Let me know how it sounds like as we seem to have a similar path. Some writeup talk about sparky treble of he-400 which will be problematic,if that is not offensive then this might well be what I'm looking for.
Alright, got my Hifiman HE-400 in today! My primary headphones have been my DT990 Pro 250 Ohms, and every once in a while I'll pull out my Sennheiser HD598 - at least until I realize how lifeless they sound. I'm just not a fan of them. They sound so detached from the music, like you're listening to a band from the very back row of a venue. My DT990's get waaay more playtime, in any case. My audio chain is like this: Emu1080 Optical Out (SPIDF) to a Schiit Modi (Optical) into my Matrix M-Stage amp. I have a Fiio E10 that I use every now and then
I'm really only going to be able to relay my first impressions of the HE-400 for now, since I've barely put 2 hours of listening time into them. My very first impression with them was: man, these are heavy. Also, figuring out how to plug the cables into the headphone cups took me way longer than I'd like to admit. Now as to how they sound: a lot like my DT990 Pros in sound signature. At first it was somewhat difficult for me to tell exactly what was different about them. There is a small amount less of bass quantity, slightly more prominent mids, and the highs aren't as harsh, but otherwise if you like the signature of the DT990 Pros then you'll like these. Sounds pretty underwhelming, eh?
Okay, now on to what is
different about them that I've noticed so far. Separation and detail, my friends. These are the key words here. The HE-400s let me hear so many more tiny details that I've never noticed before in songs that I've been listening to for years, and you can easily pick out and listen to each individual instrument. I'm listening to some Hammock right now (their newest album
Departure Songs); and for those of you who haven't been introduced to Hammock, they are an amazing band that blend ambient Brian Eno-ish vibes with post-rock such as Explosions In The Sky and Mono. Anyway, the point is that I can now easily pick out and isolate so much more in these songs. Every cymbal brush, snare hit, tones of the bass drum.. every bit of static coming from the guitar player's amps. Even synth pads hidden deep in the background are easy to distinguish from the rest of the track. This effect is more pronounced in the lows and mid-lows, too. The DT990 has such hot treble that it'd be impossible NOT to notice every single sound in that range, but it's low end is flat out muddy compared to the HE-400. That's not to say that the highs aren't pronounced on the Hifiman set; they certainly are, but not to the same extent as on the 990.
When I try the DT990 on this same material, it sounds so much more narrow. Everything blends together and gets lost in the mix as one contiguous piece of music instead of many smaller pieces coming together to make a single song. If I could describe it another way: my DT990 would the view you'd get of a party in your backyard, if you were listening inside your house through a window. The HE-400 is what you hear when you're IN your backyard among the guests. It really feels like there's another dimension to the music when I put on the HE-400. If I could only use one word to describe these I would use the word
immersive.
Comfort wise there is simply no contest. The DT990's feel like soft pillows made of angel feather after wearing the HE-400 for 3 hours. The HE-400 clamps harder, is MUCH heavier, and has stiffer, more uncomfortable pads. Some people have said that they had trouble getting them to fit correctly but I've had no issues there; they fit completely over my ears without touching them. I have ordered a set of velour pads in an attempt to increase the comfort level (plus, I'm curious about how they change the sound), but if they don't work out well for me, no biggie. These are vastly more comfortable than the Sennheiser HD280 I used to own.
So there ya have it. My very first impression was: "well, they sound very similar, why spend the money?", and then after an hour or so I switched back to the DT990's and I thought: "holy cow, these sound so one-dimensional now!" - I'm definitely keeping these headphones. I'm sure my appreciation will only increase with time, as well. As to the question of will these solve your fatigue from the DT990's pronounced treble, my answer is that I'm not actually sure. They have smoother trouble, no doubt, but I can't say with confidence that it'll be smooth enough for most people's taste.
By the way guys, Massive Attack sounds awesome on these; so much juicy bass and sub-bass detail.
