---
title: "HIFIMAN Audivina Review: The Closed-Back That Fell to $699"
description: "HIFIMAN Audivina review: a $699 closed-back planar headphone, 20 ohms and 97 dB, with a hall-sized stage, recessed vocals and early sub-bass roll-off. 6.8/10."
url: "https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-audivina/"
type: "article"
section: "Headphones"
author: "Jakub Charkiewicz"
published: "2026-11-13T00:00:00.000Z"
modified: "2026-11-13T00:00:00.000Z"
tags: ["Planar Magnetic", "Closed-Back", "HIFIMAN", "Over-Ear", "Stealth Magnets"]
product: "HIFIMAN Audivina"
brand: "HIFIMAN"
score: 6.8
score_max: 10
verdict: "Mixed"
---

> Markdown rendering of https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-audivina/
> Canonical URL to cite: https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-audivina/
> Generated from the published page. Text and links only; see the HTML for layout.

Breadcrumb: [Home](https://theaudiostuff.com/) > [Reviews](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/) > [Headphones](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/headphones/) > HIFIMAN Audivina

# HIFIMAN Audivina Review: A Closed-Back Planar Cut From $2,000 to $699

A $699 closed-back planar with willow wood cups and a hall-sized stage. Great for classical, jazz and anything recorded in a real room - a disaster for pop.

HIFIMAN By [Jakub Charkiewicz](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/jakub-charkiewicz/) List price $699 Published Nov 13, 2026

Score 6.8 out of 10

Mixed

- **Standout**: Big stage from a closed-back cup, like an open-back
- **Watch out for**: 3 kHz dip pushes vocals back
- **Better alternative**: [HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/): $1,000 more, scores 2.5 higher.

[What the verdicts mean](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/#verdict-scale)

Read 9 min Watch 12 min

![HIFIMAN Audivina earcups side by side, orange-lacquered willow wood with a chrome logo on each](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-lacquered-willow-earcups-1152w.avif)

For the wider field, our [Best Open-Back Headphones](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-open-back-headphones/) guide ranks 14 rivals in this class. This one is not among them.

The HIFIMAN Audivina was so bad they had to cut it from $2,000 to $700. And honestly, that should've been the price from the get-go.

[![HIFIMAN Audivina earcups side by side, orange-lacquered willow wood with a chrome logo on each](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-lacquered-willow-earcups-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-lacquered-willow-earcups-1536w.avif)

*Solid willow wood cups, lacquered a warm orange.*

## Willow wood cups and an HE1000 headband {#willow-wood-cups-and-an-he1000-headband}

[Watch this part (0:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=22s)

Let's start with the box, because at the original price it was the first red flag. The Audivina ships in plain brown recycled cardboard - fine for a $300 headphone, not for a $2,000 one. At $700, I don't mind it at all.

[![Brown recycled cardboard Audivina box with a black printed sleeve showing the headphone](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-recycled-cardboard-box-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-recycled-cardboard-box-1536w.avif)

*Plain recycled cardboard: a red flag at $2,000, fine at $700.*

Inside, though, the story changes. The earcups are solid willow wood, lacquered a warm orange, with the pores of the wood still visible through the varnish. HIFIMAN says it "feels like jade to the touch," and for once I'm not arguing with the marketing. There's a chrome HIFIMAN logo on each cup, a metal ring between the wood and the pad, and they're big. Really big. That's by design - the inside is a resonance chamber modeled on the Bayreuth opera house, and that needs space.

The headband is the same suspension design as the HE1000 - hand-polished, CNC-machined aluminum yokes, with a steel band on top, and a perforated light-brown leather strap against your head. It adjusts with clicks, the cups swivel and tilt both ways, and unlike many cheaper HIFIMANs, they fold flat to rest around your neck. The dual 3.5 mm connectors are my favorite type, and these grip the plug tightly - older HIFIMANs often didn't.

[![Audivina headband: a perforated light-brown leather strap under a steel band, with an aluminum yoke](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-suspension-strap-yoke-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-suspension-strap-yoke-1536w.avif)

*The HE1000-style suspension strap and CNC-machined aluminum yokes.*

## Heavy at 470 g, but comfortable for hours {#heavy-at-470-g-but-comfortable-for-hours}

It weighs 470 grams, which sounds like a lot, and for a planar it's on the heavier side. The thing is, you don't feel it. The wide strap spreads the load, the clamp sits between light and medium, and the pads are deep enough for any ear to fit fully inside. For me that means extensive listening sessions with no hot spots.

[![Audivina from the front against a wooden wall, the wide perforated strap hanging under the steel band](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-steel-headband-aluminum-yokes-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-steel-headband-aluminum-yokes-1536w.avif)

*The wide strap spreads the 470 g across your head.*

The pads are a three-material hybrid - synthetic leather on the outside, soft fabric where they touch your skin, and perforated pleather inside. I encountered two downsides though - my ears got slightly warm, and because there's no damping behind the wood, isolation is significantly weaker than you'd expect from a [closed-back](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/closed-back/).

[![Both Audivina ear pads face-on, tan fabric faces around deep openings with the drivers visible inside](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-hybrid-ear-pads-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-hybrid-ear-pads-1536w.avif)

*Deep hybrid pads: fabric where they touch your skin, pleather inside.*

## Three cables and a hard case, but no 4.4 mm {#three-cables-and-a-hard-case-but-no-44-mm}

[Watch this part (2:39)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=159s)

You also get three cables: a short 3.5 mm, plus two more - ending in a quarter-inch (6.35 mm) jack and a 4-pin [XLR](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/balanced/#xlr-44-mm-and-the-other-balanced-plugs). They're soft, black, barely microphonic, and a big step up from HIFIMAN's old yellowish rubbery cables. Sadly we didn't get a 4.4 mm one. And, as a very nice extra, there's a zippered semi-hard case that feels rather sturdy.

[![Three black Audivina cables on a white table, ending in 4-pin XLR, 6.35 mm and right-angled 3.5 mm plugs](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-cables-xlr-6-35mm-3-5mm-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-cables-xlr-6-35mm-3-5mm-1536w.avif)

*Three soft cables in the box: 4-pin XLR, 6.35 mm and 3.5 mm.*

## It shares its driver with the Edition XS {#it-shares-its-driver-with-the-edition-xs}

[Watch this part (3:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=192s)

The Audivina is a [planar magnetic](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/planar-magnetic/) headphone, which means the sound is produced by an extremely thin film suspended between magnets. The film HIFIMAN uses here is called the NEO Supernano [Diaphragm](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#diaphragm), and it's somewhere between one and two microns thick. For comparison, the diaphragm in a typical [dynamic driver](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/dynamic-driver/) headphone is around twenty to thirty microns, so we're talking about a tenth of that. The reason HIFIMAN goes that thin is weight. A lighter film can start and stop moving faster, and that's where planar headphones get their speed and detail from.

What HIFIMAN doesn't advertise, though, is that this is the same NEO Supernano Diaphragm they use in the [Sundara](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-sundara/), the [Edition XS](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-edition-xs/) and the Ananda. It carries the same name and the same one-to-two-micron spec, and those are headphones that cost a fraction of what the Audivina launched at. It's also worth knowing that this isn't the nanometer-thickness diaphragm from the HE1000 line - that one is thinner yet.

The magnets around that diaphragm are HIFIMAN's [Stealth Magnets](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/stealth-magnets/), and the idea behind them is actually pretty simple. In a planar headphone the magnets sit directly in front of the film, so the sound has to go through them on its way to your ear. With conventionally shaped magnets, that creates turbulence that smears fine detail. Stealth Magnets are shaped so the waves can pass through with as little interference as possible - acoustically invisible, as HIFIMAN calls them. The catch is that, once again, you'll find them in the Edition XS as well.

## A chamber modeled on the Bayreuth opera house {#a-chamber-modeled-on-the-bayreuth-opera-house}

[Watch this part (5:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=300s)

That leaves the earcup as the one part of the Audivina that's actually unique to it, and in fairness, it's a clever piece of design. Every closed-back headphone has the same built-in problem. The sound coming off the back of the driver has nowhere to go, so it bounces straight back through the film and muddies everything, and that's why so many closed-backs sound boxy.

HIFIMAN's solution was inspired by the opera house Wagner built in 1876. Wagner put the orchestra in a pit under the stage and covered it with a hood, so none of the sound reaches the audience directly - it all reflects off the hood and the stage first. That's why the sound in that hall is so blended that you can't tell where any single instrument is coming from - the music just fills the room.

HIFIMAN tried to recreate that effect inside a headphone by carving a curved chamber into each wooden cup. Instead of hitting a flat wall, the back wave travels a long, winding path and fades out before it can make its way back to the driver. That's the reason the cups are so big, and it's also why there's no damping material behind the wood.

[![Side profile of a deep, lacquered willow Audivina earcup resting on a wooden shelf](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-deep-willow-earcup-profile-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-deep-willow-earcup-profile-1536w.avif)

*The cups are this deep to fit the curved chamber carved inside.*

## Easy to drive at 20 ohms, even from a phone {#easy-to-drive-at-20-ohms-even-from-a-phone}

[Watch this part (6:19)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=379s)

Drivability comes down to [impedance](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/impedance/) and [sensitivity](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/sensitivity/), and here they're 20 ohms and 97 dB. That makes the Audivina easier to drive than a Sundara, which costs less than half as much, and about as easy as a big planar gets. For loud peaks it needs roughly 20 mW - a phone manages it, any decent dongle has room to spare, and a proper desktop amp tightens the [bass](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#bass) a touch without being required.

There's a bonus hidden in that 20 ohms, too. It's a planar, so the impedance stays flat across the whole range, which means a high-output-impedance amp, like a cheap tube design, won't bend the tuning the way it would on a dynamic headphone. What it will do is pass along hiss from a noisy source, so invest in a clean one instead of a powerful one.

The driver itself is an oval, 90 x 70 mm, a bit bigger than a credit card, and the rated range of 5 Hz to 55 kHz goes well past anything you can hear. So the numbers are easy. The sound is not.

## An open-back soundstage from a closed-back cup {#an-open-back-soundstage-from-a-closed-back-cup}

[Watch this part (7:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=464s)

So, does that chamber give you an [open-back](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/open-back/) [soundstage](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/soundstage/) from a closed cup? Ten seconds of music is enough to know the answer is yes. The sound isn't sitting left and right like on many other closed-backs I own - it's around you, like the room is doing part of the work. Then play a pop track, and you'll understand why this headphone lost 65 percent of its price.

The stage is big, with real depth and [air](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#air) around every instrument. The catch is that it's a hall, and halls are blurry. A violin doesn't sit at a spot, it sits in a region. For an orchestra, that's exactly what row twelve sounds like.

## Fast planar bass, but the sub-bass rolls off early {#fast-planar-bass-but-the-sub-bass-rolls-off-early}

[Watch this part (8:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=509s)

The bass is where the closed-back promise sort of falls apart. A sealed cup normally gives you that chest thump, but this one isn't really sealed, so you don't get it. What you get instead is proper, but rather light, planar bass - fast, clean and textured, with the [punch](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#punch) sitting in the mid-bass. A double bass in a jazz trio sounds superb, with every note separated well. Lower than that it simply fades away. The [sub-bass](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/sub-bass/) rolls off early, so hip-hop, electronic music and modern pop all sound like someone stole the bass.

## Recessed vocals from a 3 kHz dip {#recessed-vocals-from-a-3-khz-dip}

[Watch this part (9:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=553s)

And now the weird part, which is the [midrange](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#midrange). There's a bump around 1 kHz and a hole around 3 kHz, and that 3 kHz region is exactly the one your ear uses to put a voice right in front of you. When it's taken away, the vocals move back, as if the singer took two steps off the mic. Pianos lose some of their weight, electric guitars lose their [bite](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/#bite), and on vocal-centric pop the one thing you're supposed to be hearing ends up being the furthest away.

[![Audivina hanging on a dark headphone stand with a wooden base, its willow cup and chrome logo in focus](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-earcup-on-stand-1152w.avif)](https://theaudiostuff.com/images/hifiman-audivina-earcup-on-stand-1536w.avif)

*On a stand, the willow grain shows through the lacquer.*

With a string quartet recorded in a church, though, it stops being a problem. Acoustic instruments don't need the 3 kHz push to sound present, because the recording already has the room in it, and the Audivina just hands you that room. A cello gets its woody body back, a plucked double bass has air around it, and a piano in a proper hall sounds like a piano in a proper hall.

## Airy treble with a 6 kHz peak {#airy-treble-with-a-6-khz-peak}

[Watch this part (10:19)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=619s)

The treble is the usual HIFIMAN recipe - a lot of air, plenty of detail, and a peak around 6 kHz. On a smooth jazz track the cymbals shimmer and trail off naturally. On a loud modern master that peak turns "S" sounds too spicy, and a bright, [analytical](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/sound-signature/#analytical-and-musical) amp only makes it worse, so give it a source with some [warmth](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/sound-signature/#warm-dark-and-bright-tunings).

## Detail retrieval holds until the mix gets crowded {#detail-retrieval-holds-until-the-mix-gets-crowded}

[Watch this part (10:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=647s)

Detail is where the Audivina gets a few points back. The driver is quick, and it pulls out the small stuff you typically get from a good planar - a singer's breath before the line or tiny ambient sounds - without you having to go looking for it. It keeps that up until the mix gets crowded. In a wall of guitars or a big orchestral climax, the sound starts smearing, and it only clears up once the arrangement thins out again. It still somehow manages to surpass most dynamic driver headphones though, which is an achievement.

Most of what's odd here comes from the cup rather than the driver, and HIFIMAN seems to know it. About two years after its launch they put out an Audivina LE for around $400 with a reshaped shell meant to calm the resonance down.

## EQ brings the singer closer and fills in the bass {#eq-brings-the-singer-closer-and-fills-in-the-bass}

[Watch this part (11:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=700s)

Since it's a planar, it takes EQ like a champ. A few decibels around 3 kHz makes the singer sound closer if that's what you want, and a bass shelf fills in what's lacking out of the box.

## Is the HIFIMAN Audivina worth $699? {#is-the-hifiman-audivina-worth-699}

[Watch this part (11:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=715s)

So here's where I land - it's not as bad as people make it, but it's clearly not a generalist unit. For classical, jazz and anything recorded in a real room, the Audivina gives you a truly unique, pleasant experience. For everything else, it can become a disaster, especially when you try to play pop.

## Audivina sound signature {#signature-heading}

The review describes the HIFIMAN Audivina as having a wide stage.

Charted from the review's own words, quoted under each line.

- Soundstage: **Wide stage**
  Also wide stage, nearest in price: [HIFIMAN Ananda Nano](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-ananda-nano/#signature-heading), [HIFIMAN Arya Organic](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-organic/#signature-heading) and [HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000-stealth/#signature-heading).
  - “Big stage from a closed-back cup, like an open-back” (from the pros)
  - “The stage is big, with real depth and air around every instrument” (in An open-back soundstage from a closed-back cup)

**HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth:** Bright, wide stage. [Read the HE1000 Stealth review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000-stealth/)

**HIFIMAN Arya Organic:** Bright, wide stage, analytical, energetic. [Read the Arya Organic review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-organic/)

**HIFIMAN Arya Stealth:** Warm. [Read the Arya Stealth review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-stealth/)

**HIFIMAN Ananda Nano:** Bright, wide stage. [Read the Ananda Nano review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-ananda-nano/)

Hear what "wide stage" means: a short synthesized loop, flat and then with those leanings. **An illustration of the words, not a recording of the Audivina.**

Not sure which signature suits you? [Find yours with a blind A/B test](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/sound-signature-finder/)

Reviewed by

### [Jakub Charkiewicz](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/jakub-charkiewicz/) {#rv-author-box-title}

Founder & lead reviewer Writing for The Audio Stuff since May 2023

[Everything by Jakub](https://theaudiostuff.com/authors/jakub-charkiewicz/) [@TheAudioStuff](https://www.youtube.com/@TheAudioStuff) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-charkiewicz) [How we test](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/how-we-test/) [Report a correction](mailto:contact@theaudiostuff.com?subject=Correction%3A%20HIFIMAN%20Audivina%20review&body=Page%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Ftheaudiostuff.com%2Freviews%2Fhifiman-audivina%2F%0A%0AWhat%20looks%20wrong%2C%20and%20where%20you%20read%20the%20right%20figure%20(if%20you%20have%20a%20source)%3A%0A%0A)

### Pros {#rv-pros-heading}

- Big stage from a closed-back cup, like an open-back
- Solid willow wood cups with a warm lacquered finish
- HE1000-style suspension headband with CNC-machined aluminum yokes
- Comfortable for long sessions despite 470 g - no hot spots
- Fast, clean and textured planar bass
- Easy to drive - 20 ohms, 97 dB, a phone manages it
- Three soft cables (3.5 mm, 6.35 mm, 4-pin XLR) and a semi-hard case
- Takes EQ well

### Cons {#rv-cons-heading}

- 3 kHz dip pushes vocals back - pop and vocal music suffer
- Sub-bass rolls off early - no closed-back chest thump
- Blurry imaging - instruments sit in regions, not spots
- 6 kHz peak makes S sounds spicy on loud masters
- Detail smears when the mix gets crowded
- Weak isolation for a closed-back, and ears get slightly warm
- Same diaphragm and Stealth Magnets as the cheaper Edition XS
- No 4.4 mm cable in the box

### At a glance {#glance-heading}

- **List price**: $699
- **Score breakdown**: Sound 6.5 Technical performance 7.0 Build & comfort 7.3 System fit 7.3 Value 6.2 1.3 below the 8.1 average across all 31 headphone reviews. From 15 of this review's pros and cons, weighted to the published rubric. [How a score is built](https://theaudiostuff.com/about/#rubric)
- **Rank**: [#29 of 31 headphones by score - see the full ranked list](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/headphones/#top-rated) by score, of all the headphones we've reviewed [Next higher KBEAR KB02 Score 6.9 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/kbear-kb02/)
- **Value**: Steep Better value exists in headphones [Better value HIFIMAN Sundara Closed-back Score 6.8 out of 10](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-sundara-closed-back/)

### Specifications {#specs-heading}

**Key specifications for the HIFIMAN Audivina**
| | |
| --- | --- |
| Driver | [Planar magnetic](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/planar-magnetic/) |
| [Impedance](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/impedance/) | 20 Ω |
| [Sensitivity](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/sensitivity/) | 97 dB (reference not stated) |
| [Frequency response](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/frequency-response/) | 5 Hz - 55 kHz |
| Connector | Dual 3.5 mm |
| Weight | 470 g |
| Driver size | 90 x 70 mm (oval) |
| Cables | 3.5 mm, 6.35 mm and 4-pin XLR |

Manufacturer figures. How they are defined: [IEC 60268-7](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/86573). [See an error? Tell us.](mailto:contact@theaudiostuff.com?subject=Spec%20correction%3A%20HIFIMAN%20Audivina%20review&body=Page%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Ftheaudiostuff.com%2Freviews%2Fhifiman-audivina%2F%0A%0AWhat%20looks%20wrong%2C%20and%20where%20you%20read%20the%20right%20figure%20(if%20you%20have%20a%20source)%3A%0A%0A)

Will my amp drive these headphones?

About 20 mW

to reach 110 dB peaks, within reach of a phone jack or any dongle.

From this review's 20 Ω and 97 dB, read as dB/mW: the reference is not stated, and as dB/V the figure would be implausibly low for this impedance.

[Reproduce this in the Headphone Power Calculator](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/headphone-power-calculator/)

### More from HIFIMAN {#sister-heading}

- [HIFIMAN Arya Organic](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-organic/) Score 9.2 out of 10, Highly Recommended
- [HIFIMAN Arya Stealth](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-stealth/) Score 8.7 out of 10, Highly Recommended
- [HIFIMAN Ananda Nano](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-ananda-nano/) Score 8.6 out of 10, Highly Recommended
- [HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000-stealth/) Score 8.5 out of 10, Highly Recommended

[All 20 HIFIMAN reviews](https://theaudiostuff.com/brands/hifiman/)

## Watch the video review {#video-heading}

[Subscribe on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@TheAudioStuff)

[Watch HIFIMAN Audivina: From $2,000 to $700 in 3 Years on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM)

Prefer to read? The written review above covers everything in the video.

1. [0:00 From $2,000 to $700 - What Went Wrong?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=0s)
2. [0:22 Comfort & Build Quality - Willow Wood Cups, HE1000 Headband, 470 g, Hybrid Pads](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=22s)
3. [2:39 Accessories - Three Cables, No 4.4 mm, Semi-Hard Case](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=159s)
4. [3:12 Technologies - NEO Supernano Diaphragm, Stealth Magnets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=192s)
5. [5:00 The Bayreuth Opera House Chamber - Why the Cups Are So Big](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=300s)
6. [6:19 Technical Specs - 20 Ohm, 97 dB, Amp Pairing, Output Impedance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=379s)
7. [7:44 Sound Quality - Open-Back Soundstage From a Closed-Back](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=464s)
8. [8:29 Bass - Fast Planar Punch, Early Sub-Bass Roll-Off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=509s)
9. [9:13 Midrange - 1 kHz Bump, 3 kHz Dip, Recessed Vocals](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=553s)
10. [10:19 Treble - Air, Detail and a 6 kHz Peak](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=619s)
11. [10:47 Detail Retrieval - Where It Wins and Where It Smears](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=647s)
12. [11:40 EQ Tips - 3 kHz Lift and a Bass Shelf](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=700s)
13. [11:55 Verdict - Who Should (and Should Not) Buy the Audivina](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJAMWcLvMM&t=715s)

## Common questions about the Audivina {#rv-faq-heading}

1. ### Is the HIFIMAN Audivina worth $699? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-is-the-hifiman-audivina-worth-699}
   For a narrow kind of listener it is. It scored 6.8/10 with a Mixed verdict: the willow wood build, the comfort and a hall-like stage from a closed cup are real strengths, while the 3 kHz dip, the early sub-bass roll-off and a stage that blurs instruments hold it back. At its $2,000 launch price it was hard to defend.
2. ### Who should buy the HIFIMAN Audivina? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-who-should-buy-the-hifiman-audivina}
   Listeners whose library is classical, jazz and acoustic music recorded in a real room. Strings, a plucked double bass and a piano in a hall sound right on it, because the tuning hands you the room that is already in the recording. Anyone who mostly plays pop, hip-hop or electronic music should look elsewhere: vocals step back and the sub-bass is missing.
3. ### Does the HIFIMAN Audivina need an amp? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-does-the-hifiman-audivina-need-an-amp}
   It does not. At 20 ohms and 97 dB it is about as easy to drive as a big planar gets, easier than a Sundara, and a phone reaches loud peaks. A desktop amp tightens the bass a touch without being required. A clean, quiet source matters more than power, since the low impedance passes along hiss from a noisy one. About 20 mW to reach 110 dB peaks, within reach of a phone jack or any dongle. The review records 97 dB without saying against what, so this figure assumes dB/mW, an inference the maker's sheet does not confirm: read as dB/V it would work out to 80 dB/mW, less sensitive than the Susvara and harder to drive than any headphone in production.
   [Work out the power in the headphone power calculator](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/headphone-power-calculator/)
4. ### What alternatives to the HIFIMAN Audivina at a similar price have been tested? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-what-alternatives-to-the-hifiman-audivina-at-a}
   There is no comparison page for it. Reviewed here in the same price bracket: the [HIFIMAN Arya Stealth](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-stealth/) at 8.7/10.
5. ### Does the Audivina use a different driver from the Sundara and Edition XS? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-does-the-audivina-use-a-different-driver-from}
   Its diaphragm is the same. The NEO Supernano Diaphragm, one to two microns thick, is the film HIFIMAN also uses in the Sundara, the Edition XS and the Ananda, and the Stealth Magnets appear in the Edition XS too. The part unique to the Audivina is the earcup, with its curved chamber carved into the willow wood.
   [HIFIMAN Edition XS review](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-edition-xs/)
6. ### Why did the HIFIMAN Audivina drop from $2,000 to $699? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-why-did-the-hifiman-audivina-drop-from-2}
   Because $2,000 was never a fair price for it, and $699 is close to what it should have cost from the start. It shipped in plain recycled cardboard, its NEO Supernano Diaphragm is the one in the Sundara, Edition XS and Ananda, and its Stealth Magnets are also in the Edition XS, which leaves the willow wood earcup as the one part unique to it. Its tuning then falls apart on pop: a 3 kHz dip pushes vocals back and the sub-bass rolls off early. After a 65 percent cut, those trade-offs are easier to accept.
7. ### How well does the HIFIMAN Audivina isolate? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-how-well-does-the-hifiman-audivina-isolate}
   Significantly worse than a closed-back usually does. With no damping material behind the wood, outside sound gets through more easily than with a sealed cup, and the same openness is why the bass lacks the chest thump closed-backs normally give.
   [What a closed-back seal does](https://theaudiostuff.com/glossary/closed-back/)
8. ### What is the HIFIMAN Audivina LE? {#review-hifiman-audivina-faq-what-is-the-hifiman-audivina-le}
   A cheaper follow-up HIFIMAN put out about two years after the Audivina's launch, at around $400, with a reshaped shell meant to calm the cup's resonance down. That fits where the Audivina's oddities come from: mostly the cup, much less the driver. The LE has not been reviewed here, so how far the new shell changes the sound is not covered on this page.

## Sources {#rv-sources-heading}

- [IEC 60268-7: Headphones and earphones](https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/86573)
  Standard International Electrotechnical Commission Paid full text
  How the impedance, sensitivity and frequency response that headphone makers publish are defined. The figures quoted here are published ones; nothing is bench-measured in-house.
- [HyperPhysics: Diffraction of sound](https://hyperphysics.gsu.edu/hbase/Sound/diffrac.html)
  Reference Georgia State University
  How sound bends around an obstacle in its path, the effect Stealth Magnets are shaped to reduce on the way out of the driver.
- [Sakamoto et al. (2014): Experimental study on hearing thresholds for low-frequency pure tones](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ast/35/4/35_E1379/_article)
  Paper Acoustical Society of Japan
  Measured hearing thresholds for low-frequency tones: why the bottom octave needs far more level to be heard than the midrange.
  Discussed in Fast planar bass, but the sub-bass rolls off early
- [Olive (2022): The perception and measurement of headphone sound quality: what do listeners prefer?](https://acousticstoday.org/he-perception-and-measurement-of-headphone-sound-quality-what-do-listeners-prefer-sean-e-olive/)
  Paper Acoustical Society of America
  What listeners prefer in a headphone, from the research that measured how far a tuning can lean warm, bright or V-shaped before preference drops.
  Discussed in Willow wood cups and an HE1000 headband

Read next: review [HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-arya-unveiled/) Scored 9.1. Also from HIFIMAN, listing for $600 more.

### Alternatives to the Audivina {#rg-heading}

[All 31 headphone reviews](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/headphones/)

Nearest we have reviewed

- [HIFIMAN Sundara Closed-back](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-sundara-closed-back/) $450 less, a near-tie on score Scored 6.8 out of 10

### Comparisons to explore {#fi-nearby-heading}

- [HIFIMAN Arya Organic vs HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/compare/hifiman-arya-organic-vs-hifiman-he1000se/) 9.2 vs 9.3
- [HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled vs HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/compare/hifiman-arya-unveiled-vs-hifiman-he1000se/) 9.1 vs 9.3
- [HIFIMAN Arya Organic vs HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled](https://theaudiostuff.com/compare/hifiman-arya-organic-vs-hifiman-arya-unveiled/) 9.2 vs 9.1

### Guides to explore {#fi-guidenear-heading}

- [Best Planar Magnetic Headphones](https://theaudiostuff.com/guides/best-planar-magnetic-headphones/) 10 ranked picks

### Published around it {#fi-adjacent-heading}

- Previous [HIFIMAN HE1000se](https://theaudiostuff.com/reviews/hifiman-he1000se/) Scored 9.3 out of 10

### Tools for this gear {#fi-tools-heading}

- [Am I listening too loud? Safe Headphone Volume Calculator](https://theaudiostuff.com/tools/safe-listening-calculator/)