HiFiMan He400SE

The HiFiMan HE400se is the best entry point into planar magnetic sound, period. For around $109, you get low distortion, a wide soundstage, and a natural, detailed presentation that embarrasses most headphones at twice the price. You'll need a decent amp to get the most out of it, and the stock cable is a weak point. If you listen at a desk in a quiet room, buy it. If you need wireless or portability, look elsewhere.

The headline here is the planar magnetic driver. Unlike a typical dynamic driver, the entire diaphragm is driven evenly, which means distortion stays low even when things get loud or busy. In practice, that translates to a clean, composed sound. Bass is tight and textured rather than bloated. Mids are natural and detailed. The treble has a slight recession for some listeners, which can make it forgiving on bright recordings but may leave detail hounds wanting a touch more sparkle. The soundstage is wide for the price, giving instruments room to breathe.

Sensitivity sits at 91dB with a 32Ω impedance. On paper, that looks easy to drive. In reality, planar drivers like current. A phone or basic laptop jack will get sound out, but it'll feel thin and lifeless. Pair it with even a modest amp, like a $50 desktop unit or a decent portable DAC/amp, and the HE400se wakes up. The low end gains weight, dynamics improve, and the whole presentation opens up. This is the single most important performance note: budget for an amp. Without one, you're leaving most of what makes this headphone special on the table.

Stacked against the Sony ULT WEAR and Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4, the HE400se is playing a different game. Those are wireless, closed-back, ANC-equipped headphones built for travel and convenience. The HE400se is a wired, open-back, amp-hungry audiophile tool. If you need Bluetooth, noise cancelling, or portability, the Sony or Sennheiser win by default. But if you're sitting at a desk with a quiet room and a decent amp, the HE400se will out-resolve both of them for a fraction of the price. It's not even close on pure sound quality per dollar.

The JBL Tune 670NC and Soundcore Life Q20 are closer in price but still fundamentally different products. Those are budget wireless cans with ANC and built-in batteries. They're convenient, but their sound is tuned for mass appeal, boosted bass, rolled-off treble, and a narrow stage. The HE400se trades all that convenience for a level of clarity and naturalness those headphones can't touch. The trade-off is real: no wireless, no ANC, no mic worth using, and you're tethered to a cable. For a commuter, the JBL or Soundcore makes more sense. For a listener, the HiFiMan is the obvious pick.

At $109 in the US, the HE400se is an absurd deal. You're getting planar magnetic tech, a wide soundstage, and genuinely low distortion for less than many mid-tier dynamic headphones. The value proposition is so strong that it's become the default recommendation for anyone wanting to try planar sound without a big investment. Even with the caveat that you'll want an amp, the total cost of entry remains well below what you'd pay for the next step up in HiFiMan's own lineup.

European buyers should shop carefully. Prices range from EUR 214 to EUR 322 across DE, ES, FR, and IT listings. That's a spread of EUR 108 for the same headphone. If you're in Europe, check multiple storefronts before buying. The best deal we see is at the lower end of that range, around EUR 214. At that price, it's still a strong value, but at EUR 322, the competition gets stiffer and the value argument weakens considerably.

The HiFiMan HE400se is one of those rare products that makes you question why you'd spend more. It's an open-back, planar magnetic headphone that lands at a price point usually reserved for mid-tier dynamic drivers. And it's not just a gimmick. The stealth magnet design, borrowed from HiFiMan's pricier lineup, is doing real work here. You get a level of clarity and low distortion that simply doesn't show up at this price very often. If you've been curious about planar sound but didn't want to drop $500 or more, this is the gateway drug.

Who is this for? Someone who listens at a desk, in a quiet room, and wants to hear details in their music they've been missing. It's wired, open-back, and needs a bit of power to really sing. That means no commuting, no office cubicles, and no plugging straight into a phone expecting miracles. But if you have a decent amp or even a good dongle DAC, the HE400se rewards you with a natural, spacious presentation that makes vocals and acoustic instruments feel present in the room.

What makes it interesting is the mismatch between its price and its ambition. HiFiMan took their stealth magnet tech, which was a selling point on headphones costing several times more, and put it in a budget shell. The result is a headphone that punches way above its weight in sound quality, even if the build and comfort don't always keep up. It's a classic enthusiast product: brilliant where it counts, rough around the edges everywhere else.

Skip the HE400se if you need any kind of portability or isolation. Commuters, office workers, and anyone in a shared space will find the open-back leakage unbearable for both themselves and everyone around them. The wired-only design and amp requirement also rule out casual phone listeners. If you want to plug straight into a phone and walk around, this is the wrong tool.

Also skip it if comfort is a top priority. At 390g with a clamp that some find tight, it's not a headphone you forget you're wearing. The comfort score sits in the 10th percentile, which is rough. If you have a larger head or wear glasses, try before you buy. For a comfortable wireless alternative, look at the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4. For a budget closed-back with ANC, the Soundcore Life Q20 is a safer bet.

If you have a quiet listening space and a modest amp, buy the HE400se. It's the best sound quality you can get for around $109, full stop. The planar driver, the stealth magnets, the wide stage, it all adds up to a listening experience that feels far more expensive than it is. You'll want to replace the cable eventually, and you'll need to accept that this is a desk-only headphone. But for critical listening, music enjoyment, and even light studio work, it's a no-brainer.

If you're a commuter, a gamer who needs a mic, or someone who listens mostly from a phone, this is not your headphone. The open-back design leaks sound like a sieve, the mic is nearly useless, and the amp requirement makes portable use frustrating. In those cases, look at the Sony ULT WEAR or Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 for wireless convenience, or the Soundcore Life Q20 if you want to stay under $100. The HE400se is a specialist's tool, and it's brilliant at its specialty.