The 400s is amazing, i agree with most of your comment but my opinion is less harsh. Plus with a pad switch to the focus one the headphone becomes really amazing. Plus it may be plastic but it's solid.
Thank you for your review & pointing out the problems with the HE400S.. I was considering of getting one as my first planar since it's currently on sale here in Malaysia for USD167....
Build Quality, I have a pair of 400s and I don't think the build quality is poor. Sure it's plastic as you stated but it might also be why its light weight, and its comfortable. The 2.5mm jacks have not given me any problems. I tried brainwaze pads but I thought the standard angled velour pads were more comfortable. The best mod and the cheapest is just to take the metal screens off and rip off the material backing, it really took removed the harsh treble. Try it. I have also tried no screens and yes it does improve the sound stage. Amp wise found class D NAD D3020 better than class A/B Onkyo sounded horrid in comparison.
I would have to agree with you and based off of my research and your review along with others I bought the 400i, which includes the focus pads and I'm happy with them.
You made a mistake listening to this not very good reviewer. I have this headphone and it is fantastic. It's better than the he400se. It's a shame Inner Fidelity isn't around anymore as he was the best headphone reviewer by a long way and way more trustworthy than all these TH-camrs with their affiliate links. He put this headphone right. at the top in its price range, with good reason.
I'm surprised that planar magnetic drivers are known for bass these days because in speakers, they're known for being excellent tweeters... they can extend well and very quick response, very detailed. Now, the drivers alone often cost 60-100$ for a budget planar magnetic from BG (and headphones use two) so maybe the issue is simply the quality of the magnets? Do they vary in cost much? These should be able to trounce on even very good traditional driver headphones. I think lack of competition and cost cutting is the real issue. I'm also curious if Hifiman cuts costs like crazy because for having everything made in China, their quality sucks and their prices really aren't amazing. They should develop a really good overall driver and crowdfund through Massdrop to bring the costs down. The headphone market needs to be more competitive. Driver costs in quantity really aren't expensive on a per item basis.
First off, your reviews are great. That's the good news. The bad news is that I discovered you too late! About a year ago I bought these HE400s headphones, and have had nothing but problems since. First, and early on, the cable simply, um. committed suicide. Fine. I bought a better cable. Then one of the pads started to fall apart. Fine. I bought a set of Focus pads. Recently, the plastic headset broke. In fairness, I'm not blaming that last incident on the headset; I'm blaming that on me. It was just one straw too many. Then, tonight, I watched a few of your reviews and doing so lead me to want the Sennheiser HD 600s. So I canceled my $60 PayPal transfer to Hifiman for the broken headset, and ordered the HD 600s. Which cost me less than my original purchase of the HE400s, and that's not counting the additional cost of the cable and pads. I'm looking forward to opening the box on those suckers, and giving you my feedback. Keep up the good work!
Well first of all thanks for the review :) i appreciate your more critical view as everybody else seems to be stunned by this headphone. Im not new in the hifi biz but i still have some questions about EQing. I never did this before (besides very entry level stuff and dj-ing for over 10 years but without any hifi aspiration - but i know how music works and what an EQ does ^^) so i want to get into that hifi segment a bit more. I use EQs already on my phone with my SE535s but not on my "main" listening station. Im using a Micca OriGen+ and the HE400s. So where do you EQ? If you could call it "where". Software or hardware? And would this make a difference at all if you EQ the source material in software or hardware wise with an external EQ? And does it make a difference if you EQ it before or after converting to analog? And what are some good recommendations for EQing? Either way if software or hardware wise? Thanks for your time, really appreciating it! Cheers
I don't really get into the nitty gritty hardware vs software stuff. Just EqualizerAPO, which is a system wide Windows open source software EQ that can be applied to any audio source that Windows can see. I apply it to my DAC, which feeds my amp. Peace GUI is a plugin for that program which allows graphical adjustments to the EQ. EqualizerAPO by itself is pretty raw and uses text file based configs hence the usefulness of Peace.
Just an FYI the 2 cent cable actually costs $70. I don't see how you guys think it's cheap feeling. I agree with you that the fact that it holds it's shape is annoying, but that is my only real gripe with the cable besides that it feels and seems great.
+Robert Martinez except that it broke so fast which didn't surprise myself or my friend who had them before me. If they're really charging that much for this cable in particular you're getting ripped off because I bought a replacement that was about half the price
metal571 I know you did. And every product ever manufactured have had defective ones (in terms of modern day production). Maybe you got one of them. But then again HiFiMAN is notorious for problems with QC. It may not be a rip off. It may actually be a really good cable, you just may have had a bad experience with it, which is different. But I can see where you are coming from.
I actually traded my pair in to Hifiman toward the 400i's. A huge step up for only $100 and it routinely goes down to $300. The bass is much better and the trebble issue is fixed. If you have the chance give the 400i's a listen.
Julian Silva It's a combination of both. Sometimes I get so curious that I buy a pair and review them, then decide whether or not to sell them afterwards. In this case, the unit is from SuperBestAudioFriends
I agree with you and find the HD600 is better; however, I certainly think the HE400s is amazing for the price. It's definitely a headphone I'd recommend to a lot of people who are limited to that price range and want a great open-back set of cans. There's a massdrop exclusive I'm hoping to get my hands on (The Fostex TH-X00). I'd really enjoy seeing your opinion on them if you can get a pair.
the original he400 was the only hifiman headphone i deemed worthy of keeping. I havent tried the he1000 and higher end models. but between 400 500 400i 400s 560.... i only kept the original he400... smc cables and all.
Hi Metal, thank you for your fantastic reviews on head phones. Don't know where to post this, so I leave it here in your latest video reivew. May I ask for an advice, I have a digital piano, a Roland stage piano, FP-7F, I am looking for a suitable head phone for that, to use at home, I used to have one AKG 271 MKII, and it broke now, and I am kind of looking for something as an upgrade, I really dont know much about head phones, so could you kindly give some recommendations? much appreciated. Jos
great video man, i suscribe right now. I want to buy my first open model, all my headphones are closed..so...wich you can recommend that can bring me a natural sound, the best soundstage? thanks so much.
I think an this headphone is very sensible to the amp u use. I tried them on different amp and the sound changed a lot. I even heard bass where I couldn't before. But the treble are still recessed.
Good review there. Yeah I think the HD600's is on the firing line., closest headphones that want to dethrone it are those Hifiman 400S in your hands and Audio Technica R70x. I actually like ( didn't say prefer ) the sound of the 400S with Focus pads, most noticeable is it has better detail and lusher sound than HD600. Do think the R70x has the most low end of the 3 if ever you do get one to review.
Why compare and talk about dethrone the Senn HD600 AD NOT NOT ABOUT HD650? You are completely right about no separation at all about this headphone. Cheaply made, true. I own these and I own a few more. There something to this when you don't care to listen to the sounds but want to get it worked on your portable phone without any amp nor external DAC.. Again I ask: Why you refer to Sennheiser HD 600 and not HD650?? I find HD650 more throne'ish..
+New Sigmund Freud already reviewed both. The 600 is the better value with the more accurate highs and the two really don't sound significantly different anyway.
Thanks for the quick reply. Actually I go for 598 too but when I read about the planar magnetic cans it's new to me and wanted to try but I wanted a wider stage feel of it. Thanks for your advice.
+metal571 I hope you get a review unit soon :) I'm starting to really like your reviews, they are coming from more of a technical and serious stand point as opposed to the more raw and emotional approach from Zeos. Don't get me wrong zeospantera is one of my favorite youtubers and I highly respect his opinions and reviews, but they just come of as a little bit baised from what I feel. But nonetheless it's good to have a emotional standpoint from time to time or else things just start to feel lifeless...
Lol Zeos is the entertainer, I'm the reviewer. He hardly describes sound at all so he doesn't give much of an idea about what it's really like to own these things
Don't get me wrong he and I are actually friends in real life but as a reviewer I think he's mostly entertainment and not too useful for actually giving people accurate purchase advice
haha yeah, I remember you mentioning that you guys were actually friends in a video. Also most of the headphones you review seem to be mostly restricted to home use. I would love to see your reviews on portable headphones.
Hai. I have sennheiser 598cs and beyerdynamic DT 770 250 OHM and a fulla 2. Am not satisfied with the base of this . could you please suggest a head phone which is more dynamic deeper sub base than above mentioned. thanks
bluebirds7261 You will...maybe in a month lol. I have opened up sending in review units to the channel as a thing now, but I'm only gonna do one at a time. Next is someone's PM3
nice review once again, your reviews are imoprtant to me and i was considering buying these for a friend. cuz he is looking for a headphone that sounds as close to an hd600, but doesnt want to spend the $400 for the hd600. and i suggested these after doing some research and looking at the FR graph .
Sennheisers? Bright? No, but the upper mids are forward. You can correct the bass and upper mids with an equalizer and then you have a better headphone than this for much cheaper. They respond a lot better to EQ than these do. Yes the soundstage is actually wider than the HD 600, but it doesn't sacrifice imaging like a Q701 does for example
+metal571 i meant bright as in brighter sound compared to neutral. but my friend was deciding between the he400s, dt880, q701, kxx and i could always add more to his list as long as he doesnt pay over $300. do you still perfer the hd598? cuz like i said he wants as close to the hd600 sound as he can.
None of those other cans sound like the 600. 400S is brighter, DT880 much brighter, Q701 much brighter, K7XX still has awkward off sounding mids. I'd still take the 598 over those. The 598 is a carbon copy of the 600's sound but slightly less refined and with a slightly wider soundstage. It is not bright at all, just has the same slightly forward midrange as the 600 and similar bass rolloff.
It's possible that you aren't using a good amp for the HE-400s. I would audition them on a different amp. Headphones like these shouldn't really sound hazy if it's being properly driven. I had similar thoughts on my HE-400i until I was running it out of a Violectric V200, which then made it to edgy for me. Although I agree the build quality is not good. It's just as bad on the HE-560 I think..
metal571 Sometimes you surprise me in your assessments of 'highly-regarded' headphones. A lot of people seem to be losing their minds over the mad dogs. I'm just curious, when you're not monitoring or tracking, what are your goto headphones (HD600 should not count). Also, your favorite portable pair ?
medwatt Precisely why I love this hobby and will always be a completely honest reviewer - everyone has opinions and this is such a subjective hobby that I find reviewing products for it highly interesting. Contrary to potentially popular belief, my full time job has nothing to do with sound and I don't actually do monitoring/tracking in a studio environment, but for pure enjoyment I have actually been picking up the AD900X over the HD 600 for its amazing soundstage (review pending), and at work I use the closed version, the A900X (no "D"). However at the moment I'm evaluating the ZMF Omni as my work headphones, and they're definitely something else special. I don't really have a favorite portable - so far I haven't found something that manages to be portable and sound the way I want. I'm sure if I had access to a decent EQ the PM3 could do a decent job - just found them too dark as-is, and pretty damn expensive for what I'd pay. First impressions of the MDR-1A were really positive as well, but I can't pass too much judgement on those either.
metal571 Indeed, the whole process of reviewing audio is very subjective; from the type of music, quality of the sound, amplifier characteristics and more importantly, the anatomy of the person's ears. This is why we should all take headphone reviews with a grain of salt (I mean no insult). It almost feels like choosing the right microcontroller !
+keyman77ca I was very disappointed with other reviewers so just took it upon myself to actually describe the sound...at all really. It gets zero attention in other videos. Thanks
@Gray Au 2 years late but I'ma to the rescue. I have multiple sets of nice headphones and a se846, they are hella fine IEM, the detail and bass is incredible. The isolation is like nothing else, you won't head a thing when you have them on. I haven't tried a single close back headphone that's good enough for me to want to have them over my se846, the world around you just disappear and it's just bliss. When it comes to open back headphones, even the HD650 or HE400s is better, but for me to use them over the se846 is fully situational. The sound quality on a se846 is incredible, but the isolation is a total bliss. You guys obviously never tried the se846, even if you have, you probably didn't have it in your ear properly (if it's not in properly or the shape of your ear canal wonky, they will not sound good). You really got to own a pair, it's totally worth the asking price.
I tried a few IEMs at CanJam recently. The Andromeda was the only one that sounded similar to an over ear but still without the stage and lacking in treble detail for how expensive it is. Also don't even need to go all the way for A1000Z, just snag an A990Z or A900X
@@metal571 You were wrong 8 years ago about the he400s and you're wrong again with this comment. There is no improvement in the sound quality of the he400se. They both sound the same. But if I had a choice I would take the he400s over the he400se anyday, as the he400s is better in three areas. First, it is easier to drive than the he400se. Second, it has the suspension headband, so is more comfortable than the he400se. And third, the frequency response of the he400s is wider than the he400se. The only advantage the he400se has are the stealth magnets, but the headphones sound the same so that doesn't seem to have done anything noticeable to the sound. The downgrades on the he400se do make a noticeable difference though.
Mike Caskey yeah I got sent a modded one but not heavily enough for it to sound good lol and mods to the T50RP like the ZMF Omni have far surpassed the HE400S lol
Nice reviews with good descriptions of of sound signatures. LCD-2 reviewed would be cool. They're (2.1's) my number ones for enjoyment, right before the more cool and maybe flat HD600's. Cheers!
Cool. The pads make a difference with these too. I used to have the original shallow LCD-pads, but bought the new plusher ones. They are much more comfy and they have more bass. I guess this happens because of a better seal. So yeah, it's a worthy upgrade imo.
+Ze Bubba so far I'm looking more towards an equalized HD 800 for my endgame just haven't bought one yet though I've reviewed one in the past. Last LCD2 I heard had no soundstage at all
My LCD's have bigger soundstage than my 600's. The Senns are more mid-centric and dry, imo. They are my reference for mixing though, fun isn't always best. Audeze is notorious for the differences between models and even pairs... I very much enjoy both, but the Audezes are better for pure pleasure. In the end I could be quite happy with either. LCD's have a cut in the 3-4k area, which is where the Senns are boosted... I guess that and the bass are the most obvious differences.
+Ze Bubba yeah I actually undo the mid centric sound of the HD 600 with a cut to the mids and boost on the sub bass and top treble, I like the Audeze sound. Who knows could be the revision I heard but it was confusingly disappointing
The stock cable is a trash! - if anybody wants this HPs should throw it away immediately! I've lost 2 of mine cause of horrible, cheap build quality of my stock cable. The paint goes off also. And the stock pads are also rubbish! You can throw it away after a few months or immediately. And my grill was also moving from both sides! (now after service from one side..). And what replacement pads do you recommend (not HiFiman's pads cause they are not good in general..)? As I maybe want just to sell my HE400S and the current ones looks nasty.. After I've bought Sonorous 6 HE400S just have been demolished. I know that they are completety differend HPs and different price but price/performance ratio still goes for Sonorous 6.. And before HE400S I wasn't very much familiar with too much HPs.
It would help out a lot of people if you did, lots own the Mk3 myself included and I'd love to hear your opinion on it to get an idea how they compare to other planars :)
+metal571 Yeah and I think I know they are going to have the 400s' ending... A gravestone marking that says "Killed by HD600" I do hope that they will be able to put up a bigger fight though
I'm done with these headphones. I spent most of today trying to buy a replacement head set for my HE400S and got nowhere. Again. After having to replace the ear pads, and after having to replace the cable, I'm now throwing these things in the trash. Literally.
i'm a stubborn piglet (rabbit, actually) so I will try again this morning to order a replacement head band. Everything you said is true. I'm into these things for the original purchase of $299, plus replacement cable plus replacement ear pads. That's, what? $350? I can toss them or pay $60 to keep them. I will try very hard to give them $60 this morning, and see how that goes. It is usually, in my experience, not this difficult to give someone my money. I'll post the results. If there are results to post.
I just tried, again, to buy a replacement head band for my (soon to be tossed) HE400S headphone,s with no success. Fuck it. I'm very happy with my HD600s. I took the $60 I was trying to send to Hifiman for a eplacement head band, added $20 and ordered a pair of Grado SR80Es; just for some variety.
I just had a (old school) phone conversation with Sue at Hifiman, and we are good to go. But now I have a new, um, issue. Apparently my HD600s have become my audio reference. This is good news, and bad news. My reference had been my Dali Zensor 1 speakers coming out of a Rega Brio R amp and Arcam iRdac. For the first time, ever, I find that combo lacking. I love mid fequencies. But, now I find this combination to be 'thin'. I don't have much space in my room, which played a roll in my choosing the Dali speakers over the KEF Q100s. Would you have any speaker recommendations for me to look at?
+James Allen the "standard" for flat measuring bang for the buck monitors is the LSR305. Not intimately familiar with the stuff you have though so I could be selling you short with those. Lol
+Marcus Christensen I don't want people wasting money when they can get better at the same price. Nowadays EQ is an option for me so my views have changed a bit.
If you're gonna complain about plastic then go ahead and complain about sennheiser using plastic on their hd 600 and hd 650 which are just as much or more than the 400s.
I did complain about that in the HD 600 review. Thankfully the sound quality alone makes them worth the price they go for. I've had mine for over a year and despite the cheap ass build quality it has not died on me yet in any way.
metal571 Good. They need to be called out for their plastic build because they're hyped to the moon by everyone. The 400i should be compared to the 600 and 650 since it's usually around 330-350 on amazon.
metal571 Hopefully you'll get hands on it. I'm specifically looking to spend 200-400 and I was leaning 400i but I'm not paying $350 if the build is no better than the 400s. I've heard reviews say the 400i is built better and I've heard some say they're built identically other than the better 400i drivers.
I got a chance to try out the 400i's. They're definitely heavier than the 600, and the build is very solid. I still feel like my 600's are sturdy despite being a lot lighter. The funny part about them is the chord got tangled in my chair and yanked them from my desk. As time slowed down and they hit the ground (headband down), they literally bounced about 4 inches up and were fine. Given that one of the main concerns of the 600 is the headband and how fragile it is, I was thoroughly impressed. As for the sound, the 400i's are more analytical than the 600's to me, but it is a similar sound. For the 400i, It's like a blanket was taken off of certain aspects of the recording. Imagine the true character of a person, the stuff we don't see, the condition of their heart. This is the best way I can describe it. This became especially apparent on Led Zeppelins Over the hills and far away. It was like hearing the song in an entirely different light. Granted I was plugged up to a nice amp (an Oppo of some sort), and I'm sure the source file was immaculate, but I just couldn't believe it. People talk about laser like precision with the 600's (which is true), but this took it to a new level. It was as if the guitars actually had a true personality in and of themselves. Like you were connecting with Pages heart (and the band as a whole for that matter) on some level. Like all our lives we always hear music, but this was more than just hearing. I know I'm rambling but I hope you got a feel for what I tried to convey.
metal571 I have the the 400is but I still want the HD650s. The 400is are good at all genres except metal they sound thin. How do the HD650s do with rock n metal especially Pink Floyd?
The 400i's are one of the most overrated headphones I've owned. Narrow soundstage and very little bass impact. Soundstage has good depth and height, but the width makes the presentation sound unnatural. They are comfortable. I'll give them that.
Well depending what you consider cheap. All HiFiMAN's money went into mostly into making the driver for good SQ. And the sound signature is not odd? It follows the Harman target response curve pretty closely. Finally you don't need mods for this headphone. You can but it is not really necessary. The only thing I have done was buy different pads for $20. Some people also do the grill mod, it's sort of a universal thing to do for hifiman headphones though. This headphone is definitely worth any serious audio enthusiasts look. Don't just look at the opinion of one reviewer. Reviews about this headphone, if you have looked, are all extremely positive. Some reviewers have more experience and aren't as subjectively biased as others because they have been in the game for a countless number of years. Check them out, you may be pleasantly surprised.
+Robert Martinez I totally agree with your comment in terms of every reviewer having an opinion, we all hear things differently. I have already heard all the competition attempting to dethrone the HD 600 and so far nothing has cut it in terms of resolution. Actually the bass falls quite short or what Harman wants here... even the X2 would be closer to that
metal571 Yeah I know the bass falls short of the harman response curve. And yeah the X2 does a pretty good job in the bass department. But it has it's own batch of problems and gripes people have against it. My main point was in not just taking the opinion of one person, but many informed and trusted opinions. And most importantly trying out a headphone for yourself.
+Robert Martinez nothing beats personal experience - extended personal experience. First impressions are never accurate in my experience either. Yeah I'm not a fan of the X2 myself but was just pointing out that level of bass energy being more in line with the curve
Wanted to say something about the plasticphobia but wow, the build quality on these is trash. Chinese engineering has come a long way but it still seems to be lacking.
***** Please don't take my point of view as an evaluation of your persona. If I made it sound like Chinese inhabitants are less capable than other communities I want to offer you my sincerest apologies. Chinese engineering strength is now a force to be reckoned with, especially when considering that China has access to cheaper workforce and commodities. However and that is my take on the subject is that they still don't seem to know how to use their available resources in a way that is as efficient as say Germany. In Germany we have things like a minimum wage, a maximum amount of time someone is allowed to work and health insurance which the employer has to pay for. This makes workers highly expensive which is why countries like these depend so much on cost efficient engineering to reduce needed assembly workers by for example automating work processes or making the design as simple as possible. Of course all of that while keeping the performance of the product at a high level to meet the customers expectations in terms of reliability and value. I'm confident that China could easily go on par on that matter and current trends (take Huawei for example) show a move into that direction.
Don't know if this channel can be trusted. Inner Fidelity put this on their wall of fame and I tend to agree with their opinions more than this channel. You also don't like the Philips fidelio X2 which i and most people love. Not a good sign.
I stand by my opinions on this, the R70X, and the X2. All three have serious problems with grain that make them stand out as poor values for their asking price.
Used to have these, their left emitter broke 3 times, then I got my money back. Overall: no sub bass (even with FocusPad), great middle tho. Worth 300 USD? Nope, go buy HD 600-650-x2 instead or something.
@@user-9sidfgsxgj I've had this for about 8 years now and it's still going strong. You are right about the sub bass, but it's still a fantastic headphone that is better than Hifiman's latest he400se model. It's very close between this and the hd600.
![TEEDEE TADA - DIAMOND NARAKORN X LEGO LYKN [Special Dance Performance]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QgtZedFeumA/mqdefault.jpg)
The 400s is amazing, i agree with most of your comment but my opinion is less harsh. Plus with a pad switch to the focus one the headphone becomes really amazing. Plus it may be plastic but it's solid.
The HE400i is the more interesting model, would be cool to see you review that one. Maybe Fidelio X2 also?
Yeah I've gotten those requests before. Just haven't gotten my hands on those yet
Thank you for your review & pointing out the problems with the HE400S.. I was considering of getting one as my first planar since it's currently on sale here in Malaysia for USD167....
Worth saving up for the Sundara
Build Quality, I have a pair of 400s and I don't think the build quality is poor. Sure it's plastic as you stated but it might also be why its light weight, and its comfortable. The 2.5mm jacks have not given me any problems. I tried brainwaze pads but I thought the standard angled velour pads were more comfortable. The best mod and the cheapest is just to take the metal screens off and rip off the material backing, it really took removed the harsh treble. Try it. I have also tried no screens and yes it does improve the sound stage.
Amp wise found class D NAD D3020 better than class A/B Onkyo sounded horrid in comparison.
I would have to agree with you and based off of my research and your review along with others I bought the 400i, which includes the focus pads and I'm happy with them.
+szidon mcnulty yeah the 400i is a much better headphone as far as I know, but haven't heard one yet.
Holy Moly dude, you just saved me 300$ of a disaster of headphones waiting to happen.Glad I watched your review first before buyin'.
You made a mistake listening to this not very good reviewer. I have this headphone and it is fantastic. It's better than the he400se.
It's a shame Inner Fidelity isn't around anymore as he was the best headphone reviewer by a long way and way more trustworthy than all these TH-camrs with their affiliate links. He put this headphone right. at the top in its price range, with good reason.
lol
I'm surprised that planar magnetic drivers are known for bass these days because in speakers, they're known for being excellent tweeters... they can extend well and very quick response, very detailed. Now, the drivers alone often cost 60-100$ for a budget planar magnetic from BG (and headphones use two) so maybe the issue is simply the quality of the magnets? Do they vary in cost much?
These should be able to trounce on even very good traditional driver headphones. I think lack of competition and cost cutting is the real issue. I'm also curious if Hifiman cuts costs like crazy because for having everything made in China, their quality sucks and their prices really aren't amazing. They should develop a really good overall driver and crowdfund through Massdrop to bring the costs down. The headphone market needs to be more competitive. Driver costs in quantity really aren't expensive on a per item basis.
+Cujobob I see this with a lot of Chinese audio companies, but not all. They like to artificially inflate the price by a lot.
First off, your reviews are great. That's the good news. The bad news is that I discovered you too late! About a year ago I bought these HE400s headphones, and have had nothing but problems since. First, and early on, the cable simply, um. committed suicide. Fine. I bought a better cable. Then one of the pads started to fall apart. Fine. I bought a set of Focus pads. Recently, the plastic headset broke. In fairness, I'm not blaming that last incident on the headset; I'm blaming that on me. It was just one straw too many. Then, tonight, I watched a few of your reviews and doing so lead me to want the Sennheiser HD 600s. So I canceled my $60 PayPal transfer to Hifiman for the broken headset, and ordered the HD 600s. Which cost me less than my original purchase of the HE400s, and that's not counting the additional cost of the cable and pads. I'm looking forward to opening the box on those suckers, and giving you my feedback. Keep up the good work!
+James Allen I think you'll have a great time hah. Enjoy
+metal571 Listening to my new, just received today, HD600s now, and I'm having a great time!
I agree with your point，after owning the he400s for two weeks,it is lack in bass， and overall a smooth signature “hazy”
+FZ Bokeh it's not as transparent a headphone as the likes of the 600. The R70X has a similar problem.
Well first of all thanks for the review :) i appreciate your more critical view as everybody else seems to be stunned by this headphone.
Im not new in the hifi biz but i still have some questions about EQing. I never did this before (besides very entry level stuff and dj-ing for over 10 years but without any hifi aspiration - but i know how music works and what an EQ does ^^) so i want to get into that hifi segment a bit more. I use EQs already on my phone with my SE535s but not on my "main" listening station.
Im using a Micca OriGen+ and the HE400s. So where do you EQ? If you could call it "where". Software or hardware? And would this make a difference at all if you EQ the source material in software or hardware wise with an external EQ? And does it make a difference if you EQ it before or after converting to analog?
And what are some good recommendations for EQing? Either way if software or hardware wise?
Thanks for your time, really appreciating it! Cheers
I don't really get into the nitty gritty hardware vs software stuff. Just EqualizerAPO, which is a system wide Windows open source software EQ that can be applied to any audio source that Windows can see. I apply it to my DAC, which feeds my amp. Peace GUI is a plugin for that program which allows graphical adjustments to the EQ. EqualizerAPO by itself is pretty raw and uses text file based configs hence the usefulness of Peace.
Thanks
Just an FYI the 2 cent cable actually costs $70. I don't see how you guys think it's cheap feeling. I agree with you that the fact that it holds it's shape is annoying, but that is my only real gripe with the cable besides that it feels and seems great.
+Robert Martinez except that it broke so fast which didn't surprise myself or my friend who had them before me. If they're really charging that much for this cable in particular you're getting ripped off because I bought a replacement that was about half the price
metal571 I know you did. And every product ever manufactured have had defective ones (in terms of modern day production). Maybe you got one of them. But then again HiFiMAN is notorious for problems with QC. It may not be a rip off. It may actually be a really good cable, you just may have had a bad experience with it, which is different. But I can see where you are coming from.
I actually traded my pair in to Hifiman toward the 400i's. A huge step up for only $100 and it routinely goes down to $300. The bass is much better and the trebble issue is fixed. If you have the chance give the 400i's a listen.
+Julian Silva They've been on my short list for quite a while now and definitely seem like the headphone that people will want to step up to.
+metal571 Do people send you headphones to review, or do you just review the ones that you buy?
Julian Silva It's a combination of both. Sometimes I get so curious that I buy a pair and review them, then decide whether or not to sell them afterwards. In this case, the unit is from SuperBestAudioFriends
+metal571 What are your opinions of the HE-560?
Haven't heard that one yet only the 500
I agree with you and find the HD600 is better; however, I certainly think the HE400s is amazing for the price. It's definitely a headphone I'd recommend to a lot of people who are limited to that price range and want a great open-back set of cans. There's a massdrop exclusive I'm hoping to get my hands on (The Fostex TH-X00). I'd really enjoy seeing your opinion on them if you can get a pair.
I am going to start opening up the ability of people to send me review units soon so it's a possibility.
the original he400 was the only hifiman headphone i deemed worthy of keeping. I havent tried the he1000 and higher end models. but between 400 500 400i 400s 560.... i only kept the original he400... smc cables and all.
Hi Metal, thank you for your fantastic reviews on head phones.
Don't know where to post this, so I leave it here in your latest video reivew.
May I ask for an advice, I have a digital piano, a Roland stage piano, FP-7F, I am looking for a suitable head phone for that, to use at home, I used to have one AKG 271 MKII, and it broke now, and I am kind of looking for something as an upgrade, I really dont know much about head phones, so could you kindly give some recommendations? much appreciated. Jos
+Bo Yan K550 will retain the closed back nature you're used to with the 271 but increase sound quality and neutrality
+metal571 thank you!
great video man, i suscribe right now. I want to buy my first open model, all my headphones are closed..so...wich you can recommend that can bring me a natural sound, the best soundstage? thanks so much.
I think an this headphone is very sensible to the amp u use. I tried them on different amp and the sound changed a lot. I even heard bass where I couldn't before. But the treble are still recessed.
Good review there. Yeah I think the HD600's is on the firing line., closest headphones that want to dethrone it are those Hifiman 400S in your hands and Audio Technica R70x. I actually like ( didn't say prefer ) the sound of the 400S with Focus pads, most noticeable is it has better detail and lusher sound than HD600. Do think the R70x has the most low end of the 3 if ever you do get one to review.
The R70 does, review is coming, I have a unit on hand
How does this compare to the Sennheiser hd 558?
Why compare and talk about dethrone the Senn HD600 AD NOT NOT ABOUT HD650? You are completely right about no separation at all about this headphone. Cheaply made, true. I own these and I own a few more. There something to this when you don't care to listen to the sounds but want to get it worked on your portable phone without any amp nor external DAC.. Again I ask: Why you refer to Sennheiser HD 600 and not HD650?? I find HD650 more throne'ish..
+New Sigmund Freud already reviewed both. The 600 is the better value with the more accurate highs and the two really don't sound significantly different anyway.
Thank you. Actually we don't all hear exactly the same.. To me the HD650 "sounds" *better*.
Would you recommend this for listening to binaural recordings? Or I rather buy HD598/600?
+Eugene Kee If it's just binaural recordings I'd go for the 598 which has a wider soundstage than even the 600
Thanks for the quick reply. Actually I go for 598 too but when I read about the planar magnetic cans it's new to me and wanted to try but I wanted a wider stage feel of it. Thanks for your advice.
Good review. Would you please do the hifiman he 400i? I'd love to know what you think of them.
I would, if I get a review unit in. Been wanting to hear that one
+metal571 I hope you get a review unit soon :) I'm starting to really like your reviews, they are coming from more of a technical and serious stand point as opposed to the more raw and emotional approach from Zeos.
Don't get me wrong zeospantera is one of my favorite youtubers and I highly respect his opinions and reviews, but they just come of as a little bit baised from what I feel.
But nonetheless it's good to have a emotional standpoint from time to time or else things just start to feel lifeless...
Lol Zeos is the entertainer, I'm the reviewer. He hardly describes sound at all so he doesn't give much of an idea about what it's really like to own these things
Don't get me wrong he and I are actually friends in real life but as a reviewer I think he's mostly entertainment and not too useful for actually giving people accurate purchase advice
haha yeah, I remember you mentioning that you guys were actually friends in a video. Also most of the headphones you review seem to be mostly restricted to home use. I would love to see your reviews on portable headphones.
Hai. I have sennheiser 598cs and beyerdynamic DT 770 250 OHM and a fulla 2. Am not satisfied with the base of this . could you please suggest a head phone which is more dynamic deeper sub base than above mentioned. thanks
How about your review of the Hifiman 400i. I recently purchased them and I love them. I would appreciate your opinion.
+bluebirds7261 haven't had a pair in for review yet though I know someone with a pair I think
LOL. I'd lend them to you but I might not get them back.
bluebirds7261 You will...maybe in a month lol. I have opened up sending in review units to the channel as a thing now, but I'm only gonna do one at a time. Next is someone's PM3
nice review once again, your reviews are imoprtant to me and i was considering buying these for a friend. cuz he is looking for a headphone that sounds as close to an hd600, but doesnt want to spend the $400 for the hd600. and i suggested these after doing some research and looking at the FR graph .
I'd recommend the 598 over these honestly. Far better value for money
+metal571 really? i heard that the hd598 is really bright with an abnormally wide soundstage, and the bass is lacking on those.
Sennheisers? Bright? No, but the upper mids are forward. You can correct the bass and upper mids with an equalizer and then you have a better headphone than this for much cheaper. They respond a lot better to EQ than these do. Yes the soundstage is actually wider than the HD 600, but it doesn't sacrifice imaging like a Q701 does for example
+metal571 i meant bright as in brighter sound compared to neutral. but my friend was deciding between the he400s, dt880, q701, kxx and i could always add more to his list as long as he doesnt pay over $300. do you still perfer the hd598? cuz like i said he wants as close to the hd600 sound as he can.
None of those other cans sound like the 600. 400S is brighter, DT880 much brighter, Q701 much brighter, K7XX still has awkward off sounding mids. I'd still take the 598 over those. The 598 is a carbon copy of the 600's sound but slightly less refined and with a slightly wider soundstage. It is not bright at all, just has the same slightly forward midrange as the 600 and similar bass rolloff.
It's possible that you aren't using a good amp for the HE-400s. I would audition them on a different amp. Headphones like these shouldn't really sound hazy if it's being properly driven. I had similar thoughts on my HE-400i until I was running it out of a Violectric V200, which then made it to edgy for me. Although I agree the build quality is not good. It's just as bad on the HE-560 I think..
Nah the 400S is in another league below the other Hifimans. I've heard the 500 through my setup and it was gorgeous by comparison.
You seem like a true nerd so I trust you
Engineer, nerd, yep same thing
Have you heard any of MrSpeaker's mad dogs or alpha dogs ? I know they are closed but how would they compare to these ?
Only heard the original mad dog. Very dark and boring, wasn't a big fan. Not very refined
metal571 Sometimes you surprise me in your assessments of 'highly-regarded' headphones. A lot of people seem to be losing their minds over the mad dogs. I'm just curious, when you're not monitoring or tracking, what are your goto headphones (HD600 should not count). Also, your favorite portable pair ?
medwatt Precisely why I love this hobby and will always be a completely honest reviewer - everyone has opinions and this is such a subjective hobby that I find reviewing products for it highly interesting.
Contrary to potentially popular belief, my full time job has nothing to do with sound and I don't actually do monitoring/tracking in a studio environment, but for pure enjoyment I have actually been picking up the AD900X over the HD 600 for its amazing soundstage (review pending), and at work I use the closed version, the A900X (no "D"). However at the moment I'm evaluating the ZMF Omni as my work headphones, and they're definitely something else special. I don't really have a favorite portable - so far I haven't found something that manages to be portable and sound the way I want. I'm sure if I had access to a decent EQ the PM3 could do a decent job - just found them too dark as-is, and pretty damn expensive for what I'd pay. First impressions of the MDR-1A were really positive as well, but I can't pass too much judgement on those either.
metal571 Indeed, the whole process of reviewing audio is very subjective; from the type of music, quality of the sound, amplifier characteristics and more importantly, the anatomy of the person's ears. This is why we should all take headphone reviews with a grain of salt (I mean no insult). It almost feels like choosing the right microcontroller !
I like the way you get into the sound detail in your reviews. Much more than the other reviewers. Way to go!
+keyman77ca I was very disappointed with other reviewers so just took it upon myself to actually describe the sound...at all really. It gets zero attention in other videos. Thanks
Can you review the Fidelio X2s? I'm considering either these and the Phillips.
Matthew D
Tj Tantiangco
Hey what's up guys metal571 here and today I'm gonna talk about why I'm stupid for not having bought Noug an LCD 4 yet.
Your reviews are so good I want you to review the Audeze LCD-2 so bad!!
You could buy them then return them? :D
+woopygoman lol I wish, that's pretty expensive
I can't imagine how the sound quality could get much better than the Shure se846
+Gray Au whats wrong with those? I use SE535s and I really like them on my phone.
@Gray Au 2 years late but I'ma to the rescue. I have multiple sets of nice headphones and a se846, they are hella fine IEM, the detail and bass is incredible. The isolation is like nothing else, you won't head a thing when you have them on. I haven't tried a single close back headphone that's good enough for me to want to have them over my se846, the world around you just disappear and it's just bliss. When it comes to open back headphones, even the HD650 or HE400s is better, but for me to use them over the se846 is fully situational.
The sound quality on a se846 is incredible, but the isolation is a total bliss.
You guys obviously never tried the se846, even if you have, you probably didn't have it in your ear properly (if it's not in properly or the shape of your ear canal wonky, they will not sound good). You really got to own a pair, it's totally worth the asking price.
I tried a few IEMs at CanJam recently. The Andromeda was the only one that sounded similar to an over ear but still without the stage and lacking in treble detail for how expensive it is. Also don't even need to go all the way for A1000Z, just snag an A990Z or A900X
I wonder how the 400SE improved upon this, it's only 150$. I have those, but even i think for 150$ the build quality is dissapointing
Probably quite a bit in sound by now, this is a very very old model now and has nothing to do with the modern versions
@@metal571 You were wrong 8 years ago about the he400s and you're wrong again with this comment.
There is no improvement in the sound quality of the he400se. They both sound the same. But if I had a choice I would take the he400s over the he400se anyday, as the he400s is better in three areas. First, it is easier to drive than the he400se. Second, it has the suspension headband, so is more comfortable than the he400se. And third, the frequency response of the he400s is wider than the he400se.
The only advantage the he400se has are the stealth magnets, but the headphones sound the same so that doesn't seem to have done anything noticeable to the sound.
The downgrades on the he400se do make a noticeable difference though.
How would you compare this with Fostex T50RP MK3?
+Mike Caskey haven't heard that one... not stock anyway
Hi there. Wait, are you saying you haven't heard of this model of Fostex headphones?
Mike Caskey I have not, not in its stock form
Oh, so you used a modified one? Think just adding new cups to the fostex mk3 would make it as good as the he400s?
Mike Caskey yeah I got sent a modded one but not heavily enough for it to sound good lol and mods to the T50RP like the ZMF Omni have far surpassed the HE400S lol
Nice reviews with good descriptions of of sound signatures. LCD-2 reviewed would be cool. They're (2.1's) my number ones for enjoyment, right before the more cool and maybe flat HD600's. Cheers!
+Ze Bubba yeah would be nice to get an LCD to play with
Cool. The pads make a difference with these too. I used to have the original shallow LCD-pads, but bought the new plusher ones. They are much more comfy and they have more bass. I guess this happens because of a better seal. So yeah, it's a worthy upgrade imo.
+Ze Bubba so far I'm looking more towards an equalized HD 800 for my endgame just haven't bought one yet though I've reviewed one in the past. Last LCD2 I heard had no soundstage at all
My LCD's have bigger soundstage than my 600's. The Senns are more mid-centric and dry, imo. They are my reference for mixing though, fun isn't always best. Audeze is notorious for the differences between models and even pairs... I very much enjoy both, but the Audezes are better for pure pleasure. In the end I could be quite happy with either. LCD's have a cut in the 3-4k area, which is where the Senns are boosted... I guess that and the bass are the most obvious differences.
+Ze Bubba yeah I actually undo the mid centric sound of the HD 600 with a cut to the mids and boost on the sub bass and top treble, I like the Audeze sound. Who knows could be the revision I heard but it was confusingly disappointing
What do you think about the HE-400i?
I get this quite a bit, still haven't heard it yet though
The stock cable is a trash! - if anybody wants this HPs should throw it away immediately! I've lost 2 of mine cause of horrible, cheap build quality of my stock cable. The paint goes off also. And the stock pads are also rubbish! You can throw it away after a few months or immediately. And my grill was also moving from both sides! (now after service from one side..).
And what replacement pads do you recommend (not HiFiman's pads cause they are not good in general..)? As I maybe want just to sell my HE400S and the current ones looks nasty..
After I've bought Sonorous 6 HE400S just have been demolished. I know that they are completety differend HPs and different price but price/performance ratio still goes for Sonorous 6.. And before HE400S I wasn't very much familiar with too much HPs.
might as well get the a modded fostex T50RP. I think there's lot better options
+Mr-Mike Gaming and Hardware I'm a big fan of the ZMF stuff. Expensive though. Not a MrSpeakers kinda guy
+metal571 I got Mayflower ver 1 and I love them. May I ask why you don't like Mr. speakers sorry if I miss spelling.
Mr-Mike Gaming and Hardware At least the Mad Dog wasn't that impressive for me, just prefer the ZMF tuning
Please share your thoughts regarding fostex t50mk3.
+Will Parc never heard one
Yeah I read that you never listened to one in stock. Hopefully you'll get your hands on one. Your reviews rock btw.
It would help out a lot of people if you did, lots own the Mk3 myself included and I'd love to hear your opinion on it to get an idea how they compare to other planars :)
So it looks like the hd600 killed those fairly easily...
Who is next?
R70X?
Yep. They're sitting in my to-review pile
+metal571 Yeah and I think I know they are going to have the 400s' ending...
A gravestone marking that says "Killed by HD600"
I do hope that they will be able to put up a bigger fight though
Eh... you'll see lol
+metal571 :P Can't wait
link for the cable? i need one for my HE400i
+mahee added to the description
How does Black Sabbath and Led zeppelin sound through this sweet baby??
I'm done with these headphones. I spent most of today trying to buy a replacement head set for my HE400S and got nowhere. Again. After having to replace the ear pads, and after having to replace the cable, I'm now throwing these things in the trash. Literally.
+James Allen welcome to hifiman quality
i'm a stubborn piglet (rabbit, actually) so I will try again this morning to order a replacement head band. Everything you said is true. I'm into these things for the original purchase of $299, plus replacement cable plus replacement ear pads. That's, what? $350? I can toss them or pay $60 to keep them. I will try very hard to give them $60 this morning, and see how that goes. It is usually, in my experience, not this difficult to give someone my money. I'll post the results. If there are results to post.
I just tried, again, to buy a replacement head band for my (soon to be tossed) HE400S headphone,s with no success. Fuck it. I'm very happy with my HD600s. I took the $60 I was trying to send to Hifiman for a eplacement head band, added $20 and ordered a pair of Grado SR80Es; just for some variety.
I just had a (old school) phone conversation with Sue at Hifiman, and we are good to go. But now I have a new, um, issue. Apparently my HD600s have become my audio reference. This is good news, and bad news. My reference had been my Dali Zensor 1 speakers coming out of a Rega Brio R amp and Arcam iRdac. For the first time, ever, I find that combo lacking. I love mid fequencies. But, now I find this combination to be 'thin'. I don't have much space in my room, which played a roll in my choosing the Dali speakers over the KEF Q100s. Would you have any speaker recommendations for me to look at?
+James Allen the "standard" for flat measuring bang for the buck monitors is the LSR305. Not intimately familiar with the stuff you have though so I could be selling you short with those. Lol
You are one tough reviewer
+Marcus Christensen I don't want people wasting money when they can get better at the same price. Nowadays EQ is an option for me so my views have changed a bit.
OF COURSE ITS MADE OF PLASTIC
Do you know how heavy will it be if made of metal?
See also: HE-500
If you're gonna complain about plastic then go ahead and complain about sennheiser using plastic on their hd 600 and hd 650 which are just as much or more than the 400s.
I did complain about that in the HD 600 review. Thankfully the sound quality alone makes them worth the price they go for. I've had mine for over a year and despite the cheap ass build quality it has not died on me yet in any way.
metal571 Good. They need to be called out for their plastic build because they're hyped to the moon by everyone. The 400i should be compared to the 600 and 650 since it's usually around 330-350 on amazon.
Trent F I agree, I've had more than one request to review the 400i but haven't gotten my hands on one just yet.
metal571 Hopefully you'll get hands on it. I'm specifically looking to spend 200-400 and I was leaning 400i but I'm not paying $350 if the build is no better than the 400s. I've heard reviews say the 400i is built better and I've heard some say they're built identically other than the better 400i drivers.
I got a chance to try out the 400i's. They're definitely heavier than the 600, and the build is very solid. I still feel like my 600's are sturdy despite being a lot lighter. The funny part about them is the chord got tangled in my chair and yanked them from my desk. As time slowed down and they hit the ground (headband down), they literally bounced about 4 inches up and were fine. Given that one of the main concerns of the 600 is the headband and how fragile it is, I was thoroughly impressed. As for the sound, the 400i's are more analytical than the 600's to me, but it is a similar sound. For the 400i, It's like a blanket was taken off of certain aspects of the recording. Imagine the true character of a person, the stuff we don't see, the condition of their heart. This is the best way I can describe it. This became especially apparent on Led Zeppelins Over the hills and far away. It was like hearing the song in an entirely different light. Granted I was plugged up to a nice amp (an Oppo of some sort), and I'm sure the source file was immaculate, but I just couldn't believe it. People talk about laser like precision with the 600's (which is true), but this took it to a new level. It was as if the guitars actually had a true personality in and of themselves. Like you were connecting with Pages heart (and the band as a whole for that matter) on some level. Like all our lives we always hear music, but this was more than just hearing. I know I'm rambling but I hope you got a feel for what I tried to convey.
Go with the HE 400Is you can get them cheaper
+Kyle Stevens 400i is better. Not my favorite kind of sound but definitely better
metal571 I have the the 400is but I still want the HD650s. The 400is are good at all genres except metal they sound thin. How do the HD650s do with rock n metal especially Pink Floyd?
+Kyle Stevens 650s much less thin it's a warm sound but the lowest bass notes are rolled off
The 400i's are one of the most overrated headphones I've owned.
Narrow soundstage and very little bass impact. Soundstage has good depth and height, but the width makes the presentation sound unnatural. They are comfortable. I'll give them that.
Massdrop alert!
+Mutant Baby is it? The 4XX is a 400i, not a 400s
Cheaply made, odd sound signature, additional expense of mods required to make it usable...it all adds up to a big pass.
Well depending what you consider cheap. All HiFiMAN's money went into mostly into making the driver for good SQ. And the sound signature is not odd? It follows the Harman target response curve pretty closely. Finally you don't need mods for this headphone. You can but it is not really necessary. The only thing I have done was buy different pads for $20. Some people also do the grill mod, it's sort of a universal thing to do for hifiman headphones though. This headphone is definitely worth any serious audio enthusiasts look. Don't just look at the opinion of one reviewer. Reviews about this headphone, if you have looked, are all extremely positive. Some reviewers have more experience and aren't as subjectively biased as others because they have been in the game for a countless number of years. Check them out, you may be pleasantly surprised.
+Robert Martinez I totally agree with your comment in terms of every reviewer having an opinion, we all hear things differently. I have already heard all the competition attempting to dethrone the HD 600 and so far nothing has cut it in terms of resolution. Actually the bass falls quite short or what Harman wants here... even the X2 would be closer to that
metal571 Yeah I know the bass falls short of the harman response curve. And yeah the X2 does a pretty good job in the bass department. But it has it's own batch of problems and gripes people have against it. My main point was in not just taking the opinion of one person, but many informed and trusted opinions. And most importantly trying out a headphone for yourself.
+Robert Martinez nothing beats personal experience - extended personal experience. First impressions are never accurate in my experience either. Yeah I'm not a fan of the X2 myself but was just pointing out that level of bass energy being more in line with the curve
Still a pass, though. On the other hand, I recently picked up a Fostex TH-X00 from Mass Drop. Two thumbs way up on that one!
Wanted to say something about the plasticphobia but wow, the build quality on these is trash.
Chinese engineering has come a long way but it still seems to be lacking.
+GrumpyKitten I would just call it excessive cost-cutting. Kind of ridiculous the level at which they went to but still I think they are overpriced.
*****
Please don't take my point of view as an evaluation of your persona.
If I made it sound like Chinese inhabitants are less capable than other communities I want to offer you my sincerest apologies.
Chinese engineering strength is now a force to be reckoned with, especially when considering that China has access to cheaper workforce and commodities.
However and that is my take on the subject is that they still don't seem to know how to use their available resources in a way that is as efficient as say Germany.
In Germany we have things like a minimum wage, a maximum amount of time someone is allowed to work and health insurance which the employer has to pay for.
This makes workers highly expensive which is why countries like these depend so much on cost efficient engineering to reduce needed assembly workers by for example automating work processes or making the design as simple as possible.
Of course all of that while keeping the performance of the product at a high level to meet the customers expectations in terms of reliability and value.
I'm confident that China could easily go on par on that matter and current trends (take Huawei for example) show a move into that direction.
GrumpyKitten yeah... and some American politicians want to keep things the same over here instead of catching up with Europe lol it's sad
Don't know if this channel can be trusted. Inner Fidelity put this on their wall of fame and I tend to agree with their opinions more than this channel. You also don't like the Philips fidelio X2 which i and most people love. Not a good sign.
I stand by my opinions on this, the R70X, and the X2. All three have serious problems with grain that make them stand out as poor values for their asking price.
Used to have these, their left emitter broke 3 times, then I got my money back. Overall: no sub bass (even with FocusPad), great middle tho. Worth 300 USD? Nope, go buy HD 600-650-x2 instead or something.
@@user-9sidfgsxgj I've had this for about 8 years now and it's still going strong. You are right about the sub bass, but it's still a fantastic headphone that is better than Hifiman's latest he400se model. It's very close between this and the hd600.