Performance

HiFiMAN has always been quite ambitious with their mid high-end headphones, right with the launch of their HE-4. The HE-400i continues the tradition in that you get many of the same characteristics of the HE-560 for roughly $300 less. The new driver design is definitely a golden one as the HE-400i is a major improvement over the HE-400, which it replaces by name. It in some respects also sounds like a HE-500 upgrade. The new angled pads are simply great as they are much more comfortable than the old flat pads and positively improve soundstage performance and clarity.

One of the more noticeable differences to the HE-560 is in the top-end; it is slightly less dominant. The upper midrange has also been toned down slightly, which actually makes the HE-400i less fatiguing to listen to as it puts a dampener on sibilant recordings. There is not much of a difference in detail between the HE-560 and the HE-400i as both are incredibly detailed, although the HE-560 edges ahead when it comes to bass precision. The tonality of the HE-560 and HE-400i is similar, but the HE400i's brings slightly less top-end emphasis to the table.

The HE-560's soundstage is noticeably better on good recordings, which is not just related to the fact that it has a slightly brighter signature as there is more to it. That having being said, the HE-400i did perform well for its price. Compare the HE-400i to other high-end offerings and it has a lot of hard to come by qualities. Compared to the AKG K712, the HE-400i is obvisously more intimate in that its sound stage is small, but also quite a bit ahead in terms of across-the-board detail. That coupled with its not as edgy high-end and smooth transition from the mid- to the high range makes it a much better purchase. The bass is also in a league of its own, providing better extension and better slam, which makes pop music so much more entertaining to listen to. The HE-400i can als be run out of just about any half-decent headphone amplifier. For this review, we had it running off our JDSLabs C5D and O2 to brilliant results. The Cambridge DAC Magic XS lacked control at the bottom-end, which was to be expected.