I have to admit I highly disliked the 4xx and he400i…but being a drummer and bassist, I need good bass extension and girth…something the 4xx lack. Contrary to popular opinion, the ZMF Ori Leather pads don’t fix that problem. Also there was a peak in the treble that made me wince it was so aggravating…somewhere around 7 KHz, give or take. Not to mention the build quality issues.
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Ahh sweet validation. I think I appreciate my Sundaras much more for having had to go through multiple gaming headsets, amps, dacs, motherboards, and real headsets to get to a sound I truly enjoy in it’s entirety. I definitely appreciate that learning process right now, despite being tempted to spend much more for things that might ‘solve all my problems’. The exploration now feels worth it by itself by giving me a better appreciation for the diffferences between the headphones and hardware I have and have tried.
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So, for me aesthetics play a part in the process, whether they should or not. While I appreciate and own most of the Koss line, they do look and feel cheap compared to their upgrade equivalents. And that’s 100% ok if you are happy with the sound. When the hooks of this hobby/obsession kick in, you start to care about the looks and comfort more than you would starting out. If you only care about sound quality, and never worry about appearance or longevity, you can save a ton of money enjoying the Koss lineup
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hmm. As a percussionist and violinist myself I also enjoy girth and extension to the bass, but I find myself more concerned with overall rhythm and the presence of all the details of all the instruments. My pair of 4xx’s does a pretty good job of giving me that detail and emphasis on rhythm. However, as I commented above, the punch they deliver is w.e.a.k. The sundaras aren’t too much punchier, but the detail and dynamic difference compensates for that in a lot of ways.
I’ll make a note that if you’re looking for that girth and extension in the bass, you might not want theses hifimans. They are not at all heavy on bass. It is present, defined, and pleasant (much improved on sundaras). I had no personal problem with the 4xxs though.
Hifimans in general aren’t super punchy depending on the model. If you are looking for that in a planar, Audeze may be more up your alley
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exactly. Even having not listened to audeze’s, that’s the consensus I’ve seen in reviews.
I think for the price and detail / balance they give, the sundara and 4xxs are good choices. Depends on what you’re moving on from though.
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Oh, I know…I moved on from them a long time ago. I’m currently very happy with my Focal Clears and ZMF Atticus, amongst my other headphones.
Detail alone doesn’t do it for me, especially if it is masquerading as boosted treble. I prefer balance more than anything else. Sadly, some in this hobby still think that a headphone with bass roll off is neutral.
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Percussion here, too, hence the name…lol. Going to give the sundaras a try. Have heard MANY good things. Amazon has new stock comin on the 24th. Are they ok or headphones.com?
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Dude. Tuning Timpanis is a bitch and a half :p. Then again the last time I did that was freshman year of college. You do drum corps at all?
I got mine from Headphones.com. Took a while to ship, but the return policy is worth it.
No corps but love it. Vocalist, teacher too so tuning was my forte!
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Hmmm. Out of curiosity, do you think the sundaras are hiding behind that boosted treble?
Ahhhh, am quite jealous. I still suck at tuning by ear and can’t sing worth a damn. Can keep tempo though :p. Got beat into me in drum corps. You teach high school, middle school, elementary, college?
So the ear cups are not bad for me. At the same time they are round and the tips of my ears are quite close to the drivers (without touching). Depends on how big you are. For reference, I’m 5’ 11" with decently sized ears lol. Unless you’re over 6’ with big ears, you ‘should’ be fine if my guesses are correct.
Middle school, choral conductor, combo gigs…was a lot of fun. i’m 75 now so know music, but still new to good headphone epuip. Still have my Klipsch kg4s tho!
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hmm this may change after some burn in time… treble is pretty neutral and linear imo
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that’s what I was thinking :/// . Just concerned that my ears aren’t widely traveled enough to know better.
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Nice. Would be a great job to have 
. So many good memories of the band and chorus rooms and rehearsals.
ahhh fair enough. Drum corps was very different back then (still real awesome). I need to get my hands on some older recordings cause some of those old shows are just mind-blowing.
Am not a speakerhead at all so had to look those up 
. Would love to have a pair of good speakers.
I personally don’t care for Hifiman headphones…but my favorite of all the Hifiman I’ve heard are the Sundaras, though they are a little too bright for my liking and the bass impact is minimal. Still sound good though, albeit dry for my own preferences.
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Hee hee, after all the years of percussion, highs are welcome for me.Thanks to all, still learning this site, has been very helpful. Will let folks know my experience with the Sundaras on the Sundara thread.
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I still have my full range of hearing almost as a 39 year old, so I can still hear up to 18.5 KHz according to my last hearing test. If anybody else has that full range, there is a peak around 14 KHz-ish that can sound like shattering glass at 100 DB with certain tracks…like an icepick to the eardrum. I still like the Sundara though, just wish Hifiman had better quality control more than my issue with some of their tuning choices.
Also forgot to mention that the old school HE-500 was by far my favorite Hifiman if we are talking older models. I had a pair of those and thoroughly enjoyed them while I owned them.
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