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Hifiman HE400SE Review (Headphone)

Rate this headphone:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 4 1.1%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 15 4.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 118 31.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 235 63.2%

  • Total voters
    372

_thelaughingman

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Interesting observation about burn in....

When brand new, the cymbals sounded really strange, very artificial, like unnatural high pitch noises only.

After a few hours using it, today is the forth day, the cymbals sounded more like what I used to get from my k371. So, burn in appears to happen to mine.....
Have you EQ'd these at all to tone down the treble? I think putting a -3dB High pass filter after 10k might give this a better balance.
 

Pdxwayne

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Have you EQ'd these at all to tone down the treble? I think putting a -3dB High pass filter after 10k might give this a better balance.
Not yet.

When brand new, the highs/brightness was the main thing that caught my attention. Now it is more balanced. I can enjoy most of the songs. Even the sub bass satisfies me enough to not think about my k371. For sub bass, I can already say I prefer it over the 560s.
 

_thelaughingman

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Not yet.

When brand new, the highs/brightness was the main thing that caught my attention. Now it is more balanced. I can enjoy most of the songs. Even the sub bass satisfies me enough to not think about my k371. For sub bass, I can already say I prefer it over the 560s.
Welcome to the Planar bass club. ;)
 

pk500

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Interesting observation about burn in....

I don't think I notice any major change of my K371 after using it for a while. Since nothing strange really stands out, my first impresion of it brand new vs well-used do not really change.

Same for hd560s. My first impression of it, vs about a month later, did not change.

But this one, at least when listening for the first few songs from brand new, have something really strange that stood out.

This is either second or third song I listened from brand new:

When brand new, the cymbals sounded really strange, very artificial, like unnatural high pitch noises only.

After a few hours using it, today is the forth day, the cymbals sounded more like what I used to get from my k371. So, burn in appears to happen to mine.....

Anyway, mine only comes with the black cable. No other cable came with it.
Well ... the K371 and HD 560s both have dynamic drivers, while the HE-400se are planar-magnetic. There could be something to "planar burn-in." Who knows? :)

Glad you're digging the HE-400se. Terrific headphones.
 

Jimbob54

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H
Have you EQ'd these at all to tone down the treble? I think putting a -3dB High pass filter after 10k might give this a better balance.
High pass or (negative) high shelf?
 

_thelaughingman

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RHO

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I have had mine for a couple weeks now and the bass has improved quite a bit. The user manual states a "break in" period of 150 hrs. I now believe that.
I had the same effect with my DCA Aeon closed RT. I think it's the pads adjusting to the shape of your head and providing a better seal.
 

mechdroid

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I had the same effect with my DCA Aeon closed RT. I think it's the pads adjusting to the shape of your head and providing a better seal.
That's plausible but I wonder if it's the adhesives and membrane breaking in. This happens on dynamic driver surrounds and spiders.
 

solderdude

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There are no surrounds nor spiders in planar drivers.
Its just a tensioned membrane (that doesn't become more flexible over time) between magnets.
 

mechdroid

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There are no surrounds nor spiders in planar drivers.
Its just a tensioned membrane (that doesn't become more flexible over time) between magnets.
Understood. However adhesive is used to glue the signal wires to the membrane. That adhesive may become more pliable with use. Also most plastics creep over time. I'm just wondering what the actual mechanism at work is. My ears tell me the bass improved.
 

mechdroid

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Thanks for the headache o_O. Material Science is a real science too.:) Solderdude's measurements say no difference. The manufacturer claims 150 hour break in time. I wonder why? I guess it's the pads then.
 

Jimbob54

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Thanks for the headache o_O. Material Science is a real science too.:) Solderdude's measurements say no difference. The manufacturer claims 150 hour break in time. I wonder why? I guess it's the pads then.
If the measurements show no difference , why does it have to be the pads?
 

Pdxwayne

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I think solderdude said he can't really properly compare sub bass. So.......We do not know for sure.....

Anyway, when playing from brand new, for the first few songs, did you notice anything strange about certain notes like cymbals, vocals, etc?
 

Raindog123

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Material Science is a real science too. :)
I know

Solderdude's measurements say no difference. The manufacturer claims 150 hour break in time. I wonder why? I guess it's the pads then.
I know… (As in ‘I hear you’. Or, for objectivists, ‘I hear you five-by-five’.) :)
 
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mechdroid

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I know… (As in ‘I hear you’. Or, for objectivists, ‘I hear you five-by-five’.) :)
I _personally_ tend to believe that such speaker break-in is negligible and imaginary.
Nope not always. Most audio companies don't publish that sort of information. As you know it is true in other fields. I have seen it's true with transducers.;)
Anyway, when playing from brand new, for the first few songs, did you notice anything strange about certain notes like cymbals, vocals, etc?
Yes, brand new cymbals sounded whiteish not brassy. Ooooo did I just say that! That quickly went away though. They truly sound excellent with a little more body and warmth than my Sennheiser HD560s
 

Timbo2

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@solderdude

Thanks for both your review and your filter! I just built the filter yesterday and was very, very pleased with how it smoothed out the treble. Highly recommended.

I'd never worked with film capacitors before and assumed that 2.2uF film caps would be roughly the same size as electrolytics. Boy was I wrong! Their size dashed any hopes of me just soldering everything together and throwing a piece of heat shrink tubing over everything. So I had to print out a 3D case. Delivered cost excluding wire, plastic and heat shrink was about $10US from Digi-Key.

The red, white and blue theme for the wire was because of one of the following - 1. I was feeling patriotic here in the USA 2. In honor of the country where I sourced the design 3. Because it was what I had available in the stranded wire in a reasonable gauge. Pick one!


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