Introduction

There have been a lot of in-ear monitor (IEM) reviews on TechPowerUp recently, be it wired or truly wireless with TWS sets. This happened for two reasons—the IEM world is absolutely bonkers in how quickly new things come up via short R&D time periods, and I was working on improving my headphones frequency response measurement setup. You may have noted in previous headphone reviews, be it that of the HIFIMAN Arya (2021 stealth magnets), Meze 99 Neo, or Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX, that I had mentioned as much. Things are better now in that regard, and what better way to start off than with one of the most popular budget-oriented headphones sold today? Thanks again to HIFIMAN for providing TechPowerUp a review sample.


The HIFIMAN HE400se is the latest iteration of the original HE-400 that helped make HIFIMAN, then known as Head-Direct, the major brand in consumer audio it is today. In fact, our very own review of the HE-400 came about nearly a decade ago, and the author was the one who got this very sample in before I took over. He had listened to the HE400se, decided it was quite good, and sent it over along with the HIFIMAN TWS800. This is clearly a set of headphones people are enthusiastic about, so much so that Drop has its own take, and there is a China-only version of the HE400se to further complicate things. What we are examining today is the international version most people will be able to purchase, and we begin the review with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

HIFIMAN operates a web shop, and this sample shipped directly from the company, so we begin with shipping packaging since this is how paying customers would receive the HE400se. The shipping box is appropriately sized, although with HIFIMAN stickers on multiple sides and another mentioning the contents inside. I would have liked a stealthier approach that doesn't identify there being audiophile headphones inside, even if it's among the more budget-friendly options. We find the product box inside, in a shaped-to-fit bubble wrap and foam sheets on all sides for further protection from overzealous couriers.


The product box is thick cardboard, and again feels well-sized once you see the contents inside. It adopts a primarily black color scheme to go with the headphones, and I have to give props to the designer for coming up with clean and attractive packaging. On the front is the company logo and product name, with a sticker confirming this uses HIFIMAN's stealth magnets technology. There is a render of the headphones as well, which is a teaser of what's to come. On the back are product specifications and contact information for the company, and another render of the HE400se and certification stickers are at the bottom. There is a useful reminder that registration will add 3 months to the warranty, which is well worth it as it only comes with 12 months standard. More branding on the sides rounds off this section, and two seals here keep the contents inside in place during transit.


The unboxing experience continues with substantial paperwork on top of a foam sheet protecting the headphones themselves. A card informs us about the use of stealth magnets, effectively as a primer on the technology itself. There is also a warranty card with the serial numbers for both drivers, which is an interesting move I can get behind, as opposed to one serial number for the set of two. The QR code takes you to a PDF copy of the owner's guide, which also comes as a printed booklet in color! It includes a welcome note from the company founder, Dr. Fang Bian, and more relevant information about the HE400se's design, specifications, and some glamour shots both inside and out. I recommend going through it because this guide also describes best practices for maintaining these headphones, including pad replacement and using the provided cable correctly.

The headphones do not come inside a case of any sort thus, so stowing these away isn't as conveniently done as with other such headphones we have seen recently. There isn't even the soft, cloth-wrapped foam container as with the Arya, and the hard plastic clamshell is best-suited for transportation rather than storage. The company sells two travel cases in black or a checkered brown one for $29 if interested, though you may also want to look at aftermarket hard cases with pluckable foam, such as the Lykus 3310 that fits the entire box insert nicely with some room on the side for cables. There are third-party alternatives from the likes of Dekoni, including its own hard case in collaboration with SKB we will take a look at in a future article. Of course, the average end user will likely just want to have the headphones on a headphone stand, readily available to listen to when needed.