HiFiMAN Sundara Headphones

Product Information

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a bit more quantity on the Phoenix, but tighter, faster and more textured on the Sundara.

With the Sundara the music was enjoyable, having good channel separation and clearly focused central information.” ’Hi-Fi News’ – Editor’s Choice. Also i find HD660 way lighter and easy to use outside the headband is one piece and connectors why does this matters to use outside ? Also long cable that i dont like why is this also a con ? Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Vocal and instrument tonality is a lot better on the Sundara with more micro-details, similarly clean but more refined on the Sundara overall. Timbre is similar.The headphone frame, yokes and cups are all metal. The cups swivel and are stiff to do so. It uses a suspension headband design which I prefer for minimizing the amount of weight on the top of your head. The headstrap and pads are pleather, and the pads have a nice surface texture. Long term durability of pleather is always questionable, we'll see how this one does in that regard.

M. S. Ramarao wrote Telugu version for Hanuman Chalisa of Tulsidas and Sundara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana as 'Sundarakandamu' in Telugu during 1972-74. He sang Sundarakanda in the form of Telugu songs. As far as driveability goes, Sundara is hard to drive, to extremely hard to drive, most portables struggle to drive it properly and only flagship DAPs with a lot of power and good voltage can properly control them. More about this in their portable usage part of the review.

Despite fairly typical impedance, the headphones don't get as loud as many other models we test. For reference, when I listen to lossless Apple Music audio on an iMac via a McIntosh stereo receiver, they only start to get uncomfortably loud after I max out the volumes of both the app and the receiver. Those same levels with the Grado SR325x are extremely loud, to the extent that they could potentially damage the headphones. Midrange is the real star of the Sundara and it is presented with a slight accent on the upper region which gives it added clarity and sparkle. Violins, trumpets and female voices shine, but not to the detriment of other, “warmer” instruments which sound as good as them. This bit of emphasis makes some details pop up more than others: the vibrations of guitar strings, the air moving inside trumpets and flutes, or the small fluctuations of the harmonica (e.g. in Max De Aloe Quartet’s L’aria in mezzo). Tonality is approaching neutrality with a touch of brightness, which many find ideal. The Sundara offer great clarity that goes hand-in-hand with the good amount of detail that the driver offers. The included cord is short and comes with right angle connector. It has a nice (silicon?) insulator. It did not seem microphonic to me. Great Product, sounds fantastic (its a bit dark compared to similar planars), I've hear that the Audeze ones are a little warmer. In any case, do keep in mind that this will be a little heavier than your usual headphones and would be restricted to mostly listening sessions at home. There is a bit of treble, but very controlled, in certain cases this would be very enjoyable. Despite all that, Hifiman still hasn’t managed to pry loose the old thorn in their sides that is quality control. Driver failures abound, and the manufacturing quality of their headbands still varies wildly. These issues seem to be commonplace enough that some dealings with Hifiman customer service should perhaps even be anticipated. And you can go ahead and buy an aftermarket cable right off the bat – the included one is no good.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), slightly better tonality on the Sundara, a lot cleaner and more detailed as well with better timbre.What about me? The drivers, while the channels are relatively well-matched, exhibit a curious whine at specific higher frequencies, indicating some artifact of the poor construction within the sound – but it’s not audible when listening to music. At least, not usually. Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 1st November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.) Now that we reached the end, if you’re looking for a 350 USD Headphone, or a 500 USD Headphone, that is Planar Magnetic, then you are most probably looking at Sundara, Verum One and Alara. If you want a more light, slightly soft, yet extremely dynamic sound, excellent comfort, and a neutral sound, yet with a very low-reaching bass, you should totally consider Sundara, and keep in mind, I am using it because I like it for real, no one can force me what to use in my free time, like when taking a walk, but Sundara often is the natural choice, so at least give them a listen if you can, I’m sure you’ll see their beauty, especially for the price asked. The dynamics of Sundara when properly powered, are absolutely outstanding. They aren’t HE6SE or Arya quite yet, but you have to hear them to understand how close to those heavy names they are. Also, I forgot to take pictures of the box, so my description will have to suffice. Design & Comfort

Mounting the headphone on the test fixture was super easy requiring no manipulation to get left and right to match at dual frequencies. The Sundara’s soundstage is natural, with relatively precise imaging and good instrument separation. It doesn’t typically get congested – although the treble can get a bit blurry in very bright recordings, most sounds seem to hold their particular positions in space, even during fast or loud passages. Note: The measurements you are about to see are preformed using standardized GRAS 45CA headphone measurement fixture. Headphone measurements require more interpretation than speaker tests and have more of a requirement for subjective testing as a result. In addition, comparison of measurements between different people performing it using different configurations requires fair bit of skill. So don't look for matching results. Focus on high level picture. Listening tests are performed using RME ADI-2 DAC and its headphone output. Great sounds, really comfortable. I’ve been using these for about a month now, listening to Apple Music through a Dragonfly Cobalt DAC. The best quality I’ve heard, easy to listen for long periods, the sound isn’t fatiguing like other headphones I’ve tried. They are comfortable as well, and I wear glasses which has always been awkward with headphones. They are pretty leaky though and don’t isolate you from outside sounds at all. As for me, the Sundara is right up my alley, handling many of the genres that I consider close to home supremely well. Classical, ambient, and drone are some of the genres that suit the Sundara best, with the Sundara bringing what Tyll Hertsens calls an “ inviting and pleasant softness to the sound” while boasting the resolving power necessary to play even the busiest orchestral passages.Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends lower and rumbles more on the R70X. A bit more punch quantity and texture on the R70X but tighter and faster on the Sundara. A bit better tonality on the R70X and timbre is better as well, but cleaner and more detailed on the Sundara. Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are better on the R70X but cleaner and more detailed on the Sundara. Violin tonality, detail, clarity, texture and treble-extension are better on the Sundara. Timbre is better on the R70X.