HeadphoneOverreview

HiFiMan HE400se

Name: HiFiMan HE400se
Brand: HiFiMan

The default first planar — near-universally recommended, thoroughly amp-hungry, and quietly split on whether it's bright, warm or just neutral.

16 sourcesUpdated 2026-07-08

$109Typical US price

Score aggregates reviewer opinions across topics.

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The short version

What to know.

An open-back planar that reviewers treat as the cheapest genuine gateway into planar sound — clean, fast and resolving for around $109–150, with a mostly-neutral tuning that measures close to target. Nearly everyone agrees it needs a proper amp (below-average sensitivity despite low impedance, so under-powering it is behind a lot of 'thin/bright/no-bass' complaints), that its sub-bass rolls off (tight and fast but light on slam, though it EQs cleanly), that the classic HiFiMan 1–2 kHz dip gives clean mids that can read a touch dry, that comfort is good-but-not-perfect (light, with headband-soreness and heat caveats and no cup swivel), that the stock cable is poor, and that — being open-back — it isolates nothing. Value is near-universally praised. The fault lines: overall tonality (most hear neutral / bright-neutral, a minority bright or warm — and it tracks how hard and how warm your source drives it), treble (a ~7 kHz peak some call sharp/tizzy and others smooth and non-fatiguing), bass (lean and sub-bass-light to most, satisfying to a minority), and build/reliability (sturdy-for-price to some; cheap cups, a bad cable and HiFiMan's QC history to others).

About this product

Open-back, planar-magnetic over-ear (~$109 now; launched near $149.99 in 2021). This overreview covers the current 'Stealth Magnets' version sold internationally — the box reads 'Stealth Magnets Design.' HiFiMan also made an earlier non-stealth (conventional-magnet) HE400se, largely an earlier / China release, and the two are sometimes labelled V2 vs V1; the Drop HE-X4 is a close cousin without stealth magnets. Measured differences between the stealth and non-stealth versions are small. Note that 'se' predates stealth magnets across HiFiMan's line (HE6se, HE1000se), so it does not stand for 'stealth edition' despite some marketing, and published impedance varies by listing (25–32 Ω).

HiFiMan's HE400se is, for many, the cheapest honest door into planar-magnetic sound — an open-back over-ear that launched in 2021 near $150 and now routinely sells around $109, undercutting almost everything with a real planar driver. The 'Stealth Magnets' badge refers to HiFiMan's rounded, supposedly acoustically-transparent magnet design; despite the 'se,' it isn't a 'stealth edition,' and the earlier non-stealth version measures nearly the same.

It arrives with the usual budget-planar strings attached: it wants far more power than its low price and impedance suggest, its stock cable is almost universally replaced, and HiFiMan's quality-control reputation trails it. Reviewers recommend it anyway — while disagreeing, at length, over whether it sounds bright, warm or simply neutral. Plenty of agreement to average, and a few real fault lines to map.

A good fit for

First-time planar buyers on a tight budget who want a clean, fast, mostly-neutral open-back
People who already own (or will add) a proper desktop amp — it scales with power
EQ users — the driver takes correction, especially bass, very cleanly
Listeners who like a neutral-to-slightly-bright, non-fatiguing tuning for acoustic, vocal and instrumental music
Buyers happy to swap out the stiff stock cable

Think twice if

You want deep, punchy bass out of the box — it's sub-bass-light and short on slam (EQ and power help a lot)
You'll drive it from a phone or a weak dongle — it needs real power to avoid sounding thin and bright
You're treble-sensitive and want a guaranteed-smooth top end — the ~7 kHz peak reads sharp to some
You need isolation or will listen around other people (open-back leaks freely)
You want a premium build or precise competitive-gaming imaging — plastic cups, a weak center image and a poor stock cable
Reliability worry is a dealbreaker — HiFiMan's QC reputation is real, though the warranty/refurb is cheap and responsive

The reviewer consensus

Agreement &
disagreement.

4 / 12topics divide opinion

2 Strong agreement6 Mostly agree4 Divided opinions

Common ground8

The cheapest genuine gateway into planar-magnetic sound — clean, fast and resolving for ~$109–150, with a mostly-neutral, well-regarded tuning.
Needs a real amp: below-average sensitivity (~91 dB/mW) despite low impedance, and it scales notably with power — under-powering it drives a lot of 'thin/bright/no-bass' complaints.
Sub-bass rolls off: the bass is tight, fast and controlled but light on slam and shelf — and it takes EQ cleanly.
The classic HiFiMan 1–2 kHz dip gives clean, natural mids that can read slightly forward/dry on some tracks.
Comfortable and light for a planar, with caveats: headband soreness for some, no cup swivel, and open-back heat.
The stock cable is poor (stiff, microphonic) — most reviewers replace it.
Open-back: no isolation, leaks both ways, by design.
Outstanding value — a near-universal budget recommendation, once you budget for an amp (and a cable).

Points of contention4

Tonality: most hear neutral / bright-neutral, a minority hear it as outright bright (wanting a warm, powerful source) or warm-leaning — and it tracks how it's driven.
Treble: a ~7 kHz peak that reads sharp / tizzy / gritty to some and smooth, detailed and non-fatiguing (even best-in-class) to others.
Bass: sub-bass-light and short on slam to most; present, fast and satisfying (especially well-driven) to a minority — all agree it EQs well.
Build vs reliability: sturdy-enough for the price with metal yokes to some; cheap cups, a dreadful cable and HiFiMan's QC shadow to others.

A closer listen.

12 topics · 4 divided

Left: criticalRight: positiveTighter lines: more agreement

Choose a topic

Tonality

Leans positiveDivided opinions

Reviewer sentiment12 supporting sources

CriticalNeutralPositive

Band: opinion spread · Dot: weighted average

The headline disagreement. The bench sits close to target, and most reviewers call it neutral or 'bright-neutral.' A minority hear it as outright bright (wanting a warm, powerful source), and a few hear a warm lean instead — a split that tracks, in large part, how hard and how warm the source drives it.

Measured

On the bench the HE400se tracks close to the Harman target (ASR: response 'complies with our target well … usable without equalization'), with the trademark HiFiMan dip around 1–2 kHz, mostly-linear bass and mids, and a mid-treble peak near 7 kHz plus narrow resonances higher up. Sensitivity is below average (~91 dB/mW) despite low impedance.

vs. listeners — The graph is broadly neutral; 'bright' versus 'warm' versus 'neutral' is largely the same near-target tilt heard through different amps, sources and ears. Reviewers who under-power it or pair a lean source hear 'bright/thin' (Audiophile-Heaven frames the brightness as a symptom of under-driving it); those on a warm, powerful desktop chain hear 'fuller/warmer' (Headphoneer). The disagreement tracks the pairing at least as much as the headphone.

Where it splits

Neutral / bright-neutral — balanced and close to target, usable without EQ.71%

“I would describe the HE400SE’s tonal balance as one that leans towards what I personally consider to be “neutral”-sounding, with linear bass and mid responses, as well as a mostly-even treble range.”
Chrono (headphones.com)

Bright — treble-forward; needs a warm, powerful source to sound right.14%

“While sundara was delightfully bright, He400SE is quite bright and needs a warm and smooth source to sound alright.”
Audiophile-Heaven

Warm-leaning — fuller and warmer, especially well-driven.15%

“It is warmer sounding with more body in the mids, but lacks the huge soundstage and great imaging of the X3.”
Headphoneer

Link to this topic

The hardware

Specifications.

Checked 2026-09-22

Design

Type: Open-back over-ear
Drivers: 1 × 100 mm planar magnetic

Electrical

Impedance: 32 Ω
Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz

Connection

Cable: Detachable, dual-entry
Connector: 3.5 mm
Plugs supplied: 3.5 mm, 6.35 mm

Physical

Weight: 385 g

Manufacturer-published figures, not measurements · from m.hifiman.com, headphones.com.

Follow the evidence

Sources 16

Read with context

Limitations & method.

As of 2026-07-08

What to keep in mind 8

A read of where the reviews land as of mid-2026 — the HE400se has been around since 2021, and the budget-planar field keeps shifting around it.
It really does need a proper amp; a lot of 'thin,' 'bright' or 'no-bass' complaints trace back to running it off a phone or a weak dongle.
There are a few versions in circulation — the current 'Stealth Magnets' one plus an older non-stealth release — and listings quote its impedance anywhere from 25 to 32 Ω, so some older impressions describe a slightly different unit. The audible difference between versions is small.
How bright, warm or neutral it sounds depends a lot on your source, your ears and your music — and different measurement rigs read its treble peak a little differently.
Almost everyone recommends replacing the stiff stock cable, so factor that (and an amp) into the real cost.
HiFiMan's quality-control reputation is a recurring theme: most owners are fine for years, but failures (a dead side, channel imbalance) do get reported — buying somewhere with an easy return, and knowing HiFiMan's warranty and refurb are cheap and responsive, helps.
The owner star average here comes from people who chose to buy it, so it skews positive — weigh the written impressions alongside the number.
Reviewers constantly measure it against siblings (Sundara, Edition XS) and the Sennheiser HD 560S / HD 6XX, so some takes are relative to those rather than standalone.

Where to buy Product & retailer links

HiFiMan HE400se (Stealth Magnets Version) Amazon

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