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Hifiman HE400i Review (planar headphone)

Jimbob54

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Can I use your eq parameters settings with same results in Uapp and Jriver or needs some adjustments? Thanks
Yep. Uapp has a 6 band peq which you can add to to make it 10. Note, uapp eq has 2 different "peak" type filters, analog Bell and digital Bell. Damned if I know which is the same as "Peak". Suspect it doesn't matter much.
 

Robbo99999

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Hi, I love your review and thanks for this eq settings that share. I'm from Romania, have 43 age old and I love good music. I brought yesterday a pair of Hifiman 400i 2020 and his sound is more more better with your eq implemented. I paired the headphone with îmi micro idsd Black label via laptop and Fiio q1 Mark 3 via Android. For laptop I use Jriver and for Android Uapp.
Ah, you've got the 2020 version, Amir measured the 2016 version though, so you might instead want to use Oratory's EQ where he actually measured the 2020 version:
https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ld9y8k3r67ikujw/Hifiman HE400i (2020).pdf?dl=0
 

DavidS

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Yep. Uapp has a 6 band peq which you can add to to make it 10. Note, uapp eq has 2 different "peak" type filters, analog Bell and digital Bell. Damned if I know which is the same as "Peak". Suspect it doesn't matter much.
Does anyone know the difference between analogue bell and digital bell?
 

Jimbob54

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markanini

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Does anyone know the difference between analogue bell and digital bell?
I don't know about this specific EQ but in other EQs it can mean one of two things. 1. Q varies with gain. 2. more effort to keep Q consistent at higher frequencies, which normally gets narrower in a digital EQ.
 

Ruben

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In Jriver I don't have peak/ dip. What else can I use for same result? I think the first in row " Adjust a frequency ( equalizer filter)" is the same as peak/dip in Roon
 

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Acerun

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@amirm I've been using your PEQ for the HE4xx that came today after using PEQ filters from oratory for an hour. Definitely prefer the PEQ settings provided by your testing, sonically it sounds more clear and the imaging of tracks comes through.
Wait...Amir put out PEQ for HE4XX? Where?
 

Robbo99999

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Wait...Amir put out PEQ for HE4XX? Where?
That's right, he hasn't put one out, because Amir hasn't measured the HE4XX. The guy you quoted must have been a bit confused or was assuming that the HE4XX was the same as the HE400i 2016 version, which it's not.
 

solderdude

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keebz28 only mentioned he has been using the HE400i PEQ from Amir for this HE4XX and said he preferred it over no EQ.
It makes sense.
 

_thelaughingman

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Wait...Amir put out PEQ for HE4XX? Where?
sorry for the confusion should have worded my original statement correctly. I have used the HE400i PEQ that Amir had used in the review, since then i have moved on to the new PEQ based on Oratory's new measurements. It's listed here few threads back if you're interested.
 

markanini

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Sometimes it means that "analog bell" (filter) is implemented as a minimum-phase IIR, while "digital" is a linear-phase FIR.
Weird exceptions might happen in labeling. Most EQs use IIR filters, inherently minimum phase, which operate similarly to analog EQ units.
 

Acerun

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Yep. Uapp has a 6 band peq which you can add to to make it 10. Note, uapp eq has 2 different "peak" type filters, analog Bell and digital Bell. Damned if I know which is the same as "Peak". Suspect it doesn't matter much.
After some searching I found this at Head-Fi - "Peaking" is just the analog bell filter in UAPP
 

EJH

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I bought a 400i in 2018 after seeing Amir use it in tests. While I liked its sparkly quality, it certainly became my least used can. I always thought it was too bass light. But the rubbing of bows on string instruments was always particularly beautiful on this headphone.

I just applied Amir's EQ using Roon on this can. Wow, what a difference! Amir was right when he said it takes the 400i from a mid fi can to something almost approximating my HD800! However, I could tell immediately that the sound is way more cramped and not as finely detailed as my HD800, but besides that, it certainly is a great sounding can!

I would caution anybody wanting to buy this can though that the headband is extremely fragile and did break on me, so I had to order a replacement. I know they came out with a 2020 version that has a new headband, but if you are getting this older model, be aware of that.

”The rubbing of bows on string instruments was always particularly beautiful on these headphones.” That might very well be why I enjoyed them so much with classical music. This headphone had a very weird tonality. Moreover, bass was very soft and a lot of treble energy was missing. At the same time, on poorly recorded pop tracks, there was sibilance and very harsh ”th” sounds. And yet for classical music they were a delight to listen to, and I sort of regret selling them. Comparing the soundstage to the HD800 seems crazy to me since they were precisely the opposite, meaning they produced sounds right in the center of my head. In fact, that was another quality I liked about them since, on some tracks, these headphones would almost seem to massage my mind. I mean it would get sounds right there in the very very center, a sensation I found extremely pleasurable. I replaced them with the HE560, which are technically quite better in so many areas. But I dare say the 560 have never given me as much enjoyment as the 400i.
 

imagidominc

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”The rubbing of bows on string instruments was always particularly beautiful on these headphones.” That might very well be why I enjoyed them so much with classical music. This headphone had a very weird tonality. Moreover, bass was very soft and a lot of treble energy was missing. At the same time, on poorly recorded pop tracks, there was sibilance and very harsh ”th” sounds. And yet for classical music they were a delight to listen to, and I sort of regret selling them. Comparing the soundstage to the HD800 seems crazy to me since they were precisely the opposite, meaning they produced sounds right in the center of my head. In fact, that was another quality I liked about them since, on some tracks, these headphones would almost seem to massage my mind. I mean it would get sounds right there in the very very center, a sensation I found extremely pleasurable. I replaced them with the HE560, which are technically quite better in so many areas. But I dare say the 560 have never given me as much enjoyment as the 400i.
It certainly is an odd headphone. Applying EQ dramatically changes the experience. They are my least used headphone, but I cannot deny I've had great listening sessions using them.
 
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