Bought my 5xx used just yesterday and plugged them via ballanced cable to my ifi zen can zen blue and can't believe that the sound comes as so involving, natural, spectacular even compared to my HD600+DarkVoice setup. And I had all hifiman models from 400i to Ananda, plus Audeze lcd 2 and Dan Clark Aeon. This, for 140€ is soo sweet that I can forget to chase any better.
Planars, like planar speakers needs a good quality and quantity power, please everyone accept it. If you have a chance, take a listen of 5xx with ballanced amp and I know you will be pleasently surprised as I am, for a week now. Second excitement is when I watch moovies, spectacular clarity, space, voices, sounds...
I felt the 400se was fantastic when powered properly. At 91db and 25 ohms, it proved to be surprisingly dependent on source for a budget headphone. The 5xx intrigued me but based on most reviews and the frequency response graphs I’ve found, the highs definitely concern me and have kept me from trying it, as the peaks and dips look to be pretty significant, vs. a pretty smooth treble on the 400se. Thanks for the review!
Just bought the HE400SE sound seems so far to be quite good not used them enough o give a proper recommendation but I also have the HE350 massdrop and like all with this headband which includes the much more expensive HE5XX you have in the video have a serious flaw with the plastic arms that spread either side of the earcups they snap very very easily it is a known issue but you can 3D print compatibles. Now onto the 400SE headband arms are alloy so hopefully will stand the test of time. BIG PROBLEM quality control is appalling upon inserting the left jack into the earcup it pushed right through no matter how I try to tighten the screw it just will not hold there is not enough thread for the ring to grip to and short of filling away inside it never will so back they go for a replacement. I do though prefer the upper part of the headband on the 350 and the 5XX you have in your video I think there is too much padding on the inside of the headband. The 400SE have the stealth magnets same as in the much higher models maybe tuned differently but quite a few reviewers rate them much closer to the Sundara.
Deva Pro is a phenomenal value. I had the original wired version but wanted the upgraded Bluemini. HiFiMan actually let's you buy the Bluemini 2 separately if you email them directly, but I took a chance on the Pro. Glad I did, the improvement over the original (which is what the 5XX should be as well) was to my tastes. Really like how huge the sound is, love the snappy/punch dynamics, and the amount of details they can pull for the price. Great for gaming, great for work calls as well.
@@jmun9987 I believe when I contacted their support it was 200 USD for just the BlueMini 2. Others have said 150 in comments I've read, maybe they adjusted it but I wrote them when it was first released. Great sounding device but shame they form factor gate it. And their UX needs more than 10 minutes of consideration.
Yeah the Hifiman HP's can get a little confusing with all the revisions and different models. I've had the Arya Stealth Magnet for about a month and really like them, way more than the previous Arya versions. Hifiman has a cool "Trade Up" program where you can trade in a Hifiman HP you own for a higher end model. I traded in my Ananda for the Arya Stealth. No regrets
Not gonna lie, I really love the HE400se, and for $129 on Amazon, it's a cheap entry point for planars, and they sound damn good for that price, though powering them does take some creative thinking when you don't have a good amp for them LOL
Hey, i bought the 400se recently. I don't have the dac amp yet. They are very outrageously priced right now in my location. I'm planning to get fiio k5 pro when it drops to good price. What did you do for lack of amp?
The Deva Pro definitely sounds different/better using the R2R than when hooked up to my dac/amp stack without the R2R. BTW I believe the Deva is only wired balanced with a single TRRS cable plugged into just the left cup just like when using the R2R. I think they have some DSP tuning going on with the R2R in the chain. I haven't compared the BT and USB sound difference but the sound similar off the top of my head.
My 560 has been loaned to a friend for a bit, so I didn’t have it on hand for this little comparison. Based on memory, I’d say I’d take the 560 over the 400se for music, but not then Deva or 5XX. 560 is still my gaming champ.
I hoped you might comment on the Deva Pro wired performance, I was looking at the 400se's but the wired Deva Pro's were only a little more (AUD $239 vs $209) so I took a bit of a punt and got the Deva Pro. Most reviews I've seen would seem to indicate the Deva Pro wired is a better headphone vs the 400se but I haven't found much in the way of a direct comparison to the 400se.
11:33 if You watch reviews of the frequency response of the he400se and the devas pro, the he400se is very similar to the deva pro Even the 400se being a little bit better with more sub low and more neutral in the treble, Timber wise perhaps the 5xx has a bit of better resolution or sountage, because is the More expensive headphone but tonality wise i just know the devas and the 400se are very equal and slightly better for the 400se if You count the graphs comparisons. And something about the Timber is that sometimes can be more subjective unlike the soundstage that i think can be easier to tell sometimes when a headphone has good soundstage. But definetly the tonality of a headphone is easier to measure than those two. And a Lot of things comes to personal preference the standard Someone has and the comfort. And also You know for what You want your headphones for if is for music production or just casual listening. Etc.
That’s a good question. For me it would be 400se on comfort alone. Having been a little while since I’ve heard the 560s, I can’t say for sure, but I did really like the sound of those. I say buy them both and return the ones you don’t like.
This is strange so it could br hearing subjective and taste. In another video on YT where the person compared 5 different hifiman in blind test which includes he400se and 5xx. I found he400se sound better than 5xx. I own the deva pro and i think it pretty darn good for the price. It not close to my martin logan ethos but still good.
Nice Video..If You Compare Hifiman Deva Pro in Sony Wh-1000XM4/Wh-1000XM5 or Bose 700 or Apple Airpod Max or Sennheiser Momentum 4 What you will choose and why please?
I've got reviews of the momentum 4 and the airpod max. I'd choose the deva, but I'm a crazy audiophile. Most would probably go with the others for convenience and ANC.
hi and thanks for the video. I was wondering if you could advise me something, I have to sell my bluetooth momentum4 headphones due to pain in my ears using it, and I am looking for a good sounding headphone to use with my smartphone, by USBC or bluetooth, open or closed but without noise cancelation and mostly with a good sound, I am not a tech guy, only an always mooving musician who wants good sound in his ears, if you have a product that you think would fit I would be glad. Thanks again! bye
IMO personally I wouldn't exactly call the Deva Pro's "entry level" like the HE400se's or most of the Drop models... At $330 they are basically in the same pricing & quality tier as the $350 2020 Sundara's, which IMO are both in a COMPLETELY different product class than all the $100-$150ish cans like the HE400se's & similar. IMO they absolutely wipe the floor with everything else in this comparison (lol as they damn well should at nearly 3x the price!) unless you NEED the most "hyper-analytical" tuning possible, which the HE400se's are definitely more aimed at than the warm & pleasant Deva Pro's. (Though let's be real, if you want that kind of sound & are cross-shopping with the $330 Deva Pro's you should just get 2020 Sundara's. Aka the "better HE400se"! 😉)
I’m not so sure. If you eggy the Sundara, what are you going to power them with? What’s your source going to be? You’re probably talking at least $200 for an entry stack which puts them over $500. Deva Pro is $300 and done.
@@MrAyrit You're just automatically assuming this is a complete audio virgin buying with no suitable DAC + amp, which is WAAAAAAAAY more likely for say a potential $130 wired only HE400se buyer or a $330 but hybrid wired + wireless & DAC + amp including Deva Pro one, than for a potential $350 wired only 2020 Sundara buyer for VERY obvious reasons. Aka the people most likely to ACTUALLY buy the Sundara's are also those most likely to pay almost the same amount for them as the Deva Pro's. And if that's indeed ACTUALLY the case, lol you know as well as I do they're just gonna get some ESS or CL DAC + amp SOC based USB-C/Lightning dongle for like ≈$30-$80 to get up & running rather than a proper wall powered desk setup, let ALONE one running a relatively hefty ≈$200.
@@MrAyritLol and I'll COMPLETELY agree with that. The Deva Pro's are arguably the single best deal in ALL of over-ear, open-back headphones (INCLUDING the atm just $130 HE400se's). But that's also most definitely NOT the case for the Sundara's, which are much more likely to not be ones VERY first purchase. Meaning in most real-world purchasing situations they're in the exact same price & quality bracket. And lol you know as well as I do that people buying the HE400 series models (be they standard HiFiMan or Drop models) aren't buying pricey wall powered DAC + amp setups to use them lol. They're getting ≈$40-$60 dongles with stuff like the ESS ES9270C & ES9280C, or even CHEAPER stuff. Aka the total price is usually still under $200, meaning the Deva Pro's are still SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive. (Are they worth the extra money? OF FREAKING COURSE!!! But not everyone can get or will be even able to get together that extra like ≈$150ish required to make that jump up in price/quality tiers 🤷♂️.)
@@Cooe. I see where you are coming from. In my head they are set up to compete with Sony and Bose. All of those headphones are in the $300 range. I’m guessing that Hifiman hopes they’ll do a little research and come across the Deva. Perhaps that would have been a better comparison, maybe down the road.
Original Deva pro and 5xx very similar Deva Pro, nope, think Sundaras but more lower bass and more interesting musical sound go try if you can for yourselves peeps not sure what happened here.
This guy nailed it. IMO, the Deva Pro's sound of roughly similar overall driver quality to the 2020 Sundara's but with VERY different tuning, being MUCH less crazy sharp + hyper-analytical & more warm + organic. Also thanks to their use of Stealth Magnets, the Deva Pro's have a bit more "intimate" / narrow of a soundstage vs the 2020 Sundara's, but with MUCH more clear & accurate separation & imaging within that narrower area. (Aka the same effect the SM's have had on basically EVERY pair they've been added to).
@@Cooe. Yes the SM’s seem to cause a reduction in width of the soundstage, might be caused by them doing their job and reducing the refractions of the sound wave over the magnets, making for a cleaner and less hohgraphic, that would explain the reduced sound stage
@@adrianmorrish8494 Yup! And while myself and most others think that trade off is well, WELL worth it (aka trading sheer soundstage size in exchange for more clear & distinct separation + placement accuracy), there are most DEFINITELY those for whom ANY reduction in soundstage width is ABSOLUTE UTTER SACRILEGE, regardless of what other benefits it brings, lol hahaha. xD
Bought my 5xx used just yesterday and plugged them via ballanced cable to my ifi zen can zen blue and can't believe that the sound comes as so involving, natural, spectacular even compared to my HD600+DarkVoice setup. And I had all hifiman models from 400i to Ananda, plus Audeze lcd 2 and Dan Clark Aeon. This, for 140€ is soo sweet that I can forget to chase any better.
I think the 5XX is extremely underrated. Not sure why it got such a poor reception. It just should have came with the newer headband.
Interesting, I hear the 4xx is better than the 5xx and I've seen the same in some listening samples
Nice comparisons. If I had to pick, based off your review, I think the 5XX would be the one for me. But I like the direction they took with Bluetooth.
Planars, like planar speakers needs a good quality and quantity power, please everyone accept it. If you have a chance, take a listen of 5xx with ballanced amp and I know you will be pleasently surprised as I am, for a week now. Second excitement is when I watch moovies, spectacular clarity, space, voices, sounds...
I felt the 400se was fantastic when powered properly. At 91db and 25 ohms, it proved to be surprisingly dependent on source for a budget headphone. The 5xx intrigued me but based on most reviews and the frequency response graphs I’ve found, the highs definitely concern me and have kept me from trying it, as the peaks and dips look to be pretty significant, vs. a pretty smooth treble on the 400se. Thanks for the review!
Yeah, I didn’t like it at first, but I really came to appreciate it.
Just bought the HE400SE sound seems so far to be quite good not used them enough o give a proper recommendation but I also have the HE350 massdrop and like all with this headband which includes the much more expensive HE5XX you have in the video have a serious flaw with the plastic arms that spread either side of the earcups they snap very very easily it is a known issue but you can 3D print compatibles.
Now onto the 400SE headband arms are alloy so hopefully will stand the test of time.
BIG PROBLEM quality control is appalling upon inserting the left jack into the earcup it pushed right through no matter how I try to tighten the screw it just will not hold there is not enough thread for the ring to grip to and short of filling away inside it never will so back they go for a replacement.
I do though prefer the upper part of the headband on the 350 and the 5XX you have in your video I think there is too much padding on the inside of the headband.
The 400SE have the stealth magnets same as in the much higher models maybe tuned differently but quite a few reviewers rate them much closer to the Sundara.
Deva Pro is a phenomenal value. I had the original wired version but wanted the upgraded Bluemini. HiFiMan actually let's you buy the Bluemini 2 separately if you email them directly, but I took a chance on the Pro. Glad I did, the improvement over the original (which is what the 5XX should be as well) was to my tastes. Really like how huge the sound is, love the snappy/punch dynamics, and the amount of details they can pull for the price. Great for gaming, great for work calls as well.
How much is the Blue mini 2 on its own?
@@jmun9987 I believe when I contacted their support it was 200 USD for just the BlueMini 2. Others have said 150 in comments I've read, maybe they adjusted it but I wrote them when it was first released. Great sounding device but shame they form factor gate it. And their UX needs more than 10 minutes of consideration.
@@dasninjastix Did you have the deva or deva pro wired version?
@@pillowboy7995 both. Still own the Deva Pro.
@@dasninjastix interesting there's nothing online I can find about the deva pro wired edition only the wireless do they differ at all?
Yeah the Hifiman HP's can get a little confusing with all the revisions and different models. I've had the Arya Stealth Magnet for about a month and really like them, way more than the previous Arya versions. Hifiman has a cool "Trade Up" program where you can trade in a Hifiman HP you own for a higher end model. I traded in my Ananda for the Arya Stealth. No regrets
Not gonna lie, I really love the HE400se, and for $129 on Amazon, it's a cheap entry point for planars, and they sound damn good for that price, though powering them does take some creative thinking when you don't have a good amp for them LOL
Hey, i bought the 400se recently. I don't have the dac amp yet. They are very outrageously priced right now in my location. I'm planning to get fiio k5 pro when it drops to good price. What did you do for lack of amp?
The Deva Pro definitely sounds different/better using the R2R than when hooked up to my dac/amp stack without the R2R. BTW I believe the Deva is only wired balanced with a single TRRS cable plugged into just the left cup just like when using the R2R. I think they have some DSP tuning going on with the R2R in the chain. I haven't compared the BT and USB sound difference but the sound similar off the top of my head.
Thanks for sharing your impressions.
Have you tried plug R2R as dac to another amp..? I’ve wondered if it give extra push to Deva pro
@@votrangiahung
i have never tried to use that way so I don't know.
Black does make headphones sound at least 10% better
Do you prefer the he560 v4 for music and gaming over these 3 headphones?
My 560 has been loaned to a friend for a bit, so I didn’t have it on hand for this little comparison. Based on memory, I’d say I’d take the 560 over the 400se for music, but not then Deva or 5XX. 560 is still my gaming champ.
I hoped you might comment on the Deva Pro wired performance, I was looking at the 400se's but the wired Deva Pro's were only a little more (AUD $239 vs $209) so I took a bit of a punt and got the Deva Pro. Most reviews I've seen would seem to indicate the Deva Pro wired is a better headphone vs the 400se but I haven't found much in the way of a direct comparison to the 400se.
I plan on getting the HE5XX and I'm curious if it was difficult dissembling the headband I plan on replacing them with an aftermarket one
Not too difficult. If you look through my videos, I one about the modifications of Hifiman headphones.
11:33 if You watch reviews of the frequency response of the he400se and the devas pro, the he400se is very similar to the deva pro Even the 400se being a little bit better with more sub low and more neutral in the treble, Timber wise perhaps the 5xx has a bit of better resolution or sountage, because is the More expensive headphone but tonality wise i just know the devas and the 400se are very equal and slightly better for the 400se if You count the graphs comparisons. And something about the Timber is that sometimes can be more subjective unlike the soundstage that i think can be easier to tell sometimes when a headphone has good soundstage. But definetly the tonality of a headphone is easier to measure than those two. And a Lot of things comes to personal preference the standard Someone has and the comfort. And also You know for what You want your headphones for if is for music production or just casual listening. Etc.
Nice review, can help compare sound quality of Deva pro vs HE-R10D ?
400se or Sennheiser HD 560s?
That’s a good question. For me it would be 400se on comfort alone. Having been a little while since I’ve heard the 560s, I can’t say for sure, but I did really like the sound of those. I say buy them both and return the ones you don’t like.
This is strange so it could br hearing subjective and taste. In another video on YT where the person compared 5 different hifiman in blind test which includes he400se and 5xx. I found he400se sound better than 5xx. I own the deva pro and i think it pretty darn good for the price. It not close to my martin logan ethos but still good.
Yeah, subjective is the name of the game. Do you have a link to that video? I’d be curious to watch it.
@@MrAyrit here you go. I really loves this type of review. I think most agreed with the cheaper Hifiman HP.
th-cam.com/video/G10dZL6QHa4/w-d-xo.html
Which one is better for mixing
Nice Video..If You Compare Hifiman Deva Pro in Sony Wh-1000XM4/Wh-1000XM5 or Bose 700 or Apple Airpod Max or Sennheiser Momentum 4 What you will choose and why please?
I've got reviews of the momentum 4 and the airpod max. I'd choose the deva, but I'm a crazy audiophile. Most would probably go with the others for convenience and ANC.
@@MrAyritok thank you
hi and thanks for the video. I was wondering if you could advise me something, I have to sell my bluetooth momentum4 headphones due to pain in my ears using it, and I am looking for a good sounding headphone to use with my smartphone, by USBC or bluetooth, open or closed but without noise cancelation and mostly with a good sound, I am not a tech guy, only an always mooving musician who wants good sound in his ears, if you have a product that you think would fit I would be glad. Thanks again! bye
What causes you pain? Something in the sound, or just comfort?
@@MrAyrit ANC
and not only pain, it infected my ear and I couldnt hear properly for 2 months
какие лучше выбрать из этих?
IMO personally I wouldn't exactly call the Deva Pro's "entry level" like the HE400se's or most of the Drop models...
At $330 they are basically in the same pricing & quality tier as the $350 2020 Sundara's, which IMO are both in a COMPLETELY different product class than all the $100-$150ish cans like the HE400se's & similar.
IMO they absolutely wipe the floor with everything else in this comparison (lol as they damn well should at nearly 3x the price!) unless you NEED the most "hyper-analytical" tuning possible, which the HE400se's are definitely more aimed at than the warm & pleasant Deva Pro's.
(Though let's be real, if you want that kind of sound & are cross-shopping with the $330 Deva Pro's you should just get 2020 Sundara's. Aka the "better HE400se"! 😉)
I’m not so sure. If you eggy the Sundara, what are you going to power them with? What’s your source going to be? You’re probably talking at least $200 for an entry stack which puts them over $500. Deva Pro is $300 and done.
@@MrAyrit You're just automatically assuming this is a complete audio virgin buying with no suitable DAC + amp, which is WAAAAAAAAY more likely for say a potential $130 wired only HE400se buyer or a $330 but hybrid wired + wireless & DAC + amp including Deva Pro one, than for a potential $350 wired only 2020 Sundara buyer for VERY obvious reasons. Aka the people most likely to ACTUALLY buy the Sundara's are also those most likely to pay almost the same amount for them as the Deva Pro's.
And if that's indeed ACTUALLY the case, lol you know as well as I do they're just gonna get some ESS or CL DAC + amp SOC based USB-C/Lightning dongle for like ≈$30-$80 to get up & running rather than a proper wall powered desk setup, let ALONE one running a relatively hefty ≈$200.
@@Cooe. well, I guess I kinda feel like the complete audio virgin might be the perfect target market for the Deva Pro.
@@MrAyritLol and I'll COMPLETELY agree with that. The Deva Pro's are arguably the single best deal in ALL of over-ear, open-back headphones (INCLUDING the atm just $130 HE400se's). But that's also most definitely NOT the case for the Sundara's, which are much more likely to not be ones VERY first purchase. Meaning in most real-world purchasing situations they're in the exact same price & quality bracket.
And lol you know as well as I do that people buying the HE400 series models (be they standard HiFiMan or Drop models) aren't buying pricey wall powered DAC + amp setups to use them lol. They're getting ≈$40-$60 dongles with stuff like the ESS ES9270C & ES9280C, or even CHEAPER stuff. Aka the total price is usually still under $200, meaning the Deva Pro's are still SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive.
(Are they worth the extra money? OF FREAKING COURSE!!! But not everyone can get or will be even able to get together that extra like ≈$150ish required to make that jump up in price/quality tiers 🤷♂️.)
@@Cooe. I see where you are coming from. In my head they are set up to compete with Sony and Bose. All of those headphones are in the $300 range. I’m guessing that Hifiman hopes they’ll do a little research and come across the Deva. Perhaps that would have been a better comparison, maybe down the road.
Original Deva pro and 5xx very similar Deva Pro, nope, think Sundaras but more lower bass and more interesting musical sound go try if you can for yourselves peeps not sure what happened here.
Sorry meant original Deva and 5xx sounded the same as same driver not the case with Deva Pro???
Thanks for sharing an alternative opinion. Just calling it like I hear it. I do have to admit that I haven’t heard a Sundara for quite a while.
This guy nailed it. IMO, the Deva Pro's sound of roughly similar overall driver quality to the 2020 Sundara's but with VERY different tuning, being MUCH less crazy sharp + hyper-analytical & more warm + organic.
Also thanks to their use of Stealth Magnets, the Deva Pro's have a bit more "intimate" / narrow of a soundstage vs the 2020 Sundara's, but with MUCH more clear & accurate separation & imaging within that narrower area. (Aka the same effect the SM's have had on basically EVERY pair they've been added to).
@@Cooe. Yes the SM’s seem to cause a reduction in width of the soundstage, might be caused by them doing their job and reducing the refractions of the sound wave over the magnets, making for a cleaner and less hohgraphic, that would explain the reduced sound stage
@@adrianmorrish8494 Yup!
And while myself and most others think that trade off is well, WELL worth it (aka trading sheer soundstage size in exchange for more clear & distinct separation + placement accuracy), there are most DEFINITELY those for whom ANY reduction in soundstage width is ABSOLUTE UTTER SACRILEGE, regardless of what other benefits it brings, lol hahaha. xD
These silver Headphones are horrible
Brah its deva not diva 🫨