The Sennheiser HD 400 Pro are a professional pair of headphones for mastering. They are the first pair of open headphones in the company’s Pro range, which until now has only had closed headphones.
The HD 400 Pro are essentially Sennheiser’s HD 560S with minor tweaks, none of which affect the sound. Compared to the 560S, the HD 400 Pro has a slightly modified design and an extra cable in the box and for this they cost a little more.
Drawing
The design of the HD 400 Pro is almost identical to that of the HD 560S, which in turn is similar to many other HD 500 series headphones.
The differences between HD 400 Pro and HD 560S boil down to obscuring some details. The silver Sennheiser logo on the side of the earpads has been painted black. Similarly, the Sennheiser branding on the top of the headband has also turned black, although it is now a bit larger.
Aside from that, the two are essentially the same pair of headphones. The pavilions feature large pavilions with sufficient depth and width to accommodate all but the largest ears. The back is covered with a black grille and the headband has soft foam padding.
Aside from the grille, the rest of the headphones are made entirely of plastic. This is the case with most Sennheiser headphones, and while they don’t immediately look premium, they are known to essentially last for decades of use as they are nearly indestructible. The only thing that should require regular replacement would be the bearings, as Sennheiser bearings tend to flatten out after a couple of years of use, which affects the sound.
The headphones don’t have a lot of articulation. You can adjust the band for the length and that’s mostly all. The pavilions have very little rotation in both directions. That’s not to say they don’t fit tightly on your head, but if you feel like taking them off and placing them flat on your chest, that’s not happening. Plus, the headphones don’t fold, which is fine since they’re not meant for travel or outdoor use.
On the left pavilion there is the connector for connecting the cable. The input jack is 2.5mm in size but most importantly, a proprietary locking mechanism that makes it difficult to use any cable you have lying around.
Speaking of cables, the HD 400 Pro comes with two, a 3m coiled cable and a 1.8m straight cable. Both have a 3.5mm plug and a 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter is provided in the box. By comparison, the HD 560S comes with a single 3m cable with a 6.3mm plug. The most common 3.5mm plug on HD 400 Pro cables should be handy for anyone who plugs directly into a computer, and the coiled cable helps move around the studio without having to unplug the cable or have it put under the chair.
You don’t have much else in the box. There is obviously no carrying case or even a carrying case as they are not meant for transport and strictly for indoor use.
Comfort
The HD 400 Pro are a comfortable pair of headphones. There is some clamping force, but it never gets uncomfortable and helps keep the headphones secure no matter how much you move your head.
As mentioned above, the pavilions are quite large and accommodating. The material is soft and feels comfortable on the skin. The foam padding on the headband is just as flexible.
Thanks to their plastic construction, the headphones are also quite light and after a while you barely notice them on your head. The straight cable is also quite light because it is relatively thin and doesn’t drag the headphones down. The coiled cable is obviously heavy, but that is to be expected.
Performance
The Sennheiser HD 400 Pro are exceptionally well tuned headphones. The sound is so neutral and precise that you don’t even feel like you’re listening to a pair of speakers but just the original sound as it was recorded. It’s like looking through a pair of colored glasses for a lifetime and suddenly seeing them disappear.
The bass response is incredibly neutral and precise with good extension in the low registers. This isn’t often the case as open headphones tend not to have bass bass extension, but the HD 400 Pro is somewhat immune to this to some extent.
The midrange is absolutely glorious. Voices have a wonderful sense of transparency and intimacy. The instruments have extraordinary authenticity and tonal characteristics. Each instrument and sound source are distinct with a great sense of depth and dimensionality in the mix.
Treble is where things get a little spicy. For the most part, the treble response is as remarkably precise and detailed as the rest of the frequency spectrum. However, the HD 400 Pro adds a little extra spiciness to the top, which can cause some sounds to have a sharper edge. The sound never gets hissing, but some already bright recordings can get slightly harsh and cause long-term fatigue. Personally it doesn’t bother me but your mileage may vary. Like the bass, the treble also has a good extension in the upper registers.
In terms of technicality, the HD 400 Pro has a very detailed and decisive sound. The two 40mm dynamic drivers can extract all the finer details of your music and recordings without being intrusive. The imaging and soundstage are also very good, although not the best I’ve ever heard. The sounds are well positioned around the head and there is a fair amount of space in the mix. It’s not quite on the same level as the HD 800 / HD 800 S but then again, what is it?
The HD 400 Pro needs some amplification to get the best of it, but I was surprised at how well they work from a laptop or even a smartphone. It’s not ideal and if you can you should invest in a budget DAC / amplifier like the iFi Zen Air DAC or the Topping DX3Pro + but you can get by with built-in audio.
With the headphones open, you don’t get much isolation from ambient sounds and you also lose a decent amount of sound. This may not be ideal for mixing or mastering purposes, so be sure to use headphones in quiet environments when listening critically.
While I’m generally very impressed, I have one complaint about the HD 400 Pro’s sound. My review unit seemed to have an ongoing channel imbalance, where the right driver sounded louder in parts of the frequency spectrum. It could be a thing with these headphones or it could be a one-time thing. It’s hard to say, but all I can do is report on the drive that was specifically sent to me for testing.
Verdict
The Sennheiser HD 400 Pro ($ 250) are a fantastic pair of headphones, as are the HD 560S ($ 200) they are based on. The choice of cables with which the HD 400 Pro is supplied makes them much more practical and worth the premium, not only for studio use but also for general listening.
This last part, for me, is where the HD 400 Pro excels. I’m not particularly keen on the idea of using headphones for mixing / mastering, let alone an open-backed pair. However, the HD 400 Pro are great general purpose headphones that you can use for anything from music, movies, TV shows, games, podcasts, YouTube videos, and anything else you can throw at them. It’s the most affordable way to add reference quality sound to your setup, and one I’ll recommend going ahead for anyone spending under $ 300.
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