[Dobrescu George]

Anyone havign issues with erapads that come unstuck where the leather is pressed around the border?

I'm starting to have some slightly similar issues as well tho, curious how to solve them

 

[Onurcan]

I'm using ultrasone signature dj for 2 years. I love sig dj's amazing bass and clear sound quality and i ended up my phone search with this. My only problem with sig dj is climate is too hot in here and my ears getting sweat when i'm using it so deciced to search for an open back headphone with same sound signature like my sig djs. Can someone compare sundara with sig dj for me please? I have no chance to try myself sundara in here is sundara can satisfy me with bass and sound quality like sig dj?

 

[Dobrescu George]

I'm using ultrasone signature dj for 2 years. I love sig dj's amazing bass and clear sound quality and i ended up my phone search with this. My only problem with sig dj is climate is too hot in here and my ears getting sweat when i'm using it so deciced to search for an open back headphone with same sound signature like my sig djs. Can someone compare sundara with sig dj for me please? I have no chance to try myself sundara in here is sundara can satisfy me with bass and sound quality like sig dj?

Overall sound quality yes, and clarity yes, may be even better, but bass most probably no, Sig DJ is quite a bit more warm and bassy, where Sundara is neutral and kind of bright in comparison.

I'd suggest checking out Brainwavz Alara or most definitely Verum One to get a signature closer to Sig DJ

 

[Onurcan]

I'd suggest checking out Brainwavz Alara or most definitely Verum One to get a signature closer to Sig DJ

Thank so much! I will take a look

 

[FellMTK]

Anyone havign issues with erapads that come unstuck where the leather is pressed around the border?

Those where supposed to be fixed, when did you bought your pair? those pads cost 50 dollars for that to happen

 

[kiwivda]

Those where supposed to be fixed, when did you bought your pair? those pads cost 50 dollars for that to happen

I bought them last December, here in Italy.

 

[TeamHiFiMAN]

Anyone havign issues with erapads that come unstuck where the leather is pressed around the border?

I'm starting to have some slightly similar issues as well tho, curious how to solve them

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that, can you please email us at customerservice@hifiman.com or PM with your original purchase receipt and serial numbers, so we can see how to help you.

Thank you!

April

 

[Dobrescu George]

Those where supposed to be fixed, when did you bought your pair? those pads cost 50 dollars for that to happen

This is interesting, mine don't look like that, mine are going out from the inside rather than from the outside.

50 USD is quite a bit, but I see that @TeamHiFiMAN entered the thread below so it shouldn't be an issue

I bought them last December, here in Italy.

Well, you should contact @TeamHiFiMAN and see about their solution, looks like they're here to help

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that, can you please email us at customerservice@hifiman.com or PM with your original purchase receipt and serial numbers, so we can see how to help you.

Thank you!

April

I'll also contact you separately

I got a few people asking me about how to exchange the pads, or what the process is.

Seems that for my pair, the pads are slowly going out from the inside rather than from the outside, it most probably is my fault anyways. Still, it is nice to see the team from hifiman getting implied in the thread, I'm sure some people who were on the fence about purchasing Sundara will be more relaxed to get them, now that they know they will be also getting proper support for their purchase.


---


BTW, I just got my guitar and guitar AMP today, a Jackson guitar with a rather basic Boss Katana 50 AMP, and since I can't make noise all the time, I've been using Sundara with that system, and man, I love the sound. Amusingly, the Boss Katana is able to drive Sundara rather well, and I can now practice even at night

I don't know if anyone here is in the same situation, but it is nice to know you can use Sundy in multiple situations

 

[Dobrescu George]

Oh, I figured out how to replace the earpads on Sundara

Seems that my pair's glue started wearing out, but on the inside not on the outside, also just one earpad

Happily, the replacement process is extremely simple and easy, I now just need replacement earpads from HIFIMAN and I'll be set for fun

So you don't need to worry if you have a Sundara, the earpads are really easy to replace and really easy to dear with

 

[Dobrescu George]

LMAO, I had a spare of those lying around, very cheap pads

https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/velour-earpads.html

And they actually made Sundara sound better lol

I'm not sure if those will las well to my outdoors usage, but man, it feels like everything is a touch smoother and more extended, more musical.

 

[TeamHiFiMAN]

Oh, I figured out how to replace the earpads on Sundara

Seems that my pair's glue started wearing out, but on the inside not on the outside, also just one earpad

Happily, the replacement process is extremely simple and easy, I now just need replacement earpads from HIFIMAN and I'll be set for fun

So you don't need to worry if you have a Sundara, the earpads are really easy to replace and really easy to dear with

Appreciate your support to Hifiman, that means a lot to us!

I bought them last December, here in Italy.

Sundara will be under the warranty within one year since your purchase date. If you would like to register it on our website: http://hifiman.com/warranty, you can extends your warranty for an additional three months. We have PMed you yesterday, if you could send us the original purchase receipt and a pic of the broken earpads, we will replace for you.

Please feel free to contact us at customerservice@hifiman.com or just PM us if you need any help, we will be at your service whenever you need.

April

 

[Goldvein]

It's now time to give a bit more detailed review of the Sundara after having had it for a few weeks.

DISCLAIMER: I've been lucky to be a part of the Sundara loaner tour that Hifiman arranged for people to try it. They have lended it to me in exchange for my hornest opinion.

About me:
For the past 6 months i've read everything on the internet about every different headphone. I do that because listening to music through a good pair of headphones can put me in another world, and searching for the perfect pair has become a passion of mine. I live far from a decent HiFi store, so i haven't tried that many different headphones. The last pairs that i've got have been Closed back headphones. The Audioquest Nightowl being the one i've used the most. It has been very interesting listening to try a pair of open back planar headphones, and i can definitely say that it has opened my eyes, to what a more premium headphone can sound like. I'm not the most experienced reviewer nor headphone user on here, but i can asure you, that i'm one of those who really enjoy listening music for hours and hours. Therefore i know when a headphone makes the special part inside of me move.
My sources are the Chord Mojo coming from tidal HiFi on my laptop.

Build and comfort
I'm very impressed by the build. This headphone looks good and it does not feel cheap. The grill is very clean and makes the final touch. I actually look pretty good wearing them (not that anyone would see that, since they are open back and noise isolation is next to 0) Probs to Hifiman to make such a simple design feel so clean and sturdy. Every part seems like it's put well in place with precision, so it doesn't move around or feel like it's going to break soon.
I have listened to the Sundara for up to 5 hours in a row and i have not at any point felt uncomfortable. I'm used to the Audioquest Nightowl which is the most comfortable headphone i have ever tried. The Sundara is not far after. It doesn't disappear like the Nightowl, but again, at no point has it ever felt annoying or uncomfortable. I can surely recommend it if you want a comfortable headphone.

Sound:
Now this is the part that i've been spending the last couple of weeks understanding well. I listen to a lot of diferent music. Hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical (mostly symphonies and piano concertos), alternative, funk and i'm sure there are more. It's fun to see where a headphones strong points are, and you really get to feel it, when you're listening to a lot of different kind of genres.
The sound presentation is clean and a bit on the bright side. The drivers are fast and gets all the details you can ask for in a 500$ headphone. Maybe even more. When i compared it to my Nightowl, the details in the higher frequencies were so much better, that i really can't go back to listen to classical or jazz on my Nightowls. Listening to piano i really felt like, i was listening to a real piano and not just some recording trying to be replicated through audiosignals and drivers. I wouldn't call the high frequencies shiny or sparkly. They are really clean and fast, but they are not trying to steal focus.
There are also loads of details in the bass-region. I just personally didn't enjoy it that much, since the slam wasn't really present. It sounded like the bass-players funking around, didn't really want to funk. And that's not good! This is not just the people funking. Also in jazz music it sounds like the contrabass was nothing more than the background that he is on stage. I don't care that much about their tonality and technique than about their soul and heart. I feel you. But not that much with the Sundara.
The mids on the Sundara are more enjoyable. Listening to female vocals has been a very pleasent experince. I got all the details in the voice. It has been a lot of fun listening to different jazz vocalists. Some people use every detail coming from their mouth to make good music. The mids are not bloated though. They are at a perfect distance and the details are there without having to shout to hear them.
Imaging and soundstage:
These being the first open back headphones i've tried for a longer period, it is obviously the most airy that i've tried. I did expect a bigger soundstage. Not that it's small, but coming from a closed back, i expected to be blown away, but instead i just got a bit better. The airiness and the imaging are something i really liked though. It makes the mids and treble really enjoyable.I have spend a lot of time listening to Rachmaninoffs 3rd piano concerto. The detail in the piano with the space given to the orquestra makes for a fabulous experience.
In general the imaging is a very positive factor in every genre. When listening to jazz, you can easily place every instrument at their given spot.

Conclusion
Now for the conclusive opinion.
The Sundara is a very capable headphone. I would buy it for the comfort and build. I haven't really given it much thought, because it has just worked.
The sound is a difficult case. If i had money to buy more than one headphone, this would be my headphone for jazz and classical. Unfortunately i don't. The sound is very detailed and with good space, but a lot of times it needed the last piece of soul. Like someone took the Rage from Rage Against the Machine. This has nothing to do with the technical capabilities but more to do with my personal preferences.
I hope that someone has taken something from this short review. I have definitely enjoyed putting this much time in a headphone.

Of course i want to say a huge Thanks to Hifiman for organizing this loaner tour. It has helped me a lot in my search to know what my prefered sound is.

 

[Dobrescu George]

It's now time to give a bit more detailed review of the Sundara after having had it for a few weeks.

DISCLAIMER: I've been lucky to be a part of the Sundara loaner tour that Hifiman arranged for people to try it. They have lended it to me in exchange for my hornest opinion.

About me:
For the past 6 months i've read everything on the internet about every different headphone. I do that because listening to music through a good pair of headphones can put me in another world, and searching for the perfect pair has become a passion of mine. I live far from a decent HiFi store, so i haven't tried that many different headphones. The last pairs that i've got have been Closed back headphones. The Audioquest Nightowl being the one i've used the most. It has been very interesting listening to try a pair of open back planar headphones, and i can definitely say that it has opened my eyes, to what a more premium headphone can sound like. I'm not the most experienced reviewer nor headphone user on here, but i can asure you, that i'm one of those who really enjoy listening music for hours and hours. Therefore i know when a headphone makes the special part inside of me move.
My sources are the Chord Mojo coming from tidal HiFi on my laptop.

Build and comfort
I'm very impressed by the build. This headphone looks good and it does not feel cheap. The grill is very clean and makes the final touch. I actually look pretty good wearing them (not that anyone would see that, since they are open back and noise isolation is next to 0) Probs to Hifiman to make such a simple design feel so clean and sturdy. Every part seems like it's put well in place with precision, so it doesn't move around or feel like it's going to break soon.
I have listened to the Sundara for up to 5 hours in a row and i have not at any point felt uncomfortable. I'm used to the Audioquest Nightowl which is the most comfortable headphone i have ever tried. The Sundara is not far after. It doesn't disappear like the Nightowl, but again, at no point has it ever felt annoying or uncomfortable. I can surely recommend it if you want a comfortable headphone.

Sound:
Now this is the part that i've been spending the last couple of weeks understanding well. I listen to a lot of diferent music. Hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical (mostly symphonies and piano concertos), alternative, funk and i'm sure there are more. It's fun to see where a headphones strong points are, and you really get to feel it, when you're listening to a lot of different kind of genres.
The sound presentation is clean and a bit on the bright side. The drivers are fast and gets all the details you can ask for in a 500$ headphone. Maybe even more. When i compared it to my Nightowl, the details in the higher frequencies were so much better, that i really can't go back to listen to classical or jazz on my Nightowls. Listening to piano i really felt like, i was listening to a real piano and not just some recording trying to be replicated through audiosignals and drivers. I wouldn't call the high frequencies shiny or sparkly. They are really clean and fast, but they are not trying to steal focus.
There are also loads of details in the bass-region. I just personally didn't enjoy it that much, since the slam wasn't really present. It sounded like the bass-players funking around, didn't really want to funk. And that's not good! This is not just the people funking. Also in jazz music it sounds like the contrabass was nothing more than the background that he is on stage. I don't care that much about their tonality and technique than about their soul and heart. I feel you. But not that much with the Sundara.
The mids on the Sundara are more enjoyable. Listening to female vocals has been a very pleasent experince. I got all the details in the voice. It has been a lot of fun listening to different jazz vocalists. Some people use every detail coming from their mouth to make good music. The mids are not bloated though. They are at a perfect distance and the details are there without having to shout to hear them.
Imaging and soundstage:
These being the first open back headphones i've tried for a longer period, it is obviously the most airy that i've tried. I did expect a bigger soundstage. Not that it's small, but coming from a closed back, i expected to be blown away, but instead i just got a bit better. The airiness and the imaging are something i really liked though. It makes the mids and treble really enjoyable.I have spend a lot of time listening to Rachmaninoffs 3rd piano concerto. The detail in the piano with the space given to the orquestra makes for a fabulous experience.
In general the imaging is a very positive factor in every genre. When listening to jazz, you can easily place every instrument at their given spot.

Conclusion
Now for the conclusive opinion.
The Sundara is a very capable headphone. I would buy it for the comfort and build. I haven't really given it much thought, because it has just worked.
The sound is a difficult case. If i had money to buy more than one headphone, this would be my headphone for jazz and classical. Unfortunately i don't. The sound is very detailed and with good space, but a lot of times it needed the last piece of soul. Like someone took the Rage from Rage Against the Machine. This has nothing to do with the technical capabilities but more to do with my personal preferences.
I hope that someone has taken something from this short review. I have definitely enjoyed putting this much time in a headphone.

Of course i want to say a huge Thanks to Hifiman for organizing this loaner tour. It has helped me a lot in my search to know what my prefered sound is.

Woaaah, looks like you liked it quite a lot, and from your description I'm not sure if you had the best of sources either, Sundara gets even better if you pump them from a proper source, somehow it really scales well with better sources

 

[Goldvein]

Woaaah, looks like you liked it quite a lot, and from your description I'm not sure if you had the best of sources either, Sundara gets even better if you pump them from a proper source, somehow it really scales well with better sources

I use Tidal Hifi with my chord Mojo. Would it get a lot better with a better amp? It just gets so expensive so quickly

 

[Dobrescu George]

I use Tidal Hifi with my chord Mojo. Would it get a lot better with a better amp? It just gets so expensive so quickly

Hm... Mojo is a really good DAC / AMP, I don't think there's much within a reasonable budget that would beat Mojo, the next thing that really can be said to be better is quite a bit more expensive, either QLS QA 361, but which doesn't have Tidal, or iBasso DX220 + AMP7, which is quite a bit more expensive, but which does have Tidal

I was thinking whether you simply would have liked a different source compared to Mojo, Sundara + Mojo makes a good pairing, but for some may be a bit too creamy / smooth, compared to the usual signature of Sundara