Sennheiser HD 400 Pro Review: Studio-Grade Headphone For A Budget Price

Sennheiser HD 400 Pro Technical Data

• Impedance -- 120 Ω
• Frequency response -- 6 Hz to 38 kHz (-10 dB)
• Sound pressure level (SPL) -- 110 dB (1 kHz / 1 V RMS)
• THD, total harmonic distortion -- < 0.05 % (1 kHz / 90 dB SPL)
• Ear coupling -- circumaural
• Jack plug -- 3.5 mm jack plug with 6.3 mm adapter
• Weight -- 240 g
• Storage temperature -- -55 °C to +70 °C (-67 °F to 158 °F)
• Operating temperature -- -15 °C to +55 °C (5 °F to 131 °F)
• Operating relative humidity -- ≤ 90 %
• Accoustic principle -- dynamic, open
• Ear pad material -- Velour

Sennheiser HD 400 Pro Design

The Sennheiser HD 400 Pro comes in a Stealth Black color. In fact, even the Sennheiser logo also has the same color, which gives this headphone a premium look. Similarly, the headphone also has soft ear cushions, and there is also plenty of cushioning on the headband made using velour.

Coming to the build quality, the Sennheiser HD 400 Pro is made using part plastic and part metal, while the exterior of the earcups are made using metal with a mesh-like finish, the headband is made using high-quality plastic with the Sennheiser logo.

Overall, I liked the fit and finish of the product. Given this my first experience with studio-grade headphones, I felt that the Sennheiser HD 400 Pro is actually comfortable than most consumer headphones that I have tested so far. If you are looking for affordable neutral-sounding headphones with a clean design, the HD 400 Pro could be the pair for you.

Comes With Detachable Cables

The Sennheiser HD 400 Pro ships with two cables with 3.5mm output and a 6.3mm adapter, which can be used with either cable. First, there is a short 1.8-meter straight cable, and then there is a 3-meter long coiled or spiral cable. Both cables are of high quality and could last for an extended period.

The advantage of having a detachable cable is that you can always replace them for just a fraction of the cost. Those who work with professional audio gears can just screw in the 6.3mm gold plated adapter and plug in the headphone to an audio interface or an audio peripheral such as a Hi-Fi DAC.

Audio Quality

Sennheiser has mentioned that the HD 400 Pro is a professional-grade headphone for those who create/mix music. This is backed by the fact that the HD 400 Pro has a frequency response of 6 Hz to 38 kHz (-10 dB) which is as wide as the human hearing range.

On top of that, the Sennheiser HD 400 Pro also has angled transducers, which are designed for minimizing audio distortion, especially at higher volume levels (max SPL). This helps the HD 400 Pro to deliver a wide sound range and an accurate sound stage.

Coming to my experience, my testing of the HD 400 Pro includes listening to HD or lossless music on Apple Music (on the iPad), Amazon Music, and playing games. I can vouch for the fact that these headphones produce a neutral sound, where, the vocals do not overpower instruments or vice versa.

I also started to notice nuances in the same music which I used to listen to before, which is definitely due to the higher frequency response. Despite being open-back headphones, the HD 400 Pro does a good job of noise isolation. However, at higher volumes, people around you could definitely listen to the music that you are hearing.

Do note that the advantage of open-ear headphones is that they allow the air to flow, which helps to eliminate resonances and low-frequency build-up, which is caused by closed-back headphones. However, this comes with a drawback of sound leaking, which is a shortcoming for end-consumers and not for the professionals, who just want a pure neutral-sounding audio output.

Although these are meant for music mixers, I believe these are also great pair of headphones who wants to listen to music as intended by the creator. You can also use these for gaming and all the other headphone use cases; however, you can get much better consumer-grade headphones for this price range which has more consumer-centric features.

Verdict: For Professionals And Audiophile

The Sennheiser HD 400 Pro is a mid-range professional-grade headphone with an excellent neutral sound signature. These headphones use in-house 120-ohm transducers, which are tuned to deliver detailed audio output, especially the mid-range. Not just that, the headphones also offer a deep base, which does not affect or distort the sound quality.

These are meant for the music creators and those who want to listen to music in its truest form. As these are open-back headphones, we don't recommend these for commuters or for office users, unless you have a chamber of your own.

If you are looking for a great pair of wired headphones, then you can definitely consider the Sennheiser HD 400 Pro. However, do note that these are designed just for listening, as they do not have a microphone or even in-line volume controls. Given most modern smartphones come without a headphone jack, if you are just a regular user, think twice before buying the HD 400 Pro.