[carloskleiber]

You know what, I don't care if they refuse my return as a retaliation, here is what I have to say: they sound thin and metallic, distorted and artificial. Do they need 1000 hours burn-in? The Sundara sounded fine right out of the box, and when I had the HE1000 no amount of burn-in changed the sound.

On top of that none of the supplied cables worked consistently and I had to use custom cables I have for the Sundara. The problem is with the 3.5mm headphone connectors - I had to fiddle with them to get any sound, and I was never able to get sound from both with the supplied cables, any of them. I compared the 3.5mm headphone connectors on my custom cables to the supplied ones and noticed that the connectors on all 3 supplied cables are slightly shorter!

I was going to upgrade to the HE1000SE, and if I didn't like them to the Susvara, but I'm beginning to get pissed at these flimsy connectors. This is pathetic.

Aren't you that guy who accused both Hifiman and a certain violinist of being Chinese? I'm not surprised your hateful post got removed. Maybe get used to the idea that irresponsible remarks will lower your credibility infinitely close to zero.

 

[trellus]

Oh myyyyy… of course it sounded like hot garbage if the cables weren’t fully inserted.

I’d love to get my ears in these but I just bought an HE-1000 V2 so I’m just going to have to be happy with Sundara Closed for now.

 

[carloskleiber]

Oh myyyyy… of course it sounded like hot garbage if the cables weren’t fully inserted.

I’d love to get my ears in these but I just bought an HE-1000 V2 so I’m just going to have to be happy with Sundara Closed for now.

I had the good forture to hear both Audivina and HE-1000v2 side by side. My impression is similar to most in this thread- very spacious sound for a pair of closed headphones, and a clear lineage from the HE1000 family

 

[MusicalDoc8]

I had the good forture to hear both Audivina and HE-1000v2 side by side. My impression is similar to most in this thread- very spacious sound for a pair of closed headphones, and a clear lineage from the HE1000 family

At that price range it seems quite a steal! How would you compare the two price/perf wise?

 

[simonelvladtepes]

Thank you for pointing out the correct insertion of the plugs, live and learn. With the plugs correctly inserted the HiFiMan cables worked fine, though that was not the issue because I was able to use custom cables yesterday.

Anyway, I played 2 recordings just now that I enjoyed last night on the Sundaras. This time the Audivina did not sound thin and metallic. They sounded opaque, dull, I don't have a better word to describe this. It's partly lack of detail (compared to the Sundaras and the HE1000). They also have less bass than the Sundara. The sound is not engaging and a little strange. I did not make 1:1 comparisons this morning, I just let the Audivina sound make its impression.

This is the worst sounding headphones I've ever had, though I mainly listen with speakers. They sound like sh---.

Simonel

 

[carloskleiber]

At that price range it seems quite a steal! How would you compare the two price/perf wise?

I think it depends on your use scenario- I'm quite happy with my HEKse and Sundara-C so not buying them just yet, but if I had neither I might pull the trigger. The biggest plus of Audivina is being able to hear things in a HE1000 family sort of way, especially proper bass, when your listening environment is less than ideal.

 

[carloskleiber]

Thank you for pointing out the correct insertion of the plugs, live and learn. With the plugs correctly inserted the HiFiMan cables worked fine, though that was not the issue because I was able to use custom cables yesterday.

Anyway, I played 2 recordings just now that I enjoyed last night on the Sundaras. This time the Audivina did not sound thin and metallic. They sounded opaque, dull, I don't have a better word to describe this. It's partly lack of detail (compared to the Sundaras and the HE1000). They also have less bass than the Sundara. The sound is not engaging and a little strange. I did not make 1:1 comparisons this morning, I just let the Audivina sound make its impression.

This is the worst sounding headphones I've ever had, though I mainly listen with speakers. They sound like sh---.

Simonel

You keep signing your name as Simonel, but your unboxing video reveals the headphones belong to Noam Eitan in Brooklyn, NY. Care to explain yourself a bit?

That aside, how can a pair of headphones sound both thin/metallic and opaque/dull at the same time?

When I tried them for the first time the first thing I noticed was the abundance of bass, in a good way. Everybody who knows head-fi stuff knows the Sundara's are a bit lacking in the bass. Who are you trying to fool by saying these have less bass than Sundara? That seems to defy physics.

 

[Beagle]

...how can a pair of headphones sound both thin/metallic and opaque/dull at the same time?

I was wondering the same thing. Whatever sounds harshest and more negative I guess.

Almost sounds like a personal vendetta is at play here. How can a headphone sound so completely different from what others are hearing?

 

[MusicalDoc8]

I think someone is trying to get a big discount on his purchase and use this kind of behavior as a blackmail sort of thing.
Smells very fishy.

 

[simonelvladtepes]

They don't sound both metallic/thin and opaque/dull at the same time. They sounded to me thin/metallic last night, and opaque/dull this morning. Tonight they may sound whatever. I hear neither good bass nor extended treble.

Sorry my impressions defy physics and sound so completely different from what others are hearing. Surely there is some kind of conspiracy at play, and/or I have an agenda, monetary or a vendetta. Maybe I'm deaf, a racist or a serial killer. I'll try to toe the line in the future.

Simonel

 

[MusicalDoc8]

Just to be clear: people have different tastes and some like stuff better than others. I for once tried the hd800s after using the audeze lcd-xc 2021, and to me they simply were not up to the task of being superior or equal to them to me in my hardware setup. Would i have gone on a thread insulting it? No at most i said that i had different experience and as such a subjective thing headphones vary.
This kind of behavior, under full return window, it's just shameful. If he was any truthful he could have just said he didn't like them and would return them. Instead of that psychotic "they are monitoring me".

 

[MusicalDoc8]

They don't sound both metallic/thin and opaque/dull at the same time. They sounded to me thin/metallic last night, and opaque/dull this morning. Tonight they may sound whatever. I hear neither good bass nor extended treble.

Sorry my impressions defy physics and sound so completely different from what others are hearing. Surely there is some kind of conspiracy at play, and/or I have an agenda, monetary or a vendetta. Maybe I'm deaf, a racist or a serial killer. I'll try to toe the line in the future.

Simonel

Thin means high pitch. Dull means no highs. Either open a dictionary before typing out fix the jack being left half out the socket.

 

[carloskleiber]

They don't sound both metallic/thin and opaque/dull at the same time. They sounded to me thin/metallic last night, and opaque/dull this morning. Tonight they may sound whatever. I hear neither good bass nor extended treble.

Sorry my impressions defy physics and sound so completely different from what others are hearing. Surely there is some kind of conspiracy at play, and/or I have an agenda, monetary or a vendetta. Maybe I'm deaf, a racist or a serial killer. I'll try to toe the line in the future.

Simonel

They don't sound both metallic/thin and opaque/dull at the same time. They sounded to me thin/metallic last night, and opaque/dull this morning. Tonight they may sound whatever. I hear neither good bass nor extended treble.

Sorry my impressions defy physics and sound so completely different from what others are hearing. Surely there is some kind of conspiracy at play, and/or I have an agenda, monetary or a vendetta. Maybe I'm deaf, a racist or a serial killer. I'll try to toe the line in the future.

Simonel

So, let's go through the logic here- on April 20, you posted something seriously questioning the authenticity of a musician's review, insinuating that basically all the Chinese are in on something; then somehow you decided to buy exactly those headphones. May I ask why?

 

[kmmbd]

Received the Hifiman Audivina today. I really like the design, and I think this is the best looking Hifimans so far.

The comfort is great, though clamp can be a bit too low for those with a smaller head.

The driver has a lot of damping material around it, so definitely not the case of "slap a wooden block and call it closed back". Stock cable is better than the Susvara so there is that.

As for the sound, these are bright-tilted. Listening on the Questyle CMA Twelve Master and replaced the stock cable with ForzaAudioWorks HPC mk2.
Things I like: nice bass, engaging mids, and wide staging/precise imaging.

Things that need work: the treble. There is a noticeable presence region peak that gets fatiguing for me. The upper treble also has some tizziness to it. Also, these absolutely annihilate poorly mastered tracks. Those sound shrill and every flaw is exposed brutally.

Nonetheless, those who are looking for a closed-back Ananda - these just might be those, or even a closed back HE-1000 V2 if you'd like, though I find these brighter than the open-back alternatives.

 

[betula]

It is indeed basic manners not to go to threads of headphones we do not like and (quite literally) start to talk crap about them. A simple comment of 'I did not like them for this and that reason' should be sufficient. We all have headphones we are not fond of and headphones we love. Like with everything else in life.

The 'racist' comment however I think was unintentional. The nationality of the reviewer was indeed irrelevant and it did not make sense to point it out, however the review itself did smell a bit like a sponsored one and the reviewer did not confute when he was called out (again in a harsher than necessary manner).

If all posters accepted that others might have different taste and our own taste (ego) is not universal, and there was a little more respect to each other as fellow human beings, there would be far less tension on Head-Fi (and perhaps in the world). Let's keep this in mind and also do not forget to fully insert your plugs.