The Audivina LE is a planar magnetic, full-size, closed-back headphone that launched in 2025. The current price is around 399 USD.
The Dekoni X HiFiMan Cobalt is a dynamic driver, full-size, closed-back headphone that launched in 2023 and is still going strong. The current price is around 299 USD.
HIFIMAN AUDIVINA LE SPECIFICATIONS
- Design: Over-Ear / Closed-back
- Driver Type: Planar Magnetic
- Impedance: 20 ohms
- Sensitivity: 96 dB/mW
- Stealth Magnets
- NEO Supernano Diaphragm
- Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 55,000 Hz
- Headband: Gen. 2 strap
- Earpads: hybrid pleather and fabric. Velcro attachment
- Cable Connection: Detachable cable with 3.5 mm connectors on the earcups
- Cables:
- • 1.5-meter cable with a 3.5 mm plug
- • 3-meter cable with a 6.35 mm (1/4″) plug
- • 3-meter balanced XLR cable
- Travel case: soft shell
- Weight: 449 g
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Audivina LE
- AliExpress: Audivina LE
DEKONI X HIFIMAN COBALT SPECIFICATIONS
- Design: Closed-back full-sized headphone
- Driver Type: 45mm dynamic driver with carbon-coated diaphragm
- Impedance: 16 ohms
- Sensitivity: 101 dB / mW
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Fenestrated Sheepskin pads)
- Cable: Black 1.5m Y-split cable
- Cable Connection: Dual 3.5mm connectors on the earcups
- Cable termination: angled 3.5mm with 6.35mm adapter
- Pads: 2 types – fenestrated and velour
- Weight: 318 grams (with the pre-installed
Current price and availability
- Amazon: Dekoni x HIFIMAN Cobalt
- Dekoni: Cobalt
BUILD AND DESIGN
The two headphones differ a bit in design. The Cobalt has a semi-circular cup design (similar to the HiFiMan Deva, R9, etc.), while the Audivina LE has the characteristic oval, egg-shaped HiFiMan cup design.
The Cobalt is extremely light at 318 grams, while the Audivina LE is 130 grams heavier. Still relatively light, but it is a noticeable difference.
The Audivina LE comes with a strap headband, while the Cobalt has a simple padded headband.
PADS
The Cobalt comes with fenestrated sheepskin pads, while the Audivina LE comes with hybrid pads that have pleather on the sides and fabric on the face that touches your skin. The Cobalt also comes with a second pair of velour pads, but they give even less bass than the fenestrated sheepskin pads do I consider them less relevant. The Cobalt uses a proprietary snap-on pad attachment style, while the Audivina LE uses velcro.
CABLES
Both headphones use dual 3.5 mm connectors on the cups. The Audivina LE comes with a good selection of three different cables with three different terminations, while the Cobalt comes with only one 1.5 meter cable with a 3.5 mm angled jack.
ISOLATION
Unsurprisingly, both isolate better than open-back headphones. That said, despite the closed-back design, neither of the two headphones offers very good sound isolation, but the Cobalt seems to isolate a bit better than the Audivina LE.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC/Amp: Ferrum Erco mk2
Alt e bra by Building Instrument
The Cobalt sounds spacious and detailed, with a nicely smooth treble, noticeable on the bright percussion.
The Audivina LE is even more spacious, but it has sharper treble and generally feels brighter in character, even though it actually has more bass presence.
Terminal 7 by Tomasz Stanko Quintet
The Cobalt sounds spacious and snappy, with a quite neutral tonality. The bass presence is on the polite side, though.
The Audivina LE has a more forward, brighter-sounding trumpet and sharper-sounding treble. It also sounds more spacious and slightly more detailed.
Blessed Feet by Tord Gustavsen Trio
The Audivina LE is very detailed and has excellent imaging, but its treble is a bit too forward if you crank up the volume.
The Cobalt feels more neutral, with smoother treble. However, the Audivina LE has a bit more bass.
Woodpecker by Tingvall Trio
The Cobalt sounds snappy and spacious, with polite bass and a neutral sound that is not very warm.
The Audivina LE is quite similar but with more treble and bass. It is not a bass monster by any means, but it has a more presence than the polite Cobalt.
The Sun Always Shines on TV – MTV Unplugged by a-ha
The Audivina LE is very clear sounding, and the treble is bright. Vocals are textured and clean. The bass is modest in quantity.
The Cobalt has a better balance between the mids and treble, but it lacks a bit of bass presence, even compared to the already relatively modest Audivina LE.
Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
The Cobalt is midrange focused, but the mids are not especially lush or warm. The Audivina LE again has a bit more bass and a more upfront, bright treble.
Vicarious by Tool
Metal isn’t the Audivina LE’s strongest side. It often gets a bit too sharp at moderate volume levels. At lower volumes, however, it is quite good, aside from some sibilance on the vocals. It offers lots of detail and decent bass.
The Cobalt is also a tad sibilant, but less sharp. It lacks bass, though. An EQ bass shelf might be useful here.
Like Suicide by Soundgarden
The Cobalt has a remarkably polite bass presence, but I like the mids and highs. Vocals are very clear.
The Audivina LE is significantly more bassy here, along with having sharper highs. Vocals feel recessed compared to the Cobalt.
Meslange de musique latine, françoise… Destinées by Sophie de Bardonnèche
The Audivina LE is wonderfully detailed with this gentle string piece. The Cobalt sounds warmer and thicker but less detailed.
Stand by Me by Stephen Wilson Jr.
The Cobalt sounds excellent here. It is mostly midrange, so that is not surprising. The Audivina LE sounds thinner and brighter in a less natural way, but I must say it is impressively detailed sounding.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Audivina LE is a treble-heavy headphone with polite but textured mids and medium bass presence. The Cobalt has even less bass, but richer mids and softer highs. The Cobalt sounds more neutral overall, but I miss some of that low-end presence.
Treble
The Cobalt has a detailed and well-balanced treble. The Audivina LE has a more upfront, brighter, and sometimes straight-up sharp treble with even more detail than the Cobalt.
Midrange
The Cobalt has a very neutral, nicely present midrange with good detail. The Audivina LE has a somewhat recessed midrange in comparison, but even better texture and detail.
Bass
The Cobalt has a very nicely balanced midrange and treble presence, but the bass is lacking in comparison. It is very modest in quantity, even though the quality is quite okay.
The Aidivana LE has more bass. It is not a bass monster, but it feels more neutral in the low end than the bass-light Cobalt.
Soundstage and Imaging
The Cobalt has a large soundstage with good imaging. However, the Audivina LE has an even bigger soundstage, and its imaging is even more precise.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
I am quite impressed with the detail level of the Cobalt, but the Audivina LE is even more detailed. Played at medium to low volume levels, it is truly impressive how much detail it can deliver.
Neither of these headphones impresses me with its macro-dynamics. That said, the Audivina LE can be played at very low listening levels and still be very articulate, with high dynamic contrast. The Cobalt, on the other hand, can be played louder without fatigue.
I think the Cobalt has a more neutral timbre in the midrange and treble, while the Audivina LE has a warmer and more natural-sounding bass.
The general timbre of the Audivina LE is not dead neutral, but it is still quite good when played at low volumes. However, if I crank up the volume, it sounds very uneven and often sharp and shouty. It seems obvious to me that the Audivina LE was tuned to be played at lower listening levels.
CONCLUSION
The Dekoni X Hifiman Cobalt is a very nice headphone with well-balanced, neutral mids and highs, but it lacks bass presence.
The Hifiman Audivina LE has more bass and treble, but less midrange. I find it fatiguing at moderately high volumes, but at low volume levels it is truly impressive how much detail it manages to render, and how good its dynamic contrast is.
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- Amazon: Audivina LE
- AliExpress: Audivina LE
- Amazon: Dekoni x HIFIMAN Cobalt
- Dekoni: Cobalt
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