Over-Ear Headphones · owner-verdict comparison

Grado SR80x vs HiFiMan HE400se: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the HiFiMan HE400se: 80% of 127 owners recommend it, vs 60% of 55 for the Grado SR80x.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Grado SR80x

60%of 55 owners recommend

60% recommend · 18% neutral · 22% don't

Owners praise

Punchy, dynamic, "fun" sound signature that owners describe as energetic and addictive rather than flat or clinical
Excellent entry point into higher-end audio for the price, with many owners keeping their pair for a decade or more
Clean, airy sound with surprising clarity and detail retrieval for a budget open-back can

Owners complain about

Glued-together build (drivers, gimbals, rodblocks, headband) that owners view as flimsy, breaks over time, and often requires DIY hot-glue or aftermarket-part repairs
Bright, treble-forward tuning that a meaningful minority finds fatiguing or outright harsh on longer listening sessions
Stiff, thick, unwieldy stock cable that's awkward to manage and a recurring standalone complaint

Full owner report →

HiFiMan HE400se

80%of 127 owners recommend

80% recommend · 9% neutral · 11% don't

Owners praise

Outstanding sound for the price / bargain planar
Wonderful, fast planar bass
Responds beautifully to EQ

Owners complain about

Uncomfortable headband with a pressure hotspot
Hard to drive / needs a proper amp
Treble peaks / harshness that need EQ

Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Grado SR80x if

✓First-time audiophiles wanting an affordable, exciting-sounding upgrade from stock earbuds
✓Listeners who love an energetic, forward, treble-tilted sound signature
✓Home/desk listeners who don't need isolation or a lightweight on-the-go cable
✓Tinkerers open to swapping pads or modding to fine-tune comfort and bass

Skip it if

Anyone sensitive to bright, fatiguing treble on long listening sessions
Buyers wanting a durable build, since the glued drivers and stiff cable feel fragile and cheap

Get the HiFiMan HE400se if

✓Budget listeners getting into planar magnetic headphones
✓Users who EQ their headphones for best results
✓Fans of warm, musical, non-clinical sound
✓Value seekers pairing them with a proper amp

Skip it if

Phone-only listeners without a decent amp
People sensitive to headband pressure or hotspots

What Grado SR80x owners say

“SR80x (120€ new) was my first audiophile headphone over two years ago. They were so good that within a week I returned them to upgrade to SR225x”
— Hunter-97-G on Reddit

“Grado SR80s were my first decent pair of headphones too, and I still love them - still have them and listen to them something like 15 years later.”
— srmd22 on Reddit

“Using chinese components. And a lot of glue... You'd think with all that American Engineering, we could not use Glue, and instead use... maybe screws?”
— KaosC57 on Reddit

What HiFiMan HE400se owners say

“The treble is still tamed, but the bass doesn't seem to roll off. Punchy and fun.”
— @onepieceatatime on YouTube

“they are amazing, the replacement grills smooth out all the peaks and dips”
— @ZdraveBass on YouTube

“Hifiman are known to last about two months. It's only a question of time before they fail and customer service is bad from what I saw.”
— @westsenkovec on YouTube

Grado SR80x vs HiFiMan HE400se: frequently asked questions

Is the Grado SR80x or the HiFiMan HE400se better?

Real owners lean toward the HiFiMan HE400se: 80% of 127 owners recommend it, vs 60% of 55 for the Grado SR80x.

Who should get the Grado SR80x?

Owners point the Grado SR80x at first-time audiophiles wanting an affordable, exciting-sounding upgrade from stock earbuds, and listeners who love an energetic, forward, treble-tilted sound signature.

Who should get the HiFiMan HE400se?

Owners point the HiFiMan HE400se at budget listeners getting into planar magnetic headphones, and users who EQ their headphones for best results.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Grado SR80x is glued-together build (drivers, gimbals, rodblocks, headband) that owners view as flimsy, breaks over time, and often requires DIY hot-glue or aftermarket-part repairs. For the HiFiMan HE400se, it's uncomfortable headband with a pressure hotspot.