[magicalmouse]

Hi DavidA, i think that i wanted the warmth of the hd650 and the clarity of the stax, however my stax (2020 system) has amazing clarity but can sound shrill and lacking body at times (depending upon the musical choice) - the hd650 are wonderful but i feel i miss detail and nuance - the he400s i bought as the reviews suggested they were perfect with vocal music and i have not been disappointed.
 
they are not quite as good as the stax for sheer definition or as warm as the hd650 but (for me) strike a happy balance (note though my comments about the hybrid headphone amp - this amp has very low output impedance and can produce up to 1 watt of power so works fine with these planars - from sold state they have less warmth and slightly less body - also i am using a warm front end (nagaoka mp200/hybrid valve phono stage)
 
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[DavidA]

  Hi DavidA, i think that i wanted the warmth of the hd650 and the clarity of the stax, however my stax (2020 system) has amazing clarity but can sound shrill and lacking body at times (depending upon the musical choice) - the hd650 are wonderful but i feel i miss detail and nuance - the he400s i bought as the reviews suggested they were perfect with vocal music and i have not been disappointed.
 
they are not quite as good as the stax for sheer definition or as warm as the hd650 but (for me) strike a happy balance (note though my comments about the hybrid headphone amp - this amp has very low output impedance and can produce up to 1 watt of power so works fine with these planars - from sold state they have less warmth and slightly less body - also i am using a warm front end (nagaoka mp200/hybrid valve phono stage)
 
d

Thanks for the reply, I use my HD650 with a BH Crack and its about the best sounding setup for under $1K that I've heard, and like you I feel the SR-009 can be a thin sounding at times but for well recorded/mastered classical it can't be beat, even my HD-800 and T1 are not even close.  The SRD-34 is a really old headphone from back in the 1980's and is driven by speaker taps rather than an electrostatic amp and has a converter box.  These still sound a bit like a electrostatic but don't have the sound stage and extension in the highs like a true electrostatic but the bass and mids are fuller so for some genres of music it works quite well.
 
I have 2 hybrid amps, a Project Ember and a Lyr2, the Ember is one of the most flexible amps around since you can roll tubes and also use different tube families and it has adjustable output resistance/impedance to match almost any headphone.  The only negative that I've noticed is that the sound stage is rendered as well as the Lyr2 or BH Crack.
 
I think I'll look for a used one to try based on your impressions.

 

[KepinCemit]

  Your description of the HE-400S as being a cross between a Stax and HD650 made me very curious, its a sound signature that is interesting but at the same time an oxymoron.  The HD650 are warn and full while most Stax are crystal clear but a little thin.  I currently have 2 Stax headphones (opposite ends of the spectrum in SR-009 and SRD-34) and a few other headphones but your description has made me think about trying the HE-400S out.  A friend who has them told me not to bother since I have the HE-400i/560 which he says is what a better 400S would be but to me they are not like my SR-009 or SRD-34 at all.

 
If you already have the HE 400i, IMHO you shouldn't bother with the 400s.
 
I have the 400s, and a friend have the 400i, and to my ears, the 400i is a more refined product. 400i really is an upgrade from 400s.
 
Granted, 400i would need an amp to sing while 400s can be used direct from a dap, but that's the only benefit (if you want to call it that) of the 400s over the 400i.

 

[DavidA]

   
If you already have the HE 400i, IMHO you shouldn't bother with the 400s.
 
I have the 400s, and a friend have the 400i, and to my ears, the 400i is a more refined product. 400i really is an upgrade from 400s.
 
Granted, 400i would need an amp to sing while 400s can be used direct from a dap, but that's the only benefit (if you want to call it that) of the 400s over the 400i.

Which has the better extended highs/bass in your opinion?  Also, is your friends 400i the old or new version?  Mine are the older version with the SMC connectors.
 
I'm not really looking for refined, more dynamics, excitement or fun is what I'm looking for at this point, its one of the reasons I've been building headphones using the latest drivers from EllevenAcoustica (Ypsilon) and Nhoord (Red), these drivers mounted in Grado style wood cups are quite impressive, a friend who has a Ether C said the ypsilon driver puts his Ether C to shame and another who bought my HD-600 before she heard the ypsilon quickly sold the HD-600 and has ask me to build her one, she also got a HE-560 to hold her over for now.

 

[Gino]

I am having fun with my HE-400S with grill mod and Brainwavz Angled Pads. I have yet to hear a 400i and 560. While I have a Schiit Asgard and SMSL SAP-5 amps, most of the time I listen straight from an iPhone 6 Plus. 

 

[Rish732]

@DavidA
 
My experience with the 400s is that it's dynamic, engaging, fun and plenty detailed for my tastes.  It's a warm pair of cans and comfortable to boot.  Heavy-ish but I take breaks every 3 hours or so.  I listen at work a lot. 
 
I've come to this conclusion after a journey that started with Grado. (A side note I'm not familiar with the Ypsilon but would love to listen one day)
 
First my sources - I listen mostly to Tidal Hifi with a Sabre Dac (now Dragonfly Red) and Cayin C5 amp.
How I got to the Hifiman 400s
I got a nice pair of Grado 325e
Modified them with wood cups and loved that sound.
I got a Massdrop AKG k7xx and loved the warmth of those cans.
Decided to go whole hog and bought a GS1000e and listened intensively for 20 days
Wanted to try the Sennheiser sound and got the HD600 and loved them.  
I listened to the Sennheiser HD600 and my AKG and thought long and hard and returned the GS1k - which was less of a heartbreak than I thought.  
The Senns had more soundstage even than the Gs1k
 
So.. what about Hifiman? I thought.  I found a great used deal andI listened to the Hifiman 400s and returned the Sennheisers.  The 600s felt brittle to my ears after the 400s.  The 400s envelops.  It's not a neutral sound driver, it's just the right color for me though.  
I kept the 325 mod because I have a special love for them since they took me down the audiophile rabbit hole.
 
The Hifiman 400s is warm and engaging.  They don't require an amp but they are recommended to use with one.  I usually use the Cayin C5's competent bass boost and with the 400s I don't anymore.  Even from my iphone 6s straight they sound pretty good. 
 
 There are plenty of good used deals (with the Prime return policy) on Amazon and I have to say I've learned what I like in Headphones.
 
I liked the soundstage of the HD600s and the warmth of the AKG, the details of the Grado.  The 400s has the soundstage, warmth and most of the details of the Grados.
 
For me they are pretty ideal
(until I decide to start looking again .... LCD 2 (pre-Fazor) anyone? That's a post for another thread)
 
Hope that helps a little bit!

 

[DavidA]

@Rish732, great write up, and an interesting journey.  I'm not to far away from your path, only difference is I've kept most the headphones that I've purchased.  Interesting you mention the 325e, I got one but returned it and got the SR-225e due to it being a bit to bright for me and I was not into building headphones at the time, they might have worked out in wood cups when I think about it now and did get a RS2e a few months later which are just about perfect in the mids and highs to me.
 
I also had a HD-600 and sold them for a similar reason, the treble peak at 4-5khz irritated me with some songs, and brittle might be a good way to describe it versus harsh.
 
After listen to a pre-fazor LCD-2, I like the fazor version a little better, the pre-fazor is just a bit to polite in the treble for me.

 

[darmanastartes]

Hey, recently bought the HE400S and I've noticed that one of the side grilles has become loose and spins if I try to rotate it. It's not a problem as much as incredibly irritating from an OCD perspective, but is there any way to fix this?

 

[DavidA]

  Hey, recently bought the HE400S and I've noticed that one of the side grilles has become loose and spins if I try to rotate it. It's not a problem as much as incredibly irritating from an OCD perspective, but is there any way to fix this?

many ways to fix, a few small pieces of tape around the edge, rubber cement on the under side of the retaining ring, a few small pieces of rubber eraser placed around the seat where the grill is seated.  There are a few more ways but I can't remember them, might have been in the HE-400i or 560 thread.

 

[jaykm]

Trying to decide between the getting a pair of HE400Ss or the Sennheiser HD 650s. Any suggestions?

 

[Sajakhaki]

Trying to decide between the getting a pair of HE400Ss or the Sennheiser HD 650s. Any suggestions?

Do you have an amp, and if so which one? Are you planning to get one?

 

[jaykm]

Do you have an amp, and if so which one? Are you planning to get one?

Yes, I am using a creative soundblaster zx

 

[magicalmouse]

Hi i have both and through a hybrid headphone amp, the 400s is clearer and better for vocal music and brings me closer to audio nirvana, however through a sold state amp the hd650 have more body than the 400s
 
best to try them both with the sources you will be using
 
d

 

[Sajakhaki]

Yes, I am using a creative soundblaster zx

I would go with the 400S. It´s the better choice for your amp.

 

[mejoshua]

I have both HE400S (grill modded + Focus As) and HD650. I find that I enjoy the staging (more width and height) and the bass reach and rumble of the HE400S more. One of the HD650's strengths over the 400S is in microdetail but staging is more around head for a more intimate experience, and bass extension is weaker. Mids reproduction on both is pretty on par - both are immersive with great mids that draw you in especially on vocal centric music.

Good question raised about amplification - I use a Lyr: with LISST tubes (solid state) for the HD650 and with stock tubes for HE400S. I tend to reach for the HE400S more often though for the music that I listen to but YMMV. Hope this is helpful.