HIFIMAN Audivina

Intro: In the past i have owned multiple hifiman headphones and loved the way they sounded out of the box (with a bit of a bass boost).
Which is mainly frenchcore/hardbass/hardcore or folk/focal/classical with some punk/metal sprinkled in.

Normally the audivina is around 2k (it got slashed to 1600 recently). Way above the price i was looking at. But when i saw that i could get a brand new audivina from dutch amazon for 600 euro, i decided i wanted to give it a go. The bad reviews didnt scare me, since i often like controversial headphones, like the hd700. So i have been trying them a bit for the last couple of days.

Comfort: If you know any egg hifiman you know this headphone. For those that dont know, they come with a hybrid leather on the side with some fabric on the part that touches your head. Personally i heavily dislike these, theyre itchy and scratch on my glasses if the headphone moves just a bit. Dekoni perforated sheepskin pads all the way!
However the stock pads are not attached by clips but with velcro and wihle i do prefer over their other models. But this does mean that if you want other pads you need to get creative. Probably the easiest would be to get earpads for an he1000/arya/etc, break the clips and glue on velcro.

The weight of the headphone is 470g according to hifiman, which isnt light but at least not monolith/audeze levels of heavy. Together with the nice floating headband its balanced nicely on my head. Out of the box the clamp is not too much (like the ananda/sundara) but after a while its certainly noticable after a while.
The stupid thing is theyre more clampy than my dt 1770's, but way more open.

Build: The build is typical hifiman if you ask me. Pretty decent, but they certainly do not feel premium. And as always the headband connecters are crooked and you can cut yourself on the H logo on the wooden cups (same on my buddies one)... The wood also feels very plasticy, i think its due to the finish? Idk, i dont know my woods. But its certainly not worthy of a 2k headphone and even for a 600 euro one i expect better.

Sound: Out of the box its a pretty weird sound, compared to the t1 and dt1770 i have been using latelty. Like the hifimans ive used in the past its bass is lower than id prefer. But this one pushes it up to 11. Kinda reminds me of a hd600. Pretty usuless for the bass focussed music i love. And for the music with male focals it sounds unnatural as well.
Luckily it can be fixed with some EQ. As per usual i start of with with oratory1990's EQ profile and add some bass. And now i do love its sound. The bass is very good and it goes DEEEP. Without ruining the other frequencies. Every detail is still there!

Conclusion: Out of the box its tuning sucks big balls. Its still very capable and is certainly the closed headphone with the widest stage, the most details and the most open sound ive tried. But Hifiman should certainly release a v2 with improved tuning. Because especially with some EQ its a detailed monster. I can certainly enjoy my bass music with it. And for the 600 new price i have paid its a good option. If i remember my arya correctly, its pretty much that, with some isolation. However i will not be keeping it, it will be traded in for an audeze!

TONALITY: 8.5/10
TECHNICALITIES: 9/10
TIMBRE: 9/10
IMAGING: 9/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.5/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 8.2/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 7.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 7.5/10 (higher is the price, lower is sound benefit return)


INTRO

Hifiman is a well known audio company from China that specialize in planar headphones and make a wide range of other products including DAP, DAC-AMPs, IEMs, Dynamic and even electrostatic headphones.
It's been a long time since I've been a fan of their headphones. My first real crush began with the competitively priced Hifiman Sundara that I still consider among the finest sub-500$ planar headphones.
Then, if you read my last review of HE1000 V3, you’ll understand it detrone Sundara and anything else in terms of extremely addictive musicality with excellent technical chops too, in a non analytical or resolution boosted way.
Today I will review something exotic from Hifiman, the full size closed back planar Audivina.
Priced 2000$ (but available at lower price if you search well), the Audivina is a reference grade closed back planar headphone using latest Stealth technology, and as stated by Hifiman it is thinking for studio use, and promise great soundstage and pristine imaging for this very purpose, within an overall neutral tuning.

Let's see in this review if this means you can’t enjoy the musicality of Audivina out of a studio purpose.


CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES



The construction of Audivina is sumptuous and Hifiman connoisseurs will recognize some parts used for other of their flagship headphones like the metal headband of HE1000.The material is a mix of metal, plastic and wood.This is what captivates the attention, the big wooden cups that are made of solid yet not too weighty willow wood. The wood pattern and color are delectable and the finish is smooth with light varnish.




The metal headband holder feels sturdy and has good flexibility and the shape produces a smooth clamping force that isn’t hurtful. The real leather headband has holes in it to avoid getting how you barely feel it on your head, yet it is holded with a piece of plastic that can be a matter of worry if you hit it hard on something.
The ear cups are very big and this is a blessing for me because my closed back is often too small for my slightly big ears, so this is true universally around ears closed back.




The ears cushions are very thick and made of memory foam that isn’t too soft or hard, it’s extremely comfortable for long listening sessions and micro perforation seems to avoid getting too warm like it often happens with leather cushions pads.
These cups are fully swivable too, so it can shape your head precisely.

The cup holder seems made of plastic, but I'm not certain, it can be metal too since it’s very hard and feels sturdy.



Only part of the headphones I find a bit questionable is the plastic around the wooden ear cups. This time I'm certain it’s plastic and it feels light and a bit cheap, it doesn’t favor the overall aesthetic too and there is a slight gap between cups that I find odd. I nitpick here, but with expensive headphones we expect perfection and it’s not exactly the case here.
Finally, we have a 2x3.5mm female connector for the cable, under the cup. The jack is made of black plastic, I would expect gold plated metal here or something more prime. Again, I push my nitpicking to its limit.



The included cables are alright and it’s nice to get 3 of them to cover all need, but don’t expect end game cabless either. It’s basic cable quality but not bad to the point I feel the urge to upgrade. We have 1x 3 meter long XLR cable, 1x3 meter long 6.35mm cable and 1x1.5m 3.5mm cable.It’s not stated the type of cable material, but i guess it’s high purity copper, sound transmission wise the do the job, as well it’s an improvement over other Hifiman cable included with Ananda, Sundara etc, because they are flexible and smooth. Nonetheless, I don't use 3m long cable and I wish there was a 4.4mm balanced+XLR adapter instead of 3m long XLR.



The unboxing is very minimalist and I'm one of those that like it this way. Package is eco-friendly and comes in a box that can be recycled. Everything is highly fit in it and apart from the 3 cables, we have a very nice headphones carrying case that is small enough and sturdy enough to really protect those precious Audivina. I wish this high quality case was included with HE1000 too.
All in all accessories are varied and generous enough but the consumers who are very demanding in terms of packaging presentation will be underwhelmed in that regard.


SOUND IMPRESSIONS


(Source used are all 1W@32ohm and above apart the Fiio KA17 which is 650mW)

Let’s begin by stating Hifiman don’t hide the fact this closed back planar are thinked for studio use, and in that regard they not only excel but offer an accessible enough musicality too, which is bright but smooth enough for long listening session, which is a plus for both monitoring and laid back listening pleasure.

Then, unlike most of Hifiman headphones, those are closed back, the plus are extra isolation but i can’t say it’s the most intense in that aspect, the con is about spatial openness, it doesn’t go out of you head in a very expensive way, it’s intimate and focus on center stage first and foremost. If the sub bass was too boosted, there will be bass cons too, but it’s not the case here.

So as expected, the Audivina offers a neutral tonality, which is lean but not dull sounding or lacking dynamic heft. In fact, I feel a ‘’flat’’ W shape signature here in terms of liveliness. It’s gently bright with slight mid bass boost, great low mids and overall mids focus, soft lower treble and then extra highs sharpness to add proper edge to definition, so you can track more easily the instrument. But all this is so well balanced that it feels very linear in balance without going overly tamed in any frequency region.

I remember when I first put this on my head, I was certain to get a very bright signature we often found with monitor headphones that force the resolution and boost instrument presence before anything else…this can extract too much timbre noise and grain which isn’t the case with Audivina. So my conclusion was that it’s thinked to listen to your mix to judge overall balance and fine tune final mastering, not to analyze the mix in an overly critical way. Audivina shows you the mix as it should sound, it doesn't magnify its imperfection to the point it will ruin musical pleasure. Yet, don’t expect a fun sounding or lush guilty pleasure with those, don’t get me wrong it’s not unpleasant tonaly, the musicality is mature and neutral without going clinical or too cold that’s all. In fact, a big plus with planar driver is the capacity to handle extreme EQ’ing, so when I want fun, i just either switch the bass boost of my Xduoo XD05 plus or boost it with Hiby Music player EQ, then you can get head crushing headphones experience if it’s your will!

So the bass is textured, well defined in presence, punchy but not rumbly or boosted in sub bass, this is a good choice because with closed back it could have created resonance that blur the fine clarity. Even if neutral, it’s not a boring bass that lacks dynamic since we have a gentle mid bass boost and no intense high bass lower mids scoop that will cancel the weight of impact and natural fullness of tone for double bass and cello as well as tom and kick drum.
The kick drum is well defined in presence, has weighty dynamic and a natural tone, it’s textured but not unbalanced in color, we have both tactile and ‘’visual’’ rendering, it’s easy to find it in the mix but it will not distract you from mid range.
Bass line has similar rendering, but it’s not boosted in rumble release and don’t move a lot of air as noted before, the tone is again spot on, vibrancy or grunt will be there when needed, but for let say trap rap thick infra bass release it will be a bit tamed.
For jazz double bass, the harmonic are natural but the extension will not sustain very long, it’s not the most transparent sub bass i’ve heard too yet timbre and tone are perhaps the most natural of all planar i’ve heard, it’s like being in small room with other musician so it would be strange to hear clean crisp bass in a real acoustic unplugged environment.
The cello sound wonderfully natural too without being overcook or unbalance in harmonic, that’s the thing with Audivina: harmonic are full and to be soo you can’t scoop anything in frequency range, if you boost too much treble or bass, this will make the fundamental recessed in harmonic mix which isn’t the case at all with Audivina and this is utterly refreshing and even needed, not only for studio, but for purist audiophile seeking reference musicality too.
So, we sure have more quality than quantity bass wise, it flows in the mix without any hard edge and it has enough bite for electric bass attack lead and texture without going too boosted in the treble presence of any instrument. It’s sure not a dark bass too, but quantity wise it will lack for the basshead and those seeking engaging musicality like me, i would not listen to bass heavy music with this in term of musical pleasure, IDM, rap, Drum & Bass etc will all lack slam and rumble, I think it’s evident the Audivina isn’t thinked for this music style, but personally i do find a lot of musicality for jazz, rock, classical and even indie music.

The mid range is the star of the show for me, but not in a spectacular manner, it’s not even forced upon the listener with a upper mids presence boost, these aren’t bright nor dark mids, we are in lukewarm mature territory here where everything flows naturally and nothing is missing. It’s full bodied and transparent, the tone is again spot on for all instruments from piano to sax to male and female vocal. It might feel lean, but not lifeless, cold or very tamed in dynamic, this will be the case for those used to very boosted pina gain and upper mids, the treble head will think the mids are recessed while it’s the opposite since the Audivina are mid centric headphones first and foremost but the IEM and HP market scoop all mid range but it’s upper range most of the time which can lead to craving for louder mids energy out of studio usage.
I’m one of the rare reviewer that don’t enjoy high upper mids boost and find it fatiguing and tonaly wrong, so the Audivina is a welcome healing refreshment to my ears, when Arianna Savall goes into highest range it doesn’t pierce my ear drum with violent pinna gain, it’s smooth and tone and timbre is natural, slightly lush as it should, yet with perfect intelligibility of each words which mean it sound as recorded and unless the record have obvious sibilance (which is important to spot when mixing), it will not boost it at all. This is the main surprise for me since when i review monitor IEM, it’s often quite shouty and sibilant, an example of this would be Sony 7506 which are way brighter, more unidimensional in spatiality and plain bright in presence in an unpleasant way compared to more natural and refined sounding Audivina.
Both male and female vocals are full in timbre, wide in presence, well centered in the stage and never overshadowed by bass or highs even if not aggressive in energy. They aren’t overly loud and can feel lean to those addicted to upper mids shout, but for me they are near perfect since nothing dominates their harmonic, it’s round and sweet, doesn’t create fatigue and will sound good with all types of mix. I rediscover Serge Gainsbourg music with Audivina, since it always sound boxy with IEMs and Headphones I use in the past, now it was it’s natural voice i can fully appreciate within a clean and open mix, this underline that the tonality is versatile and show the music as it is, without putting in or taking off anything in balance, this underline how poor are modern mixing too, especially for pop music with over tweaked vocals.
The Audivina are refined delicacy that worth being tasted finely and with patience, the wow effect isn’t about too much salt or sugar, it isn’t fast food, it’s all about subilities of the music you listen too and record quality play bigger role than with mass tuned headphones, again, this is no surprise for a Headphones thinked for studio use, but the the fact i can find it truly musical is a surprise to me nonetheless.
All in all, mid range is smooth yet effortlessly resolved with pristine layering delivered in an intimate way so you can truly appreciate the body of your music.

When it comes to the treble, the balance is exemplary and while it's slightly boosted it will never distract the listener with overly forward percussion or micro details nor create fatigue or harsh rendering in loud attack of violin or guitar.
It’s a full sounding treble without hard spike, it doesn’t sound thin nor overly metallic or brilliant but we have the sparkle and extension offered in a lean extension which doesn’t add a lot of air to the mix.
It’s slightly polished in attack edge to avoid scratchy annoyance, yet it doesn't like attack bite for most instruments apart perhaps electric guitar which feel a bit too mellow in dynamic loudness and foggy in texture. But that’s ultimate nit picking and it’s based on one Autoryno album.
All instruments in high pitch range can cohabit without over dominating anyone, violin, guitar and accordion were rendered in smooth layering that doesn’t favor presence of any instrument without feeling it lack texture or tone nuance.
Sure, if i go from Arya to Audivina, i will feel it lack a bit of treble extension crispness, brilliance and air, but this will affect the intimate focus with mids and whole instrument presence and harmonic range, this clean brilliance decay is something i can enjoy but don’t find lacking for the Audivina musicality which is extremely captivating in it’s own right.
In fact, crispness is there but not overly boosted, both harpsichord and acoustic guitar as attack lead bite but a fast sparkle release, it's not reflected in resonance as if the wood cup in fact tame resonance. Guitar sound full, not thin nor overly metallic or dry, it's superbly life like without a clinical restitution due to overly boosted upper treble.
So, indeed, we have a slight mid treble boost that add a well balanced attack edge and bite when needed, should it be for violin stroke or string pulling.
As expected with planar driver, the attack speed is fast and effortless in control, this permit highly articulated macro dynamic that can deal with fastest and varied music style.
The Audivina will not miss anything in term of attack timing readibility, yet it will not force vivid micro details on the listener, overall treble being rather smooth in term of plenty of sound info it deliver, this mean it's the type of headphones that grow on you in the long run, certain mix revealing how well recorder they are only with this Audivina.
To my ears, it's among most refined treble from any hifiman headphones i've tested, it's fatigue freee yet highly captivating when you enter active critical listening.

The Soundstage is an highlight if you take in account those are fully closed back, but if compared to open back it's less impressive, in fact I expected wider and deeper presentation due to product description, this might have overly raise my expectation. Simply put: these aren't Sennheiser HD820 and first reason is because center stage isn't recessed nor thin. It's an open and intimate spatiality, very similar to what you'll get with deskope monitor speakers well placed at each side of you, then had a center third speaker too at about 30cm from your head. You in the middle of music with the Audivina but not lost in it, your in first row of small concert hall or studio.

The imaging is quite impressive though, positioning is excellent, even voice doubling can be easily pull apart, instruments don't have widest space between them but the layering is superb. It's as easy to track bass line than main instrument, as well nothing will blur or over shadow other instrument with too loud presence boost, everything is treated at same level with high sens of accuracy.






COMPARISONS




VS HIFIMAN HE1000 V3

The Audivina is notably more technical and neutral sounding than the more laid back and natural sounding HE1KS. It’s near dead flat, yet with little extra upper mids and ultra highs boost.
It’s certainly more appropriate for monitoring music than enjoying it in an immersive way, the rendering is colder and more ”cerebral”, you an observer of the music while with HE1K V3 your swimming into the middle of lush layering.
The bass is cleaner, faster and leaner with the Audivina, bassline and kick separation is better and less thicken by warmth, overall bass is thinner but has more fine details in terms of texture as well as attack edge. HE1KS bass is chunkier, more vibrant and dense in rumble sustain, more weighty but darker in definition and slip into lower mid range more, adding sound layers density to each other. Dynamic impact is greater with HE1KS too, tone is lusher, more juicy, vibrant, it’s more physical and tactile, less flat and dry than Audivina.

The mid range is brighter, cleaner, more resolved and transparent with Audivina, for those seeking pure high fidelity experience, it’s certainly the one to choose. But this mean dynamic is flatter and makes the vocal feel less forwards as well as less widened in warmed presence. Note weight is lighter, but edgier in stroke lead definition.
HE1K V3 has more lower mids fullness, presence and warmth, vocal and instrument are more bodied and forward yet less sharp in upper mids so smoother, creamier, more colorful than hyper-realistically textured. The attack sustain-release of Audivina is longer and extract more sound info of natural resonance recorded even if for ex piano notes don’t fall as heavily, i'll be able to know more easily if the pianist presses sustain pedal with Audivina due to crisper center stage. Its evident HE1K offers a more mid centric sound experience.

Then the treble is sharper, snappier and sparklier with Audivina but again in a leaner way that doesn’t deliver as tactile percussion and guitar dynamic. It’s more speedy and controlled in attack, the percussions are easier to follow in busy track due to crisper attack edge and cleaner air when mid range instruments take the lead.
Lower treble is more abrasive with the Audivina, which will benefit electric guitar presence that is creamier with HE1K but denser and more vibrant in fundamental. This made the treble of HE1KS less thin and dry sounding but less generous in micro details too.
The Soundstage is way wider and taller with the HE1KS, sense of depth is different though because your part of center stage while with Audivina your more like in small studio room with centered monitor speakers, for ex, HE1000S remind me my big Magnepan MG02A planar speaker which embrace my whole sound perception scale.
While the imaging feel more holographic and effortless in the of sound layers projection in space and dynamic with HE1KS, the imaging is more accurate and precise with the Audivina, it’s way easier to separate bass line, kick drum, mid range and high range instrument even if not as spacious and this is mostly due to less bass warmth that blur silence between instrument and more edgy upper mids that boost presence clarity of each instrument while keeping it’s transparency to be able to spot the positioning in both X and Y axis.

All in all, with Audivina I need to force my mind to find music immersive and musical while the HE1000 Stealth embraces me right away and makes me close to my fav singer, pianist or saxophonist. It’s more colored and less neutral and technical than Audivina but unless you want to monitor your music, I don’t think anybody will say Audivina is superior in tonality, cohesion and musical presentation.

VS HIFIMAN ARYA ORGANIC

The Arya are notably bassier and more U shaped in balance, they are brighter too and more open and sparkly sounding than linear smoother more reference sounding Audivina.

The sub bass is more boosted, it offers a bigger and wider slam which is warmer too than the more defined mid bass of Audivina. Audivina sub bass seem roll off compared to more rumbly Arya, it doesn't attract attention too and stay in the back while for bassy music the Arya can be borderline basshead from a purist point of view. Arya bass is more resonant and prompt to warm the mids, it’s less textured and not as fast in control, not as tight. Bass lines of Audivina are less edgy and dominant, more natural in tone and better separated from the kick drum.

Mids are brighter and more open, it’s more excited and boosted in upper mids which make the dynamic less lean than Audivina but less well balanced too, more prompt to slight shortness-sibilance so vocal are way smoother, fuller and more natural with the Audivina even if less boosted in presence brightness. Male vocals are more natural and less recessed and thin with Audivina too.
Audivina has more lower mids and overall mid range fullness, presence is wider and less compressed as well as less recessed when big bass occurs. Timbre and tone of all instruments feel more realist and life-like too with Audivina, free of low or highs coloring.
Its evident mids are more recessed and thin with Arya when we play acoustic music with real instruments, center stage take second stage more when low and highs take the lead than Audivina less U shaped balance.

Then like it’s name promise, the highs are more open and airy with the Arya, it’s more sparkly and brilliant too so acoustic guitar have more edge to attack as well as crisp sustain release, Arya percussions are more upfront and can dominate mids like the bass, it’s thinner but clearer in presence, more boosted in micro details, it add more attack bite to all instrument too which confirm the Audivina isn’t analytical monitor headphones, but a fine final mixing one. Audivine is more balanced and has leaner treble, fuller and less thin, acoustic guitar has greater lower harmonic presence too, yet I wonder why it feels less extended in highs, perhaps to focus more on mid range.

The Soundstage is intensely wider, taller and deeper with Arya, it feels a bit hollow compared to more intimate and focused spatiality of Audivina.

Imaging is great with both but more realistic with the Audivina especially for the whole mid range which have less tamed center stage dynamic, Arya favors some instruments over others, either low or high pitch one so for proper monitoring the Audivina is clearly the one to choose.

All in all, i find technicalities of both in same league apart the soundstage size which is more about acoustic implementation and open back design of the Arya, for tonal balance the Audivina are better balanced as well as less fatiguing for long listening at medium to high volume, i prefer vocal tone too, while i wish the bass dig as deep as the Arya but not in as boomy way.


VS SENNHEISER HD820 (from memories of 6 month usage, not direct A-B comparo)

Firstly, I've never liked the HD820 timbre which is dry and thin, unlike the more natural and dense timbre of the Audivina.

We can say HD820 is neutral too, but brighter and thinner and not as mid centric which have more scooped lower mids that affect rightness of tone in favor of presence clarity boost.

The bass is more textured and transparent and doesn't naturally slip into mids like the lusher bass of Audivina. It’s dryer and thinner, and we don't have as much weight on impact like the Audivina. Bass lines are more vibrant and full with the Audivana, not as resonant and wonky.

The mids have brighter timbre and greater sense of air and transparency, it’s more open sounding and a bit like Arya in that regard, piano sound more recessed and vocal are more prompt to sibilance, i find them way more artificial, edgy and prompt to sibilance than sweeter Audivina, it’s biggest HD820 flaw with thin bass, in fact, everything sound thin and overly forced in upper mids with HD820. Audivina mid range is lusher, more focused, more intimate, it has more tone color and density as well as note weight, it’s more soft in upper mids and the definition edge isn’t grainy.

Then the treble is notably more sparkly and airy with HD820, its less lean and delicate and refined than smoother les spiky sounding Audivina, attack control is better too with Audivina, we don’t have this cymbals crash harmonic distortion in release as well natural resonance of sparkle isn’t as boosted and ultimately it’s more realist and well balanced to my ears.

Soundstage is the no1 highlight of HD820, this is due to both acoustic tech and tuning choice, it’s hall like and instruments are put in concert stages where you aren’t part of music like the more intimate Audivina, you're a spectator far away in rows.

This means that while Audivina is less wide and deep in spatiality, the center stage where main instruments belong is more focused too, but the sound layers don’t have as much separation space so it’s harder to pinpoint them in an analytical way. The music mix is more realistic, less forced into a ‘’cinematic’’ rendering but overall I would conclude HD820 is superior in this department.

All in all, tonaly the Audivina is way better balanced and surprisingly more musical and versatile even if neutrality tuned. In terms of technicalities, planar can’t be beat by the HD820 DD even if the fake clarity is pushed to the max as well as the imaging capacity is clearer, cleaner, and airier. I would say that HD820 will please more those seeking the biggest soundstage in closed-back format, but be aware that it’s a thin sound headphones too!


CONCLUSION


The Hifiman Audivina positively surprised me with their musicality that isn’t as niche or clinical as expected. Being familiar with monitoring IEM, I was thinking to get a either too bright or too lean tonality and it’s not at all what we get here since we are in what i call ‘’lukewarm’’ territory, everything is balanced and refined, sure it’s a mature reference tonality we get but with a rich natural timbre that doesn’t warm or darken instrument presence definition which are very well images.

So, instead of being too niche sounding headphones, it’s a versatile neutrality we get, that favors realism of instrument tone and timbre as well as readability of positioning in a mid centric focused rendering that doesn't distract you with too much bass or treble.
Sure, the soundstage isn’t as mind blowing as full open back headphones like HE1000 or Arya, but it’s on par with Sundara and surely among most spacious spatiality just sitting behind the Sennheiser HD820, which is my benchmark for big soundstage for closed back headphones.

All in all, while these headphones will lack a bit of fun factor for a lot of audiophile, I feel Hifiman upon it’s game in term of tuning balance with the Audivina, it’s a neutral sounding headphones with a pinch of appealing lushness and extra crispness on top without the upper mids grain or harshness we can find with other models of their offering.

Before the Audivina, I concluded Hifiman offered 2 types of sound signature, bright U shape and warm W shape. Now I changed my mind and it made me even more curious about other sound flavors this company can offer.

Highly recommended (for those who know why they buy these headphones)



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PS: I want to thanks Hifiman for sending me this review sample. I don't participate to affiliated program nor gain nothing to write positive reviews. All audio gear are collected for futur comparisons purpose.

You can order the Hifiman Audivina for 2000$ here (check as well the open box crazy deals!): https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/audivina.html

Audivina review:

Many delve into the technical specs of the device they review. That is best left to the brouchure from the manifacturer.
Here is the completely one-sided, personal and subjective opinions of someone who has been a whopping 2 years coming from the humble ATH-M50x to the Audeze LCD-5. I have my tastes, and thus it’s 100% subjective review.
First impressions:
Aesthetically. the Adivina are quite eye cathing, with a suspension system similar to the HE1000, not to mention two quite generous earcups who are covered on both sides with beautiful wood, as these are closed backs.

The look is very unique, no quite other headphone has the same look. Comfyness well describes how light and firm they stand on your head, I’d say one of the best, reminding me on the featherweight R70X.
Now comes the musical part:
In my zero-reviews experience, i thought i’d try and use the comparison to another headphone to try and describe better the feelings i get from them.
I have the luck of owning other high end closed backs (LCD-XC 2021), and thus i’ll try and compare them to better describe their musicality.
Let’s start with the first thing when you hear the word “closed backs”: Isolation. On the Audivina, there is very little. All in all, i can hear through it almost like an open back. This is a big drawback because the headphone easily swivels and comes in a portable package that seems to encourage people to bring it on a trip and enjoy some music on the go (or maybe i’m the one that’s crazy to think about going around with 2k headphones on my head, but hey if i buy something you can bet i AM going to use it).
After isolation, closed backs are supposed to sound more bassy. That isn’t really a standard, and my LCD-5 would have a word with anyone saying open backs’ bass can’t be good. And the Audivina corroborate the importance of not letting their designation “closed back” trick you into thinking they are bassy. Quite the opposite thir bass is….let’s say featherweight. Little impact, texture and intensity makes the lower part of the frequencies feel almost missing. An example is the song from Far Cry 5 “Build a Castle – Choir Version”. The LCD-XC paint a deep, impactful voice, you can hear the impact of the vocals, the strings, it brings it all together very well.
On the audivina you have a shallow bass, good mids, and the strings are the ones ending up being heard the best.
The soundstage is very nice, quite open and spacious.
Another song, good for the mids/high, is “Nobody Does it Better” by Carly Simon. Being a little less bass heavy, the voice is well rendered and the highs are good. But again, missing the bass unfortunately doesn’t help with the impact of the voice.
To focus all-in with the bass, “Fukitsu” from the Bakemonogatari OST is a good instrument-heavy song has both highs and bass. Here being a string instrument audivinas are better than other songs, with very good definition but still lacking the “impact” of basses frrom the piano.

Conclusions:

They absolutely win in two categories: Comfort and Transportability
In these the audivina are world class.
They have nice technicalities, with a very large sound stage rivalling open backs.
Tonality is divisive, and would reccomend testing them to see if they suit your taste.
Isolation isn’t much to write home about and would need improvement in the future.
Bass is the real issue, and to me unfortunately a dealbreaker.