HIFIMAN Svanar

HiFiMan Svanar review is online. HiFiMan’s take on a dynamic flagship driver in-ear monitor with its topology diaphragm technology. It costs $1999. It succeeds the RE-2000 in its flagship status.

I have had a long history with HiFiMan products, from my first experience with the HE-500 and the re400/600. I bought my own set of HiFiMan headphones such as the HE-400i 1st generation in 2016/17. They are always on point when it comes to sound quality.

I want to thank April and the Hifiman team for letting me experience this product of marvelous technology.

Files: DSD, 24bit, and 16bit Flac files.

Frequency Response: 5hz-35kHz
Impedance: 60 ohms
Sensitivity: 100 dB
Weight: 13g (excluding cable)



Driver Technology
HiFiMan has coined the “Topology driver” since the RE2000. They describe it as a nano-particle coating applied to the driver’s surface. I have not tried the RE2000 but HiFiMan has a comparison on their website regarding the sound signatures between the two models.

Unboxing experience

Starting with the unboxing experience. It came off as a mixed bag. The packaging has improved but is still reminiscent of my unboxing experience of the HiFiMan HE400i years ago. It comes with a leather box with a golden emblem of HiFiMan Svanar at the top. It looks luxurious but I would’ve preferred a pelican box because of the pricing bracket the product belongs to. The product presentation of the Svanar should be improved.



Packaging and Build Quality
Opening the leather box, There is a black foam that is cut into three compartments. It comes with a circular metal case, a small thin box that contains the ear tips of 6 pairs, and lastly, a similar rectangular box that contains the cable. Underneath the black foam is a warranty card and a manual. Regarding the build quality, it is made out of aluminum with a brass chamber. The Svanar is very light compared to the Aune Jasper in my collection.

Accessories
It comes with 4 pairs of ear tips. 3 pairs of double flanges and 2 pairs of triple flanges that are of different sizes. The cable is rubber coated with a metal chin slider and y split. The cable is thin and for the price, it looks like a throw-in. It is the same cable as the RE2000 uses. As a regarded flagship product, HiFiMan should include a modular cable or a spare cable with balanced termination.




Kudos to HiFiMan for pulling this off. The shape of the Svanar is reminiscent of the InEar SD series of in-ear monitors. Isolation is excellent for a dynamic IEM. The shell is quite large but it is very comfortable for my ears. It may be uncomfortable for smaller ears. The fit gets deep. When it comes to ear tips, this is the only IEM I use one-size smaller tips.

Tonality
Oh boy, you are in for a treat. These in-ear monitors are probably one of the best dynamic drivers in the world right now. It has a W-shaped sound with emphasis on the sub-bass and midrange. A little polite in the treble region but nonetheless very detailed. Micro details don’t stand out like their BA-infused counterparts. HiFiMan went for an organic tuning. It reminds me of a more detailed and better-tuned Aune Jasper in my IEM collection. The soundstage is wider than it is deep. It has an out-of-your-ear kind of presentation. Soundstage-wise it is very impressive for a dynamic IEM. Imaging is very good as you can easily pinpoint instruments, nuances, and vocals on the stage. The timbre of the Svanar is world-class. It never sounds plasticky or digital. I have heard better IEMS regarding technical ability at this price bracket. Though there is no doubt I have enjoyed the Svanar more. Kudos to HiFiMan for pulling these off.

Bass
The bass tuning is leaning on sub-bass than warmth. The bass is not dry. HiFiMan went for more musicality which aligns with my liking. Mid-bass is not the fastest yet it has good PRaT (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing). One of the best-textured bass for a dynamic driver. It cannot compete with 64ears U18’s bass texture but is more enjoyable to listen to. HiFiMan tuned the Svanar that can play any genre. From EDM, Pop, and Rock genres the Svanar has it in spades. HiFiMan tuned the Svanar to be a jack-of-all-trades IEM. You'll find the bass sufficient and enjoyable listening to Daft Punk’s Lucky.

Midrange
Svanar’s greatest strength is its midrange. They are clear, forward, and very detailed. The Civil Wars duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White sounds excellent on the Svanar. Though Svanar’s tuning has a slight bias on female vocals, I found male vocals to be very good. Male vocals are thick, clear, and forward in the presentation. Female vocals are very detailed and textured. You could put any female singer with the Svanar and it sounds excellent. Guitars, Pianos, and other instruments are clear and precise though slightly behind the forward vocals. HiFiMan sprinkled a tad of warmth just enough for some fun and prevented it from sounding sterile.

Treble
The treble tuning might find detractors as it is smooth yet detailed. HiFiMan went for a safer approach when it comes to the treble. It has good extension. While it has it has peaks around 4khz and 8khz. The treble is relatively smooth and fatigue-free except when listening to poorly mastered tracks. Hi-hats, cymbals are detailed but do not stand out like in other brighter IEMS. The treble does not stand out compared to the bass and midrange. In Greenday's "Wake Me Up When September Ends", the cymbals never get strident or splash. The Svanar's treble is its weakest point.


Synergy

Svanar’s stock tips do not give it enough justice. I think it will stay in the box for a long time. I have done extensive tip rolling and it sounds best with Final E TWS ear tips. Wide bore ear tips have good synergy with the Svanar. I have tried long and narrow bore ear tips. The vocals are not as clear and detailed as when I use them with short-stemmed IEM ear tips. Trying a balanced cable in the Svanar gives it more soundstage and better imaging. Like most dynamic driver IEMS, the Svanar scales with more power. Using balanced output in the dx200; the soundstage gets larger, the separation is better and lastly, the sound is warmer and more dynamic. Astell and Kern's SR15 does not pair that well with the Svanar. The Svanar does not scale well with the sr15. The Svanar pairs excellently with neutral-sounding sources.

Conclusion
The HiFiMan Svanar is an excellent-sounding flagship IEM. You can throw any music at it and it performs wonderfully. The sad thing is that the accessories and the box included diminishes the appeal of the Svanar. If you are willing to overlook those things. The Svanar is one competitive-sounding IEM. There might not be a dynamic driver flagship IEM that is as versatile across all genres as the Svanar. The sound, the fit, and versatility. It will put a smile on your face every time you use it.

Prelude:
HIFIMAN is a company that hardly needs any introduction, they are one of the leading audio manufacturers on the market and constantly prove their position as a leader. They are constantly working to release better and better equipment and have a lot of their own technologies. Recently I had the pleasure of reviewing Svanar Vireless, the TWS from hell, which is a continuation of HIFIMAN’s vision in the field of uncompromising audio. The headphones costing USD 499 made a stunning impression on me, which you can read about in my separate review. However, let’s go back to SVANAR in the wired version. These are headphones priced at USD 1999, so they hit a very high target when it comes to in-ear headphones.



Unboxing:
In fact, this will be the weakest part of the entire review, while the headphones themselves are made really well, made of a combination of aluminum and brass and gold-plated, unfortunately when it comes to accessories, they are average. The tips are just ok, but I recommend buying something from symbio, for example, the stock cable is acceptable, but the headphones benefit a lot with better cables. Here we are happy to have a 0.78 mm socket, but it has a deep implementation, so you need to have cables with a longer plug, and this does not guarantee that another cable will work properly. The headphones themselves come in a beautiful dust-covered suitcase, which is a very nice aspect, but I would like to slightly improve the accessories and metal case. At this price, every detail is important and if I am greeted by luxury, I expect it in every aspect. It’s nice that HIFIMAN included an extra pair of 0.78 plugs so we can make our own cable if we want. The comfort of the headphones themselves is really great, as is their build quality. I’m talking about the headphones themselves, not accessories.



Ergonomics:
The Svanars have a shape reminiscent of personalized headphones, but they fit perfectly in my ear, the comfort they provide is so comfortable that I completely forgot about them during long listening sessions. What is very important, the insulation is also at a very good level, well above average.


Test material:
During testing, I used high-quality hi-res files and TIDAL with my own playlist. Lots of jazz, pop and metal music.

Sound:
Hifiman knows how to tune headphones and has shown it many times, and it is no different in the case of the flagship Svanar model based on a single dynamic range in topological technology.

Bass: First of all, what I noticed is the extraordinary lightness and agility of the bass, it is musical and very engaging, you can hear it clearly, but its texture is highly developed. I like its slightly warmed and engaging character. It has all the advantages of high-class dynamics, is natural and fits perfectly into the overall sound. Hifiman Svanar are headphones with a W-plane sound, so the bass does not detract from the quality of individual bands. The bass has the right speed, it’s not super fast, but it doesn’t linger in the background. Its warmth makes the sound of svanar very engaging. The delicate coloration of the mid-bass adds a sense of realism. The bass goes low, but the boost point is definitely in the midbass and this is the intended effect.

Midrange: The midtones are very resolved and each instrument is practically a separate musical zone, this is due to the very holographic stage. The depth and breadth of the musical presentation are similar to the impressions of a listening studio; it is not a presentation that forcibly stretches the stage, it is rather a sweet and addictive intimacy. We will especially appreciate it in jazz or pop. The vocals are very resolved, natural, as if they were sung live. It’s amazing how natural these headphones sound. They don’t try to bombard us with information, instead they show it as it is. The tonal balance is truly impressive and the midrange sound quality is probably the best I’ve ever heard in dynamic headphones.

Treble: The treble is resolving and completely natural, it is not plastic or cold, it is rather a sound consistent with nature and what I expect from headphones, each instrument sounds engaging and encourages further listening, and nothing is harsh or unpleasant. The high tones have good resolution and are really pleasant to listen to. The instruments are perfectly depicted and very resolved, of course the micro dynamics are not at the same level as in the case of multi-armature units, but the realism and timbre are at a much better level. The high tones are so natural and palpable that it is hard to resist the impression of experiencing live music. It is worth noting here that the Svanars showed their full potential only when connected to higher-class equipment, which in this case was the EF600 from Hifiman.



Comparison:

HIFIMAN SVANAR ($199) VS HIFIMAN SVANAR VIRELESS ($499)
This is certainly the most frequently searched combination, because both headphones are so close and yet completely far from each other. The advantage of the wireless variant is the presence of R2R modules that drive them perfectly and make the Bluetooth svanars incredibly close to the wired ones. In some aspects they can even be considered better. However, the wired version of Svanar has the advantage that we can pair them with any device and, for example, with the EF600 they gain incredible potential and show a certain advantage. Which headphones we choose depends on whether we want the convenience of wireless ones by agreeing to a certain compromise, or whether we can afford a solid DAC and AMP to properly use the potential of wired Svanar headphones.


Summary:
Hifiman svanar are headphones whose main disadvantages are based on the basic selection of accessories and not the headphones themselves. The sound we get for 2000USD is analog, dense, natural and literally absorbing. Their strengths are primarily imaging, scenic possibilities and beautiful tuning balancing between balance and the beauty they bring. If we like warm and engaging tunings full of information and details, these are undoubtedly one of the best dynamics on the market. 0.78 sockets require some synergy in the selection of cables, but those with larger plugs fit without any problems (I mean length). The sound stage is ellipsoidal, which means we can hear music practically everywhere. Svanars also like electricity and feel great with better devices. In this case, I used the EF600 from hifiman for testing and it actually allowed me to get much more out of the headphones. These are headphones that, of course, have their drawbacks, one of them is the stock cable, but overall, their sound and what they offer make up for these minor shortcomings by taking us into the world of music that is colored in such a way that we can literally get lost in it. Hifiman is a company that really knows how to tune equipment and has once again shown who rules the market. I hope that in the next version they will correct minor shortcomings with the equipment and we will have the undisputed king of mobility.

Hifiman - SVANAR : Effortless Enjoyment Guaranteed!



Summary:

Launched in June'2023, Hifiman launched their newest flagship IEM with a new Single Dynamic Driver using their new Topology diaphragm architecture. The Svanar is a symbol of elegance and that is what we expect from it in terms of musical performance. Coming at a price range $1999, the SVANAR comes with Brass chamber with 24K Gold plating which according to Hifiman is important for better sound experience. The SVANAR is indeed an excellent performer, allowing users a effortless musical experience - just like the Swan swimming effortlessly in water.





Introduction:


Let's quickly dive into the details without making the introduction very lengthy. The SVANAR features 1 topology diaphragm based Dynamic driver and brass chamber with 24k gold plating. The cable that it comes with is pretty ordinary and quite below par with what is found from IEMs of similar price range.

The SVANAR is priced at $1999.




Design & Build:

The shells is very ergonomic and the rear-half of the shell is made of aluminum covering the brass front chamber with 24K gold plating. The shells are quite light-weight and very comfortable. I have found them very comfortable throughout long listening sessions.



It is described as the following on the website:








Specifications:

The SVANAR comes at $1999 price tag and the specifications are as below:

https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/svanar.html



The Box & Accessories:


The following are found in the box:

• SVANAR IEM
• Hard Carrying Case
• 2 Pin 0.78mm to 3.5mm Cable with Silver-Coated Crystalline Copper Wire
• 4 Pairs of Ear-tips (2 Double Flanged, 2 Triple Flanged)
• Ear-hooks
• Owner's guide & warranty card

The Cable:


SVANAR comes with a 2 Pin 0.78mm to 3.5mm Cable with Silver-Coated Crystalline Copper Wire. It's quite thin and not as soft and flexible as one would expect. Also, it doesn't come with a 4.4mm balanced connector out of the box.



Hence, I have tried to pair it with some of the 3rd party cables that I owned. I have tried pairing with quite a few cables and found the best pairings with @EffectAudio CODE-23 and Cadmus 8W, both of which came with 4.4mm balanced termination.

With Kinera x Effect Audio ORLOG:


With Effect Audio CADMUS 8W:


With Effect Audio CODE-23:

In my experience, I have found the best sonic performance when paired with the CODE-23 cable and that combination has remained my favorite till date. Though the cable might be a bit thick and not as flexible, the music performance that the pairing yields is simply awesome!



NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....

Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, @Cayin RU7 Dongle & C9 Portable Amplifier
Portable Players / Sources : @Cayin N7, N8ii, @Questyle QP2R
Streaming Source: QOBUZ



Tracks Used:

The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...






Pairing Performance with different sources:

Dongle DAC/AMPs:

SVANAR had the best pairing with @Questyle M15 & @Cayin RU7 dongles. But, I have found that it pairs well with other dongles like @MOONDROP DAWN PRO etc.




Portable Players:

Obviously the SVANAR had the best pairing with the @Questyle QP2R & specially Cayin N8ii since that comes with Class-A amplification and a new DAC which is super resolving and not to forget the Nutubes! The BEST pairing however came with Cayin C9 + N7 with Class-A amplification enabled. That just took the performance of the SVANAR to the next level.




Ear Tips:

I have tried many different ear-tips with the SVANAR, starting from Spinfit W1, CP500, CP100+, JVC Spiral Dots+, Final Audio Black & Transparent ones.
But the best fit and isolation for my ears had been AZLA SednaFit Short Transparent ones. I have hence used them for majority of the review.




SVANAR Sound Impressions in Short:


The BASS:

The bass performance of SVANAR is amazing. From the little nuances of the sub-bass to the rumble and slam of the mid-bass, everything seemed very balanced. The Bass experience came with enough muscle/body and power and the thump & slams were adequately felt. The attack & decay were both very enjoyable. Tracks like: "Hotel California (Live on MTV 1994) – Eagles" and "Fluid - Yosi Horikawa" are quite immersive.

The MIDS:

The midrange of the SVANAR is quite open and clear with ample amount of texture and details. There's no bass bleed and the midrange is quite textured and full-bodied. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with good texture and feel very real. Instruments felt very natural and real with high accuracy and the separation between them is also great. The transients were accurate & adequate and very very enjoyable. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.


The TREBLE:

The Treble is quite energetic on the SVANAR though some may feel that it could be slightly more airy. It has the right amount of details and energy and is in no way harsh or peaky. Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel very immersive and enjoyable from the treble perspective.


The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the SVANAR is superb and quite surprisingly great. In fact, it might be amongst the best in the price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. It just proves the point that Hifiman had made the right implementation here.
Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable. This is amongst the strongest trait of this IEM.


Imaging & Timbre:

The Imaging & instrument separation performance on the SVANAR is stellar and sense of location is spot on with high accuracy. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. The Timbrealso feels very natural.





Comparisons:

Please note that I have to make comparisons from 2 different perspectives here. Firstly from a price perspective I have compared the SVANAR against the Audeze LCD-i4 priced at $2495 which is slightly above the SVANAR priced at $1999. Secondly, I have compared SVANAR against another Single DD IEM which is Softears Twilight which happened to be the best Single DD IEM in my possession before the SVANAR.




HIFIMAN SVANAR vs Audeze LCD-i4:

Though price ranges are similar, but the architecture of the IEMs are very different. While the Audeze LCD-i4 is a Planar Driver based IEM, the SVANAR is a Dynamic driver based IEM. Each architecture has it's strength & weaknesses, but here we will see what we get for the price paid.

Price: The SVANAR costs slightly lesser than the MCD-i4 and hence gets the edge here.

Build, Comfort & Features: Getting a good fit with the LCD-i4 is very difficult and it is not also very comfortable for longer sessions. The SVANAR on the other hand is very comfortable and it's easy to get a good fit with it.




Bass: Though the LCD-i4 has the best bass amongst any Planar IEM I have come across till date, it is not enough to beat the performance of the SVANAR. The Bass on the Svanar is much more refined.

Mids: Though the midrange on the SVANAR is great and there is really nothing to complain about, the midrange on the LCD-i4 is just on another level with better texture & muscle. Everything feels slightly fuller and more textured.

Treble: This is where the SVANAR really excels and the overall experience is very enjoyable. Note that the LCD-i4 is not lagging behind by a long way here. But the SVANAR is just more energetic.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The staging on both SVANAR and LCD-i4 is equally amazing and class-leading. However, SVANAR has ever so slightly better separation.



HIFIMAN SVANAR vs Softears Twilight:

This is just the opposite case of the previous. Here both IEMs come with Single DD architecture but the prices are different. The Twilight comes at $930 while the SVANAR is priced at $1999 which is double the price of the Twilight.

Price: The Twilight and hence gets the edge here.

Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are very lightweight and it is easy to get a good fit. both IEMs are very comfortable also. However, the SVANAR is slightly more ergonomic in terms of the curves in the shell. Also, the SVANAR comes with a bass chamber with 24K gold plating which is unique and the topology diaphragm is also unique to the SVANAR. The nozzle of the Twilight goes in deeper while the SVANAR nozzle is shallower.



Bass: Though both of these IEMs feature dynamic drivers, the bass experience on the SVANAR is more refined and detailed. The Twilight does great for its price though.

Mids: The midrange on both of these IEMs are just great, but the SVANAR provides a bit more refined experience with finer details and slight more texture and the transients feel better.

Treble: This is where I think both IEMs do well and there is nothing to complain.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The staging on SVANAR is amazing and class-leading, while the Twilight staging is also great for it's price, the SVANAR just feels overall better.




Conclusion:

The SVANAR experience is great and also feels effortless. the overall musical experience is very enjoyable and amazing and beautiful like the swan that it represents.
I would recommend it to people who can afford it at this price range.