HiFiMan RE400 review

My RE400s came with a package outside the main box, containing 4 pairs of eartips and eartube filters.

The wire is thin and has memory—the rubberised covers are not soft, and comes ready‐kinked. Below the Y‐split is covered in braid, which may prevent tangling. Strain reliefs are basic and not convincing as effective. The earplugs, 7 pairs! are varying types, most with hard cores. The housings are aluminium. The housings go medium deep, and hold good. There is an L/R bump on the strain reliefs. The RE400s have a large reputation online for breaks, notably cable splits and broken wires—they look breakable so, accepting online evidence, I rate robustness as poor. The simple bulb‐mount shape of the housings is outstandingly easy to push in ears. For looks, I’d say they look like a production part waiting to be anodised.

Outstandingly loud. Volume uneven but good precision. Volume range is reasonable. Attacks and decays are outstandingly shaped. Good timing. Swells can compress highband, but through them the RE400s keep shape. There is scrape in the highband, but low compared to others. Sound duff near flutes. They make some noise generally, an undamped fizz, especially on busy sources. Plenty of echo, though short, and not much resonance. Extended highband that fades, but above others, and a low bump, but of low volume, so outstanding frequency range. Detail is good, color is reasonable—both vary depending on frequency and can be plain in places. Scale is good, but positioning can be vague.

Orchestras have good space, and the open sound and shape is impressive, but compression and muddle pull the RE400s down—use a powerful amp and they still make noise and echo. Same for rock. Pop is zowee through RE400s, solo and small groups involving. If you are not after the obvious depth and scale of cinematic sound, RE400s are good at game and soundtrack detail and space.