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I've recently acquired some HE-400s. I also have Shure 1540 Alcantara pads AND Shure 1840 pads.
To make it as clear as possible:
Ditch the Hifiman velours, and go for the 1840 velours if you want a humongous boost in comfort. Sound remains relatively the same. the Shure 1840 pads are a gigantic leap in comfort over the stiff as hell velour pads currently sold.
As for the Shure 1540 Alcantara pads, they seem to be a lot like the newer Focus pads in that they're velour topped, with pleather innards, and they seal a lot more than standard velours. What this means for the 400 is that it's about a middle ground between the tightness and air of the velours, and the fleshed out warmth of the stock pleather pads, with less zing up top. Vocals sound more organic with the Alcanatara pads.
Overall, I'd say go for at LEAST the 1840 velours if you're used to the HFM velour sound. If you want very, very slightly less treble, and a fuller/slightly warmer sound, get the 1540 alcantara pads.
FWIH, the newer Focus pads don't have much inside room. Not a problem with the Shure pads.
As for me personally, I'm still debating on whether I stick to the Alcanatara or the Shure 1840 velours, since I like how the 1840 pads breathe, and i like how the 1540 pads make it a less fatiguing headphone if ever so slightly.
I noticed that the 1540 pads make the soundstage a little more intimate due to the more fleshed out sound. It's a subtle difference either way, and I haven't compared too heavily in this regard. I was mostly interested in what the pads did to the bass and treble. Less bass is unacceptable, and if they added treble, it'd be a fail as HE400 doesn't need any more. Thankfully, it's too close to tell in those regards, so I call both pads a success.
i DO need to note that my 1840 pads have had the screen removed, and I added the pleather's inner rings to give them a similar height to the hfm velours. The Alcantaras don't need anything, and I have left them untouched.
I DO wish to test out the 1840 pads with it's screen untouched, but I assume that will warm up the sound in a similar fashion to the 1540 pads.
Either way, I'm contemplating getting a fresh pair to test out. I'm also considering removing the screen off the pleather pads and sewing them onto the 1840 pads, for the sake of protecting the drivers.
Note that the Shure pads are oval shaped, so there will be a sort of orientation you're going to want when wearing them. I'd recommend sticking to the slight angle that Shure and Sennheiser tend to use with their headphones. A bit hard to see since the pads will become more circular on the Hifiman headphones, but it's there.
Bass on both is about the same as always.
To make it as clear as possible:
Ditch the Hifiman velours, and go for the 1840 velours if you want a humongous boost in comfort. Sound remains relatively the same. the Shure 1840 pads are a gigantic leap in comfort over the stiff as hell velour pads currently sold.
As for the Shure 1540 Alcantara pads, they seem to be a lot like the newer Focus pads in that they're velour topped, with pleather innards, and they seal a lot more than standard velours. What this means for the 400 is that it's about a middle ground between the tightness and air of the velours, and the fleshed out warmth of the stock pleather pads, with less zing up top. Vocals sound more organic with the Alcanatara pads.
Overall, I'd say go for at LEAST the 1840 velours if you're used to the HFM velour sound. If you want very, very slightly less treble, and a fuller/slightly warmer sound, get the 1540 alcantara pads.
FWIH, the newer Focus pads don't have much inside room. Not a problem with the Shure pads.
As for me personally, I'm still debating on whether I stick to the Alcanatara or the Shure 1840 velours, since I like how the 1840 pads breathe, and i like how the 1540 pads make it a less fatiguing headphone if ever so slightly.
I noticed that the 1540 pads make the soundstage a little more intimate due to the more fleshed out sound. It's a subtle difference either way, and I haven't compared too heavily in this regard. I was mostly interested in what the pads did to the bass and treble. Less bass is unacceptable, and if they added treble, it'd be a fail as HE400 doesn't need any more. Thankfully, it's too close to tell in those regards, so I call both pads a success.
i DO need to note that my 1840 pads have had the screen removed, and I added the pleather's inner rings to give them a similar height to the hfm velours. The Alcantaras don't need anything, and I have left them untouched.
I DO wish to test out the 1840 pads with it's screen untouched, but I assume that will warm up the sound in a similar fashion to the 1540 pads.
Either way, I'm contemplating getting a fresh pair to test out. I'm also considering removing the screen off the pleather pads and sewing them onto the 1840 pads, for the sake of protecting the drivers.
Note that the Shure pads are oval shaped, so there will be a sort of orientation you're going to want when wearing them. I'd recommend sticking to the slight angle that Shure and Sennheiser tend to use with their headphones. A bit hard to see since the pads will become more circular on the Hifiman headphones, but it's there.
Bass on both is about the same as always.
