Most people start with bluetooth wireless headphones. Hifiman He400se compares well against those, and at lower price. But that is true for most wired headphones.
He400se is priced where it is for a reason. Going higher up in price brings additional performance and attributes.
OP is contradicting himself. So his post recommends to not buy from Drop. And then he wants to keep Drop product, instead of full price refund that is offered by Drop.
If you dislike Drop that much, take the full refund offer. That is like using the product for free for 2 years. Then buy another headphone from somewhere else. Oh, but then you want PC38X for its value.