Home Open Back Headphone Reviews HIFIMAN HE-4XX Review – Swipe Left Immediately?

HIFIMAN HE-4XX Review – Swipe Left Immediately?

by Stuart Charles Black
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Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!

Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear) all over again, so…

What can we say about HIFIMAN?

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is “hit and miss.”

They’ve made plenty of mistakes over the years but always seem to bounce back when you least expect it.

I’m not going to rehash this story since I’ve told it ad-nauseam by this point and I’m sure many folks are sick of reading it.

If you’re interested in that, I talk about it in the 400se review, the DEVA Review, the 400 series shootout, and likely other places as well that I can’t even remember right now.

But what about the 4XX, you ask?

Well, that’s .. kind of a sore subject.

Let’s talk.

Build & Comfort

HIFIMAN HE-4XX Review

Right off the bat, the build of the 4XX is incredibly eccentric for lack of a better word.

I joked in another article that it’s like Drop said, “Let’s take a bunch of different types of materials that have no business co-existing, and glue them ALL together.”

First off, the weirdly stitched headband looks strange but gets the job done I suppose. The bale structure seems sturdy and robust, but the rest of the headphone? It’s mostly plastic and seems out of place.

In other words, it feels like an arts and crafts project gone horribly wrong.

The worst part about it is that they decided it would be a good idea to drill screws into said plastic.

Yeah, that’s not asking for problems down the road.

I’ve read about issues with the screw coming loose and it just seems like a complete and utter mish-mosh.

HIFIMAN HE-4XX Review

HIFIMAN HE4XX

The circular piece that reads “HIFIMAN HE-4XX” is the headband adjustment, but it feels cumbersome to move and completely unreliable.

In fact, I couldn’t even adjust one side of the demo I modeled because it was stuck and wouldn’t move.

That’s right you read that correctly. Trying to move it felt like something was going to snap, so I left it alone.

This was completely unacceptable as it prevented me from getting the exact fit I wanted and screamed “QC Issues”.

I have no idea what sorts of drugs were taken before designing this thing, but please, never again.

Not only that, but it’s ugly.

The colors don’t really match and in my opinion, it was a disaster.

The sad part about it is that they’re still selling it on Drop.

Ugh.

In any event,

the cups mostly retain the same size and shape as other 400 series models, so I suppose that’s not really an issue.

Well, until you remove them from the headphones.

This is one problem that I’ve bitched and moaned about for years and HIFIMAN still hasn’t rectified it.

Yes, you guessed right.

It’s the infamous glue issue which turns out to be another disaster.

HIFIMAN HE-4XX ReviewA company called Dekoni manufactures a super expensive pad that HIFIMAN should make themselves which just seems utterly asinine when you think about it.

So I’m going to buy the 4XX, and then pay $80 more for those pads?

Yeah, no.

They should come included with all 400 series model headphones, no questions asked.

Okay, now that I’m done completely dumping all over this horribly built headphone, how’s comfort?

Comfort

Surprisingly, (or perhaps not) it’s very good and about the same as the rest of the line.

The headband pad that I complained about earlier, while feeling and looking like a cheap piece of junk, doesn’t dig into my head much. So there’s that.

Clamping force is rather great as always, and you won’t find these digging much at all.

You’ll likely still be making some slight adjustments from time to time, but they’re minor and don’t take much away from the overall vibe.

The cups are large as always, and you’ll have ample room inside unless you have ears like this:

Oh my God look at the size of those things!

xD

And what’s up with that bird with the red eyes?

Sounds like someone smoked a liiiiittle too much wacky tobacky.

Anyway…

Comfort is cool. No issues. Your mom married Mr. Rogers.

On to sound…

Sound

HIFIMAN HE-4XX Review

For all intents and purposes, this is the HIFIMAN house sound through and through.

The bass is articulate and digs pretty deep but doesn’t sound bloated or forced, and the mid-range is semi-relaxed (read: the post 1kHz slope downward) but still very good overall.

Vocals and instruments sound mostly correct, and resolution is excellent.

The issue lies in the treble, which has a sharp and biting peak around 8-10kHz.

This has been an ongoing problem with HIFIMAN headphones for several years, but they have since fixed it. More on that later.

Treble bite on HIFIMANs can range from minor (As in the case of the Ananda), to “Omg, no.”

I would say the 4XX falls in the latter category.

The DEVA also had a sibilance issue that I felt could be EQd and I did end up doing just that.

I’ve never actually EQd a 4XX (demo unit), but I suppose it would probably help.

It just depends on whether the headphone responds well or not (most HIFIMAN headphones do).

Regardless, the 4XX’s treble irritated me but I enjoyed the rest of the sound signature for what it’s worth.

This is a smooth, clear, open sound that prioritizes air and cleanliness above all else.

Soundstage, as with most HIFIMANs, isn’t ultra-wide or deep, but it’s certainly better than an HD600.

HIFIMAN HE-4XX Review

In addition to that, it works for pretty much all genres and sounds excellent.

Classical, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Indie, Pop, etc.

This is what has always made the 400 series so valuable to me.

I can listen to them with anything and I won’t be complaining.

The placement and spacing of instruments are also above average and the overall sound has room to breathe while not feeling claustrophobic.

At 35 Ohm Impedance and 93dB Sensitivity, I would plan on investing in an Amp as the 4XX is highly inefficient and requires more power from said amp to reach acceptable volume levels.

I used a Bravo Ocean + DragonFly Red and a bunch of other stuff during my time with it, but just make sure whatever you go with is powerful enough.

I think a FiiO K5 Pro, K7, or ATOM 2 are all great entry-level options.

HiFiMAN HE4XX vs. 400i vs. 400S vs. Sundara

Final Verdict

With all that said, I’d go ahead and bypass this one.

Why?

Well, for one it’s overpriced at around $149. You can do much better than that.

Two, it’s built like a Jenga tower.

And three, the treble is going to be an issue.

This is a headphone that you’ll likely regret purchasing later on down the road, so save yourself the headache NOW and buy something else.

But what, you ask?

That’s easy.

The 400se are your bread-and-butter headphones.

HIFIMAN improved the build and the sound, creating in effect what I believe to be one of the most market-disrupting headphones the hobby has ever seen.

Learn More:

 

HIFIMAN HE-4XX

Price: Check Amazon! | Check Drop! | Check eBay!

At A Glance

Preview
Drop + HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Over-ear Open-back Headphones,midnight-blue
Title
Drop + HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Over-ear Open-back Headphones,midnight-blue
Color
Midnight Blue, White
Weight
406g
Fit
Circumaural (Around-Ear)
Type
Open back, Planar Magnetic
Materials
Spring Steel, Synthetic/Protein Leather, Plastic.
Connector
Detachable 3.5mm (dual)
Headband Style
Slide Mechanism
Impedance
35 Ohm
Sensitivity
93dB/mW
Frequency Response
20Hz – 35kHz.
Primary Use
Multi-Use
Cable Length
4.9 ft.
Cable Detachable?
Folding?
Amplification Required?
Prime
-
Price
Price not available
Details
Preview
Drop + HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Over-ear Open-back Headphones,midnight-blue
Title
Drop + HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Over-ear Open-back Headphones,midnight-blue
Color
Midnight Blue, White
Weight
406g
Fit
Circumaural (Around-Ear)
Type
Open back, Planar Magnetic
Materials
Spring Steel, Synthetic/Protein Leather, Plastic.
Connector
Detachable 3.5mm (dual)
Headband Style
Slide Mechanism
Impedance
35 Ohm
Sensitivity
93dB/mW
Frequency Response
20Hz – 35kHz.
Primary Use
Multi-Use
Cable Length
4.9 ft.
Cable Detachable?
Folding?
Amplification Required?
Prime
-
Price
Price not available
Details

In The Box

Specs

  • Type: Open Back.
  • Driver: Planar Magnetic.
  • Fit: Circumaural.
  • Impedance: 35 Ohm.
  • Sensitivity: 93dB/mW.
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 35kHz.
  • Material: Spring Steel, Synthetic/Protein Leather, Plastic.
  • Weight: 406g.
  • Color: Midnight Blue.
  • Cable Length: 4.9ft.
  • Detachable: Yes.

Well that’s about it for today, my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this HIFIMAN HE-4XX Review and came away with some valuable insight.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

If you love what I do here and want to support the blog and channel in a more personal way, check me out on Patreon and discover all the value I have to offer you.

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Do you agree with my assessment? Why or why not? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…

All the best and God bless,

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Be sure to check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!

HIFIMAN HE-4XX

3.5

Build

2.5/5

Comfort

4.0/5

Sound

4.0/5

Pros

  • Crisp, open sound
  • Good bass extension

Cons

  • Treble bite
  • Poor build

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2 comments

Tendou December 31, 2022 - 2:13 pm

Have you heard of people that can’t listen to planar magnetic headphone? That it will induce tinnitus like symptom for them?

Reply
Stuart Charles Black December 31, 2022 - 4:35 pm

Tendou,

I have not heard anything about this. I get tinnitus from time to time but it stems from something unrelated to headphones.

Reply

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