The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The AKG K361 offers good overall sound quality and comfort, at a lower price point, making them a value-friendly choice suitable for various uses, including TV and video with their closed design providing better noise isolation. They are also more portable than the HifiMan Sundara. On the other hand, the HifiMan Sundara, while more expensive, provides exceptional soundstage and imaging, superior comfort, and outstanding music performance, but their open design means they're less isolating and not ideal for noisy environments. Both lack wireless connectivity and active noise cancelling, but they have detachable cables, with the Sundara featuring a planar driver type for a more refined sound compared to the K361's dynamic driver.
The AKG K361 is often significantly less expensive than the HifiMan Sundara. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the AKG K361
Good for air travel
Advantages of the HifiMan Sundara
Excellent for music
Good for gaming
Very good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.5/10
9.3/10
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the AKG K361 is good.
Gaming
6.3/10
7.2/10
The HifiMan Sundara is good for gaming, while the AKG K361 is only fair.
Phone Calls
3.2/10
4.9/10
The HifiMan Sundara and AKG K361 are both poor for phone calls, though the HifiMan Sundara is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.0/10
7.8/10
The HifiMan Sundara is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the AKG K361 is poor.
TV and Video
7.8/10
8.8/10
The HifiMan Sundara is very good for TV and video, while the AKG K361 is good.
Noise Reduction
6.0/10
2.5/10
The AKG K361 is only fair for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Sundara is poor.
Cost
$100
$279
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The AKG K361 has a price of $100 and the HifiMan Sundara costs $279.
"The K361 retains much of what makes the K371 such a winner, though it has a leaner sound, and the build changes made to trim the price down are immediately apparent. Still, it’s another excellent offering from AKG, and other companies in this fight should either be very worried or quickly designing updates to their old models."
"The HiFiMan Sundara is the set of headphones to get if you want high-end audio, but don't want to shell out a king's ransom for it. These planar magnetic headphones are comfortable, straightforward, and excellent performers."
Get a great deal on the AKG K361 or the HifiMan Sundara
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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