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I received my HE4XX as a gift a few years back and the ear cup broke a month ago. Going through similar posts, it seems like this is a design/QC problem with models built after 2018. They were my first pair of hi fi headphones (senn hd 202’s and mx30’s prior) and I really enjoyed them. Sound stage was great and indie/rock sounded great on them. I haven’t worn them recently but I remember bass is a lacking a bit but clarity was good, so it didn’t feel like I was missing anything. Friends who tried them as well agreed.

Hifiman wanted $75 for a new headband and knockoffs would take weeks from china, so I decided to just grab something new. My budget wasn’t a lot so I went to a local audio shop and bought whatever their cheapest open backs were. I landed on the Grado SR60X, and while trying them in the shop, I wasn’t blown away but thought they would suffice. I also tried the SR80X and noticed a slight difference but both worth the additional $30CAD. I don’t know if it was burn in, or if my brain was tuned to the headphones, but I absolutely love them now. I know people hate on them a lot and complain about a lack of bass but I love the way they sound, my go to with these headphones is r&b, hip hop, and anything ‘fun’ like edm and game sound tracks. My go to for the past few weeks has been Majid Jordan, Glitch Mob and Beastie Boys. I seriously can’t get over how much I enjoy them, and honestly what’s not to love about the product and brand. Yes, they feel cheap but they’re also great value for the price, and hand built in Booklyn by a family business. On the topic of ‘feel’, it definitely takes a while to adjust to them, the ear cups are rough and they sit tight but after playing around with the band and breaking in the cups, they feel very comfortable.

I had decided to stick with these but these bleed noise a lot, a considerable amount more than the HE4XX, and my wife just wasn’t having it (we live in a 1 bedroom place). I used this as an excuse to buy a used pair of DT 770 Pro 80 ohm’s that came up for a good price. I haven’t had a lot of time with these, only a few hours but these sound fantastic, definitely different to the SR60X, specifically in soundstage being closed back. I thought I would prefer open back a lot more but I think it’s very specific to the song, whereas the open back with some r&b felt like I was sitting in a recording room, with instruments and vocals playing all around me, the closed back with something like indie rock felt like I had the guitarist right next to me. Totally different sensation and imo preference came down to the song I was listening to. Indie rock and acoustic feel more intimate with the 770’s so I think I’ll be sticking with them for that genre and anything similar.

I don’t watch a ton of movies or shows on my computer so I can’t comment but gaming is great on both.

Overall, Im disappointed in hifimans QC and just lack of ownership to faulty products, but I’m glad I was able to try something new. The Grado’s hold a special place for me and really do feel like something special, with their sound signature and company backstory. I’ll probably pick up more as gifts. The 770’s, what can I say that already hasn’t been said? They sound great and have been comfortable for the past few hours I’ve been using them. Clarity and sound on them are probably the best I’ve heard so I get why they’re used as reference headphones for audio work. As for now, I’m happy with what I have. I may try to fix the HE4XX with some super glue, but I’m in no rush.

Edit: written on a phone so ignore any typos or bad grammar.

If i got 2c for every broken hifiman headphone I seen in this subreddit, I would be a millionaire.

No idea why you people still buy them.

I knew about the QC control issues before hand but figured if I was extra super duper careful I could avoid issues. Unfortunately not however.

My first and last Hifiman.

Cause they sound ridiculously good for the price. If they didn’t people wouldn’t buy them

Unfortunately.

I had a pair of HE400SE that I recently sent back but the build, while probably on par for a pair of $100 HP, was good with no issues. I also knew about HiFiman qc issues so I curbed my expectations when I clicked the 'order' button but again, I had no issues with my pair.

However, I did not care for the sound of the HE400SE HPs. Not that they were that bad but I was just unimpressed. Nothing stood out to me across the board as special so I had little motivation to pick them back up again. I tried several dac/amp combos with the same results.

I do love my DT 770 Pros though. I will never get rid of those and if they ever break, I will order a replacement.

Cheers!

That wall will be broken down before those beyers will, lol

I;ve had the DT880 for a few years and peole say it's bright headphone, i find it easy enough to listen to so when it is said and graphed that Grado headphones are brighter it put's me off getting one, i think i'm just going to go hear one for myself...

You sound a lot like hater rn. They fuck, for cheap. Also just take care of your things? My 4xx has been fine for over 2 years, and XS for over a year. But I’m reasonably careful with my things. I’ve actually never had any of my gear break from normal use. Except a cloth cover working it’s way off the actual wire from my hookx cable (still didn’t fail, cosmetic) I feel like a lot of people here don’t care for things as they should. Like sure if you abuse things they break. Even if it doesn’t immediately hurt the item over time over extending, pulling, stretching things will wear on anything.

my brother has a pair and they remind me of my old 500 series sennheisers. rather than breaking, they're so flexible they just absorb the force and bounce like a toddler.

Take care of your things? Have you seen how hifiman shipped a pair to /r/headphone user that had completely flipped L/R sides? That has nothing to do with taking care of things, its atrocious QC.

I take it you've never owned a HiFiMan headphone. They are notorious for quality control and build issues, even if you handle them with white gloves like the Crown Jewels.

Just because you've never had a headphone break doesn't mean that everyone who gets a bum unit from HiFiMan treats their gear like shit.

HiFiMan and Focal are neck and neck in the shitty quality control derby among audiophile headphone brands.

Exactly why i bought myself some sundaras and sold them off soon after. Been using beyers for years and a headphone that feels like it will break every time i put it on didn't feel great. Still loved the sound though

The exact same thing happen to mine as well. A cheap fix I did was to tie the headband and the support up with cotton string, few loops below, above and around along the circumference of the circular plastic part as tight as possible to make sure it does not slide around. That worked pretty well and lasted for few more months before I moved onto Focal Clear.

I don’t love the fragility of my he400ses but damn do I love the sound. It makes giving them recommendations so hard.

I have, mine have lasted years. If anything sounded better I'd probably buy them, but to this date I have yet to hear anything that comes close.

If someone delivers Hifiman sound with better QC/build, I will switch to them.

Or the new Sundara cable without any copper wire

I've owned HiFiMan Edition XS and HE-400se. Definitely the best I've heard in their respective price categories. Mine lasted, too!

But I have moved on to Audeze LCD-X 2021, and I'll probably never part with my trusty, venerable HD 6XX.

I literally just said that I own 2 sets…

YOU CHOSE RIGHT

You chose right my friend, grados are the goats.

I recently tried grado sr80x and the 400se. I was blown away by both, I think moreso by the grados if I'm honest. Even using them for rap which is my favorite type of music. I want to try a few others before making my choices tho, but the grados are frontrunners.

Dude owning a pair for 2 years is nothing lol, report back in 10 years. My HD 202’s are over a decade old and see daily use from my wife and they’re still kicking.

Because I can't find a similar sound in anything else. If my Edition XS breaks I'll just replace it with a HE1000V2.

I've had my DT770 for 12 years I think, they sound like shit though so who cares.

I was reading a review, and I think they explained it the best. They said "Hifiman headphones don't have the best build, they don't have the best looks or comfort, but they do have best in class sound."

Wait, what? When people made fun of the cable I thought it was because it kept coiling back up and introduced some noise, I didn't think they would cheap out on the materials.

I don’t understand what’s up with hifiman. They apparently sound super good, but some people report them not sounding good. Obviously, how good it sounds is subjective. But then you bring the durability and quality control issues into the mix and I don’t understand why people are still buying them. Do they sound that good? It’s not even like they’re cheap.

I had he 4xx, they was just mediocre, how are the rest?

No copper wire as in the cable was just the connectors and outer insulator.

I’m slow on the reading uptake. 😂

same here, I sold off my Ananda’s for a pair of LCD-2C’s because I just wanted something with a better build. I like the sound just as much, if not more.

and yeah my hd 6xx will never go anywhere. I still listen to them just as much as the LCD’s

Actually comfort is also top notch, their hi-end headphones are one of the most comfortable

Obviously their high end headphones are comfortable, but that's not their main goal unlike Focal and Meze who prioritize comfort.