HiFiMAN Sundara Headphones

Product Information

Since the unit I’m reviewing is mine, I can successfully evade certain suspicions that I’m being encouraged by a distributor or manufacturer to give a positive review for some kind of monetary gain. This is part two of review series where I will look at the HiFiMan HE400se, Sundara, and Ananda. Stay tuned for the final installment with the Ananda!

Hifiman Sundara Review (headphone) | Audio Science Review Hifiman Sundara Review (headphone) | Audio Science Review

I prefer names, to be honest, and it is not the first time Hifiman has done this with the Susvara and the soon-to-be-launched Ananda being the other noteworthy named headphones. What Is The Pitch? Names Not Numbers For those coming fresh to a Hifiman Focus A pad, these are hybrid faux leather and stitched fabric innards with ample openings to go over the ears. They are indeed detachable, breathe well, and generally quite comfortable to wear. I’ll start this review with a story. Since last year, I’ve experienced the following routine almost every morning. I wake up at five, and after the habitual espresso, I go straight to my audio setup and say hello to my turntable, CD player, speakers, and amp (like I imagine everyone does). Everything needed for me to begin my listening session, turn up my amp, speakers and enjoy. But, it’s too early. So, I compromise, I go for my phone and get the wireless headphones ready. There’s nothing wrong with this picture, of course, but after months of confinement, I felt my setup deserved more. Better sound, higher-end audio headphones and leave the wireless behind. Enter the audiophile headphone world. But, although the Sundaras are scalable, they really do sound remarkably pleasant even when under power. If I plug my K712s into my phone, they sound weak and thin and unpleasant. Recently, I tried running the Hifiman HE-5SE off my phone, and it sounded like dog crap. The Sundara, on the other hand, maintains its soundstage and its general majesty driven by my phone, even if I have to have my volume almost at max to get there. Caroline” from Fleetwood Mac’s album Tango In the Night showed off how well the Sundaras handle when multiple elements combine. The song has a sub bass line that is frequently unproducible to a strong enough quality. The Sundaras smash this notion away from the moment the song starts. You can feel the impact and rumble of the sublime sub-bass as it accompanies the rest of the song in providing more body. This song is like CrossFit gym workouts in action with multiple sonic elements shooting out in every direction. They sound like twinkles of a star shining bright. What astounded me here was how well the Sundara handled the intense separation of the twinkle sounding instruments in the mid-range with the vocals. Each had their own personal space and detail without stepping on each other. The vocalist’s singing of the words “Caroline” had marvelous detail to them; they sounded real with the proper timbre.Driving the Sundara is easy as it is just 37 Ohms with a sensitivity of 94dB. A smartphone is ‘ok’ and can drive it to loud enough volumes, but wasn’t ideal. An audiophile DAP or desktop set up is still the most optimal way of using them.

HIFIMAN Sundara Closed Back Review — Headfonics HIFIMAN Sundara Closed Back Review — Headfonics

The Lyr is one of the go-to amps for Hifiman’s planar line-up, and it serves them well Amplification

Comfort

Unfortunately, the Sundara also exhibits a bit of a speed problem right around the 11kHz zone – a problem that’s corroborated by solderdude’s measurements, which indicate resonances around 5.5kHz and an octave higher at 11kHz. The ringing in the lower treble isn’t so much audible to me, because I’m not terribly sensitive in those frequency ranges, but it’s certainly audible in the upper treble, sometimes casting an ugly haze over cymbals. As such, the Sundara Headphones areneutral-sounding headphones, but so much more. Their accuracy andtimbral accuracywill have you reaching for different genres to engage with. They are also fun. Whenclear imagingandanintimate soundstage arecoupled with the musicyou love and listen to most, it’s aperfect match.I can recommend these headphones without hesitation. The Sundara is reputed to be a relatively stylish headphone, and I do like the way the earcups look. They’re very nice and circular, and the minimalist design hits all the right cues – it’s perhaps a bit less special than something like Audio-Technica’s Air Dynamic series, but it certainly looks relatively nice.

HiFiMan Sundara (2020) Review: The Planar Standard HiFiMan Sundara (2020) Review: The Planar Standard

Mounting the headphone on the test fixture was super easy requiring no manipulation to get left and right to match at dual frequencies. There’s a visible perforated plate or phase plug in front of the driver diaphragm so it’s not a completely open driver which outputs directly to the ear, it’s closer in appearance to a T50rp driver. It seems to be the only driver within the HIFIMAN lineup that employs some sort of phase plate or that I can recall. The Sundara’s bass is unobtrusive in what can be a good or a bad way. While not as indulgent and textured as some of its planar siblings (Audeze comes to mind), it is relatively well-extended, fast, tight, and neutral – the Sundara is not a muddy headphone. When called to perform, the Sundara can provide a nice, reverberant thump, but it will always be a very clean thump, perhaps even a polite one. With the Sundara the music was enjoyable, having good channel separation and clearly focused central information.” ’Hi-Fi News’ – Editor’s Choice. For example, the driver itself looks to be a never before seen driver design, different from all the other drivers within the HIFIMAN lineup. The driver is not a round type and it seems to be oval and around 80mm x 60mm in diameter or at least the frame does. Also, instead of the driver being installed vertically, it’s mounted horizontally.I do live the “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it“ rule, but I always give thanks to all the pioneers for pushing the envelope on our behalf. What made these headphones really shine is the outstandingseparation andexcellent timbral accuracyof the instruments. Specific location is not an issue with these headphones. What is created is a sort of alively presence, an acousticfeel which is my preference. If you happen to enjoy chamber music—an intimate experience with the solo voice of an instrument—these will be right for you. I put on Narciso Yepes Albéniz & Granados(2017 Deutsche Grammophon CD) pieces and they felt alive and in wonderful sound. Despite both having a similar weight the Sundara is a bit easier to work with and handle. A lot of that has to do with the redesigned headband and pivot system. Hifiman has actually gotten rid of the swivel function of the older HE series headphones so it no longer folds flat. 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. Previous issues with this area breaking on the HE400i and HE560 prompted a slight rethink in headbandform and function to prevent this. As a result, Hifiman is pitching the new design to be their best and most durable quality build to date.