HIFIMAN SUNDARA Hi-Fi Headphone with 3.5mm Connectors, Planar Magnetic, Comfortable Fit with Updated Earpads-Black, 2020 Version

Ok I am no audiophile (yet). I am a simple guy who loves good live music. I'm a huge fan of Dave Matthews Band...I realize that they are a polarizing band so no matter what you like, JUST hear me out because whether you love DMB or not you should at least know that DMB, in my opinion is a great band to really test how great a headphone can be because the band covers a wide variety of instruments in virtually all of their songs including violin, sax, clarinet, trumpet, flute, acoustic & electric guitar, smooth bass, keyboard, and top notch drumming. So I was considering a lot of higher end headphones like the BT1990 or the Sennheiser 6xx, 650, and so on. You can get the 6xx headphones for over $100 cheaper than these so why spend the extra money? Well, I have listened to these headphones for only a couple of days and I have some feedback that I think will be useful for those that are interested in considering this set of headphones. I said only a couple of days right...so very low burn in yet and I am confident that they will only get better over time. First off, the best quality of these headphones, in my opinion, is the soundstage. The soundstage is incredibly wide. I came from M50x headphones and for me there is no comparison. Sundara is wide and instruments have their place right where they should be. The violin, sax, vocals, drums, bass, and all other instruments are so clean and clear. You can choose to listen in and focus on one instrument and really hear the clarity and depth to that particular instrument due to the soundstage being so wide. You can also just relax and listed to everything blended together which sounds just terrific. I am truly in awe of all of the hidden sounds and secrets that I never knew existed and I have listened to the band for well over 20 years with Bose, Audio Techica, and other brands. This is NOT an exaggeration...every song I have listened to I have heard something new that I had never heard before. WOW! I haven't experienced anything like this with a new pair of headphones in the past. It is SUCH a treat! The treble is JUST right...it does peak at times and toes the line (sometimes!!!) but it never crosses that line. In my opinion it is just perfect where it is at and sounds great! The mids are so nice! Dave Matthew's voice comes out as strong, clear, and beautiful. Not over-produced or anything like that. I have heard the 6xx or 650's have mids that can't really be topped but sacrifice a lot with the soundstage. Dave sounds exactly as he should...great vocals without being too strong or taking away from the strength of the other instruments. EDIT...Bass HAS improved substantially with burn in. Bass sounds really great now, but here is what I originally wrote: Bass is weak to me without the use of an amp. You really need to crank these up with an amp to feel the bass hit. Bass is smooth...it is there...but I would prefer it to be a little stronger without the amp. If you listen to music that needs strong bass and can't buy an amp. I would pass on this. For now, I knocked this down a star for the bass. It is NOT bad...its just in that slightly above average spot for me. Bass guitar is the hardest instrument for me to focus on because the other guitars, horns, and strings come on as being stronger. THAT said, I have had the headphones for only 2 days and this could improve and if it does, I will update this. My guess is it will get better with more burn in. Do you need an amp? Well, most likely yes. I know that was hard for me to understand as I got into this audiophile hobby..."You mean I just spent $350 and now I have to buy another piece of equipment for another $100 or more." Well, all I can tell you is I used the headphones in my iPod classic on full volume and it was nice but it really needed more. When I hooked up my amp...(I purchased the Monolith Liquid Spark) it really opened the headphone up and gave them the extra power that I can confidently say they NEEDED. They sound great without an amp, don't get me wrong but the amp imo is necessary unless you really listen to music on pretty low volumes. I got the amp., and a RCA to 3.5 mm cord to hook my iPod or computer to the amp. and the sound is just not going to get better for $350 + the cost of the amp. In conclusion, if you love clean, clear, beautiful music and want great soundstage and comfort, this headphone is the one to get. Especially if you listen to music with great instrument variety. For me, the incredible soundstage makes the extra $100 over the 6xxs easily worth it. I mean do you want to just fork over the $100 bucks now and have the perfect headphones or do you want to sacrifice to save that $? To me, I want these headphones to be my go to headphones for years...I want to get the best enjoyment out of those so that extra $ was worth it. All in all, its a 4.5 out of 5 headphone for me. I am going to be loving this for many years!

4 year review with these cans. Let's get the cons out of the way: The cable out of the box is bad, buy something better right away. The stock pads started falling apart after about 9 months for me, I swapped to the Dekoni Sheepskin pads and they have been perfect for the past 3 years since. These things somewhat chomp into the great value of the headphones, but these headphones already punch way above their weight in terms of value. The pros now that the two cons are out of the way: The sound quality is top notch, it takes some time to get used to Planar Magnetics when you've listened to nothing but Dynamic Drivers your entire life. The soundstage is really open, the bass is not heavy but it is very tight and responsive, speaking of which it's very responsive across all frequencies. A lot of sound quality is personal preference and not everyones ears are the same, but these headphones are excellent for me. For a while I had them EQ'd while I was transitioning away from my Dynamic headphones. Now I run them as they are, and I really enjoy the sound quality. I used to hear things about Hifiman having spotty quality control, but I have had these for going on 4 years and they are still going great. The only recent issue is the faux leather on the headband is starting to wear off, but the headband is still very comfortable and the fitment adjustments are still tight and snug. If bass is your main need in headphones and not detail, then stick with Dynamic Drivers. If you're ready to explore and can sacrifice bass which imo is all Dynamics have to offer, then give The Sundaras a shot. They are great headphones.

Short Answer: The short answer to the question is the Sundara the New Value King? No I think that title still goes to the 58x. But it is the new value king for the mid range HiFi offerings with the 6xx, DT 1990, and the Sundara as the three most popular options in the MidFi space. But is the Sundara End Game for People on a budget (myself included)? Yes. To my ears the Sundara is miles better than the 6xx. One listen side by side and the Sundara was immediately noticeably clearer with better sound stage and imaging which helped to aid its superior detail retrieval in busy recordings. Needless to say the Sundara at its current price of $350 blew me away. It punches much higher than its price point would suggest. If the name of the game is detail and resolution I think it is as good if not maybe even better than some of the more expensive offerings such as the DT 1990 pro and Focal Elex. Of course those headphones also do some other things better than the Sundara, but if your stuck with the 6xx or 58x and wondering where to go from here then the Sundara is a true step up without breaking the bank. Long Answer: Anyone who has listened to the 6xx knows that it has a warm / dark tonality. The vocals are very intimate and everything sounds like its in your head (no soundstage). The 6xx is never fatiguing with the highs and the lows rolled off, you might describe the 6xx as the opposite of V shaped. The 6xx magic is in the mid range where stringed instruments and vocalists really pop out at you but without being shouty or fatiguing. If the 6xx is "neutral warm" then the 58x takes that to another level with a slight elevation in the mid bass punch, with just slightly better dynamics the 58x would be described as warm/dark tonality or just darker than the 6xx, but only slightly. I would describe the Sundara's tonality as neutral, maybe neutral bright. But overall I feel like it is neutral. Even though there is more air in the upper frequencies compared to the 6xx, I don't feel like the treble is pushed more forward compared to the rest of the frequency response. What I really like a lot about the Sundara is that it extends well into both the lower and upper frequencies but without over emphasizing anything. Out of the box the bass on the Sundara is flat but extends well. Even though the 6xx has a thicker mid bass presence it lacks in the sub bass and begins to roll off quite aggressively after 100hz, and anything lower than 60hz is probably inaudible. As far as dynamics neither the Sundara or 6xx are extremely punchy headphones. But I want to emphasize with EQ the dynamics can be improved significantly on the Sundara, when I added +4db to the sub bass I could really get the Sundara to rumble. Neither the 6xx or Sundara are bass head type of headphones. But unlike the 6xx the Sundara can scale quite well with some EQ and actually sound really good because of how well it naturally extends into the sub bass. The best part is that when I do add +4db to around the 40hz - 120hz the Sundara is still very clean and tight in the mid/sub bass without distorting the rest of the frequency response. Since with the 6xx it is already a warm tonality headphone, doing the same exact EQ just made the mid bass sound more bloated without improving on the dynamics and the rest of the frequency just sounded more dark without getting the desired effect. Mid range and vocalists on the Sundara is not as intimate as the 6xx, however I wouldn't characterize it as being very distant either. It is still somewhat intimate, but instead of hearing everything in your head like the 6xx, the vocalists are maybe 2 - 3 steps back. This really plays well into the sound stage and imaging. But the Sundara is not as lush as the 6xx, and the 6xx has a slightly more forward and fuller mid range, especially the lower mids. But just like the rest of the frequency response, the Sundara is able to pull out more detail and resolution in the mids. Where the 6xx may smooth out some imperfections in a recording or a singers voice. The Sundara will reveal and highlight any imperfections, which could be seen as either good or bad depending on how you view it. But with stringed instruments, synths, or electronic music, the Sundaras detail retrieval just makes for a very exciting listening experience. The highs/treble is where I think the Sundara wipe the floor against the 6xx. As someone who is some what treble sensitive, hence why I gravitated to the 58x and 6xx. Sibilance was something I was concerned about when purchasing the Sundara because prior to listening to the Sundaras I had actually listened to the DT 1990 pro. Those cans were the ones I had been eyeing for the longest time (amazing build quality), but the one thing that stopped me from making the final purchase was sibilance. The DT 1990 pros also had really good detail retrieval in the highs, but it came at a cost of the highs being more forward and even slightly shouty (sometimes). Long listening sessions or female vocalists that reached the upper mids could come off harsh at times. The 1990's were great at a lot of things, but to me the sibilance was a deal breaker. The Sundara on the other hand I find strikes this great balance of being very airy and crystal clear in the highs, but at the same time walking this tight rope of getting you close enough to enjoy the magic, but pulling you away before it gets too fatiguing/sibilant. Sound stage and Imaging on the Sundaras is also very different compared to the 6xx. The 6xx doesn't do sound stage at all (very intimate), and has maybe poor or at best mediocre imaging. It is difficult to sometimes gauge where the direction of the vocalist or guitarist is at on a live recording. The Sundaras sound stage and imaging actually helps it navigate busy recordings better, which I think aids in its overall detail retrieval as multiple instruments or vocalists dont meld as much making it difficult to distinguish a kick drum from a snare to a congo. If you like listening to classical music or anything that benefits from a wide and expansive sound stage then the Sundaras should be on your short list. Final thoughts: I would characterize myself as a bit of a bass head, but also never compromising on detail and resolution. I would never choose more bass at the cost of clarity. Which is why I loved the 58x and 6xx for so long, even though there are headphones that are better for bass (at their respective price category), but often sacrifice on clarity and detail compared to the 58x/6xx. The Sundaras stock out of the box are not bassy headphones. The 58x does mid bass punch really well for its price tag. But the Sundaras like I said earlier, reach deep into the lower frequencies. I want to emphasize this, because you can still hear sub bass with the Sundaras in its stock configuration unlike the 6xx or 58x which roll off, but the Sundaras sub bass is not as forward as you find with the 6xx and 58x in the mid bass range. However what made the Sundaras a "these have great detail and sparkle in the highs, maybe I'll keep them for analytical listening and its unique flavor," to "wow these cans just might be end game for me," boils down to EQ! The Sundara's driver and tuning is like a blank canvas, because of how neutral its presented and how well it extends in the lows and highs, it responds well to EQ. When I add +2db or + 4db into the lower frequencies the Sundara turns into a totally different beast! The bass response can slam and you can feel some of the deep rumbles almost like a car sub woofer. Yes it can get that low and deep at times. But detail retrieval and resolution still stay awesome without the bloat or distortion that I get with the 6xx or 58x, because those headphones are already colored and just like a canvas thats already been colored over, it can be difficult to change the way the 6xx sounds with EQ. Even though the 6xx is cheaper at $220 on drop I just dont know if I could still recommend people to get the 6xx. If I could do it all over again. I would get the 58x and the Sundara and skip the 6xx/650/660s line up. Simply because the 58x sounds very similar to the 650/6xx (they might even be the same driver, but just slightly tweaked differently). Also the 58x is very easy to drive so I can listen to it on my phone or tablet on the go. While I use my 6xx and Sundara at home with my tube amp. Put simply if your looking at the $300 - $700 price range and don't like to EQ, but you enjoy sound stage, airy clear highs and detail retrieval get the Sundara, if you enjoy bass, but you don't like to EQ and have the budget maybe look at the Focal Elex or the DT 1990 pro. (Also the Focal Elex sounds the closest to the "Sennheiser sound," but with just much better dynamics out the gate and without the "Sennheiser veil.") But if you do like to EQ and you enjoy bass get the Sundara. It is near end game at a fraction of the price!

These headphones live up to the expectation, however... Without EQ, these have barely noticeable bass, but don't be mistaken, the bass response is genuinely incredible, I'm hearing thumps on my mic down to 33hz, but it NEEDS EQ for this to happen. The other flaw is the stock cable, trust me, get any third party coiled dual 3.5mm, I nearly went insane with the amount of times I nearly pulled my Audio Interfaces headphone jack apart from walking around my room, it's VERY short and poor quality.

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Pense que era pura publicidad, pero que equivocado estaba, el hype es real, se escucha todo suuuuuuper claro, no solo eso, todo esta en su lugar, cada instrumento, cada sonido, los volveria a comprar solo por si algo les pasa a estos

الصوت حاي من جهه وحده بس فرجعتها بس اللي مهلينا احط تقيم سيء ان الكرتون اللي جتني فيه غير الرسمي وبس فيه السناعه والسلك بدون كتلوج او ضمان او اي شي ثاني كان مشكوك فيه مرررره

I got these because of two things: I wanted to try planar magnetic headphones. And graphs and reviewers were saying this has a “reference” sound. Tuning is very subjective and personal. And reviewers use a bunch of weird names, but I usually like when the equalization of the speakers let me hear well the mids and highs without being drowned by bass and sub-bass. I use headphones for games and music. For games, that means I can hear enemies better and pinpoint their location, some headphones are almost like cheating. It would be if games used a proper audio codecs with low latency, but that is a different story. For music, for me, it just feels right. I could never understand bass heavy headphones, you miss so much of the other instruments and singers' voices. So you might need to set up an equalizer or a different set of headphones if you really want that sub-bass going. Don't get me wrong, you still get that nice vibration when the bass drop, but the voices and midrange instruments are obvious, it is almost like I can pinpoint them as well as my enemies in Counter Strike. ** Build Quality ** The quality of them are good, they feel solid and the metal makes it feel premium. More premium than the Ananda, and the AT in the photo, but less so than the DT 1990 but mostly because of the pads and cables. It is very comfortable, not as light as an Audio Technica, but you can still use it comfortably for a long period. I would prefer a carrying case than the box it comes in. The DT for example, comes in a fancy carrying case instead of a weird box. The Ananda comes with a styrofoam stand that I do not use, but it feels more useful than the Sundara case. I like the cables are detachable and just a regular jack, that means you can find replacements very easy. The pads are also easy to find replacement. Changing pads and cables are an easy way to tune it to your tastes and make it feel ever more premium. ** Last remarks ** You don't need a DAC to use them, I used it both straight to my computer and with a SoundblasterX G6, the audio was similar to me. I do not recommend the Soundblaster, you can find better DAC for cheaper, it is just what I had in hand and since then, I just plug straight to a computer. If you really want to try a planar magnetic, this might be the most well-rounded option at this price range. I like the Ananda better for games, and you can find the Ananda for cheaper sometimes. Ananda: https://www.amazon.ca/Ananda-Over-Ear-Full-Size-Magnetic-Headphones/dp/B07DJ2ZBB3