Hi Josh, thank you for sharing your thoughts about our headphones! Customers' feedback means a lot to us, so we want to kindly update that we have replaced that silver cable with a black, copper cable. Now our customers may receive one black cable with the HE400SE or a silver cable and a black cable with HE400SE depending on our stock. :-)
Hi, congrats on this terrific headphone and on taking actions over the cable. I put my fate very early on this product, with very few information and reviews about it available, so sadly my unit came only with the original cable. I'm loving it so much and being preaching about it to anyone who need a headphone solution at this range, but oh boy I'm sufering that cable every day. I will kindly ask you if it there's a chance to get this new cable from you? Thanks in advance!
I just bought a new set of these and mine only has the trash cable, this cable is soooo bad. Worth bearing in mind even if you buy new stock you can somehow still end up with the old cable. I'm gonna reach out to hifiman and see if i can get a replacement but something to bear in mind if you buy this headphone.
If you could do a comparison video between the Arya v1 (what you originally reviewed, and what many of us have), the v2 (released early 2020, with the foam insert moved from the outside to the inside of the driver), and the v3 (with the stealth magnets), I bet a LOT of people would be interested in that! I know I'm not the only one wondering whether it might be worth upgrading or if there's no real audible difference.
I just got my pair of HE400SE just days ago, and agree with 99% of your review, especially the cable. I ordered mine from Apos, and they automatically included a much better cable in the box, without me even having to ask.
6:32 maybe you got a defective unit or something because a lot of people (myself included) think that 400se has an incredibly big soundstage for 150 USD.
Hey Joshua! I'm no expert nor audiophile by any means, but thanks to your reviews I tried for the first time this kind of quality headphones. I was always afraid this would cost me a lot, but thanks to your recommendations I tried the HE400SE with a Neoteck budget headphone amp, with a ~250€ total investment, totally worth it for a newbie to great quality sound like me. I'm now in a fantastic journey of rediscovering all the music I've been listening for my whole life, I'm back to listening music regularly and I can't wait to put on these puppies again. I'm even thrilled to deep dig into Apple's music database and discover new music to listen to. Thanks for your channel and reviews!
@@saamo1423 Thanks! It would seem so, I still can't believe the neotek even works for only 30€. I might try a better amp as per your recommendation, but I'm afraid that might put me at the beginning of one of those long, neverending expensive hobbyist trips!
Sennheiser hd560s vs Hifiman He400se I am still comparing them for days side by side. I'm just a casual listener who appreciates the "great" sound. I'll try to explain the sound. I use the Soundblaster AE-5 btw. Hifiman HE400SE needs a great amp! I kinda love the treble/highs here... it's so smooth and also clear. Mids need EQ around 2 Khz (+2db to +4 db). Vocals are clear but a little bit laid back compared to HD560s, but still very present. Bass responses are crisps and tight similar to HD560s. To my ears, the HE400se has a very "creamy" sound after EQ and with an amp. I just enjoy the creamy dessert with its flavours. I just can enjoy it for a longer time of period. The sound is also more around your head and stays there "airy". It tries to hug you, but it depends on you if you allow it or not. Like: Treble/Highs smooth and overall easier to listen to Bass extension and the ?vibrations? It's not that tight like the HD560s Spacious sound, but sometimes voice etc. sound not that close Sennheiser HD560s do not necessarily need an amp. Treble here is a little bit too much and harsh sometimes around 4KHz. I personally dropped this area by about -2db. Mids are very crystal clear and I love voices here, for me the best part. Bass are kinda similar to HE400se but maybe a tiny bit tighter with a little bit more "spiky" punch, like how the highs are (bass sometimes a little bit too clean/clinical). Overall, it is more "spicy" and makes me more aware and cautious of different sounds so it can get quite sweaty. The sound tries to get into my head with spikes and spices. Sometimes it forces me to listen (less chill than HE400se). Like: Mids with crystal clear voices Closer to the ears but still with soundstage (not too narrow) Tight sound (sometimes too clean like the bass -> makes harder to vibe) Light on the head
I think that horrible cable is off the shelves now. Mine came with a nice black cable. The have been a great entry to planars for me. The sound is simply a 10/10 for 149€ with EQ applied. These are the most fun and musical headphones in my collection (AKG K702, DT990 Pro, a few IEMs). Can recommend the HE400se no problem over the aforementioned headphones. But you NEED an amp to run them. My FiiO K3 can drive them just fine but Laptop, Phone etc? No chance. I do agree with your criticism on the soundstage. These headphones sound really wide and lively at first but yes the imaging is very concentrated around the center. Im getting the typical 3 point soundstage from them: left earcup, center, right earcup with nothing to fill the voids in between. This is a discipline these lack in but they make up for it and if you come from worse headphones and upgrade to the 400se you will love them anyways.
Was able to cop these for $70 a few months ago and i really can't complain. Note that these are the non-stealth magnets. But the cable is the newer, much nicer (in my opinion) ones. Stealth magnet version was $110, so I couldn't justify the extra cost since i also bought a Topping DX1 (for $80). As my first "audiophile" headphone, super happy with the purchase! Side note, bought an M40X recently as well since i wanted a closed back for a different flavor. Got them for $120 - probably more than is the usual current price - but where i'm from, i think was a decent deal (usually sells for $140).
I've been pairing my HE400SE ($100) with a vintage Hitachi SR-503L (re-capped, etc.), Marantz EQ-20, and FiiO BTA30 Pro (DAC mode); with PC as source. I did buy an OPENHEART 8 core cable (3.5mm/ 2 x 3.5mm), which set me back a whopping US$13. IMO, this headphone is impressive and, considering its price point, a steal. PS: the factor cable is much better than the one shown in this video...I just wanted an aftermarket cable that was a bit more flexible and tactilely software.
I use those with a fio q3 amplifier as speakers for my pc, though I occasionally put them on as they were intended. Had them for almost 2 years now. Breaking in is very important and removing the cloth mesh from the grills also helps the sound. Love the sound stage and sound clarity but sadly they'll never have enough bass, for a planar headphone to have the same clarity and bass they'd need to be above the 1000$ price range. For less than 200$ these are very satisfying however.
Normally I'd just buy a cheap balanced cable from Aliexpress when I get new cans, they are cheap and they do the job really well! Miles ahead of stock cable.
Great vid. I think these compete in overall quality with the 6XX/58X headphones, I've had both (58X) and if i had to pick i'd go with Hifiman, though its definitely close. First off they are flatter to my ears, but it's mostly because entry level planars have a more pleasant and less dull or noisy sonic character. That being said, I recently upgraded to the Verum 1's and I really must say that they are just that much better then the 400SE's, more so than the price difference. Honestly I wish there was a Verum 1 level performer for $200 but this is yet to meterialize, so I'd say certainly consider getting the Verum 1's over these if your willing to pay $350.
Hi Joshua. Nice review! New headphone enthusiast here and I picked up a pair of these as my first planar and loved the sound but I also heard the harsh sibilance in some tracks. This was a bummer so I returned them and stretched to the Sundaras. I’m very happy with those~~ Oh, and as some others have mentioned, Hifiman seems to be including a better cable with these now.
@@ReefZA Yes it’s been about a week since I returned the 400SEs so I can’t do an A/B but I’d say I was happy with the low end on both. It was more in the smoothness of the highs that really separated the 400s from the Sundaras for me.
Hi Josh, just getting into the hobby.. Been using dt770 with a focusrite 8i6 as I'm a musician, but also want great quality sound, and as I progress I want to be able to test and try mixing/mastering on various open backs etc. I did a ton of research, and went with the 4xx and the Topping L50, using the 8i6 as the DAC, and I'm loving it. Dt770 sounds better too! So confusing though, I was looking at the a50s but I only have trs balances outs on my DAC, back and forth on whether balanced is even needed, so went with the se amp with balanced ins and outs with L50. A50s, liquid spark, magni heresy, ifi zen can - all pretty close. Was also looking at a30 pro, and the magnius really caught my eye but here in Canada would have been like 100 more after tax/duty/shipping. With headphone, was also looking at the he-x4, would love if you'd do a review on it.. Was also looking 58x or 6xx, but went with 4xx over 58x and the 6xx may be my next set - but am also thinking of just saving and getting the focal elex - would my l50 drive it well?. Would you say it's better to have say 3 or 4 pairs of 200ish dollar phones, ie 4xx, dt770, 58x, 6xx.. Or would you be more likely just to save up for a dt1990 or focal elex etc? Any guidance or reassurance would be greatly appreciated. Your vids have been so helpful in my journey.
I get the impression that the Stealth Magnet versions tend to have a smaller soundstage, based on some of the other reviews. I think Josh said this about the Arya Stealth vs the non-stealth version. Do you suppose it's due to the rounded shape of the magnets instead of the squared ones? 🤔
Hifiman advertises these for use with phones and laptops in particular. This is the selling point that initially attracted me to these headphones. Disappointing to learn about the actual power requirements.
Power requirements aren't that high, they're actually INCREDIBLY LOW (25 Ohm into 91 SPL)... If you want to circumvent/bypass the 91 SPL (Which can be considered safeguard volume, to prevent hearing damage), then sure, you're going to need more power, but that isn't a MUST. :P Once you plug it into the device in question, only the OHM is going to have any impact, and it's so low that it's not really a factor in this case. : / You're free to buy a headset with higher SPL, if you want to listen to "feel-it-in-your-bones" audio levels. :P But then again, a schiit stack, or an ifi Zen stack, should give you the flexibility you need, safe listening, AND fiiyb audio levels, in one package.
@@ishanjoshi5957 It literally is... SPL determines the volume level at a certain power draw. lower SPL doesn't mean higher power draw, it means lower VOLUME at the SAME power draw, that's what it means when a pair of headphones are "inefficient". :P You're going to need to forcefully PUSH more power into the headphones to circumvent the inherent volume limitation of the SPL... That's why you have gain switches and such on amplifiers, doofus... You gotta push a button, to FORCE more power into the headphones, to circumvent the inefficiency. SPL (AKA, sensitivity) has nothing to do with the inherent power-draw of headphones, bro... I PROMISE you that. :P
@@MyouKyuubi Most Planars have low impedance levels (less than 50 ohm). According to your calculations, almost all Planars should be easy to drive including ones like Hifiman Sundara and Arya. However, neither of the two are easy to drive. The Planars which are easy to drive like LCD X or Hifiman Ananda have similar impedance levels with higher SPL (averaging over 100). Even the notoriously hard to drive Hifiman Susvara has only 60 ohm impedance (very low compared to many dynamics like HD800) and 83db SPL. Almost all reviewers I have read attributed the 83db SPL as the cause of Susvara being hard to drive rather than 60 ohm impedance. However, I do agree that a Schiit stack or Ifi Zen Stack will be enough for HE400SE. However both these options will cost more than the headphone in question and that goes against the "can be driven easily from a laptop" advertisement by Hifiman.
@@androidtech61 Bro, you need to learn to fkin read. >_> If you define "hard to drive", by how you circumvent low SPL, then you're an S-class clown. Circumventing SPL, is a preference, not a requirement.
Thanks for the review, I've been eyeing these to upgrade from my shp9500 and it looks like it's not that huge of an upgrade. I might wait and save more and just go straight to the Sundaras.
Hey mate, I also have the 9500's, a few of the lower/midrange Sennheiser's and a set of Samson semi open back which sound phenomenal. The next logical step seems to be planar as surely a dynamic driver is a dynamic driver right?
If someone is a headphone enthusiast and knows HOW to properly apply parametric EQ, then it means that adjustable linear distortion is not an issue. The Hifiman HE400se has as low and as inaudible nonlinear distortion as any headphones at any price. And the linear distortion of the headphones can be easily corrected by EQ. Therefore, we can make the HE400se sound as good as any headphones at any price. No need to spend over $1,000 on headphones, which is done by fanatics who do not understand sound engineering and related physics.
As long as you're not searching for a heavy v shape bass heavy sound these are incredible. The sub bass extension is so ridiculous you can hear it sitting on your desk. They just do not respond to the boosted bass very well. They also are very power hungry and not quite capable of really being pushed that hard. Regardless if all you want is to hear what it's supposed to sound like grab em.
personally for my own taste in what I like, I really love the bass in the 400SE. I 've been running them through my Xduoo MT-602 hybrid tube amp, and they honestly have nicer bass than all my other headphones to my ears when ran through that amp.
I bought these awhile ago after seeing all the great reviews, used them for about a day, then packed them back up and nearly forgot about them...that's how bad they were.
Something I really want to find out about is the Arya SE. (I own the previous model Arya.) I'm curious as to if or not these magnets have affected it's sound staging abilities.
acctualy is not stealth edition.... theres a chinese version and an American version, chinese dosn´t have stealth magnets (+ different cable, sound signature) and still´s called SE
Damn! Just the review I was looking for. I've been trying to decide between the 400SE and the 400i and your great descriptions I think have finally brought me to a conclusion. 400i, no question.
hey hey! I'd really love to see you take a look at the Deva Pro. I think it's a really impressive offering only slightly more expensive than the original model but clearly with a hardware redo and updated bluetooth module that doubles the original battery life. I think I'll be picking up a unit regardless but I'd love to see some content and thoughts about it.
Thanks for the review. Great job! Some questions: 1. I found this video having some color mis-alignment issue (I am seeing shadows of different colors in your video). I watched your past videos, only a couple of them have the same issue. This is one of them. I have never seen the same problem on videos from other youtubers. I am not sure if that's your problem or mine. 2. For vocal listening, which amp/headphones are the best from your impression? Thanks.
Yo have you checked out the current massdrop x noble luxe iems? It was getting some bad reviews but it's on sale for 40$ from 99$, gonna try them out with some dekoni bulletz. Congrats on the move btw!
@@DarrellDucharme Well I cant say a lot from a technical stand point because I don't know enough in that sense but to my ear, it sounds better, I prefer the tone of the vocals, the low end, and honestly its just more comfortable for me and that plays a big role in how long I can use them for.
SE = Special Edition, LE = Limited Edition, But yeah now it seems to be Stealth edition's be it "revisions" or magnets. The Arya is not the only one with a "stealth" change, Just the only one with magnet/driver change on top. Guessing this is the International Version? Get the Chinese non stealth magnets & HE-X4 from Drop that'll be a fun review.
Yeah, I don't think HF uses 'Stealthy' magnets in them - i can still see them ;) Some how I prefer the sound of HD 6XX (EQ to lower the 120-250Hz hump - I wish it would extend lower into 58X territory) than the HF HE400 series, also lighter, more comfortable, and good quality cable. I give Josh big 👍 for highlighting the issues the HE 400SE has in it's reincarnation. HE - X4, 4XX, 5XX review and side by side comparison would be nice unless I missed one.
@@pliedtka yeah the 2 i listed are 100% the same & not in the same way the "deva is a HE5xx" but sound different due to powering. HD6XX... yeah that's not a good headphone, it lacks more than it gives. Bit like the HD800s & that also not a good headphone or clean sounding in the bass (unless you have a THX 788 chip amp), the K712more or less give the same soundstage be it pushed out a little more, the same forward bass & bit more peaky highs, but has clean bass. to be clear not an insult for liking it, just weird how we all like bad (lacking) headphones for the little things they do right when there are way better headphones out there.
Note on the availability of the He-400i 2020, I emailed the hifiman rep a few months ago, the He-400i 2020 has officially been discontinued, it is only available in Europe now until stocks last. So if you are in North America the 400 se is the only stealth magnet alternative. But other dual magnet iterations of the 400 series are available.
It doesn't matter if it's discontinued. I've had that headphone and it wasn't very good. Too light on the bass. Don't listen to just one youtuber with his nonsense review on RU-vid. Many people agree with me and don't like the 400i. He400se or he400s has a better overall sound.
I have a set ,the cable is a absolute joke not so much the quality of it. But the length is way to short. I don't really care about "stealth" magnets, the low end is lackluster on these. Typical to planar ... I will get a better headphone amp to see what they do. It shares similarly to my magnepans ,it's for the money a good deal. They can be better on the sensetivity end of thing. And what you said too, they eat power .. I don't know if I will keep them at this point of a good headphone amp doesn't get them going ...they will be returned. You get what you pay for is the saying . I think for 100 bucks you can do better...my $35 wireless earbuds outperform it with relative ease. At this point in time
Which one do I get between these and HE-X4? - HE-X4 Around $140 on Drop after taxes & shipping (4-10 days) - HE400SE Around $160 on Amazon after taxes & shipping (Prime shipping)
good video, one question, which of these two audio interfaces has better sound quality and would also serve to power those hifiman he400se with enough volume?... the Audient iD4 MKII USB-C or Audient EVO 4?
I just recently bought these but the newer version to see if they are good and I bought them for $109. I listen to late 80s to mid 2000s power/prog/melodic metal like early Crimson Glory Fates Warning Magnitude 9 Metalium Liege Lord Helstar and other various bands and for some reason my Philips Fidelio X2 the old version from around 2015ish sounded the best for that type of music for me. I since bought the Grado 80e Sennheiser HD 600 and Sennheiser 58x Jubilee and those just didn't sound as good. I listen to music where its mostly mid range and a lot of high range screams and for some reason the Philips Fidelio X2 even though people said they are more bass focused they were more enjoyable to me for some reason. I actually ruined them by pressing in the speaker cone and have no clue why I did that like an idiot. I know they have the Philips Fidelio X2HR but I don't know if its similar. I listen to music basically all mid-high and crazy guitar solos and riffs and a lot of 5th octave notes. Maybe my ears suck or something. Most people recommended Grado SR80e and they hurt my ears and I can't listen to them for hours with all those mid range and high range notes and actually prefer my Jubilee 58x over my HD 600 for some reason.
... why the HD 569? HD 560S or HD 599's are literally the best dynamic headphones on the market for the same price level as the HE400SE... You downgraded to one of the worst cost to benefit ratio headphones on the market. >_>
Josh, I have a question unrelated to this video. Ques: I am looking to buy the Sennheiser IE900. I also want to pickup a mobile/portable HiRes music player. Which would you recommend?
Hey there , I see you have your favourite headphones listed , Is it possible to also have a category of "best" headphones , since we know that the ab1266 is your idea of the best headphone .. it would be nice to also have this in the other listings
Is this a better value headphone or a good upgrade from the the SHP 9500? I would think the 400SE has better soundstage but I heard the mids are clearer in the Philips. I have an old Fiio Q1 Mk1, I guess it's enough to drive in terms of power, but maybe not the best resolution for the 400SE?
What does changing out the mesh grille for a more open one? Does that add to soundstage? Really what's the benefit of unrestricting air flow from the magnets?
Please, do Audeze LCD-2 (2021 revision), dying to know how they sound after pads update. Everyone talks about LCD-X, but LCD-2 2021 review is nowhere to be found.
You've mentioned in previous videos that you can mod the Darkvoice a lot, any chance you could do a mod review for any mods you have on yours/want to do to yours? I am thinking about doing a shunted pot on mine for better volume control but my soldering skills aren't exactly the best
5XX cable is very nice. I don't understand why don't they use it with all of their headphones. All of my Hifimans have cable in the box and I'm using only 5XX cable on all of them, even the most expensive ones.
