[davidsh]

Nice review indeed

 

[Okamoto]

Quote:

I might get martyred for saying this, but I feel the HE-400 is an overrated, unnatural, odd sounding headphone with poor vocals indeed. So I understand much of where you're coming from.
 

 
If HE-400 is overrated because you don't like it, then I could say the same about HD650.

 

[roBernd]

Quote:

 
If HE-400 is overrated because you don't like it, then I could say the same about HD650.

you can say quite a lot...
This doesn't change that while the HD650 has a great FR and no nasty resonance-peaks or nasty distortion, while the HE-400 is a bit "wild".
And this is not my impression... (well it is) it's raw data which translates to good sound. The HE-400 is a different flavor, ortho, but no as polished as the HD 650.

 

[Biscuitz]

Quote:

 
If HE-400 is overrated because you don't like it, then I could say the same about HD650.

You certainly could.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Quote:

Great review! I think it's better to review the X1 again after a few days (or a week) listening, when the sound of X1 become more "stable"...

I got these second hand from a very careful owner (Biscuitz) who had plus or minus 10 hours of listening on them already but i agree

 

[grizzlybeast]

Quote:

 
If HE-400 is overrated because you don't like it, then I could say the same about HD650.

I can't say that the he-400 is overrated I still think that it is a great headphone.
 
I could and probably did say that when I was expecting a different sound signature. Sound is very personal so we all tend to say that when things don't meet our standards( which are often off kilter because of our personal preferences).
 
It has a robotic, clean, dark, well textured, even sound to them with great bass control for those who want to listen to music a little more than feel it. 
 
I used to look at the he-400 online all the time and tried to figure out ways to get my wife to understand purchasing a 400 dollar headphone. But when I got them the mid range wasn't nearly as natural sounding as people raved about from my perspective. Thus I thought at least the general consensus rating of the midrange  imaging to be over rated. 
 
like/dislike he-400
 
Then there was the unexpected sibilance that I couldn't put my finger on which range it came from. I do like the he-400 to an extent. They seem like very sturdy and quality headphones that gave me an ortho taste that actually didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. It made me excited to hear what higher tier orthos do with the mids and highs and bass.
 
So my last headphone purchase will be an ortho for sure!

 

[veldt]

I hate ebay. Now I got an X1 instead of a HD600 because it ended earlier. I know I will regret it forever unless I decide not to ruminate over it. I'll decide not to rethink until I've had it a while...

 

[grizzlybeast]

how much did you get the x1 for? new or used

 

[davidsh]

I can definitely tell you where the nastiness of the HE-400 is.. Pretty much 8 kHz and above....

 

[grizzlybeast]

Quote:

I can definitely tell you where the nastiness of the HE-400 is.. Pretty much 8 kHz and above....

It's weird cause they are not bright headphones. i dunno oh well

 

[roBernd]

Quote:

It's weird cause they are not bright headphones. i dunno oh well

well... they are quite bright, well... a smilie FR which translates to a dark fundament of bass to lower mids, with lackingsomewhere in between. From there on it keeps climbing to somewhat shelved upper mids onto bright treble.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

It's weird cause they are not bright headphones. i dunno oh well

They are sparkly / tizzy. Bright implies generally raised upper midrange ~ all of treble. The 400's dip around upper midrange ~ low treble, then rise up past low treble.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Maybe they are just that when listening to them they didnt strike me as a bright headphone..

 

[grizzlybeast]

I know the pot got cold but I have a question because I am considering your advice. I am currently researching the he-5le and the he-500. I was wondering how to tell if an amp is powerful enough to drive them. 
 
I heard the 02 is close but no cigar. If I can't drive them then I'll be stuck with the hd650 but I am craving the planar sound and want to be able to get the details with the full midrange like the he-500 and he 5le. Bass is not that important as I would prefer it to reach low and eq or amplify it when needed because I can't quite reach for the lcd2.
 
So below are the specs for a possible solution. 
Quote:

Just wanna stir the pot. Actually, since your budget is so high, you should really consider the HE-500, even better the lcd2 

 
 
iCAN
Gain stage: Fully discrete, Class A
Buffer stage: TPA6120A2
EQ: two levels selectable 3D Holographic Sound and XBass
Signal to Noise Ratio: >117dB(A)
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): <0.003%(400mV/150R)
Frequency Response: 0.5Hz to 500KHz(-3dB)
Output Power: >400mW(32Ω)
Output Voltage: >5V (>600Ω)
Input Voltage: AC 100 - 240V, 50/60Hz
Power Consumption: < 4W idle, 10W max.
Dimensions: 158(l)x68(w)x28(h)mm
Weight: 216g(0.48lbs)
Input: RCA and 3.5mm stereo jacks
Output: 6.4mm stereo jacks.

 

[Ishcabible]

I'm actually working on a review for the iCan (well, all of iFi's products. It's taking a while. I have 6 pages typed up, about 3 for the iCan alone). I don't have experience with the Hifimans (Hifimen?) with the iCan (I have tried the HE500, but that was way before I had possession of the iCan, so I can only make guesses), but I can say this: you'll probably have enough volume for either headphone, but they'll probably sound underpowered. Even my K702 sounds underpowered from the iCan. It's an upgrade from the Objective2, but it's more of a sound signature change than a step up. There's more detail and slightly more power, but when I use the iCan, the only thing I really notice different from the O2 is that there's noticeably less glare.
 
When looking at an amp, look at output power. 400mW isn't enough for neither my K702 nor my T50RP, so I'm guessing it won't be enough for the more power hungry HE500 and HE-5LE.