Hifi For All (HFA) Dahlia

Disclaimer: I dug into my own wallet to snag the HFA Dahlia—no freebies, no sponsors, no nudges from anyone. What you’re getting here is my straight-from-the-gut take after tons of real listening hours. These are my unvarnished thoughts right now, but I’ll be upfront—they might shift as I live with it longer. Audio’s a deeply personal beast; my ears, molded by years, quirks, and life, hear it my way—yours could tell a different story. I’ll throw out some bold terms for what stands out to me, but fair warning: what’s a revelation to me might just be a whisper to you.



"HFA Dahlia: Forged in Passion, Unleashed to Astonish"
Imagine a small California workshop where Nick Hutchins, a passionate tinkerer, crafts his vision from scratch. That’s the birthplace of the HFA Dahlia—an audacious $879 open-back gem from his lean startup, HifiForAll (HFA). It stormed into the spotlight at CanJam SoCal 2024, grabbing attention and stirring excitement among sound enthusiasts. Driving it all is a reliable 50mm Tymphany Peerless driver (32 ohms, 98 dB/mW)—a proven heart also beating in headphones like the DMS Project Omega—built to shine with anything from a simple dongle to a powerhouse amp. More than just gear, it’s a tale of determination, stepping onto the audio stage with flair and a vibe all its own.


Design & Build: Simple but Smart
The HFA Dahlia bursts into the sub-$1,000 headphone world with a sharp, straightforward style. At around 410g—much lighter than my hefty ZMF Stabilized Atrium Open (570g)—its 3D-printed resin build keeps it simple yet tough. It’s got a gritty, handcrafted look, but the finish is sleek and sturdy, far from fragile. A broad leather headband balances the weight perfectly, and the fully swiveling cups adjust smoothly for a snug, easy fit, though the soft clamp might need a nudge to stay put.

It arrives with ZMF Caldera Hybrid Thin pads that snap onto two tuning rings—“Balanced” or “Dynamic”—flipping the sound profile in a flash. The 5-foot, 4-core woven Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast copper (UP-OCC) cable feels like a luxury bonus—flexible and top-notch. Instead of a flashy case, you get a rugged “HFA Sound Satchel” bag—built for function, not flair. It doesn’t match the elegant wood-and-metal charm of ZMF’s creations, but for $879, it’s a ruggedly clever debut from a small California outfit.



Comfort: Easy to Wear
Designer Nick Hutchins aced the comfort game. Weighing just 410g with a gentle grip, it rests feather-light on your head—nothing like ZMF’s firmer hug. The plush leather strap and breezy pads fend off heat, though larger ears might graze the tuning ring (no sweat for most folks). It’s so comfy you’ll forget it’s there after hours, but a slight tweak might be needed to lock in the fit.



Sound Quality: Good at Everything
The Dahlia’s sound hooks you right away—lively and adaptable, a steal for the price. Its 50mm Tymphany Peerless driver (32 ohms, 98 dB/mW) plays nice with everything, from a tiny phone dongle to a beefy amp.

For gaming or movies, it’s an absolute standout, immersing you in a lush, atmospheric embrace that never misses a beat. Pair it with a tube amp like the Cayin HA-2A for a velvety, radiant warmth that draws you in, or the Geshelli Labs Erish 3 Pro for crystalline treble and gripping bass that snap to life—it thrives spectacularly with any setup you choose.



Verdict: A Fresh Winner
The HFA Dahlia dazzles at $879—cozy, vibrant, and a downright bargain for its talents. It’s not flawless—bass junkies or treble chasers might crave extra oomph, and it won’t win beauty contests. Yet it’s a masterful all-rounder open-back: Balanced mode flows silky-smooth for laid-back tracks, Dynamic mode pumps up the energy for today’s hits, and it thrives with top-notch gear.

Stacked against the ZMF Atrium Open ($2,499), it trades toasty warmth for breezy spaciousness; pitted against the Sennheiser HD800S ($1,799), it swaps razor-fine detail for livelier, juicier mids. HFA’s debut flexes that killer sound doesn’t demand a fat wallet. If you’re after one sub-$1k headphone to ace music, gaming, or anything else, the Dahlia’s a rock-solid gem. A bold, thrilling kickoff for a fresh face.

What is the HFA Dahlia?
The HFA (short for Hifi For All) Dahlia is a new, open-back, dynamic driver headphone retailing through the Hifi For All website at $879 USD. It's one of a few recent 3D printed headphones showing up in the market, alongside the DMS Project Omega and the Auribus Accoustics Sierra, both of which share the same Tymphany Peerless driver. Designed and built by Nick Hutchins in California, the Dahlia's assembly process and design considerations are well-documented on the HFA YouTube channel. There's clearly been a lot of iteration and thought put into how the Dahlia is built and how each of those design choices would influence the sound of it.

The Dahlia uses ZMF pads (stock pads are the same as those on the Bokeh Closed: Caldera Hybrid Thin, Top Perforated) and features a unique design where the pads mount on a resonator ring that easily snaps into the cups. At launch, the Dahlia comes with two tuning rings: “balanced” and “dynamic”, which increases the sub-bass and upper-mids/treble by a few dB. It uses standard 3.5mm connectors and is easy to drive at 32-ohm impedance and 98dBa.


The Dahlia is available in two colour variants - the stainless steel version, above, and a version with a matte black grill.


Build
I admit, when I hear "3D-printed," I don't immediately think of high-quality construction or premium materials. However, the Dahlia does a fantastic job on this front. While it retains a bit of a DIY aesthetic, its glass-infused nylon chassis feels premium, with a smooth "orange peel" texture rather than the rough, edgy finish typical of some 3D printing. The ZMF pads are soft and comfortable, and the buffalo leather headband might be the nicest strap I've had on a headphone.

Attention to detail is evident in the design, with all components fitting together seamlessly. The headphone feels solid in hand—not cheap or flimsy, and while long-term durability remains to be seen, there are no obvious weak points in the construction.



Details of the chassis & headband, as well as the two resonator rings: one semi-permanent version mounted above the driver and a swappable pad mounted ring. The blue dot indicates this is the balanced ring.


Comfort
Nick emphasized in CanJam coverage that comfort was a key design focus for the Dahlia, and I think it largely succeeds in this regard. Weighing around 400 grams, it’s not the lightest headphone but is close to 100 grams lighter than my lightest ZMF and the wide leather headband distributes weight exceptionally well. Adjustability is good with cups that swivel 360 degrees and rods that allow for any level of adjustment and both can be tightened or loosened through a set-screw.

The clamp is on the lighter side and took a bit of getting used to for me, but it’s sufficient to keep everything in place, feeling solid and stable during normal use. Unlike my ZMFs, which fit like a firm hug, the Dahlia seems to float on the head. It can be slightly picky about positioning for a proper pad seal due to the lighter clamp, but once in place, it almost disappears. As someone with larger ears, I do find they touch the resonator covering the driver with the thin Caldera pads. Thankfully, the Dahlia’s light weight and gentle clamp prevent this from becoming an issue, even during long listening sessions (I’ve worn it for many 5+ hour sessions without discomfort).


Sound
I find tuning on the Dahlia is somewhat U-shaped and fun, but well balanced, with no portion of the frequency range feeling overpowering or dominant. It didn't take much time to acclimatize to it and nothing really sticks out to me as problematic (though I'm not someone who can easily pick out specific frequency spikes or valleys when listening). The combination of strong bass and airy treble strikes an enjoyable balance and while I think the Dahlia is a solid all-rounder across various types of music, I particularly like it with genres like pop and edm as it is spacious, quick and has great bass.

I stuck with the balanced tuning rings for the vast majority of time as I enjoyed the sound of them and wasn't wanting for more bass or treble but the difference between the rings is relatively subtle and both are very tasteful. The presentation of the Dahlia is detailed but smooth and very clean sounding. I've found it quite good at bringing forward characteristics from the different sources I have on hand as it scales well despite being very easy to drive: On the Cayin RU7 there is a bit more thickness and bloat to the mid-bass and it sounds a bit more intimate, on the v550 (with cyan 2) it expands outwards with more air and space, bass tightens but with more impact and reverbs trail into the void. For the purposes of the review, my listening was done on the Cyan 2 and V550, which is my standard setup.

• Bass: The Dahlia delivers a healthy dose of tight, controlled bass with very good sub-bass extension, especially for an open-back dynamic driver. While it’s not a total bass cannon, the low end is full and well-integrated, avoiding any bleed into the mids. On my Cayin HA-3A tube amp, on low impedance, I noticed a decent bass boost, which was nice most of the time but occasionally overpowering.
• Mids: The mids are natural and pleasant, with vocals being clear and well-rendered, though slightly less forward than I’m used to with my ZMFs or the 6XX. Bass and treble are generally more prominent in the overall frequency response than the mids, but they don't sound overly distant or recessed.
• Treble: Treble is slightly accentuated but not overly bright. It has a clarity and airiness that enhances detail and contributes to the sense of space. Occasionally, I found the treble a touch hot on certain tracks, but mostly it’s smooth and enjoyable with no harshness.
• Soundstage and Imaging: The Dahlia’s soundstage is great—larger than any of my ZMFs (Caldera with thick pads comes close), with excellent width, depth, and height. Imaging is precise and nuanced, making it great not only for music, but also gaming and movies, where its large stage and detailed positioning add an amazing level of immersion to the experience.
• Details and Resolution: Details and resolution on the Dahlia are quite good to my ear. They don't match something like the Caldera but the driver is quick, precise and clean. It could be partly down to the tuning but they sound on par, if not maybe slightly ahead, in resolution compared to my Auteur and Atrium Closed. I do find the clarity does tend to indicate when songs are poorly recorded or mastered but it's not so revealing these become unlistenable.

I still need to do a more comprehensive exploration of my ZMF pads - one initial pairing I really enjoy, beyond the stock pads, is the Caldera Suede Top Wide Perforated (TWP)


Comparisons
While I don’t have extensive experience with many direct competitors, I’ve previously owned the Meze 109 Pro and ZMF Bokeh, which are in a similar price range. Here’s how the Dahlia stacked up to those based on memory:

• Meze 109 Pro: The Meze has a more luxurious aesthetic with its wood and metal design, but I ended up having more quibbles with the build quality and comfort on the 109. Sound-wise, the 109 had punchy bass and prominent treble with a bit of a dip in the mids, not unlike the Dahlia, but I remember the 109 as sharper and more fatiguing, as well as less depth in its soundstage.
• ZMF Bokeh: As a closed-back headphone, the Bokeh can’t match the Dahlia’s soundstage or imaging but it's more about soaking in the music and not fretting the technical stuff. The Bokeh is more lush and analog sounding, while the Dahlia is cleaner and more detailed. The Bokeh is warmer overall though the Dahlia comes close to the Bokeh's bass when the Bokeh was equipped with the hybrid pads (again, going from memory). Comfort is subjective—though the Dahlia fits my head and ears better, and being a ZMF the Bokeh’s materials and finish are top tier. I could see these as being excellent complementary open/closed pairs for someone, offering quite different presentations at a similar price point.

[Comparing the Dahlia to these ZMFs is maybe a bit unusual as they retail for at least double the price of the Dahlia, but these are what I use day-to-day and am most familiar with, and figured it could still be helpful to some]

• ZMF Auteur Classic: The Auteur Classic sounds a bit brighter overall, partly due to its lower bass quantity. However, I find the upper mids and lower treble on the Dahlia to be slightly hotter. The Auteur Classic offers more weight in the mids, which gives it intimate and vibrant vocals where the Dahlia sounds a bit more ethereal and spacious but with fuller bass. Soundstage and imaging I would put in the Dahlia's favour and are a definite strength of the HFA headphone.
• ZMF Atrium Closed: The Atrium Closed is more bombastic and has more bass impact and while it can also have slightly peaky treble, overall I find it warmer and thicker sounding than the Dahlia (I typically use the Suede TSP pads on the AC). It also has a fantastic texture to it that I miss with the Dahlia but I also find the AC can become a bit more congested sounding on some tracks compared to the very open Dahlia.
• ZMF Caldera: The Caldera is more resolving and faster, being a planar, but it also still has more note weight than the Dahlia. In terms of soundstage, the Dahlia pulls ahead, though the Caldera is not too far behind with the thick pads. It is also more pin-point in its imaging and able to layer sounds more cleanly, though the Dahlia has more depth and I've noticed more sounds coming from behind me on the Dahlia.

On the whole I still find my ZMFs to be a more engaging, emotional listening experience due largely to their luxurious sounding midranges and almost tactile timbre, but that's kind of their forte and doesn't mean the Dahlia is at all sterile or lifeless in comparison. The Dahlia competes well on a technical level, in some ways besting the ZMFs despite being a fraction of their price and the Dahlia's tuning strikes a great balance that I think could be preferrable to some people. Comfort would be subjective; I like my ZMFs with more clamp (to keep the weightier cups more stable) and they sit with a comforting snugness, but I don't forget I'm wearing them at any point. The Dahlia is slightly more picky in how it sits and tends to float a little more due to lower clamp, but once it's in its spot it basically melts away and I'll forget it's there.


The Violectric V550 is a fantastic pairing with the Dahlia, but it sounds great regardless of what you run it with. I use mine regularly with my Steam Deck.


Closing thoughts
I bought the Dahlia on a bit of a whim because I wanted a light, comfortable alternative to my ZMFs. I ended up enjoying it more than I expected and it's found its way into the regular rotation for music, but also taken over as my main gaming & media set. The fit took me a little getting used to compared to my ZMFs and 6XX which are more clampy, but it's very comfortable and good for long sessions without fatigue.

At $879 the Dahlia isn't necessarily cheap by mass-market standards. However it's a strong contender at this price point and I think it's an easy recommendation as a versatile, do-it-all, open-back under $1k. The tuning is really enjoyable across a range of music, it has plenty of detail and technicalities and it feels well built and uses nice materials throughout. Even if it doesn't have the overall finishing polish in aesthetics compared to offerings from larger manufacturers. I also appreciate the opportunity to support a small manufacturer pushing new, quality products, with interesting ideas into the market.

Thanks for reading, I'll do my best to answer any additional questions (sorry, I don't know how it compares to the HD800s, but there have been a few impressions in the dedicated thread).

(edits for grammar, minor corrections & adjustments to wording)