HiFiMAN's gentle update of the HE400i for the 2020 Edition deserves praise. The updated ergonomics are a welcome change, and the changes certainly improve the looks of the headphone in our opinion, making them stick out less from your head. The all-black color scheme makes them blend in rather than stand out, which is a good choice for a slightly large set of headphones.

For $169, these headphones are in a league of their own. The HE400i runs circles around many headphones twice the price. Even though the concept is approaching 8 years, it is still relevant as HiFiMAN has continued to hone the design while lowering the price at almost every iteration of the HE400i. The 2020 Edition is to these ears and eyes the best one yet, and at the price point, I think we are at the point where everyone interested in sub-$200 headphones should have a listen regardless of genre and tuning preference.

From a tuning perspective, these headphones are along with the Deva the most mainstream of the HiFiMAN offerings. The bass is solid and has good extension, and the midrange is detailed and has a neutral upper midrange—you can listen for hours without any listening fatigue. The high-end has a few oddities, but these are small and quite on a narrow band, so you might never notice them.

The HE400i is no match for the ANANDA, but can definitely hold its own against the SUNDARA. A well-equalized SUNDARA is still noticeably better, but for everyday listening and the occasional critical listening sessions, I think the HE400i is much better value.

In 2021, the HE400i design is still the one to beat in terms of bang for the buck. It is a great feat of engineering to offer this level of performance at the current price level.