Massdrop HE-4XX Review 

Bro, you are AMAZING at reviewing products in so many ways, I can't Evan begin to describe!! Thanks allot for the detailed CLEAR review in a short span of time, keep it up!!!

Just picked up a pair of these on the last drop. The 4XX are so amazingly fun to listen to.

I must say, i really like your style and the way you highlight colours and products. Its really an art. Like the thumbnail und how you light stuff.

I have one and love it.. The video quality is getting better and better..

I love the dynamics on these cans. I have the 58x and the 6xx and these are my new go to because they are just so fun.

WHAT A ORANGE TEAL BACKGROUND. WELL DONE WITH VISUALS AND REVIEW! Really nice channel! 10/10

Watching this before my pair arrive today 😁😁

Bought them recently and honestly, initially was not impressed. Recently I went at my folks home and brought only the computer case and tried the newly bought Superlux HD 669. The sound out of the box was amazing. Only up until when I went back into my apartment and hooked both the Superlux and Hifiman HE4xx with Oluv EQ settings to Topping d10 DAC and SMSL sap II pro amp realized how I was wrong. HE4xx sounds so pleasing and natural, having only some bass emphasis right up to the point that every bit of the frequency response is balanced. Also, you got me into the audiophile world and realized we have almost excactly the same taste. Shape of the head, sensitive to high frequency, comfort, value in audio equipment. From now on I will take your suggestion probably first, then everyone else. Good work and keep doing what you do ;)

Watched a lot of reviews for this set and...decided I don't need any more headphones. I have an HD58x, ATH-M40X, Beyerdynamic Customs, SHP9500s, KSC75s, and some AKG M220s. All set. All bases covered at the price range I'm willing to purchase at. No need whatsoever for mo- So I got an email from Drop about their warehouse having a sale. HE4XX for $130, 139.46 with tax and shipped.........so they'll be arriving in like a week.

how do none of the audiophile channels have a million subscribers. guys like you and DMS have production quality that leagues beyond so many channels the well over a million

Great content again Josh to me your my go to person when it comes to Audio (headphones reviews and dac/amp as well) your reviews are knowledgeable and informative , continue on making great content and I pulled the trigger on the Massdrop AKG 7XX can't wait to test it out and have wonderful and safe week

Hi Joshua - Just want to say a big thank you man, I've received the 4XX and they sound amazing. So clean and warm sound, really good sound. This is my first experience with good quality headphones but it's totally recommended if you like music :) Without your review and the other video comparing these ones with the 6XXs probably I would never make the decision to buy them. Keep up the good work! Checking lots of your videos in the last weeks. PS: What would be your recommended AMP? Fulla 2?

You are the best headphone reviewer till now

Such a pleasure listening to your review. Concise straight to the point and more importantly doesn't give you headache from the camera moving around too much ;)

You got everything right about these, except the highs. Here's the thing, these scale. When i got these and put these through my cheap amps or the phone, the sound though might have been sufficient in volume, quality wasn't there. Then i tried these on a very strong amp and that woke this thing up so yeah, that 93db sensitivity plays a part. So, not beyer highs but they do got good highs on a strong solid state class A. I will put a video out on these soon .

just got these, love them. great review!

Subscribed for the very detailed and clear review. Thumbs up !

All your videos are really well explained

Just joined the drop, really good reviews I subbed

Awesome visuals as usual 👍👍👍 spectacular neon lighting effects; really gives a very polished and enjoyable viewing experience :)) great job 👍👍👍 (realised why i like your videos so much: i really like blue and orange and it seems thats the same for you)

You should review the Sennheiser hd 58x Jubilee and compare it with these since they're in the same price range.

2:26 Everyone needs to use an amp, these are hard to drive imo ( maybe same as HD 650 ). For example my PC can fully drive the HD 598's but hardly ( which is one of these headphones that can be run w/o amp but also benefits from amp ), but i can't run the 4XX, it's silent af and if boosted to the very max volume it starts to crack/artifact etc, doesn't handle bass anymore + the "max" volume is way too silent for my friends. Most people has motherboards with ALC887 and it has no chances of running the 4XX. I suggest to get something like iPhone 4S or some oldschool cheap mp3 player which is kinda about same quality as average onboard so you can compare it for the reviews ( i bet you have decent phone and decent onboard thats why u can run it ).

Thanks again for a good review Josh. I think this should run fine with my upcoming LG V30 smartphone. I was too worried about the sensitivity, not the ohms. Cool bro 👌

Good review brother. Bought these yesterday excited to get them this week. I'm subbed now I'll be sure to check out other your opinions on other headphones since I'm getting more and more into them! Thanks again

He provided timestamps yet i watched and enjoyed the whole video without skipping... Great review.

Another badass review, Josh. I think your assessment is right on the money although I hadn’t picked up on any lack of focus in the highs. Maybe I am used to darker headphones...

It seems to me that reviewers regularly underestimate the importance of comfort of the headphones. I don't entirely understand why. As I know planar magnetic headphones usually heavier than their counterparts. This device is not an exception. If you want to use it more than one hour on daily basis, very probable you will get a neckache very soon. And you won't enjoy it's great sound any more. In addition to that the earpads quickly become itchy. So you need to change them and spend more money. (It's not my native language, sorry for my grammar inaccuracies.)

Which amplifier do you recommend for the HE-4XX?

Dude, I sold my HD6XX and HD58X after hearing the HiFiMan HE4XX. It was like no comparison. 10 minutes with the HiFiMan and I knew everything else was going bye-bye. The Sennie's aren't even in the same class.

OK. Just got these today. 1. I hope they don't fall apart. 2. bass is super pleasing and is present, but not overpowering. Also it's much cleaner than the X2HR's I have. 3. mids are fine. Not super detailed, but still somewhat staged. 4. highs are about the same as the mids. 5. imaging isn't that great, but they do it. 6. soundstage is overall really pleasing . 7. overall they're fun to listen to music with, but lack some detail and layering. They'd probably make great gaming headphones too.

Here is some engineering background to the vocal presentation for anyone interested: The Harman Target Response Curve is giving a more or less a good starting point when it comes to neutral sound in headphones (check out Innerfidelity for further information).This requires a gradual increase of 10-13 dB from 500Hz to 3,5 kHz and then back to zero at around 10-12 kHz. If we compensate the FR curves to Harman, it can be seen that the 4XX has a 5 dB dip around 2kHz, which gives this slightly distant sound of vocals. This effect is even more obvious with rock guitars as they tend to have a bite aroud that area. This headphone is too soft for rock, but jazz and classical are not really affected by it. The K712 has a 2-3 dB peak around 2k and this gives a slight sharp edge to guitars (AC/DC in particular), while bringing back the vocals to upfront. It is also a bit unforgiving with modern music as due to the hot mastering trends the 1-5kHz area is elevated for higher percieved loudness. The HD6XX and the HD6xx series in general have a nice gradual build up, and their peak is around 3,5kHz, maybe 1-2 dB more, which is a less anoying area than 2k. It gives this very nice upfront vocal sound but without any sharpness. If there is one area where these headphones shine, it is clearly this one.

Coming from the K7xx to the He4xx, holy ffs. I think the K7XX might be broken or just have the biggest sound stage in the universe because these 4XX sound SO. MUCH. BETTER. Just the background music while you're talking is making my ears cry tears of joy. Lol

great vid. well layed out and beautiful visuals

Very well edited and to the point review

Blows the 6xx away I own both and the 6xx are going for sale , so many headphones now beat and sennheiser 6 series

Hey Joshua Excellent reviews man! I have one question would you recommend the hifiman 560 for 250.00 or the hifiman he-4xxx? I will only be using these at home.. but I dont have much in the way of an amp just a cheap fiio e07k andes.

I have these and I love em

Massdrop makes them for cheap or just has bad quality control, am from Europe and my unit started dying after 6 months, left and right driver started going down and then back to normal volume, like there were some wires in there disconnecting, top band isn't very comfortable (too thin), can get a bit sweaty because of the hybrid pads. All music genres work on them, 50 % volume goes in and 50 out (makes soundstage not as wide as 990 but very well defined), good soundstage, neutral and may sound boring compared to others, but if my unit didn't die I would still be using the headphone, not very low bass (compared to the dt990 this doesn't come close, he 4xx doesn't have a rumble, 990 does) but to be expected from planars, but the positive is that the bass is very fast and you won't know what I mean by that until you try them, but not better bass over dt 990 just different, nothing is better over any headphone over 150 just different. Europeans beware that they might stop working after some months. Btw my unit was used outside once on a sunny but not hot day and it NEVER even once fell or got hit by something. That's all I have to say, cables are cables.

Just found your channel and subbed. Great review!

Hey, really digging the reviews. Can you compare the bass between these and the m1060s? Are the m1060s worth the extra cash?

It's interesting how sound changes when different amps and pads are used with them.

Thanks for the review. I'll stick to getting the Seinheisser HD6XX. BTW your audio levels for the music jumps at certain cuts.

This one vs hd598 Which one s better

worth to pick up Sandaras over these? appreciate your headphone reviews. much love!

How do these compare to the Monoprice M560 since they are only around 10$ difference from each other?

Wait, I’m curious. I am planning on picking up one of these soon but I’m also looking at an amp. I’m really new to this entire ecosystem of audiophile headphones. So would a 99 db amp work for these 93 db headphones?

Great review, and I totally agree: for the price point these are really nice. BTW, what's the music playing in the background?

What do you think of the ATH AD500X for positional audio or games. Is it good or is there anything under 200 that's better?

I'm looking for a decent pair of open headphones; I'm more interested by the lows than having something "flat", as I'll own up to the fact that I like bass! What do you think of these Vs Beyerdynamic DT990s?

FYI to everyone: the cable L & R plugs to the headphones are now 3.5mm, not 2.5mm. Just got mine and they're great! I am getting some weird irritation/comfort issues with the pads on my right ear, so I plan on getting new 3rd party pads soon. These are REALLLLY O P E N headphones too. I love them, but just putting it out there for others.

Need to dial-down those new backing tracks a notch Josh (IMO). They sound fantastic, just a touch dominant. I found it hard to concentrate on your dialogue during the sound description.

Hi Josh. I just sold these and am wondering should I buy the Elear or the Sundara? I am torn.

Whew I’m glad I bought this when it dropped earlier

I want to buy these for like 80% gaming and 20% music (although when i do listen to music i REALLY listen to music, i can lose like 2 hours just listening to music) what amp should i buy? I do not want to break the bank but i want something that will draw out the best of these Headphones. I chose these headphones bc most people think they are the best in their price range. (have not bought anything yet) Also i was thinking of the mayflower arc strictly bc of the bass boost button. (im a bass head when it comes to music) PLEASE GIVE YOUR OPINIONS.

2:24 a little lighting tip for you have that front right source at 70% hitting your face then from the left one around 30% then a dim real light positioned in the shot at the back

I am confused about what does drop has to do with hifiman headphones. What role does drop play in the process?

can I use this for gaming tho ?

I've been eyeing these for a bit now and have been curious about the power requirements. To anyone in the know, would my Schiit Vali 2 handle these fine? (I understand that Josh did a good job detailing this already so my first assumption would be yes?)

The HE400Is I got did have build issues; the plastic yoke that holds the cans in place broke with in a few weeks; now I have the 600s and 6XXs but plan to sell one of those; still undecided on which. I kind of want to go back to the 4XXs and see how I like them since they fix the issue that broke on my 400Is.

I eq to tweak the highs and they are brilliant.

I have had the HD58X's for about a week now and compared them directly with my HD6XX's. From your description of the HE-4XX, you might want to consider comparing them to the HD58X, which are basically a slightly more exciting version of the HD6XX. Plus they are only $150.

Anyone know where I can get an aftermarket 3.5mm to 3.5mm y cable? I can't find any anywhere.

How does this compare to something like a Sennheiser HD558/559?

Good review dude 😀

The drop gonna end in 2 hours... and then relaunch immediately after that for every day. So no need to rush (Massdrop might run out of unit and they gonna end the drop then, but since it's in stock that's not gonna happen for a long while)

that's because it wasn't a hifiman built headphone. it's from mass drop. just endorsed by hifiman.

Do we know if this has a mic? I will mainly be making videos but it would be a + if it had them.

Are these better than sundaras?

are they dual 2.5 mm ? I measured mine they were dual 3.5 mm

Great review! How do these compare to the lcd2c's?

You're about to blow up

between Sennheiser HD58X and HiFiman HE4XX, which is the best one to buy today?

DUDE. Where is this music from?

Do you think the Fiio Q3 amp dac can run these ?

I have the 6XX and while they have really smooth, warm sound (which I think, really, is the highlight of them). They aren't very comfortable.

I will not buy headphones that have only plastic holding the ear cups to the headband. They will always break sooner or later. Was happy to see steel on these

Seems like these might be too big for me. Great review man, your quality is top notch.

Can this be used for some competitive fps ? I found a pair for 75 euros second hand in perfect shape

How does this compare to the Argons?

What song is this? Great Review Josh!! Keep it coming!!

Hey joshua these or dt 990 pro?

Hi I listen to Eminem and sometimes rock I enjoy podcasts too.What should I buy the He4xx or the hd58x

question is, how are they for glasses wearers

6xx for classical, metal, rock. he 4xx for all of that and anything else but for those it wont be as good as 6xx.

I will be waiting for your comparation on friday cuz i order 4xx then i tried the 6xx and it was amazing so i feel guilty for ordering 4xx instead of 6xx

Oh, grate review, thx. Waiting for comparison with AKG 7xx. And a few words compare to HD600, even they in different price range, please.

Would you be interested in reviewing the Oppo pm-3 as if I sent them to you? I ask because I'm curious what you think and I enjoy your content!

I really like your reviews.I listen to mostly Sinatra, Bennett, jazz, some classical. Currently have a wired Sennheiser Momentum 2 which I really like but wanted to explore the world of open backs. Was thinking about getting the 58X but I think this Hifiman will be better all around. I lean towards a warm sound and a slight emphasis on bass with good clear front leaning vocals. My concern is the quality complaints... Any thoughts on that? Don't want to buy something that will last only a few months. Do you have any other suggestions?

I'm not sure if saving up more for 6xx is superior depending on genres. 4xx is a fun slamy cans without much mid and treble details but with big stage... 6xx is reference can with all 3 ranges doing quite well especially the mids... Pity soundstage so small it can't handle big symphonies and chorals

Why you do not compare it to the monoprice monolith m560 ???

I do use 1990 Pros on a nearly daily basis and now got myself hands on the HE4XX, since sometimes - when listening for relaxing - the lovely neutral sound of the 1990s is not what I‘m looking for and planars bass would be more appreciated. I‘ll give a brief update as soon as they arrive (driving both using a Schiit stack - meaning Magni & Modi, Source for audio is Tidal)

I have both the hifiman 4xx and the senn's 6xx and for confort its definately the 4xx, the 6xx just sound barely better and not for everything. Both are great buys but if you do have a small head like the guy says dont get the 4xx or if you don't want to buy a headphone amp get the 4xx but a good cheap USB DAC is the FX Audio DACX6

This or m1060?

These or the dt 990 pros?

If the he-4xx is using the 400i driver it should have very similar characteristics to the hd6xx. According to most reviews the he-400i was the hd650 of planar magnetic headphones.

Can the Fiio e10k drive these?

Listening to this on them

TY

still worth it in 2019? i have a hd5x jubilee.

Got the original Hifiman 400i, sound is dependant on amp source, sounds crap off my desktop setup, but shines on my portable amp/dac .. Go figure.