Over-Ear Headphones · owner-verdict comparison

HiFiMan HE400se vs Momentum 4 Wireless: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the HiFiMan HE400se: 80% of 127 owners recommend it, vs 45% of 469 for the Momentum 4 Wireless.

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

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 →

Momentum 4 Wireless

45%of 469 owners recommend

45% recommend · 27% neutral · 28% don't

Owners praise

Sound quality is the headline strength, owners repeatedly call it the best-sounding wireless headphone in its price bracket, often preferring it over Sony WH-1000XM4/XM5, Bose QuietComfort, and even AirPods Max for clarity, bass, and soundstage
Battery life holds up for years of daily use with minimal degradation, charges fast, and the user-replaceable battery is praised as a rare feature at this price
Great value for the price, especially now that it's discounted since the Momentum 5 launched, described as unbeatable price-to-performance and a steal around $150-200

Owners complain about

ANC is consistently rated weaker than Sony (WH-1000XM3/4/5/6) and Bose competitors, usable for daily commuting but inadequate on planes for some owners
Build quality and durability complaints, the fabric headband covering comes loose or peels within months, glue fails after about a year, and units crack or break under normal use
Software/app bugs and Bluetooth connectivity issues, dropped connections, multipoint pairing problems, and headphones randomly turning on/off or losing pairing

Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

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

Get the Momentum 4 Wireless if

✓Sound-quality-first listeners who'll trade top-tier ANC for richer, fuller audio
✓Frequent travelers who want multi-day battery life and decent (not best) noise cancellation
✓Remote workers on long calls who need all-day comfort and clear mic quality
✓Budget-conscious buyers wanting near-flagship sound without flagship pricing

Skip it if

Frequent flyers who need best-in-class ANC, since Sony and Bose noticeably outperform it
Gym-goers or heavy sweaters, since moisture repeatedly causes malfunctions and shorted circuits

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

What Momentum 4 Wireless owners say

“Thats unfortunate. I've been using mine for about 2 and a half years daily, and the only problem I've had is the earpads deteriorated and I had to get replacements.”
— Randy265 on Reddit

“i bought M4 last year and i'm fully satisfied”
— zeldafr on Reddit

“Verdict: Not very good”
— thogor on Reddit

HiFiMan HE400se vs Momentum 4 Wireless: frequently asked questions

Is the HiFiMan HE400se or the Momentum 4 Wireless better?

Real owners lean toward the HiFiMan HE400se: 80% of 127 owners recommend it, vs 45% of 469 for the Momentum 4 Wireless.

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.

Who should get the Momentum 4 Wireless?

Owners point the Momentum 4 Wireless at sound-quality-first listeners who'll trade top-tier ANC for richer, fuller audio, and frequent travelers who want multi-day battery life and decent (not best) noise cancellation.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the HiFiMan HE400se is uncomfortable headband with a pressure hotspot. For the Momentum 4 Wireless, it's aNC is consistently rated weaker than Sony (WH-1000XM3/4/5/6) and Bose competitors, usable for daily commuting but inadequate on planes for some owners.