Is there a fit preference?
The 5xx are uniquely light/floppy for me, with a very large airy feel - thatās what I like about them - but I can imagine these attributes are love/hate.
Get the He400se instead of 400i 2020. 400i 2020 has been discontinued
If I couldnāt buy it I wouldnāt be considering it would I
The reviews seem to be more positive and cheaper. Why would I say instead of if I think you canāt buy it?
Other that one shill talking some nonsense about removing the grill all Iām seeing is how theyāre more v-shaped he 400i with an uncomfortable headband
he400i 2020 and he400se have the same headband. itās not the best but wears in and can be āfixedā. if it makes you feel better, the sundara imho is way less comfortable than both 
also what lrjshabaz described about the 5xx is something i would say the two 400s also have also. itās a very comfy open feeling sound. less in your face but also potentially less fatiguing over time.
Whatās the ruling on these with tube amps? Seems like it would help with some of the issues.
Iād say generally it wasnāt a satisfactory experience on any of the cheaper tube amps, I only found it to actually sound worthwhile on tube amps that were typically 1k+ (which wouldnāt be worth investing in for a 5xx). Hybrids on the other hand were somewhat nice, although it depends on the hybrid at hand, as while you can improve timbre and treble smoothness and further emphasize the stage size/space, you donāt really want any more bass bloat/roundness, looseness, or reduction in impact/softness imo
If you were looking for a solid hybrid for it, I did enjoy the liquid platinum with it a fair bit, the vali2+ was also decent (with a tube change)
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So they scale well then? Or is it just the circumstance of being better until the point its downsides become glaring?
They do take well to nicer electronics, although as you move up it itās limitations can become more noticeable (but it will still sound better than lower end chains despite this). Personally I think itās brightness and slight treble edge isnāt an issue with warmer smoother amps (as long as you arenāt super sensitive to that stuff), but if you pair it with a more analytical source you might have some trouble
So Sundaras seem like a logical step up given that they can sound bright but paired with a warmer amp they would be manageable. 5xx have a rounded bass? Comparatively to Sundaras how do they fair in bass?
Iād say they are also more linear in the treble than the 5xx. Yes they are a technical step up
Yes, they have somewhat of a hump centered around 60hz and start to have noticable bass roll off when you get into the low 30s. Bass also feels a bit more dense and also has softer impact as well, further giving it a more rounded sound to my ears.
The sundaras dig deeper and are more linear without noticable early roll off or extra elevation, the sundara feel more tight and quick, with a bit more impact as well and feels less soft. More definition in the bass as well. I will say though that the 5xx does sound more dense and thick in the low end
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Wait, has the 5XX more treble than the Sundaras?
My singular thought of the day Iāve been mentioning is good synergy with xDuoo MT-602 if looking for a great budget tube hybrid.
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Iād suggest that the quality of the upper-end is inferior to Sundara. In terms of quantity, I think the Sundara is more āevenā and less peaky in treble response than 5xx. The 5xx technically seems a touch grainier and less natural in presentation. Sundara has more output in the āpresenceā region. 5xx has more to gain from EQ in the upper-end than Sundara, also true of low-end.
Iām not particularly treble sensitive, and would suggest these are both tuned fairly neutral. Some folks seek darker headphones. Iāve found Hifiman seems to work pretty well for my preferences.
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I just found this. Hifiman HE-5XX compared to Sennheiser HD-6XX.
Funny thing is, I already got Sennheiser HD58Xās (not bad!), and wanted to try HD650/6XXās (butā¦ thatād be āmore of the sameā?)ā¦ but also wanted to try some ābig planarsā. Then I find this. So I guess 5XXs will āfill the voidā neatly, heh.
except for the fact planars sound totally different than dynamics. the FC does not tell the whole story.
Oh, obviously. Thereās the exact same comparison about HD 650ās vs Koss Portapros (similar frequency response), and I never heard someone say ātheyāre HD 650 killersā, lol. HE5XX also apparently got giant soundstage.
For some reason I still feel drawn to the Vali2 over the MT-602ā¦
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just got one as well, never heard a tube amp before. definitely changes the sound more than i expected, now it makes sense to me when zeos said that tubes are there to f with the sound. lets see what the Voskhod tubes can do
oh and the 5xx goes great with it