[freefrag]

After a month of listening I am loving the HE-400's, hopefully I'll fall into some money over the summer and will buy an amp+dac combo that does them justice (Probably Schiit Lyr and Bitfrost).

 

[IEMCrazy]

 
Quote:

The simple fact that the HE-500's velour pads are thicker than HE-400's pleather pads can contribute to a larger soundstage as well.
 
I wonder why they havn't found a way to slightly angle planar magnetic drivers like the Audio Technicas and flagship HD800 and T1.  It's been pretty much agreed on that it helps the soundstage presentation.  It would help with comfort too as the back of your ear gets more space to breath.

 
Yes, also true, and I'm sure that could be easily replicated with the pleather on the HE-500's.  They include both in the box, but few folks seem to install the pleather on the HE-500.
 
My guess is that will be in the future...maybe the HE-600 or HE-7, or LCD-4.  Something in a new uber-priced flagship.  I don't doubt it will head there.   But for now HiFiMan is re-using its body housings which doesn't allow for that without a redesign, which is cost effective.  Audeze seems to be more or less doing the same.  I imagine there's also some patent garbage and legal expense to trying to angle the drivers.  No doubt one of the three above companies screams bloody murder any time one of the others tries to angle the driver.  Also, it's easy to angle a tiny little dynamic driver, even one like the ring drive, by extruding the central section of the housing in a wedge shape.  It's another thing to angle a massive 60-something or 70-something mm planar driver.  The whole earcup would have to be notably thicker, and your head would feel like it grew wings, and the bracing would have to be changed as well.  But someday I'm certain it will happen.  The smaller HE-400 drivers make it easier for example.

 

[IEMCrazy]

 
Quote:

After a month of listening I am loving the HE-400's, hopefully I'll fall into some money over the summer and will buy an amp+dac combo that does them justice (Probably Schiit Lyr and Bitfrost).

 
That's a fantastic trio

 

[MickeyVee]

Count me in as an official member of the HE-400 club.  Just picked them up from the Post Office and an listening to my very first song as I write this.  I know the they will need burn in (will let them run for the next 2-3 days straight) but pretty much out of the box, I think I'm liking them better than my Senn HD650's. I have already noticed that the bass needs to time to tighten up. Already really liking the mids and highs and I assume that these will smooth out in time. I can see how these can be very seductive once everything tightens up and smooths out. Contrary to what I've read, I'm really liking the comfort factor but they've only been on my head for 10 minutes,
Not too sure about the efficiency thing though.. I'm already running them at levels that I would not think of running the HD650's at... OK, after 2 songs I'm back to my HD650 normal volume level.. new headphones, crank it syndrome..
Looking forward to see how they change with break in.
Time to save for the Lyr..

 

[MattTCG]

Hey, congrats on the new hp's. Nothing like reading and reading and then finally getting to try something new out that you really wanted. The he400 do not disappoint. They just get better with burn in and of course the right amp. Great thing is that the sound pretty darn good with minimal amp/dac.
 
Enjoy!!

 

[MickeyVee]

Thanks.. definitely suffering from new HP, crank it up syndrome.. been turning it down a notch every few minutes (Matrix Mini-i)..
Ordered the Q Cable a few days ago, should be in by the time these are nicely burned in..
 
Edit: Brought out the FiiO E10 & HP Netbook out of semi-retirement to break them in.. and yes, the E10 seems to drive them nicely.

 

[MattTCG]

lol...I'm using the same e10 and they are really not bad with the he400. Shopping for new amp/dac now.

 

[joefidelity]

I still really like these.  When I turn up the music ( i like loud when Im drinking responsibly) there is some distortion, but I'm using just my mpb.  I use <i>boom</i> to override the speakers and push them to moderately higher volumes.  I could not imagine wanting more volume, but I could imagine wanting more fullness at this volume.  One day Ill get a better setup but for now its still nice.  They are loud when listening to them play from across the room, but when you put them on they aren't substantially louder as one might expect with some cheap headphones.  It surprises me that they are as loud as they are when just playing while on the table, and how they aren't painful when you put them on...  you know, by the time you can hear headphones from across the room they will be painful when you put them to your ears.  its as though distance doesn't affect the decible level as dramaticly which is interesting.
 
I guess all that matters is what appears to be the case with "break in" and such.  Without getting in to what I actually think is happening, what seems to be happenings is that there is some slight break in and some slight auto-calibration of the ears.  I have grown accustomed to the highs being somewhat sharp.  The lows are recessed, whatever that means, it seems to be an appropriate word.  I used to itch for it to "come into focus" it just sounded like I was listening through a paper towel tube.  I like crisp, not clinical necessarily, but something in between.  These headphones are not that, in my humble opinion, that is, with a cheap setup.  I have tried the setup with slightly more power (home theatre amp) and the sound does change some and move somewhere closer to in between "laid back" and "clinical".
 
Im an audiophile by biology, whatever the hell that means.  Im no connoisseur in terms of audio/music culture.  But I have a discerning ear.  Better quality music is necessary for the headphones because ****ty music becomes even more ****ty.  Just like with HD you can see that otherwise invisible mole on [movie star] the imperfections in resolution and recording become painful.  I could always tell the difference but now I find I cannot listen to poor quality bit rates without cringing.
 
They are sturdy and the weight is not a problem for me.  I wish my ears ddn't touch anything, even though they just barely do.  It affects the sound in my opinion, but it is not uncomfortable.  I love the long cables as I use these exclusively in my room and I can move around without yanking the cord.  Its thick and stiff and I like it.  I like the coax-like insertion on each individual cup.  I played some bass tests with these and its pretty trippy, never heard anything like it on a headphone before.

 

[Phos]

Quote:

The simple fact that the HE-500's velour pads are thicker than HE-400's pleather pads can contribute to a larger soundstage as well.
 
I wonder why they havn't found a way to slightly angle planar magnetic drivers like the Audio Technicas and flagship HD800 and T1.  It's been pretty much agreed on that it helps the soundstage presentation.  It would help with comfort too as the back of your ear gets more space to breath.

The LCD 2 and 3 pads place the front edge of the drivers as close to the head as they can, not a lot more can really be done on that front.  
 
 
Quote:

Sounds from behind?  My HD650s used to do that to me.  I found it kind of unsettling actually.  WTH is the drummer behind me?

 
 

 
Sounds like the frequency response didn't match your HRTF.  

 

[TMRaven]

Yeah the Denons play the same trick with their angled pads too.  Does good things for the soundstage.  I wish HifiMan would at least do that.

 

[Mozu]

My HE-400s arrived today. The short version - very, very impressive. Instrument separation and detail are pretty spectacular, and that bass is...something else. A bit sibilant, which I'm hoping will smooth out with some burn-in. Heavy, I suppose, coming from woodied Grados, although not uncomfortable, and the pads jive totally fine with my glasses.

Sounds good from my SX-626, great from my Aune MKII SE (seriously underrated piece of equipment), but what surprised the hell out of me is that they sound fantastic out of my UHA-4 (on low gain, even), which I assumed wouldn't drive these at all.

Unfortunately, the cable they sent with them is totally wonky at the plug end, and won't play out of the right ear unless bent just so. Definitely need to call Headroom tomorrow about it.

I'm not entirely sure I want or need non-IEMs at this point, but the sound these put out is going to be quite addictive. It was between these, or CTM-200s/1964-Ts, so I think I'll give it a week or so to decide. Considering how much I absolutely adore my GR07s, though, I suspect these may be keepers. Just need to get the cable issue sorted. :\

 

[choC.]

Look what just showed up at my desk
 
 

 

 

[dngkgk999]

****. I want them bad. Can't find used versions. I'm not used to this feeling of buying something at MSRP price

 

[jerg]

 
Quote:

****. I want them bad. Can't find used versions. I'm not used to this feeling of buying something at MSRP price

 
Here, let me help:
 
http://www.moon-audio.com/
 
Order the HE400's from there, and
 
Use the coupon code 10OffCans2012 at checkout.
 
The price becomes $360 instead of $400, beats the price of all the second-hand HE400's I've seen on head-fi buy/sell forums lol.

 

[dngkgk999]

AWESOME

You're a true saviour, thanks a lot!