HIFIMAN HE400se Review: $109 Planar Magnetic Headphone?
A stupidly cheap open-back planar with Stealth Magnets technology at $109 - loved by some, criticized by others. So what's actually going on with it?
Lowest price now
$109 at Bloom Audio and Headphones.com on
The same as the $109 list price.
In stock at 2 of the 4 US stores we check daily. Price tracking began on Oct 6, 2026. Compare all 4 stores
- Standout
- Stealth Magnets technology at just over $100
- Watch out for
- Bass extension lacking below 60Hz
- Better alternative
- HIFIMAN Edition XS: has a bigger stage, $160 more, scores 1.1 higher.
Named Best Value in our Best Budget Headphones guide.
The HIFIMAN HE400se seems to be criticized by some people and loved by others. The opinions about that headphone seem to be so vastly different, depending on whom you ask, that it's unbelievable they're talking about the same headphone.
So what's up with it?
The HE400se is a stupidly cheap open-back planar magnetic headphone. Its price has dropped to $109 - that's REALLY cheap. Being a budget planar, it still offers HIFIMAN's rounded-off Stealth Magnets technology, to achieve less distortion and more transparency in sound. Stealth Magnets used to be present only in higher-end headphones, but as we can see, they're possible to implement at a very low price.
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Plastic build, comfort that hinges on fit
They don't feel like a top-of-the-line product at all. Hmm, maybe because they aren't? I'm not going to complain about it, as they cost just a little over $100 - and I did not find any potential points of failure. They simply aren't made entirely out of metal, but rather plastic. The earcups, covers, and headband are all plastic. The only metal part is the yoke.
They feature the Deva-style solid headband, without the suspension strap. They're quite lightweight though, so it shouldn't result in any hotspots on your head - unless the headband's curvature really doesn't match your head shape.
The earcups swivel, tilt, and can be adjusted. But I'm really not a fan of this type of adjustment - it doesn't feel right when you do it. Doesn't sound right when I say it...
The pads on the HE400se can be either amazing or not so great for you. They're generally really soft, angled to fit your head shape better, and hybrid - meaning three different materials to achieve the ultimate comfort in contact with your head and to improve the sound.
But the thing you need to take into consideration is the inner diameter of them. Your ears are somewhat likely not to fit entirely inside. In that case, they're going to touch the pads from the inside. For some folks it's not a problem, for others it can get slightly uncomfortable. I wouldn't be too worried about it though - just a little soft touch never hurt nobody.
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It needs an amp, and bass fades below 60 Hz
A sensitivity of 91dB and impedance of 32 ohms is a combination that makes them want some juice to unfold their potential. Nothing crazy is needed, don't get me wrong - I believe you're going to be just fine with most decent amps. I wouldn't recommend using them without any external amplification though, as their loudness and sound quality can easily degrade, leading to a tiny, thin, and quiet sound.
Tonally, they sound... interesting. I found many frequency response graphs, and they're vastly different from each other. Some indicate a huge drop in the bass, some a linear response all the way down to 20-ish Hz.
Starting from the bass: extension is simply lacking below 60Hz. It may seem like they don't have a lot of slam and punch in the bass region, but from my experience, they absolutely have it. It's not crazy, for sure, but they can definitely hit somewhat hard in the bass. There isn't a lot of information or detail in the lows, but they are clean and pleasant.
The mids sound just like every other HIFIMAN's headphone - with a larger dip at around 2kHz, which emphasizes the boosted treble even more. The mids sound quite muffled for some reason, which I'm not a huge fan of.
The highs are alright. There's some detail, not a crazy amount, and it's not the brightest headphone on the market. There are a bunch of typical peaks and dips, which is a common characteristic of planar magnetic technology. They don't really affect the sound nearly as much as it looks like.
Narrow soundstage, slightly recessed vocals
The soundstage is pretty narrow. They don't get wide, no matter what you listen to. It's not too precise, so if you're looking for a wide soundstage, look elsewhere. But for the price - it's pretty nice. There are much narrower headphones on the market, even at a higher price point. Because of the pretty narrow soundstage, the positioning is also lacking a little bit, but it's still decent. In games specifically, I've had no problems telling which way enemies are making sounds.
Vocals are a little bit backed off. They don't cut right through the mix, but rather stay blended in. That doesn't make them sound boring though - just not as forward compared to the rest of the mix.
Detail is good for the price, clarity less so
It's really good for the price, considering the HE400se costs around $100 at the moment. It obviously can't compete with higher-end headphones in terms of detail retrieval - but that would be a bit too much to ask for. It simply doesn't quite give you the sense of clarity present in other, more expensive options. The sound can seem a little muffled, which I'm not a fan of, but at this price, with that great tonality and other characteristics, I think it shouldn't be a problem to take one compromise, which is just that.
HE400se sound signature
The review describes the HIFIMAN HE400se as having an intimate stage.
Charted from the review's own words, quoted under each line.
Soundstage: Intimate
Also intimate, nearest in price: Sivga Robin SV021, Sivga Anser and Verum Audio Verum 1.
- “Narrow soundstage” (from the cons)
- “Narrow soundstage, slightly recessed vocals” (a section heading)
HIFIMAN Ananda Stealth: Warm. Read the Ananda Stealth review
HIFIMAN Sundara: Neutral, wide stage, analytical, energetic. Read the Sundara review
HIFIMAN Edition XS: Wide stage. Read the Edition XS review
HIFIMAN Sundara Closed-back: Energetic. Read the Sundara Closed-back review
Hear what "intimate" means: a short synthesized loop, flat and then with those leanings. An illustration of the words, not a recording of the HE400se.
Not sure which signature suits you? Find yours with a blind A/B test
HE400se price history
$109 at Bloom Audio and Headphones.com is the lowest current new price at US stores, the same as the $109 list price.
In stock at 2 of 4 stores. Checked .
| Store | Price | Stock | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloom Audio | $109 | In stock | |
| Headphones.com | $109 | In stock | |
| Apos Audio | $109 | Out of stock | |
| Audio46 | $109 | Out of stock |
US prices are before sales tax and shipping.
Tracking began on Oct 6, 2026. Before that, archived copies of these store pages show it at $109 since Feb 2023, and the current lowest is at or below every one of them.
- Tracked
- 33 days, read on 23
Earlier prices from archived store pages
Read from the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, one copy of a store page a month at most, each checked like a daily reading and linked to the copy it came from. They are the dots on the chart above.
Archived copies of these store pages in the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine go back to Feb 2023. They show it at $109 throughout. They are one copy a month at most, so a price can have changed between them.
| Store | Price | Archived copy |
|---|---|---|
| Headphones.com | $109 | Feb 2023 to Sep 2026 |
| Bloom Audio | $109 | Feb 2023 to Apr 2026 |
New units only, at the price each store listed on the day shown. Every store is read once a day and a price can change at any time. No link here is an affiliate link, and no store pays to be listed. How prices are tracked
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Common questions about the HE400se
How good is the HE400se for $109?
Very good for the money, with a 7.6/10 score and an excellent value rating. The $109 gets you an open-back planar with HIFIMAN's Stealth Magnets, soft angled pads, decent detail and bass that's clean and punchier than expected. Budget for an external amp, though, and expect muffled mids, with a dip around 2 kHz.
Who should get the HE400se, and who shouldn't?
It's for listeners on a tight budget who already own a decent amp, or will add one, and want a clean, punchy planar sound for music and games. Look elsewhere if you want bass that reaches below 60 Hz, a wide soundstage, forward vocals or a headphone that sounds right straight from a phone. Try it on if you can, because the pad openings are small enough that your ears may touch the inside.
Does the HE400se sound thin from a phone?
It can. Without an external amp, loudness and sound quality both drop off, leaving a small, thin and quiet sound, so a phone on its own isn't enough. The demand is modest, though: at 91 dB and 32 Ω it just wants some power, and most decent amps will do. About 79 mW to reach 110 dB peaks, within reach of most dongle DACs.
What alternatives to the HIFIMAN HE400se at a similar price have been tested?
No comparison page covers it. In the same category and the same rough money we have scored the Sivga Robin SV021 at 7.8/10.
Why do HE400se reviews disagree so much?
One reason is that its measurements disagree. Published frequency response graphs of the HE400se vary widely, with some showing a big drop in the bass and others a flat line down to about 20 Hz. How it's powered matters too, since it thins out without an amp, and the pads suit some ears better than others. In this test, bass extension ran out below 60 Hz, yet it still hit harder than expected.
Is the HE400se's positioning good enough for games?
It handles direction well enough: in testing, telling which way enemies were making sounds from was never a problem. The soundstage is narrow and doesn't widen with any material, so positioning loses a little precision while staying decent. At this price that's fine, and plenty of pricier headphones sound narrower.
Will the HE400se's plastic build hold up?
No point of failure turned up on it. The earcups, covers and headband are plastic, with only the yoke in metal, so it doesn't feel premium, which is fair at a little over $100. The cups swivel, tilt and adjust, though the adjustment doesn't feel right in the hand.
Is the HE400se comfortable without a suspension strap?
For most heads it is, thanks to its low weight. The Deva-style solid headband has no strap, but it shouldn't cause hotspots unless its curve doesn't suit your head shape. The soft, angled hybrid pads use three materials, though their opening is small, so your ears may touch the inside. Some people won't notice, and for others it gets slightly uncomfortable.
Sources
- IEC 60268-7: Headphones and earphones
Standard International Electrotechnical Commission Paid full text
How the impedance, sensitivity and frequency response that headphone makers publish are defined. The figures quoted here are published ones; nothing is bench-measured in-house.
- HyperPhysics: Diffraction of sound
Reference Georgia State University
How sound bends around an obstacle in its path, the effect Stealth Magnets are shaped to reduce on the way out of the driver.
- Sakamoto et al. (2014): Experimental study on hearing thresholds for low-frequency pure tones
Paper Acoustical Society of Japan
Measured hearing thresholds for low-frequency tones: why the bottom octave needs far more level to be heard than the midrange.
Alternatives to the HE400se
All 30 headphone reviewsSimilar type and price
Sivga SV021 Pro $70 more, a near-tie on score 7.6
Step up
Sivga Robin SV021 $40 more, scores 0.2 higher 7.8