• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

HiFiMAN HE400i 2020 Edition

Joined
Mar 30, 2006
Messages
1,308 (0.20/day)
HiFiMAN's original HE400 turned a few heads in the headphone industry when it launched eight years ago. Since then, the design has been updated a few times, most noticeably with the release of the i-version. Today, we will have a look at the 2020 version of the HE400i. Despite the upgrades, it remains relatively affordable at $169.

Show full review
 
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
1,802 (0.31/day)
Location
ATL, GA
System Name My Rig
Processor AMD 3950X
Motherboard X570 TUFF GAMING PLUS
Cooling EKWB Custom Loop, Lian Li 011 G1 distroplate/DDC 3.1 combo
Memory 4x16GB Corsair DDR4-3466
Video Card(s) MSI Seahawk 2080 Ti EKWB block
Storage 2TB Auros NVMe Drive
Display(s) Asus P27UQ
Case Lian Li 011-Dynamic XL
Audio Device(s) JBL 30X
Power Supply Seasonic Titanium 1000W
Mouse Razer Lancehead
Keyboard Razer Widow Maker Keyboard
Software Window's 10 Pro
Wonder where these stand compared to Sennheisers HD 6XX's
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
970 (0.20/day)
System Name Better than before
Processor 10400
Motherboard B460 Pro4
Cooling Id-Cooling 224
Memory 16 GB
Video Card(s) 1650 Super
Storage Swordfish 500 GB
Display(s) AOC G2
Case Coolermaster Ammo 533
Audio Device(s) Micca MB42X
Power Supply Pure Power 11
Mouse G403
Keyboard Sidewinder x4
Software Windows 10 (ugh)
Planar magnetic at $170? Very nice.
 
Joined
Jan 5, 2017
Messages
299 (0.11/day)
System Name Main
Processor 8700K
Motherboard Maximus Hero X
Cooling EVGA 280 CLC w/ Noctua silent fans
Memory 2x8GB 3600/16
Video Card(s) EVGA 2080TI Hybrid
The Sundara were a big upgrade for me over the HD6XX's, if these are almost as good as Sundaras then I imagine they're at least as good or probably better. The imaging (pin pointing sound directions) on my HD6XX's is poor compared to either $350 Sundara or $99 AD-700X's making the HD6XX a poor choice for competitive FPS, for me anyway.
 
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
9,781 (2.28/day)
Location
Massachusetts
System Name Americas cure is the death of Social Justice & Political Correctness
Processor i7-11700K
Motherboard Asrock Z590 Extreme wifi 6E
Cooling Noctua NH-U12A
Memory 32GB Corsair RGB fancy boi 5000
Video Card(s) RTX 3090 Reference
Storage Samsung 970 Evo 1Tb + Samsung 970 Evo 500Gb
Display(s) Dell - 27" LED QHD G-SYNC x2
Case Fractal Design Meshify-C
Audio Device(s) on board
Power Supply Seasonic Focus+ Gold 1000 Watt
Mouse Logitech G502 spectrum
Keyboard AZIO MGK-1 RGB (Kaith Blue)
Software Win 10 Professional 64 bit
Benchmark Scores the MLGeesiest
ive had a terrible time finding a pair of headphones to replace my sennheisers. i bought the audio technica 50's, they suck. i got AKG 712 pros ,those sucked, i kind of regret buying the sennheisers now, since finding a suitable replacement has been hell
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2006
Messages
1,308 (0.20/day)
Wonder where these stand compared to Sennheisers HD 6XX's
I have not had the 6XX on for long enough to really remember the differences from the normal HD600s. I have had the 600s and 650s for a while and they are definitely tuned differently. The HD600 and HD650s have a bit bump in the bass and sound stage is less intimate/deeper than the HE400i's, whether this is good or bad depends on your taste. The treble is not great on any of those headphones so here it is a tie for me. Bass wise the HE400is are well ahead, and the bump featured on the HD600 and HD650s can easily be replicated with a simple EQ as the frequency response of the HD400is is very close to flat below 200 Hz. There is little bit of roll off below 50 Hz but there is plenty of headroom to have a simple shelving filter that adds sub bass to more bass head friendly levels.
 
Joined
Jun 10, 2014
Messages
801 (0.22/day)
Location
Poland
System Name Proper
Processor 5900X + OC
Motherboard GB X570s Elite AX
Cooling WC Heatkiller 3.0 LT
Memory G.Skill 3600 CL16
Video Card(s) Zotac RTX 3070 Ti Trinity LC'ed + OC
Storage KC2500 1TB + A2000 1TB
Display(s) GB M32Q
Case Fractal Define R6 USB C
Audio Device(s) Creative AE-7 + Phonic AM120 MkIII + H/K AVR 265 -> Paradigm Monitor 11 v.7 + AKG K712 Pro
Power Supply Seasonic Prime PX-850
Mouse Log G502 X LS
Keyboard Keychron K5 Opt.brown
Software Win10 Pro
ive had a terrible time finding a pair of headphones to replace my sennheisers. i bought the audio technica 50's, they suck. i got AKG 712 pros ,those sucked, i kind of regret buying the sennheisers now, since finding a suitable replacement has been hell
I got AKG K712 Pro and I love them. Open-back is perfect for listening in a quiet house, they don't squeeze my head like "vice-style" Sennheisers, so I can wear them for long hours and the sound is very neutral, which I also like. My only gripe would be the long miniXLR plug which sometimes gets in the way with my shoulder, but You can get used to it.
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Messages
43,593 (6.63/day)
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard ASUS TUF x670e
Cooling EK AIO 360. Phantek T30 fans.
Memory 32GB G.Skill 6000Mhz
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 4090
Storage WD m.2
Display(s) LG C2 Evo OLED 42"
Case Lian Li PC 011 Dynamic Evo
Audio Device(s) Topping E70 DAC, SMSL SP200 Headphone Amp.
Power Supply FSP Hydro Ti PRO 1000W
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
Keyboard Tester84
Software Windows 11
I picked these up after reading this review. There were pretty good at first, though I thought they needed a little more power than my audio interface could provide and picked up an inexpensive Loxjie P20 tube amp. Good went to very good and after a couple hundred hours of using them and breaking them in (these seem to need quite a bit of break in) they're sounding excellent! Such a good bargain on these.
 

Space Lynx

Astronaut
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
16,671 (4.68/day)
Location
Kepler-186f
I picked these up after reading this review. There were pretty good at first, though I thought they needed a little more power than my audio interface could provide and picked up an inexpensive Loxjie P20 tube amp. Good went to very good and after a couple hundred hours of using them and breaking them in (these seem to need quite a bit of break in) they're sounding excellent! Such a good bargain on these.

how much they cost you and can i get a link to that amp?

drop.com just launched the hifiman he 5xx for $220. im consdering those and selling a couple of my other pair.
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Messages
43,593 (6.63/day)
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard ASUS TUF x670e
Cooling EK AIO 360. Phantek T30 fans.
Memory 32GB G.Skill 6000Mhz
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 4090
Storage WD m.2
Display(s) LG C2 Evo OLED 42"
Case Lian Li PC 011 Dynamic Evo
Audio Device(s) Topping E70 DAC, SMSL SP200 Headphone Amp.
Power Supply FSP Hydro Ti PRO 1000W
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
Keyboard Tester84
Software Windows 11
Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Messages
43,593 (6.63/day)
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard ASUS TUF x670e
Cooling EK AIO 360. Phantek T30 fans.
Memory 32GB G.Skill 6000Mhz
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 4090
Storage WD m.2
Display(s) LG C2 Evo OLED 42"
Case Lian Li PC 011 Dynamic Evo
Audio Device(s) Topping E70 DAC, SMSL SP200 Headphone Amp.
Power Supply FSP Hydro Ti PRO 1000W
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3 Pro
Keyboard Tester84
Software Windows 11
Top