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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The HifiMan Sundara is a higher-end product with superior overall sound and soundstage, making it excellent for immersive music listening, but its open design and lack of a microphone limit its use in noisier environments and for calls. Conversely, the SteelSeries TUSQ is more affordable and provides good mic quality and sound isolation, making it versatile for gaming, calls, and everyday use but offers less audio fidelity than 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 HifiMan Sundara
- Excellent for music
- Very good for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Steelseries TUSQ
- Very good for gaming
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
9.3
7.6
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.
Gaming
7.2
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the HifiMan Sundara is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8
4.7
The HifiMan Sundara is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
TV and Video
8.8
7.3
The HifiMan Sundara is very good for TV and video, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
6.0
The Steelseries TUSQ is only fair for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Sundara is poor.
Cost
$279
$30
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The HifiMan Sundara has a price of $279 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $30.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
4.9
5.2
The Steelseries TUSQ and HifiMan Sundara are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.2
8.0
The HifiMan Sundara and Steelseries TUSQ both have very good build quality.
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How the HifiMan Sundara and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Sundara | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$279 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2020 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.2/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.5/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 394.6 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Boom | |
Shopping
HifiMan Sundara
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | July 2023
"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."
Steelseries TUSQ
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
Get a great deal on the HifiMan Sundara or the Steelseries TUSQ
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.
About Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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