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HIfiman HE400S

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by sorrodje, Oct 7, 2015.

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  1. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...iman-he400s-measurements-and-impressions.545/

    Just received this one for reviewing purpose and I'm not that impressed. Stocks pads, a few hours of listening and burn in ( yea I know ... but who knows ? ) , Clip Zip and GOv2 . 8khz peak is not Beyerish but still a bit bothersome, mids/ hi mids sound a bit off, Bass lacks the Ortho goodness. Tonality is particularly unimpressive. Not TH500RP like but not that far unfortunately. Good air, good leading edge , good soundstage though. Can't talk about resolution yet but nothing special that jumped to my ears.

    I didn"t even compare this HE400s to my usual headphones ( HD650/800 , ZMF and Stax Lambda NB) and kept the Hifiman at work in order to avoid any unfair comparison.

    To sum up, early impressions are : "easy to drive upgraded DT880" . Not a bad thing per se but I don't get what's the rave about.

    Do i miss something ?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 22, 2015
    sorrodje, Oct 7, 2015
    #1
  2. HitmanFluffy

    HitmanFluffy Hoping to see real genitals someday!

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    I just gave it a listen today out of my GO450 and laptop in a straight comparison with the new T50RP. I've got a fair bit of experience with HFM cans and I am almost certain the lackluster bass is almost all down to the crappy stock pads. The peak didn't bother me much but I did feel the upper mids were kind of recessed in the presentation. There was also a bit of grain, but it wasn't aggressive.They are fair performers resolution wise but I don't think they would match up to your other gear at all. I'll second the comment on air and soundstage, and I think the leading edge was almost on par with a stock 560. Maybe next time I'll bring my spare pair of focus pads there to test.
     
    HitmanFluffy, Oct 8, 2015
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  3. Thujone

    Thujone Friend

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    The Focus Pad will make a positive difference in terms of bass extension but it emphasizes the upper mid recession a bit too. I really really dig the HE-400S at its price point. My buddy, however, has different music interests and almost immediately cast them aside as "sub par". These are definitely "fun" orthos, IMO.
     
    Thujone, Oct 9, 2015
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  4. mnt

    mnt New

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    Some great info - I was really excited about this one prior to its release, but got turned off by the negative reviews - particularly highlighting the lack of real bass extension. I wonder if we could measurements at some point with focus pads to see if there really is an affect on the bass?
     
    mnt, Oct 9, 2015
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  5. Ali-Pacha

    Ali-Pacha Friend

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    Got them on my head through O2 amp. Not bad, not exciting, kind of rustic / rough presentation...the ortho grainy sound.

    Ali
     
    Ali-Pacha, Oct 9, 2015
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  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Click link below for measurements with Focus pads. The Focus pads are crucial IMO to get the best from the HE400S. Some TP over the driver helps smooth the 8kHz peak too.

    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...fiman-he400s-with-focus-pad-measurements.189/
     
    purr1n, Oct 9, 2015
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  7. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Does the 400S have slight QC issues? The pair I tried sounded much closer to ultrabike's measurements from the old thread than Marv's. The mid bass hump and the drop down to the lower mids masked the lower mids causing the cans to screw up Iron Maiden's Aces High and Angel Witch Angel Witch. Relative electric and bass guitar levels were screwed up directly compared to the HD 600/650 and from what I remember from those tracks sounding like on near fields. Could the "warmth" vary from pair to pair?
     
    Psalmanazar, Oct 9, 2015
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  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Ultrabike had the same pair. The difference might be seal. If you don't get a good seal (long hair, glasses, etc.), you will get bass hump with rapid roll-off below. Ultrabike's sealed plate measurements are more leaky than mine.
     
    purr1n, Oct 9, 2015
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  9. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    The stock pads must be quite crappy then as I have a "normal" side-parted haircut and don't wear glasses.
     
    Psalmanazar, Oct 9, 2015
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  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Haha. You can try using electrical tape around the outer sides of the stock pads to prevent air leaking. Same concept as the taped Grado bowls.
     
    purr1n, Oct 9, 2015
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  11. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    Yup no glasses, (very) short hairs and good seal for me as well .... shiity pads then.
     
    sorrodje, Oct 9, 2015
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  12. mnt

    mnt New

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    mnt, Oct 9, 2015
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  13. audiofrk

    audiofrk Guest

    How are the mids compared to the paradox?
     
    audiofrk, Oct 9, 2015
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  14. Ali-Pacha

    Ali-Pacha Friend

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    Pads are very very cheap, indeed.

    Ali
     
    Ali-Pacha, Oct 10, 2015
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  15. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    bixby, Oct 11, 2015
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  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    So when are you going to list this site in your "Interesting Blogs and Sites" section of your blog?

    |\/|
     
    purr1n, Oct 11, 2015
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  17. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    duh, right now el capitan, been meaning to do that for days now :D

    Updated:

    Super Best Audio Friends

    Where all the kool kids hang out. Experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly site that is dedicated to headphones, dac, amps and the like, with measurements, discussions and more.
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2015
    bixby, Oct 11, 2015
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  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Awesome!
     
    purr1n, Oct 11, 2015
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  19. joch

    joch Friend

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    Can these benefit from the BluTack mod?

    The BTs were phenomenal when applied to the HE500 and HE6.
     
    joch, Oct 12, 2015
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  20. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    rott, Oct 30, 2015
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