HIFIMAN HE400SE Stealth Magnets Version Over-Ear Open-Back Full-Size Planar Magnetic Wired Headphones for Audiophiles/Studio, Great-Sounding, Stereo, High Sensitivity, Comfortable, Sliver

They are amazingly good for the price, definitely much better sound than my old AKG K271 MKII (which aren't just V-shaped, they are N-shaped, I can't believe I've spent at least 6 years in them. Yeah, and they cost about 2.5x more than the Hifimans). I think these Hifimans are the really flat apart apart from being a bit bassy and having a peak at a few kHz that can make the "S" sound in vocals annoying. But YOU may like it, and if you don't, like me, it is a very easy fix, described at the end of the review. The sound is unbelievably detailed with and without the mod, but without the mod the vocals also an feel a bit odd, like there is normally a minuscule amount of echo or sustain, and here there is none, so it can sound oddly dry in a way. Like the diaphragm can start and stop so fast it causes the sound to have way less sustain than you are used to. I guess it could be that most people including me listen to music through dynamic drivers only, whether it's speakers or headphones, and then they add a little bit of sustain to everything. The mod diminishes this effect a little, turning it from annoying to actually good. I never had planar magnetics before, so this could be the effect all planars do have, and in itself it's worth the price as it is really interesting to experience. It makes brass and percussive instruments sound crazy good, like you are there. They are surprisingly comfortable when you are upright, but can slide off if you are lying on your back and didn't tighten the headband more than what feels best when sitting or standing. The build quality is OK, and much better than it looks on the photos. The earcups do have a vertical swivel even though it doesn't look like they do, just the point of rotation is within the black part of the headband. And the forks are metal. The cable is really nice and thick, and is probably like a balanced cable all the way except for the plug. These headphones are easy to disassemble (sometimes a little too easy, the grilles for example), and there is a plenty of upgrades available, including 3D printed and buyable (headband, earpads, grilles, cables, etc.). But you DO need a headphone amplifier/actual soundcard/Bluetooth DAC/stationary hi-fi equipment that has a headphone output, as a phone or other portable devices meant for ordinary headphones can be too weak to drive them properly and they will sound a lot worse than they otherwise can, even at the same volume. They definitely sound good from Creative SoundblasterX G6 and Douk U3, so you probably don't need anything unreasonably expensive. Other than that I can't really think of any reason NOT to buy them if you want wired headphones that sound good, have great soundstage, are easily repairable/moddable and are cheap. The $0 mod goes as follows: Just remove the earpads and put adhesive tape as seen in the picture. The earcup has a plastic ring that is rather flexible nad has four hooks that point outwards. The easiest way to get it off is to reach for the ring through the earhole and try to lift it where one of the hooks is. The tape has to be between the second most rear and fourth most rear magnet, and should not extend out beyond these magnets (and put it on the magnets, NOT on the diaphragm, this is just to make the sound go less directly into your ear hole). Just leave one rear gap and three front gaps. And leaving about 5mm from the top and bottom makes it as detailed as it was without the nasty sharp "S" sound, and just a very, very small amount bassier). You can adjust the tape length to your liking of course, the amount shown works best for me. Also be careful, do not touch the diaphragm, and be aware that the magnets are quite strong, so that if you use a ferromagnetic tool to trim or apply the tape, it can be attracted to them suddenly). Also be aware that the earpads have front (thinner) and back (wider) sides, and do one ear at a time to avoid mixing them up.

I bought these a a Christmas gift for my grandmother and tested them against my Monolith M1060s ($250 to $350 at the time of writing this, and also very well worth it if you can afford them as well) to make sure they were what I'd want to gift her. The HEs aren't as deep sounding and they're a little lighter on the build quality, but for 2.5 to 3x cheaper, they're totally worth it. The lows could use a bit of a boost in comparison to the M1060s for my taste, but other than that they're worth what I paid. The cups are plastic, but the joints and open-back grills are all metal. The ear pads are a mix of synthetic leather on the edge and velour on the face. It's really nice, honestly. My grandma is mostly gonna use them for her electric piano anyway, so I tested them on another keyboard she gave me and they really shine. Along with that, from classical pieces to pop to heavy metal, they're really clear and pretty well defined between 20hz to the 17-18khz that I was able to hear, which is right at what most people should be looking for and what's described in their specs. I like the extra weight of my M1060s, but the Hifimans will most likely be better for my grandma specifically because they're lighter. They're still very well built though, I have no doubt after handling them. I also want to mention that the foam that they come packaged in becomes a headphone stand once pulled out! I've never seen that, and haven't really seen anybody mention it, but it's nice to see the small features like that really bring the whole package together. I think that for a hundred or so bucks, these are definitely a grab if you plan to sit down and really listen to what you're hearing.

I’m picky when it comes to my music’s sound, and have tested a ridiculous number of open-back/over-ear headphones in the last year, including Philips Fidelio X2HR, Sennheiser 599, 600, 650, 660s2, and 6XX, AKG k702 & k712, as well as HiFiMan Sundara (2020 version), Edition XS, and Ananda Nano. All but one pair went back, but it made for some really good perspective re comparing cans. I have spent the last 9 months happy as a clam with my AKG k702 + Schiit Stack (Modi Multibit, Loki Mini+, Vali 2++/3), but recently fell back into the research rabbit hole (oops) and decided to give the HiFiMan he400se a try, and boy am I glad I did. These deliver full and warm sound very consistently via an orb-like soundstage, i.e. music feels like it’s coming from all directions around your head, like being at the center of a large globe. The Edition XS & Ananda Nano are applauded for a large soundstage, but I found it to be too vertical in both, like having a “wall of sound” on each side of your head, and the headphones themselves were comically large for my small head. The he400se are super comfortable by comparison; they do not clamp too hard but aren’t too loose either, the ear pads are amazing, and the body is hefty without being too heavy (as someone who gets headaches really easily, this is a big win). They only ever sit on my head or their stand, so I can’t really speak to their durability as I’m not tossing them into a backpack or anything like that (be gentle with your beloved audio gear!!), but their brushed metal grilles, padded PU leather headband, and stepped per-ear adjustment feel very high-quality. I know people have had issues with HiFiMan products in terms of defects, but this pair was perfect right out of the box. There were no issues with the stock cable either, but it was too short for me (at around 3ft), so I am replacing it with a custom 6ft Hart Audio cable (Amazon’s replacement options are great as well; there shouldn’t be any difference in sound quality). Compared to the AKG k702, in my opinion, the HiFiMan he400se are better for passive music enjoyment due to their warmer tuning & ability to bring out the best in all genres*, while the k702 would be preferable for mixing/mastering, certain games, and other analytical listening, as they have a very wide & accurate soundstage (like being in a large, flat/horizontal disc-like space with musicians scattered across it). *Note re “bringing out the best in all genres”: open-backs aren’t known for boomy bass, and I am not a bass-head. But I can confidently say that the planar magnetic drivers in the he400se brings more bass presence than any of the open-back headphones with dynamic drivers I’ve tried, and the mid-bass-boosted tuning compensates for the imminent lack of “thump.” I do recommend having some way to fine-tune the EQ. With the Loki Mini+, I’ve increased the low bass as well as the treble — because of the warmer tuning, the highs (e.g. lead instruments & vocals) can sound a little recessed stock. These can easily be driven without a super-expensive amp, but having an amp/DAC *will* make them sound better than plugging them directly into your PC or phone (either of which can be sources of lossless music with the right equipment & >40gbps USB-C cable to the source). Not only are these great value, they’re great in general. I prefer them over several much more expensive counterparts. Nobody else can speak for your ears but you, though, so you’ll only know if you give them a try :)

Great headphone for those looking for an entry in to the world of planar. The stealth magnets are a huge improvement. The sound could be described as laid back and very natural but still resolving enough not to feel muddy. These headphones are also pretty easy to drive and actually sound fantastic on my ifi Zen Dac v2. This is despite the relatively high noise and low output power characteristic of the Zen Dac. While most headphones will produce a slight hiss, these are absolutely dead quiet. They are comfortable too and in my experience are not fatiguing even after hours of listening. I was lucky to not be a victim of the reported quality control issues and have not had any issues with my planar drivers thus far. The cable leaves a lot to be desired but honestly at this price I don't mind just buying a third party cable. Overall I absolutely cannot complain and as such they receive full commendation. In fact they were that good that I too caught the planar bug and ordered the Edition XS, if these blew my socks off I'm now very keen to see what I'm missing with the more advanced models.

Empezaré diciendo que hace poco empecé a interesarme en el mundo del buen audio. No voy a decir que soy "audiófilo" porque me parece un término irrelevante, soy alguien que ama la música más que cómo se escucha, aunque no significa que no me guste el buen audio. He pasado por los famosos (¿por qué?) AirPods, audífonos Bluethooth in-ear, Bluethooth con cancelación activa, JVC HARX700, Samson SR850 y desde hace 1 mes con estos Hifiman, sin duda, lo mejor que he escuchado por lejos. Los he escuchado con un DAC/AMP de la marca Ciglow comprado aquí en Amazon. El unboxing en general es simple, pero sólido. Venía muy bien empaquetado y protegido. Construcción: Bastante decente, no la mejor por este precio (Fidelio X2HR imbatibles en este aspecto), pero se siente muy bien. La headband es de piel sintética de buen tacto y el arco que une las copas a ésta es de metal. Las copas en sí son de plástico, pero para nada se sienten de mala calidad. Las mayas que protege el driver se sienten bastante firmes. Primero los compararé con los Samson y los Fidelio. Los Samson son muy buenos, pero tienen un espectro en V marcado y sin duda son sibilantes (frecuentemente tenía que bajar al volumen por los agudos) y al ser semi-abiertos el soundstage es algo limitado al igual que el imaging. Pese a esto, creo que por el precio que pagas es de las mejores opciones. Los Fidelio son maravillosos, la construcción es de lo mejor, el sonido es increíble; sus bajos y el soundstage son sorprendentes, además de super fáciles de alimentar (celulares sin problema). Sin duda una excelente opción. Pasé una tortura decidiendo entre los Fidelio o los Hifiman. Si estás en esta misma situación, déjame decirte que solo por situaciones específicas te recomiendo escoger los Fidelio y es 1: Si eres amante total del bajo y si 2: Rehúsas determinantemente comprar un DAC/AMP para los Hifiman. De ahí en fuera yo me quedo con los Hifiman, pero debo decir que me dolió dejar ir los Fidelio. Sonido: Estos Hifiman, fueron chocantes para mi. Nunca pensé que el audio (de música, películas y videojuegos) pudiera sonar de la manera que lo reproduce. Es el sonido más natural que he escuchado, los bajos aunque son menores que los Fidelio, son igual de profundos y mucho más rápidos (naturaleza de planares), y antes que pienses que es algo negativo, he de admitir que desde que tengo estos audífonos he tenido más interés en géneros como Electrónica o música Pop (que antes no escuchaba mucho). Los medios son lo mejor que he escuchado, y es sorprendente cuando vuelves a audífonos en V para comparar, donde generalmente quedan rezagados. Música acústica como Adele, Johnny Cash, Gipsy Kings se escucha asombroso. No tengo nada malo para los agudos, son extensos pero nunca se sienten sobrepasados o sibilantes. En general y en mi experiencia, TODO se escucha grandioso. El soundstage es estupendo, al grado de nunca saber con seguridad si mi TV está con el sonido encendido, y créeme, muchas veces me he asustado pensando que alguien me habló o que algo pasó, cuando en realidad era lo que estaba reproduciendo los audífonos. El imaging en música es igual de increíble, cierras los ojos y sabes donde están los instrumentos, y no me refiero solo a derecha o izquierda, sino a la derecha arriba, en medio o abajo, igual en el lado izquierdo, yendo hasta abajo mezclándose con los graves donde tienen su propia extensión dependiendo de qué tan profundos sean en lo que escuches, igual con los agudos. Incluso he llegado a sentir sonidos proviniendo de delante. Es difícil de explicar jaja, pero lo que si estoy seguro es que nunca he sentido que las frecuencias estén mezcladas o poco claras. En videojuegos es igual de genial, lo he probado primordialmente en Battlefield 5, ya que los Battlefield's tienen de lo mejor en audio. Y con estos audífonos es gloria pura, te sientes realmente dentro del videojuego por la naturaleza del sonido de los Hifiman, las explosiones no se sientes carentes, las pisadas, sea pasto, tierra, concreto se oyen reales y cercanas, los disparos son como deben de ser, estruendosos y muy satisfactorios, aviones pasando encima de ti o volando a lo lejos, sabes dónde ocurre. De nuevo, la mezcla de todo lo que he dicho en un videojuego como este es una gloria, pero no por eso son solo para juegos "competitivos", lo he probado con Detroit Become Human y se escucha igual de alucinante. En películas es igual de gratificante, las voces son súper claras y en pocas palabras, es como si estuvieras ahí. Amplificación: Siendo honesto no los uso con celulares, pero revisando rápidamente para esta reseña puedo decir que alcanza un volumen medio. Como los uso es conectando el DAC Ciglow a través de óptico a mi TV Hisense H8G y por USB a mi PC y en ambas alcanza un volumen alto, más que disfrutable. Dato extraño: Conectando este DAC al PS5 no alcanza un volumen alto, es muy deficiente así, pero directo al control si se escucha fuerte, sin embargo, el sonido cambia, se vuelve más "lodoso" o menos claro y los bajos se vuelven más invasivos. Por esto lo uso conectándolo a la TV y no directamente al PS5. Sin duda recomiendo tener o comprar un DAC/AMP para disfrutarlos al máximo. Empezando por lo menos negativo o "arreglable". -El cable con el que viene es muy corto para mi gusto y es francamente horrible, plasticoso, se enreda como resorte. Yo solucioné esto comprando el cable NewFantasia en Amazon de Estados Unidos (sale más barato). Vale mucho la pena comprar este cable. -Las pads son más que decentes, la verdad, sin embargo soy algo exigente en la comodidad, y las pads son algo delgadas, el agujero donde van tus orejas es algo pequeño y el velour que usan no es el felpudo como las almohadillas TRANSTEK, sino rugoso como las Brainwavz (que no soy muy fan) y llegan a dar picor. Yo solucioné esto comprando las pads Defean (de nuevo en Amazon de Estados Unidos) de cuero real y con el anillo ya incluido, esto si es caro ($1331) pero si eres como yo, créeme son de lo mejor y lo más cómodo (y huelen delicioso). Llegamos a lo que para mí es lo más negativo (ni tanto, pero bueno) -La Headband pese a que mencioné positivamente la sensación del cuero, tiene una espuma que se siente bien en la mano cuando la presionas, pero al principio es dura, necesitas aflojarla con las manos antes de usarla por un tiempo o con el uso mismo. Sin embargo, a mi me sigue molestando un poco después de unas 2 horas, lo único que tienes que hacer cuando pase esto es adelantarla o hacerla ligeramente hacia atrás de tu cabeza aprovechando que es delgada. Esto junto con que el plástico en el que acaba (donde viene Hifiman y el modelo) que se siente un poco barato, es lo más negativo. Creo que si hubieran decidido un sistema de banda de suspensión como los Fidelio o los Samson hubieran sido PERFECTOS. Pero bueno, nada en esta vida lo es.

I am using this to listen to records. I am not a audiophile but it sounds as good as listening directly from the speakers.

These really do offer a wonderfully clear and detailed sound at a low price. They are very well made too. They do take a bit of power to get to a decent sound level. A bit heavy but comfortable.

Muito be construído. Médios excelentes. É interessante ter um amplificador para headphones.