The Sundara is a long-standing reference headphone in its price class. It is currently almost twice the price of the DEVA PRO wired version.
They are built differently. The Sundara has a strap headband and circular metal cups. The Deva PRO has the new, padded headband which has more swivel action. It also has semi-oval cups and can be used with Hifiman’s Bluemini Bluetooth adapter. Both have detachable cables but they cannot use the same pads.
SUNDARA SPECIFICATIONS
- Drivers: Planar Magnetic
- Double-sided magnet driver construction
- Neo Super-Nano Diaphragm
- Impedance: 37 Ω
- Sensitivity: 94 dB/mW
- Frequency range: 6 Hz – 75 kHz
- Weight: 372 grams / 9.4 oz.
- Cable length: 1.5 meters, amplifier connection 3.5mm with 6.35mm adapter
- Detachable cables with 3.5mm connectors on headphones
HIFIMAN DEVA PRO SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver Type: Planar Magnetic Driver with Stealth Magnet Design.
- Double-sided magnet driver construction
- Neo Super-Nano Diaphragm
- Frequency Response: 20-20kHz.
- Impedance: 18Ω
- Sensitivity: 93.5dB.
- Weight: 360g.
- Cable connector on headphones: Dual 3.5 mm or single-sided TRRS 3.5mm Balanced input socket (for Bluemini)
- Included cable 1.5 meter or 4.9 Feet; 3.5mm plug with 6.3 mm adapter
- Optional external Bluemini Bluetooth adapter (not tested).
COMPARISONS
Blood Beech by Kashmir – They are very similar. The Sundara has a tighter bass with less bloom and more detail. The Deva PRO is a bit more airy and might have better treble resolution.
Cadenza by Marcin Wasilewski Trio – The Deva is airier, there’s more space between the instruments. The treble feels better resolved. The Sundara has a more meaty presentation, warmer and more upfront.
Bored by Deftones – The Sundara sounds more massive, and the Deva PRO is a bit more distant sounding. Not much but they are not identical. I like the Sundara better here.
Fire Walker by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – They are quite different here. The Deva PRO is more open, with a wider and deeper soundstage. The Sundara is more meaty, warmer, more intimate and fleshy. I like both.
Floratone by Floratone – Again, they are different. The Deva PRO has a huge sound stage but feels a bit thin. The Sundara is very intimate but everything is well balanced and coherent – albeit lacking the huge soundstage of the Deva PRO.
Angel by Massive Attack – The Sundara is thicker, with better bass and a more enveloping presentation. The Deva PRO is more distant, the listening room is bigger but also less immediate, intimate and enveloping.
WRAPPING IT UP
Soundstage, Dynamics and Timbre: The Deva PRO has hands down the biggest and deepest soundstage along with better imaging. When it comes to macro dynamics, the Sundara (if given enough power) is king. The timbre is more natural sounding with the Sundara.
Treble: The Deva PRO has a formidable treble. It’s light and resolved. I think it’s better than the Sundara, although the Sundara might have more treble weight. Neither is especially bright.
Mid-range: Both have a present and detailed mid-range. The Sundara does however have more mid-range energy, more tonal weight and body. Vocals etc. are closer, more upfront and warmer sounding.
Bass: This is the Sundaras realm. The Deva PRO has good bass, but the Sundaras has a tighter bass with better definition and texture. It also goes deeper, or rather rolls off later. The Deva can sometimes sound a bit elevated, loose and bloomy in direct comparison. That being said, both have a deep and present bass response, worthy of real planar magnetic headphones. The Sundara is just even better.
Amplification: The Sundara needs more power. It also gets better with more power. I’ve tried it from the speaker taps of some nice speaker amps and it’s gorgeous – this comparison would be much more in favour of the Sundara if I had used it with my favourite speaker amp. The Deva PRO doesn’t scale like that – it is easier to drive to its full potential with modest or portable setups.
In conclusion, the Sundara is like a better version of the HE400SE. The Deva PRO is a bit different. It excels in treble and soundstage, the Sundara in general timbre and bass. With a powerful amp, I prefer the Sundara, but there’s a lot to like about the Deva.
Feel free to check out the separate reviews of these headphones here:
Our product links to Amazon: DEVA & SUNDARA
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