Creative HQ -1400 Headphone

Creative, a brand mainly known for its MP3 players and PC speakers, also has a decent line up of headphones, including these sleek looking new models, one of them being the HQ-1400. We have received it for review, so let’s check it out.

The design of these circumaural closed back headphones is quite robust with a tinge of gloss black on the outside of the cans and on the flap below the headband. The headband itself, along with the rest of the exoskeleton of the HQ-1400 is black matte finished. The fit and ergonomics of the product is really plush due to its soft cushion pads, it’s got a nice velvet feel. The adjustable headband adds to the comfort.

The drivers are stated 40 mm, made of neodymium magnet with Copper Clad Aluminum wire voice coil - a proprietary term they use is CCAW. The impedance is 32 Ohms, and sensitivity is high enough at about 105 dB/mW. The cord length is really long at 3 m, also with a gold plated mini plug at the end. The frequency response rated is 20 Hz -20Khz.

The sturdy build and super clean finish really raised our expectation for the performance, and we were more or less satiated in that regard. The frequency response output consisted of deep lows, though not bang on tight in terms of timing. It was more of a large enveloping LF response. The mids and high were present in decent amounts, not overpowering in level and also not making the sound edgy.

Loudness wise the headphones are really impressive, a really sensitive response is on the cards. Moreover the output is audibly clean sounding, there is not too much discernible THD at the highest level.

The MRP of the Creative HQ 1400 is Rs. 1690, which is a decent price for the unit. It looks great due to its suave exterior, and for the price it has a good sound output. The main thing is the low bass and healthy loudness. The bass is not that tight, plus highs are not as refined and “airy”, but they add up well in toto. It’s a good buy for a music lover or multimedia enthusiast, looking for a reasonably priced pair of solid headphones.