Q: I read that the Hifiman HE400se headphones you recommended require a separate amplifier to make them work. Is this true?
A: They will work without an external amplifier, but you might want to consider one to make them sound their best.
For readers who might not recall my original column on these headphones, a few months ago I wrote about the Hifiman HE400se planar magnetic open-back headphones, which were on sale from $149 to $109. In the column I said, "Planar magnetic headphones use exotic driver technology, and many consider them to be the ultimate in sound quality." Many readers agreed with my assessment, and I received some wonderful feedback.
Some of the communication I received included questions such as yours. The headphones can be driven with a tablet or smartphone's headphone output, which usually takes the form of a small dongle. The dongle looks like a small wire with ports on each side but is much more, containing digital-to-analog conversion and amplification.
While the dongle can drive the headphones, the right amplifier can take things to the next level, and I recently came across a simple, convenient and affordable device that can really make them sing.
The iFi Audio GO Link is an amplifier and USB digital converter that resembles a dongle in that it is small, portable and works the same way. Just connect it to the Lightning or USB port on your device and then connect your headphones to it.
The difference is that the GO Link provides stronger amplification, improved digital-to-analog conversion and high-resolution audio playback. Consider it the Ferrari of dongles, for only $59. Powered by the GO Link, the HE400se headphones sounded clearer, more transparent, livelier, more musical, richer and stronger in the bass. Add up all that and you have a clearly audible improvement over something that was pretty good already. Download and play some hi-res audio sample tracks, and you will be blown away.
I had an audiophile friend over for a visit, and I had him compare the sound of the HE400se/GO Link combo with the $799 Focal Bathys and $2,000 Meze Liric headphones. While he praised those options, which is understandable given their price, he seemed most enchanted with the HE400se/GO Link combo, and kept reaching for them. He smiled and sighed while listening, saying, "These headphones are really only $149? And the amplifier is $59? Wow! This is really great." It's easy to fall in love with expensive gear, but it is a lot more satisfying to fall for things we can afford.
