[ardilla]

Ok, but that's what a pair of HE6 is for

That's why i have a HE-6 and a HE-6 SE ,)

 

[Rei7]

Just got my Sundara and pairing it with the Mojo.. so good!

 

[IXOYE]

Sundara can sound grate with EQ, but HD600 are better imo.

 

[senorx12562]

Just got my Sundara and pairing it with the Mojo.. so good!

Agreed. I was actually surprised at how well it drives them. But my expectations were low. Even the bass is very good.

 

[JamminVMI]

Agreed. I was actually surprised at how well it drives them. But my expectations were low. Even the bass is very good.

I like it as well. Needs a bit of bass boost in my chain, but a Schiit Lokius takes care of that easily. Just wish their QC was better.

 

[Yshusnir]

Hi everyone, I might soon join you on the Sundara path... I have an Audeze Mobius that I absolutely love, but having a big head they keep breaking, the headband is just so poorly build the plastic always ends up giving. I've changed it three times already (kudos to the Audeze after-sale policy for that), and my current one has broken again.

Having fallen in love with planars, my plan now is to get this one back to Audeze, and sell the one they're gonna send me back (to someone who has a normal-sized head) to buy another set of headphones. I'm thinking of going with the Sundara with a Fosi audio K5 Pro as a dac/amp. However I find myself in doubt because of some reviews I've read of the HE400se, particularly this one : https://homestudiobasics.com/hifiman-sundara-review/ where it says

"Part of the reason I wanted to revisit this review is that the 400se is a much better value in 2023 and beyond. [...] That is to say that I would simply never buy a Sundara nowadays when I can get a 400se at a fraction of the price."

Any input on that consideration ? Has anyone compared the two and could share their experience ? Thanks in advance !

 

[SchwizzelKick66]

Provided you get a good unit with no QC issues, the Sundara are pretty hard to beat at $299. They easily sound like they're $500+

I've never heard the 400se, but from all of the feedback I've seen, the Sundara make them obsolete. Unless you are on a tight budget I would just go right to Sundara if you want to dip your toes into hifiman planars.

 

[Corti]

I would also go with the Sundaras, instead of HE400se. Open box 239$ is ridiculously cheap IMO. https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/sundara-openbox.html

Before I bought the Sundara, I had the HE400i (2020). When I was at the local hifi-store I briefly listened to the HE400se as well and they sounded pretty much the same as the HE400i (2020). The seller told me that the HE400se is probably more or less the same as the HE400i (2020) considering design, price-point and time of release.

So when I heard the Sundara the first time I immediately thought the Soundstage had more depth then the HE400i (2020), which in comparison sounds much closer (claustrophobic at times). While I liked the shallow soundstage from the 400i’s with vocals, instruments sounded more refined and more natural on the Sundara.
Plus, the headband from the 400i created a hotspot on my head (this was the initial reason I looked for something else). I have come to acknowledge how important comfort is with headphones.

I own the Sundaras for about 2.5 years now with very frequent usage, no quality issues whatsoever with my unit.

 

[SchwizzelKick66]

So I think I'm ready to try the next step up in the hifiman portfolio.

I freaking love the sound of the Sundara. It's borderline perfect to me, though in some scenarios the treble can be a bit much, but it's a very minor gripe. The thing I don't love is the build, as I've unfortunately gone through 3 faulty units. I couldn't stay away and recently bought them back and fell back in love.

Anyway, I'm undecided on what would be the next step and something that could replace the Sundara. What do y'all think?

1. Edition XS for $449 or $399 open box

2. Ananda Stealth for $549 new or $449 open box

3. Ananda Nano for $599

Arya is higher than I want to spend. Also, I have a fairly small head- I only go 2 notches on the Sundara for reference. I'm concerned the XS will just be too large.

Anyone have advice on where to go next?

 

[Yshusnir]

Provided you get a good unit with no QC issues, the Sundara are pretty hard to beat at $299. They easily sound like they're $500+

I've never heard the 400se, but from all of the feedback I've seen, the Sundara make them obsolete. Unless you are on a tight budget I would just go right to Sundara if you want to dip your toes into hifiman planars.

I would also go with the Sundaras, instead of HE400se. Open box 239$ is ridiculously cheap IMO. https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/sundara-openbox.html

Before I bought the Sundara, I had the HE400i (2020). When I was at the local hifi-store I briefly listened to the HE400se as well and they sounded pretty much the same as the HE400i (2020). The seller told me that the HE400se is probably more or less the same as the HE400i (2020) considering design, price-point and time of release.

So when I heard the Sundara the first time I immediately thought the Soundstage had more depth then the HE400i (2020), which in comparison sounds much closer (claustrophobic at times). While I liked the shallow soundstage from the 400i’s with vocals, instruments sounded more refined and more natural on the Sundara.
Plus, the headband from the 400i created a hotspot on my head (this was the initial reason I looked for something else). I have come to acknowledge how important comfort is with headphones.

I own the Sundaras for about 2.5 years now with very frequent usage, no quality issues whatsoever with my unit.

Thanks both of you for the answer, I went for it also because I could try them at an audio store. And boy, what a pleasure !
I first used them without amp, the Fosi K5 pro being still in delivery. And even like that, directly plugged in my mother board, I rediscovered some tracks. Now with the Fosi and the bass and treble slightly boosted to have a more "fun" sound, it's an amazing pair of headphones, the difference with the Mobius is quite astonishing.

 

[Corti]

Thanks both of you for the answer, I went for it also because I could try them at an audio store. And boy, what a pleasure !
I first used them without amp, the Fosi K5 pro being still in delivery. And even like that, directly plugged in my mother board, I rediscovered some tracks. Now with the Fosi and the bass and treble slightly boosted to have a more "fun" sound, it's an amazing pair of headphones, the difference with the Mobius is quite astonishing.

Glad to hear you like them. They are an amazing pair of headphones and your Fosi K5 (with 500mw@32Ω) is surely gonna drive them well.
You boost the treble on the Sundaras? Man, you must be treble-insensitive For me Sundaras are borderline bright w/o any EQ.

So, how exactly do the Sundara and Mobius differ? Also, i always wondered about that "Spatial Sound feature", is that any useful? As far as i remember the Mobius is even more expensive than the Hifimans.

 

[SchwizzelKick66]

So I ordered an Edition XS as a potential upgrade to my Sundara. I'm worried about the fit mostly, so we shall see.

I have heard that hifiman has a trade up program if you aren't happy, has anyone used that? If the XS don't fit my head, I was thinking to maybe trade up for an Ananda or something.

 

[Yshusnir]

Glad to hear you like them. They are an amazing pair of headphones and your Fosi K5 (with 500mw@32Ω) is surely gonna drive them well.
You boost the treble on the Sundaras? Man, you must be treble-insensitive For me Sundaras are borderline bright w/o any EQ.

So, how exactly do the Sundara and Mobius differ? Also, i always wondered about that "Spatial Sound feature", is that any useful? As far as i remember the Mobius is even more expensive than the Hifimans.

I've come back from it actually, I'm just giving a little boost to bass now .

Considering the difference between Mobius and Sundara, the first and foremost is that the Mobius is closed. It's got great sound, but doesn't have the soundstage and clarity of the Sundara. That extra clarity, be it from the switch from closed to open or simply because the Sundara is superior means I've noticed things in music I didn't before. Trying it again, it was there but not as clearly with the Mobius.

The Spatial Sound is great if you game with the Mobius. Having the actual capacity of turning lightly your head (unconsciously even) to identify the direction of a sound that is straight ahead or behind is great. And it works flawlessly. Also, one advantage of the Mobius is that it's an all-in-one : the dac in integrated, just just have to plug the usb in and it works as intended. It's really a shame that the build quality is so bad.

 

[Corti]

I've come back from it actually, I'm just giving a little boost to bass now .

Good to know, I was a bit worried

Considering the difference between Mobius and Sundara, the first and foremost is that the Mobius is closed.

Right.

It's got great sound, but doesn't have the soundstage and clarity of the Sundara. That extra clarity, be it from the switch from closed to open or simply because the Sundara is superior means I've noticed things in music I didn't before. Trying it again, it was there but not as clearly with the Mobius.

It’s crazy how open the Sundara is (I think most Hifimans are), when you place your hand on the back of the driver and slowly take the hand further away, the sound is still affected on some distance.

I love the clarity of them, I hear so many details that I can’t hear with any of my other ‘phones/buds.

The Spatial Sound is great if you game with the Mobius. Having the actual capacity of turning lightly your head (unconsciously even) to identify the direction of a sound that is straight ahead or behind is great. And it works flawlessly. Also, one advantage of the Mobius is that it's an all-in-one : the dac in integrated, just just have to plug the usb in and it works as intended. It's really a shame that the build quality is so bad.

There is this new Audeze Maxwell, heard of it? Maybe that’s better suitable for bloat heads oversized cranium humans.

 

[Yshusnir]

Good to know, I was a bit worried


Right.


It’s crazy how open the Sundara is (I think most Hifimans are), when you place your hand on the back of the driver and slowly take the hand further away, the sound is still affected on some distance.

I love the clarity of them, I hear so many details that I can’t hear with any of my other ‘phones/buds.


There is this new Audeze Maxwell, heard of it? Maybe that’s better suitable for bloat heads oversized cranium humans.

It is indeed crazy, first time I accidentally passed my hand on the back of the driver I was really surprised.

Concerning the Maxwell, I've seen it, but it's big selling point is the wirelessness which is really not a priority for me. And it doesn't seem to have the head tracking that made the Mobius so unique. My bloated head is perfectly happy with the Sundara .