HIFIMAN SUNDARA Hi-Fi Headphone with 3.5mm Connectors, Planar Magnetic, Comfortable Fit with Updated Earpads-Black, 2020 Version

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Ok I am no audiophile (yet). I am a simple guy who loves good live music. I'm a huge fan of Dave Matthews Band...I realize that they are a polarizing band so no matter what you like, JUST hear me out because whether you love DMB or not you should at least know that DMB, in my opinion is a great band to really test how great a headphone can be because the band covers a wide variety of instruments in virtually all of their songs including violin, sax, clarinet, trumpet, flute, acoustic & electric guitar, smooth bass, keyboard, and top notch drumming. So I was considering a lot of higher end headphones like the BT1990 or the Sennheiser 6xx, 650, and so on. You can get the 6xx headphones for over $100 cheaper than these so why spend the extra money? Well, I have listened to these headphones for only a couple of days and I have some feedback that I think will be useful for those that are interested in considering this set of headphones. I said only a couple of days right...so very low burn in yet and I am confident that they will only get better over time. First off, the best quality of these headphones, in my opinion, is the soundstage. The soundstage is incredibly wide. I came from M50x headphones and for me there is no comparison. Sundara is wide and instruments have their place right where they should be. The violin, sax, vocals, drums, bass, and all other instruments are so clean and clear. You can choose to listen in and focus on one instrument and really hear the clarity and depth to that particular instrument due to the soundstage being so wide. You can also just relax and listed to everything blended together which sounds just terrific. I am truly in awe of all of the hidden sounds and secrets that I never knew existed and I have listened to the band for well over 20 years with Bose, Audio Techica, and other brands. This is NOT an exaggeration...every song I have listened to I have heard something new that I had never heard before. WOW! I haven't experienced anything like this with a new pair of headphones in the past. It is SUCH a treat! The treble is JUST right...it does peak at times and toes the line (sometimes!!!) but it never crosses that line. In my opinion it is just perfect where it is at and sounds great! The mids are so nice! Dave Matthew's voice comes out as strong, clear, and beautiful. Not over-produced or anything like that. I have heard the 6xx or 650's have mids that can't really be topped but sacrifice a lot with the soundstage. Dave sounds exactly as he should...great vocals without being too strong or taking away from the strength of the other instruments. EDIT...Bass HAS improved substantially with burn in. Bass sounds really great now, but here is what I originally wrote: Bass is weak to me without the use of an amp. You really need to crank these up with an amp to feel the bass hit. Bass is smooth...it is there...but I would prefer it to be a little stronger without the amp. If you listen to music that needs strong bass and can't buy an amp. I would pass on this. For now, I knocked this down a star for the bass. It is NOT bad...its just in that slightly above average spot for me. Bass guitar is the hardest instrument for me to focus on because the other guitars, horns, and strings come on as being stronger. THAT said, I have had the headphones for only 2 days and this could improve and if it does, I will update this. My guess is it will get better with more burn in. Do you need an amp? Well, most likely yes. I know that was hard for me to understand as I got into this audiophile hobby..."You mean I just spent $350 and now I have to buy another piece of equipment for another $100 or more." Well, all I can tell you is I used the headphones in my iPod classic on full volume and it was nice but it really needed more. When I hooked up my amp...(I purchased the Monolith Liquid Spark) it really opened the headphone up and gave them the extra power that I can confidently say they NEEDED. They sound great without an amp, don't get me wrong but the amp imo is necessary unless you really listen to music on pretty low volumes. I got the amp., and a RCA to 3.5 mm cord to hook my iPod or computer to the amp. and the sound is just not going to get better for $350 + the cost of the amp. In conclusion, if you love clean, clear, beautiful music and want great soundstage and comfort, this headphone is the one to get. Especially if you listen to music with great instrument variety. For me, the incredible soundstage makes the extra $100 over the 6xxs easily worth it. I mean do you want to just fork over the $100 bucks now and have the perfect headphones or do you want to sacrifice to save that $? To me, I want these headphones to be my go to headphones for years...I want to get the best enjoyment out of those so that extra $ was worth it. All in all, its a 4.5 out of 5 headphone for me. I am going to be loving this for many years!

These headphones live up to the expectation, however... Without EQ, these have barely noticeable bass, but don't be mistaken, the bass response is genuinely incredible, I'm hearing thumps on my mic down to 33hz, but it NEEDS EQ for this to happen. The other flaw is the stock cable, trust me, get any third party coiled dual 3.5mm, I nearly went insane with the amount of times I nearly pulled my Audio Interfaces headphone jack apart from walking around my room, it's VERY short and poor quality.

Pense que era pura publicidad, pero que equivocado estaba, el hype es real, se escucha todo suuuuuuper claro, no solo eso, todo esta en su lugar, cada instrumento, cada sonido, los volveria a comprar solo por si algo les pasa a estos

الصوت حاي من جهه وحده بس فرجعتها بس اللي مهلينا احط تقيم سيء ان الكرتون اللي جتني فيه غير الرسمي وبس فيه السناعه والسلك بدون كتلوج او ضمان او اي شي ثاني كان مشكوك فيه مرررره

I got these because of two things: I wanted to try planar magnetic headphones. And graphs and reviewers were saying this has a “reference” sound. Tuning is very subjective and personal. And reviewers use a bunch of weird names, but I usually like when the equalization of the speakers let me hear well the mids and highs without being drowned by bass and sub-bass. I use headphones for games and music. For games, that means I can hear enemies better and pinpoint their location, some headphones are almost like cheating. It would be if games used a proper audio codecs with low latency, but that is a different story. For music, for me, it just feels right. I could never understand bass heavy headphones, you miss so much of the other instruments and singers' voices. So you might need to set up an equalizer or a different set of headphones if you really want that sub-bass going. Don't get me wrong, you still get that nice vibration when the bass drop, but the voices and midrange instruments are obvious, it is almost like I can pinpoint them as well as my enemies in Counter Strike. ** Build Quality ** The quality of them are good, they feel solid and the metal makes it feel premium. More premium than the Ananda, and the AT in the photo, but less so than the DT 1990 but mostly because of the pads and cables. It is very comfortable, not as light as an Audio Technica, but you can still use it comfortably for a long period. I would prefer a carrying case than the box it comes in. The DT for example, comes in a fancy carrying case instead of a weird box. The Ananda comes with a styrofoam stand that I do not use, but it feels more useful than the Sundara case. I like the cables are detachable and just a regular jack, that means you can find replacements very easy. The pads are also easy to find replacement. Changing pads and cables are an easy way to tune it to your tastes and make it feel ever more premium. ** Last remarks ** You don't need a DAC to use them, I used it both straight to my computer and with a SoundblasterX G6, the audio was similar to me. I do not recommend the Soundblaster, you can find better DAC for cheaper, it is just what I had in hand and since then, I just plug straight to a computer. If you really want to try a planar magnetic, this might be the most well-rounded option at this price range. I like the Ananda better for games, and you can find the Ananda for cheaper sometimes. Ananda: https://www.amazon.ca/Ananda-Over-Ear-Full-Size-Magnetic-Headphones/dp/B07DJ2ZBB3