The HIFIMAN HE400se ranks #15 out of 134 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: HIFIMAN
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#15 HIFIMAN HE400se: $109.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: A preference score of 89 and a neutral tilt make this an accurate sounding planar for the money. Treble is within a fraction of a dB of target and the air band is only 1 dB high, so the top end is smooth and free of sharp peaks, with the largest at about 2.4 dB near 11.9 kHz. It matches the rating of the Beyerdynamic DT 880 at a lower price, with a modest 396 g weight.
Cons: Sub-bass is about 5 dB light and bass from 60 to 200 Hz is about 1 dB under target, so low end impact is limited. The low mids are about 1.6 dB elevated while a 4.8 dB dip near 2 kHz and a 2 dB upper mid shortfall can push vocals slightly back. At 91 dB/mW sensitivity it benefits from a headphone amp, and the open back leaks sound and provides no isolation.
| Released | Mar 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.98 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Planar magnetic |
| Drivers | 1 x planar magnetic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 89 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Sensitivity | 91 dB/mW |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.05 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs (396 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +6.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,968 Hz | +5.1 dB | 2.37 |
| Peak | 861 Hz | -2.3 dB | 1.86 |
| Peak | 101 Hz | -2.4 dB | 0.32 |
| Peak | 1,619 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.53 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 138 Hz | +0.7 dB | 1.98 |
| Peak | 64 Hz | -0.7 dB | 1.95 |
| Peak | 251 Hz | -0.4 dB | 2.33 |
| Peak | 29 Hz | +0.5 dB | 2.63 |
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