HIFIMAN Sundara Review: They Made AMAZING Even Better

The HIFIMAN Sundara used to be priced at $500, which was an okay deal back then. Later they slashed its price to $350, which made it a really great value purchase, considering its outstanding audio quality and the state of the market back then. Then, they made it even better with the new silent revision. And now, its price has dropped to just $300 - which sounds just crazy. Let's take a closer look at it.

The Sundara is an open-backHeadphones with perforated or meshed ear cups allowing free air exchange; produces a more natural, spacious presentation with no isolation from ambient sound., full-size, planar magneticA driver using a thin membrane with embedded conductors suspended between magnets, producing sound from the entire surface for very low distortion. over-ear headphone from HIFIMAN. Its first revision was released in 2017. The latest version features HIFIMAN's NEO Supernano DiaphragmThe vibrating membrane in a transducer that converts between electrical energy and acoustic waves; its mass, stiffness, and damping determine driver character., which is supposed to result in a faster, more detailed response. As far as I know, it does not include Stealth MagnetsHIFIMAN's asymmetric magnet geometry on their planar magnetic drivers, designed to present a more acoustically transparent surface to the diaphragm and reduce wave reflections that would otherwise distort the response..

Build: Solid Metal Throughout#

It's built extraordinarily well - metal parts, a solid feel, a suspension strap, and a dual 3.5mm connector that can take a single-endedAn amplifier configuration using one output device for the complete audio waveform; produces even-order harmonic distortion considered "euphonic" by many. or balancedA signal transmission method using two opposite-polarity signal lines plus a ground; noise induced on both lines is cancelled at the differential input. connection.

Comfort: Great Strap, Small Pad Openings#

In terms of comfort, it can be hit or miss for some of you. The hybrid pads are great, but their inner diameter is rather small, likely too small for many ears, and they can get warm inside after some time. The suspension strap helps reduce hotspots on top of your head, but it doesn't swivel. There's quite a bit of clamp force - which helps to distribute the weight more evenly, instead of making it all hang from the top of your head... ahem, Edition XS. It's also quite lightweight, at 372g.

Sound and Amplification: Neutral, Never Boring#

With an impedanceThe total opposition (resistance + reactance) a speaker or headphone presents to the driving current, measured in ohms and varying with frequency. of 32Ω and a sensitivityThe output sound pressure level for a standardized input, typically dBSPL at 1W/1m for speakers, or dBSPL at 1mW or 1V for headphones. of 94dB, it's rather on the more efficient side. Not the most efficient in the world, but pretty easy to drive nonetheless. It can be powered from mobile devices, though there's some benefit to using higher-end external, especially clean, amplification.

Okay, how does it sound? Tonality-wise it's balanced and neutral in a good way - it's not boring sounding. The bassSay: BAYSS /beɪs/The low-frequency foundation of audio, roughly 20-250 Hz - felt as much as heard, carrying a track's weight, warmth, and impact. (Said "BAYSS", like the guitar, not the fish.) is definitely present, but not artificially boosted. There's good sub-bassFrequencies below approximately 60Hz; felt as much as heard, sub-bass conveys pipe organ fundamentals, kick drum body, and concert hall size. extension, sloping downwards from 50-ish Hz - and you can hear 20Hz, it's there! I prefer the bass being deep, rather than artificially boosted without extending far into the sub-bass territory, and the Sundara definitely delivers on that.

The mids are a bit above the target and the highs are a little below it, which results not only in the lack of sibilanceSay: SIB-il-uhnss /ˈsɪb.ɪ.ləns/Excessive "s," "sh," and "ts" consonants caused by a peak in the 6-10kHz region; can be a characteristic of the headphone, the recording, or a bright source. but also leans slightly on the warmer side.

Sound Characteristics: Wide Stage, Real Slam#

The soundstageThe perceived three-dimensional acoustic space in a stereo recording, width beyond the speakers, depth front-to-back, and sometimes height information. is great, wide, and decently accurate, which is unheard of at this price. It puts you in front of the sound source and surrounds you with it. It doesn't sound disconnected though. It's not extremely wide like some higher-end headphones, but the way it goes about the soundstage is just really well done. And it does not sound as open as HIFIMAN's bigger planars, but it's still pretty wide.

Sundara has a great dynamic rangeThe decibel span between a system's maximum undistorted output and its noise floor; 16-bit audio has ~96dB, 24-bit has ~144dB of theoretical range., with a strong punchBass impact in the 60-150Hz region, the chest-thump of a kick drum or the snap of a slap-bass note. Distinct from slam, which extends lower; punch is about the leading edge of bass transients, not the depth. or slamThe visceral impact of low-frequency transients, kick drums, bass drops, tympani, felt as much as heard. High-slam systems combine deep extension with fast transient attack and high SPL capability without compression. in the bass and mids that make it enjoyable to listen to. It's one of the things this headphone especially packs above its league. It's also one of my favorite aspects of it. Without it, I believe it would be much more boring sounding.

Sound Separation: Clean, Not Showy#

Sound separation is at a decent level. Sounds aren't getting blended in with each other, which leads to a clean and pleasant presentation. It's not as good as something like an Edition XS - with Sundara you can't differentiate all the instruments in the mix as easily. You can absolutely still tell that there are drums, strings, and all that - it just doesn't scream at you with the sound separation.

Detail Retrieval: Where It Truly Shines#

That's another area where it truly shines. The level of detail, especially micro-detailThe very lowest-level sonic information in a recording, the subtle sounds like breath, bow rosin, and room ambience that reveal what a system can truly resolve., is impeccable. This headphone doesn't sound too bright, so it doesn't give a forced sense of detail - it just comes naturally, and you're able to hear a lot more than with other headphones, even at a slightly higher price point.

It's simply done better than on most, even more expensive, currently available headphones.

Fast Transients: A Genuinely Fast Driver#

Sundara is just a really fast headphone. It doesn't lack in the speed department at all. The decay is also above average. All that, in combination with great dynamics, makes for a really fun and kind of unique audio presentation.

Vocals: Typical, with a Warm Tint#

Both male and female vocals sound neither boring nor energetic, but definitely not dull - I would call it a typical performance in this category. It gives all vocals a slightly warmer tint to them, but we're talking really slightly. It's not an inherently warm or thick-sounding headphone in the vocals.

Verdict: Amazing Value at $300#

HIFIMAN's Sundara presents an amazing value proposition in the current open-back planar magnetic headphone market, considering that you can get an improved version that performs exceptionally well for $300. It's just steel.