You can turn them into powerful beast with proper EQ 20-40hz +10db, 50-70hz +6db, 80hz +4db, 250hz -3db, 1-7khz +0db, 8-10khz -3db, 11-20khz +0db, on good AMP these HE400se can produce deep bass without rattling of planar film, also you can unbend the headband and reduce clamping force significantly, it will give you more air in mids and increase bass quantity after losing the vacuum inside of the pads
Sensitivity and Ohm is what you should look at when determining how much power a headphone needs. 90db - 98db should be hard to drive regardless of how many ohms a headphone has. But 300 ohm and 104db should also be hard to drive.
One gaming headset that I highly recommend, and I feel doesn't get the publicity they deserve is the NUBWO G06 headset. The black pair has cloth ear cushions, whereas the pink pair has leatherette. I own both of these, and for being a budget pair, holy cow, the sound, volume and comfort for me puts these at almost my top current pair. They are wireless with a dongle, and they also have bluetooth that you can switch between on the fly. Absolutely recommend these for you to review.
I'm glad you are opening up to the audiophile world for gaming. I have the Hifiman Edition XS and the Drop/Sennheiser HD58X which happen to be my daily drivers. Techne, I have been following you and watching your content for at least a year! Keep the vids coming! A game that you should try these as well as the Audeze collection you have is Red Dead Redemption 2! You will not be disappointed!
I use the Sennheiser Gamer One headset and the Hifiman XS. The XS is a killer, its the best you can get in the product stack under a thousand dollars. I have at least 500 hours on both.
Word, the moment I saw them straight out of the box I looked at the pads and said - yeah, these are no good, no way I'm going to get more than 3 years with a moderate use out of these
Uh oh is techne gonna end up down the audiophile rabbit hole. I game in openbacks and this headphone is legit especially for the price. Another great choice under 100 bucks is the phillips shp9500 with some modded pads, also I can vouch for the sennheiser hd58x probably my favorite. I listen to alot of music as well as gaming so ive spent way too much on headphones and iems, but its a fun hobby and I dont need to spend an insane amount to get great sound.
the headband foam will break in just in time , when mine breaks in oh my their so comfy as hell night and day when it first arrived I could wear them all day long. but they are harder to drive because of it being a low sensitivity headphones but they respond so well if you have a amp that can drive them.
Hey! Great video as always. Since you seem to star trying audio stuff not strictly for gaming... may i suggest you give a look to the Philips Fidelio X2HR? I stress "X2", not the X3. I believe you will really appreciate them!
here i can find these Hifiman and the Audio Technica ATH-AD500X at the same price... which one would you recomend from out of those 2 if i only play RPG and i want the immersion
I have two open back headphone , Hifiman he400i and the HD450 they are really well with competitive games like Valorant as well as triple A games / open world games , but yeah everyone is different
I was wondering when are you going to do the blackshark v2 pro vs kraken v3 pro. You never directly compared them. On kraken you praised them alot. So how do they stack against your blackshark. Also its mid 2022. Would be nice to get another top headset video. Mentioning all the popular and big name ones and how they stack up. (The a50 gen 4, arctris pro, cloud 2/ alpha, logitech g pro x, the razer ones etc...)
Been daily driving these headphones for a few months now and they are absolutely 10/10, definitely got to make up an extra bit of soft velour for the headband. But the sound is just so good for virtually everything, and whether that's music from your phone or through a nice amp at your PC.
Hey what’s your personal choice for games like COD and halo? I like pinpoint accuracy and to hear footsteps. Plus maybe an optional choice to listen to music
The biggest difficulty I’m having right now with headsets is comfortability with wearing glasses, most I’ve used put an annoying amount of pressure on the bridge of my nose where my glasses rest (Rayban style) so far the best fitting headphones I have are my Sennheiser momentum 2.0s but they aren’t the best for gaming have to have them wired and I prefer something wireless
have you tried breaking them in manually? i wear glasses 24/7. Legally blind without them. Stretch the bands to the point where you feel comfortable using them for long durations.
@@TheTechne definitely that’s one of the reasons why I watch you, I’m about to give the Black Shark V2 Pros a shot and see how they do from your review, currently I have a set of HS70 pros that I replaced the ear cups with velour and still a no go for me unless I throw in contacts, not the best for night time gaming. I’m also really digging the Meze 99s on drop as a replacement for my Sennheiser’s since I use my liberty pro 3 earbuds for on the go now.
Hi Techne, have you ever tried the B&O Portal for the playstation? Really curious on your take about that headphone... R they any good? XD. Already saw others review but i kinda want your take on that headphone. TIA. 😊
Do you think if you gamed on open backs longer and got used to them maybe your competitive gameplay experience would change? I've been using open backs for years for competitive games and found the fuller soundstage provided by them allowed me to have better directional audio in some games.
I have Great XP on Headphones for over 30 years Open backs always have better sound qualities for sure. That doesnt mean that closed back doesnt have positives. By the way Big soundstage it not always needed on games imaging is more important. Also open back headphones are always better to protect your hearing because the air pressure escapes and doesnt fight back with the ear membrane. Also open backs re always faster and have tighter sound, Anyways if someone prefers Closed back for isolation i can understand but Saying that Closed backs are better or even close to Open Back headphones is a big amateur mistake. But again i understand some people dont have the trained ears to get it.
I know this guy isn't an audiophile (even know he kinda is) but the way he reviews the build and comfort is satisfying and very informational unlike most audiophile youtubers. Also he almost dropped and broke the headphones and still put it in the video 2:57
I had these. They sounded great, very similar to my Sennsheiser HD560s. The problem with these is that they are much harder to drive being planar magnetic than the HD560s. I had to plug them into an old AV receiver to provide them enough juice to have an apples to apples comparison. The soundblaster g3 was no match for these babies. I kept the 560s because I didn’t want to upgrade my amp as I play on PC and PS5 and the G3 fits that use case perfectly. These headphones are very nice though, the newer version 2 comes with the better cable (the original cable was horrible), and build quality is excellent.
@@TheTechne yea they really come alive when given an ample amount of juice. You should check out the 560s! The build quality is not as good, but they are super comfortable and sound just as good, if not better imo.
This headphones are good for musics and movies. If you trying to be competitive with an open back 🙄 good luck buddy. Loving the Steelseries arctis nova pro x.
Senn 560s, pc38x, audio technica ad700x, dt880, dt990. EPOS is probably the best that you mentioned for competitive shooters but the ones I mentioned are pretty much best of the best for that class in the same price range. Dt990 can be bright to some but are very good for competitive fps. Hd560s are just as good for games but not as harsh at the high end. Ad700x are amazing as well especially if you over ear mod them but they have essentially zero bass. Dt880 and pc38x are a happy medium that are very good for games but also usable for music/movies etc. HD560s is the best headphone in that price range for anything right now tbh. Unless you're an absolute bass head who only wants movies and music but that's not what you're asking for.
@@MrDutch1e as an update, I ended up getting the HE400SE. Oh boy they are hard to drive haha! My PC can barely power it up. For casual listening to music, PC is enough but for gaming and extra immersion you really need to buy an entry level DAC for this guy. I paired it with a FX Audio DAC X6 just to power it up and have an extra headroom of volume of I need it. This is my first openback so I had some time to adjust especially hearing footsteps. You are screwed if you don't have a decent amp and play competitive. You will miss some subtle queues. But with a DAC they're good enough. One thing I love with open back is that they I don't get too warm compare to closed backs and not as tired listening to it like in IEMs. Would I keep it? Yes. But might buy an Epos closed back for competitive gaming.
@@hichristiangoodbye I've had the ad700 and pc38x and I just got the hd599se and the 599se smashes everything I've tried for footsteps and placing enemies in games.
@@TheTechne what about for either switch or steam deck or any portable devices like iPhone/ ipad?. I’d rather use a wired headphones for portable devices. I do have pc, ps5 and Xbox series x but I’d rather have a wireless headphones for that.
you should test the hifiman he-r9... since some months I used the hifiman sundara, great open back... but with the closed back r9 I can now really here where the enemy is in hunt showdown. really heavy
I saw these on Amazon and half considered them, they're only $150 CAD which is nice. I'm the end I still went with the HyperX Cloud Orbit S as I also wanted the 3D audio feature (and have been loving the crap out it so far). Plus the Orbit has its own built in DAC/amplifier, which means it can drive itself very nicely, even when using the 3.5mm jack on my phone. I will say though, I may keep this headset in the back of my mind for a potential open back in the future, perhaps if they go on sale at some point.
I've used these as a speaker for my PC with a Fiio Q3 DAC for more than a year and a half now, they are loud and they are very crispy and clear, but I hate the fact that the bass is very lackluster and they can't isolate the noise, I hear my loudass PC fans even when I put them on my ears at maximum volume and it's no fun. At this price, can't complain about it.
Fiio Q3, (máx 300mw @32ohms) is poor amp for HE400SE. With Xduuo MT-602 (1300mw @32ohms), its basses are more than adequate when the music requires it. Volume level in general, does not exceed 9-11 a.m in amp, 100% windows.
These cheap Hifimans are mediocre at best when it comes for competitive gaming. I have Hifiman HE 400i ver. 2020 wich are almost the same with SE edition but with a little more bass, and the detail retrieving is average at best. When you are into multiplayer shooters you want details and very accurate pinpoint of enemy footsteps or these Hifimans cannot do that precisely, their just ok-ish,nothing to mention. I also have iFi Zen DAC paired with Fiio K5 Pro Ess. But for just music listening or casual single player games they are very good cans, especially for music. I tried some time ago a pair of Beyerdynamic Tygr 300 R and those can easily surpass big time my Hifimans in games. In conclusion,the only problem this headphones have in competitive gaming is poor imaging and restrain soundstage wich is really not a 3D one. If you're in multiplayer shooters do yourself a favor and get Beyerdynamic Tygr 300R, Sennheiser HD 560S or Audio Technica ADx series. Period.
@@Waleed-abdullah just know the bass is not the best but it has very clear and crisp sound. I like how it's metal and not plastic; more durable. The headband is very comfortable you can barely feel it on your head, atleast for me. Edit: I don't recommend using these in a noisy house because you can hear everything outside. It's good for me because I need to be able to hear my phone or if someone knocks on the front door etc.
From my experience, the Hifiman HE400se is most suitable for music and general listening but can still perform well enough for gaming. People often assume that they NEED gaming headsets or a headphone that is strictly great (or assumptively great) for gaming, that is not needed and truthfully 80% of people should not rely on that unless they know what they actually need. You can get away with any headphone if you have good game sense. I might as well write a short review as I've had the HE400se for almost a year. The Hifiman HE400se has a clear, mostly neutral sound with mild emphasis on treble (not harsh at all). Imaging is generally good but most sounds will be coming from the wings (L R), or slightly in front or back. You won't notice much verticality with the imaging / soundstaging, so generally the sound delivery is pill shaped like lots of headphones anyway. Soundstage width seems about average, just slightly less than the Philips SHP9600 open back (maybe you can do a vid on it?), and I firmly believe that for a lot of games, the SHP9600 will perform better for imaging specifically, but not for separation. For example, in Warframe (great game) I always use the HE400se because there's tons of sounds happening at once, and I sometimes have to identify high priority targets in the mist of constant noise, and the good separation performance of the HE400se shines in this regard. Again, the SHP9600 has less separation performance (sound can blur during heavy noise), but noticeably better forwards and back imaging with slightly wider L R staging. Short comparison between HE400se and SHP9600 (average < good < great): HE400se is mostly neutral, average staging/imaging (in context of gaming), above average comfort, and great detail and separation. Notable con: This headphone likes to have at least an entry level DAC/Amp like an iFi Zen DAC. Won't get much volume from some integrated DACs (phone, PC, etc.), and bass may be weaker otherwise. SHP9600 is warm and mildly dark, above average staging/imaging (in context of gaming), good comfort, average - above average detail, average - slightly below average separation. I agree with the comfort, I found that the comfort of my set has improved over time and the headband is less stiff than it was new, but I still have to readjust the positioning every hour. The Philips SHP9600 is better for long term comfort but fitment is not as good because it wants to slide around when the clamp reduces from overall usage. I use an iFi Zen DAC V1 with all my headphones. The HE400se is using the balanced output. I do not use any headphone outside the $150 as of writing this. What do some of you think of your own pair?
All budget Hifimans have only average gaming "skills" from the sound perspective: poor imaging and weird/somewhat restrained soundstage (not a really 3D one). I also have HE 400i ver. 2020 that sounds very similar with SE variant and as a DAC/amplifier i use iFi Zen DAC with balanced output. I truly believe that Sennheiser HD 560S are far superior for competitive gaming.
Planars do not usually have bass . Also ohms you should almost never really look at but more so the sensitivity , planars usually require some power and it is known if these do not get the correct amount of power the detail will be super fuzzy and the highs can be super sibilant , that’s probably what you’re experiencing on something like the ps5 .
@@TheTechne I really think you should start a series on IEMS , a lot of people are swapping to iems for gaming . There are some solid planar iems as well , 7hz timeless , shuoer s12 . Some good budget ones , moondrop Chu, dunu titan s , moondrop aria.. I really feel like that would be a good series
@@YourCloudyyy I have tried some, but honestly they just don't excite me or grab my attention. They are uncomfortable, and I hate using them for over 30 mins.
@@TheTechne i will agree with you 100% a lot of them are super uncomfy and i personally cannot game with them but i know a lot of people do . i feel that a lot of them have a hard a time with depth in a way like every pair i have tried i can never tell exactly how far away i am being shot
They are less sensitive in this case. Sensitivity matters more than impedance imo. For example meze empyrean is 100db and 32ohms and these are 93db and 18ohms so that db difference is huge.
there are so much better out there. Now of course sound is personal pref, it even comes down to game your playing. but as I stated the 38x have great sound, but other than that its just ehhhhh at best
@@TheTechne Did you just say, other than the pc38x's sound, it's eh? That's like saying other than this pizza's crust, sauce, cheese and toppings it's eh.
agree with grandpa, i did try so many open back even the pricey one that tuned for gaming. my experience from them always the same. i can hear every thing very open and natural. but i can't pin point any thing when come to pvp game. let's say you can forget some super natural believe such as an open back head phone let's you hear your enemy who sneaking to your back. because it totally not true. use it for music or movie this kind of headphone is for you. however if you want to gain advantage on the game such as Apex, valorants, R6 siege.........i am sorry but you pick the wrong one.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
These headphones sounds like they have great quality sound. However, in my opinion, I think majority of people get sound quality confused with sound characteristics. I’ve seen some people comment on previous videos stating closed back gaming headsets are not a match to quality open back headphones. I only care about the competitive edge with headsets and I’ve tried many headsets and headphones. I can honestly say no open back headphone can match the frequency characteristics of a good gaming headset. I want say again, I’m not talking about sound quality. No gaming headset can match the audiophile sound quality of a headphone, but gaming headsets are tuned in such a way that those footsteps come through much better.
That's completely wrong, the HD5XX Series, the AD700s or others absolutely blows all gaming headsets away for example when it comes to competitive gameplay. This is also why the PC38X, PC37X, Game One or the older generations of it from Sennheiser are seen as the gold standard. "Characteristics" is also a rather weird word? You surely mean frequency response which leads to characteristics but a lot of headsets have a very crap one, many are way to bass heavy and that is against any kind of form of competitive. For example the popular Cloud headset is based on the TakStar Pro80 Headphone, a lot of the best headsets nowadays use established headphones and just add a microphone. No, 99% of the gaming headsets are not "tuned" to hear footsteps louder, that is not how you create drivers (the headphone drivers). You can boost the frequencies of footsteps but this is very difficult without destroying the whole sound signature. As footsteps depending on how far they are and and on which ground are on entirely different frequencies. So a tuning for footsteps is rather pointless, you can boost mids and highs till your ears bleed but as we see on most popular headsets from gaming brands that is not the case. You can look for frequency response graphs of those and you instantly see what I'm talking about. Don't fall for gaming marketing. But there are of course a lot of "bad" headphones for competitive gaming, like the HD600 Series with its centered 3-plob soundstage (great for acoustic tho).
@@Nokamigg You’re absolute 100% correct about falling for gaming marketing. 80% of gaming headsets are just developed by a big brand to simply make money and that’s it. There are only a handful of gaming headsets that’s worth using. Hearing is very subjective and my hearing is different to yours and so are everyone else’s therefore, I have to disagree with you on the open back headphone part. I’m not saying you’re incorrect, because if you’re just talking about detailed imagining to be able to hear critical sounds like footsteps, then yes technically studio headphones are better, but there’s one very important thing you’ve failed to mention. You perfectly hear footsteps with open back headphones however, because they’re open back, it bleeds out the sound and fades away really quickly. A good quality closed back gaming headset locks in that sound. I’ve tried the PC38X and to my hearing, whilst it was amazing quality, it was only mediocre in hearing footsteps. I’m not saying it was rubbish on the initial hearing of footsteps, but the sound bleeds out and fades very quickly. I’ve tested a lot of closed back Beyerdynamic headphones. Now I can comfortable say no gaming headset can match them in quality and imaging. Having said all the above, I only care about footsteps in games like COD and any FPS game. Quality is not important to me as I’m only playing a game. I’ve done extensive testing with many headsets and headphones and if there’s one thing they all have in common it’s the distance from which I can hear footsteps. No matter how expensive a headset or headphone is, nobody is going to hear footsteps from any further than around 35 metres. It’s all the same around 25-35 metres for example in COD Warzone. For this very reason I’m now using a £100 Astro A20 Gen 2 and I can hear footsteps from around 30-35 metres away and it was the same headsets and headphones three times the price and due to the fact that the main reason why I use a gaming headset is, having an attached mic and wireless, I’ve decided I’m no longer going to waste my money on buying an expensive headset. I have the Astro’s for gaming and chatting to my friends online and I have the Beyerdynamic DT770 for my music. Sometimes I still the Beyerdynamic for gaming when I’m playing by myself.
Actually if you only count competitive FPS as "Gaming". Well, Beyerdynamic DT990 etc is so much better. But they are not good for overall gaming experience. You will not get the WOW feeling when playing games for example when i played 3A Games. I only talk about headset that i used. Steelseries Artis 7 is good for hearing footstep, but not as good as DT990 or Edifier Stax Spirit S3 (Planar). The sound quality also better. But if you want to find a more comfortable open back i recommend ATH-HL7BT. For closed back headphones i used M&D MW75. I only used it for 2 days. But man the sound when i play 3A games is mind blowing. Maybe because i used to have flat sound profile headphones. Well.. in the end of the day there is no perfect headphone. Only headphone that perfectly match into my preference. That's why i keep MW75, HL7BT and IE 600. Maybe it is a waste if you still student or do not have a lot of money to spend to try every headphones out there like me. That's why Techne is here to make things easier for you to made a better decision to buy a Gaming peripheral.
You can turn them into powerful beast with proper EQ 20-40hz +10db, 50-70hz +6db, 80hz +4db, 250hz -3db, 1-7khz +0db, 8-10khz -3db, 11-20khz +0db, on good AMP these HE400se can produce deep bass without rattling of planar film, also you can unbend the headband and reduce clamping force significantly, it will give you more air in mids and increase bass quantity after losing the vacuum inside of the pads
Do you think it will be an upgrade over the x2hr?
Sensitivity and Ohm is what you should look at when determining how much power a headphone needs. 90db - 98db should be hard to drive regardless of how many ohms a headphone has. But 300 ohm and 104db should also be hard to drive.
Con el DAC shaling AU3 por la salida balanceada es suficiente 😊
When I saw the title and thumbnail I said wait a minute….Techne likes an open back for gaming?!? I’ve gotta see this one lol
lol
He uses audeze lcd series (don't know which one) so yeah
One gaming headset that I highly recommend, and I feel doesn't get the publicity they deserve is the NUBWO G06 headset. The black pair has cloth ear cushions, whereas the pink pair has leatherette. I own both of these, and for being a budget pair, holy cow, the sound, volume and comfort for me puts these at almost my top current pair. They are wireless with a dongle, and they also have bluetooth that you can switch between on the fly. Absolutely recommend these for you to review.
I'm glad you are opening up to the audiophile world for gaming. I have the Hifiman Edition XS and the Drop/Sennheiser HD58X which happen to be my daily drivers. Techne, I have been following you and watching your content for at least a year! Keep the vids coming! A game that you should try these as well as the Audeze collection you have is Red Dead Redemption 2! You will not be disappointed!
I use the Sennheiser Gamer One headset and the Hifiman XS. The XS is a killer, its the best you can get in the product stack under a thousand dollars. I have at least 500 hours on both.
Hey Techne, what should I upgrade to for better comfort and positional accuracy? I currently use a HyperX Cloud Alpha S, but it hurts my jaw.
Ad500x are betters for FPS than Cloud Alpha, by far. (I have both).
Hifiman has some of the best sound imho for budget planar headphones. The major downside for them is durability, specifically pad durability.
Word, the moment I saw them straight out of the box I looked at the pads and said - yeah, these are no good, no way I'm going to get more than 3 years with a moderate use out of these
They break too I want to try them but don't want them to break.
Sony inzone h9 review will be coming out? Thank you for your videos!
soon
The headband is genuinely painful for me after a while but I will buy some extra padding for it soon
Uh oh is techne gonna end up down the audiophile rabbit hole. I game in openbacks and this headphone is legit especially for the price. Another great choice under 100 bucks is the phillips shp9500 with some modded pads, also I can vouch for the sennheiser hd58x probably my favorite. I listen to alot of music as well as gaming so ive spent way too much on headphones and iems, but its a fun hobby and I dont need to spend an insane amount to get great sound.
x2, AD500X y HE400se v2.
the headband foam will break in just in time , when mine breaks in oh my their so comfy as hell night and day when it first arrived I could wear them all day long. but they are harder to drive because of it being a low sensitivity headphones but they respond so well if you have a amp that can drive them.
Hey! Great video as always. Since you seem to star trying audio stuff not strictly for gaming... may i suggest you give a look to the Philips Fidelio X2HR? I stress "X2", not the X3. I believe you will really appreciate them!
I just got these they are so good and you can drive them on anything
Techne! Love your videos man and I'm still waiting on that HD800s review! Keep up the great content and reviews
here i can find these Hifiman and the Audio Technica ATH-AD500X at the same price... which one would you recomend from out of those 2 if i only play RPG and i want the immersion
I have two open back headphone , Hifiman he400i and the HD450 they are really well with competitive games like Valorant as well as triple A games / open world games , but yeah everyone is different
Lol
I was wondering when are you going to do the blackshark v2 pro vs kraken v3 pro. You never directly compared them. On kraken you praised them alot. So how do they stack against your blackshark. Also its mid 2022. Would be nice to get another top headset video. Mentioning all the popular and big name ones and how they stack up. (The a50 gen 4, arctris pro, cloud 2/ alpha, logitech g pro x, the razer ones etc...)
Been daily driving these headphones for a few months now and they are absolutely 10/10, definitely got to make up an extra bit of soft velour for the headband. But the sound is just so good for virtually everything, and whether that's music from your phone or through a nice amp at your PC.
Really thought they need a ton of power for a phone
will it be an upgrade over the X2HR ?
Hey what’s your personal choice for games like COD and halo? I like pinpoint accuracy and to hear footsteps. Plus maybe an optional choice to listen to music
The biggest difficulty I’m having right now with headsets is comfortability with wearing glasses, most I’ve used put an annoying amount of pressure on the bridge of my nose where my glasses rest (Rayban style) so far the best fitting headphones I have are my Sennheiser momentum 2.0s but they aren’t the best for gaming have to have them wired and I prefer something wireless
have you tried breaking them in manually? i wear glasses 24/7. Legally blind without them. Stretch the bands to the point where you feel comfortable using them for long durations.
every headset I test I use glasses
@@TheTechne definitely that’s one of the reasons why I watch you, I’m about to give the Black Shark V2 Pros a shot and see how they do from your review, currently I have a set of HS70 pros that I replaced the ear cups with velour and still a no go for me unless I throw in contacts, not the best for night time gaming. I’m also really digging the Meze 99s on drop as a replacement for my Sennheiser’s since I use my liberty pro 3 earbuds for on the go now.
@@threekerr1345 oh these bands are a couple years old I’m due to replace the lens though
Get Arctis 7s they’re amazing for specky people I wear them for hours m.
Hi Techne, have you ever tried the B&O Portal for the playstation? Really curious on your take about that headphone... R they any good? XD. Already saw others review but i kinda want your take on that headphone. TIA. 😊
And also try dt 1990 for gaming they r open backs but u can play competitive with them
Do you think if you gamed on open backs longer and got used to them maybe your competitive gameplay experience would change? I've been using open backs for years for competitive games and found the fuller soundstage provided by them allowed me to have better directional audio in some games.
I have used many open backs, the cons outweigh the pros every time.
@@TheTechne which battlefield are you playing techne,with you saying cannot pick out footsteps,is it 2042?
I have Great XP on Headphones for over 30 years Open backs always have better sound qualities for sure. That doesnt mean that closed back doesnt have positives. By the way Big soundstage it not always needed on games imaging is more important. Also open back headphones are always better to protect your hearing because the air pressure escapes and doesnt fight back with the ear membrane. Also open backs re always faster and have tighter sound, Anyways if someone prefers Closed back for isolation i can understand but Saying that Closed backs are better or even close to Open Back headphones is a big amateur mistake. But again i understand some people dont have the trained ears to get it.
@@Tripokaridos22i agree
I own the original HE400i love them a lot
I know this guy isn't an audiophile (even know he kinda is) but the way he reviews the build and comfort is satisfying and very informational unlike most audiophile youtubers. Also he almost dropped and broke the headphones and still put it in the video 2:57
Hey Techne, can you review/give your opinion on the tygr 300r
I need to
Guys how are these compared to Sundara for gaming? I usually play compeitive fps games like Valorant/CS:GO
LETS GO!! Try all the headsets and headphones! Have you reviewed HD800s?
No, but man I wanna
@@TheTechne people say its the best headphone for gaming
Quick question, how does this compare to the Audeze Penrose?
You should try HE4XX as well. If that ever happens, would love to see a comparison video.
Will a modmic attach to that grill?
I had these. They sounded great, very similar to my Sennsheiser HD560s. The problem with these is that they are much harder to drive being planar magnetic than the HD560s. I had to plug them into an old AV receiver to provide them enough juice to have an apples to apples comparison. The soundblaster g3 was no match for these babies. I kept the 560s because I didn’t want to upgrade my amp as I play on PC and PS5 and the G3 fits that use case perfectly. These headphones are very nice though, the newer version 2 comes with the better cable (the original cable was horrible), and build quality is excellent.
yes I agree. they passed on ps5/xbox but once plugged into my zen, wow another level
@@TheTechne yea they really come alive when given an ample amount of juice. You should check out the 560s! The build quality is not as good, but they are super comfortable and sound just as good, if not better imo.
After hd560s, dt770, 900pro x I enjoy hifiman the most
@@EvLTimEWow
@@EvLTimEWhat's your impressions on soundstage? I have a PC38x and it feels like it lacks a lot of detail and soundstage:/
I just got the Philips x2hr on prime day i love them 32 ohms and 100db so i can drive them any thing going to get the steelseries dac still though
This headphones are good for musics and movies. If you trying to be competitive with an open back 🙄 good luck buddy.
Loving the Steelseries arctis nova pro x.
Lol
Guys can you help me out? I'm torn between HE400SE, EPOS H6PRO and SHP 9600. I'll be using it mainly for Valorant/FPS. Can you help me decide though?
Senn 560s, pc38x, audio technica ad700x, dt880, dt990. EPOS is probably the best that you mentioned for competitive shooters but the ones I mentioned are pretty much best of the best for that class in the same price range. Dt990 can be bright to some but are very good for competitive fps. Hd560s are just as good for games but not as harsh at the high end. Ad700x are amazing as well especially if you over ear mod them but they have essentially zero bass. Dt880 and pc38x are a happy medium that are very good for games but also usable for music/movies etc. HD560s is the best headphone in that price range for anything right now tbh. Unless you're an absolute bass head who only wants movies and music but that's not what you're asking for.
@@MrDutch1e as an update, I ended up getting the HE400SE. Oh boy they are hard to drive haha! My PC can barely power it up. For casual listening to music, PC is enough but for gaming and extra immersion you really need to buy an entry level DAC for this guy. I paired it with a FX Audio DAC X6 just to power it up and have an extra headroom of volume of I need it. This is my first openback so I had some time to adjust especially hearing footsteps. You are screwed if you don't have a decent amp and play competitive. You will miss some subtle queues. But with a DAC they're good enough. One thing I love with open back is that they I don't get too warm compare to closed backs and not as tired listening to it like in IEMs. Would I keep it? Yes. But might buy an Epos closed back for competitive gaming.
@@hichristiangoodbye I've had the ad700 and pc38x and I just got the hd599se and the 599se smashes everything I've tried for footsteps and placing enemies in games.
Love your videos. Do you think this headphones is suitable for using with portable devices like switch & steam deck without needing a dac amp?
I would say pass for just switch
@@TheTechne what about for either switch or steam deck or any portable devices like iPhone/ ipad?. I’d rather use a wired headphones for portable devices. I do have pc, ps5 and Xbox series x but I’d rather have a wireless headphones for that.
What amp dac do you use to run these on Ps5 . Thanks
Would love to see you check out the røde nth-100 and see how they stack up compared to others
Do you ever give a genuine review? Or do you only push things you have affiliate links for?
Spot on!
you should test the hifiman he-r9... since some months I used the hifiman sundara, great open back... but with the closed back r9 I can now really here where the enemy is in hunt showdown. really heavy
Waiting on your Sony Inzone H9 review and comparison with Arctis nova pros and Audeze Penrose...Please make it Happen Techne...
I saw these on Amazon and half considered them, they're only $150 CAD which is nice. I'm the end I still went with the HyperX Cloud Orbit S as I also wanted the 3D audio feature (and have been loving the crap out it so far). Plus the Orbit has its own built in DAC/amplifier, which means it can drive itself very nicely, even when using the 3.5mm jack on my phone. I will say though, I may keep this headset in the back of my mind for a potential open back in the future, perhaps if they go on sale at some point.
Might be worth checking the Philips x2hr out only 32 ohms and hi-res certified
real headphone imaging + soundstage sounds way more immersive and impressive than any "3D audio feature"
I use Bayerdynamic 990 pro plugged into zan Dac/ and zan cann it’s really great
I've used these as a speaker for my PC with a Fiio Q3 DAC for more than a year and a half now, they are loud and they are very crispy and clear, but I hate the fact that the bass is very lackluster and they can't isolate the noise, I hear my loudass PC fans even when I put them on my ears at maximum volume and it's no fun. At this price, can't complain about it.
Fiio Q3, (máx 300mw @32ohms) is poor amp for HE400SE. With Xduuo MT-602 (1300mw @32ohms), its basses are more than adequate when the music requires it. Volume level in general, does not exceed 9-11 a.m in amp, 100% windows.
Planar drivers benefit from more power from amps (typically)
Do you know the new Sony INZONE headphones? What do you think about them?
coming soon
New dac/amp combo Sabaj a10d 2022 works on ps4/ps5
They do not have much soundstage for gaming in my opinion
try the Sennheiser HD660 S, INCREDIBLE headphones for gaming, but do not change the earpads
Does it work on Xbox?
Nice video, you need review de sundara 😉
top of my list for sure
Try the akg 712pro
These cheap Hifimans are mediocre at best when it comes for competitive gaming. I have Hifiman HE 400i ver. 2020 wich are almost the same with SE edition but with a little more bass, and the detail retrieving is average at best. When you are into multiplayer shooters you want details and very accurate pinpoint of enemy footsteps or these Hifimans cannot do that precisely, their just ok-ish,nothing to mention. I also have iFi Zen DAC paired with Fiio K5 Pro Ess.
But for just music listening or casual single player games they are very good cans, especially for music.
I tried some time ago a pair of Beyerdynamic Tygr 300 R and those can easily surpass big time my Hifimans in games.
In conclusion,the only problem this headphones have in competitive gaming is poor imaging and restrain soundstage wich is really not a 3D one.
If you're in multiplayer shooters do yourself a favor and get Beyerdynamic Tygr 300R, Sennheiser HD 560S or Audio Technica ADx series. Period.
Bruh this stresses me out holy shit 3:17, its a headphone. Not a toy, Jesus christ
Can I just simply plug it into my ps5 controller and expect good sound quality?
Did you find the answer?
Yes it works pretty good just plugging straight to the controller. I can use the dualsense built in speaker to talk on mic.
@@Strange_Man1911 thanks man you don't now how much i wanted to hear that
@@Waleed-abdullah just know the bass is not the best but it has very clear and crisp sound. I like how it's metal and not plastic; more durable. The headband is very comfortable you can barely feel it on your head, atleast for me.
Edit: I don't recommend using these in a noisy house because you can hear everything outside. It's good for me because I need to be able to hear my phone or if someone knocks on the front door etc.
@@Strange_Man1911 this is so helpful, and the open back headphones have problems with bass usually so I don't think this headphones is exception
Tehcne we need wicked cushions for this one
From my experience, the Hifiman HE400se is most suitable for music and general listening but can still perform well enough for gaming. People often assume that they NEED gaming headsets or a headphone that is strictly great (or assumptively great) for gaming, that is not needed and truthfully 80% of people should not rely on that unless they know what they actually need. You can get away with any headphone if you have good game sense. I might as well write a short review as I've had the HE400se for almost a year.
The Hifiman HE400se has a clear, mostly neutral sound with mild emphasis on treble (not harsh at all). Imaging is generally good but most sounds will be coming from the wings (L R), or slightly in front or back. You won't notice much verticality with the imaging / soundstaging, so generally the sound delivery is pill shaped like lots of headphones anyway. Soundstage width seems about average, just slightly less than the Philips SHP9600 open back (maybe you can do a vid on it?), and I firmly believe that for a lot of games, the SHP9600 will perform better for imaging specifically, but not for separation.
For example, in Warframe (great game) I always use the HE400se because there's tons of sounds happening at once, and I sometimes have to identify high priority targets in the mist of constant noise, and the good separation performance of the HE400se shines in this regard. Again, the SHP9600 has less separation performance (sound can blur during heavy noise), but noticeably better forwards and back imaging with slightly wider L R staging.
Short comparison between HE400se and SHP9600 (average < good < great):
HE400se is mostly neutral, average staging/imaging (in context of gaming), above average comfort, and great detail and separation.
Notable con: This headphone likes to have at least an entry level DAC/Amp like an iFi Zen DAC. Won't get much volume from some integrated DACs (phone, PC, etc.), and bass may be weaker otherwise.
SHP9600 is warm and mildly dark, above average staging/imaging (in context of gaming), good comfort, average - above average detail, average - slightly below average separation.
I agree with the comfort, I found that the comfort of my set has improved over time and the headband is less stiff than it was new, but I still have to readjust the positioning every hour. The Philips SHP9600 is better for long term comfort but fitment is not as good because it wants to slide around when the clamp reduces from overall usage.
I use an iFi Zen DAC V1 with all my headphones. The HE400se is using the balanced output.
I do not use any headphone outside the $150 as of writing this. What do some of you think of your own pair?
All budget Hifimans have only average gaming "skills" from the sound perspective: poor imaging and weird/somewhat restrained soundstage (not a really 3D one). I also have HE 400i ver. 2020 that sounds very similar with SE variant and as a DAC/amplifier i use iFi Zen DAC with balanced output. I truly believe that Sennheiser HD 560S are far superior for competitive gaming.
@@letalmike as subjective as sound is, I can half agree that the HE400se does not do as well with gaming as one would expect, but it's still usable.
the GOAT
Test the h9 !
Planars do not usually have bass . Also ohms you should almost never really look at but more so the sensitivity , planars usually require some power and it is known if these do not get the correct amount of power the detail will be super fuzzy and the highs can be super sibilant , that’s probably what you’re experiencing on something like the ps5 .
Audeze nails the planner space down
@@TheTechne I really think you should start a series on IEMS , a lot of people are swapping to iems for gaming . There are some solid planar iems as well , 7hz timeless , shuoer s12 . Some good budget ones , moondrop Chu, dunu titan s , moondrop aria.. I really feel like that would be a good series
@@YourCloudyyy I have tried some, but honestly they just don't excite me or grab my attention. They are uncomfortable, and I hate using them for over 30 mins.
@@TheTechne i will agree with you 100% a lot of them are super uncomfy and i personally cannot game with them but i know a lot of people do . i feel that a lot of them have a hard a time with depth in a way like every pair i have tried i can never tell exactly how far away i am being shot
Unreal price difference between US and EU . My friends from US please have fun.
"this headphones is great ..."
shouldn't it be "these headphones are great..."? or am I trippin'?
fixed, ty
@@TheTechne ay np
Amazing video as always!! Also, have you done the gaming accessories giveaway?
yes
🌼
only $100.........I wish
Planar magnetic headphone ohms are different than regular dynamic headphones. Need more power for planars even though ohms seem low....
They are less sensitive in this case. Sensitivity matters more than impedance imo. For example meze empyrean is 100db and 32ohms and these are 93db and 18ohms so that db difference is huge.
maybe your ears are blown out. If you can't hear footsteps clearly with these or pc38x's you might be losing your hearing at that 100-200 hz range.
there are so much better out there. Now of course sound is personal pref, it even comes down to game your playing. but as I stated the 38x have great sound, but other than that its just ehhhhh at best
@@TheTechne Did you just say, other than the pc38x's sound, it's eh? That's like saying other than this pizza's crust, sauce, cheese and toppings it's eh.
agree with grandpa, i did try so many open back even the pricey one that tuned for gaming. my experience from them always the same. i can hear every thing very open and natural. but i can't pin point any thing when come to pvp game. let's say you can forget some super natural believe such as an open back head phone let's you hear your enemy who sneaking to your back. because it totally not true. use it for music or movie this kind of headphone is for you. however if you want to gain advantage on the game such as Apex, valorants, R6 siege.........i am sorry but you pick the wrong one.
grandpa, lol
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Let’s go first like first comment hehehehe
These headphones sounds like they have great quality sound. However, in my opinion, I think majority of people get sound quality confused with sound characteristics. I’ve seen some people comment on previous videos stating closed back gaming headsets are not a match to quality open back headphones. I only care about the competitive edge with headsets and I’ve tried many headsets and headphones. I can honestly say no open back headphone can match the frequency characteristics of a good gaming headset. I want say again, I’m not talking about sound quality. No gaming headset can match the audiophile sound quality of a headphone, but gaming headsets are tuned in such a way that those footsteps come through much better.
That's completely wrong, the HD5XX Series, the AD700s or others absolutely blows all gaming headsets away for example when it comes to competitive gameplay. This is also why the PC38X, PC37X, Game One or the older generations of it from Sennheiser are seen as the gold standard. "Characteristics" is also a rather weird word? You surely mean frequency response which leads to characteristics but a lot of headsets have a very crap one, many are way to bass heavy and that is against any kind of form of competitive. For example the popular Cloud headset is based on the TakStar Pro80 Headphone, a lot of the best headsets nowadays use established headphones and just add a microphone. No, 99% of the gaming headsets are not "tuned" to hear footsteps louder, that is not how you create drivers (the headphone drivers). You can boost the frequencies of footsteps but this is very difficult without destroying the whole sound signature. As footsteps depending on how far they are and and on which ground are on entirely different frequencies. So a tuning for footsteps is rather pointless, you can boost mids and highs till your ears bleed but as we see on most popular headsets from gaming brands that is not the case. You can look for frequency response graphs of those and you instantly see what I'm talking about. Don't fall for gaming marketing. But there are of course a lot of "bad" headphones for competitive gaming, like the HD600 Series with its centered 3-plob soundstage (great for acoustic tho).
@@Nokamigg You’re absolute 100% correct about falling for gaming marketing. 80% of gaming headsets are just developed by a big brand to simply make money and that’s it. There are only a handful of gaming headsets that’s worth using.
Hearing is very subjective and my hearing is different to yours and so are everyone else’s therefore, I have to disagree with you on the open back headphone part.
I’m not saying you’re incorrect, because if you’re just talking about detailed imagining to be able to hear critical sounds like footsteps, then yes technically studio headphones are better, but there’s one very important thing you’ve failed to mention. You perfectly hear footsteps with open back headphones however, because they’re open back, it bleeds out the sound and fades away really quickly. A good quality closed back gaming headset locks in that sound.
I’ve tried the PC38X and to my hearing, whilst it was amazing quality, it was only mediocre in hearing footsteps. I’m not saying it was rubbish on the initial hearing of footsteps, but the sound bleeds out and fades very quickly.
I’ve tested a lot of closed back Beyerdynamic headphones. Now I can comfortable say no gaming headset can match them in quality and imaging.
Having said all the above, I only care about footsteps in games like COD and any FPS game. Quality is not important to me as I’m only playing a game. I’ve done extensive testing with many headsets and headphones and if there’s one thing they all have in common it’s the distance from which I can hear footsteps. No matter how expensive a headset or headphone is, nobody is going to hear footsteps from any further than around 35 metres. It’s all the same around 25-35 metres for example in COD Warzone. For this very reason I’m now using a £100 Astro A20 Gen 2 and I can hear footsteps from around 30-35 metres away and it was the same headsets and headphones three times the price and due to the fact that the main reason why I use a gaming headset is, having an attached mic and wireless, I’ve decided I’m no longer going to waste my money on buying an expensive headset. I have the Astro’s for gaming and chatting to my friends online and I have the Beyerdynamic DT770 for my music. Sometimes I still the Beyerdynamic for gaming when I’m playing by myself.
Actually if you only count competitive FPS as "Gaming". Well, Beyerdynamic DT990 etc is so much better. But they are not good for overall gaming experience. You will not get the WOW feeling when playing games for example when i played 3A Games. I only talk about headset that i used. Steelseries Artis 7 is good for hearing footstep, but not as good as DT990 or Edifier Stax Spirit S3 (Planar). The sound quality also better. But if you want to find a more comfortable open back i recommend ATH-HL7BT. For closed back headphones i used M&D MW75. I only used it for 2 days. But man the sound when i play 3A games is mind blowing. Maybe because i used to have flat sound profile headphones.
Well.. in the end of the day there is no perfect headphone. Only headphone that perfectly match into my preference. That's why i keep MW75, HL7BT and IE 600. Maybe it is a waste if you still student or do not have a lot of money to spend to try every headphones out there like me. That's why Techne is here to make things easier for you to made a better decision to buy a Gaming peripheral.
I have AD500X and Cloud Alpha. Simply: AD500X (Open) >>>>>>>>>>>>Cloud Alphas for FPS (ubication, distances, foosteps)
yo
yo
You're 1000% WRONG, but hey thanks for the video 🙂
your comment makes 1001% no sense, elaborate man. You usually do in your comments. I bet it's about open back/competitive ;)
FIRST
Shut up I am first
Techne stop trying to get me to buy me more sht man🫣
lol
@@TheTechne Always enjoy your content though keep it up👍
You said it more shit😂