Hey everyone, I haven’t seen anyone compare these headphones. To everyone who owns a pair, or both, what do you think about both? Good for long sessions? Good bass, mids, treble? Which one os more analytical? Soundstage? Imaging? Anything and everything helps.
https://hifiman.com/products/detail/178
Felix
I would personally go with the HD 58x . But if you want planar I would go with the he 4xx on the principle of build quality alome
Well they sound very different. Planar and Dynamic drivers are totally different.
Planars are also very fast vs. dynamic drivers.
By owning a pair of 400i and HD6XX, id say the Sennheiser is the better sounding, better quality and more comfy overall. Would think the 58X is also in same level at comfort but maybe bit more fun at the sound.
400i weight in ~375g and 6XX are ~266g.
Also the overall clamp is tighter (at my head) with the 400i, after ~2h you start wanting to take them off, stock pads get bit hot around the ears also after long times and the weight is felt.
Sennheiser have a touch less clamp and can be used 4h with easy. You kinda “forget” you have headphones on, they are much more comfy.
Also the overall sound is much better, for me. They are the daily beast.
Also the built quality on 400i is not so good, maybe not actual flaws but much shityer plastic and design than Sennheisers. Then middle plastic hinge that twist’s / will probably snap some day, its bend to other side, needs little force to twist the actual cup and it’s cause plastic vs plastic make the friction.
Personally would also go with HD58X.
I used to own both. I prefer the he4xx for music and the hd58x for gaming.
Both are really good. The first one I put he hd58x I was amaze how they sound ( also being my first audiophile headphone. Also, when I put he he4xx I was also amaze 
.
They are really different. I would recommend trying both.
The hd58x sounds beautiful, the mids are really good. They also have more bass.They have smaller soundstage but better imaging. For me they have to much clamp. I personally can’t use them for too long. The sound signature fatigue after 30min. They bass guitar sound to forward and the vocals sound veil. I usually raise the volumen to hear the singer but doing this I ended with to much bass, and when I lowered the volumen I couldn’t hear the singer because of the veil.
The he4xx is a planar magnetic. The driver is fast. The bass is more tight, it hits fast and leave really fast without leaving a trace. On the hd58x you hear the bass coming and leaving ( they have a little booming feels muddied compared to the he4xx). The he4xx sounds effortless they don’t seem to push to much air to your ears, at first it feels weird but then you find the sound to be clear and clean. The he4xx treble can bother some people especially if you come from a Sennheiser. Soundstage is wider on the he4xx. It also feels like the sound came from a tall wall not just left and right ( the hd58x also have some height). Imaging isn’t as good as the hd58x.
For my personal opinion I like the he4xx more for the clean and clear sound ( I can use them for 4h straight). The hd58x sounds amazing I recomendable them. Most people will find the hd58x enjoyable ( I also find them enjoyable). So try both .
the 4xx is a phenomenal headphone. I was mind blown when I stepped up to it from the HE-35x. granted, the 35x is nothing to compare the Sennheiser to. honestly, I would get both. I just ordered the 58x for myself
Just ordered HD58Xs too, could have bought hifimans for less, but I’ll get T50RPs instead. I hear way too much horror stories about hifiman to trust them…
But I want Sundaras. Even if they sometimes break after 30mins of use. Crap. Lol. (Yes, they’re like 500$… 20$-a-minute-headphones, guys! Yikes!)
Only buy hifimans with a warranty…
Can agree with this one, hifiman headbands are shockingly cheap feeling. I’ve had to have hifiman send me out new headbands for both my he560v1s and my hex v2 (although I have horrible luck when it comes to buying stuff online). The actual headphones are great, but the build quality is something you have to consider and live with
I own the HE4XX. Is that close enough of a reference to the HE400i for you to value my input?
Of course! All input is welcome
the build quality of the 4xx is something that nobody has complained about. I agree, they’re solid.
I also own both HE4XX and HD58X. From the above and my own experience it seems to come down to personal preference.
I was oddly a little disappointed in the 58X and I eventually realised that it came down to not liking the slightly emphasised mid to mid-bass (again, a personal choice). I also found the pads contact point on my head to be slightly thin causing my jaw to complain after a while. I use them in the bedroom and have come to like them a little more over time but they’ll never be a favourite.
The 4XX though I immediately liked. I found the sound so neutral and realistic that these are my go to TV/Movie headphones. I can also wear them for 4-5 hrs straight with zero discomfort. Like I’ve read elsewhere about build quality, mine creak slightly in the left ear when putting them on or adjusting them, but once on and just using them it’s never a problem. I’d recommend these to anyone but understand that personal preference is what matters in making a final decision.
This caught my attention because it was exactly how I felt with them initially. I purchased 2 other headphones within 2 weeks of the 58X. Though as I upgraded my Amp/DAC, I do find the 58X more enjoyable and dynamic. I don’t give it the chance it deserves though, I don’t find myself reaching for it unless I force myself to. It’s not that the 58X is bad, in fact it is great, it’s just not what I want for how I wanted to use them.
I don’t need another open back otherwise I’d be all over it. There are some deals on the 4XX in the second hand market.
For those that have both, I’m just curious if you find DMS accurate, although he played it safe:
I would basically agree with DMS overall. Comfort like many things is subjective and for me the 4XX is more comfortable, the clamp being one factor affecting my result. Sound stage, as well as detail in highs and lows are likely why I really enjoy the 4XX for TV/Movie listening. Once I’m into what I’m watching I completely forget that I’m listening using a headphone with the 4XX. And can do so for many hours.
Slightly off topic, I’ll add that I much prefer tv/movie listening with an open-back headphone. I used to use an Audeze EL-8C but after an hour or so there was almost a feeling of claustrophobia and a need to take them off and kinda let my ears breath for a moment (hard to describe).
I liked Zeos comment about how well the HD58x responded to the Schiit Loki in his review of the Loki vs the JDSL Subjective.
and since hearing that, have read how the HD series as whole responds well to being used with an EQ.
Personally I’ve found the HD58X to be a much better all-rounder when compared to the 4XX—which is supposed to sound the same as the 400i. What I love about the 4XX is it’s clarity/detail in the mids. I’ve also found it’s sound signature to be great for pop music, but bad for metal.
I’ve seen build issues with the 4xx on Reddit.
Stock i would choose the 58x over 400i/4xx but here in the last week I have been doing some modding on my pair of 4xx and the results are tremendous for my ears.
I rolled the pads and now am going with ZMF Ori perforated lambskin pads, I then did the grill mod and removed the piece of felt lining the inside of the grill, I then added about 4mm of foam sheet cut to size to the inside of the pads, underneath where the adapter slides in… and by god do these not sound like the best fucking headphones I’ve ever owned.
I now prefer these over my 58x and even my 6xx which were my go to music cans before this. The Ori perf lambskin pads not only are 10x more comfy than stock but also bring out the mids to be more in line with the lows and highs for a more neutral sound, you lose some bass with perf over the regular lamskin ori pads, but that’s what the foam mod is for, it essentially lifts the pads away from your ears resulting in more bass. modding the grill as far I’ve been able to tell just opens up the soundstage a tad more and adds just a tiny bit of more treble, but undoubtedly sounds better than stock. Currently thinking about adding 2mm more of foam to see if the added bass sounds good, I’ve seen people putting up to 10mm thick of foam to really make them into bass cannons haha.
Before I started messing around with these mods on a whim I was seriously thinking about selling them and getting a pair of used sundaras for cheap, but now I’m not so sure about that… are sundaras really that much better than 4xx? would it be worth owning both?
I own both, and you probably don’t want the Sundara if your happy with your modded 4XX. I don’t find it to be that big of an upgrade. Half the time, I still prefer the 4XX over the Sundara because I found the vocal presentation on the 4XX to sound more open and natural. But from what I’ve seen, the majority of people consider the Sundara to be better and a worthwhile upgrade.