you deserve a bigger following, in terms of quality you're one of the best in the audio tech youtuber space. Love how organized your videos are, and the use of b-roll and great lighting just makes the viewing experience excellent!
After viewing literally hours of headphone reviews, I decided to get the Sundara's. They finally arrived and they really turned my head on fire...I love them!! I've been listening to Classical music, Opera, Symphonic Rock, Classic Rock, Jazz, Michael Jackson, etc. and I really adore them!! The depth and color of the bass is beautiful and natural, mids and treble are crispy clear and very present. Regarding quality, I feel them sturdy and well built. The ear pads are very comfortable too. The headset fits perfectly well. I really think that above this level you're in the situation where you experience the same difference as there is in wines where when you go over 20 bucks the bottle you realize that it's all bs, status and marketing (said by famous enologists). So if your looking for something fantastic and affordable, don't even hesitate one second. Just do it!!
Hey may i know what dac amp youre using. Do you think its okay to buy it without a dac/amp? How is it after a week using it? Sorry for having lots of question XD
@@detectiveapollo I recently bought them (they are the last revised version), so I'm still testing them (it says that they take as long as 150 hs of listening until they unleash their full potential). I've used them with my iPhone, MacBook pro and with an AMC 3050 amp. With the first two they sound very well but of course with an amp, they perform much better. For casual listening, I think there's no amp required. If you want full power, an amp is necessary...
I've had this headphone for a few months now and what he describes above is pretty much what it sounds like when new. I thought it a tad bright at the beginning but now with adequate run-in time, the bass is more prominent now and this gives it a slightly warmer sound signature. It sounds great paired with the smooth and musical Audio-GD R2R-11
I still haven't heard a person that ever said his headphone got worse over time, after it's sound signature was changed by the burn-in. Funny huh? I have quite a few headphones myself, but I still never found any evidence of burn-in. But I do tend to get used to them after a while when I switch between them after a long time.
i love the frequency of uploads, you are so deliberate in the way you are describing how exactly you hear the sound in every aspect, so much more in depth then most other reviewers especially more than that hippy zeos. metal user is great too. if you listen to zeos you just dont know what you are buying exactly. your video editing is quite pleasing to the eye as well, very professional
I'm here commenting without watching the video. I don't wanna hear how good they are, I just had to sold them to found a year of studyes outside my country 😭
The album he talks about is really good. Don't even like the music that much but you feel like you are in the room and that room is perfect and your ears weep with joy.
Ho Ly Shit the sound quality of that Amber Rubarth album is absolutely insane!!!! I am blown away (listening to it with my Sundara's and a Dragonfly Red DAC). Thanks for the advice! Do you have any other god-tier soundquality albums you can recommend?
Hey man I have Sundara for about a year now and it’s sound signature is warmer compare to first months and the highs are even better controlled which is pretty awesome and the base gets a more solid punch and depth. I do highly recommend this headphone to others especially for 350.
@@manueljenkin95 The quality control of Hifiman is an old story. The Sundara has a metal frame !!! The cushions are very comfortable and the vibrating membrane is protected by a metal braiding !!! No problem here !!!
Not that people are buying headphones for heirlooms or anything, but Hifiman and Audeze still have a fair share of QC issues and deterioration. Every other Hifiman and Audeze owner I know IRL has had problems either with their initial unit or slightly down the line with driver and frame failures while I haven't heard anyone talk about a dead HD800. I love my LCD-X but I would definitely keep these things in mind while buying.
Your videos have came a long way and you keep improving. I took a long break and this is a completely different channel. Hifiman gave me a pair of these before they came out. They are bright but these headphones have a lot of wiggle room if you eq them. I turn up the low end and turn down the high end and these sound like a crisp 6XX with better tighter bass.
Came across your channel recently when looking for quality reviews on Cavalli CTH and I am hooked ever since. You bring a different perspective with focus on music rather than just talking about charts and numbers and love your playlist videos. Please have more of those, great to discover new songs through your videos like Amber Rubarth in this video. Keep up the great work!
I tested these headphones today, and your review is pretty spot on. Only thing I’d add in terms of comfort is that if you live in a warmer more humid climate, all that cushion does tend to make your head sweat. Ultimately I’ll be returning them and keeping my beloved HD650 for their comfort and less sweating.
I'm interested in the M1060, and am torn between these and the M1060 but have no idea which one to test out. I'm not ready to just jump into planars with $700 Audeze LCD-2C.
Hey Josh, I recently got some crackling in my Hifiman 4xx left earcup and decided it's time for an upgrade. They're 3 years old and from what I can tell from online, it's probably time for a replacement. I'm thinking of going with the Sundara's for my upgrade and I was wondering of your opinion on that. For reference, it would be paired with my Magni Heresy and Modi 3. I mainly game, but after using the Hifiman 4xx with my amp and dac, I find myself listening to music at my PC more often. Thanks for all the help and getting me into this hobby!
Hi. I'm not fluent in English. I'm happy to meet you. I'm hesitant between dt 1990 pro and hd 600 and sundara. What is the enjoyment of music between these 3 models? Or in short, compare these 3 models. Sorry, it took a long time.
Which Spectrum Visualizer do you use ? Is there a mac os app which would let me see the spectrum live based on what I am playing on spotify or youtube or tidal ?
I do not own phones under the $900 mark except for the Sundara, of which I have two because that phone has gone through several "stealth improvement" that are never mention by the secretive Dr. Bian yet resulted in a serious upgrade over the original model. The difference is tremendous. Gone are the 200 hours of break-in and just as gone are those sizzling high-mids and a treble that nearly made me go berserk, the wince factor was worse than any dynamic phone I own, which may sound counter-intuitive but is a common topic around headphones enthusiasts. You tell which one you have either through wincing, reading the serial number, or just looking ad the pads, the latter ones having a more pronounced version of the Focus pads. And for the build it may appear flimsy... until you compare it with that of its "plastitcky" predecessors that made us look like robots. HFM derived the frame from the $3,000 HE6e and intends to use it on all of its models in a near future. As for SQ I spent two years comparing the Sundara with the Focal Clear (using aftermarket cables to replace the garden hose-like originals on the Sundara, which are too short to begin with) and in the end I concluded that even though the Clear was the better headphone (I may biased because I prefer dynamics, but I honestly don't think it blurred my imprssions and the Sundara held its own against its fancy competitor and was't far behind, For a phone that costs about 75% less that's very impressive, HFM is to headphones what Paradigm is to speakers: a fast climber catering to the layman as well as to the millionaire with prices ranging from $249 a pair to $55,000 each. Focal is also a very fast climber but it caters to a different customer base: the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy who'll sacrifice almost everything they own just get theirs on those cans and the pricey paraphernalia they require. I should know. Thanks for review, I enjoyed it a lot!
Joshua Valour Joshua Valour low effort reference on my part, sorry. the font (which is awesome) looks like blade runner font. if you’ve seen blade runner 2049 during the ‘Voight Kampff’ tests there’s a line that I referenced. ruclips.net/video/vrP-_T-h9YM/видео.html
Hi, great review and channel! Hope you can answer me a question: I’m using a Macbook, a Meridian Explorer 2 DAC with my Sundara with Tidal Hifi. Is the Meridian Explorer 2 enough to get the best out of the Sundara? Second option: i have an old Amplifier from Sony, a TA-FE520R, which i connect with the Meridian... and the
Yes they do back their warranties, recently had to send them my headphone for repairs/exchange and a great review but I would have liked to see this compared a bit more with the he 4xx
I really like how Hifiman tune their sound. I bought a HE-350 for 50 USD (from a friend). I like almost everything except those piercing highs/treble (used a tissue paper mod to tame it). and build quality issues is still there. The yolks broke on my HE-350 (without doing anything) after a few weeks of use. Hopefully they would have a better quality control and those trebles need to be tame. These are the only reason i'm skeptical in getting another Hifiman product. Anyways! Good Review man!
HI Joshua, ya doing verry nice and informative videos. What do you recomment the Sundara or the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO? Actually I own the Sundara, but as you mentioned the are some disadvantages.
Yes Josh, u was right i went to try the Amber Rubarth as you said, and the instrument separation on that tracks through my Hifiman sundara is amazing!!!
Hi..!!!I would like to bring your consideration to the following few lines... Most of the Hifiman names are derived from ancient sanskrit... Even these words are used in Hindi (Indian national language) Sundara - shouldnt be pronounced as "Su " as in 'Sun' but should be pronounced as "Su" in 'Sue'. also "dara" shouldnt be pronounced as "d" as in 'dare' but should be pronounced as "dh" as in 'dhole'... (Sundhara means Beautiful) Aarya - pronunciation is simple and all people get it right.. (Aarya signifies power and majestic) Aananda - again "d" not as in 'dare' but should be pronounced as "dh" as in 'dhole'... (Aananda means joy) Suswara - Su + Swara means (Su- pure or clean) (Swara- voice or notes) pure notes... Whoever is naming them surely has a knowledge of sanskrit and fascinated in ancient languages.. Thanks for reading..
Holy hell, that Amber Rubarth album sounds AMAZING on my 6xx's! Cant wait to try in on my Sundaras when they arrive! Thanks for the rec and great reviews Josh!
Received my Sundara today, they sound absolutely lovely. Agree that the bass is slightly more recessed than I'd like but with a little tweaking they're easily my best pair of cans already! Completely agree on the cable, it is garbage. Holding the curl from the way it was packaged, and the outer material feels pretty cheap and nasty. The connectors are sturdy though so I might just hold onto it for that reason. I've got a balanced cable on the way to replace it, thankfully!
I really enjoyed your videos, jejeje the last ones with Grado @.@. I would like to ask what do you recommend to upgrade my SHP9500 go for H58X, dt990, dt880, dt1990 or some AKG? For AMP I have a iFi micro. Regards
Not sure about the 990 and 880(still haven’t heard them). But the 9500 has a (somewhat) close sound to the 58x. So, I would go for something different like the 1990. Although the 990 and 880 might be awesome options, I just have no experience.
Another nice video Josh. I was wondering why it is so many folks have multiple headphones. I have hd660’s and they tend to do it all. Maybe that’s an idea for another video?
I've had a couple of different models from Hifiman in the past. 560 & 400i. I never had any quality issues with either. I sold both, the 400i to a close friend and he's had no issues either. That said, I've read about enough people having problems, and a lot of different problems at that, that I wouldn't buy anything from them at this time. If they as a company would come out and admit there are problems, and hopefully own up to them in some way, I might change my mind. It's a shame, because I like the look and what I've heard about the Sundara. I just can't bring myself to take the chance once again of something happening with them and having a company that refuses to do anything about it.
I saw that it was on sale ($350.00) and pulled the trigger on the purchase. I too ordered a Periapt cable and will get it Friday. I am using my pair on an Enog2 Pro DAC and a 789 amp. I am glad I bought them. They sit on my printer by my small desk along with my 600s and my Alaras.
Thank you so much for the amber rubarth sessions from the 17th ward recommendation! I don't really listen to that genre but the quality of the production really blew me away, I was able to hear everything so clearly
I own this and yeah, the sound is good and everything,but Hifiman really needs to improve their quality control. Small things like earpads coming off may not be huge issues to some, but for headphones that cost this much, it's inexcusable imo
Assuming my headphone budget is around $350 and I spend a lot of time listening at my desk, would you just get the Sundaras or go with the HE4XX or Jubilees AND some Ikko OH10s or similar? I don't currently have any decent headphones and I only have budget IEMs.
Do not judge the Sundara until it’s had at least 30 hours of break in. They recommend 150, but I’m not there yet. If the break in curve continues to the 150 hr point I think my head may explode. The Sundara is also very source critical. If you play crap, you’ll get crap. As I write I’m listening to Rubenstein play Chopin Ballads on a Steinway D Concert Grand piano on RCA living Stereo Vinyl. Straight from the hand of God. Happy Easter everyone.
Hey Josh have you heard the Hifiman Jade 2 electrostatics? I listened to them on an audio show and thought they were very nice, though the available music was limited. HP+Amp for $2500 usd seems like it's a competitor to the Stax L700
Great video as always. I personally have a HE400i and has longed to upgrade them to either the Sundara or Edition X, but now at the price of $350 i think i have myself an easy choice here. Just wondering if you were to compare Sundara directly to 400i/4XX, how much better would the mid range and high frequency be, especially the 5-7K range.
Not sure about the edition X. Haven’t reviewed it yet. Treble for resolution absolutely goes to the Sundara. (But can be a little brighter than some may like -not sibilant tho- ) but I most likely will not directly compare. (Never know tho).
@@JoshuaValour Thx for the reply, had the chance to audition Sundara and they were phenomenal, just like how you've reviewed it, didnt find it bright enough to bother me too
Any updates on the quality issues with sundara or HifiMan itself? Tested this and was in love with this; even planning to buy this on the spot. But I have some doubts on the quality issues especially since we only have 6 months warranty in our country.
Great review I just started following you. I think I'll have to bite the bullet and buy the Sundara too, I just got the 4XX and I want to test both against each other to see which one I prefer, but so far the 4XX are amazing. Thanks again for all the good reviews.
Hey Joshua which cable exactly did you use from periapt? Is it the 2 - TYPE 2 -DUAL 2.5MM? The Sundara are 3.5MM I thought but maybe these work? I just want to make sure I order the right thing.
I got a pair of these about a week ago. So far, I think they sound great and have had no issues with them other than the cable. I just ordered a new cable from periapt by your recommendation. The cable that comes with the cans is truly miserable.
I'm using a Fiio K5pro. My brother used ifi zen can amp, and dragonfly (I think this is the name) dac. He doesn't use the sundara anymore so I dunno about his opinion on performance, but Fiio is great!! I dont EQ my headphones, still the sound is great.
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
oh no please do not use the 3.5mm single-ended cable with the balanced output the circuitry can either A.) screw up the audio because balanced circuitry is different to SE or B.) straight up blow your headphones/IEMs up
Really noob question, but would connecting a tube amp with a portable dac/amp (such as a fiio q1 mk2) make a difference in sound? I have a pair of hd600 and im looking for a set up that would allow me to use it around the house for portable use and when im just chilling in my room i could connect it straight away to a pair of tube amps. As i said, im still new to amps and dacs so any feedback would be appreciated :D
I got a question, I got a pair of Philips 9500's about the same time you thought they was" All in, you like them( then, a little bit later... Not so much, siblent, the works). Now, with you're channel achieving the likes you've gotten, and the chance to try many different amplifiers( I'm still using the MAGNI) I'm going to move up shortly. The Audio Technica ath-MSR7 b, is a pair of headphones I wanted when I was researching the "9500's" , I know Josh your light years ahead of me with all the access to the "Best of the Best" I'd like you to try( if you have a pair or if you would allow me to send you mine when I get them) them with some amplifiers and or DAC's( my budget is meager to say the least in the 300 to 500 dollar area). I need to know how or better still get( on the first-round) the amplifier that could pull the best sound out of them. Today, following your lead, I own the 6xx, 4xx and the PHILIP fidelio hr's, and I modified the 9500's. So, Josh I got to let you know man... You kick ass man, stay true The only audio advice I take as gospel is two guys, you and a guy on U-tube his name is Paul McGowan of PS Audio a VERY knowledgeable man, well as Stan Lee use to say at the end of a comic book NUFF SAID.
@@patrickf6120 PATRICK, the Sundara's will be on my menu in the future. Joshua's option is gospel concerning the Sundara, both the 6xx and the 4xx was on point. But, I know to really enjoy them, I'll have to get a better amplifier. Rupert Neve's headphone amplifier, is my next step, it's not the most attractive amplifier( but how listens to looks) but, in my research, the power is MORE than adequate. So, Patrick that's the direction I'm heading, let me know what happens in you're audio journey I'd really like to hear what kind of set-up you have. Take care.
@@Moreeke why is a very common problem? Is it because it is badly manufactured at the factory? Or is it because the driver is not very good quality and eventually breaks down?
hmmmmm.... so this? Or LCD-2c? I have 1990's, 4xx, and 650's, but really want another planar. Any suggestions? Also if 2c, which version? Idk if Fazor or classic is better lol
Hey Josh. Have you ever considered doing a vid on music? Well recorded that is. I've been waiting for a headphone reviewer to share some of what they're listening to. Your Amber Rubarth recommendation is fantastic! I wanted to add to your recommendation. Please give this album a listen bro! Ottmar Liebert- Up Close. It's a binaural recording. Simply sublime, and I know that you will dig it! Hopefully you will read this.
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?
Can you justify the extra approx $200 over the HE4xx? Reading various reviews, i get impression that planars and/or hifiman bring detail and speed. That about right? I'm currently using the hd58x and don't have anything to compare them to. I'm tempted by the sundara because i understand they seem to take best elements of other hifiman products.
Cheaply made, That pretty much sums up my experience with Hifiman. I do not recommend making an investment in their products until the build quality improves. HE 1000 v.2 being the exception. Plus Hifiman (and Audeze) are constantly tweaking the sound so that you don’t know what edition you are buying. The quality control of these companies pales next to the consistency of a Sennheiser. Grado RS2e Might be my favorite headphone, but Sennheiser is my favorite company overall, the most consistently good company. Shure is pretty solid, too, I love the SE535, (Even though I think they are a bit expensive, I cried when I paid for them, but I’ve been crying tears of joy ever since), and I love that you can make them wireless now. And I use their microphones in church. But their over ears, well, they are ok.
The quality control of Hifiman is an old story. The Sundara has a metal frame !!! The cushions are very comfortable and the vibrating membrane is protected by a metal braiding !!! No problem here !!!
Great Sundara review. Bought a set for £299 new. Very happy with them. I actually like the cable...listened to 10cc Une Nuit a Paris on Qubuz on my Samsung S8. Great piano sound. These will reveal the deficiencies of recordings, for sure.
I have some hifiman sundara headphones, I haven't really heard many other headphones so I can't compare them to anything in their price range... However I found when I tried one or two affordable headphone amp/DAC's it can often sound like it has the very low bass roll off a bit sharply and would need some equalizer to *subtly* correct its really really almost unhearably low bass ranges to make it sound a bit more life like. However using the optical port on my PC into my headphone amp suddenly made it sound a bit deeper and my headphone amp has a bass boost option which does a great job of adjusting if anything its slightly too bassy for true to life sounds but for listening to music with synthetic bass its more enjoyable.. I found that when playing back binaural recordings even from youtube like 3dio's channel "nothing to see hear" video or the youtube video "binaural acoustic recording - harry keyworth with 3dio binaural mic" when played through youtube in the edge browser in an up to date version of windows 10 using optical output from PC to a headphone amplifier to my ears it sounds rather like how sound is supposed to sound depending on the amplifier you are using you may get a rather great experience.. I believe its been calibrated to reproduce live recordings of bands and other such things as these are open backed they make things sound a touch more live than closed back headphones in my untrained unqualified opinion. I think this is why it lacks in directional/positional accuracy I believe it was intentional or else you would be constantly looking around everywhere and probably driven insane because you would think everything you hear is in the room with you. It sounds cool but with the he400's plugged straight into my cheap nasty terrible onboard soundcard lots of youtube older videos with shaky handcams were "too" accurate and positional for sounds like running water or footsteps or breathing and every 2 minutes you will look over your shoulder and hearing people breathing in the room that aren't in the room is plain disturbing. I think the he400s were made for use with some of the worlds worst audio devices, specifically iphones and other apple products, so using the cheapest nastiest onboard sound on a PC motherboard made them sound like they were approaching pitch perfection with some audio recordings and it was cool at first but enentually annoyed the heck out of me and I was furious that any high quality audio device made them sound like dirt and not good at all the better the amp the worse the he400s sounded. Maybe I could have saved some money and gotten he4xx's but I wanted a local retailers warranty on them so I could take them to store to return if theres a fault or issue as I'm from Australia. I'm unclear of massdrops warranty but it probably involves weeks of waiting and postage costs to return things. So the sundara being made for use to work good with optical headphone amplifiers without driving you mad looking around the room is a great thing as far as i'm concerned. They maybe aren't perfect but for me I doubt i'll need much better because if they got any better it might make them worse in some ways. My cheap quad driver kz zs6 in ear headphones with a KZ usb type C cable into my LG v30 sound almost as good as the hifiman sundara but in different ways. I'm using them with some spherical memory foam eartips and those kz zs6's only cost under $50 but are amazingly uncomfortable and aren't as detailed/lifelike as these but still sound pretty darn close and in some ways better so you don't need to spend $500usd for a good sound but for me these are importantly comfortable and sound better when used with better audio amplifiers/devices. The sundara are maybe expensive and you do need an amp with optical and hopefully bass boost or an equalizer for them but I don't regret buying them.
Would you recommend this as a first planar headphone that would complement existing dynamic headphones? FWIW my current headphones are an HD6XX and an E-mu Teak.
Argons are very warm and bassy (but still oddly clear). Kind of the polar opposite of this. This is clean, technical and tight. Both are awesome but serve two different needs.
@@JoshuaValour Actually I loved my hd 650 but it is a lil bit shouty in the female vocals as you said in your review so i was looking for something different then I got the 4xx i did not like it that much . So i am going to chang it. I saw all your reviews and i feel the m1060 m1060c(Z review) or the argons mk3 with protein leather pads. Btw I am used to hear Ariana Grande Old songs from 50's Notorious BIG What do you prefer ?
*at first i bought the Sundara i am disappointed that it isnt much improvement over my previous headphone, then once i play Billie Eilish album all of sudden i hear ASMR WTF*
After listening to these for a few hours, I can see what all the hype is about, but they need a bit of EQ. They were too harsh for me at first. They EQ very well and sound incredible now.
Could you please explain what EQ change you did ? I’m a noob in audio but I recently bought them and I’m curious to know how I could make them even better. Thanks in advance.
I compared the Sundara to the Utopia, the Elegia, the Arya and the HD660s. Then came to the conclusion that the Sundara was the best buy. The sound is very close to the Arya without costing as much. The Elegia was a little too sharp for me. I had the pleasure of listening to the Utopia and here we are at the high end, both in terms of sound and budget !!! So, for the little scratch on the notch: I don't care, and for the thread: I will eventually change it! But for the sound ... the Sundara was an obvious choice for me!
@@SUKHWINDERSINGH-ub5yq I don't even have to equalize the bass, because the Sudara has enough. As I listen to them via my Astell & Kern Kann decoder (which I strongly recommend: I found it for $ 350 on eBay. It even plays native DSD 256 !!!), we can use the Pro equalizer option and we then have a great sound. BUT, this is not necessary, because the Sundara reproduce bass up to 7 Hz !!! They easily go down to the bass. Me too, I love the bass and believe me, it digs brilliantly into the bass without distortion!
broke away from the video for a second and well that album is pretty awesome. listening from Philips fidelio x2hrs but i have on order the hifiman sundaras with a dac amp and cant wait to compare the 2.
What's the score with those Periapt cables really? I saw Zeos recommending them and was going to buy some, but then I read comments about Zeos shilling them and their customer service being poor and it put me off. What's the truth of the matter? Anyone bought from them recently? How good are the cables?
As i figured you basically described a update to the HE400i (which I own) which is -not- like a HE400/HE4xx. Great review, thanks! I will note that my HE400i's mellowed on the sharpness over time, and that a Genalex Gold Lion tube sounds fantastic with them.
The Sundara has been hard to find lately. Pandemic issues or is this model, now several years old, discontinued? If so, any news on the new replacement model?
@@nynjaUT3 Not over here they aren't. Amazon in the EU rarely has stock, and it's been a while since they were listed. But if they're still plenty in the US I guess they're not discontinued.
At 73 and a hippie still I’m not sure how to connect with this reviewer, Josh Valour, but he is extremely and naturally very well spoken, clearly very intelligent and knows his stuff. His comment about Amber Rubarth, a country/ folk artist, is on the money. I hope I was able to subscribe. Mike haines
you deserve a bigger following, in terms of quality you're one of the best in the audio tech youtuber space. Love how organized your videos are, and the use of b-roll and great lighting just makes the viewing experience excellent!
Thanks 🙏 I appreciate the support as I work hard to do exactly that ^^
Only found this Channel yesterday and can only second what Viola said! Subbed obviously!
Glad to have you here!
g i r t h
Yeah, how the hell does this video from almost a year ago only have 35k views? This guy is easily the best headphone reviewer on RUclips.
After viewing literally hours of headphone reviews, I decided to get the Sundara's. They finally arrived and they really turned my head on fire...I love them!! I've been listening to Classical music, Opera, Symphonic Rock, Classic Rock, Jazz, Michael Jackson, etc. and I really adore them!! The depth and color of the bass is beautiful and natural, mids and treble are crispy clear and very present. Regarding quality, I feel them sturdy and well built. The ear pads are very comfortable too. The headset fits perfectly well. I really think that above this level you're in the situation where you experience the same difference as there is in wines where when you go over 20 bucks the bottle you realize that it's all bs, status and marketing (said by famous enologists). So if your looking for something fantastic and affordable, don't even hesitate one second. Just do it!!
Hey may i know what dac amp youre using. Do you think its okay to buy it without a dac/amp? How is it after a week using it? Sorry for having lots of question XD
@@detectiveapollo I recently bought them (they are the last revised version), so I'm still testing them (it says that they take as long as 150 hs of listening until they unleash their full potential). I've used them with my iPhone, MacBook pro and with an AMC 3050 amp. With the first two they sound very well but of course with an amp, they perform much better. For casual listening, I think there's no amp required. If you want full power, an amp is necessary...
@@igancedo thank you for the response sir.
@@igancedo Do you know which amp would go best with these headphones?
@@keatonpage509 I previously stated what I personally use…the more power you give them thru a good amp, the better they sound…
I've had this headphone for a few months now and what he describes above is pretty much what it sounds like when new. I thought it a tad bright at the beginning but now with adequate run-in time, the bass is more prominent now and this gives it a slightly warmer sound signature. It sounds great paired with the smooth and musical Audio-GD R2R-11
I still haven't heard a person that ever said his headphone got worse over time, after it's sound signature was changed by the burn-in. Funny huh?
I have quite a few headphones myself, but I still never found any evidence of burn-in. But I do tend to get used to them after a while when I switch between them after a long time.
Ooh nice. I just got an r2r11 and was looking to pair this with it. Except I'm prob going Ananda
i love the frequency of uploads, you are so deliberate in the way you are describing how exactly you hear the sound in every aspect, so much more in depth then most other reviewers especially more than that hippy zeos. metal user is great too. if you listen to zeos you just dont know what you are buying exactly. your video editing is quite pleasing to the eye as well, very professional
I'm here commenting without watching the video. I don't wanna hear how good they are, I just had to sold them to found a year of studyes outside my country 😭
Schooling is important.
The album he talks about is really good. Don't even like the music that much but you feel like you are in the room and that room is perfect and your ears weep with joy.
Ho Ly Shit the sound quality of that Amber Rubarth album is absolutely insane!!!! I am blown away (listening to it with my Sundara's and a Dragonfly Red DAC). Thanks for the advice! Do you have any other god-tier soundquality albums you can recommend?
Hey man I have Sundara for about a year now and it’s sound signature is warmer compare to first months and the highs are even better controlled which is pretty awesome and the base gets a more solid punch and depth. I do highly recommend this headphone to others especially for 350.
Are you sure it's not your ears going deaf?
He’s no going deaf......He’s absolutely right. If you don’t hear it, look to your source for the answer.......
@@manueljenkin95 The quality control of Hifiman is an old story.
The Sundara has a metal frame !!! The cushions are very comfortable and the vibrating membrane is protected by a metal braiding !!!
No problem here !!!
@@gregbelemjian2515 so he changed the amps?
Man I can't believe youre not getting more views, also looking forward to that DX7s review!
Not that people are buying headphones for heirlooms or anything, but Hifiman and Audeze still have a fair share of QC issues and deterioration. Every other Hifiman and Audeze owner I know IRL has had problems either with their initial unit or slightly down the line with driver and frame failures while I haven't heard anyone talk about a dead HD800. I love my LCD-X but I would definitely keep these things in mind while buying.
Your videos have came a long way and you keep improving. I took a long break and this is a completely different channel. Hifiman gave me a pair of these before they came out. They are bright but these headphones have a lot of wiggle room if you eq them. I turn up the low end and turn down the high end and these sound like a crisp 6XX with better tighter bass.
Josh please, next time also add some links to the music you are mentioning in your vids, okay?
Lmao aggressive
I love mine, I use it for Vinyl only via the Schiit Mani phono-stage and the Monoprice Liquid Spark Amp, I preffer the Sundara over the Ananda.
Ah, I remember when I asked for this review back when this channel had only like 20 something videos. Ah, time flies...
Came across your channel recently when looking for quality reviews on Cavalli CTH and I am hooked ever since. You bring a different perspective with focus on music rather than just talking about charts and numbers and love your playlist videos. Please have more of those, great to discover new songs through your videos like Amber Rubarth in this video. Keep up the great work!
I tested these headphones today, and your review is pretty spot on. Only thing I’d add in terms of comfort is that if you live in a warmer more humid climate, all that cushion does tend to make your head sweat. Ultimately I’ll be returning them and keeping my beloved HD650 for their comfort and less sweating.
Apparently there has been an update to these in 2020. Have you re-visted them since?
It is a sign been looking at these for some time then this review dropped
I will be waiting for your comparison with m1060, i beleive it will be very informative! Greetings from Argentina, excelent video!
And the comparation of the m1060 with the argons
I'm interested in the M1060, and am torn between these and the M1060 but have no idea which one to test out. I'm not ready to just jump into planars with $700 Audeze LCD-2C.
I'll second the Amber Rubarth(17th ward) album. You nailed it Josh! Phenomenally recorded bro!
Listening now on just some AirPods and it’s still mind blowing
Hey Josh, I recently got some crackling in my Hifiman 4xx left earcup and decided it's time for an upgrade. They're 3 years old and from what I can tell from online, it's probably time for a replacement. I'm thinking of going with the Sundara's for my upgrade and I was wondering of your opinion on that. For reference, it would be paired with my Magni Heresy and Modi 3. I mainly game, but after using the Hifiman 4xx with my amp and dac, I find myself listening to music at my PC more often.
Thanks for all the help and getting me into this hobby!
Hi. I'm not fluent in English. I'm happy to meet you. I'm hesitant between dt 1990 pro and hd 600 and sundara. What is the enjoyment of music between these 3 models? Or in short, compare these 3 models. Sorry, it took a long time.
Keep up the great reviews Josh. Really enjoy them and they make purchasing decisions way easier !!
Which Spectrum Visualizer do you use ? Is there a mac os app which would let me see the spectrum live based on what I am playing on spotify or youtube or tidal ?
I do not own phones under the $900 mark except for the Sundara, of which I have two because that phone has gone through several "stealth improvement" that are never mention by the secretive Dr. Bian yet resulted in a serious upgrade over the original model. The difference is tremendous. Gone are the 200 hours of break-in and just as gone are those sizzling high-mids and a treble that nearly made me go berserk, the wince factor was worse than any dynamic phone I own, which may sound counter-intuitive but is a common topic around headphones enthusiasts. You tell which one you have either through wincing, reading the serial number, or just looking ad the pads, the latter ones having a more pronounced version of the Focus pads. And for the build it may appear flimsy... until you compare it with that of its "plastitcky" predecessors that made us look like robots. HFM derived the frame from the $3,000 HE6e and intends to use it on all of its models in a near future. As for SQ I spent two years comparing the Sundara with the Focal Clear (using aftermarket cables to replace the garden hose-like originals on the Sundara, which are too short to begin with) and in the end I concluded that even though the Clear was the better headphone (I may biased because I prefer dynamics, but I honestly don't think it blurred my imprssions and the Sundara held its own against its fancy competitor and was't far behind, For a phone that costs about 75% less that's very impressive, HFM is to headphones what Paradigm is to speakers: a fast climber catering to the layman as well as to the millionaire with prices ranging from $249 a pair to $55,000 each. Focal is also a very fast climber but it caters to a different customer base: the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy who'll sacrifice almost everything they own just get theirs on those cans and the pricey paraphernalia they require. I should know. Thanks for review, I enjoyed it a lot!
So do you specifically try to make the background tracks ones that sound particularly good on the product you're reviewing?
That thumbnail is perfect; like hot DAMN!
Pretty cool right?
INTERLINKED. INTERLINKED.
@@WitzyZed huh?
Joshua Valour Joshua Valour low effort reference on my part, sorry. the font (which is awesome) looks like blade runner font. if you’ve seen blade runner 2049 during the ‘Voight Kampff’ tests there’s a line that I referenced. ruclips.net/video/vrP-_T-h9YM/видео.html
Ian Fitzpatrick oh. Gotcha. It is a blade runner font actually. Good spot.
Awesome reviews, really enjoy the channel. Any thoughts on gaming with the Sundara? Looking for that all-in-one... 65/35 gaming/music.
Can we get a round up of the 4XX, 560, and Sundara?
Don't need to they all sound the same
Hi, great review and channel! Hope you can answer me a question: I’m using a Macbook, a Meridian Explorer 2 DAC with my Sundara with Tidal Hifi. Is the Meridian Explorer 2 enough to get the best out of the Sundara?
Second option: i have an old Amplifier from Sony, a TA-FE520R, which i connect with the Meridian... and the
Yes they do back their warranties, recently had to send them my headphone for repairs/exchange and a great review but I would have liked to see this compared a bit more with the he 4xx
Found you under recommended channels and loving the content. Dope review.
Thanks! Glad to have you here.
Joshua Valour how would you compare the fidelity x2 to other open backs headphones
I really like how Hifiman tune their sound. I bought a HE-350 for 50 USD (from a friend). I like almost everything except those piercing highs/treble (used a tissue paper mod to tame it). and build quality issues is still there. The yolks broke on my HE-350 (without doing anything) after a few weeks of use. Hopefully they would have a better quality control and those trebles need to be tame. These are the only reason i'm skeptical in getting another Hifiman product.
Anyways! Good Review man!
HI Joshua, ya doing verry nice and informative videos. What do you recomment the Sundara or the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO? Actually I own the Sundara, but as you mentioned the are some disadvantages.
Yes Josh, u was right i went to try the Amber Rubarth as you said, and the instrument separation on that tracks through my Hifiman sundara is amazing!!!
Hi..!!!I would like to bring your consideration to the following few lines...
Most of the Hifiman names are derived from ancient sanskrit...
Even these words are used in Hindi (Indian national language)
Sundara - shouldnt be pronounced as "Su " as in 'Sun' but should be pronounced as "Su" in 'Sue'. also "dara" shouldnt be pronounced as "d" as in 'dare' but should be pronounced as "dh" as in 'dhole'... (Sundhara means Beautiful)
Aarya - pronunciation is simple and all people get it right.. (Aarya signifies power and majestic)
Aananda - again "d" not as in 'dare' but should be pronounced as "dh" as in 'dhole'... (Aananda means joy)
Suswara - Su + Swara means (Su- pure or clean) (Swara- voice or notes) pure notes...
Whoever is naming them surely has a knowledge of sanskrit and fascinated in ancient languages.. Thanks for reading..
I was going to buy these but so many people are complaining about the build quality. So I just went with HD600. Maybe next time Hifiman.
Good choice
Josh if someone pointed a gun at you and said decide either the m1070 or the sundara which would you choose??
Holy hell, that Amber Rubarth album sounds AMAZING on my 6xx's! Cant wait to try in on my Sundaras when they arrive! Thanks for the rec and great reviews Josh!
Enjoy! Slightly narrow soundstage but detail is amazing. Sound good with vinyl too.
Where's the dt1990 comparison man?
For HifiMan you should make a Review for L + R drivers differently :)
just got sundaras, and my god everything sounds so amazing.. listening to this again with the sundaras lol
I need a hip dac or dac amp recommendation for these please..
@@luiscardenas2924 mm I use full sized amps so I can't help
Side question: is there any way to tweak a headphone to give it better imaging? Like would adjusting EQ help at all?
@Mr.DuckyBeats suca a helpful rely. Well said
Received my Sundara today, they sound absolutely lovely. Agree that the bass is slightly more recessed than I'd like but with a little tweaking they're easily my best pair of cans already! Completely agree on the cable, it is garbage. Holding the curl from the way it was packaged, and the outer material feels pretty cheap and nasty. The connectors are sturdy though so I might just hold onto it for that reason. I've got a balanced cable on the way to replace it, thankfully!
Overall, would you rather have the Massdrop 6XX or Hifiman Sundara?
I really enjoyed your videos, jejeje the last ones with Grado @.@. I would like to ask what do you recommend to upgrade my SHP9500 go for H58X, dt990, dt880, dt1990 or some AKG? For AMP I have a iFi micro. Regards
Not sure about the 990 and 880(still haven’t heard them).
But the 9500 has a (somewhat) close sound to the 58x. So, I would go for something different like the 1990. Although the 990 and 880 might be awesome options, I just have no experience.
@@JoshuaValour Thanks for the fast reply. I will try to check the Beyer 990 and 880 first.
Another nice video Josh. I was wondering why it is so many folks have multiple headphones. I have hd660’s and they tend to do it all. Maybe that’s an idea for another video?
I've had a couple of different models from Hifiman in the past. 560 & 400i. I never had any quality issues with either. I sold both, the 400i to a close friend and he's had no issues either. That said, I've read about enough people having problems, and a lot of different problems at that, that I wouldn't buy anything from them at this time. If they as a company would come out and admit there are problems, and hopefully own up to them in some way, I might change my mind. It's a shame, because I like the look and what I've heard about the Sundara. I just can't bring myself to take the chance once again of something happening with them and having a company that refuses to do anything about it.
Would this be an upgrade from my HD58x???
I saw that it was on sale ($350.00) and pulled the trigger on the purchase. I too ordered a Periapt cable and will get it Friday. I am using my pair on an Enog2 Pro DAC and a 789 amp. I am glad I bought them. They sit on my printer by my small desk along with my 600s and my Alaras.
Great choices
Noooo i want to watch the compairson to the 1060s first ;~;
Where did you get it for 350?
snazzy sailor They were on sale at Hifiman.
@@snazzysailor amazon. They are still on sale
You mentioned a company to replace the cable for the headphones, can you post a link for the site?
Updated. Periaptcables.com
Thanks for reminding me.
Thank you so much for the amber rubarth sessions from the 17th ward recommendation! I don't really listen to that genre but the quality of the production really blew me away, I was able to hear everything so clearly
I own this and yeah, the sound is good and everything,but Hifiman really needs to improve their quality control. Small things like earpads coming off may not be huge issues to some, but for headphones that cost this much, it's inexcusable imo
Josh I listen to instrumental music for most of the time, what u think which one would I try ? $300 budget
This with a little EQ
Happy Memorial day Joshua in your honest opinion which would you choose between the hd660s being on sale for $399 and the Sundara $349
Awesome. Been waiting for this for a while. Curious what you think would be a better pairing with the Sundara. The Lcd2c or the Elex?
2c.
@@JoshuaValour Thanks for the response. I've been torn between the two.
Assuming my headphone budget is around $350 and I spend a lot of time listening at my desk, would you just get the Sundaras or go with the HE4XX or Jubilees AND some Ikko OH10s or similar? I don't currently have any decent headphones and I only have budget IEMs.
Do not judge the Sundara until it’s had at least 30 hours of break in. They recommend 150, but I’m not there yet. If the break in curve continues to the 150 hr point I think my head may explode. The Sundara is also very source critical. If you play crap, you’ll get crap. As I write I’m listening to Rubenstein play Chopin Ballads on a Steinway D Concert Grand piano on RCA living Stereo Vinyl. Straight from the hand of God. Happy Easter everyone.
Hey Josh have you heard the Hifiman Jade 2 electrostatics?
I listened to them on an audio show and thought they were very nice, though the available music was limited. HP+Amp for $2500 usd seems like it's a competitor to the Stax L700
Hai... Josh... Just bought a sundara based on your review... Now please suggest me a good portable dac amp to drive that well
I own the Hifiman 400s and the Sennheiser 58x Jubilee. Would the Sundara be enough of an upgrade?I’m older and don’t listen at a very high volume.
Great video as always. I personally have a HE400i and has longed to upgrade them to either the Sundara or Edition X, but now at the price of $350 i think i have myself an easy choice here. Just wondering if you were to compare Sundara directly to 400i/4XX, how much better would the mid range and high frequency be, especially the 5-7K range.
Not sure about the edition X. Haven’t reviewed it yet.
Treble for resolution absolutely goes to the Sundara. (But can be a little brighter than some may like -not sibilant tho- ) but I most likely will not directly compare. (Never know tho).
@@JoshuaValour Thx for the reply, had the chance to audition Sundara and they were phenomenal, just like how you've reviewed it, didnt find it bright enough to bother me too
Any updates on the quality issues with sundara or HifiMan itself?
Tested this and was in love with this; even planning to buy this on the spot. But I have some doubts on the quality issues especially since we only have 6 months warranty in our country.
Great review I just started following you. I think I'll have to bite the bullet and buy the Sundara too, I just got the 4XX and I want to test both against each other to see which one I prefer, but so far the 4XX are amazing. Thanks again for all the good reviews.
Hey Joshua which cable exactly did you use from periapt? Is it the 2 - TYPE 2 -DUAL 2.5MM? The Sundara are 3.5MM I thought but maybe these work? I just want to make sure I order the right thing.
it's the dual 3.5 mm.
I got a pair of these about a week ago. So far, I think they sound great and have had no issues with them other than the cable. I just ordered a new cable from periapt by your recommendation. The cable that comes with the cans is truly miserable.
Which cable did you get for the Sundara? The cable link goes to the product page
Hi Joshua, Could you recommend a dac / amp for hifiman sundara?
I'm using a Fiio K5pro.
My brother used ifi zen can amp, and dragonfly (I think this is the name) dac.
He doesn't use the sundara anymore so I dunno about his opinion on performance, but Fiio is great!! I dont EQ my headphones, still the sound is great.
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
oh no please do not use the 3.5mm single-ended cable with the balanced output
the circuitry can either A.) screw up the audio because balanced circuitry is different to SE or B.) straight up blow your headphones/IEMs up
Would love to see this compared to the mm100 when you get your hands on it. I know it’s coming!
Really noob question, but would connecting a tube amp with a portable dac/amp (such as a fiio q1 mk2) make a difference in sound? I have a pair of hd600 and im looking for a set up that would allow me to use it around the house for portable use and when im just chilling in my room i could connect it straight away to a pair of tube amps.
As i said, im still new to amps and dacs so any feedback would be appreciated :D
I got a question, I got a pair of Philips 9500's about the same time you thought they was" All in, you like them( then, a little bit later... Not so much, siblent, the works). Now, with you're channel achieving the likes you've gotten, and the chance to try many different amplifiers( I'm still using the MAGNI) I'm going to move up shortly. The Audio Technica ath-MSR7 b, is a pair of headphones I wanted when I was researching the "9500's" , I know Josh your light years ahead of me with all the access to the "Best of the Best" I'd like you to try( if you have a pair or if you would allow me to send you mine when I get them) them with some amplifiers and or DAC's( my budget is meager to say the least in the 300 to 500 dollar area). I need to know how or better still get( on the first-round) the amplifier that could pull the best sound out of them.
Today, following your lead, I own the 6xx, 4xx and the PHILIP fidelio hr's, and I modified the 9500's.
So, Josh I got to let you know man... You kick ass man, stay true
The only audio advice I take as gospel is two guys, you and a guy on U-tube his name is Paul McGowan of PS Audio a VERY knowledgeable man, well as Stan Lee use to say at the end of a comic book NUFF SAID.
Hey man are the Sundara's a noticeable upgrade on the 4xx and X2s?
@@patrickf6120 PATRICK, the Sundara's will be on my menu in the future. Joshua's option is gospel concerning the Sundara, both the 6xx and the 4xx was on point. But, I know to really enjoy them, I'll have to get a better amplifier. Rupert Neve's headphone amplifier, is my next step, it's not the most attractive amplifier( but how listens to looks) but, in my research, the power is MORE than adequate. So, Patrick that's the direction I'm heading, let me know what happens in you're audio journey I'd really like to hear what kind of set-up you have. Take care.
Just received them, and I can hear sound only from the left side :-/
Try switching the cables from side to side. If you still only hear the left side you have a failed driver on the right. It's a very common problem
@@Moreeke why is a very common problem? Is it because it is badly manufactured at the factory? Or is it because the driver is not very good quality and eventually breaks down?
@@caeeesette9604 It's a Quality Control problem from the factory
Guestimator welcome to HiFiman
What amp would y’all recommend for these headphones? Especially for bass heavy music, nothing overly-expensive if possible
Something from IFI...... Try the zen can....
@@shreyanshyadav3285 i did some research and decided to go with the topping a50s, I’ll let you know how it goes. Appreciate you!
hmmmmm.... so this? Or LCD-2c? I have 1990's, 4xx, and 650's, but really want another planar. Any suggestions? Also if 2c, which version? Idk if Fazor or classic is better lol
Did the HE1000 have that thick bass you like in planars?
Sundara or the monolith m1070 ?
Hey Josh. Have you ever considered doing a vid on music? Well recorded that is. I've been waiting for a headphone reviewer to share some of what they're listening to.
Your Amber Rubarth recommendation is fantastic! I wanted to add to your recommendation.
Please give this album a listen bro!
Ottmar Liebert- Up Close. It's a binaural recording. Simply sublime, and I know that you will dig it! Hopefully you will read this.
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?
Man you need closed backs, the open hesdphones are bass light
I bought these headphones, based on this review. Really excellent channel! Love the videos!
Can you justify the extra approx $200 over the HE4xx?
Reading various reviews, i get impression that planars and/or hifiman bring detail and speed. That about right? I'm currently using the hd58x and don't have anything to compare them to. I'm tempted by the sundara because i understand they seem to take best elements of other hifiman products.
Bump
You should start a business:
"Valour Earpads"
Would like to hear your thoughts about Hifiman HE-5se.
Cheaply made, That pretty much sums up my experience with Hifiman. I do not recommend making an investment in their products until the build quality improves. HE 1000 v.2 being the exception. Plus Hifiman (and Audeze) are constantly tweaking the sound so that you don’t know what edition you are buying. The quality control of these companies pales next to the consistency of a Sennheiser. Grado RS2e Might be my favorite headphone, but Sennheiser is my favorite company overall, the most consistently good company.
Shure is pretty solid, too, I love the SE535, (Even though I think they are a bit expensive, I cried when I paid for them, but I’ve been crying tears of joy ever since), and I love that you can make them wireless now. And I use their microphones in church. But their over ears, well, they are ok.
The quality control of Hifiman is an old story.
The Sundara has a metal frame !!! The cushions are very comfortable and the vibrating membrane is protected by a metal braiding !!!
No problem here !!!
Great Sundara review. Bought a set for £299 new. Very happy with them. I actually like the cable...listened to 10cc Une Nuit a Paris on Qubuz on my Samsung S8. Great piano sound. These will reveal the deficiencies of recordings, for sure.
How do these compare to the Focal Elex?
I have some hifiman sundara headphones, I haven't really heard many other headphones so I can't compare them to anything in their price range... However I found when I tried one or two affordable headphone amp/DAC's it can often sound like it has the very low bass roll off a bit sharply and would need some equalizer to *subtly* correct its really really almost unhearably low bass ranges to make it sound a bit more life like. However using the optical port on my PC into my headphone amp suddenly made it sound a bit deeper and my headphone amp has a bass boost option which does a great job of adjusting if anything its slightly too bassy for true to life sounds but for listening to music with synthetic bass its more enjoyable.. I found that when playing back binaural recordings even from youtube like 3dio's channel "nothing to see hear" video or the youtube video "binaural acoustic recording - harry keyworth with 3dio binaural mic" when played through youtube in the edge browser in an up to date version of windows 10 using optical output from PC to a headphone amplifier to my ears it sounds rather like how sound is supposed to sound depending on the amplifier you are using you may get a rather great experience.. I believe its been calibrated to reproduce live recordings of bands and other such things as these are open backed they make things sound a touch more live than closed back headphones in my untrained unqualified opinion. I think this is why it lacks in directional/positional accuracy I believe it was intentional or else you would be constantly looking around everywhere and probably driven insane because you would think everything you hear is in the room with you. It sounds cool but with the he400's plugged straight into my cheap nasty terrible onboard soundcard lots of youtube older videos with shaky handcams were "too" accurate and positional for sounds like running water or footsteps or breathing and every 2 minutes you will look over your shoulder and hearing people breathing in the room that aren't in the room is plain disturbing. I think the he400s were made for use with some of the worlds worst audio devices, specifically iphones and other apple products, so using the cheapest nastiest onboard sound on a PC motherboard made them sound like they were approaching pitch perfection with some audio recordings and it was cool at first but enentually annoyed the heck out of me and I was furious that any high quality audio device made them sound like dirt and not good at all the better the amp the worse the he400s sounded. Maybe I could have saved some money and gotten he4xx's but I wanted a local retailers warranty on them so I could take them to store to return if theres a fault or issue as I'm from Australia. I'm unclear of massdrops warranty but it probably involves weeks of waiting and postage costs to return things. So the sundara being made for use to work good with optical headphone amplifiers without driving you mad looking around the room is a great thing as far as i'm concerned. They maybe aren't perfect but for me I doubt i'll need much better because if they got any better it might make them worse in some ways. My cheap quad driver kz zs6 in ear headphones with a KZ usb type C cable into my LG v30 sound almost as good as the hifiman sundara but in different ways. I'm using them with some spherical memory foam eartips and those kz zs6's only cost under $50 but are amazingly uncomfortable and aren't as detailed/lifelike as these but still sound pretty darn close and in some ways better so you don't need to spend $500usd for a good sound but for me these are importantly comfortable and sound better when used with better audio amplifiers/devices. The sundara are maybe expensive and you do need an amp with optical and hopefully bass boost or an equalizer for them but I don't regret buying them.
Would you recommend this as a first planar headphone that would complement existing dynamic headphones? FWIW my current headphones are an HD6XX and an E-mu Teak.
Budget?
I’d say about 300-500 max.
@@leops1984 Either Sundara, Argon or M1060 (unless I am forgetting one)
Dammit! Just checked out that amber rubarth live album... and although i dont normally listen to that music much, it was so good! Using the DT 1990
would you say this or the argon mk 3? btw great review, thx for doing this!
+1
Actually I am still confused between choosing the argon the m1060 or these
Argons are very warm and bassy (but still oddly clear). Kind of the polar opposite of this. This is clean, technical and tight. Both are awesome but serve two different needs.
What do you like in a headphone?
@@JoshuaValour
Actually I loved my hd 650 but it is a lil bit shouty in the female vocals as you said in your review so i was looking for something different then I got the 4xx i did not like it that much .
So i am going to chang it.
I saw all your reviews and i feel the m1060 m1060c(Z review) or the argons mk3 with protein leather pads.
Btw
I am used to hear Ariana Grande
Old songs from 50's
Notorious BIG
What do you prefer ?
*at first i bought the Sundara i am disappointed that it isnt much improvement over my previous headphone, then once i play Billie Eilish album all of sudden i hear ASMR WTF*
After listening to these for a few hours, I can see what all the hype is about, but they need a bit of EQ. They were too harsh for me at first. They EQ very well and sound incredible now.
With a bit of Eq is the best Headphone under 500 i Think
Could you please explain what EQ change you did ? I’m a noob in audio but I recently bought them and I’m curious to know how I could make them even better. Thanks in advance.
@@NayveYT Look up Oratory1990, he has the full pre-sets for the Sundara with the 2020 ear pads. I use a modified version of that, but start with that.
I compared the Sundara to the Utopia, the Elegia, the Arya and the HD660s.
Then came to the conclusion that the Sundara was the best buy.
The sound is very close to the Arya without costing as much.
The Elegia was a little too sharp for me.
I had the pleasure of listening to the Utopia and here we are at the high end, both in terms of sound and budget !!!
So, for the little scratch on the notch: I don't care, and for the thread: I will eventually change it! But for the sound ... the Sundara was an obvious choice for me!
Hlo sir can you please tell me the bass response of sundara as compare to arya can it satify the bassheads if we increase the bass in equaliser
@@SUKHWINDERSINGH-ub5yq
I don't even have to equalize the bass, because the Sudara has enough.
As I listen to them via my Astell & Kern Kann decoder (which I strongly recommend: I found it for $ 350 on eBay. It even plays native DSD 256 !!!), we can use the Pro equalizer option and we then have a great sound. BUT, this is not necessary, because the Sundara reproduce bass up to 7 Hz !!! They easily go down to the bass.
Me too, I love the bass and believe me, it digs brilliantly into the bass without distortion!
@@pinkyfloydyfan1 thanks for the reply what are the other options for planer magnet headphone for bassheads apart from this
broke away from the video for a second and well that album is pretty awesome. listening from Philips fidelio x2hrs but i have on order the hifiman sundaras with a dac amp and cant wait to compare the 2.
What's the score with those Periapt cables really? I saw Zeos recommending them and was going to buy some, but then I read comments about Zeos shilling them and their customer service being poor and it put me off. What's the truth of the matter? Anyone bought from them recently? How good are the cables?
As i figured you basically described a update to the HE400i (which I own) which is -not- like a HE400/HE4xx. Great review, thanks! I will note that my HE400i's mellowed on the sharpness over time, and that a Genalex Gold Lion tube sounds fantastic with them.
@@jkteddy77 Ya might be something in my future, we'll see how that goes, happy with my 400i's but yeah, at 350$, it's compelling.
Hi, I currently have a HiBy R5 player, will it be perfect with those sundara or which DAC do you recommend for them?
The Sundara has been hard to find lately. Pandemic issues or is this model, now several years old, discontinued? If so, any news on the new replacement model?
Amazon has them and they are never out of stock. There are plenty in stock now and primed up if you are a member.
@@nynjaUT3 Not over here they aren't. Amazon in the EU rarely has stock, and it's been a while since they were listed. But if they're still plenty in the US I guess they're not discontinued.
@@bakakafka4428 Oh, gotcha. I didn't know you were not in the US. My apologies. Here in the US, there are plenty available!
At 73 and a hippie still I’m not sure how to connect with this reviewer, Josh Valour, but he is extremely and naturally very well spoken, clearly very intelligent and knows his stuff. His comment about Amber Rubarth, a country/ folk artist, is on the money. I hope I was able to subscribe. Mike haines
Hi, how is the combination of the sundara with the dragon fly cobalt?