🔶 HiFiMan Sundara

fxxr · July 14, 2020, 8:36am

I got the Sundara today. I’ve listened to them throughout the day. Here’s my mini early impressions:

Packaging: Great. Inspires confidence, unlike some other brands…

Build:
They look great and feel better built than my 6XX. We’ll see how lucky I’m gonna be in the future, with so many people having quality complains with Hifiman. Fingers crossed.

Fit:
They’re not bad, actually. Weight is distributed nicely and pads are big and wrap my ears well.
Top band is alright. Could be a little softer, might be a good idea to add something there.

It’s early, so I expect things to soften up a little as I use them more and more. That said, they are not as comfy as my 6XX. The pads make me a little itchy (similarly to the Shure pads, interestingly).

Sound:
They sound great! If you’re considering them, I can tell you that you won’t regret the purchase.

in the first 5 minutes, I was like “this is kinda the same as my 6XX”
after some A/B testing and listening to more songs, I began noticing the “airier” feeling and wider sound-stage. It’s an interesting difference. It’s growing on me.
initially the bass seemed similar to the 6XX. I think that the more I play these, the stronger it gets. Haha.
- overall, I’d say that they manage to represent bass well. If the song has it, it’ll be there. If you’re a bass-head, you’ll want to EQ.
I like how the highs are there, but they’re not piercing. I dig the sound signature a lot.
I’m not sure yet, but it feels like I can hear more crap now. Like, imperfections in the recording or streaming quality. Will have to test a bit more.

If I had to sum up my experience so far, I’d say this:

The Sundara feel more… intense.
They request your attention, but don’t demand it (like beyers).
If the 6XX are the pair I’d wear to relax, the Sundara feel more like the pair I’d wear to get hyped.

That said, I do feel I need to point out that the differences are not dramatic.
If I had to keep only one, I’d be happy with either of these pairs.

Power:
Deception. HIFIMAN says they are mobile headphones. Yeah right. Well, I already expected this because of all the reviews, but these need at least as much juice as the 6XX. On my Hel, I use the same volume levels! High gain, 9-11, depending on the song. Most songs sound great 9-10, but some piano pieces I felt like pushing to 11 or more.

Playing music through the Apple USB-C dongle, volume is good, but I am playing too close to max. It’s the first time I’ve experienced what seemed like a slightly narrower stage due to lack of power, I think. But without a way to do really quick A/B tests, I can’t be sure. In any case, they are usable. Just not as good or loud.

Haven’t tried the BTR5 yet. But based on my 6XX experience, I’d say you want a balanced cable to push volume properly.

Openness (ie. outside noise):
-.- I thought the 6XX were open lol. These are like not there. You’ll hear everything.
Even when music is playing, unless you’re planning to go deaf.
Be prepared.
Find an empty room, or enjoy the down-mix in noisy environments, or buy something else.

Cable:
I almost forgot this. The cable is an abomination. I don’t understand why a company would create such a great product, then add this thing… It just has a mind of its own. Maybe time will tame it. More likely, I’m gonna create my own.

Other weirdness:
The 1/4" adapter was faulty. They sounded godawful with it. Channels would blend, sound-stage would collapse. Total disaster. Switched to another adapter I had, wonderful sound returned. Just FYI.

Conclusion:
So far, so good. Sound is great, comfort is alright, and the more I listen, the more I can hear the planar magnetic qualities.

Are they worth the extra $$ over the 6XX? It’s really hard to tell at this point. They do sound different, and the law of diminishing returns applies. For a better opinion, ask me again in a couple of months, it’s too early now

If I was only one of these today, I’d probably get the Sundara. But I’d really be happy with either of them.

Next Steps:
Excited to try these with the Loki / Magni 3+ combo I have on backorder. I’ll probably replace the cable as well. My Hart Audio order arrives tomorrow, but I didn’t get the dual 3.5mm one… I might make my own.

Thanks for reading!