[Marleybob217]

Quote:

By wattage I mean it likes more mW.

Yeah but Watt is voltage times current. And mW is not something else than watt, it's just 0.001 times Watt.
 
If I understand correctly, you're saying that the HD650 needs more voltage than current in the Watt, and the HE-400 just doesn't care?

 

[TMRaven]

Wow, I never knew anybody would take offense on the semantics between milliwatts compared to watts.
 
The HE-400 does not really care, yes.  It tends to sound good off lots of stuff that provide the power, regardless of their output impedance, etc.

 

[Marleybob217]

Wow, I never knew anybody would take offense on the semantics between milliwatts compared to watts.
 
The HE-400 does not really care, yes.  It tends to sound good off lots of stuff that provide the power, regardless of their output impedance, etc.

I'm not at all offended, your explanation was unclear.
People often talk about headphones needing more voltage, or current.
Then what you said seemed confusing since watt is partly voltage party current. 
That is why propraman asked if you meant current instead of wattage, and you said milliwatt which was not giving him any more information.

 

[TMRaven]

Ok.  My mistake.
 
Going off Ohm's law alone, the HE-400 does want more current to voltage compared to the HD650, but many have found that it really doesn't matter what you feed it, as long as it's powerful.  

 

[zachchen1996]

Thought the he-400 was designed for portable use?

 

[olsenn]

Higher impedance means it takes more voltage and less current to achieve the same power (watts). Ideally, two headphones putting out the same amount of power would sound equally as loud, but some headphones aren't as efficient as others and that's why you have to look at the sensitivity of the headphone as well as its impedance to determine if your amplifier will provide sufficient power to get the music loud enough for you.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Thought the he-400 was designed for portable use?

Lol no, not even close. HE400s are theoretically efficient enough to be driven adequately out of good DAPs, doesn't mean they are practical for portable use though. They are huge, heavy, leak sound insanely, and sound much better when driven well out of a full setup.

 

[chewy4]

A Cowon X7 has enough to adequately drive the HE-400's aside from songs with lower gain, but like Jerg said they aren't practical for portable use.

 

[Poetic]

Got my "very special" person a 2 of the pair of headphones. The HD 650's and the hifiman he-400's. He listened to them both. and mal was correct, he said the he-400 were engaging and the 650's just sounded waaaaaaaay to laid back. both of my 650's, in my overall opinion the hifiman he-400 are a better performer to me.

 

[dxanex]

Well, myself, I ended up with the HD650 anyway because Sennheiser had a great deal on them for Black Friday (no deals at all from HiFiMan) and I'm quite pleased. I was afraid they would sound too laid back on my Darkvoice 3322, but it's proven not to be the case. In fact the snare drums on one track I was listening to were actually making my eyes blink a tad with each hit. Bass digs deeper than I was led to believe from what I read as well. I'm sure the HE-400 digs even deeper and with more authority, but the HD650 is no slouch.
 
Someone also called them boring sounding, but I would also say I do not find that to be the case at all. These things are reminding me again why I love listening to music with headphones in the first place! Maybe I just got lucky and my amp is a great match for the HD650? Still, I'm itching to pick up the HE-400 in the near future. But for now I'm happy and enjoying the music A LOT

 

[MattTCG]

Glad that you're liking them. I certainly love my pair. Some of the things that I've read are not true to my ears either. I put the 650 off for two years because of the some of the negatives that I read about them. Now I wish that I had bought them two years ago!! 

 

[IEMCrazy]

Quote:

Lol no, not even close. HE400s are theoretically efficient enough to be driven adequately out of good DAPs, doesn't mean they are practical for portable use though. They are huge, heavy, leak sound insanely, and sound much better when driven well out of a full setup.

 
+1, though I've encountered several people here who are using them primarily portable.  I think they're simply insane...but there it is...

   They're lighter than the higher end HiFiMans, but they're the exact same body as HE-500, HE5LE, HE-6.  I can't imagine trying to use any of those "portably"...they're easily the largest headphones I own.  Short of Audeze it's hard to conceptualize just how ginormous they really are without holding them

 
Quote:

Got my "very special" person a 2 of the pair of headphones. The HD 650's and the hifiman he-400's. He listened to them both. and mal was correct, he said the he-400 were engaging and the 650's just sounded waaaaaaaay to laid back. both of my 650's, in my overall opinion the hifiman he-400 are a better performer to me.

 
Well, that's more about Mal's sound preferences than the performance of the headphones.  He famously doesn't like the sound signature of the HD650.  Both are excellent headphones though and complement each other well.  There are times, for certain albums where HD650 was always too relaxed to me, and HE-400 filled that gap nicely, but for most things, when well amped, I'd say HD650 is the better technical performer....  But for someone looking for an energized sound, they would end up not being the most preferred.
 
And Senns across the board are infinitely picky about the amp "synergy"...always have been. HE-400 sounds good on any competent amp.

  It skews a lot of opinion. 
 
Quote:

Well, myself, I ended up with the HD650 anyway because Sennheiser had a great deal on them for Black Friday (no deals at all from HiFiMan) and I'm quite pleased. I was afraid they would sound too laid back on my Darkvoice 3322, but it's proven not to be the case. In fact the snare drums on one track I was listening to were actually making my eyes blink a tad with each hit. Bass digs deeper than I was led to believe from what I read as well. I'm sure the HE-400 digs even deeper and with more authority, but the HD650 is no slouch.
 
Someone also called them boring sounding, but I would also say I do not find that to be the case at all. These things are reminding me again why I love listening to music with headphones in the first place! Maybe I just got lucky and my amp is a great match for the HD650? Still, I'm itching to pick up the HE-400 in the near future. But for now I'm happy and enjoying the music A LOT

 
Well, yeah, you have a great amp for them!

  That's a huge help!  And +1 on snare drums, hand drums, etc.  Nothing does hand drums like an HD650.  Not even HD800 or HE-6.

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

 
And Senns across the board are infinitely picky about the amp "synergy"...always have been. HE-400 sounds good on any competent amp.

  It skews a lot of opinion. 
 

As usual, well said.
 
Any time I buy/try a new amp or receiver the first test is the 650s, it just amazes me how they just sound plain bad with some amps and just sing with others.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

 
Nothing does hand drums like an HD650.  Not even HD800 or HE-6.

 
 
Yeah right.....

 

[trujunglist]

Don't mean to dig up an old thread but i think this is the newest on this subject that I am looking for.  I am on the fence with these two, (and the mad dog t50rps).  I would normally just pull the trigger on the he400, but I have a major concern about comfort.  I wear headphones for hours at a time and I am finding that comfort is right up there with sound quality.  I am thinking that the comfort of the senns is higher than the he400 from all i read, im wondering how much sound I am giving up by choosing one over the other? I wonder if i would even know what I am missing, probably the nicest cans I have heard to date are the denon d2k's which are nice, but I find them a bit heavy, and can afford to get something a bit better. 
 
I use my hp's mainly for League of Legends while i am gaming and music listening in the background.  When I do listen to music, it is primarily from online sources and most of the stuff i listen to is not available in lossless formats, (it is usually EDM mixes).  I love a cinematic experience while gaming, and I know the he400 has superior bass, but can the senn's deliver punch and impact? I am reading they can, but wont have much rumble.  I have the hd25s and love the sound but comfort is terrible.  I am running all this through a schiit magni + modi stack.  Tried to read all I could, but maybe i can get a bit more clarification from those who have owned both. Thanks!