Performance

The Head-Direct HE-300s were burned in for over 150 hours before they were tested. The headphones were tested on three different rigs. The first is our standard home rig which consists of a HiFiMAN HM-801 feeding a Head-Direct EF-1 amplifier with lossless FLAC. The HM-801 was also used in conjunction with the RSA Protector balanced amplifier (in both single ended and balanced mode). Last but not least the headphones were tested on a box standard iPhone 4 loaded with ALAC files.

The HE-300s turned out to be fairly easy to drive to good results. On our home rig and with the Protector the HE-300s provided a nice and warm sound. The HE-300s lack the special sound signature of the orthodynamic headphones from HiFiMAN. The midrange is somewhat less detailed and lacks the precision and attack that makes the orthodynamics sound incredible.

The iPhone 4 has to be turned up to around 6/10s of its total volume in order to sound close to decent. Based on readings from the iPhone 4 the HE-300s are around twice as effective as the HE-500s.

The HE-300s have their own unique character. Its midrange is relatively warm sounding without a huge mid-bass hump. The HE-300s have an almost Grado-like signature without the excessive sibilance and relatively bad bass extension. These headphones are for all of those looking for a set of fun sounding headphones with a slight mid focused sound and a somewhat sparkly high-end.

The HE-300s pale in comparison with its three times more expensive bigger brother, but that is to be expected. Compared to the HE-5LEs the HE-300s provide good bang for the buck considering that they can be used with a very simple setup whereas the HE-5LEs need an immensely powerful amplifier to sound their best.

Sound stage wise the HE-300s are almost on par with that of the HE-500s. They exhibit a very nice and coherent sound stage that is intimate yet has plenty of air between the instruments. Compared to the HE-6s its presentation lacks depth, but it is very good for a set of $299 headphones. The HE-300s are best described as airy, but without sibilance or plasticky treble. Compared to a set of Sennheiser HD600s or 580s for that matter the HE-300s provide you with a less veiled presentation and a more refined midrange.

Bass quality wise it is a toss-up between the three. The HE-300s are definitely less amplification picky than the hard to drive HD600s. The HD580s and 600s do have a slight edge in the treble department, but that is really nitpicking.

Bass extension is very good, but not really comparable to that of the higher end headphones we have tested. The treble extension is on par with that of the HE-500s, but it lacks some definition compared to the HE-500s and HE-5LEs for that matter. Overall the HE-300s are a very musical set of headphones with ample definition across the spectrum.

Durability

Since the HiFiMAN HE-300s are based upon the HE-500s design they are very durable. The only thing that is not well thought out is the pad attachment mechanism, which is currently being reworked by Head-Direct.