Let's take a break from a few folks being ugly to each other, shall we?
For the sake of passing the time, let's pretend that these are mostly the HE400S model, simply because that is the cheapest planar model HFM makes. Those cost $300. We also know that some headfi folks think that replacing the stock pads with HFM Focus-A pads makes various aspects better and no aspects worse. Those pads are a ~$40 upgrade, and they are provided as the stock pads for these HE4XX. That would bring the let's-pretend "HE400S + Focus-A" total to ~$340. Now, let's cut that price in half... which turns out to be $170. So, if they're using the drivers from HFM's cheapest planars, we're basically getting them plus a musically-meaningful ear pad upgrade... all for half-price.
Now, the specs posted here (sensitivity, impedance and weight) are less in keeping with the HE400S and are a seemingly exact match for the more expensive HE400i ($450). Personally, I don't know beans about whether those models have the same drivers or not, but I'm guessing the drivers from the HE400i surely aren't worse. If these are mostly HE-400i's plus the Focus-A pad upgrade, that's $490 of stuff for $170, which works out to be just a tad more than 1/3 of the std HFM prices.
Evidently MD is bound by an NDA with HFM that requires them to keep their collective mouth shut about the identity of the drivers. Which means you can't be sure whether you'll be paying one-half or one-third of the standard non-MD HFM prices. If that lack of clarity makes you nervous, well, there's an easy fix for that: just don't buy the damn things. But I'm sure as hell gonna do it.
For the sake of passing the time, let's pretend that these are mostly the HE400S model, simply because that is the cheapest planar model HFM makes. Those cost $300. We also know that some headfi folks think that replacing the stock pads with HFM Focus-A pads makes various aspects better and no aspects worse. Those pads are a ~$40 upgrade, and they are provided as the stock pads for these HE4XX. That would bring the let's-pretend "HE400S + Focus-A" total to ~$340. Now, let's cut that price in half... which turns out to be $170. So, if they're using the drivers from HFM's cheapest planars, we're basically getting them plus a musically-meaningful ear pad upgrade... all for half-price.
Now, the specs posted here (sensitivity, impedance and weight) are less in keeping with the HE400S and are a seemingly exact match for the more expensive HE400i ($450). Personally, I don't know beans about whether those models have the same drivers or not, but I'm guessing the drivers from the HE400i surely aren't worse. If these are mostly HE-400i's plus the Focus-A pad upgrade, that's $490 of stuff for $170, which works out to be just a tad more than 1/3 of the std HFM prices.
Evidently MD is bound by an NDA with HFM that requires them to keep their collective mouth shut about the identity of the drivers. Which means you can't be sure whether you'll be paying one-half or one-third of the standard non-MD HFM prices. If that lack of clarity makes you nervous, well, there's an easy fix for that: just don't buy the damn things. But I'm sure as hell gonna do it.