HIFIMANHE400se HiFi Headphones for Mobile Use with Stealth Magnet Technology, Silver, Adjustable (packaging may vary)

I'm no audiophile, but I've owned and tried several pairs of budget and mid-range headphones like AKG702, DT990 PRO, HD 660S2, and not been particularly impressed with any of them. I was recommended to try this pair along with the Oratory1990 equaliser preset for them, and my god... it's like I'm hearing music properly for the first time. I wasn't really a fan of EDM before, but these headphones have changed my mind about that genre entirely. It's almost like these headphones were made specifically to listen to 80s/90s trance and techno. I never knew there were a whole range of bass frequencies I wasn't hearing due to other, inferior headphones.People complain about the build quality, and while it could be a lot better, I can't complain about it at this price point. Comfort wise, I've had no problem wearing them for hours at a time. They are decent headphones right out of the box, but certain frequencies peak and can sound a little harsh without a good EQ preset. The preset I recommended lowers the pre-amp and makes the headphones quieter overall, so you will also want a decent USB DAC amp to drive them.

Got these headphones at an absolute steal of a price at a special limited price of only £69 which at that price it would be damn right rude not to add these to my growing headphone collection.These at that price or in fact any headphone below £150 I would say are the best bargain in HiFi land.Build quality is really not that bad, I have heard lots of negative reviews on the build quality of Hifiman headphones but I do think that was based on earlier models or production runs as they seem to have now got their act together on build quality.The headphones are well built and use of decent enough materials with a mix of metal and plastic. The pads are comfortable and big enough to accomodate my slightly larger than average ears. A mix of soft pleather with a fabric surround as where it touches your head, comfort is very good in my opinion.The cable is decent enough and they have upgraded this cable from earlier 400 models, fitting an aftermarket cable is easy enough as the fittings are standard 3.5mm connectors and you can easily run these balanced too with a cable without breaking the bank.I run these on my Fiio K9 Dac amp on medium gain at around 2pm on the dial and I do listen loud on my 58 year old ears.Sound is extremely clear and present with stonking amounts of smooth treble detail presented. Mids are quite forward but very present and vocals in your face if you like that kind of presentation (not unlike Grado presentation).Bass is very good , definitely not bloated or muddy but it does dig quite deep and has a decent amount of sub bass before rolling off.Soundstage is not huge but definitely bigger than my HD600 but imaging is not so precise as that reference headphone. Imaging is good enough though especially for a headphone at this price point.If you can get this headphone below £100 its a no brainer provided you have a half decent amp to power them, even at their list price now on here at £129 I do think these are stellar value to get into the FUN of Planar Magnetics.Out and out recommendation from me!

I'm not new to quality audio and have a respectable collection of audio gear for the budget orientation I enjoy. I listen mostly via vinyl with dual ifi air phono and can. I also listen via cd and Spotify on a recently bought fiio k7. My collection includes akg k702, hd599, AA hi-x15, ATH MSR7B, Sivga sv021 and more budget classics MDR5, 280pro and M40x.For music these are undeniably the greatest pair of them all. They don't have the EXTREME wide stage of the k702 or the uncoloured sound of the Hi-x15, nor the big thomp of the sv021.All of the above are still great pairs worth looking at. However above them all stands this value for money monster. Pure, natural music. Something even my more expensive MSR7Bs struggle with and the he400se just glide right through. Any part of the song as clear as day whether it be the big drop or the crisp solo. No compression no sense of crushing no feeling of "that feels a little too close/far away" just great music.Most reviews talking about the he400se praise it for its natural staging. But I don't think many especially at mine and many others price range actually know what that is. Until you actually try them and you hear the "oh it is actually like I'm in the room with them" it no longer becomes a recording and moreso an experience. Completely unfatiguing as well.Yes the build quality isn't 100% the grilles move a little too much more than I'd like. But at least you can put custom ones on if you want. Yes the brand has had quality control issues in the past but what headphone company hasn't. And yes compared to their Ananda or Sundara they probably aren't as detailed or spacious.But at this price where they sit right now. Unbeatable. They truly do bring 90% of high-end hifi to the 90% of enthusiasts.I do say enthusiasts because they do have a couple more cons. Like everyone probably noticed despite their resistance and sensitivity they are touted as hard to drive. I agree. They get to about 80% of my low gain on my k7 with the single ended output. And that's 1.2 watts of amp.Planar magnet woes. DO NOT PUSH FULL HAND OR COVER THE CUPS. I noticed this day one just like quite a lot of very light dynamic drivers these will pop and they will creek to make horrible sounds. You can flex the driver don't do it.Lastly for their size they are very comfortable but outside that vacuum they are not. I can see your body getting used to the size rather fast they don't exactly burn your ears but the weight does get to you after probably an hour maybe 2. Which is when I usually swap them out for the much lighter MSR7B. I think the support is definitely there the headband is foam but stiff and won't give way and the pads are beautiful and airy. But at the same time the pressure at top is much higher than most and if you do wear them too long I can definitely see the infamous headband indent being an issue.At the end of the day are they for outside? No. Are they the most comfortable? No. Are they the best neutrally? No. Are they the easiest to drive? No.But would you really be here if you didn't just want great audio at a good price with the caveats that come with most other "audiophile" grade gear?In my book, a steal.