I had similar first impressions, especially when quickly switching from one headphone (Elite) to the Audivina. Once you get used to the Audivina's sound signature these negatives should subside at least to some extent.First Impressions,
Comfort and build are fine, the headband is similar to the HE1000V2 headband, so it evenly distributes the weight on top of your head and the large open pads have very light clamp and seat your ears inside without touching any part of them.
The bass on the Audivina, is severely lacking in rich punch and impact the mid-bass is scooped leading to somewhat poor timbre and articulation on bass guitars.
Kicks sound somewhat muted and dull but not completely dead, killing the drive and energy in most music, speed also isn't much of a strong point here, it's almost sloppy for a planar in how it handles fast transients.
Mids are arguably the worst part about this headphone, the mids are honky and uneven, and pianos sound like they're missing a bit too much of their body and weight. for older recordings these headphones might be okay to give you a sense of nostalgia as if you were listening to a Shellac 78 RPM record on an old gramophone, precisely the tonality these headphones somewhat portray.
For vocals, all you need to do is imagine the vocalist blocking their nose and singing through a toilet roll tube, very unfaithful and offensive honky boxy tonality to vocals here, both female and male.
Treble on this pair is very hot, though not the most offensive I have heard, hats and cymbals have a slight metallic edge to them but seem to come forward with good attack. Though cymbal hits have a sort of splashy characteristic to them
Technicalities are okayish for their soundstage, these project wide to the sides, but not far in front, depth stops at roughly the bridge of your nose, imaging, however, seems perfectly fine, with good placement of instruments in their correct spot.
Separation is to be expected for how poorly they are tuned; smashed together and congested with not many layers. Detail retrieval on some less dense tracks is fine but not groundbreaking, you'd have to strain yourself to pick out some finer details on busier tracks and I can't say they're the headphone you'd want to be picking up for analytical use to be honest, despite the bogus marketing as a "Studio Headphone"
HIFIMAN Audivina Loaner Tour!!
- Thread starter TeamHiFiMAN
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I have a strong feeling that it is not the same Audivina that I have heard. It's not going to be a great headset detail-wise or anything, but it sure as hell isn't as awful as you describe. There must be something wrongFirst Impressions,
Comfort and build are fine, the headband is similar to the HE1000V2 headband, so it evenly distributes the weight on top of your head and the large open pads have very light clamp and seat your ears inside without touching any part of them.
The bass on the Audivina, is severely lacking in rich punch and impact the mid-bass is scooped leading to somewhat poor timbre and articulation on bass guitars.
Kicks sound somewhat muted and dull but not completely dead, killing the drive and energy in most music, speed also isn't much of a strong point here, it's almost sloppy for a planar in how it handles fast transients.
Mids are arguably the worst part about this headphone, the mids are honky and uneven, and pianos sound like they're missing a bit too much of their body and weight. for older recordings these headphones might be okay to give you a sense of nostalgia as if you were listening to a Shellac 78 RPM record on an old gramophone, precisely the tonality these headphones somewhat portray.
For vocals, all you need to do is imagine the vocalist blocking their nose and singing through a toilet roll tube, very unfaithful and offensive honky boxy tonality to vocals here, both female and male.
Treble on this pair is very hot, though not the most offensive I have heard, hats and cymbals have a slight metallic edge to them but seem to come forward with good attack. Though cymbal hits have a sort of splashy characteristic to them
Technicalities are okayish for their soundstage, these project wide to the sides, but not far in front, depth stops at roughly the bridge of your nose, imaging, however, seems perfectly fine, with good placement of instruments in their correct spot.
Separation is to be expected for how poorly they are tuned; smashed together and congested with not many layers. Detail retrieval on some less dense tracks is fine but not groundbreaking, you'd have to strain yourself to pick out some finer details on busier tracks and I can't say they're the headphone you'd want to be picking up for analytical use to be honest, despite the bogus marketing as a "Studio Headphone"
The thing is, it's so uneven... I can't get used to it. Nor should someone have to. By this logic you could use the argument for anything, and there wouldn't be a single bad headphone. Which is probably why so much garbage is reviewed quite favourably on this platform. Why buy a susvara when you can buy a pair of headphones from a dollar store and simply have their poor qualities subside by getting used to it. This sounds delusional. But it is a similar argument in which you have provided.
Hifiman asked for honest impressions, and an honest impression and review I shall provide. I have no reason to please Hifiman, they did ask for honest impressions after all.
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No need to be this stroppy.
I am not particularly keen on the Audivina either. I just wanted to point out the importance of careful evaluation and even more careful choice of words when it comes to negative criticism.
As did I. It's jarring to go from just about any headphone to the Audivina as the sound is being portrayed so different than usual. Once you get used to them it becomes easy to see why Hifiman is putting their resources behind putting these on tour. I think just about everyone should be skeptical of their initial impressions with this headphone as it does take time to adjust and understand what they are doing.
I see your point and I wondered if needing to get used to a sound means that the sound is bad from the start. I'd argue sometimes yes, as if the sound is correct our brains shouldn't be having to equalize it for us. However I'd say no to that for the Audivina's as they are tricking your brain into thinking there's a much larger space than there actually is. This trick has some unusual side effects which sound off putting on first listen (it is a trick after all), but once the brain adapts everything falls into place and works wonderfully. Well, at least it did for me.
MusicalDoc8
500+ Head-Fier
Hi everyone! I wanted to post my first impressions but ended up being sucked in and did the whole review!
Here's my first ever review!
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 quite light. Little impact, texture and intensity makes the lower part of the frequencies feel less robust. 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 shallower 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.
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 quite light and less deep, so be mindful in case your taste differs.
I am sincerely grateful to hifiman for letting me try the headphones for two wholes weeks, of which i enjoyed them.
TL;DR:
1. Featherlight
2. Comfy
3. Bass-lacking
4. Peculiar tuning
5. Not-so-closed-backs
Here's my first ever review!
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 quite light. Little impact, texture and intensity makes the lower part of the frequencies feel less robust. 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 shallower 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.
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 quite light and less deep, so be mindful in case your taste differs.
I am sincerely grateful to hifiman for letting me try the headphones for two wholes weeks, of which i enjoyed them.
TL;DR:
1. Featherlight
2. Comfy
3. Bass-lacking
4. Peculiar tuning
5. Not-so-closed-backs
tombrisbane
500+ Head-Fier
Initial impressions:
First up, thank you to @TeamHiFiMAN for providing a loaner set in return for my honest impressions. Having finished up reviewing some IEM's shifting to some full-size cans was a nice change
Build seems decent, very light on your head. Ear cups are massive which is good but can also be an issue, positioning wise they sound quite different depending on the placement on your head which is perhaps leading to some of the differing views in the thread! I'll talk more about this in my detailed impressions when I'm finished with them.
From an afternoon and evening of listening my initial impressions with regards to sound is that I like them for some instrumentals however there is too much sibilance on vocals. I've got my normal test albums to run through so will see how I go. I very much enjoyed listening to some Violin Sonata's on these, the violin sounded realistic, imaging was good, soundstage was fantastic, all presented against a black background, building to the emotional impact that the album should have which was a wonderful experience. Listening to Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis 2, the vocals were too hot and I gave up mid-way through. I didn't have a lot of middle ground through my first session, I either really liked it or couldn't stand it - not a bad thing in my eyes, better than being a nothing/boring headphone that doesn't do anything particularly wrong but also doesn't connect with you. Looking forward to spending some time with them through the week to see where I land on them as at moment I'd absolutely recommend for some music and not for others.
First up, thank you to @TeamHiFiMAN for providing a loaner set in return for my honest impressions. Having finished up reviewing some IEM's shifting to some full-size cans was a nice change
Build seems decent, very light on your head. Ear cups are massive which is good but can also be an issue, positioning wise they sound quite different depending on the placement on your head which is perhaps leading to some of the differing views in the thread! I'll talk more about this in my detailed impressions when I'm finished with them.
From an afternoon and evening of listening my initial impressions with regards to sound is that I like them for some instrumentals however there is too much sibilance on vocals. I've got my normal test albums to run through so will see how I go. I very much enjoyed listening to some Violin Sonata's on these, the violin sounded realistic, imaging was good, soundstage was fantastic, all presented against a black background, building to the emotional impact that the album should have which was a wonderful experience. Listening to Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis 2, the vocals were too hot and I gave up mid-way through. I didn't have a lot of middle ground through my first session, I either really liked it or couldn't stand it - not a bad thing in my eyes, better than being a nothing/boring headphone that doesn't do anything particularly wrong but also doesn't connect with you. Looking forward to spending some time with them through the week to see where I land on them as at moment I'd absolutely recommend for some music and not for others.
Below is my review . It was wonderful to give these a try. Different is good, it's the spice of life after all, and the Audivina is definitely different in a good way.
This is a no-nonsense review of the Audivina. My review is based on a two week audition supplied by Hifiman. While the loaner was supplied by Hifiman, there is no incentive or reason for me to give anything but honest review. My goal here is to describe exactly how the Audivina sounds as objectively as possible.
The Headphones come packaged in a Hifiman Travel Case, along with three cables. The first is a 1.5 meter cable terminated as a single ended 3.5mm. There’s also two 3 meter cables. One is a single ended 6.35mm and the other is a balanced XLR.
Nice bundle-- Stand not included
The cables bend easily, don’t kink, and aren’t microphonic at all. From a build perspective the cables are great, except for the black on black lettering on the headphone side to determine Left or Right. You have to be in direct light to see which is “L” and “R”. There’s no color indicator or contrasted letters. Not a big deal, but just not ideal for usability. All seems to work fine with the cables, and there’s a satisfying *click* when you plug the cables fully into the headphone.
Black letters on a black cable. Which is left, which is right? In the middle of the night nothing may be right.
The Headphone build is solid. I’ve got no immediate concerns with something breaking, and functionally they are built as well as they should be. The headband is a leather like strap that is suspended by being connected to a metal frame. The metal frame is high quality, shaped well, and without any weak spots. The strap is also high quality of medium thickness, and will obviously withstand a lot. Where the strap attaches to the sliders is a thin point, and one where all of the pressure is distributed to the frame. I’d be concerned that this could be a failure point where the strap would eventually break, but this design is the same used the Arya, and I’ve had no durability issues with the Arya over several years. The cups rotate smoothly both horizontally and vertically, and have a very wide range of motion being able to rotate all the way around. The cups themselves are made of wood with a very smooth lacquer like finish. The finish doesn’t attract fingerprints. On the bottom side of the cups are angled TRS connectors that are flush with the cups (not recessed, thank you Hifiman). The ear pads are held onto the cups by Velcro like material, and do not shift at all during use.
The headphone is on the heavier side at 470 grams, but in wearing them you really don’t feel that weight. The suspended headband does a great job at distributing the weight across your entire head, so much so that the headphones actually feel light when in use. The egg shaped ear pads are somewhat firm however, and may give some pressure points depending on the shape of your head. I had minor pressure points above the ears, in front of the ears, and a little bit along the jawline. The ear pads are large, and If you’ve ever tried an Arya or Ananda it’s the same general comfort. Even with those pressure points I had no issues wearing the Audivina for hours at a time, but your comfort will depend on the shape of your head.
This headphone is different from the usual headphone sound. The presentation is what is unique about this headphone, and whether or not you like the presentation is likely what will make or break this headphone. I’ll go over all of the individual aspects of the sound below in detail, but what you need to know up front is that the headphone is very high up there on a technical level, so don’t worry much about its ability. On a technical level it competes with the Arya, HE6se, and older HE series. The Audivina is also fairly neutral in frequency response, with the only issue being an overall thinner sound that is especially noticed in the upper mids.
The Audivina was designed to simulate sitting in a concert hall. How it achieves this is by effectively making all of the sounds smaller, thinner in size, and farther away in their space compared to a normal closed back headphone. With the sounds being smaller in size and farther away, there is more space in-between each sound which gives the illusion of an extra-large sound stage. This works excellent, exactly as designed. The perceived stage is large in both width and depth, and is better than most open headphones that I’ve tried. To match the acoustics there is also a tiny amount of reverb with each sound. It’s minor enough that it isn’t noticeable most of the time, but it does add a little bit of extra perceived detail and refinement into the sound.
The downside to the presentation is that when you put the headphones on for the first time the sound seems to be canny, unnatural, and without any fullness. The presentation is just so far different from what you are used to, it can’t help but sound wrong as your brain tries to figure out what is going on. These aspects mostly go away once your brain adjusts to the sound after a few minutes. The only negative aspect that sticks around long term is the feeling that the sound is thinner than normal. That too improves with brain burn in to an extent, but never fully goes away. The second issue with this type of presentation is that when you push a sound out at normal listening volumes, or make it smaller, this can lessen your engagement with the music. When music is loud and in your face you can’t help but pay more attention to it, and it’s just generally easier to be more emotionally involved. When the sound is farther away and thinner, you can analyze it and determine that it’s correct, but there’s no avoiding that the enjoyment will go down. This isn't necessarily a flaw with the Audivina, but just a general aspect of what happens when the presentation is pushed out into a large space.
With the Audivina you are gaining something new, a closed back with a grand sound stage that is portrayed wonderfully. The stage will dazzle you, and sound fantastic from a technical perspective, but in return you do give up some engagement with the music. That’s not to say that the Audivina is boring. The Audivina has a surprising amount of impact to each sound, so each sound is emphasized despite being farther away. This keeps you engaged enough instead of just listening to background music. So there is fun and engagement here, it is just less up front and thinner than what you would typically get from a normal headphone presentation. That said, if a large stage is what you are looking for in a closed back headphone, then the Audivina pulls off the presentation wonderfully.
The Sub-bass is phenomenal. It extends very low, has great resolution, and is effortlessly contained to its own space. Mid-bass is pulled back a little by comparison, but isn’t usually missed as much with how much sub-bass comes through. The mid-bass is present, just not as prevalent as it should be which does contribute to the feeling that there is a lack of weight in the overall sound.
Mids
This one is tricky, as when you listen to male or female vocals it seems like it’s all there. The voices are accurate on close inspection, and yet at the same time you can’t help but feel that the mids are missing something. This is where the thinner sound of the Audivina comes across the most. Upper mids, such as female vocals, will sound like they are missing body. Male voices typically sound accurate on the lower registers, then as pitch increases they too can sound a bit lean. Once your brain adapts the mids sound accurate for long term critical listening, but there is always the feeling that there should be a little more body in this area.
Treble
The generally thinner sound of the Audivina makes the treble sound just a bit sharp when you first put the headphones on. The treble extends well and is accurate with just a slight sharp edge on the end. That edge entirely goes away after a few minutes, and from then on the treble just extends well and does what it needs to do without going overboard. No grain, no piercing, no sibilance. It’s accurate and sounds great.
Tonal Accuracy & Timbre
The Audivina sounds clean, clear, and with an absolutely neutral tone and timbre. Tone is one of those things that is typically hard to get right. When watching TV/Movies you can instantly tell if a characters voice is too high, low, or distorted in any way. The Audivina nails tone and timbre with the exception of those pesky upper mids. Instruments typically sound exactly as they should, and with the level of detail provided it makes for a great experience.
Detail
The presentation of the Audivina actually helps here. With all sounds taking less space within the stage each sound ends up with clearer lines around them. Add in the slight reverb effect which further lingers each sound and the perception of detail is abundant. You can really sit back and be amazed as each sound is reproduced very accurately. I previously mentioned that the Audivina can compete on a technical level with the Arya, HE6se and the older HE series. For detail and timbre in particular the Audivina often wins against them all. The jump in detail is only by a small margin, but one that is noticeable when switching back and forth between the other high end Hifiman Planars.
Sound Stage
When you first put on the Audivina the stage size is large, but mostly pushed in front of you. Sounds are somewhat far away, and despite the size it seems like the stage is going across a long flat line in front of you. Within a few seconds to minutes the stage deepens considerably, wrapping around the sides and becoming a large space where sounds move freely. Being a closed back there is a feeling that there are defined borders where the stage can’t pass, but the stage is so large that the sound doesn’t feel restricted by it. Despite having clear borders the Audivina portrays sound stage better than most open back headphones. The stage truly a great aspect, one that defines and separates the Audivina from other closed back headphones.
Dynamics
Despite the thinner nature of the sound signature the Audivina comes out with good dynamics. Drums, cymbals, piano keys, everything can be felt as much as heard. This is another important aspect of the Audivina in understanding it’s sound, and why the pushed out sound isn’t boring or quickly dismissed. It doesn’t have the same level of dynamics as the older HE series (HE-400, HE-500, HE-6), but it’s close.
Isolation
You would think for a closed back that there would be great isolation, but you can clearly hear everything that is going on around you. Not only that, but others a few feet away can hear your sound as well. It’s not like the Arya where the open sound is being projected across the room. Rather, from a few feet away others will be able to tell that you are listening to something, but they won’t be able to clearly make out what it is. This can be a deal breaker, especially if you are looking for a closed back headphone in order to not disturb others around you.
Efficiency
The Audivina has an Impedance of 20Ω with a sensitivity of 97dB. While you should be able to get the Audivina loud on most portable sources, to drive the Audivina properly I’d recommend an amp capable of providing at least 700mW at 20Ω.
Hifiman Arya V2 (Non Stealth)
Same, but different
I wanted to start with this comparison as both the Arya & Audivina are both high end Hifiman Planars, both have similar ‘egg’ shaped cup designs, and the Arya is well known among many users. The Arya is generally well regarded as being near flagship in quality. When you put on the Arya the sound is natural, wide, deep, slightly airy, and completely neutral. When you put on the Audivina the sound is initially canny, scooped out, and unnatural sounding. Within seconds to minutes the brain adjusts though, and both headphones suddenly become quite similar in both sound and enjoyment:
Ultrasone Edition 8 EX
SHINY
This was the first closed back comparison that I thought of since Edition 8 EX is trying to simulate the same stage large stage effects with Ultrasones "EX" logic. Both are closed back, both have similar tonality, and both within similar price brackets. Main difference is that the Audivina is a fairly large Planar whereas the 8 EX is a 40mm Dynamic. The general tone is similar between the two where there is a clean clear approach with a lack of fullness. The Audivina has significantly improved detail/resolution, cleaner lines around every sound, a wider and deeper stage, more sub bass presence, mostly comparable mids, and superior dynamics. After listening to the Audivina the Edition 8 EX sounds grainy by direct comparison, but that grainy effect does fade quickly once your brain adjusts to the sound. The Edition 8 does still sound decent for the price range, but offers what could be said to be a "junior" version of the Audivina sound. All said, the Audivina is simply more refined in all sound aspects.
Ultrasone Edition 5 Unlimited
More metal again, Ruthenium this time on the Edition 5
Another Ultrasone comparable in price that uses the EX logic to simulate a large sound stage, but reproduction compared to the 8 EX is different. This Ultrasone is warmer, smoother, and generally more balanced than other Ultrasone offerings. The presentation for the Edition 5 is more the traditional up front, around you, and in your face sound compared to the pushed out Audivina. The Edition 5 has less stage depth but similar stage width. All sounds on the Edition 5 feel closer and significantly larger in size. Audivina on the other hand offers superior resolution, and overall technical ability is improved in all areas. The gap is smaller than that of the Edition 8 EX though. After listening to the Audivina, the Edition 5 sounds completely clear with a significant mid-bass emphasis, and has a slightly plastic sound. Highs are similar, mids are significantly fuller on the Edition 5, mid-bass is overemphasized on the Edition 5 leading to a warmer overall sound, and sub-bass amount is similar. The Edition 5 can sustain very low sub-bass, but it just can't reach the same resolution as the Audivina. Despite the Edition 5 being somewhat inferior in technical ability to the Audivina, it is still a great option for those looking for a closed back with a more traditional presentation. Overall this comparison is close enough that it’s going to come down to preference on the presentation. The Edition 5 sounds great with its full smooth approach in a traditional presentation, whereas the Audivina one ups it in all technical areas with its own unique presentation.
The Audivina is different for a closed back, and different is a good thing in a saturated headphone market where so many headphones do the same thing with varying attributes. When you first put on the Audivina it can end up being a jarring experience. The sound can be canny, thin, hollow, and pushed out. Within a few minutes the sound becomes significantly improved as you acclimate to it’s unique presentation, leaving you with a very large detailed stage that is the highlight of the Audivina. Given the high resolution that the Audivina is capable of, whether or not you like the Audivina will mostly come down to if you enjoy its presentation and thinner sound signature. There’s not going to be many closed back headphones that can compete at this level in both sound stage and resolution. If you love sound stage, or if you are looking for a closed back where stage is the priority, then the Audivina should be high up on your list of headphones to try.
. It was wonderful to give these a try. Different is good, it's the spice of life after all, and the Audivina is definitely different in a good way.This is a no-nonsense review of the Audivina. My review is based on a two week audition supplied by Hifiman. While the loaner was supplied by Hifiman, there is no incentive or reason for me to give anything but honest review. My goal here is to describe exactly how the Audivina sounds as objectively as possible.
Accessories
The Headphones come packaged in a Hifiman Travel Case, along with three cables. The first is a 1.5 meter cable terminated as a single ended 3.5mm. There’s also two 3 meter cables. One is a single ended 6.35mm and the other is a balanced XLR.
Nice bundle-- Stand not included
The cables bend easily, don’t kink, and aren’t microphonic at all. From a build perspective the cables are great, except for the black on black lettering on the headphone side to determine Left or Right. You have to be in direct light to see which is “L” and “R”. There’s no color indicator or contrasted letters. Not a big deal, but just not ideal for usability. All seems to work fine with the cables, and there’s a satisfying *click* when you plug the cables fully into the headphone.
Black letters on a black cable. Which is left, which is right? In the middle of the night nothing may be right.
Build
The Headphone build is solid. I’ve got no immediate concerns with something breaking, and functionally they are built as well as they should be. The headband is a leather like strap that is suspended by being connected to a metal frame. The metal frame is high quality, shaped well, and without any weak spots. The strap is also high quality of medium thickness, and will obviously withstand a lot. Where the strap attaches to the sliders is a thin point, and one where all of the pressure is distributed to the frame. I’d be concerned that this could be a failure point where the strap would eventually break, but this design is the same used the Arya, and I’ve had no durability issues with the Arya over several years. The cups rotate smoothly both horizontally and vertically, and have a very wide range of motion being able to rotate all the way around. The cups themselves are made of wood with a very smooth lacquer like finish. The finish doesn’t attract fingerprints. On the bottom side of the cups are angled TRS connectors that are flush with the cups (not recessed, thank you Hifiman). The ear pads are held onto the cups by Velcro like material, and do not shift at all during use.
Comfort
The headphone is on the heavier side at 470 grams, but in wearing them you really don’t feel that weight. The suspended headband does a great job at distributing the weight across your entire head, so much so that the headphones actually feel light when in use. The egg shaped ear pads are somewhat firm however, and may give some pressure points depending on the shape of your head. I had minor pressure points above the ears, in front of the ears, and a little bit along the jawline. The ear pads are large, and If you’ve ever tried an Arya or Ananda it’s the same general comfort. Even with those pressure points I had no issues wearing the Audivina for hours at a time, but your comfort will depend on the shape of your head.
General Sound
This headphone is different from the usual headphone sound. The presentation is what is unique about this headphone, and whether or not you like the presentation is likely what will make or break this headphone. I’ll go over all of the individual aspects of the sound below in detail, but what you need to know up front is that the headphone is very high up there on a technical level, so don’t worry much about its ability. On a technical level it competes with the Arya, HE6se, and older HE series. The Audivina is also fairly neutral in frequency response, with the only issue being an overall thinner sound that is especially noticed in the upper mids.
The Audivina was designed to simulate sitting in a concert hall. How it achieves this is by effectively making all of the sounds smaller, thinner in size, and farther away in their space compared to a normal closed back headphone. With the sounds being smaller in size and farther away, there is more space in-between each sound which gives the illusion of an extra-large sound stage. This works excellent, exactly as designed. The perceived stage is large in both width and depth, and is better than most open headphones that I’ve tried. To match the acoustics there is also a tiny amount of reverb with each sound. It’s minor enough that it isn’t noticeable most of the time, but it does add a little bit of extra perceived detail and refinement into the sound.
The downside to the presentation is that when you put the headphones on for the first time the sound seems to be canny, unnatural, and without any fullness. The presentation is just so far different from what you are used to, it can’t help but sound wrong as your brain tries to figure out what is going on. These aspects mostly go away once your brain adjusts to the sound after a few minutes. The only negative aspect that sticks around long term is the feeling that the sound is thinner than normal. That too improves with brain burn in to an extent, but never fully goes away. The second issue with this type of presentation is that when you push a sound out at normal listening volumes, or make it smaller, this can lessen your engagement with the music. When music is loud and in your face you can’t help but pay more attention to it, and it’s just generally easier to be more emotionally involved. When the sound is farther away and thinner, you can analyze it and determine that it’s correct, but there’s no avoiding that the enjoyment will go down. This isn't necessarily a flaw with the Audivina, but just a general aspect of what happens when the presentation is pushed out into a large space.
With the Audivina you are gaining something new, a closed back with a grand sound stage that is portrayed wonderfully. The stage will dazzle you, and sound fantastic from a technical perspective, but in return you do give up some engagement with the music. That’s not to say that the Audivina is boring. The Audivina has a surprising amount of impact to each sound, so each sound is emphasized despite being farther away. This keeps you engaged enough instead of just listening to background music. So there is fun and engagement here, it is just less up front and thinner than what you would typically get from a normal headphone presentation. That said, if a large stage is what you are looking for in a closed back headphone, then the Audivina pulls off the presentation wonderfully.
Individual Sound Aspects and Usability
BassThe Sub-bass is phenomenal. It extends very low, has great resolution, and is effortlessly contained to its own space. Mid-bass is pulled back a little by comparison, but isn’t usually missed as much with how much sub-bass comes through. The mid-bass is present, just not as prevalent as it should be which does contribute to the feeling that there is a lack of weight in the overall sound.
Mids
This one is tricky, as when you listen to male or female vocals it seems like it’s all there. The voices are accurate on close inspection, and yet at the same time you can’t help but feel that the mids are missing something. This is where the thinner sound of the Audivina comes across the most. Upper mids, such as female vocals, will sound like they are missing body. Male voices typically sound accurate on the lower registers, then as pitch increases they too can sound a bit lean. Once your brain adapts the mids sound accurate for long term critical listening, but there is always the feeling that there should be a little more body in this area.
Treble
The generally thinner sound of the Audivina makes the treble sound just a bit sharp when you first put the headphones on. The treble extends well and is accurate with just a slight sharp edge on the end. That edge entirely goes away after a few minutes, and from then on the treble just extends well and does what it needs to do without going overboard. No grain, no piercing, no sibilance. It’s accurate and sounds great.
Tonal Accuracy & Timbre
The Audivina sounds clean, clear, and with an absolutely neutral tone and timbre. Tone is one of those things that is typically hard to get right. When watching TV/Movies you can instantly tell if a characters voice is too high, low, or distorted in any way. The Audivina nails tone and timbre with the exception of those pesky upper mids. Instruments typically sound exactly as they should, and with the level of detail provided it makes for a great experience.
Detail
The presentation of the Audivina actually helps here. With all sounds taking less space within the stage each sound ends up with clearer lines around them. Add in the slight reverb effect which further lingers each sound and the perception of detail is abundant. You can really sit back and be amazed as each sound is reproduced very accurately. I previously mentioned that the Audivina can compete on a technical level with the Arya, HE6se and the older HE series. For detail and timbre in particular the Audivina often wins against them all. The jump in detail is only by a small margin, but one that is noticeable when switching back and forth between the other high end Hifiman Planars.
Sound Stage
When you first put on the Audivina the stage size is large, but mostly pushed in front of you. Sounds are somewhat far away, and despite the size it seems like the stage is going across a long flat line in front of you. Within a few seconds to minutes the stage deepens considerably, wrapping around the sides and becoming a large space where sounds move freely. Being a closed back there is a feeling that there are defined borders where the stage can’t pass, but the stage is so large that the sound doesn’t feel restricted by it. Despite having clear borders the Audivina portrays sound stage better than most open back headphones. The stage truly a great aspect, one that defines and separates the Audivina from other closed back headphones.
Dynamics
Despite the thinner nature of the sound signature the Audivina comes out with good dynamics. Drums, cymbals, piano keys, everything can be felt as much as heard. This is another important aspect of the Audivina in understanding it’s sound, and why the pushed out sound isn’t boring or quickly dismissed. It doesn’t have the same level of dynamics as the older HE series (HE-400, HE-500, HE-6), but it’s close.
Isolation
You would think for a closed back that there would be great isolation, but you can clearly hear everything that is going on around you. Not only that, but others a few feet away can hear your sound as well. It’s not like the Arya where the open sound is being projected across the room. Rather, from a few feet away others will be able to tell that you are listening to something, but they won’t be able to clearly make out what it is. This can be a deal breaker, especially if you are looking for a closed back headphone in order to not disturb others around you.
Efficiency
The Audivina has an Impedance of 20Ω with a sensitivity of 97dB. While you should be able to get the Audivina loud on most portable sources, to drive the Audivina properly I’d recommend an amp capable of providing at least 700mW at 20Ω.
Comparisons
Hifiman Arya V2 (Non Stealth)
Same, but different
I wanted to start with this comparison as both the Arya & Audivina are both high end Hifiman Planars, both have similar ‘egg’ shaped cup designs, and the Arya is well known among many users. The Arya is generally well regarded as being near flagship in quality. When you put on the Arya the sound is natural, wide, deep, slightly airy, and completely neutral. When you put on the Audivina the sound is initially canny, scooped out, and unnatural sounding. Within seconds to minutes the brain adjusts though, and both headphones suddenly become quite similar in both sound and enjoyment:
- The Arya is known as having an exceptional sound stage, and in comparison the Arya is deeper and more holographic to the point that there is more space between each sound. The Audivina is close in depth though, which speaks to how large the stage is for the Audivina. Both have a similar stage width.
- Sound is presented a little further away on the Arya; sounds are slightly closer in depth on the Audivina. Width presentation is mostly the same between the two.
- Bass is also mostly comparable, with sub-bass being nearly equal and the Arya having a fuller mid-bass. The Audivina sounds like it is missing a small amount of mid-bass by comparison.
- Mids on the Arya sound fuller, more natural. By comparison the Audivina mids sound thinner, lacking some body especially with female vocals.
- Highs are just a bit sharper on the Arya, where the Audivina extends well but stops just short of going into sharp territory. Highs are generally more comfortable and pleasing on the Audivina.
- Detail is similar as it depends on the material, but the Audivina usually has a bit more resolution.
- Timbre is typically more accurate on the Audivina. On close inspection there’s more to each sound, and it appears to be more accurate. Going back and forth the Arya sounds like it is missing some micro detail that alters the overall timbre.
- Tonal accuracy is similar.
Ultrasone Edition 8 EX
SHINY
This was the first closed back comparison that I thought of since Edition 8 EX is trying to simulate the same stage large stage effects with Ultrasones "EX" logic. Both are closed back, both have similar tonality, and both within similar price brackets. Main difference is that the Audivina is a fairly large Planar whereas the 8 EX is a 40mm Dynamic. The general tone is similar between the two where there is a clean clear approach with a lack of fullness. The Audivina has significantly improved detail/resolution, cleaner lines around every sound, a wider and deeper stage, more sub bass presence, mostly comparable mids, and superior dynamics. After listening to the Audivina the Edition 8 EX sounds grainy by direct comparison, but that grainy effect does fade quickly once your brain adjusts to the sound. The Edition 8 does still sound decent for the price range, but offers what could be said to be a "junior" version of the Audivina sound. All said, the Audivina is simply more refined in all sound aspects.
Ultrasone Edition 5 Unlimited
More metal again, Ruthenium this time on the Edition 5
Another Ultrasone comparable in price that uses the EX logic to simulate a large sound stage, but reproduction compared to the 8 EX is different. This Ultrasone is warmer, smoother, and generally more balanced than other Ultrasone offerings. The presentation for the Edition 5 is more the traditional up front, around you, and in your face sound compared to the pushed out Audivina. The Edition 5 has less stage depth but similar stage width. All sounds on the Edition 5 feel closer and significantly larger in size. Audivina on the other hand offers superior resolution, and overall technical ability is improved in all areas. The gap is smaller than that of the Edition 8 EX though. After listening to the Audivina, the Edition 5 sounds completely clear with a significant mid-bass emphasis, and has a slightly plastic sound. Highs are similar, mids are significantly fuller on the Edition 5, mid-bass is overemphasized on the Edition 5 leading to a warmer overall sound, and sub-bass amount is similar. The Edition 5 can sustain very low sub-bass, but it just can't reach the same resolution as the Audivina. Despite the Edition 5 being somewhat inferior in technical ability to the Audivina, it is still a great option for those looking for a closed back with a more traditional presentation. Overall this comparison is close enough that it’s going to come down to preference on the presentation. The Edition 5 sounds great with its full smooth approach in a traditional presentation, whereas the Audivina one ups it in all technical areas with its own unique presentation.
Conclusion
The Audivina is different for a closed back, and different is a good thing in a saturated headphone market where so many headphones do the same thing with varying attributes. When you first put on the Audivina it can end up being a jarring experience. The sound can be canny, thin, hollow, and pushed out. Within a few minutes the sound becomes significantly improved as you acclimate to it’s unique presentation, leaving you with a very large detailed stage that is the highlight of the Audivina. Given the high resolution that the Audivina is capable of, whether or not you like the Audivina will mostly come down to if you enjoy its presentation and thinner sound signature. There’s not going to be many closed back headphones that can compete at this level in both sound stage and resolution. If you love sound stage, or if you are looking for a closed back where stage is the priority, then the Audivina should be high up on your list of headphones to try.
I really enjoyed reading your review. A lot of the Audivina shortcomings can very easily be fixed with some EQ. Once applied you'll have the spacious sound of an open-back headphone with all the benefits of a closed-back. The Audivina is a very unique headphone that takes a little time to understand because the tuning is so different.Below is my review
This is a no-nonsense review of the Audivina. My review is based on a two week audition supplied by Hifiman. While the loaner was supplied by Hifiman, there is no incentive or reason for me to give anything but honest review. My goal here is to describe exactly how the Audivina sounds as objectively as possible.
Accessories
The Headphones come packaged in a Hifiman Travel Case, along with three cables. The first is a 1.5 meter cable terminated as a single ended 3.5mm. There’s also two 3 meter cables. One is a single ended 6.35mm and the other is a balanced XLR.
Nice bundle-- Stand not included
The cables bend easily, don’t kink, and aren’t microphonic at all. From a build perspective the cables are great, except for the black on black lettering on the headphone side to determine Left or Right. You have to be in direct light to see which is “L” and “R”. There’s no color indicator or contrasted letters. Not a big deal, but just not ideal for usability. All seems to work fine with the cables, and there’s a satisfying *click* when you plug the cables fully into the headphone.
Black letters on a black cable. Which is left, which is right? In the middle of the night nothing may be right.
Build
The Headphone build is solid. I’ve got no immediate concerns with something breaking, and functionally they are built as well as they should be. The headband is a leather like strap that is suspended by being connected to a metal frame. The metal frame is high quality, shaped well, and without any weak spots. The strap is also high quality of medium thickness, and will obviously withstand a lot. Where the strap attaches to the sliders is a thin point, and one where all of the pressure is distributed to the frame. I’d be concerned that this could be a failure point where the strap would eventually break, but this design is the same used the Arya, and I’ve had no durability issues with the Arya over several years. The cups rotate smoothly both horizontally and vertically, and have a very wide range of motion being able to rotate all the way around. The cups themselves are made of wood with a very smooth lacquer like finish. The finish doesn’t attract fingerprints. On the bottom side of the cups are angled TRS connectors that are flush with the cups (not recessed, thank you Hifiman). The ear pads are held onto the cups by Velcro like material, and do not shift at all during use.
Comfort
The headphone is on the heavier side at 470 grams, but in wearing them you really don’t feel that weight. The suspended headband does a great job at distributing the weight across your entire head, so much so that the headphones actually feel light when in use. The egg shaped ear pads are somewhat firm however, and may give some pressure points depending on the shape of your head. I had minor pressure points above the ears, in front of the ears, and a little bit along the jawline. The ear pads are large, and If you’ve ever tried an Arya or Ananda it’s the same general comfort. Even with those pressure points I had no issues wearing the Audivina for hours at a time, but your comfort will depend on the shape of your head.
General Sound
This headphone is different from the usual headphone sound. The presentation is what is unique about this headphone, and whether or not you like the presentation is likely what will make or break this headphone. I’ll go over all of the individual aspects of the sound below in detail, but what you need to know up front is that the headphone is very high up there on a technical level, so don’t worry much about its ability. On a technical level it competes with the Arya, HE6se, and older HE series. The Audivina is also fairly neutral in frequency response, with the only issue being an overall thinner sound that is especially noticed in the upper mids.
The Audivina was designed to simulate sitting in a concert hall. How it achieves this is by effectively making all of the sounds smaller, thinner in size, and farther away in their space compared to a normal closed back headphone. With the sounds being smaller in size and farther away, there is more space in-between each sound which gives the illusion of an extra-large sound stage. This works excellent, exactly as designed. The perceived stage is large in both width and depth, and is better than most open headphones that I’ve tried. To match the acoustics there is also a tiny amount of reverb with each sound. It’s minor enough that it isn’t noticeable most of the time, but it does add a little bit of extra perceived detail and refinement into the sound.
The downside to the presentation is that when you put the headphones on for the first time the sound seems to be canny, unnatural, and without any fullness. The presentation is just so far different from what you are used to, it can’t help but sound wrong as your brain tries to figure out what is going on. These aspects mostly go away once your brain adjusts to the sound after a few minutes. The only negative aspect that sticks around long term is the feeling that the sound is thinner than normal. That too improves with brain burn in to an extent, but never fully goes away. The second issue with this type of presentation is that when you push a sound out at normal listening volumes, or make it smaller, this can lessen your engagement with the music. When music is loud and in your face you can’t help but pay more attention to it, and it’s just generally easier to be more emotionally involved. When the sound is farther away and thinner, you can analyze it and determine that it’s correct, but there’s no avoiding that the enjoyment will go down. This isn't necessarily a flaw with the Audivina, but just a general aspect of what happens when the presentation is pushed out into a large space.
With the Audivina you are gaining something new, a closed back with a grand sound stage that is portrayed wonderfully. The stage will dazzle you, and sound fantastic from a technical perspective, but in return you do give up some engagement with the music. That’s not to say that the Audivina is boring. The Audivina has a surprising amount of impact to each sound, so each sound is emphasized despite being farther away. This keeps you engaged enough instead of just listening to background music. So there is fun and engagement here, it is just less up front and thinner than what you would typically get from a normal headphone presentation. That said, if a large stage is what you are looking for in a closed back headphone, then the Audivina pulls off the presentation wonderfully.
Individual Sound Aspects and UsabilityBass
The Sub-bass is phenomenal. It extends very low, has great resolution, and is effortlessly contained to its own space. Mid-bass is pulled back a little by comparison, but isn’t usually missed as much with how much sub-bass comes through. The mid-bass is present, just not as prevalent as it should be which does contribute to the feeling that there is a lack of weight in the overall sound.
Mids
This one is tricky, as when you listen to male or female vocals it seems like it’s all there. The voices are accurate on close inspection, and yet at the same time you can’t help but feel that the mids are missing something. This is where the thinner sound of the Audivina comes across the most. Upper mids, such as female vocals, will sound like they are missing body. Male voices typically sound accurate on the lower registers, then as pitch increases they too can sound a bit lean. Once your brain adapts the mids sound accurate for long term critical listening, but there is always the feeling that there should be a little more body in this area.
Treble
The generally thinner sound of the Audivina makes the treble sound just a bit sharp when you first put the headphones on. The treble extends well and is accurate with just a slight sharp edge on the end. That edge entirely goes away after a few minutes, and from then on the treble just extends well and does what it needs to do without going overboard. No grain, no piercing, no sibilance. It’s accurate and sounds great.
Tonal Accuracy & Timbre
The Audivina sounds clean, clear, and with an absolutely neutral tone and timbre. Tone is one of those things that is typically hard to get right. When watching TV/Movies you can instantly tell if a characters voice is too high, low, or distorted in any way. The Audivina nails tone and timbre with the exception of those pesky upper mids. Instruments typically sound exactly as they should, and with the level of detail provided it makes for a great experience.
Detail
The presentation of the Audivina actually helps here. With all sounds taking less space within the stage each sound ends up with clearer lines around them. Add in the slight reverb effect which further lingers each sound and the perception of detail is abundant. You can really sit back and be amazed as each sound is reproduced very accurately. I previously mentioned that the Audivina can compete on a technical level with the Arya, HE6se and the older HE series. For detail and timbre in particular the Audivina often wins against them all. The jump in detail is only by a small margin, but one that is noticeable when switching back and forth between the other high end Hifiman Planars.
Sound Stage
When you first put on the Audivina the stage size is large, but mostly pushed in front of you. Sounds are somewhat far away, and despite the size it seems like the stage is going across a long flat line in front of you. Within a few seconds to minutes the stage deepens considerably, wrapping around the sides and becoming a large space where sounds move freely. Being a closed back there is a feeling that there are defined borders where the stage can’t pass, but the stage is so large that the sound doesn’t feel restricted by it. Despite having clear borders the Audivina portrays sound stage better than most open back headphones. The stage truly a great aspect, one that defines and separates the Audivina from other closed back headphones.
Dynamics
Despite the thinner nature of the sound signature the Audivina comes out with good dynamics. Drums, cymbals, piano keys, everything can be felt as much as heard. This is another important aspect of the Audivina in understanding it’s sound, and why the pushed out sound isn’t boring or quickly dismissed. It doesn’t have the same level of dynamics as the older HE series (HE-400, HE-500, HE-6), but it’s close.
Isolation
You would think for a closed back that there would be great isolation, but you can clearly hear everything that is going on around you. Not only that, but others a few feet away can hear your sound as well. It’s not like the Arya where the open sound is being projected across the room. Rather, from a few feet away others will be able to tell that you are listening to something, but they won’t be able to clearly make out what it is. This can be a deal breaker, especially if you are looking for a closed back headphone in order to not disturb others around you.
Efficiency
The Audivina has an Impedance of 20Ω with a sensitivity of 97dB. While you should be able to get the Audivina loud on most portable sources, to drive the Audivina properly I’d recommend an amp capable of providing at least 700mW at 20Ω.
Comparisons
Hifiman Arya V2 (Non Stealth)
Same, but different
I wanted to start with this comparison as both the Arya & Audivina are both high end Hifiman Planars, both have similar ‘egg’ shaped cup designs, and the Arya is well known among many users. The Arya is generally well regarded as being near flagship in quality. When you put on the Arya the sound is natural, wide, deep, slightly airy, and completely neutral. When you put on the Audivina the sound is initially canny, scooped out, and unnatural sounding. Within seconds to minutes the brain adjusts though, and both headphones suddenly become quite similar in both sound and enjoyment:
Overall it’s not valid to say that the Audivina is a closed back Arya, but they have a lot more in common than not. Both have exceptional sound stage, both are successfully aiming for a neutral sound, and both offer great detail in everything they do. If you own an Arya, it’s easiest to think of the Audivina as having a sound that is a little bit closer in depth, thinner sounding in general, but otherwise comparable in a closed back design.
- The Arya is known as having an exceptional sound stage, and in comparison the Arya is deeper and more holographic to the point that there is more space between each sound. The Audivina is close in depth though, which speaks to how large the stage is for the Audivina. Both have a similar stage width.
- Sound is presented a little further away on the Arya; sounds are slightly closer in depth on the Audivina. Width presentation is mostly the same between the two.
- Bass is also mostly comparable, with sub-bass being nearly equal and the Arya having a fuller mid-bass. The Audivina sounds like it is missing a small amount of mid-bass by comparison.
- Mids on the Arya sound fuller, more natural. By comparison the Audivina mids sound thinner, lacking some body especially with female vocals.
- Highs are just a bit sharper on the Arya, where the Audivina extends well but stops just short of going into sharp territory. Highs are generally more comfortable and pleasing on the Audivina.
- Detail is similar as it depends on the material, but the Audivina usually has a bit more resolution.
- Timbre is typically more accurate on the Audivina. On close inspection there’s more to each sound, and it appears to be more accurate. Going back and forth the Arya sounds like it is missing some micro detail that alters the overall timbre.
- Tonal accuracy is similar.
Ultrasone Edition 8 EX
SHINY
This was the first closed back comparison that I thought of since Edition 8 EX is trying to simulate the same stage large stage effects with Ultrasones "EX" logic. Both are closed back, both have similar tonality, and both within similar price brackets. Main difference is that the Audivina is a fairly large Planar whereas the 8 EX is a 40mm Dynamic. The general tone is similar between the two where there is a clean clear approach with a lack of fullness. The Audivina has significantly improved detail/resolution, cleaner lines around every sound, a wider and deeper stage, more sub bass presence, mostly comparable mids, and superior dynamics. After listening to the Audivina the Edition 8 EX sounds grainy by direct comparison, but that grainy effect does fade quickly once your brain adjusts to the sound. The Edition 8 does still sound decent for the price range, but offers what could be said to be a "junior" version of the Audivina sound. All said, the Audivina is simply more refined in all sound aspects.
Ultrasone Edition 5 Unlimited
More metal again, Ruthenium this time on the Edition 5
Another Ultrasone comparable in price that uses the EX logic to simulate a large sound stage, but reproduction compared to the 8 EX is different. This Ultrasone is warmer, smoother, and generally more balanced than other Ultrasone offerings. The presentation for the Edition 5 is more the traditional up front, around you, and in your face sound compared to the pushed out Audivina. The Edition 5 has less stage depth but similar stage width. All sounds on the Edition 5 feel closer and significantly larger in size. Audivina on the other hand offers superior resolution, and overall technical ability is improved in all areas. The gap is smaller than that of the Edition 8 EX though. After listening to the Audivina, the Edition 5 sounds completely clear with a significant mid-bass emphasis, and has a slightly plastic sound. Highs are similar, mids are significantly fuller on the Edition 5, mid-bass is overemphasized on the Edition 5 leading to a warmer overall sound, and sub-bass amount is similar. The Edition 5 can sustain very low sub-bass, but it just can't reach the same resolution as the Audivina. Despite the Edition 5 being somewhat inferior in technical ability to the Audivina, it is still a great option for those looking for a closed back with a more traditional presentation. Overall this comparison is close enough that it’s going to come down to preference on the presentation. The Edition 5 sounds great with its full smooth approach in a traditional presentation, whereas the Audivina one ups it in all technical areas with its own unique presentation.
Conclusion
The Audivina is different for a closed back, and different is a good thing in a saturated headphone market where so many headphones do the same thing with varying attributes. When you first put on the Audivina it can end up being a jarring experience. The sound can be canny, thin, hollow, and pushed out. Within a few minutes the sound becomes significantly improved as you acclimate to it’s unique presentation, leaving you with a very large detailed stage that is the highlight of the Audivina. Given the high resolution that the Audivina is capable of, whether or not you like the Audivina will mostly come down to if you enjoy its presentation and thinner sound signature. There’s not going to be many closed back headphones that can compete at this level in both sound stage and resolution. If you love sound stage, or if you are looking for a closed back where stage is the priority, then the Audivina should be high up on your list of headphones to try.
HiFiMAN AUDIVINA
First Impressions
Packaging
- basic and pretty much the same as HE6se, I don’t care about a luxury presentation so doesn’t matter
Build
- similar quality to HE6se aside from the headband
- Audivina headband is much more comfortable and looks nicer
- silly huge cups and pads, but I think they contribute to Audivina's special sound quality
- wood is lightweight which is good for comfort but doesnt inspire $2000 worth of emotions
- the metal + leather headband and wood cups hint at hifi aspirations
Sound
- the main positive attribute is the large soundstage for a closed back, Audivina sounds more open and airy than HE6se
- the bass response isn’t well endowed but mid-bass is packing to help compensate
- the frequency response is not disagreeable and there is no immediate sense of fail or pain but its not impressing either
- doesn’t best Athena’s smooth response and detail
First Impressions are not good judgements. Time is needed to reset and recalibrate brain burn-in. IME longer term impressions are much more considered and consistent so Id recommend disregarding these first impressions. More impressions to come at 2weeks.
^ Audivina vs some other headphones for size comparison
^ not a hamburger
First Impressions
Packaging
- basic and pretty much the same as HE6se, I don’t care about a luxury presentation so doesn’t matter
Build
- similar quality to HE6se aside from the headband
- Audivina headband is much more comfortable and looks nicer
- silly huge cups and pads, but I think they contribute to Audivina's special sound quality
- wood is lightweight which is good for comfort but doesnt inspire $2000 worth of emotions
- the metal + leather headband and wood cups hint at hifi aspirations
Sound
- the main positive attribute is the large soundstage for a closed back, Audivina sounds more open and airy than HE6se
- the bass response isn’t well endowed but mid-bass is packing to help compensate
- the frequency response is not disagreeable and there is no immediate sense of fail or pain but its not impressing either
- doesn’t best Athena’s smooth response and detail
First Impressions are not good judgements. Time is needed to reset and recalibrate brain burn-in. IME longer term impressions are much more considered and consistent so Id recommend disregarding these first impressions. More impressions to come at 2weeks.
^ Audivina vs some other headphones for size comparison
^ not a hamburger
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HeyWaj10
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2010
- Posts
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- 116
Hello, if this loaner tour for the US is still occurring, please feel free to remove me from the loaner list.
Thank you
tombrisbane
500+ Head-Fier
My final impressions:
What an interesting headphone. Firstly, thank you again to @TeamHiFiMAN for the loan in return for the my honest impressions. All thoughts here are mine and are not influenced in anyway.
Build and packaging:
Nicely built headphones, mix of metal and wood. Very comfortable on my head and no issues with long listening sessions. They have an adjustable headband which distributes weight very well, no hot spot or annoyances. Included is a hardish case which easily fits the headphones in but not much else, you’re probably not going to carry them around a lot but it’ll provide plenty of protection at home. Cables do the job but are just plain black, it does include three being the 4 Pin XLR balanced, 3.5mm and 6.35mm SE. Would have preferred a 3.5mm (w/ 6.35mm adapter), 4.4mm Balanced and the 4 Pin XLR.
I’m not the biggest fan of the colours used, but to be honest when they’re on my head I really don’t care.
My gear:
I used these primarily through this setup:
Tidal -> iFi Stream -> Sony TA-ZH1ES -> 4 Pin XLR (Balanced) -> Audivina
I also ran them through my Topping stack (D90/A90) but they didn’t need that much power so stuck with the tazzy.
I had a decent amount of time with these, I lost track but would be in excess of 70 hours - aside from some travelling where I used my Focal Bathys, and work with the same, these were my primary headphones. Music wise it was my normal eclectic collection, so everything from Classical, through to Metal, through to Rock, through to Industrial.
Sound:
Low end: Neutral and accurate. Nothing is over or under represented. Playing some more bass heavy tracks it handles them very well, fast and precise. It doesn’t have the deep rumble you get with some sets but it’s not what this is going for. Playing The XX - Angels, you still get the lovely deep bass in the middle of the track, and with the way that it presents sound the bass sits outside of the mids which is a great presentation. Not a bass head can, but for everyone else I don’t think you’ll have anything to complain about.
Mids: Generally enjoyable*. Detail retrieval is good, timbre is natural for the most part, can get a little mixed up sometimes with extremely detailed tracks. *Vocals. Vocals are a big issue and the elephant in the room for me. With the exception of a few vocalists I generally found them nearly unlistenable for songs with vocals, significantly limiting their use. It’s been a long time since I’ve stopped albums mid play while reviewing but it happened on numerous occasions with these. In the end I was mainly listening to instrumental tracks. Related to the highs as well but you get extreme sibilance, like nothing I’ve ever heard before, with some vocalists. S’s piercing your eardrums. Lower register voices were OK, some had really nice body to them. Quirky and odd.
Highs: They’re a little sparkly but by the end they’d either burned in a bit or my ears had adjusted. Sibilance aside I enjoyed the highs a lot, quite a realistic experience. I loved classical music on these, they really capture the feel of a concert hall.
Soundstage and Imaging (and musicality): Their trick. The reason you’d consider these despite the quirkiness and limitations. Absolutely magnificent, while being a closed back the way they present music is very special. It really felt like I was listening in a real concert hall, great depth and placement. Soundstage is accurate.
Overall: Not for everyone, not for all music, but for classical yes. They’re a very unique, quirky, headphone. I like quirky, for what they work well with I really liked these and am considering adding them to my collection. Collection is probably the key there, you would not get these as your only headphone, they are far too niche in their delivery of sound and there are much better options around for people looking for a single headphone (Meze Liric would get my vote for a similar style). It’s nice to hear something different, maybe it wouldn’t be as great for classical if the vocals were more normal?
What an interesting headphone. Firstly, thank you again to @TeamHiFiMAN for the loan in return for the my honest impressions. All thoughts here are mine and are not influenced in anyway.
Build and packaging:
Nicely built headphones, mix of metal and wood. Very comfortable on my head and no issues with long listening sessions. They have an adjustable headband which distributes weight very well, no hot spot or annoyances. Included is a hardish case which easily fits the headphones in but not much else, you’re probably not going to carry them around a lot but it’ll provide plenty of protection at home. Cables do the job but are just plain black, it does include three being the 4 Pin XLR balanced, 3.5mm and 6.35mm SE. Would have preferred a 3.5mm (w/ 6.35mm adapter), 4.4mm Balanced and the 4 Pin XLR.
I’m not the biggest fan of the colours used, but to be honest when they’re on my head I really don’t care.
My gear:
I used these primarily through this setup:
Tidal -> iFi Stream -> Sony TA-ZH1ES -> 4 Pin XLR (Balanced) -> Audivina
I also ran them through my Topping stack (D90/A90) but they didn’t need that much power so stuck with the tazzy.
I had a decent amount of time with these, I lost track but would be in excess of 70 hours - aside from some travelling where I used my Focal Bathys, and work with the same, these were my primary headphones. Music wise it was my normal eclectic collection, so everything from Classical, through to Metal, through to Rock, through to Industrial.
Sound:
Low end: Neutral and accurate. Nothing is over or under represented. Playing some more bass heavy tracks it handles them very well, fast and precise. It doesn’t have the deep rumble you get with some sets but it’s not what this is going for. Playing The XX - Angels, you still get the lovely deep bass in the middle of the track, and with the way that it presents sound the bass sits outside of the mids which is a great presentation. Not a bass head can, but for everyone else I don’t think you’ll have anything to complain about.
Mids: Generally enjoyable*. Detail retrieval is good, timbre is natural for the most part, can get a little mixed up sometimes with extremely detailed tracks. *Vocals. Vocals are a big issue and the elephant in the room for me. With the exception of a few vocalists I generally found them nearly unlistenable for songs with vocals, significantly limiting their use. It’s been a long time since I’ve stopped albums mid play while reviewing but it happened on numerous occasions with these. In the end I was mainly listening to instrumental tracks. Related to the highs as well but you get extreme sibilance, like nothing I’ve ever heard before, with some vocalists. S’s piercing your eardrums. Lower register voices were OK, some had really nice body to them. Quirky and odd.
Highs: They’re a little sparkly but by the end they’d either burned in a bit or my ears had adjusted. Sibilance aside I enjoyed the highs a lot, quite a realistic experience. I loved classical music on these, they really capture the feel of a concert hall.
Soundstage and Imaging (and musicality): Their trick. The reason you’d consider these despite the quirkiness and limitations. Absolutely magnificent, while being a closed back the way they present music is very special. It really felt like I was listening in a real concert hall, great depth and placement. Soundstage is accurate.
Overall: Not for everyone, not for all music, but for classical yes. They’re a very unique, quirky, headphone. I like quirky, for what they work well with I really liked these and am considering adding them to my collection. Collection is probably the key there, you would not get these as your only headphone, they are far too niche in their delivery of sound and there are much better options around for people looking for a single headphone (Meze Liric would get my vote for a similar style). It’s nice to hear something different, maybe it wouldn’t be as great for classical if the vocals were more normal?
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I received the Audivina yesterday, but just now sitting down to listen to them. First impressions:
warmer and richer sounding than I expected
very nice staging for a closed back in all directions
nice punchy bass. Not basshead level bass, but punchy in a balanced sort of way
Driving them via my Violectric v550 pro with my Merason DAC 1
Main complaint thus far: It was very difficult for me to find the "R/L" indicator on the balanced cable. I literally had to break out a flashlight to find the indicator.
Headphone and packaging arrived in good condition and headphone seems to be working correctly.
More to come.
warmer and richer sounding than I expected
very nice staging for a closed back in all directions
nice punchy bass. Not basshead level bass, but punchy in a balanced sort of way
Driving them via my Violectric v550 pro with my Merason DAC 1
Main complaint thus far: It was very difficult for me to find the "R/L" indicator on the balanced cable. I literally had to break out a flashlight to find the indicator.
Headphone and packaging arrived in good condition and headphone seems to be working correctly.
More to come.
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