The Watercooler-- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first

The Hifiman Audivina is a good headphone. It sounds like a closed back but its got a pretty decent tonality, wonderful separation and projection of images, and a lovely bass and midrange. Not sure why its not getting more attention.

Katie Melua’s vocals sound stunning on it.

Strings have great note weight on “I Could Have Lied” by RHCP. The bass guitar has great note weight and sounds well-separated from the drums which sound fairly powerful.

I had to turn the volume down a tad on “Game Over” by Machine Head. There is some upper mid / lower treble energy which might not go well with metal.

But it sounds fast and the planar bass is a damn treat after listening to mostly IEMs the last several months. You can also make out each individual drum hit distinctly.

Meanwhile, Seal’s voice sounds powerful but delicate when the track calls for it.

And finally, although it wasn’t checking all my boxes for metal, it was quite impressive with prog rock of Tool. I really enjoyed “Invincible” from the Fear Inoculum album. James Maynard Keenan’s vocals sound equal parts melancholic and melodic while the Audivina extracts fine nuances from the track.

This is an impressive headphone that more people need to check out, especially if you have a need for a closed back.

Comfort is good, clamp force is minimal and weight is rather manageable.

Sources: Sony DMP-Z1 | Sony WM1ZM2 | Brise Tsuranagi Transducers: Campfire Trifecta + Effect Audio Centurion | Dita Perpetua + Dita Celeste | Aroma Fei Wan (Incoming) + PW Audio Orpheus YT Channel: Amplify Audio Show