HIFIMAN HE400se : An Initial Step Towards High Fidelity Experience

This product review is quite special as it is my first time to review a headphone from HIFIMAN. As we all know, the HIFIMAN brand is one of the leading audio brands and  also a manufacturer of Hi-Fi equipment in China way back on mid-2000s as they produced some of the exquisite audiophile-grade products in the market, and most of them are headphones with a planar magnetic technology in which they have some expertise on it as they continue to improve its acoustic performance and power efficiency. And this company has its roots in the US as it was founded in New York by Dr. Fang Bian, a doctorate degree holder on Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nanotechnology with a master’s degree in Inorganic Chemistry as he started a business with a brand name called “Head-Direct”, and it sells audio products through its own online store. His background itself will give some breakthrough and innovation on the material science to all HIFIMAN products.

Their product line-up consists from entry-level up to the summit-fi range as they offer many models that will cater to all audio enthusiasts from different backgrounds. My favourite headphone models from them are the ANANDA and the SUSVARA and despite that those cans are already old models, I still look upon them as one of my preferences in terms of sound profile as they seem to almost align with my tuning target preference which is balanced-neutral sound. And what I have here is their entry-level headphone model, The HIFIMAN HE400se and like its predecessors, the HE400, HE400i and its 2020 derivative, it still has an open-backed design but there are some drastic changes of its overall design profile and also its transducer technology.

As I’ll explain in regard on how planar magnetic driver works, they are a type of complex driver system as it has dual strong neodymium magnetic array structure in either bar or grid pattern and between them holds a thin flat diaphragm with an etched conductive traces that covered most of its surface in which has a similar functionality to a voice coil of a dynamic driver. The audio signal surges and all of its current flow are evenly distributed through to the conductive traces on the diaphragm as it generates and interacts with the magnetic arrays in which will react by producing a force that the whole diaphragm will respond accordingly with consistent and precise movement with excellent transient response and low distortion. These drivers are known for excellent acoustic performance strength like fast response, excellent detail and clarity for better resolution and transparency, superior soundstage and imaging and almost linear frequency response.

The HE400se has a full-size planar magnetic driver which is roughly around 70mm up to 80mm as HIFIMAN didn't specify its transducer size. But compared to the previous models like the HE400, HE400S and HE400i, it is said that HIFIMAN re-engineered some of the components inside its already tested and proven driver as they added their advanced magnetic design frame that allows the seamless transmission of sound waves through its magnetic frame to lessens some diffraction of waves for less distortion that it will ensure that it will deliver an excellent transient speed, accurate and wide-band frequency for its pure sound output.

The drivers are then mounted in an earcup made of solid plastic casing structure and since this is open back design headphone, there is a large hollow cavity on its faceplate with a large circular metal grill panel that protects the driver inside.

On each side of its earcup, it was paired with an ergonomically-designed composite earpad cushion made of PU-leather on its outer part, a woven fabric on its front and a memory foam on its internal part, and these earpad cushions are in a circumaural design that lessens clamping pressure and quite breathable as its prevents on trapping heat and moisture build-up that causes perspiration and unpleasant odor.

And then the earcups are suspended in a metal alloy bracket that are connected to a flexible metal headband covered with a soft PU-leather with memory foam underneath for comfortable wear during a long listening session. The yoke part has an adjustment slider with some clicking incrementals that allows proper alignment on wearing them with comfort although its swivel rotation is quite limited.

Like all HIFIMAN models that I've tested, it features a detachable cable with a 3.5mm TS plug as its interlocking mechanism that is a proven and more stable design as it latches firmly and also allows us to use other third party cables with similar pin connector configuration. And the connector port of this one is quite recessed so that it can sit completely flush for better debris protection and less bending, and also for clean and minimalist finish for its overall aesthetic appeal.

Speaking of its stock cable, all I can say is that it's quite pretty decent but not the best out there as I’ve seen better stock cables from headphones even at under $200. It is said that it has silver-plated copper conductors sheathed in a thick electrical insulating sheath which is either made of TPR (thermoplastic rubber) or EPR (Ethylene Propylene Rubber). The cable material itself will ensure a seamless lossless audio signal for a pure sonic output without resistance distortion or interference that I don’t encounter any perceivable microphonic effects, but while the cable is soft and supple to touch, it is on a stiffer side of construction that offers a good entangle resistance. It has an angled L-shaped termination on its end as it is designed to reduce cable strain and also, aggressive bending and warping.

When it comes to product packaging, the HIFIMAN HE400se has rather rudimentary inclusions inside of its packaging box. But all the contents inside are well-organised and they have their own compartment.

These are the following contents inside of HIFIMAN HE400se’s packaging box:

• HIFIMAN HE400se headphone set
• Stock cable with 3.5mm single-ended plug
• 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter
• Quality control stub

As for driveability, since this is a full-size planar magnetic driver, it needs more amplification with stronger power output, especially current ones, due to its less sensitivity. If properly amplified, it will deliver an excellent resolution and clarity in  full-range sound.

The HE400se has a neutralish-bright sound profile as it has almost linear frequency response but it has some slight emphasis on upper mids and on the high frequency region that makes it a bit analytical sounding.

LOWS/BASS:

This one has a fairly balanced bass presentation, it has a good presence on its sub bass section while on its mid bass, it has a good texture that will render the bass-clef and low octave male vocals with enough punchiness and weight. Overall, it delivers a fast, precise and incisiveness on its bass response which is somewhat a typical character of planar magnetic headphones that are tuned neutrally.

• On the sub bass section, I noticed that its deep and rumbling presence depends on the source pairing that if not properly amplified, it will have a faint infrasonic energy that will not give enough vibration for deep, low-frequency sound waves that were generated from electronic and low-tuned instruments like drum machines, synthesisers, bass guitars and double-basses.
• The mid bass texture of this one is rather satisfactory enough to provide a slam, body and warmth on the note weight on bass-clef instruments and low-octave male vocals while maintaining an excellent control and clean delivery.
• On how those instruments and male vocals sounds like, the bass guitars sound rasping and resonant, double-basses sound broad and mellow, and the bass kick drums have a thudding and resonant sound on every stroke on its drum head, whereas on male vocals, both the bass and bass-baritones have a rather satisfactory deep resonance from their vocals but it still lacking of volume and less darker timbre do give those dense and wool-y sound.

MIDRANGE:

The midrange presentation of this one is relatively balanced with some slight emphasis on the upper mids section to give a bit of energetic sound on some vocals and instruments, but it is also noted that there are some tonal oddities on how it demonstrates some vocals and instruments on its sonic landscape as if that there are some parts on them as if that they sound a bit subdued. In general, the quality of this particular frequency region is clean, transparent, clear and vibrant.

• Since the lower midrange has balanced texture that somehow gives a hint of warmth and enough vocal density, that unusual tuning that I mentioned also about some veiledness that adds more texture and smoothness especially on male vocals as the baritones has a smooth, warm and plush sound, tenors have a clear, dazzling and spicy sound, and the countertenors have an agile, delicate and a bit fiery sound from their falsettos to convey their expressive voice.
• The liveliness on the its midrange tuning is due to some elevation on the upper mids section, but again I will raise its tuning quirks on this one in which I surmise that it has something to do with that slight gradual downward slope and then a sudden boost somewhere on upper mids section that affects the female vocals, as the contraltos have a rich and smoky sound from their chesty voices albeit its still a bit lacking of the vocal texture, while the mezzo-sopranos have a fiery, velvety and a bit coppery sounds from their voices and then the sopranos have shimmering, silvery and crystalline sound as they project their vocal quality to some more resonance, airy and expansive.
• On the instruments in which I will expound in this part as on how the woodwinds and brasses sound on this one, on the woodwinds, a clear and airy sound from concert flutes, a brilliant and intense sound on piccolos, and a mild, sonorous  and reedy sound from both clarinets and saxophones, while on brasses section, a brilliant and penetrating sound from trumpets, a metallic and penetrating sound on trombones and a full and bright sound from horns.
• Continuance on the the other instruments as on how they sound like, about the strings, guitars have a crisp, a bit buttery and sustaining sound, violins have a sensuous, clear and sweet sound and then cellos sound sonorous and lyrical, while on the percussions, snares have penetrating and bright sound, tom-toms have a round, crackling and resonant sound, and the kettledrums sound velvety, dry and a bit hollow.
• Pianos seems to have a balanced sound as it has a rich, clear, resonant and sparkling tone that gives an even yet musical sounding.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

The treble quality on this one is on the brighter side on tuning due to a mild accentuated presence section and then even and smoother transition towards the brilliance section as it has a sufficient amount of airy extension. Overall, it has a lustre, shimmering and airy treble response that will give more satisfying detail, smooth with good natural decay and extension for an entry-level can.

• The slightly elevated presence section on the treble region gives some clarity and definition on the attack on instruments on both rhythmic and percussives, and fairly sharp on its vocal articulation.
• It seems that the sibilance was kept under control and it doesn't create any strident sound at all but it has some instances of tinny and raspiness in some tracks that I’ve played.
• On its brilliance section, there is a sufficient sparkle and good extension that delivers a sense of spatial acoustic expansion and also, we will hear some decay from percussives particularly on cymbals and hi-hats, and then a substantial amount of harmonics from other instruments.
• Regarding treble-clef instruments as to how they will sound on this tuning, cymbals have brilliant and lustrous sound, hi-hats have crisp, sizzling and warm sound, glockenspiel have a glistening sound and then, the celestas have a shimmering sound.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING & OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

Given that it is a planar magnetic driver headphone, we will expect very competent technical performance on this one, and HIFIMAN didn't disappoint us on this aspect as they deliver it with precision and clarity. But there is some noticeable difference between the entry-levels, midrange and high-end models as the HE400se shows some of its limitations on some technicalities that I will expound on in every point.

• This one can project a roomy soundstage size within my perceived aural sphere in which I consider it wide enough but still less spacious compared to the ANANDA and the SUSVARA, and it has broad lateral span from left to right, good height reach and immersive depth on its distance from front to back.
• On its stereo imaging, it presents a holographic presentation with a clear and distinct layering on its soundscape and a good separation of musical elements like vocals and instruments, but the most thing that bothers me a bit that it has a vague arrangement of vocals and instrument in which I can’t  pinpoint their exact placements within its acoustic space given its well-layered imaging structure in which my nitpicking issue on the EDITION XS too.
• As for its driver coherency, with the latest generation of planar driver, it offers precise, excellent transients and low distortion performance as it has fast transient speed, and then crisp, clear and detailed sound on the vocals and instruments on midrange and high frequencies.
• In regard to its resolution capabilities, it has a firm and sufficient punchiness on its macrodynamics that it can highlight the varying degree of its volume dynamics from its quietest section up to its loudest level on both the instrumental passages and chorale lines, while on its microdynamics, it has a sharp definition on extracting fine details, grains and other nuances from sonic background of an audio track like vocal delays, note textures, notation attacks and instrumental reverb tails.

PEER COMPARISONS:

HIFIMAN HE400 (DEMO)

• The predecessor of the HE400se and the first model of HE400/HE4XX series. And I remembered that this one is quite pricey when it was released.
• It is equipped with an older generation of HIFIMAN planar magnetic driver in a plastic earcup with PU-leather ear cushion which is less comfortable due to its a bit hard and rough texture.
• Since I've tested a demo unit from a local premiere hi-fi equipment store here, I don't have any idea about its product packaging but I remember that it has less appealing lean stock cable.
• This one is a bit more coloured tonal profile as it has a U-shaped sound signature with a warm-ish balance tonality with a hint of bright.
• Compared to its latest successor, this one has more rumbly and then an impactful and well-bodied bass response, a recessed midrange but it has more warmth but a bit less energetic midrange that gives a bit smoother and voluminous male vocals and a smoother, with good sparkle but less airy extension on its treble response.
• As for its overall technicalities, if I compared it to the HE400se, this one has a narrower soundstage given that it's an open-backed planar can, a holographic with fairly layered soundscape on its stereo imaging but less defined placement of instruments and vocals that I'm quite struggling to pinpoint them, and it has more solid macrodynamics but less sharper micro-detail retrieval.

HIFIMAN SUNDARA (2020 variant, Open-backed version) (DEMO)

• One of the most talked about initial-level midrange offerings from HIFIMAN in the 2020, and it is also quite more pricey than the HE400se during its release.
• It is also a newer planar magnetic driver with stealth magnet design similar to HE400se but it has some upgraded diaphragm encased in a large metal alloy earcups, and if I remember, it offers a better wearability as it has balanced distribution on its weight on my head, almost on par with the ANANDA.
• Same case with the HE400 as I can't provide any information about its product packaging as I've tested it as a demo unit, but it has a similar stock cable of the current HE400se.
• This one has a mild U-shaped sound profile closer to balanced-neutral tonality with a hint of brightness.
• In comparison with the HE400se, as I remember that this one has more punchier and texture on its mid bass that it gives more darker timbre on bass-clef instruments and male vocals, a more balanced midrange presentation  as it has a tad warmer yet it is also even has an energetic presentation that gives that dry and sterile sound on some vocal tracks, and then it has a shimmering and sparkling tuning on its treble that on some tracks, it has that mild shrill and tinny sound but it has well-extended brilliance air.
• Overall, compared to the HE400se, this one offer better technical performance, from wider soundstage projection, a holographic well-layered soundscape, more defined placement of instruments and vocals, and a more resolving microdynamics at it has a tad sharper definition on extracting fine details.

FOSTEX T40RP MK II (DEMO)

• An old model from FOSTEX but unlike the HE400se, this one is of a closed-back design and still more pricey.
• It uses a self-developed planar magnetic driver in which they call it an orthodynamic driver and then, it was encased in a high quality plastic with a lighter weight on it.
• I can’t provide any information about its packaging box as I only tested it through a demo unit, but it has an L-shaped plug with a locking mechanism on its removable cable to attach it to the earcup.
• This one has a fun and coloured tonality due it has a V-shaped sound signature.
• In comparison to the HE400se, this one has a more vigorous, impactful and boomy bass response, a recessed and leaner midrange presentation and a brighter, shimmering and less airy treble response.
• On its technical capabilities, it has a bit compressed on its perceived soundstage size that makes it way too narrower compared to the HE400se, less layered soundscape on its stereo imaging and a less detailed resolution capabilities.

In conclusion, it seems that the HIFIMAN is quite capable of producing an excellent headphone with good sound quality with strong technical performance even at entry-level pricing. And also I can attest that its asking price will be worthy for its performance alone on both tonal quality and competent technical capabilities. There are several compromises on some of its performance if you already tested the higher tier ones like the ANANDA and SUSVARA, in which are more expensive cans, but again its positive aspects outweigh its negative ones. I can highly recommend this headphone to you if you want a starter planar magnetic can with an affordable and reasonable pricing for your hi-fi hobby journey, this one will fit the standard for your budget.

The HIFIMAN HE400se is now available at HIFIMAN’s official online store, and I’ll provide a link down for those who are interested in this model.

LINK:

https://www.hifiman.com/products/detail/310

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: HIFIMAN HE400se

IMPEDANCE: 32Ω

SENSITIVITY: 92dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 20KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 2m

PIN TYPE: 3.5mm TSR PLUG CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE:  3.5mm

DRIVER UNIT(S):  (1) PLANAR MAGNETIC DRIVER(S),

PROS:

● Affordability as HIFIMAN slashes its priced

● Solid construction of its overall build.

● It has a streamline design and features a detachable cable.

● Its ear cup cushion is quite an improvement over the previous HE400's stock earpads in terms of quality.

● Flexible metal headband as I don’t feel any uncomfortable clamping pressure in my long listening session.

● Neutral sound signature if you are a neutral head.

● Fairly balanced and clean sounding.

● Fast, punchy and incisive bass response.

● Tidy, transparent and clear midrange presentation.

● Almost tonal accurate and life-like sound from female vocals and also on strings and woodwinds as they sound expressive, lively and airy.

●  Clear and shimmering treble response with a good amount of airy extension.

● Spaciously wide soundstage with holographic stereo imaging.

● Good resolution capabilities.

CONS:

● Hard to drive as you need a powerful source just to amplify this one to sound more dynamic and clear.

● Not for bassheads due to its lack of authoritative bass response.

● Some tonal inconsistency on some instruments.

● Those slightly boosted upper mids and presence section on the treble region give a bit of intensity that might sound a tinny,shrill-y and sharp sound for a long listening session.

● Not for warm sound-loving audio enthusiasts looking for a  warm analogue-ish tonality 

● Less accurate placement of vocals and instruments on its soundscape given that it is a planar magnetic driver can.

TRACKS TESTED: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**

Suzanne Vega – Luka **

Lauren Christy – Steep *

Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *

Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*

Type O Negative - Black No.1 *

Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **

Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *

Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *

P.S.

I am not affiliated to HIFIMAN nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to the HIFIMAN REP for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.