HiFiMAN HE-400i: A Low Cost Neutral Planar

SPECS:

http://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/178

Driver Type                                 Single-sided Planar
Plug Type                                     3.5mm with 7.5mm adapter
Cord Length                                1.5m
Frequency Response                 20 Hz – 35 kHz
Sensitivity                                   93 dB / mW @ 1kHz
Weight                                         370 g

WHERE TO BUY / COST:

http://store.hifiman.com/index.php/headphones/he-400i.html

$399 new

OVERVIEW

Being familiar with planars from Audeze, Fostex, and MrSpeakers I want to report how the HE-400i from HiFiMAN stacks up. HiFiMAN aims at delivering a comfortable headphone with tight bass while still keeping the planar sound signature. They also strive for the HE-400i to be easily driven by portables and we will investigate the efficiency along with the acoustics.

The initial impression is that the packaging, headphone, and cable all make one cohesive bundle with the exception of the right-angled jack plug on the end of the cable. I see no reason for a right-angled jack plug. This and all of my other headphones all have a straight jack plug. It appears to be an attempt to make it more portable, but the headphones themselves are so large it is unlikely that anyone is going to wear these away from their home rig. HiFiMAN did replace the screw in connectors that attach the cable to the headphone with 2.5mm stereo jacks making connecting the cable a cinch. Yay!

AESTHETICS

First of all the box is really well packaged. Adequate foam is placed during shipping and the headphone is neatly tucked inside the shaped compartment foam so they do not bounce around during shipment. The accessories are minimal including just a cable, 7.5mm adapter, and the headphones. It would be nice to see a 3m cable included that has the straight jack plug, but the short cable was not a problem for my desktop setup and after using it for a few days makes sense.

The finish is dark blue with a metallic sheen. The grills are free of defects and add a hi-end look to the headphone. The gimbals, temples, and headband are all cohesive and because the earcups can swivel to completely flat, fit issues are minimal. The headband and head-size adjustment systems are one of the best I have seen in any headphone. They are superior to headphones like AKG and Audeze because they are easier to adjust and simpler. The earpads are pleather with a thin ring of felt on the part that rests against the ear/head. This allows for some air venting and typically tightens up the bass. It also adds to comfort. The earpads are angled with the thickest part of the pad designed to rest at the back of the head tilting the driver towards the ear canal. The earpads can be removed by gently deforming one side and pressing inward towards the center of the earpad and then bending the pad slightly. This reveals clips that hold the pad to the earcup. With the earpads removed one can replace them with other pads and play with the angle. To me this was an absolute must because the default angle for the pads made the listening too fatiguing possibly because the angle was too direct for my ears.

 

After a long listen I determined that the peak extending from 3.5 kHz to 7.5 kHz is too fatiguing for my ears without moving the pads around. I reversed the tilt placing the thickest part of the pads to the front and thus the thinnest at the back. This drastically mellowed the troublesome peak and made the headphone much more listenable. It also shifted the soundstage from a back of your head experience to a more speaker-like sound. The bass is airy and renders very low bass notes. The mids remain extremely neutral and the treble keeps its rolled-off nature. If the HE-400i is too fatiguing for you try flipping the pads. Pro Tip: Some positions are not favorable and tend to really color the sound. I found the best positions are with the thickest parts of the pads either to the front or back. Having them up or down alters the sound too much.

Unamped: With an efficiency of 93 dB / mW the HE-400i does need a decent voltage swing to get loud enough. To achieve 110 dB SPL a voltage of 7.0 volts RMS is needed which some phones will certainly struggle with. Fortunately most music will not demand 110 dB of dynamic range. Most devices should have no issues with this and my iPod touch had no issues. Acoustically, portable listening is superb. The bass is crisp and tight, the mids clear and mellow, and treble well extended be it a tad rolled off in the upper-most frequencies. This calms the treble energy and makes for a more enjoyable experience. The treble is not rolled off to the point of being colored or greatly attenuated, just rolled off into good balance. Chick Corea’s Three Ghouls, Part 1 sounds very even from bass to treble. The chimes and triangle are easily discernible without being drowned out by the midrange and bass. The bass is airy and engaging. Perhaps a touch of air is removed from the woodwinds, but the track sounds excellent in all other regards with the HE-400i.

Amped: Amping the HE-400i reveals how inefficient it is. Right away I had to go to the hi-gain setting on my BUDA or a setting of 75 on the m903. Almost all other headphones run on medium gain on the BUDA or 65 on the m903. BUDA made the HE-400i sound more up-front making that pad position critical. I left the pads with the thickest part facing forward for the remainder of my listening. A good tube amp, like Schiit’s Valhalla 2, will further mellow the somewhat direct sound of the HE-400i and provide plenty of voltage into this voltage hungry can.

Being very neutral the HE-400i will reveal the flaws in your music. It will not enhance an already neutral sounding track and some music among my hi-fi tracks fell flat. Take Dion’s Crossroads from his Bronx in Blue album. The midrange is very harsh and hard to listen to. The mix is just that way on this track and with a less neutral can it can be hard to catch. Others like Benni Chawes’ Always on My Mind from the Bang and Olufsen concert prove sublime. The bass is clear, but not overwhelming, his voice is up-front and delicate, and the brush strokes on the drums clearly audible. Amped the HE-400i sounds better with electronic and jazz over rock and metal, but once your brain adapts to its sound signature you will most likely find it extremely competent.

Switching to the other amp in my setup, the Grace m903, I found the HE-400i to be more detailed, smooth in the midrange, and even in the bass. The BUDA sounds a bit colored with the HE-400i having too much bass and not enough detail in the upper treble. Finding a great amp synergy allows the HE-400i to sound even better, but any reputable amp will suffice as long as it can swing the voltage. In fact I found the HE-400i to sound great from portables making them a great all around headphone.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that HiFiMAN is coming out with some great gear. The HE-400 and HE-500 are favorites in the planar community, but with the new releases like the 400i and HE-1000 it is clear that HiFiMAN is picking up on improving their already great sound. The HE-400i, with the pads in the stock configuration, proved too up-front for my tastes. Perhaps I am just sensitive to the 3.5 kHz and 7.0 kHz peak as others have not really picked up on this issue, but to me it is important to mention that the pads can be moved. I have found that there are very few stock headphones that perfectly match ones preference. No surprise considering even our physiology is different. That said applying slight EQ or in the case of the HE-400i moving the pads around fixed any problems I found. It is definitely an awesome sounding headphone. Due to its neutral sound signature be sure to allow adequate time for your brain to adjust.

I think HiHiMAN met the goals of making a light, easy to drive, improved sound quality headphone that many, like myself, will enjoy very much.

LINKS

Measurements

COMPARISONS

I have received a few requests to compare the the HE-400i to the AKG K712 Pro.

The AKG K712 Pro is one of my favorite dynamic headphones and I am intimately familiar with it. Through several iterations of upgrading I found it to be the most revealing headphone under $800. It does fall flat on its face when it comes to aesthetics because it feels cheap and does not have a great headband adjustment system. The HE-400i on the other hand is the polar opposite. The HE-400i rests perfectly on my ears at the appropriate level while the AKG sits low and too loose. Both headbands are very comfortable, but the materials on the HE-400i just feel better made and thought out. The cables are both nice with the HE-400i being much shorter. The AKG K712 Pro cannot really be balanced without serious modification while the HiFiMAN can be easily balanced which is a plus if you have a fully balanced setup. The AKG’s finish is not a fingerprint magnet which I know a few of you will enjoy, but how often do you look at the outside of your headphones anyway?

Sonically the two are similar being somewhat neutral and mid-centric. The AKG is more tinny sounding in the midrange compared to the HE-400i. Both generate bass well with the AKG sounding more airy and open while the HiFiMAN quick and direct. What I love about both is how they reproduce horns, drums, vocals, and especially guitar. Listening to Something To It by Great Big Sea on their Rant and Roar album shows how each sounds very even. On the HE-400i this track can clearly be dissected into its various components. Bass, mids, treble separate out nicely giving each a very speaker-like presentation. The AKG focuses more on vocals and scopes in on the airy details like the slight echo in the room and the reverb of the drums. The AKG muddles up the soundstage and makes it harder to enjoy each instrument separately. The upper treble is easily discerned with the HE-400i compared to the AKG because of the muddling effect. I prefer the HE-400i because it sounds like the more competent headphone and is much more speaker-like.

Audio-Technica ATH-R70x: The Flagship

INTRO

Audio-Technica has been in the business of making great audio gear for over 40 years. They have several headphones available including this new flagship, the ATH-R70x. Being very familiar with the ATH-M50 I wanted to review their newest headphone because I was curious to see if they have improved on their already stellar M50. I also have listened to the ATH-AD700 which was my gaming recommendation for a few years because it had wonderful instrument separation, directionality, and treble. Let’s dig in and find out how it sounds, how it’s different from their other headphones, and if there any shortfalls.

 SPECS

Type                                            Open-back reference
Driver Diameter                       45 mm
Frequency Response               5 – 40,000 Hz
Maximum Input Power          1,000 mW at 1 kHz
Sensitivity                                 99 dB
Impedance                               470 ohms ( 1,050 Ohms peak )
Weight                                      210 g (7.4 oz), without cable and connector
Cable Length                           3 m ( 10 ft )

OVERVIEW

The ATH-R70x is considered a flagship headphone. Typically when I see this mentioned in the product literature I look for explicit goals laid out by the company for the headphone. A company might say it is designed for studio use, has extended bass, or may even talk about comfort issues that the new flagship addresses. In this case the R70x strives for accurate and extended treble along with prolonged comfort. If you have heard a few of Audio-Technica’s headphones then you know that their headphones can sound bright especially if they an open-design headphone. The R70x is the most open headphone I have seen. It is also one of the lightest. These two facts make large strides in accomplishing their goals.

AESTHETICS

As you can see the driver is very exposed and by the large amount of venting on the back this headphone is extremely open. The earcups are comfortable, but perhaps a bit shallow for larger ears. I have small ears and have no fit issues of any kind. For the size of each driver, 45mm to be exact, the R70x is wonderfully light. It weighs a mere 7.5oz and is currently one of the lightest headphones in my collection. The wing fit system for the headband is superbly executed and alleviates pressure points that tend to develop at the top of the head. A few other headphones out there use this type headband, but it has not caught on fully. I find it unique and a welcome improvement.

The headphones are labeled for left and right, but the labels are on the inside of the headband and etched in as black on a black background making them difficult to spot. I would like to see this changed by making the color white for the labels and by moving the labels to the outside of the headband. The cable is unique in that it does not matter which side of the headphone cables you use for a particular earcup. The left and right channel separation will always match. This is accomplished by sending both signals to each side of the headphone connectors and selecting the necessary channel from within the headphone earcup. Pretty cool! The cable is too long for my taste at over 3m. It is too unruly for portable use which is shame because the R70x sounds great from a portable.

The earcups swivel and contour nicely to the face and the pads are very comfortable. I found no comfort issues, but a few users report having the pads being too shallow and feel the driver cover to resting on their ears. Aesthetically these are awesome!

ACOUSTICS

Sonically the R70x comes in as slightly bright sounding with a smooth and even midrange. The bass is impactful at times, but does not go as deep as the closed ATH-M50 I compared it to. I would like to see 3dB more emphasis from 20-100 Hz to beef up the low end. The midrange is clear without being too up-front sounding. The treble extends very well and is capable of revealing detail in music not easily recognize with other treble-light headphones. The chimes in John Williams’ Double Trouble from the Harry Potter Soundtrack are easily discerned. The boom of the bass drum is airy and the instrument separation is excellent. I do hear some roll-off to each side of the frequency spectrum which is typical of Audio-Technica heaphones.

The R70x is rated at 99 dB making it efficient enough to be used on a portable player. At 470 Ohms ( 1,000 Ohms peak! ) many will wonder if it is possible to drive it with a portable, but it is more about the sensitivity than the impedance. Having high impedance indicates a few things. First it means that the drivers can be easily damped because the output impedance of amp can be 50 Ohms and the damping factor remains above 8 which is where most designers like to see it. A good solid state amp will have an output impedance below 5 Ohms and a tube amp below 20 Ohms. Just about any amp out there will have plenty of damping. Higher impedance means that less current is drawn from the amp so current will not be the limit, but voltage may be. As impedance climbs the voltage required to achieve a particular loudness also climbs. I found that in order to get 110 dB SPL of loudness I needed over 3 volts RMS and had to run my BUDA amp on high gain. A higher impedance indicates more wire wraps in the coil as an attempt to generate higher field strengths for better control of the driver. I found no loose sounding drivers or sibilance. I would like to see the impedance of the R70x be at a peak of 300 Ohms making it easier to supply voltage to, but I really had no problems driving the R70x to very loud levels be it via portable or desktop amp.

Compared to the AKG K712 Pro I had at my desk the R70x sounds a bit more laid back and pleasant. The R70x has a smaller soundstage, but this was expected due to the treble roll-off. The R70x was much less sibilant in the treble and smoothed out the harsh treble of the K712. The bass actually reminds me a bit of a planar in that is it is very dynamic. The K712 is sluggish compared to the R70x in this regard.

The R70x does especially well with jazz, acoustic, and due to its soft sound signature even rock. Tony Rice & Peter Rowan’s Shady Grove reveals how fun and exciting the R70x can become. One caveat I have is that due to its extremely open design louder than usual volumes must be used to get the full potential out of this headphone. This can cause listening fatigue during busy music like rock and metal, but for almost all of my reference material the R70x sounded easy on the ears.

CONCLUSION

The R70x has some very cool features. The headphone itself is ridiculously light and the earcups are some of the most comfortable I have had the pleasure to review. The headband can be worn for hours. I hardly knew I had them on. The sound is dynamic, bassy enough to get you moving, and extends enough into the treble to be revealing and resolving. It is not as bassy or boomy as the closed version and the R70x remains a more even-sounding headphone. The slight roll-off in the treble contracts the soundstage some, but the open design does make the R70x sound spacious. The midrange is up-front as to not hide vocals. The Audio-Technica signature remains intact, but hey could use a bit more bass extension as I found them to roll-off steeply below 60 Hz. The bass is impactful and full sounding spite this fact.

Having one of the highest impedances in any headphone I have tested makes it a bit amp picky. As found in Big Sound 2015 the higher the impedance of a headphone the more it tends to reveal the flaws of an amp’s design. The bass can become boomy making a headphone sound sloppy, but the R70x does very well unamped and sounds a bit more boomy which can make it sound more fun. The R70x is easily one of the coolest headphone designs I have seen in a while and add in the sound quality I have no problems recommending it.

SUGGESTED CHANGES

After using the R70x for a few weeks I realized there could be some excellent tweaks made to the headphone to make it even better.

1.)  Increase the thickness of the pads to at least 3.5 cm at the thickest point and then taper it towards the front of the head. This should smooth out the bass response as well as provide more room for larger ears.

2.)  Make the pads easy to install as it took me a lot of time and a little frustration to get the pads seated properly. This may involve allowing the earcup gimbals to swivel more than just a few degrees so better access is granted during the install process. I challenge any sales person at Audio Technica to change the pads in under a minute each.

3.)  Include a 2.0 m cable in addition to the long stock cable

LINKS

ATH-R70x at Audio-Technica

ATH-R70x Measurements

TRACKS THAT SOUND PARTICULARLY AWESOME WITH THE R70x

Beirut’s Santa Fe on The Rip Tide album

Benni Chawes’ Always On My Mind from the Bang and Olufsen Benni Chawes concert

Jen Chapin’s Master Blaster (Jammin’) from the Revisions: The Songs of Stevie Wonder album