I have been using the Sundaras and love them for classical, jazz and female vocals. Currently using Primephonic streaming, e30 to Atom. I easily go 3 hours without any discomfort and the pads get only a bit warm by then. I have some HF loss due to many years of percussion (unprotected back then) so welcome the brighter presentation. The detail, imaging, and separation of instruments is very good. The presentation (planar?) seems a bit recessed for a few minutes, compared to dynamics, but my brain quickly adjusts. The timbre is very good. I have thought about the zmf auteur, but that’s out of range for now. Note, Andrew Park, of the headphone show, likes classical and jazz and said that despite the “most natural” sound of the Auteur he actually prefers the Sundara for classical. Everyone hears differently, however, and that’s what makes this “hobby” and this forum so interesting!
Wise, true words!
I got up super early to write and have been jamming to Sibelius symphonies. Tidal has a compilation of Bernstein conducting…it’s magnificent (esp. on my DT880s :)). I love them all, but damn, the fifth. Wow. I have to confess I was ignorant of Sibelius’s work until seeing Mozart in the Jungle, and the extraordinary scene in which Rodrigo gives Hailey a conducting lesson while imagining to conduct Sibelius’s fifth.
@dcofficehack It’s wonderful, all the ways we discover new music, performers, etc. I’ve been experiencing the same thing with Primephonic’s curated lists and suggestions. Been wondering about the dt880 as a dynamic to compliment my Sundara planar. Enjoy the Sibeliussss. He did have a life beyond Finlandia, lol.
I never looked up the translation to the lyrics from (J.S, not PDQ) Bach’s Coffee Cantata till I just read your post:
It’s bonkers. And as you can imagine, Schickele’s ensemble hammed it up.
Pleased to report a nice discovery (thank you Tidal): Hilary Hahn and two singers on an album with Deutsche Grammaphon called “Bach: Violin and Voice.” It’s lovely and well recorded, and I’m happy to say my DT880s really shine with respect to producing with clarity Hahn’s violin and the two singers. One is a baritone, the other a soprano. Delightful.
I particularly like this performance of Bach’s Coffee Cantata. The Netherlands Bach Society’s stuff on youtube is top notch, both the perfomances and the sound quality.
What is it about the Netherlands? 
Primephonic, Bach Society, Royal Concertgebouw Orch, The voice kids?! Wish I could visit Amsterdam, lol
@dcofficehack Boy, that Bach, violin, vocal IS well recorded. Good old DG (and Decca). Simpler times, eh? Chamber style.
I remember when I was little and we would go to the apartment above the bakery just to hear their boy sing!!
Holy crap this is beautiful. Had to stop working, turn the volume up, and just watch. https://youtu.be/oTn7zI74Qf4
@dcofficehack OMG how did you find that? Everything about this is beautiful…the hall, artwork, resonance, recording, music, and especially the talent and musicianship of these “kids!” There may be hope for the world yet!!!
Something a little different:
An fyi…Primephonic is doing a Beethoven celebration this week. All kinds of his music with interesting categories…chamber, orchestral, piano, classic performances (Kleiber, Karajan, Bernstein, Horowitz etc) and hidden gems not often heard or heard of! If you have an interest in trying Primephonic this might be a good time to use their free trial. I have enjoyed their quality, but also the discovery features they offer.
Oh damn, first time I’m hearing about this streaming service. HQ streaming is cheaper than tidal too… I guess I’ll give it a go after my Tidal trial ends.
Yeah, all classical and now all CD or above. From Amsterdam. They are not new, but still innovating. They respond the next day to my comments, concerns, etc. Available on android phone too. I have found a LOT of new music through them. They don’t sell downloads like Qobuz, but the content and search features are excellent, imo.
As a classical music lover and, admittedly, an audiophile, I urge you all to take a trip down the rabbit hole of the viola da gamba, which may be my favorite instrument. What is it? A cousin of the cello. It has more strings (seven!) which gives it a much greater range and also lends itself to chords. No one’s bothered to update the thing, so everyone plays with catgut strings. Oh, and it has catgut frets. This all makes the sound ‘sloppier’ than the modern cello, and I can see why the cello is more useful in an orchestra. I bet that’s why the cello won out. But that sloppiness makes for rich, rich, overlapping and cascading tones that beg for either a live performance or good audio equipment.
There’s not a ton of music written for it, but there are a few really terrific players. I have a crush on one, Lucile Boulanger. I stumbled across her on youtube and then found her on Tidal, where unsurprisingly the superior audio quality is noticeable. The viola da gamba really requires it.
Also, if you look you can find a recording of a guy who transposed Bach’s cello suites for the viola da gamba, and it works brilliantly.
@dcofficehack I know what you mean…well described. A “tubey” cello. 
Wonder if Lucille is related to the famous teacher/conductor Nadia.
Right. It’s tube vs solid state, or vinyl vs digital.