Disclaimer:
Good morning, readers! Today we are going to review the Hifiman Sundara Open Back. Thanks to Hifiman for providing this unit to review.
I’m proceeding slowly with the review of the headphones because the summer heat is really high and wearing them for prolonged periods makes me sweat quite a bit.
I’m not an audiophile; I’m just a guy that likes to test out different IEMs, headphones, and DACs and spends a lot of time listening to music. I fall into the audio enthusiast category.
So I’m not going to use super technical words to review it, but I will do my best to describe it.
Tech Specs:
- Driver: Planar Neo Supernano Diaphragm
- Frequency Response: 6Hz-75kHz
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Sensitivity: 92 dB
- Weight: 342g
Packaging:
The Hifiman Sundara Open-Back, like all Hifiman, has the exact same box. Simple cardboard box, black label, and usual accessories.
Since the packages always come with the same accessories, this part of the review is the same for all the Hifiman tested up to now.
As accessories, we find:
- The cable
- Headphone Stand
- The 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter
- Digital manual via QR
Leaving aside the current price at which they are offered, the real lack of these headphones is at least a carrying bag. The cable is the usual stock supplied with all Hifiman products.
Design/Build Quality:
The Hifiman Sundara Open-Back has a perceived quality comparable to the closed variant. As for the structure, it seems similar to the Deva Pro but the quality is slightly superior; there is a greater presence of metal even in the structure of the pavilions (or at least it seems so to me). The headband part is always the same; in a certain sense, it seems more durable than the ones on the He400Se but the one on the Sundara distributes the weight better. If it had been minimally elastic, it would have been even more comfortable. The rear grille is a decidedly wide mesh and allows the driver to glide more breathably, which is what was slightly missing on the He400Se and Deva Pro. The adjustment of the headband unfortunately leaves traces/signs of wear on the extensible part. The pavilions are a mix of imitation leather and fabric, which are very comfortable but like all Over Ear headphones, they make you hot, especially in the summer (personally, I suffer a lot from the heat). Its construction quality seems good anyway.
Fit & Comfort:
Hifiman comfort is pretty standard for all its models, being that the aesthetics and the predisposition are almost identical on each model. If you like the comfort on one model, you will find it almost unchanged on another model. This is a positive thing, in my opinion. I can tell you that except when it is hot, I am able to wear them for 3 hours non-stop without discomfort.
The original pavilions are almost all very similar to each other, I find them quite good in quality but I can’t tell you how long they will last over time. I think it depends a lot on the care you will have for them.
Initial Sound Impressions:
The Hifiman Sundara Open Back is perhaps one of the most recent models that Hifiman sent me. Surprisingly, even if it is an open model of headphones, the bass has a good presence compared to some that I have heard that were a bit weak. The staging is very immersive and all the sounds are particularly balanced but with a warm note. I could venture that it is the best Hifiman that I have heard so far, with the best balance between musicality and technical performance. It definitely takes a lot of power to get the most out of these drivers, and perhaps not even my Fosi SK02, Fiio KA17, or the Creative X5 are enough. However, with this model, they have managed to put together an excellent tuning that can best reproduce any type of track and musical genre.
Equipment used for the testing above:
Device:
- OSX
- Poco M4 Pro
Software:
- Amazon Music UHD 24bit 96kHz
Dac:
- Fiio KA17 (best & more note thickness on balanced)
- Creative SoundBlaster X5 (slightly more warm presentation)
- Fosi SK02 (brightest and smoothest performance)
I have only used DACs with more driving capacity; there is no point in using the others since a lot of energy is needed to move the full-size planars.
Final sound impressions:
I’ve been planning this review for months and I’ve been using them for months. I couldn’t tell you how many hours in total but it’s really a lot. I’ve never used the original cable; I put a balanced cable like on all the other Hifiman headphones I have. You definitely need an amplifier with a bit of power, the ones I have are not at all high level but they allow you to drive them sufficiently. I’m sure that with something even more capable, they would be able to sound even better. Hifiman certainly produces even more performing models (which my pockets can’t afford) but I think the Hifiman Sundara is the best in this price range; I think they maintain the incredible quality ratio of the He400se. If by chance you are thinking of an upgrade, these are definitely the ones I would recommend.
They have musicality and energy while maintaining excellent sound quality; the bass, despite being open-back, is present in a more than optimal way; obviously, the sub-bass has roll-off, but overall the result is still remarkable. The warm and detailed tone of the Hifiman Sundara makes them very versatile.
Treble
The extension is not extreme but proportionate and energetic, well tolerable even to the most sensitive. The resolution remains high, allowing you to easily hear macro and micro details in abundance, and the transient responses are fast and precise.
I must point out that in the open-back planars I have never noticed treble below average; in fact, they have always been quite on point. Although the extension is not extreme, the quantity is correct for a wide audience.
Mids
A slight touch of warmth and mids that are positioned quite forward make the vocals coherent and energetic. It does a little better on female vocals, excellent instrumental separation. Very well balanced mids and never shouty, even when turning the volume up a lot. A real pleasure for the ears. There is a great energy and musicality that involves you in the music—probably the best Hifiman so far that I have had the opportunity to try.
Bass
Leaving aside the sub-bass roll-off that I find quite normal in open backs due to their somewhat dispersive structure, the bass is particularly audible, fast, and with a discrete texture. The other Hifiman Open-backs had the defect of dispersing the bass a lot but this is spot on. Finally, I can say that I am satisfied with the performance of an open headphone too. Keep in mind that to get good bass, you probably need a good DAC/AMP. Don’t believe that the cheapest dongle will work. Perhaps the minimum expense you can sustain to drive them is a Fosi DS2 (2024).
Soundstage & Imaging:
The soundstage is not as huge as one would expect from the planar driver pairing with open headphones but it goes slightly beyond the ears. The soundstage arrangement tends to be natural; the image is excellent, clear, precise, and refined. Every detail and sound is well separated from the other; it is easy to understand their positioning in the stage. The layering is also very good.
Fast Comparison:
The Hifiman He400se remains the best entry-level to buy but if you want to upgrade, the best choice is definitely the Sundara Open-Back. The closed one is also a great upgrade but this one seemed more musical and engaging to me. What is missing in the He400se is the bass that can only be felt clearly by detaching the earcup from the ears. I don’t know if it’s because of the more closed grille at the back but the dynamics of the driver are a bit limited.
If you are interested in other reviews on HIFIMAN headphones, you can read the others on MBA.
Conclusion:
Honestly, among the many proposals of Hifiman, the Sundara are the ones that impressed me the most for the quality/price ratio. Personally, the others that I tried, despite the prices being similar, did not excite me as much as this series. The asking price today is 300 USD more or less, a sustainable figure in any case for having a similar quality. There are those who also use them in the studio so their performance is not bad at all. The construction quality, as always, could be improved but if you take care of things, they will certainly last. As already said several times, you cannot think of driving them directly from the phone; you will have a flat and incomplete sound if they are underpowered. Also consider buying something capable of driving them and maybe even a balanced cable.
Excellent in several aspects!
9.2/10
Pros:
- Build quality and materials (more metal)
- Bass improved in comparisons to other open-back models.
- Warmish and detailed sound
- Mids are well done.
- Excellent separation and imaging
- Really good soundstage
- Improve based on sources (better amplification)
- Price/quality ratio
Cons:
- Headband quality needs improvement
- Not ideal in summer heat
- Needs power to shine
- Better on Balanced Cable
- No travel bag or case
