[oopeteroo]

so i got HD650 with Odac and O2 amp.
 
i want to try Hifiman he-400. But i cant test it before buy. so i need some comments on how they sound compare to HD650 ?
 
and will the odac/o2 combo be good for HE400 ? should i sell it and buy another dac/amp ?
 
and are he-4 and he-400 the same ?

 

[jerg]

Quote:

so i got HD650 with Odac and O2 amp.
 
i want to try Hifiman he-400. But i cant test it before buy. so i need some comments on how they sound compare to HD650 ?
 
and will the odac/o2 combo be good for HE400 ? should i sell it and buy another dac/amp ?
 
and are he-4 and he-400 the same ?

 
 
how they sound compare to HD650 ?
 
HD650 = smoother mids, more rolled off treble and bass, more forward
HE400 = better imaging and separation, more treble/bass extension, much better bass, a bit more laid-back but 'fun'
 
Both are extremely accurate and balanced compared to the world of headphones out there, but both are just slightly coloured not to be fully neutral and dry.
 
 
and will the odac/o2 combo be good for HE400 ?
 
Yes. I couldn't claim this 2 days ago but yesterday I was able to try my HE400s on a ODac/O2 combo at a local head-fi meet, and it was pretty darn amazing. A good fraction better than my FiiO E17 to be honest.
 
 
and are he-4 and he-400 the same ?
 
No, they are VERY different. To be plain and simple HE4 is crap compared to HE400; the HE4 used only single-sided magnets, was extremely hard to drive, and had a severe V-shaped response. The HE400s are better in every respect by a big margin.
 
 
 
 
 
Oh and FYI, you can indeed try out the HE400s if you order it from Head-direct; they have a 30-day full refund warranty. All you waste is shipping if you refund it and honestly I doubt you'll dislike them. They will complement the HD650 extremely well.

 

[oopeteroo]

sorry live in sweden and if i will get hifiman i will had to sell hd650.
 
but which one of those is better for ballad. pop, vocal music ?

 

[jerg]

Quote:

sorry live in sweden and if i will get hifiman i will had to sell hd650.
 
but which one of those is better for ballad. pop, vocal music ?

 
Debatable.
 
Ballad and vocal music are very mids-centric, so I think HD650 might give better, more natural performance especially for purely vocal music. However the superior instrument separation and imaging of the HE400s are something to behold also (e.g. it renders piano extremely realistically, which is +1 for a lot of ballad music).
 
Pop music tends to have more bass and beats, as well as more treble information and remastering, in that case HE400s will shine more due to their better thumpy/textured bass and subbass, as well as a more extended and sparkly treble response. Their instrument separation kicks in big time in this genre of music too.
 
Basically it comes down to: HD650 wins with vocal heavy music and music with instruments that are mainly mids, HE400s wins with music with heavier synthetic and remastering elements, as well as instruments that have more treble/bass components.

 

[olegausany]

After you hear HE-400 I doubt you will go back to HD650, personally I can't since they lack sub-bass

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

To call the HE-4 crap is just utter nonsense. Like calling Grados crap, because you might prefer the Sennheiser sound.

The HE-4 is V-shaped sure, but its not EXTREMELY so. And they are among the best V-shaped headphones I've heard. Just because you don't like V-shaped headphones, doesn't mean they are crap.

Some of us prefer a bass and treble centric headphone, and the HE-4 is fantastic. Being hard to drive doesn't make them bad. The HE-6 crap because its hard to drive? Please.

The HE-400 is technically better, and easier to use, but there are strengths in the HE-4 that best the HE-4, like how its more aggressive and dynamic. Some prefer that. IMHO, the HE-400 is SLIGHTLY better, and not MUCH better. They are different enough to be fully comparable.