Metal, could not agree more. Great review dude. That bit about the LCD-1 for mobile use especially is something to consider for those who only have a phone or laptop to play on. Of course, the Sundara may benefit them greater down the line when they upgrade. But, like usual, a rock solid review :)
I got my Sundara headphones about 4 days ago and I am in love with them already , I power them on my Pixel 4 XL with a Fiio BTR5 and on my computer with a ifi Audio Zen DAC with a balanced cable and they sound FANTASTIC!....The pads are fairly cheap to replace so if they wear out it's no a big deal....Great review BTW :)
Hey Mate! I am going to buy the Sundara in a few days. I have a concern related to drivability of these. I have a Fiio BTR5, Can the BTR5 is able to drive them fully to their potential? Please give your opinion as you're also having a BTR5. Thanks and hoping for a reply.
Thinking about getting these paired with a topping l30 and E30 stack. I've never really had any hi-fi audio gear of any kind ever, and I'm hoping this will be a good baptism into the hobby.
Hey man just wanted to say I really enjoy your vids. I know you dont do them anymore but its always cool to see somebody that passionate about something!
I've had them for about a year and they have spoiled me for anything else. A Fiio A3 for $50 powers them out of a phone beautifully. I have a desktop setup too but the difference is minimal.
Audeze had their driver failure issue but they worked through it and they have one of the best headphone warranties available. Hifiman has been popular for a pretty long time and yet some of there more recent headphones have been the biggest issues yet, all of the reproduction models (he-560 v3, he-5se, he-6se, etc) were way overpriced with glaring issues and the sundara & ananda is also a risk. I do agree that if you buy new with a warranty it's not a huge deal and I also believe if a pair makes it through the first year you should get your money out of them but I personally have no respect for the cash grab attitude they have and would rather choose from the plenty of other exciting brands out there.
@@metal571 I'm sure they do, didn't mean to suggest they have zero failures, just that they have clearly invested in improving there products. What gets to me about hifiman is that by their products being a bargain they tend to attract people who can't afford say an audeze and those are the people who can really get set back if they have a failure outside of warranty or after buying used.
@@lumntoob999 I was trying to be unbiased there, but you said it for me. When I visited Bloom and saw Sundara, Arya, and Susvara back to back, the build quality issues are amazingly apparent no matter how much money you sink into this brand. There is no comparison, Audeze just cares a lot more about their customers' after sale experience.
@@metal571 Audeze Customer service is fantastic. It's been a year and a half since they replaced both of the drivers for my LCD-X's. I was nervous that they'd fail again but surprisingly everything has been good so far. Btw if anyone is out of their LCD-X warranty, it'd cost you over $500 to get the new drivers lol
@@metal571 you pointed out the issues accurately without being to harsh, it's a good balance you've found. I made my comments only because of frustration with hifiman, they could be a top brand if they would just invest a little and it would obviously pay off for them. I have nothing against the way you did the video, this is actually my favorite headphone review channel and this video is of equal quality to all of your most recent stuff 10/10.
And returned to the supplier a week later due to "sparkling water" noise in one of the drivers. I guess the rumors about QC are true. Supplier had no replacement for at least a month so I went with Ananda. Much better comfort to me compared to Sundara. Not too much difference in SQ, not really worth twice the price IMHO just for sound.
Yeah... this is why I always say to make sure you have a warranty and/or buy from a dealer with a good rep and support when going with Hifiman products
Picked up mine in the Covid lockdown. Use it for music and PC. After 5 years, no issues, still on the original cups…E1DA 9038 usb-c dac/amp is good partner for it. You get great SQ, decent build quality. It’s solid and functional just not styled like Apple would…
Another great review. I have listened to these and liked them a lot. I thought performance for price was superb, among the best you can get. And they were pretty comfortable. So they should be a no brainer. However..... I would not buy them because as with you I saw quality issues and the history of their QC isn't very confidence inspiring. There are other superb headphones you can get for a similar price without that baggage. Personally I would go for the LCD1 or the venerable HD650 if I wanted a new open back in that price range.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I wouldn't buy Hifiman products unless you're buying new through a dealer so they can handle all the inevitable RMA work lol
I've had the Sundara's for 3 weeks now, and I love them. They're my first "proper" headphones after I've been using gaming headsets for 7 years. I've got a pair of Sennheiser 58X's arriving in the next week as well so I can get a feel for the differences.
Lol no, just stop at the 650 and never look forward to anything else is normally what I say now. Sundara is also more than most people will ever need as long as it doesn't break
@@metal571 You must have a planar (big planar to be specific) because the Seperation on these things are fantastic but it's heavy and needs alot of power . So my opinion is you need 3 headphones 1: good big planar i recommend lcd2f 2:closed back i recommend the ath msr7 (i tried them but i Don't own them but still they are the best second closed back i heard in my life) 3: good dynamic open back and i recommend either k712 or the hd650. And that's it no need for any other headphone. Note: I read a lot of amazon reviews and article on headfi all hfm headphones got the same tonality jusha said ananda sounds 95% like the sundara and once i asked you about getting the 560 or sundara and you told me I couldn't find a big difference between sundara and 4xx which i think it's true . BTW So sorry for my long comment😅
Well Ananda is a still better. More detailed than the Sundara by a good bit and with a wider stage, but not as dynamic. Yeah you could have multiple cans in your setup but after going down this rabbit hole I'm trying to help people to stop buying lots of different cans if all they want is an at home setup. Also you need to try K371 lol
@@metal571 it's so hard for me to try the k371 because i already have 4hps 2 of them are closed back but i am sure it will be an amazing headphones because you recommend it . I will ask you again do you prefer the lcd2f over the ananda? 😅
I love your reviews, even when I hope you're wrong because you're crushing my illusions like a beer can round the campfire on a starry night. Yeah. Your integrity and commitment to accuracy is remarkable.
A lot of it is the engineering mindset. Nothing is beautiful rainbows to me, I am a very technical person and need to find the downsides of everything instead...but alas I am just too lazy and bored to have kept doing this forever, so glad you enjoyed it
@@metal571 I was just notified via email that my purchase is back-ordered. They are shipping it to me directly from the factory in China. I was also told in the email that the only changes made to the headphone was the improvement of the pads. Nothing else was tweaked.
Metal is like the HOF running back Barry Sanders stepping away from the game in his prime. I just ordered a pair of Sundara's on Amazon. I'm gonna get a 3 year warranty too because the HIFIMan quality control scares the shit out of me.
Lol I didn't want 2 jobs at the same time. This stupid channel got way too popular, far more than I ever intended. Too much work. Hope you enjoy the Sundara as much as I did though
@@konstantinsewina1656 thanks. I'm really torn. On the one hand I don't want the trouble. On the other hand, I have a retailer that would have 3 years warranty on the thing, and it seems to sound good...
Ive got the 4xx which have the same pads, first pair of pads fell apart after ~2 years, second pair of pads is starting to fall apart after ~4 months. And the mechanism that connects the cups to he headband is starting to fall apart aswell. I handle them with utmost care, never dropped them, always put them down gently. Its the price you pay for headphones that punch above their pricepoint audio wise and sadly a part of owning a hifiman low tier headphone.
I ended up returning the Ananda and buying the Sundara. After listening to both, the sound is oddly very very similar. The Ananda can be run off a phone due to its efficiency, but the Sundara wants an Amp. I'm gonna have an Atom delivered tommorow. What turned me off from the Ananda wasn't the sound (it sounds amazing. Violins are fucking mental on that thing) it was the plastic built and huge cups. The Sundara is all metal and with some EQ bump for more bass, I'll wager it's end game for most people with reasonable budget. Violins and strings are great on the Sundara and quite close to the Ananda. Quite surprising given that it's half the price. I'm also ordering some eBay Audeze clone pads for it. Apparently they fix the lack of sub bass so I can ditch the EQ
I'm on the fence with these 2 headphones. Not sure what is the best portable amp to get to run on an Android phone. I heard Audioquest Dragonfly red or cobalt is good.
I purchased my pair off the back of your review. Given my main pair of cans previously were HD6xx, my music tastes seem to be similar to yours, I thought why not. Super happy with them, however the cable, dear lord. Though I was warned :P I am slightly concerned with the headband rattling out of the box, but otherwise they feel solid
Love my Sundaras! Only issue I had was that I had to re-glue the leather on one of the pads with slight usage for about an year. Otherwise, sound is great!
I purchased these from Amazon recently. I guess they are my first "real headphones" They do sound good to me but I just can't get over the lack of bass impact. If I were to return them and buy LCD-2Cs would they provide the bass impact or do I have to go with dynamics? If a dynamic what would be recommended for under $1K that will give me good sound and some bass impact?
Hello ! Thanks for this video! It seems that these headphones have an impedence of 37ohm. Therefore, is it necessary to use an amplifier for iPhone or Sony NW-A105 use? Thank you for your advice!
There are others out of frame and yeah, never really did anything fancy for the backdrop. Don't really care as the channel is about information moreso than how it looks
Hi! You guys might help me here. I bought the Sundarars and a Ifi Zen dac. I wanted to plug my headphones to the balanced output so I bought an extra 3.5mm female to 4.4mm male jack adaptater. The problem is that it got worse, so much worse... there was a buzz sound and the music got all messed up. Si I send back my adaptater thinking it had an issue... So my question is : is the Sundara stock cable balanced ? Do I just have to get a working 3.5mm to 4.4mm adaptater to use the Ifi zen dac balanced output? Thanks. Hope someone find this message
I'm amazed you didn't damage your amp. You cannot take a standard TRS stereo 3.5mm jack and plug a 4.4mm balanced connector into it, expecting it to magically become balanced. You need 4 conductors as a TRRS jack in order for this to work, and it needs to be wired that way from each cup correctly from the start, so you need a whole new cable.
Quite a bit more recessed around 3.5k yes, plus a hump at 1k, minor peak around 6k, it's just not a related FR, all over the place. Audeze has really screwed up their tuning in recent years supposedly due to the pads according to rumors
can someone explain the EQ settings to me? filter 5 means its the 5th frequencies box right? ON? arent all frequendies on at all times? LS Fc= low shelf filter? PK Fc=peakfilter?
@@S4N1T03T3R I would have to assume the Sundara has more bass. I owned the K712s and the sound stage is incredible. Mind blowing, but its so wide that you sacrifice bass. I had to sell them because of the lack of bass only. Because the sound stage on Sundaras is a bit smaller, I'd expect more bass.
@@coltonholliday6264 Got the Sundara now, it doesnt have more bass, even less i think. But detail is more, soundstage slightly less. Sundaras low end is quite enjoyable if you enhance everything up to like 100Hz with like 4-5 db
@@S4N1T03T3R I got the Sundaras and returned them immediately. The bass is awful, and you’re left with a tin-like, cold headphone with boosted mids and highs only. It actually took some of the best sounding albums I have and made them sound significantly worse.
Hi metal, love the review. It convinced me to get these and i love them. I tried your eq and it did sound very nice though i had to bump up the sub bass a little. (my high impedance audio interface probably accentuates this a little) Would you say that your EQ profile for this has changed for this headphone overtime?
Not at all, in fact Resolve just talked about and measured the "new" pad version that I had on my unit here. Bass shelf is always going to be subjective to set it however you like, just don't forget to compensate with the preamp volume
Hey Metal, please i would love it if you could help me please! i have some DT 990 pro, and they sound great, i have them as a year and a half ago, have been my first audiophile headphones! but after and the passage of time, these became uncomfortable for my ears, to the point where i had pressure zones, i ended up changing the pads for a larger ones, with memory foam and improve the thing a lot, but i still notice some pressure point on the right side of my ear, i've been reading a lot and wanted to change these headphones for something better, something that might be worthwhile in terms of sound improvement and comfort, i'd really like to do well, do you think these headphones would be worth it? or could you give me some suggestions please? you hear wonders about these headphones, Hifim Sundara, compared to others with higher prices, although i really do not know how the comfort will be!
@@kaaoi1640 they actually are. They are a bit colder than an HE400i 2020, and a bit brighter, but overall they sound very similar. It's just Sundara has bigger soundstage, more slam, it's more detailed etc. It's an improvement across the board, with a similar sound signature overall.
Damnn good for you. I will order sundara for myself in next few days so they will arrive next week. Im really curious about them. Thank you for quick answer.
Late to comment on here, but nice review as always Metal! I'm not sure if you have a Sundara still, but I have noticed in addition to the forwardness around 7kHz, there is a sharpness at 12-13kHz in direct comparison to the HD600/650, so I EQ it down -3dB. It's really only noticeable with hi hats and cymbals, but it's like extra shimmery giving an over sharpened quality. I don't hear other reviewers talk about it much, wondering if you heard this as well?
The second one I heard sent in from a viewer had a little of that, but not the unit I reviewed. No I don't have one, never bought one. This was just a demo I borrowed from Bloom locally then gave it back
On eBay UK currently there is a discount of 20% on these, bargain of the year me thinks. Just placed an order, £239.20. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Exactly why I tell everyone if you are buying this to buy it new with a full warranty from a dealer, and not any other way, because you'll probably need the warranty.
Yeah... I had an ananda and thought it was my fault for scratching the headband sliders. It scratches pretty easily from looking How do you determine treble resolution tho? 🤔 if you have time to answer.
Hey, was wondering if you think Oppo PM-2's brand new at 449$ are a good buy in contrast to the Sundara Or LCD-1. I love how they look. I know you've only reviewed PM-3's but what would be your guess.
Hi, do you know if the Sony NW-ZX300 can drive this headphones I have the Sony, and I may also get the FiiO M11 pro or the M15 wich one do you think will work better with this headphones? Thank you
I read in a review these sound like the sounds are coming from inside the head instead of the sound coming from speakers outside. What are the headphones models which sound like speakers coming from outside? Based on this I am not sure if I want openbanl heaphones. I don't want my sounds to sound airy and open ... i want to feel like the sound are coming from far to my ears not the other way round. I thought this Sundara would be good but it will be same as HD600 i tried. I don't want the sound to wrap around my head and resonate outside. I want the sound to feel like they are coming from outisde to my ears. Please help
@@metal571 I am currently using an Airpods Pro as my IEM. I changed from the FiiO F9 Pro. And I am using a GSP602 as headphone I moved from the JBL E55BT and Sony WH1000XM3. What I love with the Airpods Pro is the level of details, clarity, neutral sound, soundstage, positioning of instrument. However I want more of everything. More bass, more power, wider soundstage and so on. The thing is I can hear the vocal wrap around my head but the instruments come from every direction. My GSP 602 is the same but more powerful. Less clear than the Airpods Pro (I guess IEM will always be clearer) but with the GSP I get more of everything. The soundstage is different though - it's like I can hear the width of the soundstage but less the depth. However, I was wondering if something like the Sundara can give me more of everything that both these two are giving me except bass, i.e. clarity, detail, positioning and separation of instruments, control of every frequencies, no harshness of the highs, wide soundstage where I can feel the width and depth as well and also high the instruments far. Eg. the GSP 602 is a closeback and has surround sound with a software. When I watch transformers opening - the hear the stars wrapping around my head. The feeling is as if it was 10cm away from my head. Will the Sundara be able to do this but like let's say 20-30cm away from my head? I wanna use it for gaming, music and movies. I can get something which can be good in each category but too expensive. I want one thing which can do all. Please help.
odd, for me these were quite glaring at 9-11khz, but not so much excess energy at 7k. i see a lot of variation in reviews-could it be unit variation or are we hearing it differently?
@@metal571 interesting. i bought mine in august, and what i hear (in sine sweeps and in music listening) is very similar to what shows up in solderdude's measurements, but differs from what you're describing - i just checked (sine sweep) and there is no peak on mine at 7kHz whatsoever, but there is an elevated area from 9-10kHz.
Hi, I just listened to your advice and buy these, I am happy with them but I would like more bass, as I am coming from Sennheiser Momentum 2. At the moment I have +5 dB at 21 hz +4 dB at 31 hz +4 dB at 42 +2 dB at 62 hz and +2 dB at 83 hz . Am I not damaging the driver when listening? I saw that when I turned up past 80% they started to distort/clip so I will not go past that. I also have all the above EQ with Peak Filter. Please reply, thanks!
Don't do that, use a low shelf at 105 Hz (Harman low shelf) then adjust that single boost to taste, making sure never to blow past the 0 dB line by compensating the same amount with the preamp gain in the opposite direction
@@metal571 is it OK now that I put low pass filter at 105 hz, then +4db at 105 hz, + the eq you put in the description of this video and pre-amp -5dB ?
hey metal, pls help. i’m a mixing engineer away from any studio/ref speakers for now because of the pandemic, so yes mixing in headphones. obv looking for neutral cans, utilitarian not audiophile pleasure. i’m used to 7506 and porta pros lol. i was considering the hd600 but after this review the sundaras are looking good too, max $400 budget. which one would you recommend? or another one of the sennheisers or even smth else? thank you very much. also, either way, would i really need amps for these when playing out of a macbook? you’re not supposed to mix at loud levels anyways. greatly appreciate your channel, love from brazil
metal571 thx for the quick reply man. i was set on the 600 bc it’s a classic and widely accepted as a ref, but i didn’t know headphones could even do sub bass well, as you describe in reviewing planars, so i’m def leaning towards that now.
Are these good for metal music, specifically heavy, progressive, industrial and alternative. Or are there better options for around the same price range? Also I listen to edm sometimes :)
@@metal571 that’s what I’ve heard about them. But then again, I’ve heard the sundaras feel too open and don’t have enough bass. It’s just so strange that I can also look up headphones like HD6xx or HD600 and people say it’s amazing for my music I like, then read more forum posts and others are saying they are terrible for it.
@@demonzach123 the measurements don't lie. Sundara has better sub bass extension than any 6x0 Sennheiser variant, confirmable with graphs, but it is unboosted bass as is typical with a planar, and so a bass shelf can easily be added with EQ to taste. The 1990 has a death spike around 8k which is very obvious in graphs as well, and that's how it sounds. At the end of the day you will need to decide for yourself what you like, but I would recommend starting with an exceedingly middle of the ground headphone in terms of tuning, and that'd be the Sundara.
Just bought one pair yesterday. I'm pretty disspaointed with the thin and metallic sound, but otherwise it's all nice and detalied. No problem with the build quality + i have 2 years warranty.
I entirely prefer the Sundara over 6x0s which apparently is a hot take still nowadays, except for the possible reliability problems but it sounds like Hifiman support is good now even in the US and they keep making reliability tweaks as they go so hopefully you will be smooth sailing for a while. Have fun
@@metal571 Thanks! They dont have ANY problem, i hope it stays that way. For the moment you can't find the palipads in Romania but i hope they will soon be available cuz these look like they will break in one year or so and shipping taxes are nasty.
Your reviews are pretty balanced. You should continue to review audio ,be it speaker, headphone, DAC etc. Once a month or bimonthly. Stopping not a good idea.
It is a good idea because I enjoy my full time job far more than dealing with the internet at large. As much as I love audio, I love *not* having to run this channel far more.
Please help, I nhave an equalizer APO but I can't understand the meaning of these abbreviations: LS, PK and where do I find the "Filter 5", 9 & 11? EqualizerAPO EQ Preset: Channel: all Preamp: -2 dB Filter 5: ON LS Fc 100 Hz Gain 1 dB Filter 9: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 2 dB Q 1.41 Filter 11: ON PK Fc 7000 Hz Gain -2 dB Q 2
I have a pair of Nighthawk carbons, with which I listen to Qobuz/ Uapp using Dragonfly cobalt. I started watching your review on the Nighthawks, but never made it through the first wave of laughing and incredulous indignation. I didn't take offense to it at all, but just decided to move on at that point. I will go back and watch the rest of it at some point. The Nighthawks took a long time to break in , and now I am enjoying them very much. I love the heavy, weighty sound and feel of the music, and nothing stands out to me that's offensive at all. They are, however, lacking in the female vocals department, for which I'm definitely looking for something else. The Sundara's sound like they might fit the bill quite nicely. I think it would be awesome to have two sets of completely different flavors. Listening to George Jones "Cold hard truth" as I write this, with this huge heavy, rumbly, dark bottom, and soaring yet somewhat subdued fiddles and steel guitar. Beautiful, highly impactful blend. Life is good. Take care.
It is not break in. You are just getting used to a terrible FR. It's not that people are somehow disallowed from liking it, but rather that compared to so many other headphones I have experience with, it is incredible how subpar the nighthawk really is. From a reviewer's perspective, it'd be hard for it to score any lower unless it was an airline earbud. Sundara of course is the polar opposite, and if your ears get used to it for a week and then switch back to nighthawk you will see why that review is the way that it is.
That's not what the graph shows or what I hear. The upper mids are certainly not like even an HD 600 in level as long as you have the 2020 pad revision. But like basically every open planar, the bass is flat and extended, just unboosted which can sound lacking but is easily fixable with a bass shelf EQ
@@metal571 In that case i have two questions. 1: How do i know which revision am i looking at? 2: If i already have an audio interface that does not have an eq. Can i use a digital one or do i have to connect a real EQ through the interfaces output?
I think it's the pads that distinguish them. Resolve over on the headphone show I think explained the revision in one of his vids. There is no need for a hardware EQ if you're on windows which can use EqualizerAPO to apply it system wide to any audio device
Metal, i'm looking for competive fps gaming headphones to replace my ad700's. Want great imaging and would appreciate better Soundstage than the ad700. Are these it? If not, what would be?
Any higher model in the ad****x range or AKG K702 if you have a powerful modern amp. only real step up is HD800/HD800S, or simply using speakers. I have AD700X, X2, 400i and DT1990 PRO, the audio technicas are way in front in terms of airyness second comes hifiman but they don't feel anywhere near as wide.
I will probably get 660s instead just because I don't trust build quality and I can get new pair for $410 and where I live Sundara is only $30 cheaper.
Metal, could not agree more. Great review dude. That bit about the LCD-1 for mobile use especially is something to consider for those who only have a phone or laptop to play on. Of course, the Sundara may benefit them greater down the line when they upgrade.
But, like usual, a rock solid review :)
Omg Hi Josh
If I only have a ifi hip dac is that enough to power the sundara ? Or should I stick to LCD 1
Gonna miss your reviews man. I hope you can find a way to be happy and stay in love with your hobby.
I'm happy now just needed to get away from YT
@@metal571 I'm glad your decision has been good for you man. I appreciate your Twitter presence as well
Got damn you're the best headphone reviewer on RUclips. Straight to the point, great detail and you're metal af!
yea, I rely on him.
@@malinyamato METAL ASF
I totally agree, love him
Lol I probably trashed something someone else owns
I got my Sundara headphones about 4 days ago and I am in love with them already , I power them on my Pixel 4 XL with a Fiio BTR5 and on my computer with a ifi Audio Zen DAC with a balanced cable and they sound FANTASTIC!....The pads are fairly cheap to replace so if they wear out it's no a big deal....Great review BTW :)
Hey Mate!
I am going to buy the Sundara in a few days. I have a concern related to drivability of these. I have a Fiio BTR5, Can the BTR5 is able to drive them fully to their potential?
Please give your opinion as you're also having a BTR5.
Thanks and hoping for a reply.
BTR5 has lots of power you'll be fine
@@metal571 Thanks for Confirming Sir 😊💯
Does the Sundara have to be run balanced from a Fiio BTR5 to be properly driven?
@@bxg8097 definitely. At least if the HE4XX is any indication.
Metal571, you're an exceptional reviewer, my reference on YT.
Thinking about getting these paired with a topping l30 and E30 stack. I've never really had any hi-fi audio gear of any kind ever, and I'm hoping this will be a good baptism into the hobby.
Hey man just wanted to say I really enjoy your vids. I know you dont do them anymore but its always cool to see somebody that passionate about something!
I've had them for about a year and they have spoiled me for anything else. A Fiio A3 for $50 powers them out of a phone beautifully. I have a desktop setup too but the difference is minimal.
Your reviews have helped me a great deal. I hope life is good for you. Thank you.
It is so much better now
Yow man welcome back to YT.
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As always excellent review!
Audeze had their driver failure issue but they worked through it and they have one of the best headphone warranties available. Hifiman has been popular for a pretty long time and yet some of there more recent headphones have been the biggest issues yet, all of the reproduction models (he-560 v3, he-5se, he-6se, etc) were way overpriced with glaring issues and the sundara & ananda is also a risk. I do agree that if you buy new with a warranty it's not a huge deal and I also believe if a pair makes it through the first year you should get your money out of them but I personally have no respect for the cash grab attitude they have and would rather choose from the plenty of other exciting brands out there.
Audeze still has some occasional driver failures, better than it used to be though. But their warranty support and length are superb
@@metal571 I'm sure they do, didn't mean to suggest they have zero failures, just that they have clearly invested in improving there products. What gets to me about hifiman is that by their products being a bargain they tend to attract people who can't afford say an audeze and those are the people who can really get set back if they have a failure outside of warranty or after buying used.
@@lumntoob999 I was trying to be unbiased there, but you said it for me. When I visited Bloom and saw Sundara, Arya, and Susvara back to back, the build quality issues are amazingly apparent no matter how much money you sink into this brand. There is no comparison, Audeze just cares a lot more about their customers' after sale experience.
@@metal571 Audeze Customer service is fantastic. It's been a year and a half since they replaced both of the drivers for my LCD-X's. I was nervous that they'd fail again but surprisingly everything has been good so far. Btw if anyone is out of their LCD-X warranty, it'd cost you over $500 to get the new drivers lol
@@metal571 you pointed out the issues accurately without being to harsh, it's a good balance you've found. I made my comments only because of frustration with hifiman, they could be a top brand if they would just invest a little and it would obviously pay off for them. I have nothing against the way you did the video, this is actually my favorite headphone review channel and this video is of equal quality to all of your most recent stuff 10/10.
Received my Sundara today. Describe it in one word - wow!
Love it.
It's really unreal for the price it's going for now
And returned to the supplier a week later due to "sparkling water" noise in one of the drivers. I guess the rumors about QC are true. Supplier had no replacement for at least a month so I went with Ananda. Much better comfort to me compared to Sundara. Not too much difference in SQ, not really worth twice the price IMHO just for sound.
Yeah... this is why I always say to make sure you have a warranty and/or buy from a dealer with a good rep and support when going with Hifiman products
Just got em, hope I don't get a crappy pair! You and Valour convinced me
If you bought new chances are good it'll be a good one
Picked up mine in the Covid lockdown. Use it for music and PC. After 5 years, no issues, still on the original cups…E1DA 9038 usb-c dac/amp is good partner for it. You get great SQ, decent build quality. It’s solid and functional just not styled like Apple would…
Another great review. I have listened to these and liked them a lot. I thought performance for price was superb, among the best you can get. And they were pretty comfortable. So they should be a no brainer. However..... I would not buy them because as with you I saw quality issues and the history of their QC isn't very confidence inspiring. There are other superb headphones you can get for a similar price without that baggage. Personally I would go for the LCD1 or the venerable HD650 if I wanted a new open back in that price range.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I wouldn't buy Hifiman products unless you're buying new through a dealer so they can handle all the inevitable RMA work lol
I've had the Sundara's for 3 weeks now, and I love them. They're my first "proper" headphones after I've been using gaming headsets for 7 years. I've got a pair of Sennheiser 58X's arriving in the next week as well so I can get a feel for the differences.
Metal said once get the hd650 and lcd2f and never look back and i totally agree with him
Lol no, just stop at the 650 and never look forward to anything else is normally what I say now. Sundara is also more than most people will ever need as long as it doesn't break
@@metal571
You must have a planar (big planar to be specific) because the Seperation on these things are fantastic but it's heavy and needs alot of power .
So my opinion is you need 3 headphones
1: good big planar i recommend lcd2f
2:closed back i recommend the ath msr7 (i tried them but i Don't own them but still they are the best second closed back i heard in my life)
3: good dynamic open back and i recommend either k712 or the hd650.
And that's it no need for any other headphone.
Note: I read a lot of amazon reviews and article on headfi all hfm headphones got the same tonality jusha said ananda sounds 95% like the sundara and once i asked you about getting the 560 or sundara and you told me I couldn't find a big difference between sundara and 4xx which i think it's true .
BTW So sorry for my long comment😅
Well Ananda is a still better. More detailed than the Sundara by a good bit and with a wider stage, but not as dynamic. Yeah you could have multiple cans in your setup but after going down this rabbit hole I'm trying to help people to stop buying lots of different cans if all they want is an at home setup. Also you need to try K371 lol
@@metal571 it's so hard for me to try the k371 because i already have 4hps 2 of them are closed back but i am sure it will be an amazing headphones because you recommend it .
I will ask you again do you prefer the lcd2f over the ananda? 😅
Fantastic review, metal571. Best headphone reviewer on RUclips.
I have that same lamp. 10/10.
#ikeagang
#walmartgang
How’s the soundstage?
Dude ya represent, I have that carpet
Same
I love your reviews, even when I hope you're wrong because you're crushing my illusions like a beer can round the campfire on a starry night. Yeah. Your integrity and commitment to accuracy is remarkable.
A lot of it is the engineering mindset. Nothing is beautiful rainbows to me, I am a very technical person and need to find the downsides of everything instead...but alas I am just too lazy and bored to have kept doing this forever, so glad you enjoyed it
Just ordered a pair of the Sundara's. I hear so many great things about them. Thanks for the review.
Let me know what you think. Still my primary recommendation for a "one and done" audiophile purchase
@@metal571 I was just notified via email that my purchase is back-ordered. They are shipping it to me directly from the factory in China. I was also told in the email that the only changes made to the headphone was the improvement of the pads. Nothing else was tweaked.
Metal is like the HOF running back Barry Sanders stepping away from the game in his prime. I just ordered a pair of Sundara's on Amazon. I'm gonna get a 3 year warranty too because the HIFIMan quality control scares the shit out of me.
Lol I didn't want 2 jobs at the same time. This stupid channel got way too popular, far more than I ever intended. Too much work. Hope you enjoy the Sundara as much as I did though
Finally! Really value your reviews. Ty
Over the LCD-1 get the Rane RH-50. Looks very studio-y but sounds amazing, and responds to changes in EQ fantastically.
RH-50 is also only 80$
I just can't imagine buying Hifiman headphones because they look like they might break just by giving them a stern look.
The Sundaras are metal and solid, unlike their plastic brethren.
my sundara gave up after 6 months, left side driver failed and the replacement headphone after 2 weeks !!! the qc is a joke with hifiman
@@konstantinsewina1656 When did this happen? Just recently or during first run?
@@phi_b last year in October if I remember correctly
@@konstantinsewina1656 thanks. I'm really torn. On the one hand I don't want the trouble. On the other hand, I have a retailer that would have 3 years warranty on the thing, and it seems to sound good...
Sundara pads will fall apart after a year or so. Reports about this problem have started increasing recently.
Ive got the 4xx which have the same pads, first pair of pads fell apart after ~2 years, second pair of pads is starting to fall apart after ~4 months. And the mechanism that connects the cups to he headband is starting to fall apart aswell. I handle them with utmost care, never dropped them, always put them down gently. Its the price you pay for headphones that punch above their pricepoint audio wise and sadly a part of owning a hifiman low tier headphone.
Also the original cable just stopped working after 1,5 years and I had to buy new one from amazon (about 30 bucks)
Use silicon lubricate for unscratching. Longevity will be increase vs plastic junks.
I ended up returning the Ananda and buying the Sundara. After listening to both, the sound is oddly very very similar. The Ananda can be run off a phone due to its efficiency, but the Sundara wants an Amp. I'm gonna have an Atom delivered tommorow. What turned me off from the Ananda wasn't the sound (it sounds amazing. Violins are fucking mental on that thing) it was the plastic built and huge cups. The Sundara is all metal and with some EQ bump for more bass, I'll wager it's end game for most people with reasonable budget. Violins and strings are great on the Sundara and quite close to the Ananda. Quite surprising given that it's half the price.
I'm also ordering some eBay Audeze clone pads for it. Apparently they fix the lack of sub bass so I can ditch the EQ
I'm on the fence with these 2 headphones. Not sure what is the best portable amp to get to run on an Android phone. I heard Audioquest Dragonfly red or cobalt is good.
Did you ever tried the lcd2 fazor ?
I purchased my pair off the back of your review. Given my main pair of cans previously were HD6xx, my music tastes seem to be similar to yours, I thought why not.
Super happy with them, however the cable, dear lord. Though I was warned :P
I am slightly concerned with the headband rattling out of the box, but otherwise they feel solid
Love my Sundaras! Only issue I had was that I had to re-glue the leather on one of the pads with slight usage for about an year. Otherwise, sound is great!
Does L and R driver sound the same ? most people say they dont .
@@Tripokaridos22 L and R sounds the same on mine, no issue. I love mine.
What Dac/Amp recomend ?
I purchased these from Amazon recently. I guess they are my first "real headphones" They do sound good to me but I just can't get over the lack of bass impact. If I were to return them and buy LCD-2Cs would they provide the bass impact or do I have to go with dynamics? If a dynamic what would be recommended for under $1K that will give me good sound and some bass impact?
Hello ! Thanks for this video! It seems that these headphones have an impedence of 37ohm. Therefore, is it necessary to use an amplifier for iPhone or Sony NW-A105 use? Thank you for your advice!
You have exactly one shelf in your room and it's full of headphones - really stark
There are others out of frame and yeah, never really did anything fancy for the backdrop. Don't really care as the channel is about information moreso than how it looks
That was a quick retirement lol
I just love the headphones you have on your head :)
Good ol K371
Even if it sounds good, the quality. Control will cost me extra.
Sundara is around $230 new in China
STEAL!
From where? Plz share seller link...
You sure it isn't fake there though?
@@khalil7011 Hifiman is a Chinese brand
Do u have a purchase link for that?
Hi! You guys might help me here.
I bought the Sundarars and a Ifi Zen dac. I wanted to plug my headphones to the balanced output so I bought an extra 3.5mm female to 4.4mm male jack adaptater. The problem is that it got worse, so much worse... there was a buzz sound and the music got all messed up. Si I send back my adaptater thinking it had an issue... So my question is : is the Sundara stock cable balanced ? Do I just have to get a working 3.5mm to 4.4mm adaptater to use the Ifi zen dac balanced output? Thanks. Hope someone find this message
I'm amazed you didn't damage your amp. You cannot take a standard TRS stereo 3.5mm jack and plug a 4.4mm balanced connector into it, expecting it to magically become balanced. You need 4 conductors as a TRRS jack in order for this to work, and it needs to be wired that way from each cup correctly from the start, so you need a whole new cable.
I wonder how these would compare to a mdr SA5000
The He-r9's dont do ths to the hinges. I open and close them all this time.
Can you please compare the Sundara to HE400i sound wise?
How do these compare to Audeze LCD-2 Classic?
I haven't heard them but by looking at the frequency response graph it seems like the LCD2C should sound a little darker
Quite a bit more recessed around 3.5k yes, plus a hump at 1k, minor peak around 6k, it's just not a related FR, all over the place. Audeze has really screwed up their tuning in recent years supposedly due to the pads according to rumors
can someone explain the EQ settings to me? filter 5 means its the 5th frequencies box right? ON? arent all frequendies on at all times?
LS Fc= low shelf filter? PK Fc=peakfilter?
You are correct on LS and PK. The filter numbers are arbitrary, just that the ones I mention need to be set and enabled
Sundara vs AKG K-712 ?
i've got them both. i use sundara for music and the k712 for gaming (imo the k712 are the best headphones for gaming. very light, very wide)
@@CaptHotah okay and what’s the tonal difference? More bass on the sundara? Or some other difference?
@@S4N1T03T3R I would have to assume the Sundara has more bass. I owned the K712s and the sound stage is incredible. Mind blowing, but its so wide that you sacrifice bass. I had to sell them because of the lack of bass only. Because the sound stage on Sundaras is a bit smaller, I'd expect more bass.
@@coltonholliday6264 Got the Sundara now, it doesnt have more bass, even less i think. But detail is more, soundstage slightly less.
Sundaras low end is quite enjoyable if you enhance everything up to like 100Hz with like 4-5 db
@@S4N1T03T3R I got the Sundaras and returned them immediately. The bass is awful, and you’re left with a tin-like, cold headphone with boosted mids and highs only. It actually took some of the best sounding albums I have and made them sound significantly worse.
Hi metal, love the review. It convinced me to get these and i love them. I tried your eq and it did sound very nice though i had to bump up the sub bass a little. (my high impedance audio interface probably accentuates this a little) Would you say that your EQ profile for this has changed for this headphone overtime?
Not at all, in fact Resolve just talked about and measured the "new" pad version that I had on my unit here. Bass shelf is always going to be subjective to set it however you like, just don't forget to compensate with the preamp volume
@@metal571 Cheers! Raising the bass shelf to 3dB and adding oratory's 2dB 28hz peak filter at 1.41Q satisfies my want for bass. Thanks again
Hey Metal, please i would love it if you could help me please! i have some DT 990 pro, and they sound great, i have them as a year and a half ago, have been my first audiophile headphones! but after and the passage of time, these became uncomfortable for my ears, to the point where i had pressure zones, i ended up changing the pads for a larger ones, with memory foam and improve the thing a lot, but i still notice some pressure point on the right side of my ear, i've been reading a lot and wanted to change these headphones for something better, something that might be worthwhile in terms of sound improvement and comfort, i'd really like to do well, do you think these headphones would be worth it? or could you give me some suggestions please? you hear wonders about these headphones, Hifim Sundara, compared to others with higher prices, although i really do not know how the comfort will be!
Should be delivered to me tomorrow. Very excited. Loved an HE400i 2020 very much.
Got them. Love them. The clamping force is a bit too much for me, but i think they will stretch up over time. The sound is amazing.
I heard that they are quite similar to the new he400i. What's your opinion on that?
@@kaaoi1640 they actually are. They are a bit colder than an HE400i 2020, and a bit brighter, but overall they sound very similar. It's just Sundara has bigger soundstage, more slam, it's more detailed etc. It's an improvement across the board, with a similar sound signature overall.
Damnn good for you. I will order sundara for myself in next few days so they will arrive next week. Im really curious about them. Thank you for quick answer.
@@kaaoi1640 no problem mate. :)
I would love to hear your thoughts on them when you'll give them a try.
Late to comment on here, but nice review as always Metal! I'm not sure if you have a Sundara still, but I have noticed in addition to the forwardness around 7kHz, there is a sharpness at 12-13kHz in direct comparison to the HD600/650, so I EQ it down -3dB. It's really only noticeable with hi hats and cymbals, but it's like extra shimmery giving an over sharpened quality. I don't hear other reviewers talk about it much, wondering if you heard this as well?
The second one I heard sent in from a viewer had a little of that, but not the unit I reviewed. No I don't have one, never bought one. This was just a demo I borrowed from Bloom locally then gave it back
Really informative review, thanks. Would I be happy running this from an iPhone 8 with a Dragonfly Red, or would I still be underpowered?
On eBay UK currently there is a discount of 20% on these, bargain of the year me thinks.
Just placed an order, £239.20. Thanks for sharing your experience.
One of my buddies in Singapore, just returned his for repair - after two months.
Exactly why I tell everyone if you are buying this to buy it new with a full warranty from a dealer, and not any other way, because you'll probably need the warranty.
I really hope i don't need to return mt hifiman. I have warranty but the retailer is in china
6:22 are there any good headphones with price of sundara with really good soundstage?
AkG K712 Pro, thank me later. Cheaper too if you're in the EU (200€)
Philips Fidelio x2hr
@@pr3t no just no
@@stanstaniboy7655 correct
Yeah... I had an ananda and thought it was my fault for scratching the headband sliders. It scratches pretty easily from looking
How do you determine treble resolution tho? 🤔 if you have time to answer.
Hearing what high hats sound like on like 40 different headphones lol
@@metal571 Thanks! I'll try listening to them specifically.
just bought these for 110 euros second hand and they sound much better than teh tygr 300r
Would you recommend it over the hd600?
That's a great question. I will probably get flak for this but my answer is - absolutely.
@@metal571 Quite controversial... Lol. I appreciate the reply! Didn't expect it! Thanks!
Thanks for the EQ friend. Now I can listen to my Sundara ... :)
Would you mind sharing it in an easy-to-understand format? I’m a noob lol
Hey, was wondering if you think
Oppo PM-2's brand new at 449$
are a good buy in contrast to the
Sundara Or LCD-1. I love how they
look. I know you've only reviewed
PM-3's but what would be your guess.
Hello , is it possible with eq to make the treble of sundara to sound like the lcd1?
Hi, do you know if the Sony NW-ZX300 can drive this headphones I have the Sony, and I may also get the FiiO M11 pro or the M15 wich one do you think will work better with this headphones?
Thank you
Hello
Can you point a in ear headphone for a FIIO M11 PRO ? The price is max 800 euro. And for black, death metal - metal in general.
TY
Hi, how is the combination of the sundara with the dragon fly cobalt?
Hifiman Sundara or audeze mobius in terms of sound quality? how much is the differnece in %
I read in a review these sound like the sounds are coming from inside the head instead of the sound coming from speakers outside.
What are the headphones models which sound like speakers coming from outside?
Based on this I am not sure if I want openbanl heaphones. I don't want my sounds to sound airy and open ... i want to feel like the sound are coming from far to my ears not the other way round.
I thought this Sundara would be good but it will be same as HD600 i tried. I don't want the sound to wrap around my head and resonate outside.
I want the sound to feel like they are coming from outisde to my ears. Please help
Does not exist. Headphones are not speakers and the soundstage you get from them shall not match that same kind of experience
@@metal571 I am currently using an Airpods Pro as my IEM. I changed from the FiiO F9 Pro. And I am using a GSP602 as headphone I moved from the JBL E55BT and Sony WH1000XM3.
What I love with the Airpods Pro is the level of details, clarity, neutral sound, soundstage, positioning of instrument. However I want more of everything. More bass, more power, wider soundstage and so on. The thing is I can hear the vocal wrap around my head but the instruments come from every direction.
My GSP 602 is the same but more powerful. Less clear than the Airpods Pro (I guess IEM will always be clearer) but with the GSP I get more of everything. The soundstage is different though - it's like I can hear the width of the soundstage but less the depth.
However, I was wondering if something like the Sundara can give me more of everything that both these two are giving me except bass, i.e. clarity, detail, positioning and separation of instruments, control of every frequencies, no harshness of the highs, wide soundstage where I can feel the width and depth as well and also high the instruments far.
Eg. the GSP 602 is a closeback and has surround sound with a software. When I watch transformers opening - the hear the stars wrapping around my head. The feeling is as if it was 10cm away from my head. Will the Sundara be able to do this but like let's say 20-30cm away from my head?
I wanna use it for gaming, music and movies. I can get something which can be good in each category but too expensive. I want one thing which can do all.
Please help.
odd, for me these were quite glaring at 9-11khz, but not so much excess energy at 7k. i see a lot of variation in reviews-could it be unit variation or are we hearing it differently?
I heard that there has been a recent revision. But I tried two units of this, one being over a year old at least, and the difference was almost zero
@@metal571 interesting. i bought mine in august, and what i hear (in sine sweeps and in music listening) is very similar to what shows up in solderdude's measurements, but differs from what you're describing - i just checked (sine sweep) and there is no peak on mine at 7kHz whatsoever, but there is an elevated area from 9-10kHz.
Hi, I just listened to your advice and buy these, I am happy with them but I would like more bass, as I am coming from Sennheiser Momentum 2. At the moment I have +5 dB at 21 hz +4 dB at 31 hz +4 dB at 42 +2 dB at 62 hz and +2 dB at 83 hz . Am I not damaging the driver when listening? I saw that when I turned up past 80% they started to distort/clip so I will not go past that. I also have all the above EQ with Peak Filter. Please reply, thanks!
Don't do that, use a low shelf at 105 Hz (Harman low shelf) then adjust that single boost to taste, making sure never to blow past the 0 dB line by compensating the same amount with the preamp gain in the opposite direction
@@metal571 is it OK now that I put low pass filter at 105 hz, then +4db at 105 hz, + the eq you put in the description of this video and pre-amp -5dB ?
Have you tried ananda vs sundara? How're they? And would a lcd2 be a big upgrade over ananda and sundara?
@metal571 could u possibly review focal spirit pro and ollo s4r?
Thank you for the informative review :)
It’s been 8 months...come back n review more.
I am permanently retired. Sold off my HD 800, and loving not having to maintain this channel or review ever again.
Thank you for your reviews!! Good luck and stay healthy!!! LG from Salzburg Austria
hey metal, pls help. i’m a mixing engineer away from any studio/ref speakers for now because of the pandemic, so yes mixing in headphones. obv looking for neutral cans, utilitarian not audiophile pleasure. i’m used to 7506 and porta pros lol. i was considering the hd600 but after this review the sundaras are looking good too, max $400 budget. which one would you recommend? or another one of the sennheisers or even smth else? thank you very much. also, either way, would i really need amps for these when playing out of a macbook? you’re not supposed to mix at loud levels anyways. greatly appreciate your channel, love from brazil
Sundara will do better than the HD 600 but make sure you buy new with a warranty due to some reliability concerns
metal571 thx for the quick reply man. i was set on the 600 bc it’s a classic and widely accepted as a ref, but i didn’t know headphones could even do sub bass well, as you describe in reviewing planars, so i’m def leaning towards that now.
are they easy or hard to drive? cos i have read both. can a fiio M11 or btr 7 drive them well? thanks so much
If it wasn’t for the terrible quality issues 😯
Are these good for metal music, specifically heavy, progressive, industrial and alternative. Or are there better options for around the same price range? Also I listen to edm sometimes :)
My main genres are also EDM and metal so absolutely
@@metal571 I've heard dt 1990 pro are also good for these genres. Would you say sundara is still the better option?
Hell yes it is, the 1990 Pro is treble murder
@@metal571 that’s what I’ve heard about them. But then again, I’ve heard the sundaras feel too open and don’t have enough bass. It’s just so strange that I can also look up headphones like HD6xx or HD600 and people say it’s amazing for my music I like, then read more forum posts and others are saying they are terrible for it.
@@demonzach123 the measurements don't lie. Sundara has better sub bass extension than any 6x0 Sennheiser variant, confirmable with graphs, but it is unboosted bass as is typical with a planar, and so a bass shelf can easily be added with EQ to taste. The 1990 has a death spike around 8k which is very obvious in graphs as well, and that's how it sounds. At the end of the day you will need to decide for yourself what you like, but I would recommend starting with an exceedingly middle of the ground headphone in terms of tuning, and that'd be the Sundara.
do you review the new version of Sundara?
This is that revision, I thought I said as much
@@metal571 ok, sorry. I missed that line.
How do you tell if it's the revision? Does it say on the box or something?
you can hear the sundaras as low as 15-10hz
Love my sundaras.
Just bought one pair yesterday. I'm pretty disspaointed with the thin and metallic sound, but otherwise it's all nice and detalied. No problem with the build quality + i have 2 years warranty.
The bass has good extension but is not boosted so it will sound a little lean. You can always apply some EQ to adjust
@@metal571 Yess, sounds much better with eq. More punchy and airy than Sennheisers.
I entirely prefer the Sundara over 6x0s which apparently is a hot take still nowadays, except for the possible reliability problems but it sounds like Hifiman support is good now even in the US and they keep making reliability tweaks as they go so hopefully you will be smooth sailing for a while. Have fun
@@metal571 Thanks! They dont have ANY problem, i hope it stays that way. For the moment you can't find the palipads in Romania but i hope they will soon be available cuz these look like they will break in one year or so and shipping taxes are nasty.
Hello Metal, will this headphone be good for classical/alternative rock music?
The frequency response is good for everything, not really a genre dependent kind of headphone
Is DragonFly Dac enough to drive these?
Crap...Bough the LCD-1 two weeks ago. Now I have to decide if I'm sending them back and picking up these...
Richard Martin how did you decited
Hi! What would you prefer: Sundara or AKG712 pro?
Sundara
@@metal571 I would prefer Sundara too.
Your reviews are pretty balanced. You should continue to review audio ,be it speaker, headphone, DAC etc. Once a month or bimonthly. Stopping not a good idea.
It is a good idea because I enjoy my full time job far more than dealing with the internet at large. As much as I love audio, I love *not* having to run this channel far more.
Can you please review fedelio x2 hr?
No
Happy Memorial day Metal 571 in your honest opinion which would you choose between the hd660s $399 and the Sundara $349
Sundara over 660S and LCD1 if you have an amp
@@metal571 Well actually I have an ifi hipdac and it has a 4.4 pentagon connection so you think the LCD 1 sounds better than the Sundara?
Should be OK with Sundara
Should i get these or the sennheiser hd600 for prog metal, death metal, jazz and classical?
Sundara is a better all rounder for such differently mastered genres there
@@metal571 Thanks a lot for answering! I just have one more question: will i need an amp with these?
Yes and hopefully I said that in the Sundara review itself
In terms of detail, this or the dt880?
Think these will be good for gaming? Such as battlefield or red dead redemption 2?
Please help, I nhave an equalizer APO but I can't understand the meaning of these abbreviations: LS, PK
and where do I find the "Filter 5", 9 & 11?
EqualizerAPO EQ Preset:
Channel: all
Preamp: -2 dB
Filter 5: ON LS Fc 100 Hz Gain 1 dB
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain 2 dB Q 1.41
Filter 11: ON PK Fc 7000 Hz Gain -2 dB Q 2
Hi, do you still recommand the Sundara now in 2022 for around like 300-350$ as a good overall music headphones ?
Absolutely
@metal571 Ty, and btw did you try the Edition XS ? I would love to know your though on it ? Is it good or not so much ?
@@metal571 what dac + amp combo i should use with Sundara? I listen to all kind of music.
I still recommend the JDS Atom DAC and Amp which I use for basically everything myself to this day
Have not
if you kick it in the bass she will kick you in the face
you need to be a rapper
Would you recommend them as upgrade from HD599 for 430$? It is much more expensive in my country for some reason :/
Pretty significant upgrade from the 599 I'd say
thank you for advice
Let me know what you think
Sheesh the more i think about it the more im afraid of qc issues...
Metal pulled a Tyll.......he’s OUT. I miss your reviews man. But your Twitter antics ARE entertaining.
Once a measurebator always a measurebator
I have a pair of Nighthawk carbons, with which I listen to Qobuz/ Uapp using Dragonfly cobalt. I started watching your review on the Nighthawks, but never made it through the first wave of laughing and incredulous indignation. I didn't take offense to it at all, but just decided to move on at that point. I will go back and watch the rest of it at some point. The Nighthawks took a long time to break in , and now I am enjoying them very much. I love the heavy, weighty sound and feel of the music, and nothing stands out to me that's offensive at all. They are, however, lacking in the female vocals department, for which I'm definitely looking for something else. The Sundara's sound like they might fit the bill quite nicely. I think it would be awesome to have two sets of completely different flavors. Listening to George Jones "Cold hard truth" as I write this, with this huge heavy, rumbly, dark bottom, and soaring yet somewhat subdued fiddles and steel guitar. Beautiful, highly impactful blend. Life is good. Take care.
It is not break in. You are just getting used to a terrible FR. It's not that people are somehow disallowed from liking it, but rather that compared to so many other headphones I have experience with, it is incredible how subpar the nighthawk really is. From a reviewer's perspective, it'd be hard for it to score any lower unless it was an airline earbud. Sundara of course is the polar opposite, and if your ears get used to it for a week and then switch back to nighthawk you will see why that review is the way that it is.
Is the Ananda worth $200 more over Sundara? I got a pretty great deal on them
Take that deal
These compared to the 4xx?
People keep saying they don't have almost any bass and the mids are very sharp
That's not what the graph shows or what I hear. The upper mids are certainly not like even an HD 600 in level as long as you have the 2020 pad revision. But like basically every open planar, the bass is flat and extended, just unboosted which can sound lacking but is easily fixable with a bass shelf EQ
@@metal571 In that case i have two questions.
1: How do i know which revision am i looking at?
2: If i already have an audio interface that does not have an eq. Can i use a digital one or do i have to connect a real EQ through the interfaces output?
I think it's the pads that distinguish them. Resolve over on the headphone show I think explained the revision in one of his vids.
There is no need for a hardware EQ if you're on windows which can use EqualizerAPO to apply it system wide to any audio device
@@metal571 i'll try to look for the video, thank you.
Hi, right now i have a hd600 i really enjoy with it do you think is worth to upgrade to sundara Thanks
personally I would
@@metal571 thanks 👍
Metal, i'm looking for competive fps gaming headphones to replace my ad700's. Want great imaging and would appreciate better Soundstage than the ad700. Are these it? If not, what would be?
Any higher model in the ad****x range or AKG K702 if you have a powerful modern amp. only real step up is HD800/HD800S, or simply using speakers. I have AD700X, X2, 400i and DT1990 PRO, the audio technicas are way in front in terms of airyness second comes hifiman but they don't feel anywhere near as wide.
I will probably get 660s instead just because I don't trust build quality and I can get new pair for $410 and where I live Sundara is only $30 cheaper.
I would just get a 650 or a 6XX if you have an amp
@@metal571 but I already have 58X That's a thing :D I'm not sure if 6xx or 650 is an upgrade? hmm...
Your opinion about Sundara vs. HD660s?
Ma Minh Quan sundars, if u want a 660s just buy a hd 58x jubilee sounds basically the exact same
lmao
@@metal571 hi