HiFiMan Audivina

Comfort is the Audivina's Achilles' heel, ranking in the bottom 6% of all headphones we've tested. Sound quality is only average at the 41st percentile, which is shocking for a $1,999 planar magnetic headphone. Even with a stellar build, there are far better-sounding, more comfortable options for less money.

Under that premium wooden housing lives a big planar driver with an NEO Supernano Diaphragm, reportedly 80% thinner than older designs. Specs are wild: 5Hz to 55kHz frequency response, 20Ω impedance, and 97dB sensitivity. So it's easy to drive from most devices, no amp required. But here's the kicker: in our sound quality testing, the Audivina only manages a 41st percentile score. That's solidly average, and deeply underwhelming for a $2,000 studio headphone. Competing wireless headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 outperform it, and they bring ANC, Bluetooth, and all-day comfort.

Build quality is the one area where the Audivina crushes it. The chassis feels extremely well made, with a luxurious wood finish and metal hardware. It's a heavy beast at 470g though, and that weight feeds directly into the embarrassing comfort score. The closed-back design and Stealth Magnet tech are nice on paper, but they don't translate into a knockout soundstage the way the company's marketing suggests.

Stacked up against the top dogs in the headphone world, the Audivina gets eaten alive. The Sony WH-1000XM6, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 all deliver better sound quality scores, superior comfort, excellent ANC, and wireless freedom, while costing $350 to $700. Even the budget-friendly JBL Live 770NC at under $200 notches a higher comfort rating. The Audivina's one edge is its premium planar driver and build, but those benefits don't outweigh the massive comfort and feature gap. If you need a studio workhorse, a pair of open-back Sennheiser HD 600 series will sound better and weigh less for far less cash.

At $1,999, the Audivina is priced like a flagship, but its performance-per-dollar ratio is rough. You're paying a huge premium for a planar driver and a pretty chassis, while getting sound that's merely okay and comfort that's a dealbreaker. For half the price, you can grab something like the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, which sounds better, feels better, and adds top-notch ANC. Unless you're a diehard HiFiMan fan who must have a closed-back planar, this feels like a poor value.

The HiFiMan Audivina is a headphone that looks the part, but in our database its numbers tell a very different story. The build quality is genuinely impressive, landing in the 92nd percentile, and the planar magnetic driver promises a detailed, wide-open sound. But that's where the good news mostly ends. Comfort sits all the way down in the 6th percentile, making these a tough wear for more than a few minutes. For $1,999, we expected to be wowed. Instead, we're left scratching our heads.

Anyone who values comfort or all-day wearability should run the other way; a 6th percentile comfort rating is a dealbreaker. If you need ANC, wireless connectivity, or a decent microphone for calls, look elsewhere because those features are either missing or rank near the bottom. Even studio users chasing a neutral planar sound should note that audio quality alone only hits the 41st percentile, so there are lighter, better-sounding open-back mixing headphones for far less money.

The HiFiMan Audivina is a beautiful object that promises audiophile magic but falls flat where it counts. The planar driver has potential, but average sound, crushing weight, and bottom-tier comfort make it impossible to recommend. At $1,999, you need headphones that you can actually wear, and these just aren't it. Save your money and look at the competition that gets the whole package right.