes really soft, never happens with anything else...What could be the problem here?

 

[getclikinagas]

  Hey guys, My Re400's, seem to have a problem, When I plug them into my ipod classics, they seem to play for a little while then die, I move the plug about a bit plays again then either dies or goes really soft, never happens with anything else...What could be the problem here?

Quite odd.
Can you try your RE400 with another player/source?

 

[maguire]

Yes I have tried with similar results. I have just contacted the Service dept of Hifiman & reported the problem & waiting on reply.
It seems to be a jack problem.

 

[Rcordosi]

Not much can go wrong with iem's. A bad driver would probably cause problems with one side sounding scratchy. Is it on both sides? If so, you more than likely have a wire about to break. I would send them in for repair.

 

[modulor]

  Yes I have tried with similar results. I have just contacted the Service dept of Hifiman & reported the problem & waiting on reply.
It seems to be a jack problem.

This is likely true and I think was a QC issue with some of the earlier pairs.  It sounds like the connection of the wire to the TRS plug is disconnecting, and then reconnecting when you move the jack (bad solder joint) - not uncommon on HiFiMan cables unfortunately, but they have excellent customer support so they should be able to repair or replace your pair.

 

[maguire]

Yes I have dealt with them before about a faulty 262 I once had & they replaced it for me. Just waiting on a reply from them.
I bought IEM's 2nd hand, only a few months ago.

 

[MrRodriguez]

Hello all,

I just received my RE400s yesterday, and spent a few hours yesterday, and a handful of hours today listening to them.

I'm currently using them with the Comply T400 medium tips, which let me get them pretty deeply inserted. Listening straight out of a 1st gen iPod touch, iPad Air, or iPhone 5S. (Usually the iPod when puting around the house)

Overall, I'm missing the bass and warmth of my Sennheiser CX300-IIs. I read plenty of reviews on these 400s, but I expected the low end to be a bit fuller. The clarity is fantastic. Live performances/concert recordings sound great. Opera and classical sound good. But studio mixed hip hop and R&B seems to lose some life.

Do these get better with burn in? Or is the sound signature just the nature of the beast? I love the detail and clarity, but I didn't think it would come at the expense of a lively sound.

 

[Tom22]

Hello all,

I just received my RE400s yesterday, and spent a few hours yesterday, and a handful of hours today listening to them.

I'm currently using them with the Comply T400 medium tips, which let me get them pretty deeply inserted. Listening straight out of a 1st gen iPod touch, iPad Air, or iPhone 5S. (Usually the iPod when puting around the house)

Overall, I'm missing the bass and warmth of my Sennheiser CX300-IIs. I read plenty of reviews on these 400s, but I expected the low end to be a bit fuller. The clarity is fantastic. Live performances/concert recordings sound great. Opera and classical sound good. But studio mixed hip hop and R&B seems to lose some life.

Do these get better with burn in? Or is the sound signature just the nature of the beast? I love the detail and clarity, but I didn't think it would come at the expense of a lively sound.

to be perfectly honest in terms of the bass quantity with the complys you have already maxed out the quantity on the re400 without severely compromising the sound quality with eq.
 
you could try another narrow nozzle tip (even those these don't exactly fit without forcing them (in essence damaging the tips) use the klipsch silcone (which seals well for me with their oval tips) or the sony hybrids (those are more balenced > the klipsch
 
i currently use a pair of tips i got from a friends (sol republic amps) VERY WIDE BORE (a bit wider than the widest bore available with the re400s. (i had used the gr07 tips, which sealed very well for me) but these really do free up the treble (the bass quantity has dropped but its even tighter) the mids are beautiful (sometimes the midbass gets in the way a little bit but now no problem)---> just my preference though for the re400s (i have bassy iems available so i'm happy using the re400s for different genres)

 

[MrRodriguez]

to be perfectly honest in terms of the bass quantity with the complys you have already maxed out the quantity on the re400 without severely compromising the sound quality with eq.

you could try another narrow nozzle tip (even those these don't exactly fit without forcing them (in essence damaging the tips) use the klipsch silcone (which seals well for me with their oval tips) or the sony hybrids (those are more balenced > the klipsch

i currently use a pair of tips i got from a friends (sol republic amps) VERY WIDE BORE (a bit wider than the widest bore available with the re400s. (i had used the gr07 tips, which sealed very well for me) but these really do free up the treble (the bass quantity has dropped but its even tighter) the mids are beautiful (sometimes the midbass gets in the way a little bit but now no problem)---> just my preference though for the re400s (i have bassy iems available so i'm happy using the re400s for different genres)

Thanks for the info. That's somewhat disappointing. I guess I will see if I can adjust to the reduced bass and still enjoy all my music. The clarity is addicting. Though I will most likely end up using my CX300-IIs just as much as these new 400s... The CX300-IIs with Comply foam tips are pretty great. Which is depressing considering they cost less than a 3rd of the HiFiMan IEMs. I don't want to go anywhere near the EQ to make up for the reduced bass.

 

[kyuuketsuki]

Thanks for the info. That's somewhat disappointing. I guess I will see if I can adjust to the reduced bass and still enjoy all my music. The clarity is addicting. Though I will most likely end up using my CX300-IIs just as much as these new 400s... The CX300-IIs with Comply foam tips are pretty great. Which is depressing considering they cost less than a 3rd of the HiFiMan IEMs. I don't want to go anywhere near the EQ to make up for the reduced bass.

 
You are comparing two very different IEMs. RE400s are basically a slightly bass boosted neutral. And the CX300s are pretty V shaped if memory serves me. Also the RE400s are pretty insane when it comes to clarity whiuch the CX300s are not (though at their price point there are far worse for clarity). The RE400s could use smoothness though, which honestly the RE600s give (but really at the price of the RE400s I don't think they are deserving of the $300 price hike).
 
Overall, for the price they are both good, but the RE400s are, to me, simply higher fidelity phones than the CX300s, easily worth 3x more. The scary part is that I regularly compare them to my $550 ASG-2s, which is pretty impressive (though more on the clarity and neutrality and soundstage, not so much on the overall sound quality and tuning since they are two very different phones).

 

[Tom22]

   
You are comparing two very different IEMs. RE400s are basically a slightly bass boosted neutral. And the CX300s are pretty V shaped if memory serves me. Also the RE400s are pretty insane when it comes to clarity whiuch the CX300s are not (though at their price point there are far worse for clarity). The RE400s could use smoothness though, which honestly the RE600s give (but really at the price of the RE400s I don't think they are deserving of the $300 price hike).
 
Overall, for the price they are both good, but the RE400s are, to me, simply higher fidelity phones than the CX300s, easily worth 3x more. The scary part is that I regularly compare them to my $550 ASG-2s, which is pretty impressive (though more on the clarity and neutrality and soundstage, not so much on the overall sound quality and tuning since they are two very different phones).

personally i don't think price is an issue, (haha first time saying that, i'm not rich by any means, if anything i'm probably one of the most broke here, still in school)
 
cause i don't think price is proportional to sound quality despite popular belief
 
for example i own both the re400 (99$) and the vsonic gr07be  (179.99) thats almost 2x the price. but i don't think the gr07 is 2x better. if anything i think their pretty on par. with the better cable and build on the gr07 (making me prefer it a bit more)
 
i was exchanging some messages with joker and even he after trying probably more iems than any of us individually felt that the re400 and gr07 are probably near the top in terms of technical performance, any more you spend like for the weston 4s, shure 535 its just for a different tuning (and thats all preference).
 
i love the market atm for iems and audio products for 100$ its amazing what you can get