Hifiman HE-35X $90 Preorder at Massdrop

IdiotInCharge

NVIDIA SHILL
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See the drop here. These are open planar magnetic *dynamic driver headphones with 50mm drivers and a 19Ω impedence.

Probably the cheapest you'll see a planar magnetic headphone new!

*corrected, thanks atarione!
 
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I wanted to post my thoughts on these:

5/5 Stars Overall, the Price/Performance Ratio of the HE-35X's simply can't be beat.

These hit all the marks of the originals while improving on every front. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an entry into audiphile goodness.


Disclaimer: I use my HiFiMan 350's as my daily driver and with the $30 upgrade in pads + the bass mod = I love them, and the majority of my review of the new X's is a direct comparison between the two.

Initial Reaction: The 35X's look very similar to the originals, although this one has a slight refinement to the design. The cord is the same heavy weight as the original and I appreciate the L/R designation on the terminals. I see that the 3.5mm is now standardized throughout the build, this really doesn't affect me that much since I didn't need to hook up my originals, but I'm sure it matters to someone who wants to use another cord 3.5mm. The adjustable headset has a very satisfying secure click when moving up and down, whereas my originals easily slide too far and don't feel as secure. They haven't ever slid up, just a noticeable improvement on the original.

The comfort!! The strap is welcoming, the original metal bracket was ridiculously stiff and put pressure immediately on the sides of my head. The updated unit is perfectly firm, not overbearing. I also notice the earpads are a much improvement, falling right in between the original very stiff pads and the ultra soft aftermarket Brainwavez pads that I purchased for myself. I prefer these pads, only because the aftermarkets I purchased didn't have the airflow and also mushed too softly onto my head. Goldilocks, this is just right.

These are soft comfortable while also keeping their rigidity. But there still isn't the pressure like from the other clamp.

The sound:
Highs are not too overpowering, I'm not cringing at the cymbals or high hats.

Mids and vocals are clean and I keep finding new parts of my songs (There's rain in the beginning of 'Bad in Common'!?), a pretty incredible feat considering I was on that track with the old HiFiMan's.

Soundstage is wide and poignant, I can feel exactly where the different singers are in the track, when a louder

The one thing missing right away is the deep low-end bass which is reminiscent of the original experience with the 350's. They needed to be broken in before they produced that rich sound and I think the 35X's are doing the same thing. Overall the sound is warm and inviting throuhgout the vocals down into a baritone, but there is the missing piece of "DAT HOUSE BASS THO" on the low-end with the stock equalizer.

This is reminiscent of the originals when I first received them before I had to do a bass mod: But my god, it's a good tradeoff. I find myself enjoying the music on the new cans even while writing this review because the clarity on the full range of sound is that good.
 
umm these do NOT have Planar drivers.. It has dynamic drivers ..

if you want planars keep looking because these are not the droids you are looking for.

Correct, OP updated.

For those looking for planar magnetic drivers, Massdrop does have their Hifiman HE4XX up for US$170. I own a pair and can vouch for the sound quality, they're 35Ω and also fairly easy to drive while responding well to amplification.
 
Personally, I'm very curious about the HiFiMan HE-35x myself, since the HE-350s had some issues when tested (and basically needed some form of modding to be a solid headphone):

https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/hifiman/he350/

Some of HiFiMan's offerings have been very good (I used to own by the HE-400s and the HE-400i), but I skipped the HE-350 once I heard about some of the issues ... hopefully, this retweak is a lot better.

I'm really tempted to think that HiFiMan shines in planar magnetics/orthodynamics only, and aren't quite ready for a push into dynamic drivers -- but, we'll see.
 
Do you have to plug a 3.5mm cable split into dual mono plugs into both sides, or can you plug a standard 3.5 stereo cable into a single side?

I have a couple pairs of V-MODA headphones that I use for several sources - all with 3.5mm stereo cables.

I'm looking for something that I can use without needing adapters or new cables.
 
Personally, I'm very curious about the HiFiMan HE-35x myself, since the HE-350s had some issues when tested (and basically needed some form of modding to be a solid headphone):

https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/hifiman/he350/

Some of HiFiMan's offerings have been very good (I used to own by the HE-400s and the HE-400i), but I skipped the HE-350 once I heard about some of the issues ... hopefully, this retweak is a lot better.

I'm really tempted to think that HiFiMan shines in planar magnetics/orthodynamics only, and aren't quite ready for a push into dynamic drivers -- but, we'll see.

Ok, this really good reviewer likes it, so the HE-35X seems to be a solid buy:

https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/hifiman/he-35x-massdrop/

Note: Massdrop is now called 'Drop', and is also a direct retailer.
 
I ordered myself a pair on the initial launch for $90.
If they were $120 I think I would have considered just paying the extra 60 for the 4XX, but at half the cost I'll givem a shot.
I grabbed the SMSL M3 dac/amp too to pair them with.

Do you have to plug a 3.5mm cable split into dual mono plugs into both sides, or can you plug a standard 3.5 stereo cable into a single side?

I have a couple pairs of V-MODA headphones that I use for several sources - all with 3.5mm stereo cables.

I'm looking for something that I can use without needing adapters or new cables.

You need the cable plugged into both sides from the looks of it (its the same way for their other models too).
 
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