HiFiMan HE-400i (2014) vs Beats Pro (2010)

Popular Mechanics, a source known for its hands-on testing and objective methodology, had good things to say about the Hifiman HE-400i (2014). It performed great in its "The Best Planar Magnetic Headphones to Elevate Your Listening Experience" roundup and earned the "Best for Smartphones" title.

Moving on to the Beats Pro (2010): it was unable to reach the very top of any roundups from sources that conduct reliable and unbiased testing. Nonetheless, it still managed to impress reviewers from a number of such sites, like CNET, HomeTheaterReview.com, What Hi-Fi?, Laptop Mag, Head-fi, and Tom's Guide, enough for them to include them on those lists.

Our direct Hifiman HE-400i (2014) vs. Beats Pro (2010) comparison of their review scores has shown that, out of sources that tested both Open-Back Headphones, Head-fi preferred the Hifiman HE-400i (2014), whereas CNET seemed to like both equally.

We also looked at which sources liked these products best and found that the Hifiman HE-400i (2014) got its highest, 9, review score from Head-fi, while the Beats Pro (2010) most impressed reviewers at CNET, which gave it a score of 8.3.

Finally, we compared their average scores to all other Open-Back Headphones on the market. We found that the Hifiman HE-400i (2014) got reviewed considerably better than most of its competitors - it earned an average of 8.5, compared to the 7.8 out of 10 overall rating of other Open-Back Headphones - while the Beats Pro (2010) performed worse than most of its competition, with an average score of 6.8.