Are HifiMan HE-400's overkill for my needs?

[jasonite]

I'm relatively new here, but have been doing a lot of research over the past several days or so on the listening experience for my PC. I'm planning on buying the Sound Blaster Z card and am looking for a great pair of cans to round out my experience. My budget is $200 and under, and I will primarily use them for gaming, but I'd also like to listen to music as well from time to time. I do some FPS gaming but it's mostly Star Wars: Old Republic- or Neverwinter-type games. Soundstage, imaging and bass are particularly important to me. Imaging for obvious reasons, gotta know where shots are coming from, soundstage I think goes along with this, and bass because I love good explosions as well as digging into some killer Queen songs.

 

I've narrowed it down to several choices: Audio Technica ATH-AD900X, NVX Audio XPT100, KRK KNS6400, AKG K612PRO, Audio-Technica ATH-M50S, Sennheiser HD 558, KAM HP1 and the HiFiMan - HE-400. Normally the HE-400 would be way over my budget but I've managed to find a deal where I can get them for $200.

 

According to David Mahler regarding the HE-400s:  "Very few headphones possess as deeply textured, well-extended, and impactful bass as the HE-400" "I'm tempted to suggest that at its pricepoint, the HE-400 is the best at imaging of all the headphones I've heard" and "The HE-400's soundstage is more impressive than most of its similarly-priced competitors. While it is not the widest, it exhibits significant depth and height. It is a fairly natural sound presentation."

 

My understanding of the 900x is that they have good clarity, lush balanced mids and highs, punchy accurate bass, are very comfortable, great soundstage but I don't know about imaging; the KNS6400 are closed cans so the soundstage seems good but not the equivalent of opens according to tdockweiler in his review; the XPT100 is also closed but reportedly has a better soundstage than the 6400 according to keanex, but no word is given about the imaging in his review; keanex also reports on the KAM HP1 (also closed), saying the bass is good after burn in but there is not a lot of weight, "When listening to songs that demand heavy, deep, bass I felt that the HP1 lacked. The HP1 make even the deepest bass regions audible, but there’s no rumble" per his review; my understanding of the Sennheiser 558 is that they have a warm laid back sound signature. Decent bass impact and extension, smooth mids, and slightly rolled off highs, don't know about imaging here though; according to Brooko's review the K612 Pro has a nice soundstage and better imaging than the K702, and also have marginally more bass while remaining flat.

 

Given what I've read I'm leaning toward the HE-400, but are the 400's overkill? It's at the top of my budget but I'd rather pay less of course, unless the 400 is head and shoulders above the competition. I will have some extended music sessions but primarily these will be gaming headphones. I also will having them hooked up to a sound card for surround, not a high end DAC and amp. A consideration also is that they not be too heavy and certainly comfortable, for extended gaming and listening. I'm worried the 400's might be fairly heavy. Having said all this, these are just my guesses from a relative newcomer. Should I consider going for the HE 400's, is it not necessary, or am I missing a factor that will determine what gaming headphones to get? Sorry for the length of this post, but all this stuff is in my head!

 

 

Jason

[shellylh]

You obviously haven't spent a lot of time reading this site. 

Edited August 18, 2014 by shellylh

[grawk]

obviously they're underkill.  Sennheiser Orpheus is ithe best headphone for neverwinter nights.

 

And ya, I'd say being a member for 2 minutes qualifies as relatively new.

[acidbasement]

No.

Wait.  I mean yes.

Wait.

What are you selling again?  Speak into the receiver.

Edited August 18, 2014 by acidbasement

[nikongod]

Winter is coming. 

 

I wonder if they will rebuild winterfeld in the next 2 seasons. 

Or if the Stark girls will be reunited. 

Or if they will just kill off the stark girls. I like them, so this is the most likely outcome. 

 

I knew from the first few episodes that John snow was highborn. Sorry. I initially thought that he was the son of Robert Berathian/Cersei Lanister because Cersei Lanister describes her "beautiful black haired boy" being TAKEN AWAY FROM HER and dying of some who the fuck remembers what. The current fan fiction best guess is that he (John Snow) is actually a Targarian, except that he has black hair and the Targarians are all blonds which makes no sense to me. 

 

I think that in season 5-6 they will allllll discover that the daggers found by Sam kill white walkers, and swiftly dominate the white walkers. After this, half of the reason that the wall exists (white walkers) will cease to exist and the north will become "integrated" with the south due to the north overpowering and fuxoring the south in general which eliminates the other reason for the wall, and the wall will cease to be. At this point, with no wall to guard, the Night's watch will be relieved of their duties and their oaths "fulfilled", and John Snow's true identity will be revealed and he will assume the throne. After killing all sorts of people.

 

Is it wrong to say that I know say k'nighit when describing the horses in chess? It was bound to happen sooner or later. 

I have pronunced the K in Knife since I was like 15. Because. That's why. 

[nopants]

hot damn that's a lot of words

[spritzer]

He also quotes the fucktard David Mahler as some sort of a source for information on headphones and whether they are any good or not. 

[Torpedo]

 I hadn't seen all this fail, and a long one for that matter, in ages 

[Aura]

[DefQon]

The HE-400's are a woeful piece of shit, both sound and quality. Probably explains why a lot of used ones are going for less then $190 on h-fi f/s subforum.

[Tyll Hertsens]

Wasn't going to say it out loud, but +1.

[nikongod]

Wasn't going to say it out loud, but +1.

 

You agree with my assessment of Game of thrones? 

I thought as much. 

[justin]

Wasn't going to say it out loud, but +1.

 

I can't keep them in stock and i hope HiFIMAN keeps making more.

 

HD600, i cant give em away

[Tyll Hertsens]

Doesn't make sense.

 

I have no idea how it works out there.

[justin]

Doesn't make sense.

 

I have no idea how it works out there.

 

i think it's because Amazon sells the HD600 and Senn has lost control over pricing with them. HE-400 im sure is no where as popular outside of smaller sellers

Edited August 21, 2014 by justin

[ktm]

Interesting. For a while Sennheiser had everyone holding the line on 600's and 650's for price.

Looks like that's changed.

[Tyll Hertsens]

Yeah, that is interesting.  One might hope that some worthy replacement is on the way.  That would be nice.

[nikongod]

Yeah, that is interesting.  One might hope that some worthy replacement is on the way.  That would be nice.

 

The HD800? 

 

If Sennheiser had kept up with increasing the price ~7%/year to keep up with inflation the HD800 would look like an absolute deal compared to the HD600

Edited August 21, 2014 by nikongod

[ktm]

Looks like Razordog's trick of holding list price but offering $100 off at checkout pissed off Sennheiser, they no longer carry Senn's.

I guess I haven't been paying much attention to the market.