HIFIMANSUNDARA Hi-Fi Headphone with 3.5mm Connectors, Planar Magnetic, Comfortable Fit with Updated Earpads-Black, 2020 Version

Ok I am no audiophile (yet). I am a simple guy who loves good live music. I'm a huge fan of Dave Matthews Band...I realize that they are a polarizing band so no matter what you like, JUST hear me out because whether you love DMB or not you should at least know that DMB, in my opinion is a great band to really test how great a headphone can be because the band covers a wide variety of instruments in virtually all of their songs including violin, sax, clarinet, trumpet, flute, acoustic & electric guitar, smooth bass, keyboard, and top notch drumming. So I was considering a lot of higher end headphones like the BT1990 or the Sennheiser 6xx, 650, and so on. You can get the 6xx headphones for over $100 cheaper than these so why spend the extra money? Well, I have listened to these headphones for only a couple of days and I have some feedback that I think will be useful for those that are interested in considering this set of headphones. I said only a couple of days right...so very low burn in yet and I am confident that they will only get better over time.First off, the best quality of these headphones, in my opinion, is the soundstage. The soundstage is incredibly wide. I came from M50x headphones and for me there is no comparison. Sundara is wide and instruments have their place right where they should be. The violin, sax, vocals, drums, bass, and all other instruments are so clean and clear. You can choose to listen in and focus on one instrument and really hear the clarity and depth to that particular instrument due to the soundstage being so wide. You can also just relax and listed to everything blended together which sounds just terrific. I am truly in awe of all of the hidden sounds and secrets that I never knew existed and I have listened to the band for well over 20 years with Bose, Audio Techica, and other brands. This is NOT an exaggeration...every song I have listened to I have heard something new that I had never heard before. WOW! I haven't experienced anything like this with a new pair of headphones in the past. It is SUCH a treat!The treble is JUST right...it does peak at times and toes the line (sometimes!!!) but it never crosses that line. In my opinion it is just perfect where it is at and sounds great!The mids are so nice! Dave Matthew's voice comes out as strong, clear, and beautiful. Not over-produced or anything like that. I have heard the 6xx or 650's have mids that can't really be topped but sacrifice a lot with the soundstage. Dave sounds exactly as he should...great vocals without being too strong or taking away from the strength of the other instruments.EDIT...Bass HAS improved substantially with burn in. Bass sounds really great now, but here is what I originally wrote: Bass is weak to me without the use of an amp. You really need to crank these up with an amp to feel the bass hit. Bass is smooth...it is there...but I would prefer it to be a little stronger without the amp. If you listen to music that needs strong bass and can't buy an amp. I would pass on this. For now, I knocked this down a star for the bass. It is NOT bad...its just in that slightly above average spot for me. Bass guitar is the hardest instrument for me to focus on because the other guitars, horns, and strings come on as being stronger. THAT said, I have had the headphones for only 2 days and this could improve and if it does, I will update this. My guess is it will get better with more burn in.Do you need an amp? Well, most likely yes. I know that was hard for me to understand as I got into this audiophile hobby..."You mean I just spent $350 and now I have to buy another piece of equipment for another $100 or more." Well, all I can tell you is I used the headphones in my iPod classic on full volume and it was nice but it really needed more. When I hooked up my amp...(I purchased the Monolith Liquid Spark) it really opened the headphone up and gave them the extra power that I can confidently say they NEEDED. They sound great without an amp, don't get me wrong but the amp imo is necessary unless you really listen to music on pretty low volumes.I got the amp., and a RCA to 3.5 mm cord to hook my iPod or computer to the amp. and the sound is just not going to get better for $350 + the cost of the amp.In conclusion, if you love clean, clear, beautiful music and want great soundstage and comfort, this headphone is the one to get. Especially if you listen to music with great instrument variety. For me, the incredible soundstage makes the extra $100 over the 6xxs easily worth it. I mean do you want to just fork over the $100 bucks now and have the perfect headphones or do you want to sacrifice to save that $? To me, I want these headphones to be my go to headphones for years...I want to get the best enjoyment out of those so that extra $ was worth it.All in all, its a 4.5 out of 5 headphone for me. I am going to be loving this for many years!

Let me preface my review by stating that I had to start a return and purchase another pair because the metal frame that the pads attach to was not uniform. This caused a rattling sound with slight movement or even just heavy bass. In my view, this speaks to the quality control of Hifiman (maybe not the best). I ended up going through Amazon to get a new pair. However, Hifiman was more than willing to make it right. They have great support, and I appreciate that. We should expect great support when paying $300+ for a pair of headphones. I will not ding this review for that because, as long as we receive a high caliber of support, I am of the view that mistakes happen sometimes. Doesn't mean I will not tell others about it though. Furthermore, the headphones have a 1 year warranty following purchase. This definitely leaves something to be desired when we look at competitors like Audeze who offer a 5 year warranty, but it is certainly passable.Onto the review,Build quality:The build quality is excellent. Metal everywhere except for a small portion of the headband. Feels sturdy and premium. It feels like an expensive pair of headphones. The pads are luscious and well-fitting. The hinge is sturdy and entirely metal. The adjustment mechanism is metal, feels solid, and like it will hold up to heavy wear. If you are worried about build quality, don't be. Every box here is checked.Comfort:The headphones come with a leather (or perhaps faux leather) free float band beneath the metal frame of the headband. This makes the headphones feel very light and adaptable as they sit on your head. The earcup pads are sheepskin leatherette with a fabric top where they make contact with your ears. I do not feel any weight, pinching, or discomfort with or without glasses on. These earcups are large. There is more than enough room for 99% of people's ears to fit entirely inside comfortably. I will go as far as to say that they are comfortable enough that you often will forget you have them on. They are very light despite their large size and metal construction which I am sure can be attributed in part to the planar drivers.Sound:Let me preface this portion by saying you will want an amp with these headphones. Yes, they can be used without an amp, but you will definitely not be getting their full power in both volume and quality. They are listenable without an amp, but I would recommend an amp. My setup is a Topping DX1 and the Monoprice Monolith Liquid Spark. I would recommend something like the Liquid Spark, FiiO K5 Pro, or Schiit Modi. My Topping DAC comes with a built in amp, but it is about as powerful as what one might expect with something like a dongle. I can tell you. It is not enough. You need a solid amp to truly drive these headphones.The soundstage is clear and free due to the tuning and open back nature of these headphones. The trebles are clear and the bass is present but does not cause the headphones to physically rumble. These headphones have nearly a perfect sound. I am serious when I say this. There is no need to EQ them at all. You will not beat the default sound of these headphones. Every genre of song will feel exactly like you always thought it should. The treble is not too heavy nor is the bass. This is not to say that they feel "flat," however. They don't. The best way to describe it is "cinematic." You feel like you are sitting right in the middle of the sound, and the sound is EXACTLY right. It does not matter what it is, a game, music, a movie, it will tackle it and sound the way you would expect. These headphones do not sound "clinical" or like studio headphones (ie, Beyerdynamic dt 990 pros). These are headphones tuned with pleasurable listening in mind rather than precise monitoring and a sterile sound.Conclusion:This is it folks. These headphones are perfect for everything. Just make sure that you pair them with high quality gear, a DAC, and a real headphone amp to make them shine. They are a pleasure to listen to no matter what I am listening to with no adjustments necessary. Some serious engineering clearly went into these things, and it is delivered to the end user in the form of pleasurable listening. At $300, I don't think there is any viable competitor.