I should have listened... Sundara Quality Control

Submitted by MisterPotat t3_10mddsg in headphones

After a large amount of deliberation on comparing the Sundara's, ATH-R70x, Beyer 990 Pro X, etc. I settled on the Sundara's despite what I had read about Hifiman's QC issues. Most of what I had seen here and else mentioned this was primarily an issue prior to the 2020 model or 2021 update.

Low and behold my brand new pair already has driver issues in the left ear. In order for it to sound normal I need to adjust my balance nearly 20% down in the right ear. It wouldn't hurt so bad if it weren't for the fact that the Sundara's do sound really great, but I'm concerned with keeping them while already having a driver issue.

The warnings were out there and I bought them anyway. Is it worth it to RMA these and get another pair, or should I just process my amazon return and go with something else?

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pinkcunt123 t1_j631kjj wrote

If Apple sold you a product where every second customer gets a lemon, media and consumers alike would clown on them and tear em apart.

If an audiophile receives a lemon, they just rma it until they get a good one.

Are our standards really that low? I thought we were supposed to be the picky ones?

Maybe, if people stopped buying and recommending Hifiman, they would have an actual incentive to improve their quality.

Then again, people also keep buying Focal even though their headbands snap and pads cost upwards of 200€, so I guess the tolerance for bullshit is unreasonably high in this community.

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206Red t1_j63qv7i wrote

We're the Alfa Romeo buyers of audiogear :(

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pinkcunt123 t1_j63zdca wrote

I had to exhale forcefully through my nose after reading that.

This is way too accurate

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MisterPotat OP t1_j6405kk wrote

That hurts, because I definitely make fun of Alfa Romeo buyers. I think I'll keep my sanity, or what's left of it, and return & replace. Just need to decide what. I know The Senn 6x0 are good, but need to find something with a little more sub bass oomph.

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omarccx t1_j64afm6 wrote

I sold my Giulia before it burned me, just like I sold the HE5se and HE500 lol

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Almost_Ascended t1_j65dnl6 wrote

But but but they sound good, that's all that matters! /s

And this is what I disagree with crinacle's ratings the most, the fact that his only criteria is sound, and not the QC, build, comfort, etc. Personally, the best sounding gear don't mean a damn if they don't fit your head/ear, you can't wear them for 30 minutes without pain, or they just outright break.

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maXXXjacker t1_j65gred wrote

As a single dude running a database of hundreds/thousands of audio products, QC, build and comfort is not something that makes sense to keep up with when you have reviewers out there that can get into that stuff individually. His work is impressive for what it is. Honestly everyone is different and Crins manly sized head isn't the gold standard to judge comfort of a headphone on. I don't see anything wrong with Crins site knowing that he's just there to judge sound above all else which to some helps weed out a lot of options assuming you share similar listening preferences.

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Tenchiboy t1_j62j3nt wrote

Why not stop supporting a company with super shoddy QC?

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blorg t1_j68nm6c wrote

Because their stuff sounds great and is priced very low for the sound quality, you could often double the price of a Hifiman headphone and it would still be competitive. Edition XS is under half the price of the LCD-X, and it's a better headphone. And this isn't because the LCD-X is a bad headphone, either, it's a benchmark around its price. But this is how good the Hifiman value proposition is.

It's not like other companies don't have issues either, Focal and Audeze are notorious for failures. I have stuff from all of these.

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Tenchiboy t1_j6gwo7a wrote

Agreed. I’ve heard a lot of Hifiman that impresses me.

Audeze are built waaay better tho (outside their low line). I’ve also never heard of Audeze or Focal DOA.

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doubijack t1_j62jyzb wrote

Return and get something really good and last a long time. U will eventually get your return in investment. I got the DT1990 because of this, and I'm sure it will last me a decade.

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f3llyn t1_j62od19 wrote

Don't risk it. I tried twice and twice they both had the same issue.

We really need to stop recommending them on this sub.

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Careful-Breakfast991 t1_j62g1z0 wrote

As always if u like them just return them and buy another pair, on mine I had not encounter any problems so, yeah it can happen but once I a while.

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GKerrigan t1_j64v6i1 wrote

I used to have a set of Sundaras and the right ear started rattling. They replaced them and the replacement arrived with a broken port where the wire connects to the ear cup. decided not to bother and got some ATH-R70x instead.

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MisterPotat OP t1_j64xq0w wrote

That sounds like what I may end up doing. Unfortunately the R70x's are out of stock everywhere currently.

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TheDukeOfTempsford t1_j653cxr wrote

I'm new to this hobby, I was also attracted to the Sundara because of the many good reviews and positive word of mouth, but, I've now heard way too many horror stories about their quality control. I read that one shop stopped selling them because they lost faith after too many returns. They really need to tackle this. Personally, I like to spend my free time pursuing my hobbies, not the warranty department of a company that doesn't seem to be able to get its shit together. From what I've seen it SEEMS like you have a 50\50 chance of a lemon with Hifiman, perhaps that should be highwayman? Those odds just aren't good enough, at least for me...

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maXXXjacker t1_j62ph3z wrote

Just return it and try again. If it doesn't work out after that then you need to decide for yourself if you continue, try again or go for something else.

While it sucks to get a DOA or defective product as a new purchase, shit happens with mass produced goods. I've had incidents like this happen with Beyer, Sennheiser, LetShour and Razer. The only time I've had an issue with a Hifiman product was when I purchased a used Sundara off somebody from Ebay. Pretty sure he got rid of it because the left driver was shitting the bed intermittently but luckily he had a receipt for the headphone and it was still under warranty. Hifiman had awesome support, I got a replacement in no time and it's been good for 2 years now.

Sundara is an awesome headphone, definitely worth a second shot. I would make sure to stick with a retailer like Amazon who makes returns/exchanges easy as sometimes you can have shit for luck and get a bad streak.

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Revolutionary1969 t1_j63cbh4 wrote

If you were really impressed with the sound give it one more go.I've had mine for three years with zero problems and I love the sound more than ever.

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tomatillo_ t1_j6426uk wrote

I would just process the return. The Sundaras aren't THAT good - I don't think they are worth that much trouble. The Edition XS sure, but not the sundaras

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haekz t1_j65r8jo wrote

Remember when i was trying to decide between going for Sundara's or 1990 pro's.

Glad i went for the beyer

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c9898 t1_j64zi56 wrote

Better for a product with questionable QC to come broken than to have it die after the return period or even worse, after the measly 1 year warranty period.

I would not take the chances again if you're even remotely worried about QC

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D00M98 t1_j66j15s wrote

I believe Hifiman QC issue rate is higher than typical. But they are likely still low. Most likely it is less than a handful per hundred. No one knows for sure.

If you think Sundara is so great, then do RMA. Or return and buy another; that way you can always return again if you encounter another issue.

On the other hand, if you can get similar value and sound in another brand/model, go for that. You have better peace of mind.

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csch1992 t1_j6471qg wrote

have mine for 2-3 months now and they are still in perfect shape.

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Jackstraw335 t1_j64a7d5 wrote

I had my Sundara for 2 years without a single issue. The only reason I sold mine was because I wanted the Edition XS and knew my friend would enjoy the Sundara as much as I did. They're still going strong!

Return and give it another whirl!

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RChamy t1_j663d6z wrote

If you can only get headphones from overseas I heavily recommend Sennheiser or Beyerdynamics over anything else due to QC

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MisterPotat OP t1_j66eclo wrote

My wife has the 6xx's and they're nice, but I'm really looking for something with more sub bass. I've heard the Beyerdynamics can be good, but can have a harsh treble for the sensitive listener. I had considered the 900 Pros, but obviously didn't end up with them.

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Top-Dawger t1_j66phh8 wrote

As someone with DT770’s, HD58x and Sundara I agree with the DT770 recommendation. These things have great sub bass, are built well and aren’t harsh like the DT990’s are

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omarccx t1_j66vgvm wrote

Beyers don't have that bass unless you get the real V tuned ones, and they're meh. Check out the DCA Open X or Drop version. Actually if you don't mind EQing, the K702 can take a mean bass boost, and once you fit their 5khz rise they sound surprisingly solid and well rounded. The bass really slaps

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RChamy t1_j66fnoq wrote

The beyer 770 Pro have some very strong bass with a more relaxed treble compared to the rest of their lineup. It's a shame you had back luck with the Sundaras as planars do have a great bass response

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herbertwalkerbush69 t1_j64xaj4 wrote

I see these posts all the time and had I done my research I would’ve never bought my Anandas. Fortunately I lucked out and they have held up perfectly.

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whagoluh t1_j65wc0e wrote

I wonder if people who went with Monoprice for planar headphones have better experiences.

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SoNic67 t1_j667auq wrote

I have the Deva Pro and they are absolutely perfect.

Use them a balanced pair right now.

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joker_melancholia t1_j68rec5 wrote

i have mine from 2020 and only recently the pad started to peel off. the replacement pads are on the way. i replace it with an after market lambskin earpad for around $35 on aliexpress. i guess you are unlucky to get a lemon unit.

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Cyberspace242 t1_j65hv6l wrote

Exchange for another Sundara. It’s too good of a headphone to pass up on.

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Ok-Change503 t1_j65io3l wrote

Send them back. The thing I've found with hifiman is that once you get a solid pair they're solid but may have to go back and forth with support a few times haha. They're very friendly

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Top-Dawger t1_j66pn9n wrote

If you love them then maybe give them another shot and RMA them. If those are also faulty I’d look elsewhere, maybe beyers

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studioplex t1_j62swwm wrote

Get another pair and have another go. Just unlucky. I picked mine up in late 2022 and they're incredible. No issues.

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BehaveWithClass t1_j62zvce wrote

That‘s not really a long time haha, but I‘m glad you like them and hope they hold up well

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nahmanidk t1_j63ydsr wrote

They’ve provided minutes of enjoyable listening so far.

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