Heads-up on HE400i on sale

They're more exciting due to the peaks in the upper treble giving them a bit of sparkle and air but end up sounding less dynamic and more compressed but It does depend on what you're driving the HD650 with though. It will end up costing more money to build a good HD650 rig(1k + for DAC + AMP) as opposed to a HE400i rig and is not always worth it for some people. I had the HD650 on a modded Icon and it danced around every planar I threw at it although it's bass wasn't great. I don't know how much the lottery comes into play these days with getting good planar drivers but it still seems the case for the LCD models with variances in the treble and bass clarity. If your HE-400i sounds anything like my original HE-400i then I'd certainly prefer it to HD650 on modest set ups.
 
I think Ryan is basing his preference off the HD650's ability to scale with high end equipment, which is quite a rare ability. However, the vast majority of users don't tend to throw down £1000 and upwards on gear to match them with, certainly not around these parts. I am very definitely in this category, being more than happy with my Schiit Modi Multibit and Magni 3, I honestly have no aching urge to go any further as they, together with my HE400i's, make music sound rather good to my admittedly well used ears.
 
nicknack35 said:
Hey Folks went into Richer Sounds today and had a listen to the Oppo's and Shures SRH1540. These tests was from an Iphone 7 so the results would not of been great and not would have give the best performance. I listened to the same tracks on the 2 cans and can say i wasn't impressed by the Oppo's the Bass was not the type i was after it was kind of flat so then the. Shures all i can say is WOW. All i can say they was the ones for me really deep and low. Pricey at £399 but my friend got me them for £350.So tommorow ill be having a good few hours with these as im busy tonight so wont have much of a chance to really settle them in but couldn't believe the difference the minute i put them on
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The Oppos have amazing bass if you feed them MOAR POWAAAAH
 
Planars will always struggle in areas like dynamics, impact and treble timbre there's no way around it compared to good dynamics. It depends on what rig you have the HD650's on, on a higher end rig the HD650 will breeze part the 400i when it comes to detail, resolution.

Also you have to factor in personal preference. HD650 is neutral, warm with an upper mid boost messy bass but impactful while the HE-400 is slightly V shaped, has planar compression and extended bass with bright spots so it's a different approach.

I tend to prefer bassy warmish headphones like the HD650, Atticus, Old Denon range etc.
 
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The most noticeable difference is in clarity.

The Sony has a LOT of bass but mostly in the mid-bass region, so it tends to sound boomy, which bleeds into and can overwhelm the mids.
The HE400i has planar bass, so very fast attack and decay and while it doesn't have the quantity of bass of the Sony, it goes deeper and sounds much more punchy and impactful.
The mids are untouched by the bass so are cleaner and more easily heard in the mix. At the high end, the HE400i has more air and cymbals have more sizzle.
Overall the HE400i sounds cleaner, clearer and more natural and is a quite noticeable step up the ladder.

If you are a big fan of the MDR-1A bass then the HE400i would sound somewhat bass-lite in comparison but that's entirely due to the Sony having completely overblown bass bloat :D
 
What are these like running off a SMSL SD793-II?

Might be purchasing one of those, a couple of speakers (JBL 305) for the PC and the He400i's and run it off that amp.

Will it be good?
 
A little well done for passing my ACCA exam turned up on my desk this afternoon. :D:D

Anyone recommend some songs to take for a spin? Currently binging on the London Philharmonic.

Re being driven, they seem a tad quiet off my Oneplus 5T but are absolutely shining on the SMSL M3.
 
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