Verdict
These budget Hifiman planar magnetic headphones offer serious sound for not much money . The HE400se is imaging edification , which can make your medicine seem more three - dimensional than other budget brace . Before purchasing , bear in psyche that its subject - back design is most suited to at - home use , and it does n’t get as loud as more formal rivals when running off a force - limit seed , such as a phone or laptop .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The HE400se is Hifiman ’s cheesy full - sized Seth of headphones . For over a X , this steel has been the budget audio fan ’s friend . But while its early cheaper couple were pretty standard dynamic equipment driver headphones , the HE400se is the actual great deal .
These planar charismatic headphones look pretty similar to the Hifiman HE6se V2 that once sold for $ 1,799 . So , is the HE400se a match for the latter ? Of course not – but it does sound pretty fantastic for the £ 129 you ’ll pay for it online .
For their price , these earphone offer precise and immersive imaging that sound a lot more three - dimensional than many other pairs around .
Sure , you do n’t get the bite and dynamics of the measure - up Hifiman Sundara , or the sub - deep slam of a closed - back headphone . But the HE400se comes extremely tell on for just about all types of listening – as long as you ’re at home and not expecting super - high volumes while running off the output of your phone .
Design
The Hifiman HE400se is a full - sized open - back headphone lot . you’re able to say the same about almost all of Hifiman ’s pair , but this means there are a few essential to get out of the room first .
You should not purchase this exercise set if you desire to utilize it on public transport , in an office , or , really , anywhere outdoors . It leaks sound and scarce isolate at all .
For phone fan , this is kind of stating the obvious , but if you ’re just seem for a great - sound twosome you could employ anywhere , get a unsympathetic - back set .
The HE400se ’s design is a direct descendant of the society ’s first major headphone release , the HE5 . Its cups are entirely round and posture on a sturdy metallic element hinge .
These cups only articulate one style , but the headband stems themselves twist laterally by about 15 degrees , letting this pair mould to your head pretty effectively . The pad are designed to help here , too . They are slenderly splosh , thicker in the back , and thin at the front , form a sort of bomber configuration .
It ’s all in assistance of meet your head substantially without tilt the cups . I found the HE400se super - easy , peculiarly for a planar magnetic pair , which can get quite big . And while this pair is around 20 % heavier than theAudio - Technica ATH - M50x , there ’s lovely wooden-headed padding on both cup and headband .
Hifiman has used a mix of velour and synthetic leather for the pad , with perforated internal walls that should help breathability a bit . These are far , far better than the canonical pleather rings used in the originalHifiman HE-400 , which I first try a decennary ago .
The HE400se ’s fit is also less problematic than that of the pricy Hifiman Sundara , which can sense too “ clampy ” if the headband is n’t opened up enough . The HE400se has an almost fool - substantiation tantrum – apart from the possibility of putting it on the amiss way around .
Its build is solid for a budget pair of headphones too . The silver cup housings are shaping , whereas the pricier Hifiman pair off use metal . But there are no creaking as you put these phone on and no flimsy contribution .
The cable television service is a basic 1.4 m amour that attach to both cups . But as the socket on the loving cup are stock 3.5 millimetre , supplant this in the future – if you necessitate or want to – will be light and cheap .
Sound Quality
The Hifiman HE400se is a set of planar magnetized headphones , which use gravid attraction than traditional dynamical design . It allows for more linear movement in the contraceptive diaphragm to generate less distortion . Planar magnetised drivers used to be exclusively found in quite expensive headphones , and Hifiman was arguably the primary force in crap them more approachable .
Now , we come to the one reason I think some of you should intermit before corrupt this set . These headphones are super - low-cost , but they do not get on that well with germ that have lower output .
The HE400se sounds great punch into a headphone , but you might notice that even at maximum volume , it sounds a little quieter than you ’d like . I used these earphone to watch a push-down stack of films , and where the median active driver headphone might be set at -33dB on my amplifier , the HE400se vocalize about right at -18dB.
Hifiman tell me these headphones were designed to be “ easier to drive ” than their forerunner , but like other planar models , most phones just do n’t quite have the succus to make them company - ready aloud . Loud enough for casual hearing in a quieter way ? Sure .
Spatial elements are the strongest bits . These headphones have fantastic imaging considering their downcast price . While the sound is n’t crazy - wide for overt - back headphones , strong separation and lucidness of pose kind of let you mentally take the air around arrangements in a means that , for example , the loosely greatShure SRH840doesn’t .
The “ airiness ” – as it ’s often call – is one of the top understanding to corrupt a set of unfastened - back earphone like this . But the HE400se also has characteristics that flock of other undetermined - back headphone deficiency . For instance , there ’s a greater sense of elevation here than with the AKG K701 , making music seem more three - dimensional .
The AKG acquire for width , but I find the HE400se ’s wakeless field introduction ultimately more engaging .
These headphones are also much less likely to seem outwear in a listening sense than some other top Hifiman models . And their freshwater bass is , for the most part , clear , clean - voice , measured and powerful .
However , the HE400se does n’t have the true gibe of the earliest Hifiman couplet , and the U-boat - basso is quite reserved . But I think this only becomes obvious if you ’re listening to action movies or electronic medicine where that super - broken rumbly bass voice can become a star . If that is going to be an issue , then at this kind of budget , you ’re probably better off with unsympathetic - back earphone .
What you get for the money here is first-class , idea . The HE400se has a more neutral introduction than the Audio - Technica ATH - M50x , and it vocalise rich – less clinical – than the similarly priced AKG Studio headphones .
Compare the HE400se to the Hifiman Sundara and you set forth to learn what you could get for a little more money – or well , at double the cost .
The Sundara is importantly brighter - sounding than the HE400se . While Hifiman ’s headphones have occasionally been delineate as wear down over the years , the HE400se has a astonishingly conservative amount of bite in the lower treble . It makes vocals sound a minuscule dark than usual .
I also encounter the midrange grain a little balmy , compared with that of the Sundara and other open - back earpiece that sound less warm than the HE400se . The Sundara sounds quicker , more critical and dynamic , and still three - dimensional .
But while terminal figure like mildness and a darker - fathom threefold normally do n’t go together with a tops - opened and well - divide sound , they do with the HE400se – and that suppose a mint about Hifiman ’s two-dimensional magnetized drivers .
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Should you buy it?
These are ideal headphones for someone see for their first “ serious ” set , where sound timbre is esteem over practicality . The strait per pound / one dollar bill is excellent , and they are comfortable too .
These phone wo n’t go that brassy when drive directly from a sound or laptop computer . Also , bear in mind that the open - back sound does not sequestrate you from outside noise .
Final Thoughts
The Hifiman HE400se is among the better - performing earpiece sets you’re able to get for the money . It can paint sound in a three - dimensional infinite very well while also pluck it in more spatial directions than some of the better , affordable open - back headphones .
Like a lot of open - back pairs , the HE400se does n’t have bags of sub - deep slam , but standard - register bass sounds confident and firm . I think if anything ’s going to put the audio lover off , it ’s the thin softness in the upper mids and low treble , which gives these headphones less bite and a more relaxed vibration than the step - up Hifiman Sundara .
However , this aid make the HE400se great for all - day daily hearing while also handling close listening and movies very well . If you ’re buy your first serious set of headphone , just pay in head they did n’t get as loud as virtually any dynamic driver duet I ’ve tried in late memory – which may be an egress if you require to unravel them off a earpiece .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every earphone we review thoroughly over an extended period of time . We utilize industry received test to equate feature article properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a ware .
recover out more about how we test in ourethics insurance policy .
FAQs
The cable is roughly 1.4 m long and plugs into the earpiece cups using 3.5 mm jacks .
While these headphones sound good running off a earphone or laptop , you may find they do n’t get quite loud enough with these lower - power sources .
Stealth is a proprietary Hifiman magnet design that aims to reduce noise .
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