[paradoxper]

You should have the UPS man's cell number. Shame slacker! 

 

[MattTCG]

Quote:

You should have the UPS man's cell number. Shame slacker! 

+1 slacker. My wife bakes brownies for the ups man. My packages always come a day early. 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The HE400 is here! Lol, they were horribly misaligned upon opening them. Took a second to align properly. One of the pleather pads had a pressure line, as if it was pressed against something. Not an issue as I won't be using the pleather, but it made the pad look bumpy and uneven. Upon first holding them... man they are quite heavy compared to every other headphone I've owned (including the HE-4). It's a good weight though, makes it feel not cheap. Speaking of pleather, they don't feel too bad. Certainly less contact surface than the Denons, so I find the pads more comfortable on the HE400. I really like the stock canare cable. Not as nice as the cable that came with the HE-4 (with the fabric), but these are more rugged, and less prone to twisting, so I'm happy.

Upon putting them on... they feel lovely on my head. Just like the HE-4, I LOVE this headband style more than any other (with the exception of the Steelseries Siberia V1). The weight is even distributed on my head, so it shouldn't cause long term discomfort. Okay, first listening test, What? I thought these were supposed to be easy to drive? My NFB-5 has never had to go the right side of the volume knob on Low Gain, even with the Q701. My knob is almost a 3 o' clock! Once I set it to high gain, it's down to around 11 o'clock. That's a surprise. I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is easy to drive. My NFB-5 has a crapton of power (something like 2.5 watts at 35ohm), so it's crazy just how much it needs on the pot.

Hmm... they're warm, but they don't sound veiled or muddy. In fact, I'd say the warmth is akin to the Q701, just slightly more so. (In comparison, the old K701 I had was noticeably brighter than the Q701). I don't find them too dark. The sound signature puts a smile on my face.

Obviously not as much bass as my old D7000 and my current Pro 900, but I feel it's a neutral-ish bass (for ME). I'm not sure if it has more bass than the HE-4 though, as I felt the bass on the HE-4 had a lot of authority. This is a fantastic replacement for the Q701 for me. It trades off a bit of the soundstage for more bass. It has a meatier sound. I don't find anything about it being veiled. I see what you guys are saying about the treble. At certain frequencies it sounds smooth, and at others, it's has like the perfect amount of sparkle. So I'm 100% happy with it's treble. Bullet dodged!

The mids are well in tune with the rest of the sound, and it's gonna be quite jarring going back to the Pro 900 in this regard. Lovely.

So far, it's not going to make my Pro 900s go back. I love the Pro 900s (quite a bit more than I previously expressed, as I was disappointed with them at first), and they excel in bringing out the oomph in EDM (which is my fave genres), but the HE400 is definitely going to be my go to for everything else.

Although the soundstage isn't Q701 size, the HE400s have a pretty good sense of air about them.

All this is with the pleather pads.

I'm surprised at myself for being able to resist throwing on the velours immediately. The pleather pads really aren't that bad. I wouldn't want the HE400 with pleathers, as they are already hot in the less than 30 minutes I've used them, but they certainly keep cooler than every other pleather padded can I've used, though those have all been closed headphones, trapping in the heat.

Lol, they are super open. They leak worse than the Q701/DT990, and practically everything else I've owned. XD

 

[wje]

Quote:

I thought these were supposed to be easy to drive? My NFB-5 has never had to go the right side of the volume knob on Low Gain, even with the Q701. My knob is almost a 3 o' clock! Once I set it to high gain, it's down to around 11 o'clock. That's a surprise. I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is easy to drive. My NFB-5 has a crapton of power (something like 2.5 watts at 35ohm), so it's crazy just how much it needs on the pot.
 

 
Have you thought that possibly you suffer from hearing loss?  Seriously.  I have my NFB-12 (very similar amp specs), set to High gain and with my HE-400s, I'm lucky if I even get to 9 O'clock on the volume dial.  At that position, the volume is at a very comfortable listening level for me.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The NFB-12 is different from the NFB-5 despite the same amp specs.

I hear just fine. I might like it a little louder than you.

Okay, HOW THE HELL do you guys put the pads on?

Never mind, got it.

 

[MickeyVee]

Congrats on the HE400!! You're liking them from the very start.. you'll end up loving them.
About amping, they can suck up almost as much power as you can give them. The more power, the better they sound.  I've even had my Lyr up to 11 o'clock with them (not for long though).
Enjoy!
Quote:

The HE400 is here!

Okay, first listening test, What? I thought these were supposed to be easy to drive? My NFB-5 has never had to go the right side of the volume knob on Low Gain, even with the Q701. My knob is almost a 3 o' clock! Once I set it to high gain, it's down to around 11 o'clock. That's a surprise. I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is easy to drive. My NFB-5 has a crapton of power (something like 2.5 watts at 35ohm), so it's crazy just how much it needs on the pot.

 

 

[jerg]

Quote:

The NFB-12 is different from the NFB-5 despite the same amp specs.
I hear just fine. I might like it a little louder than you.
Okay, HOW THE HELL do you guys put the pads on?

 
Oh boy, here we go again...
 
I think if you go back a dozen or two pages someone else was also having trouble with this, and in turn received tons of explanations for installing the pads.

 

[stevenlongs]

Quote:

Okay, first listening test, What? I thought these were supposed to be easy to drive? My NFB-5 has never had to go the right side of the volume knob on Low Gain, even with the Q701. My knob is almost a 3 o' clock! Once I set it to high gain, it's down to around 11 o'clock. That's a surprise. I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is easy to drive. My NFB-5 has a crapton of power (something like 2.5 watts at 35ohm), so it's crazy just how much it needs on the pot.

 
I asked basically the same thing...why are these considered easy to drive....????? No one answered..
 
 
 

Requirements for 110 dBSPL
 
HD650
Required Power:     17
Voltage:  2.24
Current::  7.5
 
HE-400
Power:     56
Voltage:  1.40
Current::  40.1
 
AH-D5000
Power:     3
Voltage:  0.25
Current::  10.0

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I was able to get them on. XD I kind of pushed the tabs towards the center of the driver and let them slip into their place. Not exactly the easiest installation, but a LOT easier than the plastic teeth of old. Oh, those dreaded teeth.

Sound with the velours...

What!? How are these NOT the stock pads? The sound is clearer, and I could swear the bass got just a LITTLE more present. Everything just got a boost of airyness, and is less dark. Seriously, it sounds 95% the same, but a slight tonal shift towards the CLEAR side, yet the bass has a stronger growl. Unexpected. I was literally quite skeptical about the pad swap, yet, there is literally NO reason to use the pleather. NONE.

I would say this is what I expected of the bass, and reminds me of the HE-4's bass.

Serously though, you guys were NOT kidding. The velours really made a difference for the better.

Those who know me, know that I'm not afflicted by new toy syndrome. I was actually expecting to NOT like the HE400. I was very displeased by the Pro 900 at first, and they changed for the better (whether burn in or whatever is subjective, but they are better than when I first got them). The HE400 sounded amazing OUT OF THE GATE, especially with the velours. Considering I just got the He400 and spent the hour with the pleather and swapped to the velour with the same songs... it's quite clear that the pleather has no business being on the HE400. The velours are IT.

 

[MickeyVee]

You can drive them with pretty much anything.. maybe not to their ability.. When I first got mine, I drove them with my iPod U2, iPhone and FiiO E10 and E17 and enjoyed them. Jst depends what volume/impact levels you're looking for.  After hearing them with more powerful amps and what their potential is, it's hard to go back.
When I'm just lying back for a nap, I'll still plug them into the iPod for low level listening.
Quote:

 
I asked basically the same thing...why are these considered easy to drive....????? No one answered..
 
 
 

 

[TMRaven]

They're not really more open than other headphones, the nature of planar magnetics is just that they emit sound equally in both directions.  It's also why their sound suffers sooo much when you cup your hands over their grills.  (Also why taking the grill off for something more acoustically transparent seems to make a big difference as well)
 
At times I really do miss the pleathers.  I just think the pleather feels better on the skin, and their openings are bigger for my ears.  There's no denying the velours' long term comfort (they don't get hot) or their cleaner sound, though.
 
You might try listening to them for a while longer then try going back to the pro900!  I wonder how tinny they'll make the pro900 sound.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

 
I asked basically the same thing...why are these considered easy to drive....????? No one answered..
 
 
 

 
Relative terms. They are significantly more efficient than other Hifiman planars, and you can at least hear something out of them when you plug em into DAPs, rather than nothing at all.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Seriously, I haven't been this impressed by a headphone since the HE-4. The D7000 as amazing as it was (and it's still my fave sound), was initially warmer than I wanted. I grew to love them. The HE400 is just took off in a mad sprint.

I think these are definitely what I consider reference. They define all-rounder. The DT880, Q701, DT990, HE-4 don't stand a chance.

The HE-4 had similar bass, less mids, and more treble. The HE400s treble is what I consider PERFECT. Seriously. The HE-4 was extra sparkly (which I love as well), but technically, the HE400 is definitely the better can and the treble is literally right where I'd want it.

As nice and full bodied as the Q701 was... the HE400 adds even more excitement and body. It's insane.

Raven, you want my pleathers?

Pay the shipping cost, and I'll send them to you.

As for open, I mean that they leak out a CRAP ton.

And yes, try listening to the HE-4 off unamped, or portable amps. It's so low and faint... it's crazy.

I'll try to listen to the HE400 straight off the Mixamp, as well as off my Vita (which isn't powerful volume-wise).

i don't have an amp I can attach to the Mixamp at the moment (NFB5 is source first to out, no analog inputs), so I'm hoping they can perform well enough off the Mixamp.

 

[TMRaven]

Haha, nah.  I still have mine.  I've grown mostly used to the smaller opening in the velours anyways.  In fact, HE-400 is perhaps one of the most comfortable headphones I've ever put on my head-- up there with the Denons and AD700.  The only negative is that their heft and less than optimal fit means you can't move your head around too much with them on.
 
On quick comparisons, they got loud enough out of the mixamp for me.  I didn't test fully to see if they got to their maximum dynamics, but at least they were loud enough.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

That's good. I'll be putting them through it's paces for gaming soon enough. I'm enjoying music too much at the moment. XD