HiFiMAN HE400se

[Chrono]

HiFiMAN HE400SE Review

Written by Chrono

Introduction

Ah, yes, yet another iteration of HiFiMAN’s classic HE400 headphone.

Back when it originally released, the HiFiMAN HE400 was a very well-received headphone that retailed at the mid-range price of $399.99. In the decade since then, its design has seen several revisions and has served as the blueprint for many of HiFiMAN’s offerings like the HE400i or the DROP edition HE4XX. This latest “SE” edition, though, sees the HE400 release with many of the improvements it’s gained over the years, and it’s available at its lowest MSRP, yet: $149.99.

Sources and Music Used in Listening Tests

The Amplifier/DACs used in this review were the SPL Phonitor XE (with built-in DAC), Grace Design SDAC + A90, and the JDS Labs Element II connected via USB to my desktop computer. For the listening tests I used music from a wide variety of genres including Rock, Jazz, Classical, Acoustic, Hip-Hop, and latin. I played tracks from my own FLAC library as well as from Qobuz streaming service played via Roon (exclusive mode).

Accessories

Well, there really isn’t much to say here, as the unboxing experience with HE400SE is a very simple one: you slide off the top lid and you are greeted by the HE400SE and a 3.5mm to dual 3.5mm cable with a ¼” adapter.

Now, HiFiMAN has a reputation for–regardless of price range–including rather poor cables alongside its headphones, and the HE400SE is unfortunately no exception. In fact, I think that the stock cable included with this iteration may just be the worst one yet, and that’s no easy task. It’s an extremely microphonic cable that’s uncomfortable to use since it aggressively holds its shape, and its durability seems poor; I would definitely advise buying a replacement for it immediately after purchasing the headphones.

Build & Comfort

HiFiMAN ‘s build quality and product lifespan is something that’s been put into question several times in the past. That being said, though, I’ve never personally run into issues with any of their headphones, including previous editions of the HE400. Structurally, the HE400SE is sporting the new headband and yoke that were introduced with the Deva, as opposed to the previous designs used on the HE400. This, I think, is a major upgrade as the new yokes are now one solid piece of metal, compared to the previous two-piece version that could occasionally have its hinges loosen over time. Additionally, the headband piece feels a lot more rigid and durable than that of previous models.

By virtue of new materials used on the pads, as well as the new headband, the HE400SE sees considerable comfort upgrades over its predecessors and I find it to be one of the more comfortable HiFiMAN headphones available. I was originally skeptical of the blocky-looking new headband, but it’s actually quite comfortable, with adequate clamp force and surprisingly good weight distribution. Additionally, the pads used on the HE400SE are now using a more felt or velour-like material for the inside of the pads. For those with facial hair they’ll still be more on the itchy side, but it’s an improvement over what felt like bathing-suit material in the Sundara.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the design changes made to the HE400. Of course, I can’t test for driver longevity, but structurally it’s now a more rigid-feeling and comfortable headphone than it was in its original form.

Sound

The HE400SE is–like most HiFiMAN headphones–utilizing a planar-magnetic transducer, and it’s using the original HE400i’s double-sided magnet array. One new addition in this SE is that of HiFiMAN’s “Stealth” magnets, which have been included to reduce interference as sound waves pass through the magnets.

First Impressions

Despite going through countless revisions, the HE400-style headphones’s sound signature has pretty much remained a constant, and out-of-the-box I think these have always offered one of the more enjoyable and balanced frequency responses.

In brief, I would describe the HE400SE’s tonal balance as one that leans towards what I personally consider to be “neutral”-sounding, with linear bass and mid responses, as well as a mostly-even treble range. Naturally, because it’s using a planar-magnetic transducer, it also offers the unique characteristics that are associated with this kind of driver, such as the rapid transients and immediate leading-edge.

Bass

Technically, it displays the excellent attributes that planar magnetic headphones usually have when reproducing low tones. This includes outstanding bass extension, which provides more sub-bass depth and rumble than even some of the better-extending dynamic headphones in this price bracket, as well remarkable precision and nimbleness. However, when it comes to the overall bass level, it isn’t particularly high on the HE400SE and I feel like it could have used a little more presence.

Under 120hz, it lacks a bass shelf, which makes it a bit lean in the really low registers. Of course, this can be greatly amended if using an amp with a bass boost toggle, or if using EQ. Though for some users who are not able to utilize either of those solutions, the bass response on the HE400Se will lack the low-end fullness they desire.

Mids

The midrange tuning on the HE400SE is excellent. It’s linear throughout, with clean fundamental tones, and very good presence in the upper midrange. The only quirk here is that–like seemingly all HiFiMAN headphones I’ve tried–there is a dip between 1-2Khz of about 3dB. It’s definitely not something I’d note as being overly detrimental, but in my listening experience this slightly reduces the bite of brass instruments, and particularly when listening to rock music it sounds to me as though electric guitars are a tiny bit muted; which I think is what keeps it just that last step from sounding as organic as a, for example, the HD560S in the mids.

Highs

I think the treble range is for the most part pretty good on the HE400SE. It’s not warm, but it’s not bright either, and I think that overall it’s set at a level that will be comfortable for the majority of listeners. Additionally, whilst it may not do so as much as I’d like, the HE400SE does extend nicely into the upper treble with good air qualities above 10K; properly representing all the harmonics and overtones in that region.

The only thing I want to point out here is something that I’ve heard on prior iterations of the HE400SE, and that is a very mild peak or bump at around 7Khz. Mind you this doesn’t make the HE400SE particularly sibilant or harsh, but it does add this odd “grittiness” to the treble region that I think keeps it from sounding as resolving or as clean as it could.

Resolution

At its $149.99 price tag, the HE400SE provides really good performance when it comes to detail retrieval and overall image clarity. The bass region in particular feels very well-defined and nuanced, likely due to the fact that it’s using a planar-magnetic transducer. As for the rest of its frequency range, the HE400SE does an adequate job at providing a stable and cohesive image of the music. The only critique from me is that without EQ, that grittiness I mentioned earlier from the 7Khz peak really keeps it from being as clean as it should be in the treble region. Though, otherwise, I think that in this price range the performance offered here is tough to beat, and for internal resolution it gets very close to the HD560S.

Soundstage, Imaging, and Layering

The HE400SE actually has one of the more spacious and open-sounding presentations in its price bracket. For soundstage width it’s roughly on par with the HD560S and is able to convey a better sense of distance than something like the HD600 or HD 650. Additionally, it’s got exceptional layering capabilities, with all instrument and vocal lines being clearly distinguished from each other, allowing you to more easily peer into the music. Where I do find that the HE400SE performs somewhat poorly is in its imaging, as it lacks the degree of precision that you get with HD560S or DT990 Pro. The center image is a little weak, and whilst I think that this is perfectly fine for music listening, it definitely makes it hard for me to recommend as an open-back gaming solution.

Dynamics

Again, this is a category where I didn’t find the HE400SE to provide particularly noteworthy performance. In the upper registers it does have some tactility, which adds some articulation to things like the pluck of acoustic guitar strings or piano keystrokes. However, it really feels lacking when it comes to delivering a satisfying, defined impact in the low-end. This is not that uncommon amongst planar magnetic headphones, so the HE400SE was definitely no surprise here. So, if you are looking for a headphone that provides a better sense of punch and slam I would look at something like the HD6-series headphones, the HD560S, the HD58X, or the DT990 Pro.

EQ

I think that the HE400SE’s already a great-sounding headphone with its stock tuning, but as with all other headphones, I like to add a touch of EQ. On the HE400SE I like to add a bass shelf under 85hz to give the subbass region a bit more presence. I also increase the energy at around 1.5Khz to give electric guitars specifically a bit more substance. Lastly, I cool down 7Khz to soften up the treble and clear the grittiness I mentioned previously. If you’d like to try out my EQ for the HE400SE, these are the settings I used:

Low shelf at 85hz, +4dB Q of 0.7

Peak at 1500hz, -2dB Q of 1.41

Peak at 7000hz, -3dB Q of 2

Conclusion

For nearly a decade, the HE400-style headphones HiFiMAN has released have been a go-to for audiophiles. They’ve always provided solid performance for their price, and with the HE400SE’s new $149.99 price point, I believe it represents one of the best-values available in the market for over-ear headphones. I think that this is a pretty good entry point for both people just getting into high-end audio, or listeners who have yet to try out a planar magnetic headphone. Without a doubt, the HE400SE–with its reliable sound signature and structural upgrades–gets a strong recommendation from me.

[prfallon69]

Another great review @Chrono. I’ve not heard these and would like to. At the price they are its only a matter of time before I do. Thanks.

[SenyorC]

Nice review @Chrono , these are certainly great value for money!

[Jman841]

How are these comparing against the Sundara? I would be really curious how much of a jump in detail, speed, and resolution you’re getting with the Sundara over these now and if they have a Sundara update coming sometime soon.

[capetownwatches]

I’ve had my HE400se (Stealth) for about 2 months now and after 100 hours I can confidently pronounce these as quite outstanding all-rounders at ANY price, let alone the $149 asking.

Yes, dynamics and resolution do not compare with pricier Planars, but I cannot find any glaring faults with this headphone - HFM got the tuning almost spot on.

Very highly recommended!

[Fc-Construct]

Posted a couple back to back reviews recently on the headphones.com reviews page. Here’s my take of the HE400se. Looks like this headphone’s gaining some steam, deservedly so.

HiFiMan HE400se: The Entriest Level Planar

Review written by @Fc-Construct

Review unit on loan from headphones.com

Introduction

HiFiMan is no stranger to the headphone world. They are possibly the largest brand when it comes to planar headphones, with products covering the entire price range. One of their latest offerings is the entry level $150 HE400se, not to be confused with their other HE400 variants. With this model, the “se” stands for “stealth edition” where the magnets that drive the planar driver are supposedly acoustically transparent to allow for sound waves to pass through the magnet without any interference.

The technology behind these headphones is an interesting discussion but I can’t say I care too much about it on a practical level. How it sounds like is what I’m concerned with. The last HiFiMan model I heard was the HE1000V2 a couple years ago at a demo. This will be my first full length review of a planar headphone which should be a nice level set moving forward with hopefully minimal preconceived notions.

What’s in the Box?

The build quality of these headphones is what I would call half-and-half. The headband is made of a faux leather that’s pleasant to the touch and a nice foam with good resistance and rebound characteristics. It has solid metal yokes attached to cheap plastic earcups. The yokes have 8 steps of adjustments and should fit all but the biggest heads. These yokes are sturdy, but I can’t say the same for the earcups. The part where the metal yokes connect looks to be like a probable failure point. These earcups can swivel both vertically and horizontally to fit a variety of heads. While it does seem a loose on the vertical axis, the horizontal adjustments have a good resistance. On the back of the cups is another cheap plastic cover to protect the drivers.

The ear pads have a similarly pleasant faux leather on the outside and perforated on the inside. The foam padding is soft and comfortable. But on the surface where it touches your skin is a felt-like material that once again, feels kinda cheap. Realistically, you won’t notice it but the contrast in materials all around is a little odd. What’s not acceptable is this cable. It’s horrendously stiff with an awful case of cable noise. It’s like barbed wire without the barbs. At very least, it’s detachable if you want to swap it out. To be fair, despite all my complaints the HE400se is admittedly functional. Still, even at $150 I’m sure HiFiMan could’ve done a better job with the build overall so I’m chalking this up to them trying to nudge buyers towards the much better built Sundara.

The HE400se are pretty comfortable. Clamp force isn’t too tight but not loose either. I do get the common problem of headband soreness after an hour or two. A larger headband to spread out the pressure would probably be better as the HE400se is a little the heavy side.

Sound

The sound of the HE400se can be simply described as a neutral headphone with entry level technical performance. There is a bit of peak in the mid treble that makes it seemingly bright and off-sounding to me. If you’re looking to buy the HE400se to try some sort of “planar magic”, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. There’s nothing particularly special about its sound outside of being well tuned. One thing to note is that you will need a desktop amp or a very beefy portable one. It needs more power than the Sennheiser HD6X0 series and it definitely sounds better when given adequate power.

Measurement of the HiFiMan HE400se on an industry standard GRAS 43AG measurement rig. The dotted black line is represents the Harman target, a reference frequency response developed using consumer preferences. The blue line is how the headphone in question measures. Effectively, this shows how significantly the headphone’s frequency response deviates from the target. Note however that the target is highly smoothed and strict adherence to the Harman target is not necessary for a headphone to sound good.

Bass

The bass of the HE400se is flat with the typical minor subbass roll-off around the 40 Hz mark. Despite not having a bass boost as suggested by the Harman target, I don’t find the HE400se to be anemic or overly lacking in bass quantity. There’s enough here to fill out the body of bassier instruments like the floor toms.

The bass quality is the more interesting topic. When it comes to planar headphones, there’s often talk about planar bass. This generally refers to the idea that planar headphones are known for having a sense of speed and articulation to its sound. Whatever it is, the bass of the HE400se doesn’t sound too far off from a regular dynamic driver. The primarily difference is that the decay of bass notes are just a little too quick. While the attack is tight, it isn’t particularly fast and has a slight bluntedness to it. These characteristics are most noticeable with the drums as you listen to how the snare, kick, and toms are rendered. That said, this doesn’t necessarily make the HE400se’s bass bad. The amount of control it has here is quite commendable. Though it may not have amazing resolution, it rarely ever gets bogged down or congested even in busy tracks.

Mids

Like the bass, the lower mids of the HE400se are basically flat. Nothing much to be said here. Like many HiFiMan headphones, the pinna gain (upper mids) of the HE400se only start to rise after the 2 kHz mark. Generally speaking, a rise starting after 1 kHz is more in line with the ideal pinna gain in headphone target curves. I find that this has the effect of giving the tonality of the upper mids a forward slant to it instead of a fuller, smoother tone. As such, the upper mids can come off as slightly dry. My guess is that the upper harmonics are effectively backloaded unto the 3 – 4 kHz region. Vocals and electric guitars show this off the best. I’m not complaining though. I do like the mids of the HE400se as it has a lot of clarity here.

Treble

The treble of the HE400se is good if unremarkable for the most part. One pain point is a small mid-treble peak around 7 kHz. This peak does occasionally make it sharp and sibilant but not too much of a concern. My real complaint is that this peak has the effect of making the hats/cymbals sound tizzy, especially when combined with the “dryness” of the HE400se’s timbre. These notes don’t sound complete; the crisp initial attack and subsequent shimmer are masked as the peak emphasizes the middle part notes where the hats/cymbals rings outs. It can sometimes come off as a little incoherent on certain recordings as notes start to blend into each other in a cheap, thrashy sort of way. This makes the HE400se’s treble seem brighter than it really is.

Presentation

The technical performance of the HE400se is what I’d consider the new baseline for so-called “audiophile” headphones. That title previously belonged to the Sennheiser HD6X0 lineup (granted, I have not heard the new HD560S). Compared to headphones below this baseline, the HE400se’s resolution, clarity, instrument separation, and dynamism is a step above. That said, it is a baseline. The HE400se definitely won’t be blowing anyone away with its performance if you’ve already had something better. What is impressive is the price that this performance comes in at.

Of note is the soundstage of the HE400se. I like it. It feels open and provides plenty of space for instruments to play around in. There’s good width to it and more importantly, it has a small helping of depth that really adds another dimension to the sense of stage. The HE400se’s imaging does a good job in allowing instruments to layer three dimensionally on top of each other without fighting on the same 2D plane. It helps the HE400se to have solid instrument separation and clarity especially when coupled with good note definition. While resolution isn’t particularly outstanding, detail retrieval on the HE400se is surprisingly pretty good. Tiny individual musical passages that languish in the background tend to get uncovered and highlighted.

Comparison to the Sennheiser HD600:

The ubiquity and performance of the HD6X0 series headphones make them a great comparator for any headphone and it’s no exception here. Price wise, they aren’t too far off the HE400se. Used HD600s can be had <$200 while new HD6XXs go for $200-220 on (Mass)Drop. I’ve long considered these HD6X0 headphones one of the best values you can get in personal audio especially if you go the used route. But with the release of the cheaper still HE400se, they just might topple that throne.

Starting from the bass, it’s hard to say which I prefer. The HD600’s subbass doesn’t extend as far and it is slightly sluggish with less finesse and clarity. However, it does have a more natural tone and oomph with a minor elevation over the HE400se. Mids are mellower and more organic on the HD600 without the dryness of the HE400se. The HD600’s mids are able to make the tone of every instrument play nicely with each other with no one outstanding instrument. As for the treble, I’ll have to give it a tie here. The HE400se has a greater brilliance and airiness that lightens up the sound, but the tizzy hats/cymbals do stick out like a sore thumb. The HD600 sounds comparatively deadened in this region but make up for it by being inoffensive and balanced. In summary, the HE400se has better clarity but weaker timbre.

Where the HE400se pulls ahead of the HD600 is in its staging. The openness of its presentation is a breath of fresh air compared to the HD600’s closed in, 3-blob sound. The added width and depth of the soundstage on the HE400se makes it more comfortable to listen to as it brings along greater instrument separation and layering. The HD600 would definitely benefit from the staging the HE400se has. Instruments on the HD600, particularly in the bass/lower mids, can sometimes sound like they’re a little congested. I think greater treble brilliance the HE400se has helps offset this issue.

Resolution and nuance on both headphones are fairly similar to each other, with the HD600 taking an edge. I do think the HE400se wins out on detail retrieval since my perception of that quality is enhanced by better staging. Dynamic ability is also pretty much on par on both. While they’re a solid step up from anything below the aforementioned performance baseline, neither are truly outstanding.

Personally, I’d take either on a given day. I really do like the HE400se greater clarity and staging despite its minor tuning flaws. But if I had to pick one to keep, I’d go the HD600. The importance of having a reference dynamic driver in my collection cannot be stated loudly enough.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, with an asterisk. If you’re just looking to get into the hobby with a tight budget, there’s practically no other option for the price. Take the $50 – 70 you’d save with the HE400se over the HD560S/HD6XX and put that towards an IEM like the MoonDrop Aria and an amp. From a pure sound quality perspective, the HE400se is highly competitive with any entry level set or even a bit beyond. If you’ve never heard a good dynamic driver headphone before, you’ll likely not even notice some of the HE400se’s minor timbral issues.

Where the asterisk comes into play is that I think most people who do end up with the HE400se will look to sidegrade/upgrade relatively soon. The HE400se is good enough that it gives a nice glimpse into the world of truly better sound quality. But I was a little unsatisfied with the HE400se, like I could almost feel that there is something better to be had going a step up. Frankly, I’m pretty sure this is a ploy from HiFiMan to get people to buy the Sundara, especially when you consider the awful cable and cheap build on the HE400se. And while I don’t think the HD6X0 is necessarily a strict upgrade from the HE400se, it’s worth considering if you have the budget. The better build and more agreeable timbre may be worth it for some.

At the end of the day, while the HE400se may be compromised in some ways, perhaps the greatest testament to its sound quality is that it’s able to finally provide an alternative to the HD6X0 for audiophiles just beginning their long journey. Just make sure you get an amp for whichever you choose.

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This is part one of review series where I will look at the HiFiMan HE400se, Sundara, and Ananda. So if you’re wondering where the comparisons to the Sundara are, tune in for upcoming reviews!

-Fc-Construct

[Prabin_Paudel]

Can I expect great performance se vs balanced on hip dac. just got 400se and getting 4.4 cable soon. Enjoying my 1st ‘real’ headphones a lot

[pk500]

You sure can!

That’s the exact setup I use for my HE-400se: Balanced 4.4 cable from Audiophile Ninja plugged into the original hip-dac. A wonderful pairing that still pleases me every time I listen to it.

You made a hell of a good choice for your first “real headphones.” Well done.

Enjoy!

[Prabin_Paudel]

thank you will post my impressions with extra power I get via balanced cables soon.

[Johnathan_Wogerman]

If you haven’t already, I would suggest hartaudiocables.com. You can get the cable from the dual 3.5 to 4.4mm balanced and if you get other headphones, you can just order the part that connects to your new headphones and will interconnect to the 4.4mm balanced tip from your first cable purchase. They make good quality, long lasting cables, and in the long run, it’s more cost efficient. I have them for my HE400SE and switch out the cable to run my Sennheiser HD660S off of an iFi Hip Dac V2 and it is lovely.

[Johnathan_Wogerman]

@Resolve may I ask what you use to EQ your headphones?

[Resolve]

Equalizer APO and the PEACE UI

[Prabin_Paudel]

for the time being I got generic 20 dollar amazon one. I had got 400se cuz I couldnt push for used sundara. so couldnt justify 60 70 dollar cables.
I’m liking the looks of this cable actually and might make some of my relatives foreign buy it for me
Graphene 7N OCC Shielding Coaxial Mix Earphone Cable For Hifiman Sundara Ananda HE1000se HE6se DEVA he400se Arya He 35 LN007776| | - AliExpress
Thank you for suggestion tho. I was looking at hart, periapt and audiophile ninja as well…

[Seaweed]

Hello im new member here、just got my he400se international adition a few days ago. Just wanting yo let you guys know that he400se that i got came with normal black cable and not the white one. If others wanna buy this headphone make sure to ask to your vendor wether it comes with normal black cable or not

[MediaPimp]

When I purchased mine late last summer, it came with both cables (the black one aka the stethoscope and the white, awkwardly stiff, but pretty cable). I hated both of them. I wonder now if that was an error on their part though?

[SenyorC]

The first units came with the fence wire and then plenty of people mentioned that they got the black cable included in the outer box (not the product box). Now it seems that the black cable is included in the actual product box.

My guess is that they saw the comments on the cable and decided to swap it out, with the first lot being already boxed, so for those they added it in the outer box.

[Seaweed]

Wow thats interesting、i guess they do try to increase their products quality gradually and i heard that they’ve done alot of stealth revision here and there、hopefully they fix their QC too、I Think people will put their trust more on their brand if they keep doing this

[headdy094920]

@Resolve

Just 2 filters.

Hi @Resolve

At 60 Hz are you using LS or LSQ there?

See 2 plots below which look quite different. I can see a Q=1.41 there in your EQ screenshot so was confused

LS:

LSQ with Q=1.41:

[Resolve]

You could us LS or Pk. The downside with Peace UI is that it locks the Q for the LS. But with EQ APO on its own you can adjust that. But honestly, that stuff is all just what you want it to be.

[headdy094920]

Thanks so “LS” with Peace UI is basically LSQ with Q=0.71 ?