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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're focused on sound quality and an expansive soundstage, and you don't mind the open-back design that leaks sound, the HifiMan Sundara are excellent, but they are not ideal for calls and meetings since they lack a microphone. In contrast, the Turtle Beach Recon 70, while not matching the Sundara's sound fidelity, comes with a boom microphone that excels in call and meeting clarity, and they offer a closed-back design, providing better noise isolation. The Turtle Beach is more suited to diverse activities like gaming, and their lower price makes them accessible, but for critical listening, the Sundara outperforms despite its price. 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
Advantages of the Turtle Beach Recon 70
Best in class for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Key differences
Music
9.3/10
7.1/10
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the Turtle Beach Recon 70 is good.
Gaming
7.2/10
8.4/10
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is very good for gaming, while the HifiMan Sundara is good.
Phone Calls
4.9/10
9.6/10
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is best in class for phone calls, while the HifiMan Sundara is poor.
TV and Video
8.8/10
7.5/10
The HifiMan Sundara is very good for TV and video, while the Turtle Beach Recon 70 is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
5.6/10
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 and HifiMan Sundara are both poor for noise reduction, though the Turtle Beach Recon 70 is somewhat better.
Cost
$279
$40
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The HifiMan Sundara has a price of $279 and the Turtle Beach Recon 70 costs $40.
"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."
"There aren’t many considerations to make here. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 sounds decent, offers solid chat audio, feels good to wear over long periods, and it works everywhere. If you’re in the market for a simple plug-and-play option, you could do a whole lot worse (and spend a whole lot more money). Regardless, if getting something cheap that works well is the only thing you care about, this is a great option."
Get a great deal on the HifiMan Sundara or the Turtle Beach Recon 70
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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