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Audio and Video Talk
Headphones
Recommend a good inexpensive amp for the Hifiman 4XX?
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<blockquote data-quote="user 1447" data-source="post: 952322" data-attributes="member: 1447"><p>the HE4xx is a pig to drive and its not the impedance at fault - it is the low sensitivity - you need a monster amp to drive it to levels where it comes alive - running it with weak amps is going to leave it sounding lazy and uninvolving - it can't be used with things like phones and only the very strongest DAPs need apply </p><p></p><p>I have one and it sounds good with really powerful amps or DAC/AMPs but it is worse than terrible with weaksauce amps ...and possibly if you do like Hifiman then rather spend the extra money and get a HE400S instead of the HE4xx or even the HE400i because the S will be easier to drive with lower powered amps - whereas the HE4xx will only just barely work with lower powered amps ie it will give you sound but whether it is going to sound good is very doubtful </p><p></p><p>i recently tried a Fiio M9 DAP with a HE4xx and a Sennheisser HD800 and even the Sennheiser with its 300ohm impedance sounded better and louder as well as livelier than the HE4xx (both headphones using a balanced 2.5mm aftermarket cable) so it is abundantly clear to me that if you actually intend to use this headphone you need to spend a shedload on a <u><strong>strong</strong></u> <u><strong>capable</strong></u> amplifier otherwise you are wasting your time on any combination</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="user 1447, post: 952322, member: 1447"] the HE4xx is a pig to drive and its not the impedance at fault - it is the low sensitivity - you need a monster amp to drive it to levels where it comes alive - running it with weak amps is going to leave it sounding lazy and uninvolving - it can't be used with things like phones and only the very strongest DAPs need apply I have one and it sounds good with really powerful amps or DAC/AMPs but it is worse than terrible with weaksauce amps ...and possibly if you do like Hifiman then rather spend the extra money and get a HE400S instead of the HE4xx or even the HE400i because the S will be easier to drive with lower powered amps - whereas the HE4xx will only just barely work with lower powered amps ie it will give you sound but whether it is going to sound good is very doubtful i recently tried a Fiio M9 DAP with a HE4xx and a Sennheisser HD800 and even the Sennheiser with its 300ohm impedance sounded better and louder as well as livelier than the HE4xx (both headphones using a balanced 2.5mm aftermarket cable) so it is abundantly clear to me that if you actually intend to use this headphone you need to spend a shedload on a [u][b]strong[/b][/u] [u][b]capable[/b][/u] amplifier otherwise you are wasting your time on any combination [/QUOTE]
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Audio and Video Talk
Headphones
Recommend a good inexpensive amp for the Hifiman 4XX?
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