[Gino]

iPhone 6+
Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter
Generic USB Hub
ODAC ver 1
SMSL SAP-5 amp

 

 

[nwavesailor]

I second the Brainwavz angled pads.
 
I tried the OEM stock for a few months, Focus 'A' for a brief audition and then the Brainwavz.
 
I could never get a nice comfortable fit on my head with either HifiMan pads, but I LOVE the fit and feel on my noggin with the Brainwavz as well as a mo' betta sound!

 

[Gino]

I like to try the Brainwavz but I cannot bring myself to destroy a set of pads for the rings. Anybody sells 3D printed rings or something?

 

[Vigrith]

Hifiman sells them directly, I don't know if they're actually up on their website or on head-direct nowadays but a couple months ago I just e-mailed them about it and the customer service representative hooked me up right away - told me to paypal them a tenner and they sent me a pair of rings. I live in Europe too, they didn't even ask me for shipping money or anything.

 

[Gavin C4]

I think the focus pads are quite decent, If you like memory foam go for the angle brainz wave pads

 

[nwavesailor]

  Hifiman sells them directly, I don't know if they're actually up on their website or on head-direct nowadays but a couple months ago I just e-mailed them about it and the customer service representative hooked me up right away - told me to paypal them a tenner and they sent me a pair of rings. I live in Europe too, they didn't even ask me for shipping money or anything.

 
 

  I like to try the Brainwavz but I cannot bring myself to destroy a set of pads for the rings. Anybody sells 3D printed rings or something?

I was charged $6 for the pair of rings shipped to the US. It did, however, take a couple of emails and about 2 weeks from them to arrive from China. I wasn't too excited about destroying a pair of pads either, but my plan 'B' was to buy a cheap $10 pair of velpads for their rings if I couldn't get the rings from HM.

 

[Vigrith]

Yea they took almost a month to get here from China, the customer service member I dealt with was extremely helpful however and communication was easy. Personally I cut out the rings off of the stock pads because I never ever use velours either way and just stuffed them inside my Audeze pads until the replacement rings got here so waiting that long wasn't an issue, I can see why it may not be ideal for some indeed though.

 

[serman005]

  Hifiman sells them directly, I don't know if they're actually up on their website or on head-direct nowadays but a couple months ago I just e-mailed them about it and the customer service representative hooked me up right away - told me to paypal them a tenner and they sent me a pair of rings. I live in Europe too, they didn't even ask me for shipping money or anything.

I have also found the online HiFiMAN customer service to be exemplary. We hear so many complaints about mfrs on these boards that it is nice to be able to say something nice about one for a change. Here's to HiFiMAN.

 

[Madclimber]

I’ve been listening to my new 400S headphones for about a month now.  I really enjoy the midrange presentation and open soundstage.  My other headphones are the Sennheiser HD25-1 II.  Talk about different design.  The soundstage on the 400S is so much more pleasurable, yet it keeps the low level of distortion and the efficiency of the HD25.  The frequency response is more quirky though, as in bass roll off and some peaks in the higher frequencies.  The bass is tight though.  I love listening to jazz acoustic bass on these for example.

I listen through an iPhone headphone jack and a Geekout 450 via my Macbook running iTunes/Bitperfect.  I’ve replaced the ear pads with the Brainwaivz memory foam pads.  
 
At first, I thought there was some type of problem with these headphones because I would hear distortion, like on A LOT of recordings.  It was driving me nuts and I almost returned them.  But, after careful listening and comparison to the Senns, I realized that the _
distortion I was hearing was usually distortion inherent in the recording itself, distortion pedals for guitars, and low level noises associated with played instruments (spit on the mouthpiece of a saxophone for example.)  The 400S is so accurate and low in distortion that it was revealing higher amounts of micro detail.  I’m not sure how I feel about it, because I think it is an artifact of some type of frequency range peak in the headphone response pattern.
 
It's often evident in the reproduction of some electric guitar distortion, such that certain features of the distortion are just slightly louder and more noticeable than the underlying guitar tone itself.  It is similar to sibilance, which can also be a problem on these, in vocals. However, it happens with all kinds of noises.  For example, I was listening to a YouTube video of The Low Anthem that included a banjo part.  I kept hearing what sounded like distorted banjo, but when I replayed it and listened closely while watching the video, I realized that the distortion I heard was actually an abnormally amplified sound of the musician’s wool sweater sleeve rubbing on the banjo’s head, being picked up by the close microphone!
 
The detail reproduction of these headphones is astonishing.  However, it doesn’t sound natural to me.  It reminds me of what Audioquest is talking about on their website for the Nighthawk.  Like the treble detail is being artificially boosted, causing strange artifacts for the listener.
 
Is anyone else hearing these sorts of artifacts?  Is it bothersome for others?  Otherwise I really love these headphones.  
Would EQ help tame them a bit?

 

[jnak00]

I have not noticed anything like that.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Nothing like that here, either.
 
Silver disc > Gumby (via SPDIF) > Asgard 2 > HE 400S

 

[Lavakugel]

How is the difference in soundstage:
 
x2
lcd3
he400s
 
Who wins?

 

[jimdandy]

I got a Mogami 10 foot extension cable for my 400i works nice and I do not hear any difference in sound. Got it for 71 dollars on Amazon. I have a question about the 400s. I have noticed that my 400i When plugged into my s7 volume is not that high. Even when turned up. Thinking about getting the 400s for playing with the s7. Does anyone know if it would be worth it? Thank you.

 

[relikk356]

  I got a Mogami 10 foot extension cable for my 400i works nice and I do not hear any difference in sound. Got it for 71 dollars on Amazon. I have a question about the 400s. I have noticed that my 400i When plugged into my s7 volume is not that high. Even when turned up. Thinking about getting the 400s for playing with the s7. Does anyone know if it would be worth it? Thank you.

You may already know this, but just in case someone else that is reading might not; It has to do with Headphone impedance (ohms), 400i are claiming to be 35 ohms, but most reviewers say they are a tad bit harder to drive (older planar magnetic tech). Your s7 may not be powerful enough to fully drive your 400i headphones. 
 
The 400s are also planar (but newer tech) and are 22 ohms. I have not found anything that can't drive them. I bet my sons fisher price toys can power them. They get loud on everything i've tried. 

 

[brent75]

The 400s are also planar (but newer tech) and are 22 ohms. I have not found anything that can't drive them. I bet my sons fisher price toys can power them. They get loud on everything i've tried. 

I bet you'd have people on here who claim that your son's Fisher Price toys are amazing with great clarity, soundstage and resolution...others will claim that they're crap...some will swear that to get the true performance out of Fisher Price toys you have to burn them in...others will call BS and say toy burn-in is a myth...and finally select folks will say that to truly unlock your Fisher Price toys you can only run them with custom lithium-coated, alkaline-dipped, silver oxidized Zinc batteries...whereas others will scoff and say the battery world is merely snake oil and any ol' Energizer will do.