[GonzoArtist]

   
I'd say diminishing returns kick in at around $10. Seriously. (But only because there are a select few headphones in that price range with performance comparable to some models that cost ten to twenty times as much.) The thing about this phenomenon is that you generally get improvements across the board, in many categories, so even if they are merely incremental, they also add up to something that is significant and immediately noticeable even if it's not a huge leap, ya know? When diminishing returns are mentioned in audiophile circles, there almost seems to be an implication that the improvements are so small that they aren't noticeable or aren't worth it...and I don't think that's true. The increase in sound quality gained from spending more on a headphone can potentially be sufficient enough to result in an experience that is greater than the sum of its parts, so to speak. But you do pay a premium for that. Whether that's worth it is up to the individual.
 
In the future, it would be a great idea to audition headphones at meets and shops. Just check out the meets section along with dealers listed on headphone manufacturer websites. If you put your favorite music that you are most familiar with on a USB flash drive, you can get a better feel for the sound signature of headphones.

I do know what you mean and throwing that cliché out there was kind of a copout. I guess what I’m trying to figure out is whether the improvements lie mainly in the wood veneer and the pretty box or the actual guts of the headphone. According to what everyone is saying it sounds like the differences are notable, it just becomes a question of will they be notable to me.
 
You are right I need to stop relying on others ears and figure it out for myself.

 

[GonzoArtist]

  I switched from the HE-560 from the 400i a little while ago. Still have my 400i but it never gets used. I got my 560 for $450 so the price difference over the 400i is a bit less than for most but it's a no-brainer for me. The 400i's strength is in the mids, vocals sound great and they work very well for guitar-centric music. Bass is still very solid but the 560 wins in my book, deeper and more defined, less mid bass emphasis though. The HE-560 has the advantage of better detail and imaging as well as soundstage, the 400i now sounds downright congested in comparison. But the 560 leans a bit brighter so if you're sensitive to that, maybe be cautious, I don't mind it personally, I like treble.
 
What do you like to listen to? That'll also factor in here. In my case, the 560 has been the best choice. The differences between the two were pretty clear to me. But what kind of sound signature are you looking for? If you're looking for a more warm and relaxed set of headphones, I don't think either are the best choice.

Thanks for helping me figure this out, I appreciate the advice!

 
My musical tastes are all over the place, a lot of old reggae. The Clash is my all-time favorite band.  Mostly I listen to electronic music that leans towards the ambient side.  Anything from Brian Eno to Gold Panda.

 

[520RanchBro]

  Thanks for helping me figure this out, I appreciate the advice!

 
My musical tastes are all over the place, a lot of old reggae. The Clash is my all-time favorite band.  Mostly I listen to electronic music that leans towards the ambient side.  Anything from Brian Eno to Gold Panda.

Ambient stuff would lead me to pick the 560, to me it is technically superior and the better imaging and soundstage works so well with ambient and electronic stuff. I liked the plain old HE-400 more than the 400i for electronic and ambient music. Now the 400i certainly wouldn't be bad for anything, it's flexible between genres and it has no glaring weakness unless you absolutely need a large soundstage.  I found the price of the 560 to be worth the upgrade, used of course, certainly not worth the $900 new to me. For you, I think the 400i would be the safest bet as some don't like the treble on the 560 but the 560 has more potential upside and will scale better with amp and DAC upgrades (at least that seems to be the general consensus here, I've only used them on my Bifrost/A2 rig). I think you'd be blown away listening to some Eno on the 560 though.
 
Happy to listen to some songs and offer any other impressions I can. 

 

[nk126]

Jumping in late here, but also having owned both, my $0.02 is that the 560 is significantly better. Much more open sound, more detail and clarity, and more air in the high-end than the 400i. As a matter of taste, I prefer the less mid-forward signature of the 560, so I know that's an influence ... but going back to the 400i they sound muddier and veiled in comparison. (400i are great cans, just speaking relatively to 560).

 

[Emerald Core]

Will the HE-560 able to run directly from an audiophile phone like V20 or HTC 10? anyone tried it  ?

 

[imran27]

Will the HE-560 able to run directly from an audiophile phone like V20 or HTC 10? anyone tried it ?

Nope
Not only will it not trigger High Gain mode but even in High Gain mode it will be significantly underpowered. I use them with fairly efficient DT 1990 and still feel that it's underpowered. HE560 will need an amp, consider it mandatory

 

[Rpg2]

Nope
Not only will it not trigger High Gain mode but even in High Gain mode it will be significantly underpowered. I use them with fairly efficient DT 1990 and still feel that it's underpowered. HE560 will need an amp, consider it mandatory

Damn, was wondering if the V20 and HE560 would pair well. Sucks that they need more power even though they're under 50ohms.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Also looking to upgrade my cans from X2s. I know these aren't very neutral phones, but I would prefer to move toward something more neutral. What I do want is god tier soundstage and imaging. I'll probably game on the replacements so that's important, but really the detail, clarity, separation, positioning, etc. in music really makes it come alive for me. DT990s look interesting, I'm even willing to go all the way up to HD800s or so. The HE560 info here was helpful, I was curious how they compared to 400i's considering all the commentary that the 560s are a pointless upgrade. Also the 400i build quality really gave me pause.

Cans will be powered with a Bimby/Jot stack.

 

[imran27]

Also looking to upgrade my cans from X2s. I know these aren't very neutral phones, but I would prefer to move toward something more neutral. What I do want is god tier soundstage and imaging. I'll probably game on the replacements so that's important, but really the detail, clarity, separation, positioning, etc. in music really makes it come alive for me. DT990s look interesting, I'm even willing to go all the way up to HD800s or so. The HE560 info here was helpful, I was curious how they compared to 400i's considering all the commentary that the 560s are a pointless upgrade. Also the 400i build quality really gave me pause.

Cans will be powered with a Bimby/Jot stack.

I would recommend Beyerdynamic DT 1990

 

[Pharron]

I recently picked up the 560s after the price dropped to $499. They're exceptionally smooth, and the bass does indeed hit low into the sub-bass frequencies. I think they're a great value at $499.

That said, the bass doesn't have near as much impact as I was expecting. Even though they can reach deep lows, their mid-bass seems weak to me. I've tried the 400i, and to my ears it sounded a bit thin. I'm interested to hear how the HiFiman Sundara sounds in comparison. That might be a good alternative.