Just a note in case it might help anyone: The Sundara was uncomfortable for me over long periods due to the clamp force, particularly the bottom of the ear cups against my upper jaw. I was despairing that I’d need to buy new headphones just for comfort even though these sounds great, and then I read online that you can bend the metal top band a bit to relieve the clamp force (similar to what people do with Sennheiser headphones). This has worked wonders, and made the headphone much more comfortable to wear.
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Anyone have any insight into whether the headphone jack of my Naim Nait 5si integrated would be sufficient power? The Dac is a Gustard X15
I currently own the HE-400i cans that I purchased in 2021. While I really enjoy the “texture” of the soundstage, I’m looking for something a little bit more dense and well defined. I’m feeding the HE-400i with a iFi Zen DAC v2, custom USB 3.0 A-B cables and the ifi iPurifier3 to keep the digital signal “honest” and clean. In reading your review of the Sundara, I get the impression that you would like them better with a slight boost in the upper midrange to flatten what appears to be a dip around 700-Hz. What do you think?
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I am not really aware of a 700Hz dip, are referring to a dip on the Sundara or HE400i?
To be honest, it has been a very long time since I listened to the Sundara and the one I reviewed was one of the very first models, so I believe that they have been revised slightly since then (at least once, maybe twice).
I wasn’t a huge fan of the HE400i but I am no longer sure if it was because it had some kind of issue that made it sound different to those received by others or if it was simply because I didn’t like it (as I haven’t listened to another pair, I can’t say).
Due to both of these reasons, added to the fact that I have listened to a lot more headphones since then (which may have changed my tastes), commenting on how I would prefer the Sundara eq’d wouldn’t really be based on any fact, it would be more of a guess.
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I’m new to the headphone club. I bought the Sundaras about a month ago and I have a question. I am using a Schiit Magni 3+ connected to my iPad playing flac.
The crinkles, it sounds like a light rain on my skylight. It only occurs after I have been listening for a couple of hours. I am not sure I understand the explanation about air pressure causing the issue. I can hear the problem even when I hold the cups away from my ears. It continues even after disconnecting from the amp. Is this normal and does it go away or do folks just live with it?
Overall I love the headphones, they are exactly what I was looking for - great definition, full range and just the right amount of punch.
Welcome to the forum.
Please say more about the ‘crinkles’? Is the sound coming from the headphones when you move them? Does the sound happen when they are not being touched at all? Or, does the sound start to come from your ears/hearing system over time?
If they make odd noises when you touch them it could be from the plastic and metal moving together without lubrication. This is not rare with HiFiMan products. Some may try a silicone lubricant on the rubbing surfaces. If the headphones start to make odd noises on their own then it’s probably a wiring short or electrical issue – send them in for service or replacement.
If it you are hearing crinkles when away from the headphones then it’s probably biological hearing fatigue or tinnitus. Solutions include using them less to reduce fatigue, changing your equipment to products that don’t cause fatigue, or trying medical and dietary approaches (e.g., see the Hearing and Health threads).
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The crinkling sound emanates from the inside of the headphone cups (ears are okay 
). It happens when I am still and the crinkle sound does not increase when I move around.
I don’t think it’s electrical since it happens when not plugged in.
It also happens to both sides, which made me think that this might be a common thing.
That could be driver flex or chassis creaks. Neither would be a surprise with HiFiMan’s products. I don’t think there’s much to do for driver flex, but perhaps lubricating the chassis with silicone or a light oil would help.
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How much time is left on your warranty? If it’s not much, get a replacement. With HiFiMan’s notoriety for poor quality control, I wouldn’t risk keeping them beyond their warranty period.
Edit: I wonder if it’s a problem with the drivers. Driver flex, if I understand correctly, happens when putting on the headphones as the air pressure shifts. Some Audeze headphones are known for this, to the point where Audeze has warned people to put on the headphones gently. Here’s the warning:
Since air is trapped between your head and the diaphragm it creates a pressure zone, and as the headphones shift with movement you may hear a slight crinkling sound from the diaphragm. This is a normal occurrence with planar magnetic drivers and is nothing to be concerned about, it’s the sound of the thin diaphragm moving back and forth with the changes in air pressure.
Sometimes as the driver film stretches slightly with age, the sound can become more apparent, and sometimes it may also lessen again. This is mostly influenced by factors in your environment (such as temperature and humidity), and we don’t have control over whether or not this occurs.
We recommend exercising certain cautions when handling planar magnetic headphones: trapped air can create high pressure and sudden pressure changes could damage the diaphragms, and this is not covered by warranty. When you put the headphones on or take them off, it’s not a good idea to press them hard and fast against the head, so we recommend slow and steady movement to allow the air pressure to stabilize.
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I recall this topic on this forum, but I’m struggling to recall which headphone it was for; could have been Audeze or HiFiMan… Regardless, I thought it was deemed “normal” for planars and had to do with pressure during seal - wasn’t supposed to effect the sound quality.
Edit: it was this thread - see Chrono’s post from May of 2020 and then keep reading after that.
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Today I have a Sennheiser HD 599 SE but use it mainly for gaming with a Soundblaster G6 but I would like to start on the audiophile field. Since my currency is almost 6x lower than US dollar it’s hard for me to get really expensive headphones. I bought the HIFIMAN SUNDARA 2020 version and would like your suggestion on which AMP/DACs should I buy. I don’t know if I’ll be ever able to upgrade this headphone due to this currency issue. Should I get a THX AAA Dual 788 DAC/AMP, or a Topping combo or a Shiit combo? I think I can afford around 600 dollars for this AMP/DAC.
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Cute kids - unless that’s an old picture. You also might want to look into iFi products for your stack. I don’t know where you are located, but sometimes what country you are in will make a difference in the prices you pay.
It may help a bit to describe what you like and don’t like in music, and how you think your headphones sound now. At about $600 for DAC and AMP - or a single unit for both - you will find many competent options. You might not have to spend quite that much.
Thank you. This is a one year old picture and they still look cute 
I live in Brazil but I’m gonna buy the AMP/DAC in US. $600 total.
I like to listen to Classical music and Rock/POP mostly.
Forgot to tell about how my headphones sounds now. I think they sound good but I never tried anything but this Sennheiser HD 599 SE. So I don’t have a way to compare.
Have you listened to live music? When you say Classical, that gives a lot of possibilities for comparison. Listen to the strings, do they sound forward? muffled? Can you tell where the instruments are? Do cymbals shimmer, or sound like sandpaper? Are TomToms deep, can you feel them? That’s what I mean by describing how the headphones sound. I’m sorry if I just ruined all music for you. Santos DuMont was the first real aviator.
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I think I was living in the Matrix taking a blue pill of muffled sounds every day after your detailed description.
You ruined all music for me but I really hope it’s due to my headphones/equipment and not that I’m becoming deaf.
I did listen to live music and Classical but I can’t tell where the instruments are besides the stereo.
Strings sound a little muffled, cymbals didn’t shimmer and tomtoms are not great.
But this means I might listen to real music soon when I receive my Sundara next month and the AMP/DAC on december.
I’ll try to listen to more music and focus on what you told me. I listened to Pink Floyd Pulse album and Scherchen conducts Beethoven on Tidal. Any recomendations? Thank you for your time and pacience. 
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Gustavo, when you start to look around here, you’ll find that all of us were new to this once, and didn’t have the experience of the words to describe what they were hearing. Live music is the yardstick, or in Brazil, the meter-stick. Just like some people drink instant coffee, and wouldn’t know Santos #1 if it were spilled in their lap. I wish there were no Covid so we could go to concerts again.
There are lots of suggestions around here, if you go to some of the music discussions. But for Classical, I almost always suggest people listen to this:
There are other versions, but this gives you lots of nice references about individual instruments. And I’m sure you will hear plenty of good things when you compare you new Sundara with your current headphones.
Sorry about ruining all music for you. Years ago Pelé ruined all futbol for us. Although I spent time in Argentina as a kid and was a Messi fan, but now follow Arsenal.
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Hi pennstac. My sundara arrived today. Didn’t have time to test it long enough but sure noticed a lot more details then my HD 599SE.
Gonna listen to Britten on both devices. Thank you for your advice and patience.
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I’m getting a balanced amp, and don’t really want to buy new cables for my Sundara. Is there any reason I can’t use the balanced cable that goes to my Focal Clear (OG) with the Sundara, or any other Hifiman headphone for that matter? They both use 3.5mm connectors, and appear identical, but I wasn’t sure. Any thoughts?
Should work. To confirm, you’ll want to look up the pin outs for the trs plugs on the headphone end of the cable.
Or you could check cable makers and see if they lump those two in the same category for ordering.