[cfranchi]

x2 has huge soundstage probably much bigger than sundara.

That’s not so easy : in term of width they are equals (maybe X2 is a bit better) but Sundara is taller (that’s obvious) and in term of depth / imaging I also give the edge to Sundara.

 

[morndewey]

deleted. Sorry

 

[BubbaJay]

The Sundara doesn't sound like a $350 or even a $500 headphone to me. When I compare them to headphones that cost 2 and even 3 times more they hold there own and sound better than a couple I've heard. I've said it before but if I only had $500 to spend I'd get these all day long then use the extra $150 on like a Dac or something.

I'm to the point where I'm going to start to sell many of my headphones soon and the Sundara will never be one of them. I feel like all I need are my Sundara and Aiva and I'd be good to go, until I get something like the Arya or LCD-3.

 

[Eddie C]

The mod bug got to me, as Hifimans are known to be modded and I want to bring these to its max potential. The first mod was a piece of shelf liner under the pads:

I've been running them since like this because I think the mids sound a touch thicker and well rounded with it, may have reduced treble a little bit.

Next was looking into fuzzor mod and open grill mods:

Unfortunately theres the layer of mesh screen on the back, no fuzzor mod (not impossible but beyond my comfort tampering with it as the wires are soldered through it.

Forgot photo, but I did run them for a night without the pantyhose material under the outside metal grill for open grill (it looked really good). I was really intrigued by this because if you hover your hands over the back of the headphones you can hear difference in sound right away, removing the thin material should yield positive+noticable improvement. I found that soundstage and imaging improved, but overall it sounded lean and bass lacked tightness.

Currently running shelf liner + diy braided copper cable and enjoying as it. Interested in getting thicc comfy pads in the future.

 

[bagwell359]

The mod bug got to me, as Hifimans are known to be modded and I want to bring these to its max potential. The first mod was a piece of shelf liner under the pads:



I've been running them since like this because I think the mids sound a touch thicker and well rounded with it, may have reduced treble a little bit.

Next was looking into fuzzor mod and open grill mods:



Unfortunately theres the layer of mesh screen on the back, no fuzzor mod (not impossible but beyond my comfort tampering with it as the wires are soldered through it.

Forgot photo, but I did run them for a night without the pantyhose material under the outside metal grill for open grill (it looked really good). I was really intrigued by this because if you hover your hands over the back of the headphones you can hear difference in sound right away, removing the thin material should yield positive+noticable improvement. I found that soundstage and imaging improved, but overall it sounded lean and bass lacked tightness.

Currently running shelf liner + diy braided copper cable and enjoying as it. Interested in getting thicc comfy pads in the future.

Hi, Lots of people have modded round can HFM's.

The fuzzor mod won't work on something like 4XX because there is no place for the felt, it's more for the HE-6, HE-500, only about 1/2 as much can be put down on the HE6SE compared to the 6. Not sure on yours, you have to take off the pads to get a look.

The stock cable for most HFM's is trash, so any update is a win.

Open back is to improve clarity and headstage. I find with stock screens and/or anything else in the way you get artificial effects in the low mids/upper bass and 3-6k (more with the screens). This tends to cut the amount of clarity - but I never worked with your cans OTOH.

There are other mods: pads, damping (dynamat/sorbothane/blu tack) as well.

Good luck, keep reporting.

 

[cpc93]

I think the he560s will always be superior, but these do sound good. The 400i original were just horrible though.

 

[Smoothstereo]

The Sundara doesn't sound like a $350 or even a $500 headphone to me. When I compare them to headphones that cost 2 and even 3 times more they hold there own and sound better than a couple I've heard. I've said it before but if I only had $500 to spend I'd get these all day long then use the extra $150 on like a Dac or something.

I'm to the point where I'm going to start to sell many of my headphones soon and the Sundara will never be one of them. I feel like all I need are my Sundara and Aiva and I'd be good to go, until I get something like the Arya or LCD-3.

I love my Sundaras too, its a great compliment pair to my original AQ Nighthawks. Just curious which headphones that cost 2 to 3 times more that you prefer Sundara over ?

 

[BubbaJay]

I love my Sundaras too, its a great compliment pair to my original AQ Nighthawks. Just curious which headphones that cost 2 to 3 times more that you prefer Sundara over ?

Well I like them more than my LCD-2C but I don't think I would say they're flat out better I think it's more down to I like the sound signature of the Sundara more. I would say I think the Sundara is better than the HD700 because they are just as detailed with a more pleasing sound. Compared to my Klipsch HP-3 it's close but I think the HP-3 is a bit better overall. Lastly I think the Sundara is better than the Elear which used to be my favorite headphone but the Sundara just sounds better to me.

Now, I wouldn't say it blows them all away but to me the Sundara has a better signature than the headphones I mentioned. I'm listening to them right now and they are just so pleasing with a smooth yet detailed sound that I've never heard from a headphone in it's price range. I think I'm going to get the Ananda next because I've seen it describe as a better Sundara but I don't expect it to have exactly the same signature.

 

[morndewey]

Can I get some recommendations for 4.4 cables? Thanks

 

[Kukuk]

Can I get some recommendations for 4.4 cables? Thanks

I pretty much exclusively use this brand of cables.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0798S39HG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love their build quality and they're relatively inexpensive for aftermarket cables; you're not paying for any outlandish claims of improving sound quality, you're just getting a no-frills solid cable. The only downside is they're fairly short, with no option for longer ones.

Well I like them more than my LCD-2C but I don't think I would say they're flat out better I think it's more down to I like the sound signature of the Sundara more. I would say I think the Sundara is better than the HD700 because they are just as detailed with a more pleasing sound. Compared to my Klipsch HP-3 it's close but I think the HP-3 is a bit better overall. Lastly I think the Sundara is better than the Elear which used to be my favorite headphone but the Sundara just sounds better to me.

Now, I wouldn't say it blows them all away but to me the Sundara has a better signature than the headphones I mentioned. I'm listening to them right now and they are just so pleasing with a smooth yet detailed sound that I've never heard from a headphone in it's price range. I think I'm going to get the Ananda next because I've seen it describe as a better Sundara but I don't expect it to have exactly the same signature.

I feel the same way. While I don't own the LCD-2C anymore, I wasn't exactly blown away by them. To me, the Sundara bests them pretty soundly, with the LCD-2C having no real advantage over them, aside from build quality.

 

[BrainFood]

any recommendations for a 'good value' balanced cable with XLR? Total length of about 4 metres, althought that can include an extenstion cable if need be. To my SP200 amp.

 

[morndewey]

I pretty much exclusively use this brand of cables.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0798S39HG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love their build quality and they're relatively inexpensive for aftermarket cables; you're not paying for any outlandish claims of improving sound quality, you're just getting a no-frills solid cable. The only downside is they're fairly short

Does KK stand for Kimber Kable?

 

[Kukuk]

Does KK stand for Kimber Kable?

Nah, I'm thinking they're betting on people making that connection, though.

 

[morndewey]

Nah, I'm thinking they're betting on people making that connection, though.

Yeah the Kimber cables cost twice as much as Sundara!

 

[JamminVMI]

any recommendations for a 'good value' balanced cable with XLR? Total length of about 4 metres, althought that can include an extenstion cable if need be. To my SP200 amp.

I enjoy my cables from Periapt, both balanced and SE.