The HiFiMan Sundara 2018 are great-sounding and comfortable critical listening headphones. They're better-built and more durable than HE-400i and deliver a sound quality that's closer to the Edition X but with slightly less bass. However, like most open-back headphones, they're not designed for other use cases but critical listening.
Our Verdict
Great for neutral listening. The HiFiMan Sundara 2018 have one of the best audio reproduction that we've measured so far. They have a well-balanced mid-range that isn't too forward sounding with instruments and vocals. They also have enough bass to cater well to most genres of music. They can sound a bit sharp with already bright tracks but overall they sound great, they have a spacious soundstage and replace the stereo image accurately. They're an excellent choice for neutral and casual listeners.
- Comfortable.
- More durable design.
- Great and open audio reproduction.
- Sensitive to ambient noise, by design.
- Bulky headphones.
- High leakage by design, can be distracting to others.
Not designed for commuting. The open-back ear cups do not block any ambient noise and leak a lot. Also, They're not portable and do not have a control scheme for mobile devices.
- Comfortable.
- More durable design.
- Great and open audio reproduction.
- Sensitive to ambient noise, by design.
- Bulky headphones.
- High leakage by design, can be distracting to others.
Not meant for sports. They're bulky, unstable and require an amp, so they're not suitable for sports or to use outdoors.
- Comfortable.
- More durable design.
- Great and open audio reproduction.
- Sensitive to ambient noise, by design.
- Bulky headphones.
- High leakage by design, can be distracting to others.
Sub-par for office use. Unless you work alone or in an isolated office the leakage level will be too bothersome for those around you. Also, the open back design does not block any noise so you will hear your environment fairly easily even when listening to music at higher-than-average volumes.
- Comfortable.
- More durable design.
- Great and open audio reproduction.
- Sensitive to ambient noise, by design.
- Bulky headphones.
- High leakage by design, can be distracting to others.
Mediocre for gaming. They're comfortable, they sound great and have a low latency wired design. However, they do not have a microphone for voice chat when gaming, and no customization options which are typical for most gaming headsets. Also, they do not have the convenience of wireless design or multiple connection options for an optimized experience on Xbox one or PS4.
- Comfortable.
- More durable design.
- Great and open audio reproduction.
- Sensitive to ambient noise, by design.
- Bulky headphones.
- High leakage by design, can be distracting to others.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 21, 2022: Retested frequency response using the original 2018 and 2020 padding. Also added information regarding peeling ear cup padding to Build Quality.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 11, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The HiFiMan Sundara 2018 are great-sounding headphones with a comfortable but slightly tight fit. They're an excellent choice for critical listening, thanks to their open design and planar magnetic drivers that help deliver a good soundstage, imaging and frequency response. They're also better built than some of the other open over-ears that we've tested and a definite improvement of the HE-400i. However, they can sound a bit sharp on some tracks, and they're only ideal for one use case. See our recommendations for the best audiophile headphones, the best headphones for music and the best studio headphones.
The HiFiMan Sundara 2018 and the HiFiMan Sundara 2020 are over-ear headphones with similar performance. They're both well-built, comfortable, and well-suited for critical listening. The 2020 have redesigned ear cup padding. However, they trap more heat against your ears, which may be because of changes to the padding. If over-ear headphones make your ears feel warm during long listening sessions, you may prefer the 2018 version.
The HiFiMan Ananda are better critical listening headphones than the HiFiMan Sundara 2018, although not by much. The Ananda have a slightly more premium design and feel a bit more durable. However, the Sundara are a bit more compact and the price tag is noticeably lower, which offers a better overall value for most. The Sundara also have a slightly more accurate mid-range reproduction, although it's barely noticeable. These headphones are very similar overall, but there are multiple reports of quality control issues with the Sundara drivers.
The HiFiMan HE-400i and the HiFiMan Sundara 2018 are fairly similar models, but the Sundara are better headphones. They are better-built than the HE-400i and they don’t sound as sharp in the treble range. However, these differences are fairly minor, and the HE-400i might offer better value for some since they are cheaper.
The HiFiMan Sundara 2018 are slightly better open-back, planar magnetic headphones than the Audeze LCD-1 for neutral sound listening. Their sound profile is more accurate in all ranges, and the HiFiMan have a larger sounding soundstage. On the other hand, the Audeze have a much sleeker and smaller design, and their frequency response is more consistent among different users.
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