New headphone niche: Wireless OPEN-back?? HiFiMAN Deva Pro Review 

A good option for people who don't like being confined to their chair, or people who don't want to invest on amps and DACs.

These complaints in public transportation were brought to you by Hifiman.

If you try this headphone with a ifi HIP dac 2, you will find substantial improvement in the bass, increased clarity without increased sibilance and very little listening fatigue after several hours of use. The Mini dac dongle is quite good, just limited by power.

I've owned these pretty much since launch. I have some gripes with the interface but it's actually an excellent headphone. I don't think there's any product I could have been happier with for less than $500. It really just gives you a very very half decent portable setup, so you aren't tethered to your setup (boring). Go for a walk, light bike ride, run an errand, actually carry on with your life and be able to enjoy some solid hifi.

IEMs are problematic for me because they block everything out, so my daily headphones for the last few years have been the Grado GW100 (open-back, wireless), and they've been my go to for nearly everything from walking around to chores to playing pinball. (I even bought a 2nd pair, after the v2 40hr battery update). I've always been a huge open-back fan because when you go around sometimes the music sounds like it could be recorded in the place you're currently in, and that's it's own joy in itself. I recently got the Hifiman Edition XS, and they've been a great sit down, stay in the same place, desktop headphone. But it's been hilarious trying to get used to it's lack of portability, I've even accidentally pulled out the cord from my amp from getting up from my chair. I was considering Zeos' UTWS5 2pin hack with the Hifimans, but honestly these Deva Pros seem like what I should have gotten in the first place. Some notes on what I'd imagine would be the difference between the GW100s vs (an imaginary) wireless Hifiman Edition XS, based upon the Deva Pros having a similar headband to the Edition XS: - I would be too afraid to take the Hifimans outside, I also wouldn't use them while doing the dishes. The headband doesn't clamp enough, even after bending the headband with more pressure. It could be that the cups are lighter on the Deva, but at a first glance, they're likely the same. I cannot imagine taking the Hifimans outside, I also wouldn't use them while doing the dishes. - Sound leak is wayyyyy louder on the Edition XS than the GW100, the latter has some sound dampening that makes it audible but not recognizable at 90% volume on an empty street, but I can sometimes use the Hifiman as a shitty phone speaker to listen to youtube videos when I'm really lazy. - Grados sound is upfront, which is actually kind of nice when you're at the grocery store, because it's kind of like you're in a small bubble of sound inside of the larger world. With the Edition XS, it's soundstage is so good that you might be confusing the noises from the outside world a little too often, but maybe that's what you're going for. - I think what the Deva Pro solves is tripping over a cord my problem of accidentally unplugging while getting up from my chair. And honestly, that sounds awesome. I might pine for freedom every now and then, but being able to have headphones that are good enough to analyze music while walking around in circles would be a worthy investment for me.

I could see myself using these in house when doing stuff, I get alot of complaints with my closed back noice canceling headphones that I make to much noice (because I don't notice the noice I'm making) and I very much dislike ambient mode and what it does to the music

Thank you for the in depth review! These hifiman bluetooth headphones are indeed interesting, I personally dont even mind the open back nature. Sure, I wouldnt use them in a bus, but at home, the balcony or the garden I think these could be quite nice. A gentle wind and singing birds blending together with nice music, sounds good to me. The steep bass roll off plus the loose Headband imo are dealbreakers though, especially the headband. I own the Edition XS with that headband and even for stationary Desktop use I find it way too insecure on my head, I wouldnt want to walk around with it.

Why would you not review the wired version? You just have to use the cable instead of bluetooth. I am disappointed.

I mostly agree with the points of this review. Yes, the Deva Pro is a bit bass lean, possibly even more so than the 400se. And also yes, I find the 400se too bright around 8Khz, the Deva Pro is better in that regard. I'm not in total agreement with the comparison with HD58x and HD600/650. As far as resolution, the Deva Pro, as well as the 400se, is at least in the 600/650 neighborhood, the HD58x comes nowhere near. And all those senn cans come nowhere near the Deva Pro's staging/imaging/clarity. But when it comes to the hifiman house feature, the recess between 1 and 2Khz, that's when I really don't understand, but that is personal, we all hear differently. The thing is, to my ears the Harman target is just wrong in its raise toward the ear-gain, it's too much for me. My impression is that Hifiman actually nails it! When we listen to loud speakers, or to live music, we don't get that much pressure at 1-2Khz, those frequencies get partially cancelled. So in headphones, whose drivers are a few centimeters away from our eardrums, I find it unnatural and fatiguing to have a 1-2K response as that found in the Harman curves. In fact, what's the first thing I Eq with HD600/650? I lower that area. The focal cans also have too much pressure there. And what's even worse? The Stax headphones, all of which have a crazy shout at 1.5K, well above the already excessive response (for me) of the Harman curves. Sure, the Stax will impress you with their amazing speed, resolution, imaging, etc. But come on, that's messed up tuning for me, music in reality doesn't sound like that. So it drives me crazy when people go as far as suggesting to actually Eq the hifiman cans to boost the 1-2K region! Even Andrew, who I follow and respect, talks about it all the times in his hifiman reviews. A 1-2K response below mainstream targets sounds natural to me, it literally cleans up the sound, it adds transparency, you "see" through the mix better, and I feel like vocals are where they should be. The notorious hifiman holography certainly has to do with that as well. I just hate shouty headphones, so to those geeks who, like me, like to Eq headphones, pretty please, don't boost the 1-2K area of hifiman headphones!

If you connected directly to a tube amp would you get a big increase in sound stage? Does R2R Bluetooth receiver have a better soundstage than other Bluetooth receivers.

I think you have done it a disservice but Comparing it in bluetooth mode to wired alternatives. I have these and the 6xx and Sundara 2020 you mentioned.

I think the Deva Pro wireless's convenience makes it a perfect headphone to gift to a non-audiophile friend or relative just to give them something nice to listen to.

Minute one: "I have little to no context to review these headphones and have no idea where they fit into their respective space in the marketplace." Hahaha ok. Still, thanks for the video. Glad to have this show around.

how about a comparison vs an open back headphone + bluetooth amp like fiio btr5 ?

Hi Headphone Show, I really would like your review on the Mark Levinson No 5909. They are closed and wireless. I just saw some reviews from others on RU-vid and they are all amazed regarding sound quality…

can this adapter be used for other open back headphones? In a more specific case, my normal open back headphone- go to is- The, game X one collab, EPOS X SENNHEISSER open back gamer headphones that are black & red with a velvet like material for the earcups cushions

Can you make a comparison about wireless or bluetooth "open back" headset please? As a mother, i need to hear it if my child is crying, while i listen to tv in evening or when i am on an online meeting, while working at home. I don't need high quality audio, just being aware of my surrounding while listening with headset. Unfortunately, it seems hard to find on these days... Can you help for simple people like me?

Love my Deva pro's wired with a Topping NX4 dsd. They have overtaken my Beyer DT990's and Senny 6xx's. The bass is ultra clean, and punchy enough - though definitely not as "fun" as the before mentioned. The mid - high is where these really excel. Though this is not the reason I bought them after all... Wireless open back anyone!!!! The only thing that seems lost in wireless mode is that little bit of low end oompf. I run them with an Aventree Leaf low latency bt dongle on my Win 10 PC. The the sound delay is slight but definitely noticeable (lip sync, game sounds etc) I'm still trying to figure out if I can get used to it. Any tips or better bt receivers that improve the audio delay are very welcome!

OMG I had to wait to hear the only important thing.. the sound until long long into the video... why can't everything else be after that?

Is Hifiman selling that Bluetooth DAC also separately? Could be useful as long as it has enough power to drive Ananda or even Sundara.

It seems like every company’s wireless IEM’s handedly beats their own wireless headphone equivalent: Apple AirPods Pro vs. AirPods Max Sony XMF4 vs XMH4 Sennheiser Momentum 3 vs 4… Why doesn’t Hifiman make wireless IEMS? Also side question - why do wireless headphones suck compare to their wireless IEM counterparts? Seems to be a real pattern.

Watching TV at home could be a good use case.

I'm an Australian and being an Australian I like serenity. So with this headphone how's the serenity?

Loving this new review style Chrono!

Does it sound organic? I'm not interested in anything that isn't certified organic.

This is a couch 🛋️ chill high end headphone … love it .. sounds remarkable…besides my Meze Empyrean.. $ 215 Amazon open box 📦 with blue mini included deal !!!

I go by cost these days if it costs £1000 it will be used indoors on a quality DAC amplifier outside use Bluetooth headphones with external DAC to bypass volume limits and enjoy better Bluetooth quality that's

Hi and thanks for the video, iam looking for a new no ANC headphone(relatively dead cause anc hurts my ears so badly i Have to sell my momentum4) that connects with usbc or bluetooth to use with my phone, I wanted to know if this could be a good option and if there is others options on the market. Thanks again and keep it up!🎉🎉

Nice Video..If You Compare Hifiman Deva Pro in Sony Wh-1000XM4/Wh-1000XM5 or Bose 700 or Apple Airpod Max or Sennheiser Momentum 4 What you will choose and why please?

Please...no more battery powered tech. I don't want to worry about charging one more thing.

I would want to try that DAC in wired mode with other headphones that use 3.5mm. Have you tried any?

Would you recommend there for gaming on your pc? This seems like a silly question now that I’ve typed it 😅 but still. Idk if I should go open back or closed back. I have a procaster and I wouldn’t want it to be picking up the audio from my headphones. Ty in advance…

4:44 I was listening through headphones and you scared the shit out of me :D :D :D

Would Sennheiser momentum 4 be better for listening without correction things like doing it right or contact by daft punk?

I have a HD 668b super lex headphones and I am using a rider amplifier I got of amizon and aftermarket cups ear pads cost 80 bucks thay are great I wear them for a long time. open back our better for my ears ears I know 80 bucks is a lot but I really enjoy them.

Hifiman is known for its quality control issues. Buying a headphone from them + added Bluetooth functionality (even more features that might fail)... really afraid to do so.

Technically, these are not wireless headphones. They are headphones that come with a wireless dongle. They’re really no different than getting an EarStudio or Fiio bt receiver & attaching it to a multitude of other headphones.

imo this is the first open back bluetooth setup that I can recommend to non crazy audio nerds.. reasonably priced, lightweight and actually good. The ananda BT is too heavy, the grado gw100 build quality is too low.

I wish hifiman would go with this color scheme on higher end of their headphones like the HIFIMAN Susvara and HE 1000SE with the exact same headband and extensions but longer and the arm brackets and the thing that holds the headband and extensions together with this exact color way around except for the black headband and earpads

what would you pick? 400se, Deva Pro wired or HD 560s?

I got Grado GW100s myself. Wireless open back does sound weird and niche when you think about it but really I chose this one because 1) sometimes you just want the freedom of wireless for casual listening at home and 2) it's the only Grado with detachable cables, they really should implement this on everything already

This doesn't have to be or stay a niche - I'm convinced that the market would be there, it just lacks good/popular options. Especially since it appeals to more casual listeners who value ease-of-use over the last hypothecial 5% more detail some magical silver-unicorn-braided-asshair-cable together with exactly one specific dac and amp for 987654€ can deliver. Maybe Hifiman will sell the adapter as a standalone, but my money is on FiiO for a decent solution eventually.

The issue with these is that the sound quality needs compete with similarly priced wired headphones NOT considering their source chain. With built-in EQ that should be very much possible, but it's not a strength of any of the manufacturers it seems. Powering some cans also just needs more than can properly fit inside the design until the new fiber glass or other battery tech comes out.

Or else get yourself an X4 for $99 and a short headphone cable and Bluetooth receiver. Attach the Bluetooth receiver on top of the headphones.

Oh no. Not Bluetooth. I can’t game with this.