Hifiman RE-400 IEMs

Rating: 5/5

Review:
Clear, beautifully balanced sound

I was sent these Hifiman RE-400 earphones for review, and I think they are excellent.

The sound is the most important thing for me, so I'll start with that. The sound took quite a few hours use to open out and after probably 40 hours or so is still developing a bit, I think.  It is now extremely sharp and accurate with a very nice balance.  Articulation is crisp and very clear over the whole range and there's a very good balance; bass is restrained but very solid, middles are lovely and tops are bright without any harshness.  The sheer detail audible through such small units is remarkable and I find them a real pleasure to listen to.  I have listened to a lot of music through these now including my Test Playlist which I use to compare audio products. This runs from 16th-Century choral music to London Grammar and covers most things in between and I think everything sounds really good. Articulation of individual orchestral instruments is excellent, chamber music sounds superb and crystal-clear, acoustic music has lots of light and air, rock really rocks, and so on. I love the clarity and balance of these, but they aren't tuned for massive bass, so if you're looking for bass to smack you in the side of the head you'll need to look elsewhere (perhaps GGMM Cuckoo IEMs).

They earphones are very smartly packaged and you get a nice little carry case and a selection of silicone tips, which I needed because it took me a while to get the positioning exactly right.  There are no controls of any kind – these are engineered for music listening and don't have any frills for phone calls etc.

They seem well made and look smart and discreet.  I see that others have had some durability problems with the cable; I'll edit this review if I experience the same, but for now they are doing a very good job.  I have used a much-loved pair of RHA MA600 for many years and more recently I have been using GGMM Cuckoos for more bass-heavy listening.  I think I prefer these to either; I'm delighted with them and can recommend them very warmly.