So, the cable on my HE-4XX has decided to kick the bucket and give me problems with the right channel(swapping which side it’s plugged into results in the issue following the cable). Can anyone point me to a good replacement cable? I’m not looking to spend an arm and a leg, but I’d hate to leave them sitting.
I have my DT 990 Pro and K550 MKIII to keep me held over, but I miss that lovely planar sound.
Real quick, if someone has tried the HE-4XX balanced, would you recommend it? If so, where might I find a balanced cable for them?
If you have a balanced amp, the 4xx really benefits from more power, so if you have a balanced output that puts out more power then your single ended, it would be worthwhile.
Cable wise, a solid choice is periapt cables, since they are very nice and a good price
Edit: I know someone with this balanced cable, and he hasn’t had any problems with it https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGP7W2S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jBBtDbZM5V0BB
There are cheaper cables on sites like Amazon, but they vary in price and quality
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I don’t personally have an HE 4XX, but I have modded headphones to use cables for them if they are 2.5mm. The cheapest, quickest to get I found were New Fantasia/Neomusicia from Amazon, you should be able to find the style and connection to match your equipment. I have the XLR braided and SE in the fabric, and I like them both.
Edit: I have the ones Mon linked exactly.
Can’t beat a handmade cable and JT of https://oidiosound.co.uk/headphone-cables/hifiman/pellucid-dual-2-5mm.html does make awesome ones…not cheap but look as cool as 
piss and won’t let you down 
Thanks for the recommendations. Granted, I’ll confess, I don’t have a DAC right now, as I’m using my motherboard’s onboard audio. The amps I do have presently are the FiiO A3 and Little Bear B4. I’m wondering about getting the FiiO K3 so I can run balanced (I understand you’re not really supposed to run planar with tubes). I imagine it’s not a simple task to find adapters for this case, or get a 2.5mm source vs 4-pin XLR.
Also regarding the little bear, since it’s a hybrid tube amp and uses opamps, the 4xx should be fine with the little bear. If you wanted more power, perhaps look at a different balanced amp the k3, since it’s a little light on power
If you just want to go single ended. This is fairly cheap and I love it too. I use it when connected to anything 3.5/6.35mm.
In black:
You could always get a balanced cable once you know for sure what amp you will eventually go with. It came with New Fantasia stickers so I’m sure its all made by the same company.
Would you consider getting a B4-X or a Q1 Mark II be a better buy?
I would say no because you would get about equal power from the k3 and the q1 mk2, and since you already have a b4, a b4x really isn’t going to be a big enough upgrade imo. Just wondering what would your potential budget be? If you got a single ended cable, you could get a jds atom, or wait for the fiio k5 to come out. Both would have plenty of power on hand, and the k5 would have a built in dac as well. Balanced will cost you more, with good, powerful balanced amps in the $200+ range
Would you mind providing an example of a good balanced amp that’s a bit more budget oriented? I really don’t wanna go above $300 if at all possible.
I tend to go with headphones more when I’m on the go, but I do still use them at my desktop, particularly with certain games and music.
The aune x7s is a great balanced amp only option. The xduoo ta-10 is a great all in one dac/balanced amp as well
Edit: the fiio q5 is a balanced portable dac/amp that’s pretty great, although it won’t have as much power as the desktop units, but still definitely enough to drive the headphones