Hifiman he400

[avtar2008]

Hi all,
I am using hifiman he400 from about 4 years and i was very happy with them. But now i am looking to move to sony wh1000xm3. Any suggestions where it will be a good move for me?

PS : is there any "how much i can sell this for" thread in this forum? tried searching but didnt found any.

 

[chayan]

Arent they different beasts all together. Not only is the He400 open back and planar, not sure if you will have the same sound stage.
WH1000xm3 is a great headphone on its own, but having ears accustomed to certain type of sound for 4 years, I would suggest to do an extended listening before really taking the plunge.

Would not be able to help on resale price though..sorry.

 

[hifitoaster]

He 400's used price can be from 8k and below 13k depending on the conditon. The HE4xxs are 169$ so even after importing them with taxes , someone would prefer that since its new and has warranty. 13k if its like brand new(and due to the non availability in India much, after all these years, but only because it still doesnt come with warranty.

That being said, again, its not fair to compare the sony against the he400. Sonically u will get something totally different. Again the point of sonys is not just the sound part alone unlike the hifimans, unless u need to use a headphone in a noisy environment like a train and if you use it only inside home, stay safe with the hifimans, its not wort h the erffort. Instead, I would have traded the he 400s and put that money which you kept for the sony and something more to an upgrade area where you indeed feel an improvement. Something like the Audeze LCD2 or the HD 800 territory. But, I think u should also consider the newer sennheiser hd 660 too, which is a step above your current headphone, and a step down from the TOTLs.

 

[avtar2008]

Arent they different beasts all together. Not only is the He400 open back and planar, not sure if you will have the same sound stage.
WH1000xm3 is a great headphone on its own, but having ears accustomed to certain type of sound for 4 years, I would suggest to do an extended listening before really taking the plunge.

Would not be able to help on resale price though..sorry.

Yes,Being a planar magnetics, I really loved the soundstage and clarity of sound of he400 and that is the reason they are with me since so long. It would be a big leap for me to go to an ANC headphone, since they use EQ to modify the sound for your taste(this is my perception, no offence to anyone). I haven't took a demo of wh1000xm3, but online reviews are all good, nobody mentioned any major drawbacks, but surely visit a sony showroom for a demo, before buying.

He 400's used price can be from 8k and below 13k depending on the conditon. The HE4xxs are 169$ so even after importing them with taxes , someone would prefer that since its new and has warranty. 13k if its like brand new(and due to the non availability in India much, after all these years, but only because it still doesnt come with warranty.

That being said, again, its not fair to compare the sony against the he400. Sonically u will get something totally different. Again the point of sonys is not just the sound part alone unlike the hifimans, unless u need to use a headphone in a noisy environment like a train and if you use it only inside home, stay safe with the hifimans, its not wort h the erffort. Instead, I would have traded the he 400s and put that money which you kept for the sony and something more to an upgrade area where you indeed feel an improvement. Something like the Audeze LCD2 or the HD 800 territory. But, I think u should also consider the newer sennheiser hd 660 too, which is a step above your current headphone, and a step down from the TOTLs.

I bought them for around 32k and added velour pad, shorter lighter cable for around 4k. I will be happy if they can fetch me 13-14k now. I have kept them neat and clean, clean the pads and metal after a couple of months.

When i purchased he400 i was in college and all listening was limited to a room, but right now, with my job, I have to spend 10 15 hours every week in metro and my soundmagic pl11 are not able to isolate whole noise from surroundings, that is one of the reason I was looking forward to a ANC headphone. I thought of buying LCDs, but new one are completely out of my [30-35k] budget. So,what ever little research I have done in past one month, wh1000xm3 seems to be best. I am open for suggestions if anyone have which fits my scenario.


PS: sorry for a delay in reply.

 

[hifitoaster]

Yes,Being a planar magnetics, I really loved the soundstage and clarity of sound of he400 and that is the reason they are with me since so long. It would be a big leap for me to go to an ANC headphone, since they use EQ to modify the sound for your taste(this is my perception, no offence to anyone). I haven't took a demo of wh1000xm3, but online reviews are all good, nobody mentioned any major drawbacks, but surely visit a sony showroom for a demo, before buying.




I bought them for around 32k and added velour pad, shorter lighter cable for around 4k. I will be happy if they can fetch me 13-14k now. I have kept them neat and clean, clean the pads and metal after a couple of months.

When i purchased he400 i was in college and all listening was limited to a room, but right now, with my job, I have to spend 10 15 hours every week in metro and my soundmagic pl11 are not able to isolate whole noise from surroundings, that is one of the reason I was looking forward to a ANC headphone. I thought of buying LCDs, but new one are completely out of my [30-35k] budget. So,what ever little research I have done in past one month, wh1000xm3 seems to be best. I am open for suggestions if anyone have which fits my scenario.


PS: sorry for a delay in reply.

Ok. So that involves "outside". so it's a no brainer. I have demoed the sony, it sounds really good. Also, damn comfortable. U will notice that for sure. Comfort is always a personal thing as head shape matters. To me, it was the most comfortable headphone I have ever tried after the mdr1a. I personally use the HD 650, and a beoplay h6, the sony is much more comfortable than that.


Bottom line is when using as a portable what is the point of a headphones ability to resolve well when you cannot hear it gets drowned in the noise.!

 

[milestoneseeker]

I had heard the previous generation wh1000xm2 and since it an ANC rather than an open back, it does sound relatively recessed. However, it so much better than the Bose QC35s that I auditioned so it is definitely a good choice for commuting.

 

[avtar2008]

Hi All, sorry for a little late update. I roam around various sony showroom in Gurgaon but no one was having demo piece for wh1000xm3 available, so, I took a leap of faith and ordered them on 29 Nov and Received them on 8 Dec.

On weekend, I traveled to Nagpur from Gurgaon and it was ideal for me to test them. First thing anyone will notice is they are compact, light weight and comfortable even for extended usgae(used 6 8 hours straight in train). Sound quality is good for an ANC headphones and ample amount of bass is present. As compared to QC35, I felt both have same comfort and weight, but xm3 sounds a little better. Moreover, XM3 can adjust the sound according to environment pressure, found it very useful in my flight(No idea whether other ANC also have this or not).

As compared to Hifiman he400, XM3 is no where near to planar magnetic in term of soundstage, clarity and overall listening experience. So, I will be keeping both of them with me. He400 for indoor usage and sony for travelling purpose.

PS : in case anyone is interested in buying xm3, I can help with the review or any other type of queries are also welcomed.

 

[CLEARCUT]

Which amp did you use with 400

 

[avtar2008]

Which amp did you use with 400

I use asus xonar stx on pc and fiio q1 as portable amp. I feel they are enough for he400.

 

[CLEARCUT]

I was offered 400i and 560 was told both need good amp I have Sen 650 I use it with fiio e12 is good can you come to my whats app 9047043560 any difference between 400 S vs 400i

 

[avtar2008]

I was offered 400i and 560 was told both need good amp I have Sen 650 I use it with fiio e12 is good can you come to my whats app 9047043560 any difference between 400 S vs 400i

Check whatspp bro.