DgindlespergerSince no one has replied, I'm pretty sure the Massdrop version uses popular earpads which are supposedly better than the 400s/i versions from Sennheiser, I would at least wait and see.
HawaiiRFrom what I understand the HE350s need about 200 to 250 hours of burn in. Which I didn't know about and sold them after about 20 something hours of a burning because they were just too damn bright and painful. The HE4XX are not that way. Honestly the HE4XX is one of the best deals in headphones around if not the best deal in headphones anywhere.
PingsAhhh... good to know. Maybe I'll burn them in for another 160 hours then. I suppose it can't hurt since they're just sitting around collecting dust. The brainwavz pad that I bought for it didn't improve the sound much - just enhanced the bass, but left the mid-range hollow, and the highs, well - you know how those are.
Thanks for the feedback. 3 recommendations for the 4XX so far, so maybe I'll just pull the trigger.
HawaiiRThe Dekoni Beyerdynamic DT pads which they sell here on MassDrop fit the HE headphones and they are insanely comfortable. That slow Rising memory foam they use are the most comfortable ear pads I've ever worn.
PingsCool, thanks for that recommendation as well. I'll give those a shot if I end up liking any potential sound improvement after the additional burn in. I also purchased a set of Denon replacement pads for the 350, along with some thin foam headphone ear discs which is apparently supposed to cut down on the highs a bit. I have yet to try either, simply because I just completely lost interest in the cans...LOL. I'll give it a shot though before I ultimately decide to sell them.
I'm kinda leaning on just buying the 4XX just to say I own a pair of planar headphones.
HawaiiRThe HE4XX are more than worth it. HE4XX is one of the best deals in headphones around if not the best deal in headphones anywhere. HE4XX>HD6XX/HE4XX>K7XX easily. I'm a big fan of the K7XX and I sold 2 headphones of my collection that I never use for the AKG K712 Pro and one of the ones I sold was the HE350. I didn't know about crazy long burn in time at the time. Not like it mattes now that I have the HE4XX.
PingsWow, that's quite an endorsement!
While I don't own any K7XX or HD6XX, I've heard only good things about them. I think my problem at the moment is that I want something better than my MDR V6, M50 and DT770's ... at this price point, I'm not expecting anything as good as my ATH-AD2000's, but it would be nice to have a new pair that are somewhere between the aforementioned trio and the latter one. Hoping the HE4XX does the trick.
HawaiiROK I used to have the ATH-M50X, and I have the ATH-AD1000X also the DT990 Pro 250. It is hard to say because I might be getting over excited but I think I am leaning towards the thought that the HE4XX is better than my ATH-AD1000X. My DT990 are OK but nowhere near my ATH-AD1000X. Your ATH-AD2000's are about 5-10% better than the my ATH-AD1000X so keep that in mind. It is a great deal for $169 better than some of MassDrops $199 headphones.
HawaiiRThe HiFiMAN Sundara should be out sometime this month. The Sundara's are open back and out of the things I tried on my mind keeps going back to those. The Fostex TH-X00 are closed back but the have a bunch of good reviews. I think the Sundara's are going to make Tyler's wall of fame. The Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Open are another headphone I keep thinking about. Next tax season it's a toss up for the HiFiMAN Sundara, The Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Open, or the Fostex HP‑A4BL.
PingsHe also mentioned the E-Mu Teak, which piqued my interest. I guess those are going on Tyler's wall over the Fostex. Maybe I'll just wait for those, especially after having seen a number of reviews that weren't bad, but didn't really sell me on them. ... ugh, I knew coming back on Massdrop today would eat up my entire evening.