HiFiMan Sundara Review & Where Does it Fit in the Market?

[@SimpleMailWork]

I never cease to be amazed at how accurately you spot everything, it's great! These headphones are good for bad sound sources.

[@giorgosapo4508]

Lovely review and comparisons! I'm an owner of more expensive headphones like the Arya and the LCD-X but I find myself using the Sundara a lot especially EQed which makes it sooo much better especially on the lower frequencies. They EQ amazingly good 👍

[@kyron42]

Most planas do well with EQ. Even the 4XX and X4 do a lot better.

[@giorgosapo4508]

@@kyron42 True , I remember having the He400i 2020 before buying the Sundara and that particular headphone turned into a little beast after applying Oratory's EQ.

[@armykid0000]

Did you EQ to make them warmer?

[@giorgosapo4508]

@@armykid0000 The Oratory EQ (Reddit) improves the headphones substantially especially on the lower frequencies making them more impactful with deeper and richer bass.

[@josephbenjamin2934]

SoundID Reference with HiFiMan Sundara calibration profile - makes them sound more beefy!

[@Reeeepicheep]

Sundara is endgame for many. Underrated

[@TheMaurob1979]

Coming from a 6xx(sold of course) and now owing the sundara.. Couldnt be more happy.. More punchy.. More resolution.. More detail.. And course more bass

[@abhiverma1604]

How is it underrated? Every single reviewer has given positive review and it always sells in good numbers.

[@mttlsa686]

@@TheMaurob1979 what model you have precisely? And are they full in the sub region? Because i read that they lacks a little bit of deepness in that area. Is it true? I'm planning to buy them and i need fullness in the sub and bass region and a good brightness because i have a really tight ear canal and i don't want to make a wrong choice.

[@TheMaurob1979]

@@mttlsa686 2022 version..good bass extension but overall fatiguing..onestly i like more the timbre of the 400 see. Even though they have less detail and resolution

[@mttlsa686]

@@TheMaurob1979 with fatiguing do you mean in the harshness freq range?

[@nicholasmorrill4711]

I listened to them yesterday in Richer Sounds & frankly did'nt think much of them compared to my own old Quart Phone 30 x's,they blew it away! That could have been down to poor componant comparison between their so called demonstartion conditions & equipement that really left a lot to be desired.

[@francoisrochette3808]

Surely that a new Sundara will come out soon with "stealth magnet" like all the others in the line up. It could sound better but it will be heavier. Time will tell.

[@ixoye56]

Good review that reflects what I also thought of them, Sundara and HD660s are the best headphones in that price range if you ask me, which one you choose is a matter of taste.

[@Aniki91PL]

👍 I like it, It complements my Focal Clear OG!

[@TheMaurob1979]

I had the 2022 version this year but sold it for comfort issue.. Bringing back what Bryan said.. The earpads touch my low-side part of my ears and i have to move it up and down becouse kind of annoys me.. Decided to go for edition xs for the earcup shape.. Than the ear sit enterily inside the earcups

[@Michael_mki233]

Is this the 2020 version or is this the new 2022 version that apparently exists?

[@wavetheorysound]

Good question! I wasn't aware they had done another silent (?) revision. I received this unit way back in October 2022 and it got buried under the avalanche of gear I've had. I would assume it's the 2022 but will try to confirm.

[@ayushbhaumik7980]

How good is the Hifiman HE400SE compared to the sundara? Do you think Sundara at $299 is worth the extra cost compared to HE400SE selling at $130 ?

[@carminedesanto6746]

Still looking for something better than my 650’s. I’ve picked up the HiFiman 400 latest model …it’s ok..different…but nothing special.

[@planewreck4214]

Gotta spend around 1k to get that upgrade

[@mariodrv]

@@planewreck4214 If he mods his 650 and gets a nice tube amp not even 1k will be enough.

[@FabioKasper]

Have you checked the HD800S?

[@carminedesanto6746]

@@FabioKasper giving them a look …🧐

[@TheColorization]

great review wavetheory, can I ask you what would you consider the punchest and provide the most slam headphone you have heard ? I'm curious in seeing your list of top 3 in this regards.

[@wavetheorysound]

Individual models regardless of cost are probably AB-1266 Phi TC, Fostex TH900 series, Focal Clear MG. Audeze as a company is right behind. In general as companies, Abyss, Audeze, Focal, and Fostex tend to prioritize physicality more than others and most of their lines give a a fair amount of headslamming.

[@TheColorization]

@@wavetheorysound thank you for your reply, do you consider the clear mg more punchy than the Utopia ?

[@danterikxx]

Does the Deva Pro sound bigger than the Sennheiser?

[@kyron42]

EQ improves the sound of all headphones. You should learn how to EQ otherwise you're missing out.

[@josephbenjamin2934]

@@hitmarkler SoundID by Soundworks with HiFiMan Sundara calibration present oooooft

[@pokrog]

I wholeheartedly think the Sundara is the worst currently made Hifiman planar. I genuinely think the HE400se and Deva Pro are a better headphone, especially if EQ is allowed in the comparison. The Sundara just rings like a bell and I hated it. I do wish they would have brought the Sundara build quality to their other models though...but I think that shitty mesh grill is a lot of the reason for the ringing/resonance problems it has.

[@hiraksarma3068]

It is ok for the price but the treble is grainy / unrefined, a warm chain does mask it a bit.

[@hameleon80]

If Sundara are budget and entry level what you will say about something like Akg K618dj 🤣?

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

Sundaras are excellent! Can be EQ'd but not indispensable.

[@tonyt7372]

I have the Sundara connected to a ifi hip dac 2. Also using ifi 3.0 otg cable connected to my Pioneer XDP-30r as a transport. With the high gain button pressed on, and the x bass on bliss. Playing my music on the balanced mode with Tripowin cables. Also listen to Tidal Masters. Get the right dac amp and these headphones will astound you!!

[@gprozac]

I have sundara and hip dac too and hip dac can drive them at pretty high volume levels but I want to upgrade to amp/dac desktop setup but not sure will there be much improvement in sound quality or not.

[@scottd1342]

Probably not too different from what I'm hearing too with a Zen stack. Also using balanced cables throughout. Xbass on and boom, it's a mind blower! ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/XBass_TotallyAddictedToBass.pdf

[@emjay9733]

What happened to Wave Hypothesis? 😆

[@ChrisStoneinator]

The Maxwell equations

[@scottd1342]

Great to hear a more recent review. I have 2022 Sundaras that I run on an iFi Zen stack (DAC+CAN). When Xbass is switched on, it totally sorts out the low end making them sound brilliant. Lots of slam. No need for the 3D button though which widens the soundstage as it also bumps up the treble response and things can get too "essy" depending on the track. The Zen stack also adds some nice warmth to the music. Highly recommend this combo.

[@WakeUpB2P]

HI, any hope to see you review the new Ananda Nano maybe ? Curious to see your thoughts on it and how it would compare to the others Ananda according to you. Anyway thx for your work i REALLY love your reviews !

[@jd5787]

Newbie here. What about sound source? I guess the music is not played out of KZbin right? 😉 Thanks!

[@TimpTim]

Based on my experience I agree...great presentation/comparison. I do like the slightly more forward vocal presence of the Sundara at times and do occasionally eq in a touch of lower end. Have a wonderful day....we're digging out, lol.

[@masterazlan6999]

Tells u what, Timeless frm 7 hertz (iem) is similar to sundara But cuter..not Timeless AE but the 1st model.peace!

[@Tikichef]

Tip: try the Sundary with the Cardas Parsec headphone cable. Just perfekt, better bass better everything!

[@lylejorgenson4878]

Synergy/pairing wasn't touched on much. Gathered that it was pretty flexible.

[@alainmc4147]

about time, thank you. I'm still waiting for that Sennheiser 560s review 👉👈🥺🙏

[@kato2395]

I heard Verum 1 is better value than Sundara, I heard they are just better for music enjoyment. I've not demoed the Verum 1 but I have demoed the Sundara and am certainly not impressed.

[@frederf69]

I have the Verum1 mk2 & I prefer it to the LCD2c. I have not heard the Sundara, but there has to be a good reason for Hifiman to come down 50$ on price.

[@carminedesanto6746]

Btw, good review 👍

[@kyron42]

Verum one is better

[@delta9k]

Nice review. It was neat to revisit the Sundara and get some comparisons with some newer models. Also good to see it still is holding its own as a great entry point into the world of Planar Magnetics.

[@yamato1420]

I've been waiting for this. I got the Sundara last Friday second-hand after being on the fence since the fall. Something I'd add is that because it's not slightly boomy/bloomy in the mid and upper bass area like pretty much every DD headphone in the price class, vocals and a lot of media come across cleaner and better seperated. At the same time, by being a planar, to my ear it has a short decay, which makes it sound much less organic and immersive. Take a track like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2K4ZJWve6qKo6M , and it's obvious (I have both the DT 880 and the HD6XX to compare, the former of which I think plays this track superbly). I've reasoned (at least in my own mind) that much better planars like the Arya Stealth get away with this by being so much more resolving and textured in the bass that it just captures the decay and reverb much more accurately. You see a lot of fanfare for the Sundara and I wasn't sure why. Now, I think the reason is because it's about at the moment in audio where everything comes together in a qualitative kind of way, especially in terms of clarity. The sundara does micro-dynamics in voices pretty well IMO, for example. Now, for someone jumping from mediocre earbuds, Sony WH-whatevers and so on, this is a real jump. It has a small uptick in the mid-bass and some upper-treble energy to sound engaging, and this is pretty much the perfect headphone sitting around $300. I've also observed that my Fiio K5 Pro ESS (An all-around OK DAC/AMP) pairs well with this, although it barely gives the Arya Stealth justice, making that sound a bit muddled and lacking refinement.

[@andresp9020]

I just sold my Arya Stealth V2 and it's hands down the best pair of headphones I have ever owned (I've also owned the HD 800, HD 800S & Focal Clears), with this info in mind and the Arya Stealth V2 being a 10, what score would you give the Sundara in terms of sound quality? I am trying to decide whether to buy the Sundara or get another pair of Arya Stealth V2 or V3. As a point of reference, I mostly listen to blues and enjoy female vocals and acoustic music the most. Thank you in advance for your time and sharing your opinion with the community.