HiFiMAN DEVA Pro

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Those who are in the community for a while should know who and what Hifiman does. They’re famous for their planar magnetic headphones, not just that, they do make source and amp as well. They cover pretty much what I would say as an ecosystem for their own brand. I have the Deva Pro with me today that’s bundled with the Bluemini R2R bluetooth module. We will take a look at how it’s performance with the bluetooth module, as well as on wired mode.
The packaging is the usual Hifiman packaging which they changed recently with an all cardboard look, bundled with an average dual 3.5mm cable, a foam headphone stand and that’s about it.
Build quality is very similar to HE400SE that I have tested as well and nothing much to shout out about, it keeps the weight light and it works, so that’s fine by me.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Angel Dac/Amp
• Earmen ST-Amp
• Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Colibri
• Hifiman Deva Pro with stock cable and earpads, Bluemini R2R module

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression with Bluemini R2R Bluetooth Module (LDAC Codec)
The timbre sounds quite natural and the tonality does have a slight emphasis on the treble (slightly bright). A very minor V shaped tuning to my ears, both the lows and highs are slightly elevated and slightly recessed mids, hence i call them as minor V shaped.

Bass

• Bass is fast and precise and never bleed into the mids despite sounding slightly elevated
• The sub bass does rumble when the track calls for it (Machine Gun Kelly’s Taurus)
• Mid bass is quite punchy as well and has good texture to it
• Not basshead kind of bass response, but overall very fun sounding kind of bass with sufficient quantity and good quality
• The seal of the ear pad is also important in order to achieve a good bass response

Mids

• The mids are not overly forward nor recessed,
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures to them
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty
• On certain track, male vocal does sound a little distant, but most of the time they are neither too forward nor recessed

Treble

• Treble response has plenty of energetic yet it is not harsh nor sibilant
• Fast and snappy transient response
• Very good resolution for the price, in fact i think it is actually punching above its price point
• Good detail retrieval, micro details can be picked up easily
• Technicalities are quite good for a bluetooth headphone

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is average to my ears, not too wide nor boxy, just slightly out of your head, lacking depth and height to my ears
• Imaging is good when they tracks are not busy, but when the track starts to get busy, it does sounds quite mushy

Driveability with the R2R Module

• Since the Bluemini module is sort of like a companion accessory for the Deva Pro, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the module will be able to push it to its optimum performance
• At just 40% of volume, playing via LDAC codec from my Xperia 5 II transport, it gets pretty loud and sounds like it has been driven to its optimum performance

Sound Impression on wired with CH-AMP and Angel as DAC
Listening via wired mode, the Deva Pro is entirely a different beast based on my experience. No difference in terms of tonality and timbre, but the tuning doesn’t sound that V shaped anymore.

Bass

• Bass has more control compared to the bluetooth module
• Tighter bass and slightly faster
• Sub bass sounds like it has better extension
• Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids

Mids

• Mids definitely doesn’t sound recessed and slightly forward compared to the bluetooth module
• Mids sounds quite lush when with this pairing

Treble

• Treble is energetic yet non offensive
• However, it does sounds like it lacks a little air and presence on the top end on both bluetooth and wired mode

Soundstage/Imaging

• The soundstage is definitely a step up compared to when it is running on bluetooth module
• Better depth, width, and height perception overall
• Not to mention, imaging is also better with slightly better separation and layering

Driveability

• On wired mode, it definitely requires quite a bit of juice to drive it properly
• ST-Amp with 1.8w is sufficient to drive it properly, but when i switched to the bigger brother, the CH-AMP with 3.8w of power, it sounds even more dynamic and so much fun to listen to iit

Final Thoughts
The Deva Pro as a bluetooth headphone, it is good, but when it is being used as a wired headphone, the performance is even better as it is scaling with your amp and dac setup.
Overall, i am recommending the Deva Pro for those who are looking to use their headphone wirelessly as well as wired setup, a dual purpose headphone. With the price being lowered to 269$ inclusive of the bluetooth module, this is definitely a steal

*The Hifiman Deva Pro was sent over by Hifiman for the purpose of this review, I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to their official store to grab one now! It is currently available for 265$ instead of the usual 329$
Hifiman Deva Pro with Bluemini R2R Module - Non affiliated

MatAudiophiles​

hifiman deva pro​

DEVA PRO
INSTAGRAM:

Prelude:
DEVA PRO is an interesting proposition from HIFIMAN because it is based on headphones with a large planar transducer and stealth magnets. They are open and practically protrude slightly from the head. However, what distinguishes them is that in addition to the possibility of a wired connection with a classic cable, a great bletooth adapter based on the R2R bluemini architecture with the original HIFIMAN chip is included. Does this approach to planar headphones make sense? I invite you to read my review!


Unboxing and making:
In the deva pro model dedicated for portable use, care was taken to put a rather rich set in a beautiful black cardboard box on a satin material. The set includes the headphones themselves, a 2x 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable identical to the one in the HE-400SE model. In addition, a large jack adapter and a bluemini adapter as well as a 1.9m USB cable and a handful of cardboard boxes with product information were included. Although personally I missed even the simplest case. After all, the model is dedicated to bluetooth solutions, so it’s nice to carry it safely. However, I can’t complain because the set is complete and the elements are of good quality. The headphones themselves are quite light and handy, despite the large size of the earmuffs, they are flat and very ergonomic. The design and workmanship refer to the he-400se model, but the Deva pro earmuffs are a bit thinner. However, the whole thing has a consistent color scheme and great quality for the current price of 269 USD is very good.


Sound:
My previous experience with the HE400SE and RE400 was very successful and resulted in many hours of listening. This time, Hifiman in the Deva pro model focused on a slightly different character of the sound. For obvious reasons, I used bluemini as a source for my assessment, but also the xduoo mu602 stationary amplifier with the MT602 DAC and the iBasso DX170 file player. I used my tidal playlist and my own files as references. So let’s get to the sound itself. What is worth noting, the headphones are only visually similar to the HE400SE model because sonically they present a slightly different character.

BAS: The low registers have been strengthened compared to the previous edition, i.e. the DEVA model. Tuning was used here with more bass base, greater resolution and stronger impact. These are still not headphones for lovers of strong sounds. Because the bass here is still kept in check and has a specific place. It does not flood the midrange or capture the entire presentation. Its resolution and tonal range is great, mainly due to the large mass and incredible speed characteristic of planar drivers. In rock songs, the dullness of the bass could delight, and its structure gave a lot of satisfaction. A lot also depends on the source used. These are probably the first headphones that sound better via bluetooth than wired. This is due to a really excellent bluetooth DAC/AMPA based on the R2R architecture in the kit. Initially, I planned to devote a separate article to it, but since it is dedicated to deva pro by default, but not only. So I decided to devote a separate paragraph to it here.

Diameter: The vocals are beautiful, natural, and although the whole presentation is a bit darker, close and direct vocals are what HIFIMAN got me used to. Their engaging and emotional nature is a really good solution. If someone likes rap, this is what they are looking for, jazz will also be found, metal, rock, soul is actually quite universal and spatial playing that will successfully find itself in any genre of music. When it comes to instruments, there are a lot of them, they have a lot of space and air, which translates into great feelings. The saturation of the instruments is considerable, and the stage is not cramped, although it is wider, the depth can also delight. In this price range, i.e. up to USD 300, this is an impressive result. Each instrument has its place while maintaining beautiful consistency and high technical quality.

Treble: The upper registers are not as bright and colorful as you might think, it is a darker presentation with beautiful and natural highs. However, it should be remembered that they are slightly tinted, which is not very noticeable, because it allows us to rest and relax after many hours of listening. The strings and details are at an impressive and very high level, and the whole thing has a lot of freedom and air. Such presentation of music allows you to relax and immerse yourself in natural and beautiful sound. Here I also like the unusual lightness while maintaining weight, which is often missing in headphones in this price range.
Comparisons:

DEVA PRO ($269) VS HE400SE ($109)
DEVA PRO is a more mature sound with much more space and air. Less musical, but more technically striking. The HE400SE, however, will appeal to treble lovers and those who do not plan to use bluemini. However, if we care about a better technical layer, and we can pay extra, DEVA PRO is a significant improvement over the still great HE400SE model at its price
DEVA PRO ($269) VS HE-R9 ($199)
The HE-R9 are closed-back headphones with a large dynamic driver. They have a very futuristic look, while still being extremely comfortable and providing above-average sound insulation. Deva pro is a slightly lighter, more open and organic approach to the subject, with less bass and more air. This is due to the differences in the type of transducers used and the design of the headphones. Deva pro is smaller, lighter, but due to zero insulation it is difficult to take it on a bus trip. In the case of the HE-R9, if we do not have any reservations about their design, they are excellent headphones on the R2R system in combination with the bluemini.
DEVA PRO ($269) VS SIVGA ORIOLE ($199)
Oriole are dynamic headphones with a very balanced and coherent presentation in wooden housings. When it comes to deve pro, hifiman chose a slightly more natural and darker tuning. With a lot of air due to the open design and, above all, as befits a planar driver, huge dynamics. Here, of course, it’s hard to talk about better or worse sound, simply Devy are headphones to relax with your favorite music, and sivga oriole will allow us to work with music thanks to its amazing balance.

Bluemini:
The second generation of this amazing bluetooth receiver based on hifiman’s proprietary solutions and the R2R system is above average when it comes to capabilities. First of all, we have full bluetooth 5.0 functionality here, along with an excellent chip from QALCOMA. In addition, a lot of power and amazing, natural sound. The device itself is brilliantly easy to use and provides up to 8 hours of listening to your favorite music. On the downside, I can definitely point out that it has a certain tendency to a very slight hiss at low volume levels or with high resistance headphones like the HE-R9. However, this is marginal and fully compensated by the amazing sounding R2R system with above average naturalness and sonic culture. In my opinion, the price of this module is fully justified, because its capabilities are impressive. We also have the option of using it with LDAC, APTX HD, APTX, SBC, AAC codecs, as well as with a USB cable. In my personal opinion wired sounds even more natural and transparent.

Summary:
Is HIFIMAN DEVA PRO FOR $269 a product to die for? First of all, they are headphones that, together with the bluemini, offer a complete and amazing show of musical possibilities, without a single cable and without any compromises. These are incredibly comfortable, slightly darker, but very natural headphones with a beautiful and dynamic presentation. Their size is optimal, and weight is not a problem. The open design brings a lot of advantages, but also a compromise between insulation, this should be taken into account when deciding to travel by public transport or walking around the center of Tokyo. In my opinion, this is an indecently good offer for such money. Their quality and functionality appealed to me a lot and guaranteed that I would not give up their freedom and purity of sound for a long time. Their strengths are the naturalness and realism of the sound, along with the incredible freedom and purity of the sound. Of the delicate minuses, I can definitely include the lack of a transport case. However, we must remember that these are planar headphones with an open design and while they sound phenomenal with the bluemini, they require a proper amplifier and a high-quality DAC.

Test material:
Bluemini, Qudelix 5k, xDuoo Poke II, iBasso DC06, iBasso DX170, xDuoo XP2pro, xDuoo mu601, mt602, ta-01B.
Test music:
TIDAL, APPLEMUSIC, own files.

Intro​

In 2019, HiFiMAN surprised everyone when they announced the Ananda BT, a pair of wireless, planar-magnetic headphones that were also open-back. It was unlike anything available on the market and had an extremely niche use case.

Fast forward to 2022, and HiFiMAN now has the Deva Pro, a cheaper alternative to the Ananda BT that address some of the key issues of that model, namely the lack of an analog-only mode and heavier weight.

Both of these issues are solved on the Deva Pro courtesy of the included BlueMini R2R module that can be detached as needed.

Let’s see if the Deva Pro can match their peers when it comes to sound quality, as they are taking on both wired and wireless planar magnetic headphones.

HiFiMAN was kind enough to provide the Deva Pro for review.

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This article originally appeared on Headphonesty.

Packaging​

HiFiMAN has a simplified look to all their product packaging nowadays, and the Deva Pro are no exception. The stealth magnet sticker points to the revised driver design of this model—more on the driver redesign later in the Sound section.

In the box​

• HiFiMAN Deva Pro headphones
• 1.5m, 3.5mm terminated cable
• 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter cable
• BlueMini R2R module
• USB-A to USB-C cable

The supplied accessories are pretty decent considering how notoriously poor the stock HiFiMAN accessories are. For example, their flagship Susvara come with perhaps the least ergonomic stock cable in existence and lacks a carrying case or even an extra set of pads in the package.

Design​

HiFiMAN opted for a slightly different ear cup design than their existing HE-series of headphones or the likes of Arya or Ananda. The shape of the cup is not as oval as the Arya, nor as round as the HE-400se.


The ear cups are made of plastic though the silver finish meshes well with the aluminum yoke.



Another less noticeable design difference is the wire running through the underside of the headband from one cup to the other. This wire allows using the BlueMini module to plug into just one earcup and get sound on both sides.

Sadly, you cannot use BlueMini module on other Hifiman models that lack this “bridging” wire between cups.



The earcups have a perforated cloth material on the front with a solid pleather surround. The headband is foam-padded as well, though I wish the foam was slightly softer. Nonetheless, no hotspots formed on the temple or the sides of my head during the review period.

At the bottom, there are two 3.5mm inputs, with the left one being TRRS.



The yoke and headband are made out of aluminum. Unfortunately, the yokes have sharp edges that can be annoying. It’s not sharp enough to cause injuries, but it does illustrate some deficiencies in the fit and finish of the product.

Comfort and isolation​

Comfort is excellent due to the lightweight design, plush earcups, and low amount of clamp force. Isolation is non-existent, as expected from an open-back design.

BlueMini R2R module​

The highlight of the Deva Pro is the BlueMini R2R module (it can be purchased separately if you wish). This module allows the Deva Pro to become a “Bluetooth” pair of headphones, since the Bluetooth electronics are all inside the module instead of the headphones. The module can be plugged only into the left earcup.



There is a Type-C port at the bottom that can either charge the module or allows connecting to a computer to act as a DAC-amp. The solitary button can be used to power on or off via long-press, whereas a short-press disconnects the Deva Pro from the current device. A double press takes it into pairing mode.



There is also a status LED at the bottom, though voice-prompts are there as well to let you know when the BlueMini has connected, disconnected, or put in pairing mode. Finally, there is a mic at the bottom. It’s serviceable at best with a compressed-sounding voice and little noise cancellation.



The battery life is rated at 8 hours, although I only got about 6.5 hours connecting via the LDAC codec. This is not as good as most mainstream BT headphones, but, keep in mind, that those headphones do not use planar magnetic drivers.

There is ample power here to get the Deva Pro very loud. A quirk of the module is that the volume increments are not linear when connected via Bluetooth. At lower volumes, it’s too quiet, and then right after 50%, it gets tad too loud for me. Connectivity is stable until 7 meters, then there are occasional connection dropouts.

Internals​

HiFiMAN is using their tried-and-tested planar magnetic drivers on the Deva Pro, though they made the driver even more efficient this time. The most notable changes in their latest driver revision are the stealth magnet assembly and the neo-supernano diaphragm.

The stealth magnet assembly has magnets with rounded edges, which apparently reduces the turbulence as sound-waves pass through them. This apparently makes the magnet array almost “acoustically transparent” and reduces distortion.



Meanwhile, the neo-supernano diaphragm refers to the nano-scale thinness of the diaphragm itself, with a sub-micron level voice coil traced onto the diaphragm.

HiFiMAN Deva Pro Sound​

The following sound impressions were formed with the stock earpads and stock cable or the BlueMini module. The Questyle CMA-400i and Macbook Pro were used for wired listening, and Pixel 4XL was used for wireless listening. The LDAC codec was used throughout. Test tracks are available on Tidal as a playlist.

The Deva Pro have a bright-tilted sound with the bass being more emphasized in Bluetooth mode, whereas the treble gains more presence in wired mode.

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Bass​

Bass starts rising from 30Hz and becomes noticeable around 40Hz. Bass response is pretty much flat. In BT mode there is more emphasis near the sub-bass it seems, though the bass sounds rolled-off after 35Hz in all three modes (Bluetooth, USB, and wired).

The bass has a decent amount of punch and slam but lacks physical rumble. Also mid-bass texture is lacking to a degree. Bass is fast, thanks to the planar drivers, but can also veer towards distortion at high volumes.

Midrange​

The lower-midrange is well-tuned with male vocals having enough body. String instruments also have a good sense of “bite” in the leading edge of notes. Keyboards and pianos lack the heft or the note-weight to truly sound “grand” but they do not sound anemic in any way.

Unfortunately, the upper-midrange is quite intense. There is no noticeable frequency dip between 2-5kHz, resulting in a very up-front midrange. Such tuning also hampers soundstage depth and microdynamics.

This intense upper-mid focus makes female vocals sound overly energetic at times, and the lack of sub-bass extension coupled with flat mid-bass exposes this further. Colbie Caillat’s Realize is a good example of this intensity.

Treble​

Treble is peaky and the boosted upper-treble frequencies cause fatigue in long listening sessions.

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Cymbal hits have extra sizzle to them, which I cannot listen to for any extended period. The lower-treble emphasis also adds instances of sibilance, though those are rare.

Sibilance is more evident in wired mode, as the R2R BlueMini module reduces it noticeably. Treble extension is lacking as there is not much response after 12kHz. The boost near 11kHz cannot hide the lack of resonance, instead, it adds an unnatural “sheen” to hi-hats and crash cymbals.

Soundstage and imaging​

Soundstage lacks depth no matter which mode you use. Stage width is also compressed in Bluetooth mode but fares better in wired mode. Imaging is average as it’s hard to discern the location of instruments in ordinal directions.

Dynamics and speed​

Dynamics are compressed, with little macrodynamic punch and non-existent microdynamic shifts (subtle gradations) in volume. Speed is above-average for the price range, and busy passages could have better instrument separation.

Comparisons​

It’s hard to make an “apples vs apples” comparison with the Deva Pro since I have not used another wireless, open-back, planar magnetic pair of headphones.

The Audeze Penrose is wireless and has a planar magnetic driver but they are closed-back. The remaining Bluetooth headphones use dynamic drivers and are tuned very differently, e.g. the Sony WH-1000XM4. Compared to mainstream Bluetooth headphones, the Deva Pro are more resolving in the bass and treble and have better imaging.

Their open-back nature make them unsuitable for commuting, though, and the low clamp force is not ideal when wearing them during physical activities.

When it comes to comparing similar open-back wireless headphones, there are the HiFiMAN Ananda BT but they are priced near the flagship range and would be a very unfair comparison. So, the Deva Pro escape further scrutiny in the comparisons section by being the lone-ranger in their price bracket.

Conclusion​

The HiFiMAN Deva Pro are below average when compared to other wired planar-magnetic headphones in their price range. On the other hand, they are more resolving than the typical wireless, closed-back headphones out there, but also less practical and lack features like ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) that many consumers expect in this price range.

So, the Deva Pro face an identity crisis and do not excel as Bluetooth headphones or as wired planar-magnetic headphones. One potential use-case could be having them as an all-in-one solution, but then you are sacrificing the lifestyle features of the best wireless headphones and the sound quality of the best wired headphones.

The Deva Pro are an interesting experiment, but they are underwhelming with all things considered. I gave them an additional 0.5 as a bonus in the rating for being innovative, but innovation alone cannot hide the fatiguing sound signature and less-than-stellar build.