PSA - Hifiman HE-400 - $220 on Audio Advisor

[Tardcore]

Original retail is $400 and they have been on clearance for a while at $300.  I finally bit at $220. 

 

There's a new model out...the HE-400i.  It's lighter weight and it costs more ($500).  The 'i' nods to the new 'iphone friendly' 93db efficiency rating.  I'm not sure that I trust a lighter, more efficient planar magnetic. 

 

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1HMHE400

 

HE-300s also on sale for $134

 

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1HMHE300

[xxmartinxx]

Shit, that's a good deal.  I paid $150 for the 300's.  A very nice sounding headphone, especially for the money.

[Tardcore]

Got the HE-400s on Sunday (apparently Sunday delivery is a thing now?).  I'm pretty happy with the purchase. 

 

They're far more substantial than my AKG Q701s both in build and sound.  Definitely make me glad I picked up the Vali (cheers). 

 

When I first got the Vali, I A/B'ed versus the headphone out in my Marantz PM8004 using the AKG Q701s and didn't really see a huge benefit.  The HE-400s, on the other hand, really require a headphone amp in order to get up to volume. 

 

I had to crank the volume on the Marantz up to around 75% in order to get a good listening volume.  That kind of volume would be pretty jarring if I re-engaged the speakers without turning it down.

 

Right now my headphone setup is a little convoluted

 

PC (optical out) > Emotiva XDA-2 > Marantz PM8004 > Schiit Vali (Tape 1 out) > HE-400s

 

Vinyl chain is the same minus the first two components.

[xxmartinxx]

Glad that Vali is working out for you.