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Upgrade suggestions from He4xx

_thelaughingman

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I am gifting my few months old Hifiman HE4xx to my sister who wants a proper headphone now that she’s interested in experiencing higher quality music. My dilemma is what should I get that’s better for myself with a budget of $300.
 
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Cahudson42

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Well, this is going to be contrary to most everybody. But if you liked the HE4XX, consider the $220 Drop HiFiman HE5XX double -sided magnet implementation - just like the $700 Ananda.

Caught up in the meaningless debate 'Is it a Deva?' So what.

Hits well above it's price. imo. Very underrated.

Does definitely need a amp with a minimum undistorted 1 watt, plus comfortable with 18 ohms. My (again underrated) Liquid Spark works superbly with them.
 
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_thelaughingman

_thelaughingman

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@Cahudson42 i hear ya. I’m not keen on Deva, don’t really care for wireless headphones because I prefer to plug mine into an amp. The He5xx aren’t bad for the price but definitely looking for an “oomph” quality headphone.
 

Cahudson42

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Not understanding 'oomph' :)- two thoughts:
Do you have PEQ capability? If not, whatever HP you get, look at the $110 Qudelix (in combo with a follow on $100 Atom, Heresy if necessary). Gets you a 'poor man's RME ADI-2'..

Willing to consider something 'unique' ( not necessarily good or bad) - look at the N90Q when it comes back on sale for $299..
 
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_thelaughingman

_thelaughingman

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Not understanding 'oomph' :)- two thoughts:
Do you have PEQ capability? If not, whatever HP you get, look at the $110 Qudelix (in combo with a follow on $100 Atom, Heresy if necessary). Gets you a 'poor man's RME ADI-2'..

Willing to consider something 'unique' ( not necessarily good or bad) - look at the N90Q when it comes back on sale for $299..
Ahh yes I do have the ability to use PEQ via sound source on my Mac and I am in the process of getting a Quedelix. I have the Atom currently paired to a Topping E30 that does pretty good with driving my power hungry 300 ohm DIY headphones.
 

Rayman30

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I upgraded from the HE4XX to the Sundara, at first I was a little underwhelmed, but when I would A/B them, I noticed the HE4XX were smoother and bassier, but when switching to Sundara I noticed an increase of airyness, detail and overall less boxy sound. I find the Sundara to be more capable overall, with far better built quality. But are they way better than the HE4XX?... no, just more refined, I did end up giving my HE4XX to my friend.
 
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GGroch

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Well, this is going to be contrary to most everybody. But if you liked the HE4XX, consider the $220 Drop HiFiman HE5XX .......

It is contrary to mine :) I own the Deva and when wired, it does not sound significantly better to me than the 400 series.
If course, we should have asked if you like the 4XX and want more/better of the same.

If you do, the Sundara and HE560 are a definite step up. The best Hifiman for the buck IMHO is the HE560v4 from Adorama at $270 shipped when on sale. Alternately $230 or $210 plus shipping for Open Box or E condition (full warranty). The OB 560v4 I got looks new. You could find a Sundara used and stay below $300, but I like the 560 better because it seems to have more deep base. Like the HE5XX they all sound better with an amp. I have an original 560 and the v4 sounds nearly identical, so easy to find reviews.
 

bobbooo

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Ahh yes I do have the ability to use PEQ via sound source on my Mac and I am in the process of getting a Quedelix.

Try these PEQ settings with your HE4XX. I doubt you'll find a better sounding headphone than that for $300, apart from (debateably) the AKG N90Q if/when it goes on sale again as mentioned above, if you want to experience well-done spatial DSP and crossfeed for a more speaker-like sound.

I would not say the HE5XX would be an upgrade, in fact quite the opposite, with poorer bass extension, lacking pinna gain and less even upper mids / treble than the HE4XX, the latter's frequency response actually closer to the Ananda's:

Harman 2018-Hifiman HE5XX-Hifiman HE4XX-Hifiman Ananda.png


With audio reproduction it's the end (the sound produced) that matters. Individual means to get this sound taken in isolation (e.g. single vs double sided magnets) are irrelevant to the consumer, often not correlating predictably with the end, as the above graph shows.
 
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