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Hifiman HE400Se Review: Friend of the penniless audiophile

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Disclaimer:

Hifiman provided me with a review sample of the Hifiman HE400Se, for which I am grateful!

I’m going to be as objective as possible, and being a common audio enthusiast, I will use simple words in this review.

I will highlight what I liked and what I didn’t, without any fear.

This will be my first review of full-size headphones. Mark from Hifiman sent me exactly what I wanted to try. Cheap but well-made products are the ones that sell the most and, above all, that everyone can afford.

I’m definitely very late with this review, but I hope you’ll still be interested in reading it.

So I’m not going to use super-technical words to review it, but I will do my best to describe it.

My review won’t be the most technical you will find online, but I hope you like it.

Tech Specs:

Comfortable
Stealth Magnets
Specs

Packaging:

Speaking of full-size planar headphones costing 100 USD, the packaging is more than right and well made. Inside, we find a box with:

Front box
Side box
Back box
Unboxing
He400se + Stand
Fully unboxed
Overview
Cable + 6.35mm adapter
6.35mm jack detail
Terminations
3.5mm
Cable detail
Stand

The internal packaging part can be used as a headphone stand, but the best thing would be to buy a well-made one. I really miss a hard case; perhaps they could have included at least a carrying bag.

I have often heard that the original cable was of very low quality, but in my opinion, they have updated the cable with a better-made one. It’s really soft, and probably the internal sections are really thin. Unfortunately, it is not balanced, but I immediately proceeded to purchase one from OpenHeart and another one from Faaeal at a negligible cost.

Design/Build Quality:

The thing that immediately catches your eye is their grandeur! They are very large, fortunately not too heavy, but still convey a very good sense of robustness. A well-padded headband doesn’t bother your head, and well-padded pads don’t get too hot, but in summer they’re a pain in the ass. The part that rests on the skin is velvety, while the edge is made of imitation leather.

He400se
Detail
Headband structure
Grill
macro
Labeling
Leather-like headband
R-L mark inside
Screw
Leather-like pads
Breathable inside
macro pads
Soft pads
3.5mm input
3.5mm macro
See Through driver
Adjustable

The headband is mostly made of metal, but the earcups (the silver area) have a metal-like finish but are plastic. The grills, on the other hand, appear to be made of metal.

As you can see, you can see through the planar driver, which is nothing more than a membrane that vibrates in the air. The rear grilles can also be removed or customized by 3D printing them. The 3.5mm TTRS connectors on the ear cups have excellent feedback and seem durable. I must admit that for what they cost, they seem even more solid than my Philips Fidelio X2HR. They probably have a very similar quality.

Fit and Comfort

Here, the situation is extremely personal and subjective. I personally hate the heat of all-over-ear headphones. I can tolerate them only in the winter, but hardly in the summer. I’m a bit particular, but leaving this factor aside, I’ll tell you a little about my experience.

Slim on the front
Thicker pads in the back

I’ve done listening sessions for up to about 3 hours. There is no discomfort due to the size or weight of the headphones. The only thing that could bother you is the ear touching the internal part where the driver is located. To be clearer, if you turn up the volume, the bass will tickle your ear with the covering. It’s not a real problem; it depends on the shape of the pads and the distance they give you from your ear (obviously also on the shape of your ears). I had this problem with my Philips Fidelio but fortunately there was no problem with the He400se.

Even though the pads seem to be breathable, the heat is there! I suffer a lot from the heat and can sweat even at -20 degrees. Maybe changing the ear cups could be a solution in my case, but I still think they are much fresher than many others I’ve tried.

Equipment used for the testing above:

Device:

Software:

DAC:

I’m not listing all the tracks because there are too many, but the Hifiman He400se does pretty well with all genres.


When in doubt, I had to do 60 hours of burn-in, but I must admit that I immediately had a better impression than my Fidelio right out of the box.


Obviously, I did a very quick test using the stock cable, but I didn’t have amplifiers with very powerful outputs on single ends except for my cheap Fx-Audio X6 with a 6.35mm output, so I immediately mounted the balanced cable.

FX-Audio X6
Dacs that can drive He400se


However, I carried out the first tests with my old FX-Audio X6, and I must say that the result is more than satisfactory. Considering the cost of this desktop DAC’s 450 MW into 32 OHM, this is probably true.

They absolutely don’t lack volume to make them sing properly, but you can easily bring it to maximum volume, and the He400se absorbs everything without any effort.

Sound impressions:

The Hifiman He400Se needs a lot of power to stand out. The difference with the balanced cable is absurd, but I strongly fear that even more is needed. In any case, I have nothing else to test them with at the moment, but I was very tempted to order a Fiio KA13.

Right from the start, they seemed much more balanced and natural than the Fidelio X2HR, which is very flat and almost cold. These Hifiman have excellent performances in any genre, while the Fidelio give their best with classical and jazz music.

After the burn-in period, I noticed a slight improvement in the low-frequency range. However, I’m still reflecting on the meaning of open-back headphones; it’s like having headphones in natural transparency mode always active, with the only problem being that everyone around you hears your music. The Hifiman He400Se has an exaggerated dispersion; at times, it seems to be heard louder externally than internally. If pushed to maximum volume, they practically become two speakers. The bass, on the other hand, behaves strangely; in mid-air, the bass is very pronounced, as if the free-moving driver had more excursion. You really feel the vibration of the air externally, and the moment you detach the earcups from your ears, you feel the bass come to life.

Out of curiosity, I closed the back, and to my surprise, the tuning changed, and even the soundstage closed a bit. You lose the concert hall effect, but you gain some details that are lost a little. A closed version? I think it would sound just as good.

Treble

The treble area is definitely good! Currently,I don’t notice any extreme trebles; they are well defined, and there is a good airiness. If you close the grill with your hands, you can feel it much more, but in general, the whole perception of its tuning changes.  On some tracks, however, they can be defined as borderline but much calmer than the Letshuoer S12 Pro, for example.

Mids

The mids are not very recessed, the high frequencies stand out more, and immediately after the vocal part, which is slightly warmer than usual at times, both male and female voices are represented fairly consistently. Sometimes there is a peak in the shrillest female voices. Musical instruments mostly sound natural and consistent. Stringed instruments sound very pleasant and have sufficient depth. Excellent separation.

Bass

The bass is lost a little, although it is well present. Especially in the sub-bass, the roll-off is noticeable. They are more than sufficient for most musical genres, but sometimes, on some tracks, despite their speed and definition, they lack depth. Ironically, they are more noticeable on the outside of the headphones. The moment you detach them slightly from your ears, the bass comes to life. Having said that, I like the bass much better than that of my Fidelio.

Soundstage and Imaging:

Can I tell you that, with such large open-backs and planar drivers, I would have expected a much larger soundstage? Honestly, the soundstage is just a little over your head. Practically all the planar IEMs tested so far manage to do better. However, as far as the image is concerned, it is very good.

Layering and separation are very good, which is what one would expect from a planar driver.

Fast Comparison

I don’t have many full-size headphones; in fact, I currently only have the Fidelio X2HR, but I still have several planar IEMs with which I can make comparisons.

vs Philips Fidelio X2HR

Philips Fidelio X2HR

On sale, maybe for Black Friday, I purchased the Fidelio X2HR. The many encouraging viewpoints I encountered in groups and online motivated me more. I would not say they were my best buy. They are built even better than the Hifiman He400Se, and the sound is extremely good. If used without EQ, they are probably made for classical, jazz, and maybe R&B. Personally, I wouldn’t listen to any genre with these, although the similarity between the two headphones is quite audible.I can’t say that the difference between the two is exaggerated; indeed, in the same price range, they compete equally. Fidelio does not require a lot of power to shine. The highs are very refined, in some cases even better; the mids have an even more pleasant tone; and the low frequencies are more or less equal but totally different. The Fidelio has the classic soundstage given by the classic drivers, aided by the fact that they are open-back. Very good image and detail, but do not reach the level of the Hifiman.

vs Hidizs Mp145

Hidizs Mp145

Even though they are IEMs with an infinitely smaller driver, they now have many times greater efficiency. Personally, the Hidizs are definitely better performing. The soundstage in comparison is enormous, and the image and details are superior by a few spans.

Warm, full-bodied, thick sound. It is difficult to have problems with the treble, but you also have the possibility of replacing the nozzles.

The sound is more engaging, or rather more faithful to Harman Tuning.

vs Letshuoer S12 Pro

Letshuoer S12 Pro

More or less the same thing, but the S12 Pro is definitely brighter, and the soundstage is only slightly better than the Hifiman he400se. They are also more efficient and easier to use. I recommend reading the full review.

vs Kefine Klanar

Kefine Klanar

The Kefine Klanar are the ones that are positioned at the same price as the Hifiman He400Se, so which one should I choose? The Kefine are V-shaped, the bass is very close to that offered by the DD, and the details and soundstage are excellent. You don’t need a power plant to make them play because they are super efficient. I recommend you read my detailed review.

Conclusion:

I have to say that the Hifiman He400Se performs best with adequate amplification; currently, I’ve stopped at probably half of what would be really suitable. My Hidizs S9 Pro can go full blast without any distortion, and the He400Se plays very loudly, well beyond the safe threshold. Having said that, you need at least a DAC with a Cirrus CS43131, so for their cost, you should directly add at least 40 USD plus a balanced cable, which costs around 15 USD. These are certainly costs to take into consideration if you want to try to buy them and you don’t own the equipment. Obviously, they are suitable for listening in quiet and even isolated environments. They are definitely not the kind of headphones you can listen to in the library, as those present would hear more than you yourself. But if you want to make yourself comfortable, warm, and cozy in an armchair, these are perfect. It is definitely more detailed and brighter than my Fidelio X2HR.

Do they heat your ears? I have to say that the earcups breathe quite a bit, but in the summer I’m still not able to use them. Despite the size, the weight is quite low. Thanks to the soft and comfy earcups, the weight is well distributed without excessive pressure points. I would say they are well balanced.

In my opinion, they are the type of headphones to have in your collection, as the expense doesn’t hurt your wallet. They are definitely very good considering that they are entry-level planar over-ears.

8/10

Pros: 

Cons: 

Where to buy?

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