Over-Ear Headphones · owner-verdict comparison

HiFiMan HE400se vs Sony ULT Wear: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the HiFiMan HE400se: 80% of 127 owners recommend it, vs 47% of 154 for the Sony ULT Wear.

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 →

Sony ULT Wear

47%of 154 owners recommend

47% recommend · 17% neutral · 36% don't

Owners praise

Big, punchy bass that owners who like heavy low end love
Noise canceling that owners rate highly
Strong value, with some owners saying it comes close to Sony's pricier XM models for much less

Owners complain about

Plastic hinges that crack or snap, often during normal handling, anywhere from a few weeks to over a year after purchase; some owners had a second pair break the same way, while others say a replacement has held up
The sound splits owners: many say it needs EQ tweaks to sound right, some find the bass overblown or muddy, and a few expected more bass than they got

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 Sony ULT Wear if

✓Bass lovers who want heavy, adjustable low end
✓Buyers who want strong noise canceling without paying flagship prices
✓Listeners willing to spend time tuning the EQ in the app
✓People with larger ears who want deep, padded earcups for long sessions

Skip it if

Anyone who needs headphones to survive daily handling for years without hinge worries
Listeners who don't want to adjust any sound settings

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 Sony ULT Wear owners say

“I recently purchased the Sony ULT Wear and I love it!”
— @jamesbarlett246 on YouTube

“The bass is honestly pretty fun, sometimes I just wanna press a button and destroy the song I'm listening to.”
— @Pika915 on YouTube

“To be fair, I didn't hear hardly any difference. The ULTs fit my head better, but they looked much chunkier on my ears as the phones stuck out way more. I've decided to keep the XM4s and return the ULTs.”
— @1977ver on YouTube

HiFiMan HE400se vs Sony ULT Wear: frequently asked questions

Is the HiFiMan HE400se or the Sony ULT Wear better?

Real owners lean toward the HiFiMan HE400se: 80% of 127 owners recommend it, vs 47% of 154 for the Sony ULT Wear.

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 Sony ULT Wear?

Owners point the Sony ULT Wear at bass lovers who want heavy, adjustable low end, and buyers who want strong noise canceling without paying flagship prices.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the HiFiMan HE400se is uncomfortable headband with a pressure hotspot. For the Sony ULT Wear, it's plastic hinges that crack or snap, often during normal handling, anywhere from a few weeks to over a year after purchase; some owners had a second pair break the same way, while others say a replacement has held up.