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Scored using Headphones Methodology v1.0
Headphones Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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HiFiMAN He 4 Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£400Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

HiFiMAN He 4 Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

HiFiMAN He 4
4.6/10

Overall score

Score
4.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components

80%

4.6

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–¼Worse than 99% of headphones
5.8

Value for money

Value for money
5.8/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 96% of models
Score components

70%

4.6

Overall score

30%

8.4

Price

â–¼Worse than 96%
4.6

Technical score

Technical score
4.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components

52%

4.9

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.8

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 99%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • hifiman-he-4
hifiman-he-4
Where to buy
    N/A~ £400
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones HiFiMAN He 4

Technical score
Technical score
4.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components:

52%

4.9

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.8

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

4.6
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
HiFiMAN He 4 has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than that of 73.4% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
5.8/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 96% of models
Score components:

70%

4.6

Overall score

30%

8.4

Price

5.8
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
planar
Driver size
?
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
10 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 10 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 67.2% of headphones and equal to 12.6% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
no
This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while 15.1% is. 84.9% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
Show more
Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
HiFiMAN
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
350 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 350 g, heavier than 91.1% of headphones and equal to 0.8% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

HiFiMAN He 4 vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • 40,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (60,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    60,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 8 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (10 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    10 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 15 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (59 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    59 mm vs 44 mm
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 15 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (59 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    59 mm vs 44 mm
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 40,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (60,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    60,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 8 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (10 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    10 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 60.6% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (350 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    350 g vs 218 g
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 16 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (86 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    86 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 0.7 % higher distortion
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    1 % vs 0.3 %
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 26.3% worse value for money
    HiFiMAN He 4 has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (5.75 vs 7.3).
    5.75 vs 7.27
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 26.3% worse value for money
    HiFiMAN He 4 has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (5.75 vs 7.3).
    5.75 vs 7.27
  • 4.44x more expensive
    HiFiMAN He 4 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£400 vs £90).
    £400 vs £90
  • 5.87x less popular
    HiFiMAN He 4 is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 60.6% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (350 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    350 g vs 218 g
  • 6 mm tighter earcup height
    This pair of headphones has tighter earcup height than the average pair of headphones (54 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    54 mm vs 60 mm
  • Tangle-prone cable
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 16 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (86 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    86 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 0.7 % higher distortion
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    1 % vs 0.3 %
  • 17 dB SPL lower sound pressure level
    This pair of headphones has a lower sound pressure level than the average pair of headphones (86 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL). The average headphones reach a sound pressure level of 103 dB SPL.
    86 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 6 older release date
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (2010 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    November 2010
    2010 vs 2016

Third-party reviews

What customers like about HiFiMAN He 4

  • Large and impressive soundstage with excellent resolution for the price
  • Planar magnetic drivers provide fast speed, great detail, and a tactile sense of sound
  • Well-balanced tonality that excels with metal, rock, and electronic music
  • Highly musical and lively compared to dynamic competitors like the AKG K701 or DT 880
  • Generally comfortable fit with a relatively light weight for an orthodynamic headphone
  • Scales significantly with higher-end amplification and gear

What customers don't like about HiFiMAN He 4

  • Extremely inefficient (86dB sensitivity) and mandatory requirement for a powerful dedicated amplifier
  • Treble can be hyper-responsive, aggressive, or bright for users sensitive to high frequencies
  • Imaging can be described as slightly 'iffy' or less precise compared to higher-end models like the HE-6
  • Sub-bass may experience slight roll-off compared to more modern planar designs
  • Stock cables have been noted by some users as having odd connector compatibility or being prone to issues

Verdict

The HIFIMAN HE-4 is an open-back planar magnetic headphone featuring a double-sided driver design that delivers a frequency response of 10Hz to 60kHz, an impedance of 38 Ohms, and a sensitivity of 86dB. Known for being exceptionally lightweight for an orthodynamic at approximately 350 grams, it offers a signature slightly V-shaped sound profile with fast transients, articulate treble sparkle, and clear lower-frequency body. While its main advantages include high-level clarity, excellent comfort due to its reduced weight, and a fun, engaging tonality, its primary drawbacks are the requirement for a powerful dedicated amplifier to overcome its low efficiency and a treble response that can occasionally lean toward sibilance.

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