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HiFiMAN He 400 Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£330Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

HiFiMAN He 400 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 400
4.8/10

Overall score

Score
4.8/ 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%

4.8

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–¼Worse than 99% of headphones
6.0

Value for money

Value for money
6.0/ 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 95% of models
Score components

70%

4.8

Overall score

30%

8.8

Price

â–¼Worse than 95%
4.8

Technical score

Technical score
4.8/ 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 96% of models
Score components

52%

5.2

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.4

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 96%
?

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

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Where to buy
    N/A~ £330
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 400

Technical score
Technical score
4.8/ 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 96% of models
Score components:

52%

5.2

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.4

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

3.8

Calls & Controls

4.8
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 400 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
6.0/ 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 95% of models
Score components:

70%

4.8

Overall score

30%

8.8

Price

6.0
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
80 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 80 mm, larger driver size than 97.7% of headphones and equal to 0.4% of headphones.
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
20 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 20 Hz, higher lowest frequency than 50.8% of headphones and equal to 47.3% 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
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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
440 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 440 g, heavier than 96.8% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
3
Market range: <2.5 – >6.1
This pair of headphones has a clamp force of 3, lower clamp force than 79.5% of headphones and equal to 1.8% of headphones.
Show more

HiFiMAN He 400 vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • 40 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (80 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    80 mm vs 40 mm
  • LDAC support
    This pair of headphones supports LDAC, the average pair of headphones does not. 8.1% of headphones support LDAC.
  • 15,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 1.3 lower clamp force
    This pair of headphones has a lower clamp force than the average pair of headphones (3 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    3 vs 4.3
  • 1.8 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (3 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    3 m vs 1.2 m
  • 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.
  • 10 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (54 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    54 mm vs 44 mm
  • 13 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (123 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    123 dB vs 110 dB
  • 1.3 lower clamp force
    This pair of headphones has a lower clamp force than the average pair of headphones (3 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    3 vs 4.3
  • 1.8 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (3 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    3 m vs 1.2 m
  • 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.
  • 10 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (54 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    54 mm vs 44 mm
  • 40 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (80 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    80 mm vs 40 mm
  • 15,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    35,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 13 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (123 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    123 dB vs 110 dB
  • LDAC support
    This pair of headphones supports LDAC, the average pair of headphones does not. 8.1% of headphones support LDAC.
  • 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.
  • 2.02x higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (440 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    440 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.
  • 9.5 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (92.5 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    92.5 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 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.
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 21% worse value for money
    HiFiMAN He 400 has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (6.01 vs 7.3).
    6.01 vs 7.27
  • 3.67x more expensive
    HiFiMAN He 400 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£330 vs £90).
    £330 vs £90
  • 5.87x less popular
    HiFiMAN He 400 is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 2.02x higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (440 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    440 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.
  • 9.5 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (92.5 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    92.5 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 0.2 % higher distortion
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.5 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.5 % vs 0.3 %
  • 10.5 dB SPL lower sound pressure level
    This pair of headphones has a lower sound pressure level than the average pair of headphones (92.5 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL). The average headphones reach a sound pressure level of 103 dB SPL.
    92.5 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.
  • 4 older release date
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (2012 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    January 2012
    2012 vs 2016

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

9.0
Joon Lee
≈ estimated
10/04/2012
Hands-on review · sound, comfort and build
Verdict
HiFiMAN HE-400 sounds excellent and is very comfortable, making it a highly recommended open-back pick for home listening.

Third-party reviews

What customers like about HiFiMAN He 400

  • Exceptional bass response that is weighty, punchy, and deep without being muddy
  • Excellent clarity and detail retrieval, particularly for its price point
  • Wide, open, and spacious soundstage that provides a high sense of realism
  • Relatively easy to drive compared to other planar magnetic headphones
  • Strong instrument separation and accurate imaging
  • Great value for money as an entry-point into high-end planar magnetic technology

What customers don't like about HiFiMAN He 400

  • Noticeably heavy (440g), which can lead to neck strain during long listening sessions
  • Substantial sound leakage due to the open-back design, making them unsuitable for public use
  • Comfort issues reported, specifically high clamping force and earpads that can get warm
  • Stock frequency response includes treble spikes (specifically around 10kHz) that can be sibilant on some tracks
  • Recessed midrange that can make vocals feel a bit distant or veiled
  • Questionable build quality in some units, including reported issues with the screw-on cable connectors

Verdict

The HiFiMAN HE-400 is an open-back planar magnetic headphone featuring a 35-ohm impedance, 92.5 dB sensitivity, and a frequency response of 20Hz – 35kHz. It is characterized by its powerful, punchy bass response and smooth, non-fatiguing high frequencies, making it a standout entry-level audiophile choice for genres like rock and electronic music. Main pros include its relatively high efficiency for a planar design—allowing it to be driven by modest amplifiers or even some portable devices—and its exceptional instrument separation and detail retrieval for its price point. However, notable cons include its relatively heavy 440g build, a somewhat recessed midrange, and a 'darker' tonality that may lack the airy soundstage and treble extension found in more expensive models.

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