Hifiman HE400SE Stealth Magnet's Review - Best bang for your buck!

 

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging

I’m sure everyone in the community is aware or knows what Hifiman does. Hifiman was founded in 2007 by Dr Fang Bian. The company is well known for its lineup of planar magnetic headphones ranging from entry level all the way to high end models. I have tested and reviewed several products from Hifiman, namely the RE400 and also the RE600 IEM, both offer fantastic value and performance for the asking price after the price slash.

I have the HE400SE Stealth Magnet headphone with me today, the build quality is alright for the asking price, nothing much to complain about, though, i’d prefer if the ear cups are swivelable for easier storage.

The stock ear pads are comfortable for long listening sessions, as with most pads, it does get a little warm after some time. The packaging is rather minimal but functional. The box came with a foam headphone stand, which I personally find very useful, a better cable compared to previous models prior to revision of packaging, the stock cable is thicker and less prone to tangling.

Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp

• Earmen ST-Amp

• Earmen CH-Amp

• Earmen Colibri

• Sony WM1A

• Hifiman HE400SE stock cable and earpads

Foreword

My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression

HE400SE’s tonality is quite neutral to my ears, there’s a hint of planar timbre but other than that, in terms of price performance ratio, it is really good. Pairing it with iFi’s Zen Can does induce a little warmth for those who prefer this signature. Pairing it with the more powerful CH-Amp gives the 400SE a very dynamic experience, fast bass and snappy transient response, very engaging listening experience.

Bass

• Bass is fast and precise

• The sub bass does sounded a little rolled off, but mid bass is punchy and has good slams

• It is definitely not the bass response that bassheads will crave, but personally the bass response to me is just nice, unless if i listen to EDM, then i will crave for more bass quantity

• Bass has good texture overall  and doesn’t sound too thin

Mids

• The mids are not overly forward nor recessed,

• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them

• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male

• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty

Treble

• Treble response has plenty of energetic yet it is not harsh nor sibilant

• Fast and snappy transient response

• Very good resolution for the price, in fact i think it is actually punching above its price point

• Good detail retrieval, micro details can be picked up easily

• Very good technicalities for the price point

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is slightly out of your head, not exceptionally wide considering this is an open backed headphone

• Good height and width perception for the soundstage

• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from

• Good layering and separation

Driveability

• To properly power the 400SE, you need quite a beefy amp to drive it well, if you’re on a budget, iFi’s Zen Air Can will do the job

• Dongle will be able to power it to audible loudness but not driving the 400SE to its optimal performance, it will get loud enough, because dongle generally don’t have enough current to power planar to its optimum performance

• In short, you need an amp to power the 400SE properly

Comparison (Grado SR60X)

• In comparison with Grado’s 60x, which is a dynamic driver headphone and also open backed, the bass has slightly better extension compared to 400SE

• Bass is slightly punchier and sub bass has a little bit more rumble compared to 400SE

• In terms of build quality, both more or less has similar build quality in my opinion

• The 60x’s cable is not removable and gets tangled very easily, whereas 400SE is bundled with a rather high quality stock cable and it’s removable and makes cable rolling possible

• The treble can be a little too much on certain track when you crank the volume up, those who are treble sensitive will be affected

• In terms of timbre and tonality, the 60x has rather natural timbre and the tonality is leaning on brighter side of spectrum

Final Thoughts

The Hifiman HE400SE is my first planar magnetic headphone, and I'm really surprised by its capability in terms of the sonic performance as well as its technicalities. Not to mention that the price is highly competitive as well given what it has to offer. If you are in the look out for your first planar magnetic headphone, by all means, grab the 400SE, it has a lot to offer, given you have a solid amp to go with it. Highly recommended!

*The Hifiman HE400SE was sent over by Hifiman for the purpose of this review, I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to their official store to grab one now! It is currently available for 109$ instead of the usual 149$

Hifiman HE-400SE - Non affiliated

Hifiman HE-400-SE Product Page