In this article we review the Hifiman Deva Pro Wireless open-back planar headphones that come with a Blue Mini Himalaya R2R Bluetooth DAC/AMP.
Disclaimer: This unit was sent to me by HIFIMAN in exchange for my honest review. Thank you! I’m not paid to say anything in particular about this product and all thoughts and opinions in today’s episode are my own.
Hifiman Deva Pro is an open-back wireless planar magnetic headphones and they retail for 329 US dollars. It comes in a very stylish premium cardboard box with a lush black cloth inside. The headphones can be also used both in wireless and wired configuration.
In the box:
- HIFIMAN Deva Pro wireless open-back headphone review headphones
- Blue Mini Hi-Res Bluetooth adapter with an award winning Himalaya R2R DAC/AMP
- A de-attachable audio cable
- USB C data & charging cable
- 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter
- HIFIMAN brochure
- Blue Mini R2R User manual
- and a warranty card
Hifiman Deva Pro is a planar magnetic headphones that uses HIFIMAN’s Stealth Magnet Design. The impedance is 18 Ohms and the sensitivity is 93 db. Hifiman Deva Pro can be used both in wireless and wired mode.
🛒 HIFIMAN Deva Pro headphones on Amazon
Design & build
The inner part of the headband is made out of metal and is wrapped in pleather. The style of this headband is familiar as it’s been already used on many other HIFIMAN’s current models. The headband adjusting mechanism has small markings on the inside to show the size of the headband extension.
The cups are attached to the headband with metal hinges and this design, in my opinion, is quite reliable.. The ear cups are quite massive and have a slightly oval shape. The shells of the ear cups, as well as the grids, are made of plastic.
The HIFIMAN Deva Pro wireless open-back headphone review cups host planar magnetic drivers, and it is worth mentioning that DevaPro uses so-called Stealth Magnets. The ear-pads also have a slightly oval shape and are really comfortable. My ears completely fit inside the ear pads. The ear pads are made of two parts, the outer and inner ring is made of pleather, the part that is touching the head and ears is made of velvet/velour. The ear pads are also slightly angled and noticeably thicker on the back-side.
Each cup also has a 3.5 mm socket to connect the detachable cable in case you want to use this pair in a wired configuration. Despite the fact BlueMini fits both sides, it should be connected to the left cup which also has a hint about that. The weight of the headphones is 360 grams without the cable and Blue Mini Adapter.
Difference between Deva and Deva Pro
Compared to the original Deva there are three changes.The Deva Pro is using a different color scheme silver/black as opposite to silver brown on Deva. The DevaPro also uses Stealth Magnets that reduce the sound wave interference. And DevaPro also has a Hifiman’s Supernano Diaphragm. It is thinner than the previous driver generation and it improves frequency response.
Unlike the sound waves generated by a conventional magnet, the special shape of the HIFIMAN’s Stealth magnets allows the waves to pass through the magnets without causing interference. The advanced design of the HIFIMAN magnets makes them acoustically transparent and this greatly reduces the wave turbulence that degrades the integrity of sound waves.
Fit & comfort
Overall comfort is quite good. I have large ears and they fit inside the earcups without any problems. The earpads are really soft and very pleasant to touch and I wasn’t experiencing any fatigue or discomfort even during long listening sesssions. The only thing I’d like to mention that clamping force is lacking abit. I have an average head, I wear motorcycle helmet size L and the headphones sit pretty relaxed on my head.
Blue Mini R2R Himalaya DAC/AMP
The New BlueMini R2R is the updated version of the original BlueMini, which was the HIFIMAN’s solution specifically created for the DEVA. Himalaya is an R2R DAC with Non-over sampling concept
The 3.5mm headphone jack is a TRRS balanced plug. It supports Bluetooth 5.0 with and AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX-HD and LDAC codecs.
Inside the Blue Mini we have a HIFIMAN HIMLAYA R2R DAC module. The BlueMini R2R BT DAC/AMP module has a built-in battery that offers a playback time up to 7.5 hours with SBC/AAC codec activated and volume set to 50%, while it drops to around 4.5 – 5 hours if you use it with the LDAC codec.
The Blue Mini also features a built-in microphone that is located at the bottom. The module weights 25 grams. Signal to noise ratio is 114 db. THD is 0.0022%. And what is more important it’s very energy efficient rated at 20mW
You can use Deva Pro in 3 different cases – completely wireless, wired with dual TRS cable or single 3.5 TRRS cable and wired via USB-C cable.
Equipment’s used for this review:
- Wireless Sources : Samsung Galaxy S10, Iphone 6S plus, FiiO X7 MK2 DAP
- Wired Sources : Topping D10s paired with Magni Heresy and SMSL SU-6 paired with XDUOO MT-602
Sound overview
The original Deva had a very laid-back sound, while the new Pro model has a sharper presentation and is a bit brighter. The overall presentation is quite spacious and slightly warm.
Deva Pro doesn’t have much bass, but the quality of the bass is really good. As it’s an open-back headphone you shouldn’t expect a deep bass experience, however low frequencies are well controlled and have a good resolution.
Sub bass extension is moderate due to the tuning but the headphones respond really well to EQ. The clarity of subbass is also good.
The mid-bass is more prominent than sub base here, and it has a good note weight and body. In addition, it has good speed & control resulting in a nice impact.
Overall the bass quantity is enough for most genres, but it lacks a bit in a bass heavy genres like EDM.
Compared to the original Deva, Deva Pro’s bass response is tighter with greater dynamics and it’s more detailed.
Despite its size, Blue Mini R2R does a pretty good job in regards to the low frequencies, but using the headphones in a wired mode with an amp improves the bass, making it more precise and further improving the dynamics.
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DEVA Pro has a very natural and transparent mid-range with excellent detail retrieval. The overall tonality of mid range is slightly warm. The lower mid-range has a good body and note weight, which is especially noticeable on pianos and acoustic guitars. At the same time upper mid-range is more detailed and open than the lower mid-range.
Instruments have a pretty natural timbre and the mids are also the place where Deva Pro is different from its predecessor Deva. The original Deva had a more mid-forward tuning, while Deva Pro focuses on resolution and has a more clean and sharp tonality, which is less warm than the original Deva and more technical.
Also the mid-range on DevaPro is not that forward compared to the original Deva
Overall Mid range has a nice resolution, and good details and the separation of instruments is also very good.
Treble on DevaPro is a little bit bright but well controlled and details are also very surprising for it’s price. The treble has a good sense of presence and is quite clear and defined.
Percussion and string instruments are reproduced with a good level of detail and overall resolution is really pleasing. I’d say that overall treble is well balanced on this pair and as a result, it sounds detailed and resolving. But compared to the original Deva, the treble is a bit brighter and sharper.
Overall there is plenty of detail and extension here and the treble is quite coherent. Micro detail retrieval is also surprising and the headphones have just enough air and sparkle for my personal preference.
Sound stage and imaging
DEVA Pro sound stage is average in width and depth, but it sounds quite spacious offering a very nice atmosphere and the separation of instruments.
Compared to the original Deva, the soundstage improved, as the original Deva had a bit narrow, almost intimate soundstage. And this fact was especially noticeable with the mid-forward tuning of the original Deva.
The Deva Pro definitely has a better sound-stage performance and it has more space and air.
The imaging is well defined and quite precise, the instruments have a very realistic timbre and the separation of instruments is also very good.
Wireless vs Wired configuration
I tried headphones in both configurations and there were some small audible changes. The bass quality and texture definitely improves when you are pairing it with an amp. Mids and treble performance improves a bit, having additional sparkle and space added to the presentation
However, if you have a high-end amplifier and DAC, the changes are going to be more noticeable. Yet again, if Deva PRO is on your list and you don’t have a high-level source, Blue Mini will still do a great job in a wired configuration.
Conclusions
For myself Deva Pro was the pair of wireless headphones that changed my attitude towards wireless headphones. It’s a very solid pair of open-back headphones and the fact it can be used in a three different configurations makes this pair very versatile. It’s very well tuned and offers a great value for the money.
Pros:
- Very nice and engaging tuning
- Great technical performance
- One wireless & 2 wired use case scenarios
- Amazing Himalaya R2R DAC
- Great Battery Life on BlueMini considering it’s a pair of Planar magnetic headphones
- And overall great Value for your Money
Cons:
- Clamping force is on a lower side so fit might be a problem if you have a small head
- Also, I’d love to see a carrying case
Overall this is a great package for a fantastic price. For $329 you are getting a pair of open-back planar magnetic headphones featuring HIFIMAN’s Stealth Magnets, Hifiman’s Supernano Diaphragm, a Bluetooth module with a built in R2R DAC and AMP which can be also used in a wired mode as external audio interface. I strongly recommend to check out this pair because Deva Pro in a league of it’s own.
And that concludes my review for today. If you want to see more content like this consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for future updates. Thank you for joining me, and until next time, goodbye!
🛒 HIFIMAN Deva Pro headphones on Amazon
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