Hifiman He400s Over Ear Full-size Planar Magnetic Headphone
- Sounds terrific on your smartphone or most any portable audio device
- Superb Hi-Fi Quality with lifelike clarity, detail, extended bass and wide sound stage
- Only 350g-Long Hours of Comfortable Listening
- Innovative headband and specially designed ear pads for remarkable comfort
- Planar headphones
The HE-400 has nice crisp, detailed mids and surprisingly punchy, articulate bass. The soundstage is decent, but it all comes down to the transparency you rarely get on other headphones under $ 300. Hifiman, of course, has a long history of making great audiophile headphones at affordable prices, but with the HE-400s, they’ve really pushed the boat in terms of the amount of headphones you can get on a tight budget.
The HE400S are wired in-ear headphones with an open design and removable audio cable. They’re bulky and have a simple aesthetic that won’t win any style awards, but their build quality is good and sturdy. They have a double headband design consisting of a metal headband and a synthetic leather strap. While the square headband looks odd, it can easily accommodate large heads and provides a secure and comfortable fit, without alarming crackles when adjusting.
Dynamic pilots work like this: A magnetic field moves an ultra-thin coil of wire forward and backward, which in turn moves the pilot diaphragm to which the coil is attached. This chain of electromagnetic events quickly compresses and decompresses the air, creating sound waves that make you nod your head. Planar magnetism, a speaker technology that Yamaha popularized in the mid-1970s, is a whole different beast. Instead of using a relatively heavy and rigid diaphragm, like the one found in a DD, the planar diaphragm is made from a thin transparent sheet of film. This flexible film has an extremely low mass, with conductive layers distributed over its entire large surface. This means that it can be moved by magnetic force more evenly. Upshot: sharper signal, lower distortion and more detail.
Unlike the headband, the ear cups are plastic, but they are durable and give a lighter frame. They’re large and roomy, easily fit most ear sizes, and include soft ear cushions with velor covers. They make the HE400S comfortable to wear for long listening sessions, with their more breathable design adding to their level of comfort. The ear cups have a nice silver finish while the grilles and ear cups share the same black color scheme as the headband.
The Hifiman HE400S headphones are remarkably affordable and good looking, and they offer good value for money when it comes to sound quality. And to top it off, the headphones weigh just 350 grams. In terms of sound, these planar headphones could even be compared to some more expensive models. They deliver crisp, realistic clarity and well-defined bass. What I particularly like about this model is its ability to present a wide soundstage. In other words, the sound of these headphones gives you a feeling of space and breadth. But let’s not forget the convenience of these Hifiman plans. They have soft pads and extra padding on the headband. Overall, the combination of sound quality, comfort and affordability makes these Hifiman planar headphones an option worth considering.
If you don’t mind the lack of a boom mic, the HE400S are also great headphones for gaming. Their large soundstage is beneficial for some games, while their comfortable fit makes them suitable for long gaming sessions. They are suitable for both action games and story games with lots of dialogue and cutscenes. If sound quality is more important to you than practical gaming features, they are a good alternative to similarly priced gaming headsets such as the SteelSeries Arctis 7 and Astro Gaming A40 TR.
Given that the HE400S are open-back headphones, it’s hardly surprising that their sound isolation is non-existent. They won’t block out background noise, even in moderately noisy places, and will leak a lot at high volumes. Their high sound leakage can be a problem in some situations, such as when listening to loud music in the office or in a small room with other people. They are best used for listening to instrumental music in quiet environments without anyone to bother or disturb with their high sound leakage.
Packing the HiFiMAN HE400S as easy as it gets. The helmet comes in a cardboard box, it has a solid feel and can also be used to keep the helmet safe. Inside the box you get the HiFiMAN HE400S which is foam mounted, the cable (1.5m), a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter, a warranty card (in Chinese), a HiFiMAN card and owner’s guide. For those looking to modify the HiFiMAN HE400S. Changing the velor butt pads that come with the HE400S can dramatically increase the sound portion of the headphones, especially the bass. Focus pads are a great alternative and feel comfortable. Also trying the Angled HM5 pads increases the sub-bass and midrange response. The highs are still pretty similar, but there is a reduction in the soundstage.
Overall, the HE400S is the best option if you are looking for relatively inexpensive planar magnetic headphones. They’re great value for money while their build quality is solid, with their metal headband and plastic ear cups both appearing durable. While not the prettiest in style, they are comfortable to wear for long hours due to their generous padding and relatively lightweight design.
Hifiman He400s is the Best Hifiman Headphones in 2020.
HIFIMAN SUNDARA Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones
- Featuring Newly Developed Diaphragm that is 80% Thinner than the HE400 Series Resulting in a Wider Frequency Response, Faster and More Detailed
- With the weight spreading strap for outstanding comfort but with a more fashion conscious look with its sleek and sumptuous matte black finish.
- With its all metal headband the SUNDARA is built to take the rigours of urban street life. The SUNDARA is as tough as it is beautiful.
- New 3.5mm Headphone connector for enhanced durability
- The slimline SuperMini is the perfect on the partner for the SUNDARA. The SuperMini with its abundance of audio power output and the SUNDARA’s grace and poise makes them the velvet glove over a marble fist.
The HiFiMan Sundara is among the best open back headphones on the market, outperforming and offering better value for money than most other products in the same price range. Their build quality is superior while their sound quality is exceptional. While their open design makes them a poor choice for listening to music in loud places, they are excellent for listening to music at home.
A pair of wired on-ear headphones, the Sundara are premium headphones with predominantly metal construction with a beautiful matte black finish. They have well padded ear cups and a flexible metal headband with a synthetic leather strap. Their round ear cups are large and roomy and can easily fit most ear sizes. The metal inserts connecting the headband to the ear cups are more resistant to wear while the grilles on the ear cups are sturdy and aesthetic.
The HiFiMAN Sundara are open-back, over-ear headphones. The overall design of the headset is excellent and a huge improvement over the HiFiMAN HE 400S and 400i. The materials used for the HiFiMAN Sundara are good, the majority of the materials in this headset are steel and a few plastic parts are present. Let’s start with the headband. It features a steel band on the top and a protein leather suspension that sits on the head. Attaching the headband to the ear cups are steel bands. The yokes that are attached to the headphones allow a rocking movement up and down.
The ear cups are angled, and while not as thick, a breathable mesh material on the top gives them a comfortable feel. The earpiece housing is made of metal and is circular. The outer part of the headphones has a metal mesh which gives a better aesthetic appearance to the headphones. The overall styling and workmanship of the HiFiMAN Sundara is simply superb.
The HiFiMAN Sundara comes in a black box which is fitted inside with foam to contain the headphones. The packaging is minimalist and apart from the headset, a 1.5m cable and 6.3mm adapter, no other accessories are included. In the box you will also receive an owner’s guide and a helmet warranty card. There’s no case included for the headset, but the box can serve as temporary storage before trying out a headphone holder or portable storage case.
The included audio cable – which is detachable and connects to both earbuds – terminates in a 3.5mm analog plug for universal compatibility. It’s durable and has secure connectors, but it doesn’t have an in-line remote for volume control and music management. A gold plated 6.3mm plug adapter is also included in the box. There are no other accessories included in the package apart from the default audio cable and plug adapter.
The HiFiMAN Sundara is a comfortable headset. The headphones, while thinner, are well constructed and of good quality. The headphones have enough room to fit the ears very well. The headphones are also replaceable, so you don’t have to worry about them wearing out over time. The headband is also comfortable and sits on the head without creating hot spots over time. The headband can be adjusted to accommodate different head sizes by simply moving the earbuds up or down to accommodate your head size. The clamping force is moderate and good enough to be worn longer.
The weight of the headset is just right, not too heavy as associated with planar magnetic headphones. At 372g, the HiFiMAN Sundara is a relatively light headset, which adds to the overall comfort level of the headset.While not as breathable as other open-back headphones and have a tight clip, the Sundara are very comfortable to use for long hours. They have soft pads and good weight distribution and stay securely on the head. They’re not as heavy as some flat magnetic earphones which are also mostly metal, making them less tiring to wear for extended listening sessions.
Apart from listening to music, the Sundara are also decent headphones for gaming, especially if you like playing games with great soundtrack. But they’re less versatile than some of the best gaming headsets. Plus, they don’t have a boom mic for voice chat, which can be a problem if you have a mixed gaming regime and play single-player games regularly. and online multiplayer.
Sold for around $ 350, the Sundara is a great pair of planar magnetic headphones that sound fantastic and are comfortable to use for long hours. Their build quality is excellent, with a sturdy headband and durable ear cups, while their clip is secure without being uncomfortably tight. Compared to the newer LCD-1 – one of their main competitors in this price range – they sound more neutral and have a better soundstage, but they are less portable.
The HiFiMAN Sundara are nearly balanced headphones, and if you like a cool little sound signature, then this is a good bet for you. The bass response is better than the 400i or even better than the 400S. It is well laid out as with most plans and has a good standard. Although the bass response is good, it lacks a thump or rumble and may be insufficient for bass-intensive music genres like EDM or hip-hop. The midrange is uniform and very balanced. In this case, the vocals and main instruments are well balanced. The highs are smooth, detailed, and clean, but may be slightly affected by sibilance or be too bright on some tracks.
Hifiman Sundara is the Best Hifiman Headphones in 2020.
HIFIMAN Ananda Over-Ear Full-Size Planar Magnetic Headphones
- High Sensitivity
- Ultra Thin Diaphragm
- Window Shade Grill Design
- Asymmetrical Ear Cups
- Unparalleled Portable Audio Performance
If you want a product that is a step up from the Hifiman Sundara, the next update would be the Hifiman Ananda. The Ananda follows the same formula used by the Sundara and the HE4XX. This is not a headphone that strictly rivals technical headphones. It has the technical details to match its price point but isn’t set to be flat or anemic. It gives priority to the pleasure of the auditor over the raw technical performance. This is the basic concept and the reason why the Hifiman headphones have been so successful.
HifiMan Audio was founded at the end of 2005 by Dr Fang Bian while he was living in New York. He started Head-Direct, and in 2007 started using the HifiMan brand. They first started with in-ear headphones, branched out into building high-resolution portable players, and then were followed by planar magnetic headphones. As the business grew, the need to expand increased, so in 2010, Dr Bian opened two small factories in China and moved the head office to Tianjin China in 2011. They are now a well recognized brand around the world – especially in the area of laptops and personal audio products.
The Ananda (and other similar HiFiMAN headphones) has a very recognizable design style and aesthetic, opting for the egg-shaped cups from HiFiMAN, rather than the circular ones found in the Sundara. This is similar to their high-end headphones developed by the HE-1000 and Edition X several years ago, and is markedly different from the more traditional designs of the HE-500 and HE-400 series which put HiFiMAN on the map.
In terms of build quality, the Ananda follows the trend set by other high-end helmets. It uses metal construction for the frame and in the most crucial areas of the helmet. It also uses the new self-adjusting headband found in the Sundara. Despite the materials used, it retains its lightweight design. It’s so good that Hifiman even had the crazy idea of making the Ananda BT, a Bluetooth version of the Ananda. The headband is a spring steel double band which is nice and sturdy and connects to two metal yokes using a ratchet system (easy to feel and hear the click settings). It reminds me a bit of the Beyer-type yoke to headphone connections – only the Ananda seems much firmer. Suspended under the spring steel, a wide leather headband is very comfortable with good weight distribution. The housing around the yoke assembly is made of hard plastic.
As for the sound signature, the bass isn’t its strongest feature. It’s not a loud or punchy bass, but it’s clean and well controlled. They do an adequate job of complementing the overall sound by adding body, but don’t stretch too much or try to steal the show. The mids are similar to the bass. They are clean and well detailed but lack a bit of shine to make them really awesome. The highs are advanced but not tiring like the Beyerdynamic T1 / 1990 Pro or the Sennheiser HD800 or Shure or Beats.
The caveat here is that while there is a lot of treble, its smoothness sometimes prevents it from being as detailed as those treble headphones. In terms of soundstage, the Ananda has a pretty open sound. It doesn’t have the widest soundstage, but it’s very breathable and open sound. The imagery is also flawless and works as expected for its price range.
Now compared to the Sundara, the Ananda is more refined in almost every category except the bass response. The imagery and soundstage are slightly improved in Ananda. The retrieval of details is also more precise in Aanandha. The mids and highs are smoother on the Ananda. However, the bass doesn’t have the same punch as the Sundara. It has more energy than the Ananda, which is part of the more refined sound you get, but for some people the impact of the Sundara’s less refined bass response is missing.
However, overall the Ananda is better in almost every way compared to the Sundara. If the Sundara’s signature sound appeals to you, then the Ananda will be even better. Overall, Aanandha is a sweet and harmless sound. If you are a fan of Hifiman’s other planar magnetic offerings such as the Sundara, be sure to try the Ananda.
HIFIMAN Ananda is the Best Hifiman Headphones in 2020.
HIFIMAN HE1000 V2 Over Ear Planar Magnetic Headphone
- World’s First Diaphragm in Nanometer Thickness
- "sounded remarkable and may motivate me to do a lot more headphone listening" -Jim Hannon《The Absolute Sound》
- Advanced Asymmetrical Magnetic Circuit offering perfect reproduction of live music
- Ergonomic and comfortable design fit for most people, with greater reliability and durability.
- Patented “Window Shade” System reduces sound reflection to gain wider sound stage
If you are looking for the best of the best planar magnetic headphones then the Hifiman HE1000 v2 is for you. You would be hard pressed to find anything not to like about them except maybe the steep price. For starters, the HE1000 v1 was the first planar headset to feature nano-thick diaphragms. There is also an advanced asymmetric magnetic circuit that works in perfect harmony with the pilots. For this reason, exceptional sound quality does not come at the cost of extremely low driver efficiency. For a high-end pair of headphones, these aren’t too difficult to drive. While they won’t work with your phone or laptop, you won’t need an expensive headphone amp either.
These HiFiMAN HE1000 V2 headphones have a beautiful wood color. The darker wood color around the headphones is a perfect complement to the headband. The headband is slightly enlarged in this version of the helmet than that of the previous version V1 of the same helmet. These headphones provide even pressure distribution when worn overhead. The depth of the ear cup has also been reduced with the new version of the headset. This factor contributes to the relatively light weight of the helmet. The retrieval of details is absurd and the soundstage is huge and almost like a loudspeaker. Everything feels tight and under control and there wasn’t a genre the HE-1000 couldn’t be good at.
The advanced asymmetric magnetic surface of this headset allows for the best reproduction of live music. The window shade system of this helmet also protects the magnetic pilot. In addition, the open back design of the helmet provides comfortable wearing. The stable arch structure of this helmet also extends its durability. These headphones perfectly redefine the audio landscape.
This comfortable helmet is perfect for most people. In addition, the headphones have a distinctive and modern look to suit any fashion-loving audiophile. The headphones generally offer precise bass and treble. You can enjoy perfect sound insulation with these large ear pads. The nanometric thickness of the diaphragm also makes it weightless for comfortable wearing. These headphones also easily reduce interference from unwanted reflections and vibrations in the audio.
I must point out that these headphones have the ability to deliver otherworldly sound quality. The distortion is almost non-existent and the properties of the soundstage are probably close to the Sydney Opera House. In addition to this, the HE1000 also comes with the patented Hifiman window shade system. This system optimizes the design of the open case of the headphones and reduces sound reflections in the ear cups which may slightly disturb the sound. The result is a deep and wide three-dimensional soundstage.