Timbre Tuning the Sundara

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Seems like quite a few of you own the Sundara

Have any of you tried custom tuning them?

I immediately noticed how different (Bad) they sound when you cup your hands entirely over the entire outer grill

The sound also changes as you slowly increase the distance of your hands from the grill

The timbre changes and I find it quite pleasing when the hands are angled back about 45 degrees and cover less than half of the Sundara's grill

Cover the bottom and back of the grill with your hands @ 45 degrees angle

The amount of covering and the distance from the grill change the sound considerably

I find the the change to be a considerable improvement when the correct covering is made, and a considerable detriment when the wrong covering is made

Covering the grill in front of the ear sounds wrong
Covering the top of the grill sounds wrong
Covering more than half of the grill sounds wrong
But when you find the right angle / position / amount of covering and distance from the grill, I find that the Sundara can be improved considerably

Now I just need to find the right material and mounting method

Have any of you tried any worthwhile tweaks

I have the round earcup version

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

WOW.......

No response
--------------

Maybe everyone thinks the Sundara sounds fantastic just the way it is?

Ummm........No!

A stock Sundara gives a hollow sounding coloration to your music

The hollow coloration can be largely eliminated with proper tuning

TRY IT!

 

[GaryH]

You've had no response because no-one is going to chase anecdotal claims of sound improvements from modding headphones when parametric EQing is a much more accurate and precise method of improving a headphone's sound, takes minimal effort, and costs nothing if you download Equalizer APO with Peace GUI for example. Try these settings by headphone engineer Oratory. If you feel it needs tweaking, adjust the gain of the named bands in the bottom right.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

You've had no response because no-one is going to chase anecdotal claims of sound improvements from modding headphones when parametric EQing is a much more accurate and precise method of improving a headphone's sound, takes minimal effort, and costs nothing if you download Equalizer APO with Peace GUI for example. Try these settings by headphone engineer Oratory. If you feel it needs tweaking, adjust the gain of the named bands in the bottom right.

You are Completely Incorrect

A Parametric EQ will not remove the hollow sound from a Sundara, nor will it improve the staging that can be gained from proper tuning

The hollow sound I am referring to can easily be heard if it is exaggerated to the point where no-one will miss it

Place a cardboard toilet paper tube to your ear to understand what is being discussed here

The Sundara's short cylindrical shape in addition to its internal construction (or constrictions) and the earpad add a similar coloration to the sound, though not nearly as exaggerated as the cardboard tube described above

Proper tuning will not only eliminate much of the coloration, but can also markedly improve the soundstaging

The soundstage will either widen or collapse depending on the dampener distance and ramp angle to the grill

The hollow coloration can be greatly eliminated or made worse by the shape / size / position and composition on the grill

You will not understand these things unless you try them

An EQ is not a solution to the problems being described here

 

[GaryH]

Oh dear...Now I know the real reason no-one replied. I have a question for you. Physically, what do you think sound is?

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Call in the water dropping helicopters to douse this thread before it spreads.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Call in the water dropping helicopters to douse this thread before it spreads.

Why?

Do you prefer distorted/colored sound and a collapsed soundstage?

That's your choice!

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Oh dear...Now I know the real reason no-one replied. I have a question for you. Physically, what do you think sound is?

Sound in a Cave?
Sound in a Tube?
Sound in an Anechoic Chamber?

Please specify the conditions of "sound"

What do "YOU" believe sound is?
90% distortion?
80% distortion?
0.0002% distortion?

 

[Jimbob54]

WOW.......

No response
--------------

Maybe everyone thinks the Sundara sounds fantastic just the way it is?

Ummm........No!

A stock Sundara gives a hollow sounding coloration to your music

The hollow coloration can be largely eliminated with proper tuning

TRY IT!

To fire some of your nonsense back at you (paraphrased from the Shanling dongle thread)-https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/shanling-ua2-aborted-review-dac-amp.25330/post-864683

Headphones that need you to cup your hands in a particular way (or affix toilet paper to the grills) to sound good.....FAIL!

I'm reaching the conclusion you are less than sincere in your posts.

Au revoir.

 

[_thelaughingman]

@Bullwinkle J Moose
Is the goal of this frivolous thread to start a flame war? I don't see any useful bit of information to discuss, aside from your opinion and acerbic responses.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Why?

Do you prefer distorted/colored sound and a collapsed soundstage?

That's your choice!

As much distortion as is possible and as collapsed a soundstage as possible is what I'm all about. That's what I live for.

 

[Jimbob54]

WOW.......

No response
--------------

Maybe everyone thinks the Sundara sounds fantastic just the way it is?

Ummm........No!

A stock Sundara gives a hollow sounding coloration to your music

The hollow coloration can be largely eliminated with proper tuning

TRY IT!

What does a troll starved of attention sound like?

Pretty much this.

 

[GaryH]

Sound in a Cave?
Sound in a Tube?
Sound in an Anechoic Chamber?

There's a common noun in all those descriptions (you might be able to guess it), so that means there must a common physical phenomenon present in all three of the situations they describe. So, my question again (rephrased so hopefully you're able to understand it this time) - what do you think that common phenomenon is physically?

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

There's a common noun in all those descriptions (you might be able to guess it), so that means there must a common physical phenomenon present in all three of the situations they describe. So, my question again (rephrased so hopefully you're able to understand it this time) - what do you think that common phenomenon is physically?

Let's see now, what do I think that common phenomenon is physically?

You're inability to distinguish good sound from Bad?

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

What does a troll starved of attention sound like?

Pretty much this.

Really?

So what do you know about the Sundara Sound?

Is it perfect, a total Fail, or could it be improved upon?

Tell us what you REALLY think

 

[GaryH]

Ok, it's now obvious that you have no idea what sound actually is physically, and you have no intention of learning. Bye bye.

 

[Bullwinkle J Moose]

Ok, it's now obvious that you have no idea what sound actually is physically, and you have no intention of learning. Bye bye.

Your comments are not relevant to the topic of this discussion

Stay on topic, or.........Good Riddance

 

[Nouvraught]

1. a little rolled off sub bass no big deal
2. a little overly warm at 300Hz no big deal
3. high mid scoundstage scoop is done wrong should be most scooped at 3.5kHz not 2.5kHz kinda big deal
4. quite a bit jagged in low treble at 4-7kHz a major tonality issue
5. and there goes the treble extension. hello veil.

 

[Jimbob54]

Really?

So what do you know about the Sundara Sound?

Is it perfect, a total Fail, or could it be improved upon?

Tell us what you REALLY think

Never heard a pair, so no idea!

Amir's review and others I have read indicate its bass shy and uneven in the treble with higher distortion than I would like on paper but I doubt audible to me personally. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/hifiman-sundara-review-headphone.22529/

But as with almost any headphone, get the EQ out and you can adjust to your own preference pretty successfully.

Hardware mods arent for me but if others want to tinker, so be it. Personally, I'd rather do it all at source or not get them.

What I object to is you slating electronics that don't live up to your unrealistic requirements but starting a thread advocating tinkering with transducers that have far more noticeable failings.

 

[Vini darko]

My advice is to simply use tape and cardboard. Experiment with covering the outside grill starting with the area you've identified as subjectively pleasing maybe stick some cardboard to them. You'll look like a idiot but it will be a fun bit of hobbying for a afternoon.
Eq will not be able to recreate the reflections caused by your hands distance and angle.
A similar effect happens when listening to speakers. Cup hands behind ears and spl in higher frequencies increases loads as does stereo effects. Again looking a idiot is the side effect