Hifiman Deva Bluetooth Headphones

Product Information

HiFiMAN offers tremendous value with the HE400se, and they are kind of an anomaly in the headphone market. Although budget-priced, there are no glaring issues in the build or design. The driver is fast enough to offer a taste of planar, and they respond well to EQ. Conversion duties are done via the HIMALAYA R2R resistor-based chipset in NOS mode. Decoding is from aptX, aptX HD right up to LDAC 24BIT/96kHz with support for AAC and SBC. Bass is not perfectly linear and therefore it doesn’t hit the lowest notes with the same strength as the rest. That said, the Deva Pro go quite deep with their bass and can be very fun with the right music, although they are just north of neutrality in general terms. Aes Dana’s Inks, as an example, does not envelope you in deep bass lines as it does with higher-end headphones by HiFiMAN (e.g. the Arya). Still, I find bass on the Deva Pro to be quite interesting, as it lays out quite a bit of detail in front of the listener and gives you a very good sense of texture. As one can legitimately expect from planar drivers, speed is quite good and transients are fast and with a short decay. But what is a Bluemini? In short, this is a detachable Bluetooth module with a built-in DAC and amplifier and the same component that you find inside the Ananda BT only now you have an option to use it or not. There is a strange volume limit and you can't get the full available range as you can do when it is connected to a PC or in Bluetooth mode.

Hifiman Deva Review — Headfonics

For this level though, it’s perfectly fine, and whilst the mix of plastics, synthetic leather, and aluminum might not be of true high-end quality, visually it looks the business with its classic circumaural styling. The bass is rich, full-bodied, expressive, and very well-controlled. It is definitely not a bass-light headphone, nor it’s boosted like the majority of Bluetooth headphones on the market. It feels just right, having authority and rumble that is really desirable in a Bluetooth pair of headphones. However, thanks to the Stealth Magnets and the new Bluemini R2R, the resolution and detail are on the level never seen in a Bluetooth pair of headphones…well, basically ever. Hifiman’s Bluemini controls essentially mirror that of the Ananda BT but are organized in a slightly better manner.The most interesting part of the HE400se, to me, is how mod-friendly they are. I will explain a simple and effective modification – the ‘grille mod’. An interesting thing for those using the Deva wirelessly was the effect on the upper mids and treble experience when switching from LDAC to aptX. With the LDAC turned on the Deva sounded far more ‘dynamic’, particularly with its mids and treble presence. It’s like it gives a lift to an already lifted area.

HiFiMAN DEVA Pro - Reviews - Head-Fi.org HiFiMAN DEVA Pro - Reviews - Head-Fi.org

The chipset shortage led HiFiMan to re-design the Bluemini from scratch and adopt the classic R2R method. Build quality is more than decent, though I personally think the plastic ends of the headband look a bit poor. There’s no creaking or other issue I can spot, save for some that I can sometimes hear – but which I suspect is actually my hair getting inside the grilles and messing with the drivers. The yoke design is similar to older HiFiMAN models and some newer ones like the Deva Pro and HE6se. There is a full range of motion across the Y-axis and a good amount of side-swivel to adjust to most face types. Comfort and isolation Not only is the material light and low in mass, but apparently tight, really durable, and designed to produce a very high-quality fast sounding dynamic response compared to regular planar diaphragms. Stealth Magnets There is also a status LED at the bottom, though voice-prompts are there as well to let you know when the BlueMini has connected, disconnected, or put in pairing mode. Finally, there is a mic at the bottom. It’s serviceable at best with a compressed-sounding voice and little noise cancellation. The single button, status LED, type-C port, and microphone are placed at the bottom of the module.

They improve on the functionality of the Ananda Bluetooth, which may sound a little better in terms of audio, but is far behind the Deva Pro in terms of usability, and here we are talking about a set of headphones that is three times the price of the Deva Pro. In this regard I would no doubt recommend the Deva Pro out of the two. I feel that the Ananda BT is a very niche product that will fit a very select number of users and use cases, however, the Deva Pro is a very versatile set of headphones that should meet anyone's use case. Obviously these are not a set of bluetooth headphones that you would use on a plane or other transport, but the commodity of being wireless whenever needed, without a loss of quality, is something to be praised. There is a Type-C port at the bottom that can either charge the module or allows connecting to a computer to act as a DAC-amp. The solitary button can be used to power on or off via long-press, whereas a short-press disconnects the Deva Pro from the current device. A double press takes it into pairing mode. The Bluemini R2R module connects via a 3.mm TRRS connector. The Deva Pro is now equipped with a dual entry system allowing you to use cables with left and right 3.5mm TRS stereo connectors in the same manner as their high-end headphones. Those with the likes of the Ananda or the Arya Stealth will now be able to roll those cables with the Deva Pro. So, the actual build quality of the Deva Pro is pretty good, absolutely no complaints here. The headband regulation feels sturdy yet smooth, the weight distribution is excellent and every part that touches your skin feels pleasant. Also, they feel like they could take a beating, quite substantial in hand and not at all fragile. It feels more premium and durable than the 400se for example, as it should, considering the price gap. The HE400se showcase the typical planar speed. They will fare better in speedy or busy song passages than the typical budget dynamic driver headphones. Modifications Grille mod

DEVA Pro with Bluemini R2R--Combining the Best of the HIFIMAN DEVA Pro with Bluemini R2R--Combining the Best of the HIFIMAN

Where the Deva does result far more comfortable (for me) than the HE400se is in the pad section. Where the pads on the HE400se have a kind of towelling material on the inside, the deva have a smoother material, similar to that found on the Ananda etc. Personally I much prefer this as I find the other material causes me to itch (and produces more heat). Although the silver colour would induce one in thinking that the headphones are made of metal, the only parts actually made of metal are the gimbals and the grille covers: the earcups and the silver bit on the headband are made of plastic. So, the Deva Pro face an identity crisis and do not excel as Bluetooth headphones or as wired planar-magnetic headphones. One potential use-case could be having them as an all-in-one solution, but then you are sacrificing the lifestyle features of the best wireless headphones and the sound quality of the best wired headphones.

The Deva Pro have a bright-tilted sound with the bass being more emphasized in Bluetooth mode, whereas the treble gains more presence in wired mode. Bass The cable is a dual-entry finish so if you want to go single-ended you will have to buy from the HIFIMAN store. The cable itself is terminated with an SE 3.5mm TRRS and attached with a 6.35mm adaptor giving it a portable-friendly vibe. Good control and well-behaved, more reactive to multiple bass lines now, allowing for keeping them separated yet also in line, meaning the Deva Pro can handle pitch differences and not lose composure – a sure sign of the driver being able to keep up during more complex parts due to its better speed, resolve and driver control. Apart from the manual and some papers, there’s also the Bluemini R2R module sitting in the box, and it is one of two big updates compared to the original Deva, but more on this later.