So I finally found pads that donāt ruin the soundstage/imaging (i think they improve it actually), I donāt think they mess that much with the sound either, but I still ended up putting one layer of toilet paper below and now these went from āI canāt really wear them for more than 20 minutesā to probably my most comfortable headphones, sound is better too (but that might be more the paper, hard to ab cause pad swapping these is hell)
Also they donāt include the rings, you gotta order those from somewhere else*
Does anyone know if thereās any buying option for the 2020 ver. from new in UK for these? Amazon UKās HIFIMAN shop seems to stop selling these and their official site doesnāt ship to UK it seems.
I just snagged a pair of the HE400is off of eBay for really cheap. These are the suspension headband version, but they have the 3.5mm jacks on the cups which makes them the second version if I am understanding what I have read correctly. Honestly, I find this headband to be exceptionally comfortable.
I owned a pair of Sundaras a couple years ago and didnāt particularly care for the sound as I found them to sound a bit bright and slightly metallic. I sold those Sundaras and always meant to find another low cost planar to replace them for use in my shop/garage or on the go, but I never got around it until I stumbled across these HE400is when trying to figure out how to spend some eBay credit I had.
Having listened to these for something like 5 hours now, I can say these are exactly what I was looking for. They have a nice, slightly warm, natural sound, pretty good detail retrieval, and are extremely comfortable. Right now I have them plugged into my A&K Kann Alpha and Iām listening to a prog playlist (Hakenās Visions album is on currently) and these 400is are hitting all the right sweet spots. When I think back to what was available for this kinda cash when I started out in this hobby, it makes me jealous for newcomers who get to start out with such amazing SQ for such modest money these days.
Now, considering I got this set in like new condition with pads that werenāt even broken in yet, new headphone smell still apparent, and a pretty nice braided aftermarket cable for $68 shipped, I am one very happy headphone enthusiast! Though, from a quick glance it looks like you can buy my older version of the HE400i new from a couple places new for $149 and the 2020 version new for like $169 and I can honestly say that these are definitely worth that kinda cash, IMO. Used it looks like these commonly hover around $100 for either version, though as my purchase shows, they can be found for significantly less. Point being, these are a SOLID pair of low cost planars and I donāt think I couldāve spent $68 any better. Color me impressed. 
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I did the same put a Tripowin Cable on and some Dekoni Elite Velour pads and I am impressed and loving the results. I EQ the sub bass up a bit and they are perfect for me.
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How did the Dekonis effect the sound if you donāt mind me asking? Just wondering because I have heard that the stock pads in these wear out quickly so eventually I will need new pads for them. I have a bunch of pads at home from pad rolling with headphones like my AKGs that I might experiment with and I think I probably even have a pair of Elite Velours too.
I found it tamed the highs enough to not have to EQ and still have my slamin bass. I was worried about that but honestly with the upgraded pads I am not really looking for better and thatās saying alot for me!
Sounds like something Iām gonna need to try. Though I havenāt found the highs to be bothersome at all it still sounds like the Elite Velours might be a nice refined touch without losing the best traits. I have some fenestrated, hybrid pads, and angled pads Iām probably going to try at some point just as an experiment that I tend to do with a lot of new acquisitions. The only reason I havenāt so far is because the stock pads are actually quite comfy so I have been listening to them quite a bit.
Anways, thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. BTW, what sources/amps/DACs are you running your HE400is off of? Iām always interested to see what other owners have settled on.
For me I am using either my computer with Amazon HD music or my Hiby R6 2020 into a Geshelli Labs J2 with the AKM chipset into a Topping A90D , mostly I listen to IEM or through the desktop system
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Nice clean lookinā setup! What speakers are those? I have split my gear into multiple listening stations in an effort to have my primary desk setup look a bit like what you have going on here and Iām liking it so far.
Just picked them up they are my Canadian ENERGY RC10 funny I sold these for years but never had a set until I saw them pop up on Facebook Market For $200 CDN could not resist so happy they are way smaller and perfect for the desk than my Adam Audio monitors and much more musical.
I have the KEF LS50s as my near field setup. I found them for a ridiculous price at a hifi shop that was going out of business a few hours away from me. They sound fantastic, but I still havenāt gotten used to the way they look with my big antique oak desk so Iām always keeping my eye out for something that might match a bit better.
Edit: BTW, I think I sold my last pair of elite velours installed on a pair of headphones so I just ordered a couple pairs. Iāll definitely post impressions here when I get a chance to try them.
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Just ordered a pair of grills for my HE400is from hifigrillman_6502 on eBay. I asked him if he could send me a pic of the bare metal grills without the paint and I like the look they have which is kinda between a matte silver and a shiny chrome. Iām getting a pair of the bare metal grills with a clear coat to protect them from rust, corrosion, oxidation, etc.
The gold grills look sick on the HE6 with the gold traces/drivers, but the HE400i doesnāt have that gold color on the driver to tie it together so I figured a silver color would be best, but I also didnāt want it to look to shiny/gaudy as I wanted to keep it understated. These look like theyāre gonna work perfectly!
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Link here thanks I think I will get the silver as well.
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Funny I was looking at a good deal on a set of pre stealth Ananda and was about to pull the trigger but I was playing with the MSEB EQ on my Hiby R6 2020 and was thinking of the 400i sound this good and will sound better yet with the grill mod I might not buy the Ananda as the 400i are making me happy.
Yeah definitely interested in your thoughts.I ordered the same silver set tonight! Thanks for posting.
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You ordered them in silver or in the clear coat like I did? We are going to have to compare notes then, bro! Iāll be looking forward to seeing how our experiences compare. BTW, I have had a set of his grills before when I put gold ones on my old HE6s and they made a significant and immediately noticeable difference in both soundstage and bass response.
Ah I thought you got the silver
Nope, I went with a clear coat on bare metal because I wanted it to bea little more matte or less shiny. If you donāt mind, when you get yours can you let me know how shiny they are? When I got the gold grills for my HE6s they had a mirror finish basically and the seller told me the silver would be the same so for a less shiny look I asked about what the bare metal looked like and thatās whatās in the pic I posted.
I think theyāre going to be exactly what I was looking for, but if not then I will likely order a pair of the silver grills and go with the shiny look. Thatās why Iād be interested to hear how the finish looks when they get to you.
LOL I like the look of the crear coat ones you got I think I will do the same.
If you decide to order a clear coat pair all you have to do is buy a black pair and include a message to the seller that you want them to be bare metal with a clear coat and heāll do it for you. At least, thatās how he had me do it. If you want to make sure, just send him a message and Iām sure heāll be happy to help you out. If you already ordered a silver pair and want to change to a clear coat pair you can probably just message him quickly and he might be able to change it up for you if he hasnāt shipped yours out already.
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