I had a pair of HE400SE that I recently sent back but the build, while probably on par for a pair of $100 HP, was good with no issues. I also knew about HiFiman qc issues so I curbed my expectations when I clicked the 'order' button but again, I had no issues with my pair.

However, I did not care for the sound of the HE400SE HPs. Not that they were that bad but I was just unimpressed. Nothing stood out to me across the board as special so I had little motivation to pick them back up again. I tried several dac/amp combos with the same results.

I do love my DT 770 Pros though. I will never get rid of those and if they ever break, I will order a replacement.

Cheers!

The Moondrop Katos will come out on top. :)

Love this!

I too use a Samsung Tab S8 resting on the very same stand, using Tidal/Amazon HD, using usb to either a Dragonfly Red (in the living room) or a Modius/Magnius Schiit stack (in my office) to various headphones.

I have also been considering the Mojo 2 but struggle with idea of having to memorize the menu navigation and color codes. I hear it sounds amazing tho.

That's a nice setup. Enjoy!

Very cool! It's so nice to hear success stories, especially those who don't spend top $$$ on insanely expensive gear but are still able to enjoy what they have. While armed with the knowledge that there is definitely a law of diminishing returns, I feel that I have a duty to find amazing sound for less $$$. So far so good on my journey.

However, after spending some time with my HD600s, I sometimes wish that I picked up the HD650s because I like a little more bass in my music that EQing just can't fix in my HD600s. Don't get me wrong, I love the 600s, I just want more low-end.

I have tried various dac/amp combos on the HD600s as well minus a tube amp (which I am currently in the market for) and while I can get better results with a warmer dac/amp combo + EQing, it still isn't where I prefer it to sound, overall. I simply cannot add enough bass.

So, that leads me to think that I should probably pick up the HD650s at some point + a decent tube amp and see where that takes me. I also have an opportunity to pick up some Focal Clears for a REALLY good deal and they are supposed to have pretty good low-end without mudding up the mids while keeping the imaging, detail, and soundstage that I prefer so I might give that a shot.

Either way, I will never get rid of my HD600s. They still sound absolutely amazing on vocals and string instruments. (they are also great for watching movies).

Thanks for sharing and enjoy your music!