The 400i replacement cable I went with and love:
$18.90 new
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT7Y90R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I really don't like the treble of the 4XX, even with EQ. I find the 6XX a vastly better headphone overall.
I have a few different sets of headphones, but I often get goosebumps from the 400i's. The detail and clarity just blows me away.
I agree, but sometimes I wonder if that peak simply makes up for bad recordings plus my 62 year old ears that I know are not what they used to be. Nevertheless, I really enjoy them driven by a Topping D30 and Schiit Heresy.
Do you notice any difference between driving them with D30 vs Heresy?
Edit: Oops. I was thinking about DX3 Pro not D30...
Greatest phone website I've ever seen.Really good website! Thanks!
The split is pretty low in both, but here is the pic. The one on the right is the new cable.I agree, the stock cable is much too stiff and wants to take a "set" far too easily, but my biggest gripe is that the split is too low. The flat top of the "divider" (for lack of a better word) has a bad tendency to get caught on the edge of my keyboard tray. I was planning on building my own cable with Mogami star quad, but after eye problems/surgeries, I am no longer confident in soldering those tiny 2.5mm plug connections.
Does the split sit any higher on the cable you linked? Thanks!
The split is pretty low in both, but here is the pic. The one on the right is the new cable.
The 400i has a few treble peaks seen in the higher frequency square wave plots. My ears are sensitive to 3.5kHz and the harmonics. Moving the pads around made the 400i very listenable.
Glad you got both! I think 599 is a direct update to 598. I definetly won't bring these outside. If my wife takes my HD598 I'll get HiFiMan HE-400i. Thanks for the info!I own HD599 and He400i, i don't think that HD589 & HD599 is that much different, so i'll say that hifiman he400i is just a better headphone in almost all aspect, HD 599 is just more portable, although still wouldn't wear it outside.
That dip in 2K is the most worrying part... I could be wrong.another HE400i measurement
and Sonarworks:
View attachment 48266
Do not that all measurements show the 2 weak points. Bass roll-off and the 6-10kHz peak. For the last 'issue' (sibilance) there is a fix when it bothers an owner (some actually like the extra detail the peak adds in some recordings).
I have both the HE 4XX and the HD 6XX. I can't say I like one over the other. I like to own more than one tie as well. But, the HE 4XX can be driven by a smart phone or tablet. It doesn't absolutely require an amp.
Ok for vocals etc. But listen to, say, the DG Ultra HD Kleiber Beethoven 7th with your HE400i - and anything less than a clean 1w will be really, really apparent...
(Was it the 7th where one critic called it 'One step from the madhouse'?)
I like the HD58x and 6xx better than the HE400i. The mids and treble sound more linear, natural and lower distortion. The HE400i sounds more exciting, but artificially bright and unnatural. I listen to mostly acoustic music and like it to sound realistic/natural. The 58x for sure, and 6xx may be, in your price range at Massdrop.... Currently I have an HD598. My wifi really likes it and want it as hers, so I need to get something else. I wonder is Hifiman HE400i better than HD598, or if there's anything else you guys can recommend around ~$200 (USD) value range. ...
That dip in 2K is the most worrying part... I could be wrong.
The 400i has a few treble peaks seen in the higher frequency square wave plots. My ears are sensitive to 3.5kHz and the harmonics. Moving the pads around made the 400i very listenable.
I have an HE4XX, which is very similar to the HE400i though the pads are slight different. It too suffers from a treble peak. I tried your reversal trick but it doesn't seem to make much difference.
Measurement on MiniDSP E.A.R.S. with HEQ (harman-like) compensation
The minor differences there would seem to be what might be expected if one measured the headphone, removed it from the rig, replaced it, and measured it again, correct?
The blue trace is mostly just shifted a bit to the left up to 4 kHz.