tldr; HE400SE: budget planar "gaming" option, needs amp for proper power. Good detail, neutral sound, often compared to HD560S. Not for bassheads!
$109.00 on AmazonScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for Hifiman HE400SE
“Got the HE400se back in July and while it did take some getting used to (after moving from a WH-1000XM4), they're insane value for the money. And that's just stock, I'm currently interested in doing a Super Grills mod with them. And now I got the FT1 for Christmas, and they are ***good***. Perfect for when I want something more technically proficient, isolative and comfortable but don't want to wear the comparatively small XM4s and heat gathering XM4s. Genuinely don't see myself getting any more headphones unless one of them breaks. The budget range has honestly never been better.”
“If it's plainly audible I'd say that's unacceptable, noticed similar in the subbass on my HE400se - it's *always* a bit to the right”
1,343 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 4/4/2026