The Hifiman Sundara is a very popular headphone and it’s selling for $349. The HE-400i sounds open, but you don’t get the huge open, outside of your head experience as with the higher end headphones. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years. BLOG: The Fav Album Of…. Because the HE-400i is musical, engaging and it has a great level of energy. The 2020 version uses the same drivers as the original HE-400i does, but the headband and pads are different. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It comes in with good impact and body, and it goes down low when needed. They are very forgiving of placement and the size and weight are not a factor at all. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. It might sound like I’m being hard on the 2020 version, but the price/quality ratio is extremely high. HiFiMAN manages to get the biggest selling point of planar magnetics, the bass, just right on their $169 entry level headphone, which is a great feat. Well, it’s a bit more difficult than that. HIFIMAN SUNDARA Over-ear Full-size Planar Magnetic Headphones with High Fidelity Design Easy to Drive by iPhone /Android Comfortable Headband Open-Back Design Easy Cable Swapping Black ... my big ears do not touch the pads at all. To soften it down you can either switch to balanced mode if you can or use a warmer, smoother amplifier/source with it. 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I have to say that the bass presence (body) depends on the source used. $1,449.00 Sold Out Campfire Audio IO. You don’t have to know a lot about headphones and technology to love these headphones. – Headfonia Lieven. Click & explore our collection. Actually when I first started listening to the HE-400i 2020 I figured I was listening to a +$400 USD headphone. This the best TWS on the market right now. I’ve just been dipping my feet into the world of audio and audiophiles, and one thing I’ve always read is that balanced > unbalanced almost all the time :)…, BLOG: The Fav Album Of…. Learn how your comment data is processed. As a result treble never becomes too energetic or harsh. This probably is the ideal amount of bass for most listeners. I do feel the vocals of the Sundara are closer to those of the original HE-400i. It has good presence but overall is  never too much, and bass never goes out of line, becomes loose or runs into the mids. So when I found out about the $169 USD selling price, the price/quality ratio skyrocketed. For only $169 USD the HE-400i simply sounds incredible. Buy wireless and wired earphones, speakers, headphone amplifiers from BGVP, BLON, BQEYZ, and HiFi in India with a warranty. My Video Review: When Hifiman lowered Sundara’s price to $350, a lot of people that never tried planar magnetic headphones, were now ready to give them a spin. HiFiMAN's original HE400 turned a few heads in the headphone industry when it launched eight years ago. And for the very accessible price these are going for, they’re the ideal recommendation to a whole lot of people. Bass in general is full sounding and really nice with these headphones. No it will not. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad36de100502a6ddeaa99ca6235054bc" );document.getElementById("h3a76b51ae").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hifiman Deva was another eye opener of mine and while I … However, I am musically very curious and – especially since I … Starting from now the Hifiman HE-400i is my recommendation for an open design headphone. Realtek HD Audio Drivers + Sound Blaster X-fi 5.1 Pro Surround with full Dolby & DTS. For an open design headphone the sound is more inside your head. Best value under $1000 - The Focal Elear bundle Best In-Ear headphones under $1000 - Empire Ears Bravado Best Closed-Back Headphones under $1000 - Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Best Open-Back Headphones under $1000 - Hifiman Ananda Looking at the higher-end? You get a wider, more airy and typical open sound, with better extension, depth and layering. $499.00 Sold Out Campfire Audio Andromeda. Since then, the design has been updated a few times, most noticeably with the release of the i-version. While I like this I can see why it to some might feel it’s a bit too much (listening fatigue). One thing ... Shanlin customer service is best in industry. But it actually doesn’t bother me in any way. I find the mid timbre very pleasing: it’s musical, exciting and the delivery energetic and engaging. When starters or normal headphone users like my friends asks me for a recommendation of a closed headphone, the Beyerdynamic DT770 32 is the easy recommendation. The detail level is good but there still is ample room for improvement. The Solaris and HE-400i combo goes right in the middle of these two. Neither the drivers nor the cups have had any changes or silent revisions to them in the past calendar year. The HE-400i comes with a single ended cable, but we will highlight the differences in sound when going balanced. That means the HE-400i has something special. With Cayin’s N3Pro and the Lotoo PAW 6000, you get a more neutral amount of bass, the reference kind of bass you in general get with the HE-400i with a mix of sources. Today, we will have a look at the 2020 version of the HE400i. Will it always sound identical? At little more than twelve ounces, HE-400i is 30% lighter allowing the listener to comfortably enjoy music for hours on end. Why? Search "Close (esc)" Introducing ... HiFiMAN Sundara. It’s a very easy decision to award this headphone with our Recommended buy award, so we’re adding it to our best buy section. Hifiman with this HE-400i 2020 version has set a new reference in the entry-level (ortho) segment, and it’s even making several mid-fi headphones look bad. Mids, and especially the lower mids, have enough body and presence, so you can’t label the HE-400i 2020 as a v-shaped headphone. Sub bass and layering is ok, but not the very best. Hifiman with this HE-400i 2020 version has set a new reference in the entry-level (ortho) segment, and it’s even making several mid-fi headphones look bad. The show off your tech related purchase thread, Sapphire Radeon RX 5600 XT Pulse - FAN adjustment & corrupted BIOS fix, Taskbar sometimes more transparent then most of the time. The HE-400i 2020 to me has a neutral tuning with a high energy level and a preference/focus on higher mids, vocals and lower treble. The lower treble, as said, has more energy but the upper treble doesn’t. The HE-400i’s sound stage also is good for its level but the higher end headphones of course go wider and deeper. The first one is to use it with a warmer, smoother source such as a tube amp. If you desire a highly resolving, detailed sound, the HE-400i will keep you wanting for more. Despite the upgrades, it remains relatively affordable at $169. In the past I haven’t always been positive about it, but it’s actually a nice headphone (even though there’s still room for improvement). A word from HiFiMAN: "There is no official version 2 of the HiFiMAN Sundara. But it at the same time it actually performs quite well and even really good in comparison to the price it’s selling for. And last but not least, you get low distortion because of the evenly distributed magnetic force. So do experiment with this. Treble isn’t the most extended in the HE-400i but it corresponds with the depth of the bass, so in that regards it’s perfectly in balance. The HE-400i has a nice black background, great clarity and good speed. I’ve been listening to the HE-400i non-stop for the last two weeks, pairing it with both solid state and tube amps, and I haven’t felt the need to go back to a higher end sounding headphone yet. According to Hifiman, the massive diaphragm allows high signal input and flexible tone control. The other solution is to switch to a balanced output. At the same time it’s not an intimate presentation either, it’s somewhere in between. The mids have a good amount of spaciousness and air, but as we already said, this isn’t the most open and airy sounding headphone. That’s how good it sounds and is. Let’s find out if that makes sense! Tube amps and warmer sounding solid state amps will soften the upper mids and vocals somewhat. The original HE-400i to me sounds more spacious, extended and open than the 2020 version. Ear Pads & Tips Cables Stands Shop All Deals Reviews & News Forum Log in Search Site navigation Cart. Clash of the Titans – my Take on Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC vs. HIFIMAN Susvara Background, bias and setup I listen mainly to acoustic music, classical (all sub-genres), jazz, singer-songwriter being my prevalent. The Family (Comparisons) The 2020 version uses the same drivers as the original HE-400i does, but the headband and pads are different. How do you see the pairing of M8 with Aether R and/or VE-8, using a Janus D cable? – Headfonia Store aka Michael Ting! When I listen to the Sundara, I do recognize the signature of the HE-400i in it, but it’s just better at a technical level. • Empire Ears MKII: Bravado MKII, ESR MKII, Valkyrie MKII • PRE-ORDER: Audeze Euclid Planar Magnetic Closed-Back In-Ear • Virtual SchiitrMeet Feb 2021: Mike Gets Edumacational • Save BIG on Sennheiser at Audio46 • FiiO's Holiday Schedule for 2021 Spring Festival • Latest in stock at MusicTeck + new discounted products! To me the later 2020 version has a bit more (lower) mid body, and the harshness just isn’t present here. With the SP2000 you in example get very little body and with the L&P P6 you get a lot of body (even too much for me). Maybe for a 2025 edition? The biggest impact will be on the lower regions and the bass impact. Thank you for review, what about Shanling M3S – is it good source for HE-400i without any headphone amp? What’s not to like? No need to worry here, you can drive the He-400i with as good as anything. That being said, both HE-400i’s are great headphones but I do feel the 2020 version could be even better with the added extension, spaciousness and timbre of the original. It’s a fun, energetic headphone to listen to and it’s a great all-rounder. If you want a good level of technicity with excellent musicality and fun than you’ll love the HE-400i’s energetic sound. The note timbre also is a bit better but it also sounds a bit harsher because of extra high mid/lower treble energy presence. I myself most of the time prefer the balanced mode, also because of the better results in regards to depth and layering. It’s not the most precise or detailed bass, but it’s engaging, fun and non-fatiguing. Before going into more detail, I feel it’s important to say that the amount of bass and the overall body of the headphone depends on the source and amp you’re pairing it with. But if you do't have time for that, here are our quick recommendations for headphones under $1000. The only changes have been a cosmetic improvement to the dust cover, as well as improvements to the pad structure to ensure reliability and longevity. As said, the upper mids and vocals are more energetic and more to the front. It has more details, better dynamics, sweeter timbre and more precision. Just wondering if I intend to use an external DAC (Chord Mojo) to pair with my M11, should I use the USB-C or coaxial to connect my M11 to…, Hi! The HE-400i 2020 is also supposed to have a very fast response time because of a lightweight diaphragm design. I experienced the VE8 before and I should say it would be a great match. It is absolutely true that you get more forward upper mids and treble, and the HE-400i 2020 is quit energetic. A balanced HE-400i also sounds more spacious and you get a more open and wider signature. No it’s not perfect and yes higher end gear will sound better but come on this is only $169USD. Picture Sunday: iFi Audio Gemini & Mercury, BLOG: 2020 Awards - Part 1 - Headfonia Reviews. Hifiman HE400i Planar Magnetic Open-Back Headphones The HIFIMAN HE-400i is a high quality, full-size planar magnetic headphone designed for critical listening in the home or studio. With the SP2000 you in example get a very light sounding HE-400i, while the Headonia and V590 give it more body and bass impact. I really like the vocals and the mid timbre in this headphone. Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. That’s how good it sounds and is. To this day, Sundara is the still the best-selling headphone of Hifiman, only because it was able to strike a nice balance between sound quality, looks, comfort and price. So one Sundara buys you two new HE-400i’s, but is it also double as good? This softens the vocals and treble section somewhat, delivering a slightly smoother sound but still with good precision and energy. The HE-400i plays well with all types of music, but there are limitations. So no surprise here, the HE-400i is not a Sundara killer and the latter still is the better headphone of both. There re 2 possible solutions. As mentioned before, I do find the HE-400i 2020 to sound best from a balanced output, so I do recommend using a balanced source/amp with this headphone. For this part on sound we have used a multitude of sources and amps. There is no sibilance whatsoever. To me there is a difference in sound even though the general characteristics are the same. Proud owner, i agree totally. Not sure about the Aether R. Thank you for your review. Thanks, Hello! Moving up into the midrange, it is somewhat busier than on the ANANDA and SUNDARA, but compared to the SUNDARA, there is no distracting boost in the upper midrange and treble. Treble precision is not something the HE-400i will become famous for and it struggles a bit with complicated fast passages, when compared to higher end headphones. For $169 the HE-400i sounds incredibly good though, no doubt about that.