HiFiMan
Tianjin, Tianjin, China · founded 2007
HiFiMan is one of the pioneering independent brands that brought planar magnetic headphones to a wider audiophile audience, and its founder-scientist Dr. Fang Bian is a recognized figure in driver engineering (Stealth Magnet arrays, nanometer-thick diaphragms). Its Sundara and Ananda are frequently cited as reference-value planars, while the Susvara sits among the most respected summit-fi headphones.
HiFiMan is a Chinese high-end audio manufacturer best known for its planar magnetic (orthodynamic) headphones. The company was founded by Dr. Fang Bian, who launched an online audio store called Head-Direct in 2005 and introduced the HiFiMan brand in 2007; Bian holds a PhD in chemistry/nanotechnology from the City University of New York Graduate Center. HiFiMan’s product range spans full-size open- and closed-back headphones, in-ear monitors, portable digital audio players (its HM-801, introduced circa 2009, was among the first pocket high-resolution DAPs), and headphone amplifiers. The company operates manufacturing in Tianjin, China (where it established a factory in 2011) and maintains a U.S. office in Bellmore, New York, selling directly through its own web store and through an authorized-dealer network.
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At a glance
- Type
- Manufacturer & Retailer
- Founder
- Dr. Fang Bian
- Founded
- 2007
- Headquarters
- Tianjin, Tianjin, China
- Price range
- Budget → flagship
- Makes / sells
- over-ear headphones, iems, headphone amps, daps, wireless earbuds
- Known for
- planar magnetic, Stealth Magnet acoustically-transparent magnets, NEO Supernano Diaphragm (nanometer-thick, 1-2 micron), Topology Diaphragm (IEMs), high-resolution DAPs
- Website
- hifiman.com
Notable products
- Susvara — Flagship open-back planar magnetic headphone (~$4,000-$6,000); a 'Susvara Unveiled' variant with exposed drivers launched in 2024
- Sundara — Entry-level planar magnetic headphone (~$279-$499), widely recommended as a value benchmark
- Ananda — Mid-tier open-back planar; later Stealth Magnet and 'Ananda Unveiled' (~$549) revisions
- Arya — Upper-mid planar (Stealth Magnet / Organic / Unveiled versions)
- HE1000 — 2015 flagship that debuted HiFiMan's ultra-thin nanometer diaphragm
- HM-801 — Early portable high-resolution digital audio player (~2009), a landmark DAP
- Edition XS / Edition XV — Open-back planar headphones; Edition XV uses the 2nd-gen NEO Supernano Diaphragm
Carries
Sources: HiFiMan - Wikipedia · HiFiMan official website (products, contact, About) · Dr. Fang Bian of HIFIMAN - PS Audio (Copper) · HIFIMAN's HE1000 Part 1: Introduction to HIFIMAN - Headphone Guru · HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version Review - Headfonics (Stealth Magnet / NsD tech) · What's the Best HIFIMAN Headphone for Me? - Bloom Audio (current lineup/pricing)