They used to be a budget yet high quality brand back in the days of he6 or before, maybe since they established their brand as high end the greed kicks in hard…
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Hifiman Sundara Review (headphone)
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
Ouch!
, if it’s any consolation I originally bought HiFiman XS but had issues with a noticeable driver imbalance out of the box, returned them for a replacement pair and they had a crackly left drive unit so returned and got a refund. Thought I was done with HiFiman but a few months later I found a £179 Amazon deal on a set of Sundaras so I bought them, glad I did as they have been perfect (9 months so far). A bit of eq on the low end for bass and a few tweaks in the higher frequencies through roon, driven from a chord mojo2/poly I’m very happy with them.Even if I wrote quite positively here about Sundaras a long while ago, I primarily recommend to buy something else, because they do not seem too durable and have some questionable design choices; for example the all metal build only adds weight and I almost always get a static shock when touching the frame, which can send an electricity spike into your audio device which they are connected to. Sundaras are not heavy though, but they are crudly made and even the pads aren't ideal, because you cannot machine wash them. These are not deal breakers at all though, the sound is very detailed and bass of exceptional quality, but they can sound a bit sharp, or rather unnaturally metallic in the upper range, perhaps depending on your equipment, so I think they are not an instant recommendation, but merely something most will be happy with.
Perhaps the more classic brands will offer something equally good that is more durable, even if the pros are different.
Sundaras, like many other hifi products, are overhyped, but still good - beware the unwarranted hype!
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That is the most interesting criticism of a headphone I have ever heard. For what it is worth, I think they are all hand wash only, some of them might even be dry cleaning only.
Reminds me of that Seinfeld remark that "Dry Cleaning Only" is the sole warning sign people truly respect. Funny how your mind jumps from one topic to next.
Speaking of which, I plea to you to implore whether you should be giving purchasing advice on headphones to others.
Just a word on this point.
I've read many comments about the Sundara's not particularly good quality control, and understand that they should be bought from a seller with a solid return/service policy, however for 300 Euros they are incredibly good sounding headphones, so from a sound quality standpoint sound, I don't think they are an overrated product at all, on the contrary, they offer a very high sound quality for the price.
Maybe I was lucky, but my sundaras worked well right away and continue after a year. I have no static electricity issues and the earpads are comfortable.
It is certainly hard to retain a positive atmosphere with hifi products while offering the important to know critique, because people seem too often either worship products or bash them for amusement, but because of the high end, I just cannot give the same praise to Sundaras like some others do. If you don't believe what I say, noting that I have a positive outlook on the sound in the end as I stated above, at least believe what the defensive comments speak to you when you stop and think about why they exist.
Peace out!
Peace out!
This is a serious criticism? Not joking?
solderdude
Grand Contributor
Or.... the guy himself is charged and discharges through the grounded amp (which is the most likely scenario).
I originally thought he was taking the piss but now I’m not sure, if he’s serious he’s trolling
Or.... the guy himself is charged and discharges through the grounded amp (which is the most likely scenario).
Agreed. Would be interesting to get make and model of all the gear and how they are all connected
But can't blame poor Sundaras either way lol
Nango
Major Contributor
Don't forget they started selling way way higher than those 300€, think it was 599€!!!
The pads are simply rather cheap, but thankfully comfy. They have some glue that cannot take the machine wash. It's preferable imo if pads are designed in a different way, like on HD600/650 for example (two parts). All my notions just point to the overall quality, but hey, if you like to pay premium for cheapness and wish even others to do so, then...? For 300 € you can expect more - Sundaras cost around 350 €.
I'm enjoying my Sundaras though, have blasted songs through them a serious amount in hours, but I don't find any reason to deny if some people critique them or even dislike them - I certainly see the reasons for this. It's like people cannot enjoy their audio equipment if someone says the thing is imperfect.
I'm enjoying my Sundaras though, have blasted songs through them a serious amount in hours, but I don't find any reason to deny if some people critique them or even dislike them - I certainly see the reasons for this. It's like people cannot enjoy their audio equipment if someone says the thing is imperfect.
I love my Sundara even after reading your pad washing comment
I honestly didn't realise some people wash earpads.
I just thought people change for new once they show signs of wear
For 1 year my Sundara still look new after daily use
Do you use EQ?
I don't use EQ. You likely do? Do you possibly alter the upper end?
By the way, it is advisable to clean the pads sometimes because the grease and other filt may cause a pustule in the worst case on the part of skin what lays under the pads. This is not common, but it is possible. Earphones are not usually too hygienic, so it's good if they are easily cleanable. The common problem with pads is, that whatever surface material they have, it might rupture if you rub it too often or hard.
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I didn't even know you could wash earpads, seems like a pretty violent thing to do to an earpad! I'd buy a new pair of ear pads (same set lasts me well over a year anyway) (I don't have Sundara)
solderdude
Grand Contributor
Some can be (hand-washed) and may come out a little cleaner.
I never needed to except when buying 2nd one, a 2nd hand from a fierce smoker household and pads are difficult or expensive and feel as if there is still life into it.
This usually also requires disassembly of the headphone and cleaning it as well as hanging the darn thing a few weeks in front of a fan blowing at full speed.
I never needed to except when buying 2nd one, a 2nd hand from a fierce smoker household and pads are difficult or expensive and feel as if there is still life into it.
This usually also requires disassembly of the headphone and cleaning it as well as hanging the darn thing a few weeks in front of a fan blowing at full speed.
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Just put them in the washing machine!
(Just Joking!) Is it not possible to buy genuine Hifiman pads from somewhere?they are disintegrating where the outer pad meets the housing, so a wash might not work -) Owned since the beginning if 2020, not a lot of use really.
Yup would prefer genuine ones but would they need to be shipped from China to UK?
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