Sound Impressions
Summary
The overall HE-X4 sound signature is a neutral, bright tilted signature with a dynamic character long as you feed them correctly. I did run a tone sweep on them and there were no apparent or obvious, obnoxious peaks anywhere. Just some small variances were noted.
The HE-X4 bass response is full-bodied and remains flat with a very small rise between 60Hz and 100Hz that seems to even out well into the midrange transition. However, below 30Hz there’s little representation or effectiveness.
The lower midrange seems quite flat. But once the midrange reaches 1kHz it rears a long hump that extends to the treble region. We can see a similar visible hump in the supplied frequency response graph from Drop. But the start of the peak can be seen closer to 3kHz and not so much at 1kHz where it was heard. This is a small controversy to me.
The treble seems to remain rather flat up to 10kHz but above 13kHz it takes a gradual dive. The upper frequencies have a good weightiness but are sometimes produced in an overcooked manner.
Bass
You can obtain a good bass response from the HE-X4 and more so if you’re not scared of applying a small boost. But you certainly must use ample current in amplification. And do not apply too much boost since it can start to bleed bass into the lower midrange.
The bass response is fairly tight and unbloated, but my opinion is that this set needs a few decibels of lift of around 3 to 5 decibels in the lower bass regions. I would say below 60Hz to sound closer to my ideal taste in bass response.
The HE-X4 can achieve ample bass for any taste but not bass head levels. It remains a neutral bass that is heard with lots of note distinction and with enough speed to not conglomerate bass notes.
Midrange
There’s a sense of a two-level midrange here since there seems to be more presence in the upper midrange region compared to the lower levels.
However, this has one positive trait and that’s added calmness. Another characteristic that it brings to the table is that intensity levels remain controlled and do not become too intense or become bothersome, particularly in that all-important vocal range.
The upper portion gives the overall tonality a midrange lift that is heard through its transition into the treble section. The initial general description is due to the upward tilt that starts at the mid-section of the midrange and that lift continues into the high frequencies.
Treble
The high frequencies are quite present and forward which I like but at times are presented harshly, especially on bright recordings and at high volume levels. But they do project a concisely good representation of the input overall in the high-frequency spectrum.
When recordings are not treble-forward the X4 shines by giving the listener an accurate portrayal of high frequencies, long as power remains stable and volume levels below what I would consider loud.
Staging & Dynamics
There is a wide aspect to the overall soundstage but strangely not with all the elements within the audio bands. This narrowing only happens in the midrange. The bass seems omnipresent and the highs display good dimensional and special information but the center stage stays reserved for mid-band frequencies.
I got a sense of narrowness in the midrange area but that can portray accuracy on most recordings since vocalists are usually up front and center anyways.
The other sounds within those mid-bands also tend to gather in the center and not just vocals. The imaging capability was almost stellar. Panning was very accurate indeed. But the overall size was not too far from what I call realistic size.
Select Comparison
Drop + Hifiman HE4XX
Price $169.00
Technical
I could easily switch these on someone with the HE-X4 and they’ll probably notice a week later that I did. These two are similar-looking, almost mirror images.
The HE4XX also uses a similar-sized driver and overall design, similar connectivity, and a similar cup design. They also perform similarly overall except for a few nuanced details here and there.
Design
The HE4XX has a grey and black color scheme on the same mold one could say. These two employ the first HIFIMAN headband design which is still my favorite up to date.
One curiosity is that the HE4XX has left and right cup markings while the HE-X4 doesn’t. That’s because they’re an ambidextrous set so what I do is look for the narrow side of the pads and assume they go to the front.
Many people like to mod their headphones and the HE4XX is a good one for that purpose. The grill mod is one of them and is simple to do. It does increase the soundstage size but if you’re not comfortable entering into a high-risk condition of damaging the thin membrane drivers then halt.
I do feel confident that the average buyer can swap pads easily on both these sets. Pad swapping certainly changes the overall tonality on the HE4XX and it also does so on the HE-X4.
Performance
There seems to be a slight increase in efficiency when you A/B compare these two and the numbers reflect it. Drop + HIFIMAN lists the numbers at 91db for the HE-X4 at 25Ω and 93 for the HE4XX at 35Ω.
The HE4XX gains a slight edge in efficiency since it rates closer to the more optimal 32Ω. This impedance is where most amps perform best far as raw output power.
These two headphones are similar in the low-end response but there is a small margin of improvement in high-frequency extension, particularly in the HE4XX set. There is also a small gain in high-frequency clarity. There seems to be a higher color aspect to the X4 high frequencies in general.
HIFIMAN HE400se
Price $149.00
Technical
Could we call this the obverse design headphone compared to the HE-X4? Yes, because it seems the HE400se is the most modern take of similar headphones although the HE-X4 is the newer model.
Except for the stealth magnet implementation, both seem to have almost identical drivers. They both use a 60mm variant of the same type of driver design. They both use 3.5mm connectivity at each cup but it stops there.
Design
The major differences here are within the headband assemblies. They’re total opposites since the HE-X4 uses HIFIMAN’s first design and the HE400se uses their latest design, or a fourth-generation headband. The cups are also oppositely finished in a glossy silver.
Which do I prefer when it comes to comfort? I prefer the HE-X4 to be honest because it has less amount of clamping force plus I feel a larger contact area up on top with the new headband design employed by the HE400se. I prefer the all-black matte finish.
They both use the same 4-point pad mounting system so they’re both easy to freshen up after using them for some time by just replacing those pads. Should I speak of the HE400se stock wire? I’d rather forget about it.
Performance
The bass performance takes a more neutral approach in the HE400se set. I do like the bass production best on the HE-X4 due to the added presence within the 60Hz to past the point that it transitions into the midrange. There just seems to be more bass presence.
The high frequencies, however, seem to be reproduced more cleanly and are just less harsh on the HE400se. The 400se highs have less presence and weight so you lose some of the upfront details. In the midrange section, the HE400se tends to have a wider projection or give off an overall larger, wider panorama of whatever you’re listening to.
One obvious aspect that hits you when you do a direct A/B comparison is that it seems efficiency is higher on the more recent X4 set but both sets need a high current amplifier to sound optimal regardless.
To summarize, the best headphone for sheer detail retrieval from within this comparison is the HE400se. Warmth in vocal presentation and overall musicality? I’d give it to the HE-X4.
The more efficient and the best in high-frequency production is the HE4XX. The HE4XX probably has the best bass too. That’s just my opinion, however.
Our Verdict
The Drop + HIFIMAN HE-X4 is certainly an excellent choice in its price range if you want decent performance from a planar magnetic headphone without a large price tag to go along with it.
To put the value per dollar aspect of the HE-X4 into perspective, just 5 years back, this headphone or one of a similar caliber and performance level would have cost 4 times fold. There is an evident high level of manufacturing efficiency in plain sight here.
The HE-X4 will certainly hit the spot for those who what to get a taste of planar technology for the first time but are not yet ready, interested, or committed to paying top dollar for top-of-the-line nuances.
Drop + Hifiman HE-X4 Technical Specifications
- Headphone type: Open–back
- Ear coupling: Dual-magnet planar magnetic drivers
- Sensitivity: 91db
- Impedance: 25 ohms
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 20 kHz
- Spring steel and hand-stitched protein leather headband
- Focus-A hybrid ear pads
- Adjustable sliders
- Steel gimbals with black oxidized finish
- Black printing
- Laser etched serialization
- Cable: 4.9ft (1.5m) detachable
- Plug: ¼ inch(6.35mm)
- Weight: 420g
