šŸ”¶ HiFiMan Sundara

Yeah I hope so , Iā€™m not sure if changing my amp can make a diffrence regarding Sundara planar sound signature , but letā€™s see if anyone can give a better answer . Iā€™m also considering gl 2000 as an improvement over Sundaras but thatā€™s also a planar after all .

Planar doesnā€™t really dictate signature, but if youā€™re looking for good soundstage with a warmer signature <$600, a few options from things Iā€™ve owned or heard might be something like a Nighthawk (dynamic) if you can find it used in good condition, LCD-2 or 2C (planar), Aeon Open X (planar), X2 HR (dynamic) more v-shaped

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A quick update about this issue.

Update: Taron from Headphones.com contacted me via email and is working with me to resolve my issue. I will update this post when the new piece arrive. For now, thumbs up for trying to solve the issue.

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Thanks , I have heard x2 but not liked them . canā€™t buy any drop products because of shipment limits . Iā€™m sensitive about weight so lc2 ā€¦ any other recommendations ?

Might be able to find something like a used Hifiman Edition X, Beyerdynamic Tyger, AKG 361/371. If it werenā€™t for the bigger stage wanted, Iā€™d say a Sennheiser HD650 or 660s, as they are warmer, but pretty narrow stage, especially until you tube them to open them up and add some low end.

Some suggestions based on what you said:

  • Modhouse Argons, theyā€™re not dynamic but are a warmer, darker, and more soundstage from what everybody talks. They are closed-back, donā€™t know if this is important to you or not. Also canā€™t confirm on the amp-side, but I think the Zen CAN should be able to drive them ok. Here is the discussion about the can.

  • Akg K712, I have them and they have a relaxed and somewhat warm presentation, but not with too much bass. I do not recommend you pay full price though, between $200 and $250 is where I would go (if youā€™re in the US). They can also be found cheaper in the EU, bought mine for 160 euro. More info on the post.

  • If you donā€™t mind closed-back, maybe look at the Fostex/Denon with biodynamic drivers, from my understanding theyā€™re popular with the bass-heads here on the Forum. You can look them here.

Anyway, not the most experienced from here but wanted to complement/help the best I can. Like @TimpTim44, lot of helpful and experienced folks here on the forum, so maybe have a look around the post of any canā€™s you like. If there arenā€™t any post on a specific one, consider creating a topic and if anyone knows it, they may chime in to help.

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Thanks , lots of good recommendations . will look for those in ebay . I have an ican se that might help HDs with soundstage and also imaging but canā€™t test them before purchasing :frowning:

Thank you for your time , I have an ican se so driving any of these might not be an issue ? I donā€™t really care about the acoustic type as long as soundstage is satisfying . If you donā€™t mind , can you please say how you compare these to Sundaras in terms of sound signature and stage and maybe imaging ?

Iā€™m sorry, but I apparently forgot to say that I donā€™t own a Sundara, so this is more based on what Iā€™ve read about it. I was about to purchase it when the Elegia insane price of $400 hit last year and Iā€™ve ended up changing to them.

From my understanding though, the Sundara is a headphone with tight and weā€™ll controlled bass, nice midrange and an airy and detailed treble. It has good imaging and a somewhat wide soundstage. I was specifically looking at it to contrast with my K712, that has a very wide soundstage but not that accurate, and it has more of a ā€œbass humpā€ and less treble. The other two, again from what Iā€™ve read here, are also more bass focused, with wide soundstage and a darker/recessed treble.

As for power, I think you should be fine for the most part. Maybe the modhouse Argons can max out your amp, as some people say they need a truckload of power. @WaveTheory has a great write up about the Zen CAN, maybe reading it can help you understand itā€™s strong points and limitations.

No Worries my friend , You describing k712 is exactly what I mean by a dynamic headphone complementing my Sundaras : a more prominent bass response and a wider soundstage Even if it means losing a bit of accuracy in higher frequencies , because Iā€™m gonna keep my Sundaras too . So letā€™s see if I can find a good deal on k712 and Iā€™ll get back to you .
BTW Congratulation on Elegia , sounds like a bargain :wink:

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@mrmovies I look forward to your comparison!!

Oluv is back! I havenā€™t watched it myself yet.

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$30 off new Sundaraā€™s from Hifimanā€™s website
ā€œspecial29ā€ at checkout
Quantities are limited

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I watch the video with my he5xx. I did not heard any treble brightness at all! the 2020 definitely have more bass. If anyone have the he5xx and Sundara that can compare them.

The people seems to agree Sundara is better headphone overall. I want to know more about the soundstage. I like the he5xx tall soundstage.

Hello Hifiguides people! I just recently bought my first budget ā€œHi-Fiā€ setup which consists of a Schitt Magni Heresy to a newly bought Sundara. I bought the Sundara because I love classical music and I was drawn into the reviews of a sound resembling ā€œan open window.ā€ I just opened them, and they sound amazing, but I think these have an issue. Iā€™ve seen a lot of negative reviews about Hifimanā€™s quality control, and I think that might be coming true for my pair. Whenever I play music (mostly classical, like Rachmaninoffā€™s Piano Concerto No. 2), there is a really bad buzzing/rattling sound that comes from both cans during louder volumes. I am aware that this could be an issue of a crappy onboard DAC (the one on my motherboard), but I havenā€™t had any issues with my other headphones, so I think it may be coming from the Sundara. Did I receive a lemon with serious defects in both cans, do I need a DAC, or could it be a problem with the music Iā€™m playing?
Thank you in advance!

the chances of this being bad QC is very very low IMO but what the fuck do i know

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Which other headphones you have? try a frequency sweep online, that way you can track down if it just the volume or certain frequency. If the problem persists, I recommend you return it.

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he still needs another headphone minimum and another audio source then eh can know for sure itā€™s the sundaraā€™s but yeah push comes to shove if you return within 30 days your good regardless

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Thanks! Iā€™ll try the frequency sweep and see what happens. Iā€™m not sure how to describe the sound, but its like putting something on the diaphragm of a speaker and hearing that buzz in both earcups.

I have the Koss KPH30i, Sony Wh-1000mx3, some IEMS, and the Phillips 9500.

I think I might just return these and try again. Itā€™s already pretty annoying. The buzzing/rattling makes them feel like Iā€™m listening to an awesome pair of headphones through a dollar store headset. What sucks the most is that these are truly awesome, but this is kind of ruining that whole experience.

So I tried the frequency thing online, and no issues with any headphones. I think itā€™s the volume. No other headphones are really buzzing like this even past comfortable listening levels, and the Sundara is buzzing at what I consider to be a normal listening level (Heresy on High gain with the level at 11 oā€™clock gets them somewhat loud).

I think itā€™s an issue with the headphones. Iā€™m just gonna return them and roll the dice again. Fingerā€™s crossed!