I think HiHiMAN met the goals of making a light, easy to drive, improved sound quality headphone that many, like myself, will thoroughly enjoy. Thanks to that the new HE400i 2020 is a very comfortable pair of headphones. Actually, I’m wearing them right now for like a 5th hour, and I don’t feel any fatigue. Well…I’m gonna spend a couple of hours more with them on my head, and that idea is pretty much okay with me. In general the highs and mids of this headphone are slightly extended. These two areas are where the headphone shine. Vocals and instrumentals sound very detailed while wearing these. Bass doesn't have impact until you use an EQ or other sort of sound processor, along with a good amp. I drive mine through an old school NAD 2140 amplifier. I drive these hard enough for the grills to rattle. Some of the stuff I listen too just isn't produced right and the Hifiman will reveal it to you and shove in it your face. Hence why I use an EQ and such. Because without them, the 400i will make you start to hate some of your music selection.

HiFiMAN HE400i 2020 Edition Review | TechPowerUp

Unfortunately I think I’ll have to let these go as they don’t really scratch the itch. This is not going to be an overly negative review just heads up The Y-cable attaches to the left and right earcups via gold-plated connectors. The gold not only adds a bit of design flair, but it also enhances long-term electrical performance since gold connectors never corrode. The bulky cable should last longer than skinnier wires, and it's also easy to replace yourself if it ever breaks. if only it has more bass than it is, I’d recommend it to people more. But for now it’s a bit more niche IMO, maybe on that regard the 2020 ver is the more mainstream one.Undaunted I tried my UAPP app. For those of you who have this I used in bit perfect mode and tried some radio channels as I don't have any music currently stored on my phone. The attempt through this app was far better and yielded a less thin sounding result. They have a consistent, punchy, and well-balanced bass, a nearly flawless mid-range, and a very good treble. Roght now i have koss esp950 .. beside the in the head LR soundstage that i dont like. They have very good clarity and resolution without harsness. The midrange pretty much continues what the bass has started. It is wonderfully neutral, uncolored in any way. It is neither dark nor bright, warm or cold, analytical nor musical. It is flat but in a very good way. The bass presentation is soft but carries enough speed. As said, it’s really pleasant and enjoyable bass. I never felt like I was getting too much bass with this headphone. Bass detail isn’t the very best, as is the layering. There are limitation at this price point, but at the same time it’s fun and engaging.

Hifiman HE400i Review (planar headphone) | Audio Science Hifiman HE400i Review (planar headphone) | Audio Science

The mids of both the 500 and 400i are comparable and the biggest difference is in the bass. The HE-500 can have great bass but getting it out of the drivers is more difficult. To do that I always use a tube amp (339 and 300b) and with the 400i it is so much easier to get out. An excellent budget planar magnetic headphone from Hifiman that definitely deserves to be a part of your collection. As to bass feel, tones that are very low (under 30 hz on average) are not really heard anyway, just felt. When you get down low enough, you can “hear” the individual beats of the tone, since frequencies are just that – something that occurs X number of times per second. So if you’re thinking of getting these for portable use with a phone, like I was, you can say bye-bye to that. (unless of course you have a warm sounding amp/dac in your phone e.g the nexus 6p?). The HE400se to me has a more neutral tuning with a good energy level, even more so than the HE400i 2020. Overall the balance to me is pretty good. Where the delivery of the music in the HE400i 2020 is softer and warmer, it with the HE400se is more to the point, energetic and focused. The 400i 2020 sounds more spacious and airy but it at the same time is less clear and clean sounding. The HE400se to me sounds more spot on, focused, tight. Both headphones have a musical delivery, but the i 2020 is warmer and smoother where the 400se is more energetic and rhythmic.PS the songs where Jay Kill & The Hustle Standard – Never seen runaway; Enrique Iglesias – Bailando and Coleman Hawkins – For you for me.