Next headphone while retaining the overall signature

Hi ; ]
New here… Cool forum ! Thanks Z and DMS for making this

l have the he400i and really like them.
Are the m1060c when open back a major upgrade to the 400i ? Are they much better?
And the hifiman edition XX… much better?
I wish l could afford the Elex because they seem to have a great value for money. But l can’t at the moment. l have to add that l can’t audition headphones unfortunately… have to rely on some expert advice.
So… what is the natural upgrade to the 400i while retaining some of their relatively even midrange and non tiring sound ?
Thanks

I would say the sundara is an upgrade to the 4xx with similar signatures, but the sundara is brighter and more even. The edititon xx is going to be another upgrade, but will have a different presentation of sound with less high end. These would be the closest that would match that signature. The he560 or he5se would also be something to look into.

Thanks!
Yes, l looked into all these you have mentioned.
The Sundara sounds like a great buy but l am looking for a slightly more visceral headphone then the 400i. Less tame… and so the he560 or EXX he5se might be more suitable.
If the Sundara responds well to EQ then…why not really. Wondering how much better they really are resolution wise. Guess there’s only one way to know ; ]
Thanks

The sundara does respond to eq, but you still won’t get the impact of the he5se or edition xx

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Although I should say, if you go with the edition xx or he5se, you do want to have a fairly beefy amp

Yes.
True to the 400i too in my opinion.
The THX 789 should be in my hands within 2 weeks.
Current set up is more modest ; ]

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How about Hifiman Edition X V1 ?

I wasn’t a huge fan of the edition x v1, but the edition x v2 was pretty good

Thank you for helping, What is the main difference between them? The driver has evolved too?

I think the headband doesn’t snap anymore, better pads, and a more refined sound signature that imo really helps the headphone. The cable isn’t that great though, as it is kinda weird

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…by the way… this adapter will open up the 789 balanced connectivity? Or if as long as the rest of the cable is unbalanced it doesn’t matter and won’t change the power delivered to the drivers?

No, as you will be converting the signal to single ended, so it won’t really do anything and could cause damage. You really need to get a balanced cable for the headphones to take advantage of balanced. You aren’t missing out on much anyway :wink:

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Thanks for helping.

So l assumed…
And yes what l hear is that it is mainly provides more power… l actually thought the 789 [arrived today!] would be more powerful but it is really enough…
l might try it in the future…

Do you have a strong signal coming in with an appropriately set gain?

That balanced cable would work np

I’m getting a great sound…!
SMSL Sanskrit 10th Ann. single ended into the amp. Full output. High gain on amp… sounds great!
Before today the SMSL went into a 1992 NAD integrated and was using it’s headphone out. Actually sounded pretty good and A LOT of power. But the THX is clearer…and … just better…
l guess l’m listening at relatively high volume because l’m a pro drummer so my hearing might have suffered [surely]. But l’m getting a great sound…!!! ; ]
400i with the Brainwavz XL velour pads currently… comfortable and bigger sound stage than stock. Fun!
As far as balanced… just curious… you know… the bug ; ]

Ah, well if you feel that you need more power, balanced will give you a nice bump

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Thanks so much man ; ]

Np, but try and preserver the rest of your hearing, so you can enjoy this hobby a bit longer :upside_down_face:

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…always using quality earplugs when teaching and performing and attending shows… always… and l actually have very good hearing and ears… so far so good ; ]

Great then :+1: just know alot of people who don’t

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