HIFIMAN RE400, RE800 and RE2000 Silver review
I reviewed several HIFIMAN’s full-size headphones, but today I want to talk about HIFIMAN’s often-overlooked gems: the RE400, RE800, and RE2000 in-ear monitors, all of which became very attractive due to recent price drops.
In today’s review, we will talk in detail about all three models, and I will also be comparing them with each other.
Let’s start with RE-400 which is the most affordable out of the three.
The RE400 belongs to the Hifiman Hi-Fi line of products and the original price was $79. At the moment it’s sold for $19.99 and for the current price it’s a steal! The IEM comes in a half-carton half plastic packaging (so called simplified packaging), and besides headphones you also get the carrying case and 8 pairs of different ear tips.
The RE-400 shells are bullet-shaped, measuring just 16 mm in length and 9 mm at its widest part. The nozzle diameter is almost 6mm. The shells are made out of aluminum and they feel durable. The cable is non-removable and it’s not very flexible either. The channel indication is printed at the end of the cable that goes into the shell and it’s really hard to read. The cable has a plastic splitter and a chinch slider. The part of the cable below the splitter is coated in fabric. The cable is made out of Oxygen-Free Copper wire, is 1.3 meters long and terminates with an angled 3.5mm plastic connector.
The RE-400 is based on an 8.5mm single Titanium-Coated dynamic driver. The impedance is 32 Ohms and the sensitivity is 102db which means you can easily run it off portable sources. The headphones are comfortable and I had no problems with a fit using the stock ear tips. I used double flanged ones in my testing. On the downside I noticed some driver flex (it might be my sample) and the cable is not very flexible and pleasant to use either. Other than that I noticed no other cons.
Sound wise, I would call RE-400 a bright neutral sounding IEM. There is not much bass here, so bassheads should look elsewhere. At the same time the bass is fast and well-controlled. The midrange is quite neutral and the vocals and instruments have a good definition and note weight, though the male vocals can sound slightly lean on some recordings while female vocals are slightly over emphasized. The midrange of RE400 in this regard reminds me of the midrange on HIFIMAN’s HE400se full size headphones. The treble on RE400 has a good amount of sparkle and energy, but it can be hot on some occasions, so keep that in mind if you are sensitive to treble.
The instrument separation and detail are good and in this regard the RE400 punches above its weight. Also the soundstage size is what sets RE-400 apart from a lot of IEMs in this price bracket. It’s wide and spacious and it’s the first thing I noticed when I put them on. Imaging is also great with a good sense of distance and direction. Considering the current price which is $19.99 and the fact RE400 will fit the majority of ears because of its bullet-shape design, I think it is a blind buy, especially if bright neutral signatures are your thing.
Now let’s move to RE800 Silver
According to HIFIMAN’s IEM tree of evolution RE800 is not a direct upgrade from RE400, despite the numbering logic. The RE800 belongs to a HIFIMAN’s Reference line of products which is more expensive and it has a different sound profile and philosophy.
Originally RE800 Silver was priced at $599 but now it’s sold for $99.99 so again, for the current price it’s a steal! Just like RE400, the RE800 Silver comes in a half carton half plastic packaging, and besides headphones you also get the carrying case and 12 pairs of different ear tips.
The RE-800 shells are also bullet shaped, just like RE400, but they are larger, measuring 17mm in length and 10 mm at its widest part. The nozzle diameter is 6 mm. The shells are made out of aluminum just like RE400 and they also feel durable. The shells also have a HIFIMAN logo on the outer part as well as channel indication which is much easier to read compared to RE400. The cable is non-detachable, but it’s much better compared to the cable on RE400. It’s more flexible and is not coated in fabric which is good. The cable has a metal splitter, metal chinch slider and is 1.3 meters long. It terminates with a straight metal 3.5mm connector.
The technology inside RE800 is more advanced than RE400, hence the price difference. The RE800 is based on a 9.2mm single dynamic driver with a so-called “Topology Diaphragm”. The “Topology Diaphragm” refers to the diaphragm with a special nanoparticle coating applied to its surface in distinct geometric patterns. By varying the surface pattern, compound used, the thickness or geometric pattern the sound wave formation can be manipulated to achieve the desired audio effect and control.
The impedance of RE800 Silver is 60 Ohms and the sensitivity is 105db. While you can power it with the majority of portable sources, I still encourage you to use a DAC/AMP that can provide at least 60mW of power at 32 Ohms. The RE800 feels more comfortable in my ears than RE400, mainly due its better weight distribution and a better cable, but your mileage may vary. I had no problems with a fit while using the stock ear tips and for my tests used the double flanged ones.
Sound wise I prefer RE800 to RE400, but it’s not a direct upgrade as RE800 has a different tonality. The overall sound presentation is more coherent and detailed, though I wouldn’t call it neutral. The bass has a lot of authority, it has a good level of details, note weight and punch. But it’s still quality over quantity, so bassheads should look elsewhere. The midrange is natural with a lot of clarity and detail. Vocals and instruments sound correct but the upper midrange might be borderline intrusive. There is a lot of energy in the midrange which results in quite an upfront presentation. The treble also has lots of energy and sparkle, but as the overall tonality of RE800 leans more to a balanced side, and the treble doesn’t stick out much and perfectly balances the low end and the midrange.
The details and instrument separation are good too and at the current price RE800 just like RE400 punches above its weight. The soundstage is spacious and overall this IEM has a very coherent and lively tonality. Imaging is also good with a good sense of distance and direction.
With the current pricing of $99 RE800 Silver easily competes with IEMs twice the price and I would advise you to give it a try if natural presentation with the airy and energetic treble is your thing and you value details, sound coherency and sound stage in the first place.
And finally lets talk about RE2000 Silver
According to HIFIMAN’s IEM tree of evolution RE2000 Silver is a direct upgrade from RE800,and it also belongs to a HIFIMAN’s Reference line of products.
Originally RE2000 Silver was priced at $1500, then the pricing was reduced to $799, but nowadays you can buy it for $349 and at this price it really disrupts the current state of the IEM market and I will explain why later in this review.
Also, if you are interested in how RE2000 compares to both RE800 and RE400, check the full video review in which I reviewed all three models and compared them with each other.
RE2000 Silver comes in a beautiful large carton box and the product presentation is much better than RE400 or RE800. Inside the box there is an IEM, a de-attachable cable, a pair of H connectors, rubber cable tie, 5 pairs of silicone ear tips, a round metal carrying case, rubber ear guides, a product booklet and a warranty card. Compared to both RE400 and RE800, the RE2000 comes with a smaller number of ear tips, and this is rather surprising.
The shells of RE2000 are quite interesting. They are made out of aluminum and the shape of the housing has definitely an industrial design language. At first I thought that it would be hard to find a good fit, but later in my tests it became clear that the IEM fits my ears really well.
The length of the shell is 22 mm, the height is 12 mm and the shell is 15 mm deep. The nozzle diameter is 6 mm and nozzles are on a shorter side. The shells are well polished and feel durable. The shells also have a HIFIMAN logo on both faceplates. The cable on RE2000 is proprietary 2-pin cable and it is detachable. The cable is 1.3 meters long, It has a metal splitter and a metal chinch slider and terminates with a straight metal 3.5mm connector. The lack of the soft pre-molded ear guides on the cable makes it a bit irritating, but it can be solved by using the included rubber ear hooks.
In comparison, the cable is more flexible than the cable on RE400, but less flexible than cable on RE800 Silver so out of three I personally prefer the cable on RE800 Silver, despite it being non-detachable. Yeah I know I’m nit-picking, but at full MSRP back in the day I would be expecting a better (and definitely a modular) cable supplied with RE2000.
Due to the unusual shell shape it took me some time to get used to this IEM, but in the end I ended-up with a great seal and surprisingly solid fit. Once you achieve it, the IEM sits very well in your ear and if you like to listen to your music on the go, walking and hiking for example, such a fit is truly a benefit.
The RE2000 Silver is based on a 9.2mm single dynamic driver with a so-called “Topology Diaphragm”. The “Topology Diaphragm” refers to the diaphragm with a special Nanoparticle coating applied to its surface in distinct geometric patterns. By varying the surface pattern, compound used, the thickness or geometric pattern the sound wave formation can be manipulated to achieve the desired audio effect and control. As far as I understood the drivers for RE2000 Silver have been very carefully matched, and in addition, the enclosure itself contributes to the overall sound. Which means HIFIMAN managed to make a perfect enclosure for an already great driver. Hence such a significant upgrade in sound compared to RE800 Silver.
The impedance of RE2000 Silver is 60 Ohms and the sensitivity is 103db. While you can power it with the majority of portable sources, I still encourage you to use a DAC/AMP that can provide at least 60mW of power at 32 Ohms as it scales really well if powered properly. I had no problems with a fit using the stock ear tips and for my tests I used the double flanged ones.
Soundwise RE2000 Silver is a fantastic pair of IEM, a true detail-monster with a slightly-V shaped tonality, prominent bass and detailed treble and I honestly was shocked with a level of refinement when I first tried it. I didn’t expect much detail retrieval from a single dynamic driver and neither was expecting it being such a huge upgrade over RE800 Silver. But here we are.
This IEM sounds very dynamic, coherent and detailed. The bass is well controlled, has a great extension, a good impact and punch. Bass details are great too and overall the bass here is very pleasing. The midrange is slightly in the background, as you might expect from a V shaped tuning, yet it displays a lot of clarity and detail. Vocals and instruments sound correct, and the midrange timbre is good. The upper midrange is not as hot as on RE800 Silver, still there is a lot of energy in the midrange which results in a great and lively presentation. The treble is refined and detailed, with lots of air and sparkle and the overall tonality of RE2000 Silver leans more to a mild V-shape.
The details and micro details are great and the instrument separation is exemplary, so in this regard this IEM leaves a lot of competition behind. The soundstage is wide and quite deep, with a good sense of distance and direction, so complex recordings with well-designed sound landscapes sound breathtaking.
At the current price the RE2000 Silver Silver leaves behind a lot of competition in this price bracket and it really shines with well recorded music, thanks to its acoustic shell design and driver implementation. On the other hand $349 is still a substantial amount of money, so I recommend you give it a try and see how it fits before you buy it. Other than that I’m happy to recommend it as it’s one of the best sounding IEM in this price bracket.
And that concludes my review for today. If you want to see more content like this, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you for joining me, and until next time, goodbye!
