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Top Customer Reviews
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the best headphone ever
By
Artist enthusiast
on
September 17, 2014
Package Type: Standard Packaging
Verified Purchase
The best headphone I ever use!!! Especially good to listen female voice and guitars, is very well balanced in all the ranges.
I use it with fiio amp and they sound amazing, more bass and sound stage.
The only downside is the foam, is very hard and hurt the hears, however the sound is so great that it does not matter.
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If you need something else, your priorities are probably wrong. Or you just don’t like Grados. These are delicious.
By
D. J. Sapen
on
June 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
I’ve had the great privilege of owning both the GS1000e and PS1000e. Interesting that some listeners and dealers say they prefer the sound of the GS1000e - after “loaning” - probably forever - the PS1000e, I had to decide whether to max my card on another pair or try the Statements, which some people seem to absolutely love, taking the chance that I would regret not putting aside a few more bucks for a few weeks and getting my own permanent pair of Professionals - after all, Grado themselves made it clear that I would not be really satisfied with the Statements after getting to know the P’s. Guess what? The simpler, less-exorbitant Statements lack NOTHING after 50 hours of burn-in, might get better, and while they are not as sparklingly analytical as the Professionals in absolute terms, they are, first of all, HUGELY detailed, with great transient attack, harmonically fuller - both subtly much and revealing in a way that is both revelatory and delicious, making the P-e’s feel dry by comparison. There is nothing to complain about with the more expensive cans, unless you just don’t like Grados; it is more a matter of a signature that is independent of the extent of technology that went into the design. Like a perfectly balanced musical instrument, or an expensive vs mega-buck designer shoe, the extra techno-bang does not necessarily translate into a more satisfying user experience. One day, I would love to own both - questionable, as I am not dripping in cash and can’t usually surround myself in luxury items. I just know that after the equivalent, early stages of break in - when things definitely got a chance to open up - I am ENJOYING THE MUSIC more with Statements while admiring their considerable virtues secondarily, while my experience of the Professionals was admiration first and enjoyment second. Highly “subjective”, but I am a jaded audiophile, having listened at length to pretty much every approach to high-end out there, and the distinction is clear to me, as it will be to plenty of you. For record, I am listening to lossless as well as ultra-high-res digital files through Schiit Bifrost-Uber and Lyr2 electronics, via un-eq’d iTunes and Audirvana Plus software. Unfortunately, I have no suitable analog source at present, but this ain’t chopped liver. My point is, you will not be sacrificing anything musically with the Statements, even though you might reach a little higher to own the ultra-tweaked Professionals. The extra money does NOT equate to better performance, except as judged through a set of criteria that might not matter to your musical needs. Oh, by the way - there is no lack of bass, either quantity or quality, contrary to some of the anti-grado propaganda spread by some listeners with strange needs. The bass is highly realistic, and if it is on the recording, from properly recorded bass instruments, you will feel and taste it, as well as hear the pitch without the slightest degree of smearing or boom. Nothing more I need from headphones.
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Comparing & Contrasting the HE-400I vs. HE-400S
By
Tinfoot
on
November 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
[[VIDEOID:1a905ebee642f2ae1a584920ca688126]]This review is solely concerned with directly comparing and contrasting the HE-400I versus the HE-400S to help others who may be already sold on the Hifiman planar experience, but don't know which way to turn... which describes me when I began shopping the two, albeit I now own both.
Before I begin, I feel compelled to point to an old review from two years ago that says, "these sound nothing like the HE400s.," and clarify this person means the original HE-400, merely putting an "s" at the end for (I guess) generalized pluralization. That review had originally confused me until I realized the review was singling out only the HE-400 against the HE-400I.
When I was first considering which set to buy a couple months ago, I had dithered quite a bit between the 400S and 400I headphones, reading ALL the reviews here on Amazon and various audiophile forums. And I still wasn't decided until I read a simple statement left on an audiophile forum that really crystallized my determination -
"If you like warmer audio, the HE-400S. If cooler, HE-400I."
Being one who does tend to gravitate towards warmth, even if it is by only relative degrees, I bought the 400S first. However, I had promised myself that if the 400I went on sale, I would pick up a set as well. Sure enough, Black Friday week brought a big drop in pricing for the 400I. Nothing else, at least I would be able to finally get a hands-on (err... or heads-on?) evaluation between the two, confirming or denying all the stuff I spent days reading when first deciding.
Frankly, for those who are also waffling between the two choices, I would indeed highlight that statement concerning veiled warmth versus analytical coolness as the pivotal decision point. There were a couple other trade-off aspects I had to answer for myself at the time, ones I will bring up for your own food for thought.
1) I knew beforehand that the FocusPads (non-A variant) were standard on the 400I, and that getting the same for the 400S pretty much put them on par in terms of general audio characteristics. I really didn't want to be forced into an additional expenditure right out of the gate, which was a point in favor of the 400I. Still, after a month of owning the 400S, I did fork out the $40 for the Hifiman FocusPad replacement earpads. And, yes, replacing the stock all-velour pads on the 400S does indeed aurally bring it effectively to the same spectrum table as the 400I, save for that "warmth vs coolness" difference. On the other hand, the FocusPads also effectively made my 400S purchase at $340. I still frown on the apparent "necessary additional expenditure".
As a side note when looking at after-market earpad replacements, be aware that the Hifiman earpad rings are 110mm all the way around.
2) The 400S is easier to drive. I had no problem getting full sound potential on the 400S with my Samsung Galaxy S6. Conversely, the 400I needed me to use a separate software DAC with a pre-amp slider to get them to play up well. I only use the smartphone example for those who may be using one as their player since I actually primarily play through my SuperMini PMP, which has both a balanced and a normal output jack - and on that balanced output (4.3v peak-to-peak), there about five volume steps between the 400S and 400I - but both headphones are entirely engaged.
For me, it was basically the warmer characterization and easier-to-drive advantage that got me to pull the trigger on the 400S. Now owning the 400I, those decision points do remain valid.
Once again, the warm vs cool is only by manner of relative degrees to each other, yet still perceptible even after full burn-in periods. The 400S has a slight tonal edge diffusion under that warmer cast, whereas the 400I maintains distinctly crisp tonal separation. I went through a large number of A/B tracks spanning the music genres, but the one I ended up focusing on the most was Rogier's Polychoral Works (24bit/88.2KHz Hi Res FLAC) as exemplifying the difference. Even during the choral crescendos with various brass timbres, I can still distinctly pick out each element and positioning, right down to the natural vocal sibilants (neither set has any artificially induced sibilance). Thus the whole "analytical" reference that gets tossed about a lot by others.
With the 400S, the brass tends to merge with the male vocals, and those vocal sibilants are far more demure. Naturally, the 400S is less prone to fatigue the ear when presented with a predominance of soaring mids and highs. About an hour of listening to those choral works on the 400I, and I was done. The powerful Magnificat sopranos did me in.
Aside from that,
* Both sets are of the exact same construction materials, right down to the plastic extension arms and housing. Only a color difference between the 400S space gray versus the 400I shiny & matte black.
* Both have the same head grip, weight, and great comfort level.
* Both come with a single 5 foot, heavily braided L-jack 3.5mm to split L & R 3.5mm balanced cord, just the one with the 400I is black, whereas the 400S is gray and black striped (apparently attempting to match the headset coloring - doesn't come off so well as the all black cord).
* Far nicer presentational packaging for the 400I with a fancy flip-up leatherette hard box that doubles as attractive storage. The 400S is merely a product box with a foam insert inside.
Subjectively, I still prefer the 400S. I am merely rather susceptible to ear fatigue, thus my predilection for warmer sound. Black Friday drop in 400I pricing notwithstanding, I would have to say the $340 total price for the 400S (including the FocusPad replacements) over the normal $450 tag on the 400I makes the 400S a sure thing for those who share my own audio preferences.
Nevertheless, for sitting down and really studying a piece of music, or for those who prefer a cooler transparency, the 400I does get my strong approval. Also, does make a rather excellent wired TV headset for hearing dialogue over heavy thematic music backing.
**Update 07December2016 - upped my rating from 4 stars to a full 5 stars. As inferred in my earlier text, I have been using the 400I as a set of "TV Headphones" since its mid range clarity is a marvel for hearing dialogue even over poorly mixed thematic music. Recently, I added a TOPPING NX3 headphone amp to the audio line, an amp that sports a bass boost toggle (a welcomed low end plumpness for movies & gaming), and additionally providing a thin warm veil to the overall sound - but without sacrificing the distinct tonal separation and spatial transparency. I find myself loving this combination more so than my living room speaker setup!**
So there you have it. Hopefully this helps you decide which Hifiman variant is best suited for you without having to search & slog through all the review material like I did in the beginning.
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The best purchase of mine!
By
Bui Hai Anh
on
December 15, 2016
Size: 250 Ohm Premium
Color: Silver
Verified Purchase
Wow, the first time I put it on... booom! It was like, the thick blanket around my ears through the years had finally been lifted. Everything is so clear, I can really hear the singers inhaling, moving their lips and tongues, and the fingers caressing the strings.
I listen to all kind of music, ranging from classical to rock, metal (think of Dimmu Borgir, Wintersun, Amorphis...) and everything in between. My quest was to find a detailed, revealing headphone, and I A/Bed several headphones in stores, using Fiio X3 2nd gen as I tried to find something efficient enough without the need of amplifier:
* Sennheiser HD598: smooth, but boring for most rock with virtually no bass.
* Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: overrated, the sound was too constricted and the bass was bloated. It gave me headache just after 5 minutes of listening.
* Grado sr80e: Gosh! It was like somebody was using chainsaw right beside my ears. Couldn't stand 1 minute.
* Grado sr325e: smoother than sr80e, OK but a bit too metallic to me.
* V-Moda M100: OK, good thumps, a bit less detailed than HD598 and sr325e. Looks good too.
* Sennheiser Momentum On Ear: the bass was very good, detailed, strong, fast, but the mids was a letdown, too distant and overwhelmed by the bass. I could not enjoy any classical piece with it.
* Audeze Sine: perhaps the Fiio X3 2nd could not handle that, because this headphone sounded like a $30 to me.
I also own Sony XBA-A3 - a hybrid IEM with one 16mm dynamic driver and two balanced armature ones, and Skullcandy Grind. To me, the DT 880 is clearer by a wide margin, to the point that I use it to see the differences more than to enjoy the music. You can find the frequency response graphs of DT 880 and equalize it to achieve a smoother experience (that is, increase the bass and decrease the treble around 8kHz for better thump and less sibilance) without losing detail.
I use the DT 880 mostly for films and classical music, and when my head is strong enough, rock and metal. The details are sometimes excessive, so to listen to music to relax, I use the XBA-A3 for a stronger (but slower) bass and smooth treble. The Skullcandy Grind is only for audiobook on my phone, merely because of the convenience (easy to put on/off, has button on the phone) as the bass on this phone is too much for any kind of music (good for those who want Beats bass but lack the money).
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Majestic
By
Tony
on
May 8, 2017
Style: Headphones
Verified Purchase
(If you're wondering how these compare to the [[ASIN:B00004SY4H Sennheiser HD 600 Open Back Professional Headphone]], please see the bonus section that follows this review.)
These are, bar none, the most wonderful headphones I've ever heard. For perspective, I have or have had: Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (of course) and M40x, Fostex T50RP MK3, Oppo PM-3, Philips Fidelio M1MKII and L2, and both the Sennheiser HD598SE and HD600. None of these but the HD600 come close. If you're considering the HD598 as a lower-priced alternative, it's a great headphone in its own right (especially if you don't want to go down the rabbit hole of choosing a suitable amp), but there isn't as much family resemblance in the sound as you might think.
Still, it was through buying the 598 that I decided to take the plunge on the 650—Sennheiser's 5xx series is clearly a gateway drug to the 6xx series, which fortunately is so good there's little reason to step up to the 700 and 800 besides bragging rights. There's a lot of warped machismo in the world of audiophilia, and to the greatest extent possible I'd like to avoid that in this review.
Simply put, the 650 is about the best all-around headphone you can buy for its current Amazon price of $315.99. If you already have an amp and/or a dedicated listening setup and you've never heard these, you owe it to yourself to try them. Worst-case scenario, you don't like them and you're out $6-7 for a return label. Best-case scenario, you find out just how good (and yes, also how bad) recorded music can sound. These are very much the BMW 5-series of the headphone world: there are bigger, faster, and more expensive options, but these remain the perennial gold standard. Maybe they're not your style, but there's no denying their refinement and artistry.
I think they sound absolutely perfect. Some complain they're too "laid back," even "veiled." I suspect those people just don't hear very well, because if you have sensitive hearing, "exciting" headphones are a euphemism for "death by treble." I have dog-like hearing, and most of the time it's more curse than blessing. Even with the 650, the treble can be brain-piercing with the wrong amp.
As for amp recommendations, this is a contentious and fiercely debated topic. As a general rule, you should spend the most on the final device in your playback chain (speakers/headphones), and progressively less on the "upstream" components: amp, DAC, media player. Given a budget of no more than $300 for an amp, you could buy the [[ASIN:B00E0DMCO0 Genuine National JDSLABS Objective2 Black Edition By NwAvGuy Headphone Amplifier JDS LABS (Made in USA)]] to use with a computer and the [[ASIN:B00TNSRNGO Aune B1 Class A Portable Phone/Headphone Amplifier]] for use with a portable source like your phone. These are both great amps that cost less than $150 each, but if you want to pair this with "endgame" or "summit-fi" gear, by all means do! The 650 has a reputation for "scalability," meaning its sound will continue to improve with better amps, DACs, recordings, etc. My own gear is quite modest, so I can't speak to how this sounds plugged into a $5,000 amp or rewired with $700 cables. All I know is that the 650 sounds good enough to be the end of the headphone rainbow for me. The audio hobby is usually a desperate, futile struggle against diminishing returns, and as far as I'm concerned, the 650 IS that threshold in the headphone world. In other words, you can spend ten times more, but it won't sound ten times better.
Given that, you might be wondering whether you even need an amp with these. "Need" is a strong word, and in the context of expensive headphones it's pretty hard to maintain a sense of perspective. I've done the unthinkable and plugged these directly into my iPhone's headphone jack, and you know what? They STILL sound phenomenal, but only for easy music. What's easy music? Pop, rock, basically anything recorded to be uniformly loud. Without an amp, the 650 can fall apart on classical and jazz recordings with a wide range between loud and quiet sections—there simply isn't enough power on tap to move the diaphragm as nimbly as this sort of music demands. If you never listen to instrumental music, you might be able to get away with not using an amp, but I can't recommend it. Buying such marvelous headphones and not amping them properly would be like buying a beautiful painting and not framing it. You can do it, but for a little more money you might as well get the full effect.
Let me end with some totally subjective words that describe the sound of the 650: rich, natural, musical, effortless, clean. Now some words that could just as well be applied to a fine wine (the combination of status anxiety, groupthink, and reckless cognitive bias unites both hobbies): broad-shouldered, velvety, well-mannered, savory, harmonious. In either case, a smooth finish. :)
Bonus section: HD650 vs HD600
Obviously if you've read this far, you're deep enough into the audio hobby to have realized an important psychological truth about yourself: you can't leave well enough alone. Neither can I. That's why, even after falling head over heels in love with the sound of the HD650, I ordered the HD600. I just had to know.
The verdict? It's almost too close to call, but for my preferences the 650 is the better headphone. The two have been compared to death online, but if you have the capacity to think for yourself, audio review sites and forums are usually an unsavory if fascinating combination of shilling, self-justification, and "follow the leader" parroting of received opinions. Many self-proclaimed "audiophiles" have strong opinions about equipment they've never actually heard, which I can't accept.
Given that, I decided the only way to compare the two headphones honestly was to listen to both myself for hours, going back and forth on a wide variety of recordings. The difference between a good recording and a bad recording dwarfs the difference between lossy and lossless, and the HD600 (more so than the HD650) may end up changing your taste in music because it makes good recordings sound SO GOOD and bad recordings sound SO BAD. In other words, it reveals the "truth" of the recording, and sometimes the truth hurts—it's really hard to enjoy The Killers now.
The fact is that the 600 and 650 are ultimately more alike than different, and the popular insistence that they sound completely different has more to do with what Freud called "the narcissism of small differences" than the headphones themselves. If you Google some variation on "HD650 vs HD600," you'll hear over and over that the 650 is "bassier" or "darker." Not really. There's actually very little difference across this parameter. Piano music presents an exception, but this is rarely what people think of as a bassy genre.
There are two significant differences. The first is soundstage. The HD650's soundstage is wider, but that doesn't mean it can make a cramped recording sound airy. The HD600's soundstage is more intimate; there's less space between left and right channels, but it's not a huge difference, and I could see people preferring (or at least not minding) the HD600's tighter spacing.
The most striking difference between the two headphones is in what I'd call "smoothness." The best analogy I can think of comes from digital photography. As an image sensor increases its sensitivity, it also increases its noise because you can't amplify a signal without also amplifying noise. There are two rival philosophies for dealing with noise: leave it as "grain" or smooth it out. Grain has its devotees, and the advantage of grain is that it preserves fine detail. The disadvantage is that past a certain point it becomes a distraction. The advantage of smoothness, meanwhile, is that it looks superficially nicer. The disadvantage is that when you look closely you won't see all the fine details. Like all things, it's a continuum of compromise. The 600 is the headphone to get if you value detail at the cost of an occasionally unpleasant grainy and even metallic quality to the sound. The 650 is the one to get if you care more about music than sound and don't care if your headphones sand down the sharp edges of your music a bit.
Going back and forth between the two, it quickly becomes clear that the 650 is the stronger all-around performer: it sounds nicer on more recordings and across more genres. The 600, meanwhile, is the champion of a particular niche: good recordings with lots of micro detail. Want to be able to count how many times the skin of a drum reverberates after it's struck? Want to hear such fine vocal gradations you'll know how a singer felt during recording? The 600 is for you.
Make no mistake: at its best, the 600 produces the most astonishingly detailed sound I've ever heard. Unfortunately, at its worst it sounds grainy, jumbled, and not particularly musical. I'm sorry to report that piano music sounds particularly off on the 600: low frequencies disappear and take the fullness of the keys with them. Vocals can sound oddly recessed, even far away. In general, the 600 seems to fare better with female vocals than male ones, and with strings over pianos. It's absolutely glorious for acoustic guitar, but then, so is the 650.
The 650's great advantage lies in its ability to bring out vocals like a spotlight. They stand out so clearly and powerfully from the instrumentation that you'll feel like you're hearing your favorite songs for the first time. The effect is really quite incredible: it's like there's a special sonic space reserved for vocals and unpolluted by other sounds. Based on Sennheiser's own specs, the 650 has lower distortion than the 600 and it's clearly a more refined driver unit. Whatever the technical reason, the 650's background is pitch black: sounds rise from and fall back into a sea of silence. Be forewarned: a well-recorded vocal track through the 650 may bring tears to your eyes, and that's why I kept the 650 and returned the 600.
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