[340519]

Hmm.. While it has plenty room for my ear, I feel it's not creating the proper seal. Back and bottom portion is hovering around my ear. You don't notice that?

Gosh no. These things clamp like crazy and seal. Next to the 650s, these are air tight.

 

[340519]

So I don't get how the literature for the sundaras say they are easy to drive. I have a benchmark dac1 and a dac2, each 2k usd when I bought them, and at Max volume they are satisfying volume wise, but definitely not loud. Strange.
I have the jumpers on the highest gain before anyone mentions that.

 

[340519]

I'd hate to try and drive the susvaras.

 

[Atgm1]

Whoa that surely will change the sound signature! Do you like sound with the pads on?

amazing builds the scene. The sound is three-dimensional and completely out of my head.

 

[Cleo Hoeger]

Gosh no. These things clamp like crazy and seal. Next to the 650s, these are air tight.

Maybe we have different head shapes. 650 definitely fits better, at least on my head.

 

[kievhardware]

Quick question from a noob here: is JDS Atom capable of powering these properly? Or should I look into smth more powerful? If so - what would be a good budget amp? Thinking of getting Khadas Tone board and Atom, but not sure if it's enough for Sundaras.

 

[Cleo Hoeger]

Quick question from a noob here: is JDS Atom capable of powering these properly? Or should I look into smth more powerful? If so - what would be a good budget amp? Thinking of getting Khadas Tone board and Atom, but not sure if it's enough for Sundaras.

JDS atom is definitely powerful enough for the Sundara, which are not particularly power demanding headphones.

 

[K.J.]

So I don't get how the literature for the sundaras say they are easy to drive. I have a benchmark dac1 and a dac2, each 2k usd when I bought them, and at Max volume they are satisfying volume wise, but definitely not loud. Strange.
I have the jumpers on the highest gain before anyone mentions that.

The Sundara can get stupid loud out of my Jotunheim's balanced out, but yeah they are power hungry.

On low gain I was shocked that I could actually max out the volume pot and it's just approaching uncomfortable. I'd literally never turned the pot all the way before. On high gain though? I really can't go just past 12 o'clock before I fear for my future.

 

[340519]

JDS atom is definitely powerful enough for the Sundara, which are not particularly power demanding headphones.

I'd have to respectfully disagree. I have a great dac amp combo behind them and they are not making my ears bleed. I'd like some more headroom.

Even with my new atmos denon receiver I have to crank it to reference 75db to be satisfying, whereas the 650s I can leave at 55db, a 20db difference.

 

[Ad720]

I have the Atom at around 12 o'clock on low gain with my Sundaras which is as high as I've had to go with anything else. They are pretty hungry but the Atom has enough horsepower for my ears.

 

[B9Scrambler]

​

 

[Module]

I'd have to respectfully disagree. I have a great dac amp combo behind them and they are not making my ears bleed. I'd like some more headroom.

Even with my new atmos denon receiver I have to crank it to reference 75db to be satisfying, whereas the 650s I can leave at 55db, a 20db difference.

Honestly, i don't get it 'power hungry' claim on Sundara at all. I use JDS O2 Amp on low gain (1x lol) and there is a lot of headroom above my usual listening level volume. And Atom from what I heard about them have more power than O2. Previously I used Fidelio X2 which considered super sensitivity and with Sundaras I maybe crank it up a little more and that's it.

 

[seanwee]

Honestly, i don't get it 'power hungry' claim on Sundara at all. I use JDS O2 Amp on low gain (1x lol) and there is a lot of headroom above my usual listening level volume. And Atom from what I heard about them have more power than O2. Previously I used Fidelio X2 which considered super sensitivity and with Sundaras I maybe crank it up a little more and that's it.

I use my O2 at high gain (3.3x) and reach about 60% on the volume pot. Sometimes up to 70% with quieter orchestral recordings.

I also use the Sundaras on balanced output from my N5ii and that will reach max volume on quieter recordings. Regular songs reach 85/100 and that is already very loud.

So I guess 250mw/32ohm would be the minimum amount of power you should get.

 

[340519]

Honestly, i don't get it 'power hungry' claim on Sundara at all. I use JDS O2 Amp on low gain (1x lol) and there is a lot of headroom above my usual listening level volume. And Atom from what I heard about them have more power than O2. Previously I used Fidelio X2 which considered super sensitivity and with Sundaras I maybe crank it up a little more and that's it.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I have the benchmark dac1 and dac2, and they have the hpa amp in them. I mean they weren't cheap. Strange that benchmark claims they can drive difficult headphones. According the manual there is only the one set of internal jumpers to increase gain. You guys have any other ideas? Maybe ill contact Rory at benchmark. Hmmmmm

 

[seanwee]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I have the benchmark dac1 and dac2, and they have the hpa amp in them. Strange that benchmark claims they can drive difficult headphones. According the manual there is only the one set of internal jumpers to increase gain. You guys have any other ideas? Maybe ill contact Rory at benchmark. Hmmmmm

Well, it could be that the Benchmark dacs are designed for conventional hard to drive hardphone that have high impedance rather than planars which have low impedance but low sensitivity and as such, they don't have enough voltage/current swing. Just a possibility.