HiFiMan HE400i 2020 Version Review in 2022

I am very excited to be doing the HiFiMan HE400i 2020 version review. These headphones can be found for around 170 dollars. Let’s see how the hifiman compares to some of the alternative brands out there, such as Sennheiser.

The new HE400i is lighter, weighing in at 370 grams (13.05 ounces) instead of 440 grams (15.5 ounces). Hyphyman redesigned the headband with an “advanced pressure type” and a new set of bevelled “hybrid” ear pads made with pleather and velour. These earpads improve not only sound quality but also comfort.

HiFiMan HE400i 2020 Version Review


Cable

First off, in the box, you will find the headphones themselves, the cable, and a 3.5 to 6.3-millimetre jack. Because a right-angle 3.5mm jack terminates these headphones, the cable is also removable, which is nice to see.

The cable itself is excellent, and it’s well-made. I had no issues whatsoever with its kind of braided fabric material. It did not make fray either after wrapping up for a while, so there were no problems here and no microphonics to report on either cable aside.


Build quality & comfort

The headphones themselves look nice. They have got an all-black design and also got a metal headband design. The headband can be adjusted. So worth bearing that in mind, and the headband itself hasn’t got too much of a strong clamp.

Therefore, if you are someone like myself who sits for a prolonged amount of usage in front of the pc, let’s say at your home that you are not going to feel uncomfortable with these, including wearing glasses.

The headband itself is pretty adjustable, and the cups themselves do pivot in, and they do have a little wiggle room as well. So I think no matter the size of your head, I guess. You will be comfortable with these headphones speaking about comfort.

The earpads are incredibly soft, and if you wear glasses, you will not have an issue. They are circular shaped rather than oval shapes. so it’s just another thing you should bear in mind, but even with my big ears.

I had no issues fitting comfortably within the ear pad’s inner part. The top of the headband is slightly stiff, so it might feel that initially that it will take.

I don’t know as it will dig in a little bit, but my case. I didn’t find it to be our cause of concern. Maybe it would have been worth having that suspended design that you see, for example, in the hifiman Sundara. But no issues to report here.

The design at the top is made out of fabric. There are left and right indicators found within the inner part of the headband design. So you have got right and left when you have the cables in, they’ve got their ellen r jack.

If you don’t take the head cables out, you will always know which side is right and which is left.


Audio Quality

Bass

We get on to the sound quality. Now here is where these headphones were delightful to my ears. What I found is that the sub-bass tones do extend low. They provide that lovely sort of rumble and extension that you might be craving specifically at this price category.

In this range, you will find other headphones from Sennheiser. For example, that sounds a little bit cut off in these domains. So the sub-bass tones that you get with these headphones are truly exceptional as for the mid-bass.

Again it is also very much like its sub-bass sibling. It’s precise, punchy, and not going to overshadow. The rest of the frequencies come across exceptionally well.

When it comes to watching movies, for example, or when you are gaming here, you will find that these headphones are just a lot more engaging than other headphones out there.


Mids

Now the downside, should I say, is a mid-range frequency. They are a little bit recessed, a little bit pushed back, and a little bit more warm sounding.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing because for people who are like me and has more of a warmer sound signature. You will find these headphones are perfectly pleasing to your ears and honestly for most consumers.

I think they will prefer these headphones over some of the alternatives that don’t quite hit. Let’s say the lower-end frequencies in this respect. The hifiman he400i 2020 is a little bit pushed back, and if you are a music producer.

Or let’s say you are a film editor or something like that, you will find these headphones. Let’s say the Sennheiser hd560s, which are far superior in this domain.


Highs

The same could go for the highs, which sound a little bit rolled off at the top end, sound a little smoother to the ears, and won’t extend as much.

But at the same time, it gives you that excitement that you might want from the top end of these headphones.

So they are not dull sounding and, you know, maybe potentially flat sounding, but they do give you less of an extension in your presence than some of its competitors.


Soundstage

Where these headphones really excel and set themselves aside from any of the other headphones that I have listened to in the sub 200 pounds or 200 categories is their sound stage.

It’s not only comprehensive, and it’s not only got the right sort of depth to it and airiness. But it’s also competent at producing excellent instrument separation, giving you superior imaging and perfect tonality.

The overall sound presentation here that hifiman has been able to execute with these headphones at this price tag is truly remarkable compared to other headphones on the market.

Again like the Sennheiser hd560s, which I recently reviewed, you know a class above for different sorts of sound frequencies. When it comes to the sound stage, these are very much on par.

It is just great and refreshing to see such, you know, fantastic-sounding headphones in the soundstage department. Now what I am trying to say on the whole here is that their sound quality traits are excellent.

While they might not appeal to people looking for the utmost precision in their sound but who want fun-sounding headphones, these headphones will tick that box.


Driving these headphones

I should mention other than the overall sound frequencies because these headphones require a little bit of power a little bit more. If you have an amp or a DAC or even a decent sound card, you will be excellent.

Let’s say directly from your laptop or directly from your phone, you might feel that these headphones are a little bit well less loud than some of their competitors, and that’s just because they need to be driven a bit.

If you have an amp or DAC or something like that, you will find yourself very pleasantly surprised about how these headphones kind of scale well and pair with many amps and Dax out there.

For example, the i5 Zen would be a fantastic pairing at this price range. If you are buying these headphones, you wouldn’t have a deck ramp that that of that class, but still, in that respect, these headphones scale well with that DAC as well.


Final Verdict

This all leads me to my judgment, what do I think about these headphones? Well truthfully.

If you are not in a professional world whereby you don’t need headphones that are more mid-centric or extend more into highs, then these headphones are the perfect consumer headphones in the sub 200 pounds 200 categories.

Now while more expensive alternatives will outperform these headphones in various domains, on the whole, I was just absolutely blown away by the amount of quality in terms of sound quality that you get and the overall package that you are receiving from hifiman these headphones.

They are comfortable and practical with their removal cable. The cable isn’t ridiculously long, and a 3.5-millimetre jack terminates it. The design is lightweight, and you can wear them for hours on end without worrying about them.

They have a breathable design and sound quality, specifically when it comes to their lower-end tones and their proper stage department. These headphones earned my top purchase rating because they are simply outstanding.

You might disagree or agree with me. I would be very much intrigued to hear our thoughts. If you hurt these or were thinking of getting them or thinking of getting an alternative but are now being swayed, I have been very much intrigued to hear your thoughts.

Hifiman HE400i 2020 Edition

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.