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Are hybrid headphones the latest trend? Last month, I talked about using MEMS drivers as the “tweeter” in earphone and headphone designs. At one end of the market, Creative’s Aurvana Ace Mimi earphones are great, especially for their low price ($129.99, all prices in USD). At the other end of the market are HiFiMan’s Isvarna closed-back headphones ($2899), another hybrid design. In this case, a planar-magnetic driver is augmented by a dynamic driver that functions as a “subwoofer.”
It’s an interesting idea for sure, though I haven’t found most planar designs I’ve tested, especially those from HiFiMan, to be lacking in bass. Crossing over between 200 and 300Hz, the oval dynamic driver is positioned in a way that HiFiMan claims “effectively solves” any potential phase issues with two drivers positioned so close to your ears.
As a notorious lover of bass, and generally of planar-magnetic headphones, the Isvarna headphones piqued my interest. Obviously, since here I am reviewing them.
In the box
As you’d hope given the price, the Isvarnas come with a bit of ceremony. The large, hinged case has a leather-esque wrap with a brushed-metal top that has the HiFiMan name and logo along with “Isvarna” at the bottom. Inside, along with some loose marketing info, is a bound hardcover book that has lots of lovely photos, as well as additional info about the headphones and instructions that would normally be in a user manual.
Wrapped lovingly in a fabric-covered foam cradle are the headphones themselves, along with three cables, each ending in 3.5mm, ¼″ (6.35mm), or XLR connections. The last two are 3m (9.8′) in length. The first, intended mainly for more portable devices, is 1.5m (4.9′).
Use
The frame and earcups of the Isvarnas are metal. Thankfully, those structures don’t ring when you brush against them as much as some other metal headphones I’ve tested. As you’d probably expect, given that fact plus all the drivers, the Isvarnas are not light. At 462gm, they’re heavier than the Audeze LCD-5 (420gm) and Sivga P2 Pro (435gm) headphones. So by a small margin, they’re the heaviest headphones I’ve tested in a long time, “bested” by the Focal Utopia (490gm) and Sendy Audio Peacock (578gm) headphones Brent Butterworth reviewed in 2022 and 2021, respectively. To put that in freedom units, the Isvarnas weigh over a pound. So if you’re hoping for long listening sessions, I recommend adding neck workouts to your gym routine.
The earcup padding is adequate, though surprisingly not as lush as I was expecting. Perhaps they were trying to keep the overall size down, since these are some chonky headphones. If you have bigger ears, you might find them a bit crowded in the small-ish earpad openings.
Don’t move your head too much when listening, though. If the cable rubs against your shirt, you’ll hear that amplified by the earcups.
Sound
If you’ve ever wondered what planar-magnetic headphones would sound like with a subwoofer, guess what—the Isvarnas have some fantastic bass. The mids and highs are well balanced with an impressive soundstage and a delightfully immediate attack. For amplification, I switched between the Schiit Audio Magni ($119) and HiFiMan’s own EF400 ($529).
Figuring, rightly it turns out, that the Isvarnas would do well with some bass-heavy tracks, I started with Chappel Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” and “Red Wine Supernova” (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Island Records / Qobuz). There was more bass than bass-haters would like, that’s certain, but not nearly as much as you might expect given the “built-in subwoofer” thing. The bass gave these songs a powerful drive, extending fairly deep but still sounding like notes and instruments, not the tuneless thump and rumble that’s possible with bad subwoofers and mediocre bass-heavy headphones. The piano at the beginning of “Pink Pony Club” sounded like a well-miked grand piano, while Roan’s voice was well balanced with the rest, never getting swamped by the bass. The percussion had an immediate snap.
With “Bones” by DeYarmond Edison (Silent Signs, 24/96 FLAC, Jagjaguwar / Qobuz), the acoustic guitar and drums sounded full without being bloated. They were headed in that direction, though. If you don’t like bass, these headphones aren’t for you. The vocals of Justin Vernon (later of Bon Iver fame) were dead center and came through strongly over the instruments and bass.
The beginning of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” (When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, 24/44.1 FLAC, Interscope Records / Qobuz) has some big, deep bass. Through the Isvarnas, it was well controlled, with the right amount of definition and low extension. I’ve heard some headphones that can produce deeper bass, but overall what I heard was good if you like bass. Any more and it might get muddy, so they’re toeing a line for sure. Eilish’s breathy voice, along with the various percussion instruments, never got overwhelmed by the low end. The snaps and vocals seemed to spread out across my shoulders. Open-back headphones might sound more, well, open, but these sounded acceptably big.
Surprisingly for planar headphones, the Isvarnas aren’t overly difficult to drive. You need an amp to get the most out of them, of course, but I got plenty of volume with the Schiit Audio Magni. Even with the Sony NW-A306, I got a reasonable listening volume, but I wouldn’t call it “loud.” I can’t imagine many people would use headphones this size and weight while out and about, but if that’s your jam, you should get a portable amp to go with them.
Comparison
Sorry to dispel the illusion about headphone reviewers, but I don’t have a wall covered in $3000 headphones I can pick on a whim. The closest I had on hand were the Sendy Audio Peacock ($1499), a Reviewers’ Choice winner, and my own Audeze LCD-3 ($1945) headphones.
The Peacocks are open-back and “only” use a planar-magnetic driver. They don’t have nearly as much bass as the Isvarnas, offering a sound that’s much lighter. Oddly, while they’re physically heavier than the Isvarnas, they don’t feel that way. Perhaps that’s the brain playing tricks, given their “lighter” sound. On the title track of Nightshift by the Commodores (24/192 FLAC, Motown Records / Qobuz), the Peacocks were quite airy, highlighting the percussion, with Walter Orange’s and James Dean Nicholas’s voices a step back. There was enough bass to sound fairly balanced. Switching to the Isvarnas, I heard significantly more bass, especially mid-bass, giving them a warmer feel. The vocals were better balanced with the percussion, but overall they sounded less airy. If accuracy is your thing, the Peacocks come closer than the Isvarnas.
With the LCD-3s, I cued up the Wallflowers’ “Three Marlenas” (Bringing Down the Horse, 24/96 FLAC, Interscope Records / Qobuz). It’s worth noting that the LCD-3s require a lot more power than the Isvarnas. While the LCD-3s have no shortage of bass, the Isvarnas had more punch in the bass drum on this track. The mids and treble felt more balanced as well. The LCD-3s had a “lumpier” midrange sound.
Switching to Augustin Hadelich’s performance of the fourth movement, marked Presto, from JS Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor (Bach: Sonatas & Partitas, 24/192 FLAC, Warner Classics / Qobuz), the violin had a more realistic, balanced sound through the Isvarnas. There was a better sense of space with the LCD-3s, though, which makes sense, since they’re open-backed. That said, overall the Isvarnas sounded far larger than you’d expect for closed-back headphones.
Conclusion
With any headphones, it’s hard to say what’s the result of the technology and what’s the result of the entire design. The best drivers in the world can sound terrible with the wrong build and tuning. So I don’t want to definitively state that the Isvarnas’ sound is the result of the hybrid design. They do sound good, and good in ways that seem to imply the dynamic driver is adding some low-end prowess.
Throughout my listening, the bass was warm and full without being overpowering or boomy. The mids and highs had the sharp attack and realism that are often the trademarks of planar drivers. I found it an extremely appealing combination. The price is certainly high, as is the weight, but so is the sound quality. As someone who loves good bass, these scratch that itch while also bringing along some gorgeous midrange and treble.
Are they the most accurate headphones I’ve heard? Not by a long shot. If that’s what you’re looking for, these aren’t it. But if you usually listen to music that benefits from some extra kick in the bass while still having strong mids and detailed treble, these are exceptionally fun.
. . . Geoffrey Morrison
Associated Equipment
- PC: iBuyPower Windows 10
- DAC/headphone amplifiers: Schiit Audio Magni, HiFiMan EF400
- Portable media player: Sony NW-A306
HiFiMan Isvarna headphones
Price: $2899
Warranty: One year
HiFiMan Electronics
2602 Beltagh Ave.
Bellmore, NY 11710
USA
Phone: (201) 443-4626
Website: www.hifiman.com
