Introduction

HiFiMAN seems more dedicated than ever to bringing down the cost of the planar magnetic technology their higher-end headphones have benefited from these last couple years. Eversince the introduction of their single-sided magnet array driver, HiFiMAN has been hard at work in upping its sensitivity. The first result was the HE-400i we reviewed not too long ago, and now, we take a look at their new entry level planar magnetic headphone dubbed HE-400S. The S-model will retail for $299, which is $200 less than its bigger brother, making it a pair a lot of PC enthusiast and not only audiophiles might afford.

The HE-400S has a slightly revised design with cheaper connectors, a slightly smaller planar driver and some new, less advanced pads. We take a listen to see if this new supposedly planar bargain lives up to its name.

Specifications

• Single-sided planar magnetic driver
• 22 Ohm impedance
• 98 db/mW efficiency
• 350g weight