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In Reply to: RE: Looking for New Headphones posted by livinghigh@bellsouth.net on December 06, 2015 at 06:29:09
I also own the HD-280 Pro and the HD-580 and understand your assessment of these headphones. I have recently taken the plunge based on the recommendation of Tyll over and InnerFidelity and bought a pair of HiFi Man HE-400S.
These are only $299 but don't let the price fool you. These headphones might be exactly what you are looking for. They are easy to wear for long periods of time (I wear them all day long while I am working) and have better bass than some give them credit for.
These headphones will sound bass heavy when you have a bass heavy track. They are open backed and allow your head to breath. They are much easier to wear than the HD-580s or 280s and have better sound quality than the HD-580 and eat the 280s for lunch.
I have a long list of high resolution digital tracks and ran into one today that caused my whole body to vibrate from the bass energy...so the HE-400S can get down and make it shake. The midrange is totally neutral and the high end can sparkle if the track has the detail.
They are another example of planar magnetic phones but these are very easy to drive. They are 22 ohm phones with a 98db sensitivity. You can drive these with a portable...like your smart phone.
Below is the link to the review that led me to buy the HE-400S.
Ed
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
Follow Ups:
Read the review you referenced, and this line gave me pause: "Bassheads beware: The HD400S is probably not the headphone for you." I used the HD-580's with my MacBook, and using the EQ (only a 10 band, not even a 2/3 or 1/3 octave) I needed an 8db boost at 64Hz, 4db boost at 125Hz, and a 2db boost at 250Hz (really a low mid-range frequency) to get them to sound like I wanted. Unfortunately, of course, the clarity and detail was lacking vs my regular rig. So my question back to you is does the HD400S have that much additional low end?
Al
But that does not mean they can not dig down and make your whole body shake with good bass energy. People have written that they have even more bass energy with focus pads (which are available from the HiFi Man website for $39). NOTE: Focus pads are alternate ear pads.
I do not find the HE 400S significantly lacking in bass but I ordered a set of focus pads just to see what they would do (its only $39). I cannot let you know what they do yet as I am still waiting for the delivery.
The problem, if that's what you call it, is that the HE-400S comes with velour earpads, which are very comfortable, but that allows some of the sound to leak out and causes some of the low end to roll off.
I still find that the HE-400S, as they are out of the box, to have enough bass energy to make them enjoyable for anyone except for people who demand the highest bass energy possible. I have tracks with significant bass energy that the HE-400S reproduces without complaint. I have had them cause my whole body to vibrate with clean focused bass and that is with the stock velour ear pads.
IMO, the HE-400S makes the HD-580 sound second class without any equalization. The veiled sound that fairly/unfairly gets hung on the HD-580 is not part of the sound character of the HE-400S...at all. I find the bass reproduction to be cleaner and more focused than the bass from the HD-580.
What kind of music do you listen to and exactly what are your concerns on the bass reproduction? If you give me a list of some tracks that I may have, I can give them a critical listen and give you honest feedback.
If you want to try this let me know the name of the tracks and specific things to listen for.
Ed
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
That is most kind of you to do that. I just want to make sure I don't get on the buying/selling merry-go-round in order to find the best headphones for me, so this is most welcome.
I'm kind of all over the place, but for rock I like Toto (their latest CD, XIV, is very bass heavy), Dream Theater, Seventh Key, and Winger. Another band that has mastered their CD's with tons of bass is Firehouse. For Jazz and Blues Larry Carlton, Robbin Ford, SRV, Bobby Lyle. Just doing comparisons on any tracks with those artists and letting me know the difference in bass would be great. I'm not a "boom box" type of bass guy, but I do like tight punchy bass, so here at home I like to feel it, which is why I have a 12" Velodyne sub in an 11x12 room. I also do not like metal dome tweeters, which is why the next to go are my B&W's. Will be looking to return to soft dome tweeters like I had for 20 years with my VMPS Tower IIr's.
Let me know if you have any ideas on music material as well, as I've got 4,000 Albums and 1200 CDs, so I'm sure we have some in common. :+)
Thanks again!!!
Al
Al,
Perhaps it would be best to shift this conversation to email. Please contact me at edaris@hotmail.com and we will continue there.
Ed
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
Good idea. I'll try and see where my closest dealer is. I travel a lot so I might have to take a side trip if there is not one near me in Central FL.
Al
.., even thought they are almost 100 grams heavier than the Sennheiser HD-600. One of the biggest drawbacks to planar headphones (weight) has almost been completely alleviated with the HE-400S.
I think they should put these ear pads on the HE-400S by default but they make quite a difference. Worth more than the $39.00 they charge for them.
Ed
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
nt
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
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