I tested Reddit's favorite value hi-fi headphones — and now I get the hype
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Erin Bashford is a senior reviews writer at Tom’s Guide. She has a Master’s in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia and 7 years of experience reviewing music and events for various publications. She has edited publications such as Outline Magazine’s Guide to Norwich, and she has written for a number of music magazines and websites such as Clash Magazine, Outline Magazine and Dork Magazine. She has a strong interest in audio gear and the music world. As an ex-barista, Erin is passionate about coffee tech. She also loves finding the best cooking hacks and kitchen appliances, including her beloved Instant Pot. In her spare time, you can find her reading, practising yoga, hiking, writing fantasy novels, or stressing over NYT Games.
Price: 4/5 Sound quality: 5/5 Comfort: 4/5 Durability: 3/5 Overall score: 4/5 Best for: Beginner audiophiles
Reddit has many opinions — some worth your time, some not. But the HIFIMAN Sundara are some of r/audiophile and r/headphones’ most-recommended hi-fi headphones, and you know what? I agree.
At just $179, they’re pretty accessible for most people. Hi-fi headphones can very quickly start costing well over $500, but not the HIFIMAN Sundara. These inconspicuous cans are comfortable, affordable, and, most importantly, sound excellent. Texture and timbre is divine, and the warm tuning makes for a non-fatiguing listen.
Is this price and performance enough to make the HIFIMAN Sundara some of the best headphones ? Almost undoubtedly yes. I’ll go over everything in detail in this HIFIMAN Sundara review.
Price
$179 / £169
Drivers
Planar magnetic
Impedance
32Ω
Sensitivity
92dB/1mW
Headphone type
Open-back
Frequency response
6Hz - 75kHz
Durability
No IP rating
Connectivity
3.5mm cable, 6.35mm adapter
Multipoint connectivity
N/A
ANC
N/A
Wear detection
N/A
Battery life
N/A
Weight
12 ounces
Colors
Black
From the $179 price tag to the sound quality, there’s a lot I like about the HIFIMAN Sundara.
Oh, the HIFIMAN Sundara sound like angels singing into my ears. To get the best sound, I used them with my FiiO K11 R2R DAC/Amp. With a low 32Ω impedance and sensitivity of 96dB/mW, the headphones are loud enough to power from a phone, so don’t require an amp. However, low-impedance headphones with large drivers like these perform best with stable power from an external amp, which helps the drivers move properly to avoid distortion and muddiness.
The Sundara are more expansive than a hot air balloon trip across the Alps. You can feel everything — every lick of sibilance, every singer’s inhale, every pulse of bass. Instruments are separated delicately and with precision, particularly in Charlotte Gainsbourg’s “Deadly Valentine”.
The atmospheric, dark alt electronic track is structured over two basslines, one a soul-inspired slap-bass and one a wriggling synth, both of which came through clearly. Gainsbourg’s smooth, buttery vocals were replicated with clarity and technical detail. This is music you feel, rather than merely listen to.
Even heavier genres fared well, which is a pitfall some cheaper Hi-Fi cans stumble into. “Knights of Cydonia” was a propulsive, energetic inferno. The arpeggiated synths were tucked deftly underneath the harmonized vocals, and the sci-fi sound effects bounced around the back of the soundstage like they were alive. While a touch of the higher-frequency synths were lost right at the crescendo, I’m willing to overlook this for $179.
Stereo imaging was also a standout, especially in “Vogue (Q-Sound Mix)” by Madonna. The soundstage was atmospheric and vast; the subtle sub-bass flickered in the background, allowing space for the finger-snap percussion. But the true excellence here was Madonna’s vocals: each whisper of “vogue” was a tangible, material (pun intended) sensation.
The HIFIMAN Sundara seriously punch above their weight in terms of sound. Subtle foreshadowing, but corners have been cut elsewhere to keep the costs down.
At $179 from Amazon U.S. and £169 from Amazon U.K , the HIFIMAN Sundara are relatively affordable, all things considered. This price makes them accessible to casual hi-fi fans or beginner audiophiles.
Similar options are the FiiO FT1 Pro ($219), Sennheiser HD569 ($179), or the Sennheiser HD 560S ($199). The FiiO FT1 Pro are a little too pricey, in my opinion, so I’d recommend the Sundara over them. However, if you can spend a little more and prefer a neutral tuning, the Sennheiser HD 560S might be an overall better option. The 560S are famous in the audiophile world for a reason: they’re expansive and detailed, just like the Sundara, but they’re tuned a little flatter. The Sundara are a little warmer in the treble.
Despite weighing 12 ounces, the HIFIMAN Sundara are relatively comfortable to wear for long periods. I have a small head and weirdly small ears — which I didn’t realize until I started doing this job and testing headphones all day, by the way — and I didn’t feel the headphones clamping or pressing in during testing. Equally, the headphones didn’t overheat my ears or cause any discomfort.
The pleather headband alleviates a lot of pressure, and the metal band takes most of the weight. Of course, you can adjust on both sides — there are eight adjustment notches on either side of the headphones. These were quite janky, but we’ll get into that more later.
I’d say these headphones are just as comfortable as something like the FiiO FT1 Pro, FiiO JT7, and FiiO JT3. They weren’t notably uncomfortable nor particularly luxurious. Just comfortable enough to forget I was wearing them, which is exactly what you want in reference headphones.
If you wear dangly earrings, I’d recommend removing them before long listening sessions as the cups tended to dig the backs into my head.
Although the Sundaras punch well above their weight in terms of sound quality, I fear they may be a “Frequently returned item” on Amazon for one key reason.
Right, let’s get into it.
The HIFIMAN Sundara are cheap(ish), and, well — they look it. As briefly touched upon earlier, the size adjustment notches are incredibly stiff and janky. You can actually feel the metal grating during adjustments. There’s already an erosion mark on my testing sample, from just two people using the headphones. You can’t adjust while wearing; you have to remove them. I needed two hands to get enough strength to drag the poor metal prongs out of the notches.
It’s not just the adjustment notches, though. The metal headband is extremely flimsy. You can twist the headphones without even trying. I would be worried about leaving these in rooms accessible to kids or people with a proclivity for mischief.
You can also impress upon the mesh driver casing with even the slightest pressure. Although the Sundara are open-backs, which makes them less durable than your standard closed-backs anyway, this makes me wonder how protected the drivers are.
In short: Great for sound, not-so-great for longevity. You might be buying another pair a lot sooner than you think — but obviously neither of us has a big crystal ball. I’d recommend taking care of them well, treating them delicately, and keeping them in a safe location.
Wired open-back hi-fi headphones are no longer an inaccessible, tax-bracket-restricted item. I’ve tested a whole bunch of affordable headphones, namely the aforementioned FiiO JT7 ($119) and even cheaper FiiO JT3 ($69). If you’re just starting out in the audiophile world, I would recommend spending as little money as possible and getting the JT3. You’d save $110 over the HIFIMAN Sundara, and the sound quality is genuinely impressive for the price. No, you won’t get the highest highs and the same expansiveness as the Sundara, but the JT3 are an honorable pick.
There’s also the previously referenced Sennheiser HD560S ($199), whose neutral tuning provides faithful sound quality. The Sundara are a touch warmer in the treble and are less fatiguing for long listening sessions, but some people prefer the completely flat tuning. You’ve also got the closed-back Sennheiser HD569 ($179), which are also tarred with Amazon’s pesky “Frequently returned item” brush, but offer Sennheiser’s classic studio sound.
If you value sound quality above all else, the HIFIMAN Sundara won’t disappoint you. They sound truly gorgeous. Deep sub-bass, accurately replicated vocals, and balanced midrange make for a delicious listening experience. Furthermore, the open-back design provides expansiveness and immersion.
Personally, I would buy the Sundara. Despite build issues, the sound quality is good enough for me to overlook. I would simply keep the headphones in a safe space and only wear them inside (which is standard for hi-fi headphones anyway).
If, like me, you value sound quality above all, the HIFIMAN Sundara will not let you down.