Hifiman charges $49 for the stock Sundara pads. Iām not sure if these are the ones that are revised but theyāre the only stock option for the Sundara I could find on their website. Iād imagine if theyāre out of the old stock they would have to send you the new revised versions. Couldnāt hurt to contact them.
Hate to be a downer, but my recollection is that Resolve was pretty careful not to make that assertion. He certainly didnāt disassemble the ear capsules to check for a further tweak. Is there another source of information?
Nothing is 100% confirmed but Resolve did write āThe primary revision (and potentially the only one) has to do with the pads.ā during his written review of the revised Sundara. So iām guessing thats where people are getting their information from.
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Thanks! I tend to forget Resolve does those written reviews in parallel with his YTs. Sundara owners are going to try the pad swap. Presumably, theyāll report hearing a difference. Maybe someone will even post some before and after measurements. This is a case where I would want some objective evidence that gen 1 Sundara with new pads = gen 2 Sundara.
Edit: just noticed this line a little further down:
āā¦ it also has an even better frequency response as a result (if it is just the pads that were changes).ā
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I would think that since he is getting the sample from headphones(.com) if you bought from them you would get new revision
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Anyone know the actual reason for the pad change?
Iām guessing to improve bass response and comfort, as those were the two main issues people had
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I got my Sundara about a month ago from Headamp as an open box for $299 and they have the updates pads.
I absolutely love this headphone and enjoy them as much as headphones I have in the $1000 range. Itās wonderful that we live in a time where you donāt need to spend a ton of money for a great sounding headphone.
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Joshua Valor keeps saying the Ananda is a higher end version of the Sundara. But i remember them being very different from each other. The Ananda seemed to have a lot more treble. and less midrange. The sundara seemed to be a lot more balanced to me. Am i remembering this right?
More on the revisions
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The Ananda is different tbh, itās not really a direct upgrade or anything to the sundara
I have both at the moment, Sundara for over 2 weeks and Ananda less than a week. I thought, āSundara, but betterā sounded good, but as stated, they are pretty different, unless thereās some major burn-in to do. Yeah the Ananda sound huge, but I find them to be a little too smooth, like my ears just canāt get a grip on the sound, whereas the Sundara is very textured, and to my ears, more compelling. Iām thinking Iāll give it some time before choosing definitively, perhaps the Ananda can impress me more after I learn it better.
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Do you think its a driver thing? the presentation of a larger driver over a smaller one that your not liking?
What amp are you using at the moment? If I recall correctly itās an jot?
Oof, the Jot would make them pretty bright.
Yeah I was kinda thinking that if it was the jot, you might want something more refined for the ananda
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Yes I use a Jotunheim, but I also have a THX 789 to play with at the moment. It doesnāt change the fact that these headphones are just different presentations of sound.
Yes I agree for sure they are fairly different (as I have mentioned before). Just wondering what you were using with the headphones
After some more listening I think my only real issue with the Ananda is vocals. M0N, you might recall the utter disgust I described for the Sivga P-II and M570; it seems Iām sensitive to things being even a little off in that area. The large driver gives the impression of listening to a concert soundsystemā¦ from the back of the room. Thatās maybe an exaggeration, but the effect is that sometimes I forget that Iām listening to music. Sundara is more like my bookshelf speakers on my desk just past armās length. I think I just like a more direct, focused, maybe even intense, sound.
Sundara (stealth revision):
More grit in distorted guitars, in a good way, not grainy but just not smoothed over as the Ananda does. Closer to my ears. Vocals just a tad more natural. Bass a bit less full but possibly extends further, Iām not sure, but thereās a few parts where I go āoohā that the other doesnāt do.
Ananda:
More punch in drums. Things are more separated. Maybe even some verticality to the soundstage. A grandness to the sound makes it seem more like listening to speakers than headphones.
Ananda is a very good headphone in most respects and I donāt want to give the idea that the problem is with them but rather that they donāt quite line up with my taste. Now, Iāve had them about a week so still consider this more of a āfirst impressionā than a final review. But Iām also wondering if thereās something a bit more natural and direct sounding at this price or less. Or I just keep Sundara. That might happen too.
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Makes sense, if you find yourself enjoying the sundara more, send the Ananda back because there is no real reason to keep it lol, itās all preference
I would say so yes, most likely something like a focal elex imo