Verdict
The Audivina LE are less easy to recommend than some of Hifiman’s better-known open-back pairs. They have a few sonic quirks and aren’t quite as flexible as you might hope from a closed-back set. But you do get ultra-wide sound for this class, as well as a bunch of major technical strengths usually linked to Hifiman’s planar magnetic drivers.
-
Great detail -
Impressive width and scale -
Includes multiple cables and case
-
Limited sub-bass power -
Uneven mids can lead to tiring vocals -
Giant cups with limited isolation is a portability turn-off
Key Features
-
Planar magnetic drivers
Like most Hifiman headphones, the Audivinia LE use planar magnetic drivers rather than dynamic ones. -
Triple cable package
Three cables are included, terminating in 3.5mm, 6.35, and XLR connectors. -
Closed-back design
Closed cups result in much lower sound leakage and better isolation than Hifiman’s many open pairs.
Introduction
Hifiman makes several of the best, and best value, home headphones in the world. But those are open-back hi-fi pairs, and the Hifiman Audivina LE are not of that breed.
The Hifiman Audivina LE are closed back headphones, which Hifiman has a much more patchy history with. But the premise otherwise appeals here. These are a more affordable take on the Hifiman Audivina from 2023, which originally cost an eye-opening £1699. These are a mere £359.
Don’t mistake them for a cabled portable-friendly alternative to the popular wireless ANC pairs, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, though. They feel most at home indoors. Their sound also has more eyebrow-raising elements than Hifiman’s best too. But you still get an unusually wide and detailed presentation for a closed-back set.
Design
- Closed-back design
- XL-size cups with leather effect finish
- Dual-sided 3.5mm cabling
Let’s get some hard essentials out of the way. You might think the closed back design of the Hifiman Audivina LE would make them a decent option for portable use. They are not.
These cups may be closed, but they are also humungous and do not look nearly as close to a cabled alternative to, say, a Sony WH-1000XM6 as you might imagine. Relatively high weight doesn’t help either.
The Hifiman Audivina LE are best thought of as home headphones for folks who don’t want to annoy anyone nearby with sound leakage.
Don’t expect too luxury a feel either, which after all is consistent with the Hifiman Audivina LE’s position in the company’s range. They are a mid-price follow-up to the Audivinia from 2023, which originally sold at £1699. Hi-fi headphones get pricey.
The Hifiman Audivina LE’s cup outer has a leather-like finish, but it’s rendered in simple hard plastic. All the silver parts are metal, though, not the plastic often used in headphones to lower weight. It is, I presume, anodised aluminium. But the finish has a shinier, brighter and less fine texture than is seen in, for example, Apple’s MacBooks. It doesn’t come across as super high-grade stuff.
Hifiman uses a fairly simply hammock-style headband. You can only control the size/height of the headband, and the cups swivel just a little in each direction in order to better conform to more people’s heads. I find the faux leather hammock can create an uncomfortable pressure point at the top of my head after a few hours, more so than some of the brand’s recent pairs with the same headband design.
Don’t expect too much from the Hifiman Audivina LE’s isolation either. They just don’t block out a huge amount of ambient noise. It shouldn’t be a problem for home use (or for braver office workers) but is another black mark against using them out in public.
Hifiman is known for keeping its accessories basic. Much like Grado, the focus is all on the actual headphones, not the side plate stuff. However, here we do get a few extras.
The Hifiman Audivina LE include three cables. There’s a portable-style short 1.5m cable that ends in a 3.5mm jack, a longer 3m 6.35mm-terminated one, plus an XLR cable. We even get a semi-hard carry case.
Some folks like to complain about the quality of Hifiman’s cables. They are basic-looking things with plastic terminal housings. Zero flashiness, but do you really need anything more in a £360 headphone?
Sound Quality
- Very wide sound for a closed-back set
- Fibrous low treble character
- Conservative sub-bass
The Audivina LE are quite unusual-sounding headphones that, unsurprisingly considering Hifiman’s history, are less easy to recommend than open pairs in this class like the Edition XV or the now much cheaper Edition XS and Sundara.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Audivina LE sound is its scale, or more specifically its width. Closed-back headphones tend to sound less open and airy, but these are exceptionally wide among closed pairs.
You can mentally visualise where each part of a song sits in the space around your head, which is pretty neat for a closed headphone. I do find the presentation leads to a certain atomisation of mixes, though, which can rob music of some of its sense of direction and drive. Some tracks end up too diffuse-sounding for their own good.
The Hifiman Audivina LE’s tuning is also a bit weird in a few respects. Sub-bass, the really low stuff, is tamer than I’d hope for here. But there’s also a slight extra bump of mid-bass that detracts from the sense of speed and poise planar magnetic driver headphones are typically known for.
I am partial to headphones that have relatively lean and controlled mid-bass, ones that aim to avoid any sense of bloat, and that make up for it with some added sub-bass punch. The opposite approach is taken here, and while the scale of the sound more than makes up for that — I wouldn’t say this pair sounds congested — you can’t but help wonder if another equalisation approach would have worked better.
Hifiman’s treatment of the mids is a little odd too, and it does vocals few favours. The Hifiman Audivina LE make Sabrina Carpenter sound unusually fibrous and tiring, and Randy Newman’s voice unusually thin and hollow. “Rock saviour” Cameron Winter’s solo debut Heavy Metal sounds much better than either thanks to his voice register and the album’s own production, but you can still pick out that insistent upper-mids/treble anomaly pulling focus in his vocal lines at times.
However, feed the Hifiman Audivina LE instrumental music where your ears have a less firmly-rooted anchor to let you pick out tuning quirks and they start to really shine. These headphones have excellent detail, and their bass can sound fast and responsive, when it doesn’t highlight the tiny little paunch of mid-bass present here.
These are clearly super-capable headphones that effortlessly outclass their more popular wireless contemporaries on the technical aspects of sound. But they are also loaded with some sonic quirks some will want to try to EQ out.
Should you buy it?
Buy if you want open headphone sound width in a closed pair
While these headphones aren’t perfect, they do bring some of the expansiveness usually expected from an open, not a closed-back, headphone.
You want a portable-friendly take on Hifiman’s best headphones
These headphones are really too large for breezy portable use, and their sound is less tonally consistent than Hifiman’s open-back pairs.
Final Thoughts
Hifiman’s truly killer affordable closed-back headphone may be one for the future, but there’s a good amount to like about the slightly odd Hifiman Audivina LE.
They sound much wider than most closed back headphones, which was likely a deliberate aim when big and spacious audio is a Hifiman calling card.
There are some tuning quirks, though, that can leave vocals sounding a little hard-edged, while the Hifiman Audivina LE’s sub-bass is quite conservative.
How We Test
We test every pair of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find.
We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Tested with real world use
- Tested for several weeks
FAQs
The LE – Limited Edition – version is a much more affordable headphone but the two share a closed-back style.
The Hifiman Audivinia LE weigh 449g without cable.
They include a large semi-had case.
Full Specs
| Hifiman Audivina LE Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £359 |
| Manufacturer | HiFiMAN |
| IP rating | No |
| Weight | 449 G |
| ASIN | B0FLXVZTVT |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| Driver (s) | Planar magnetic |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm single end, 3m XLR Balanced, 3m 6.35mm single ended |
| Colours | Black/silver |
| Frequency Range | 5 55000 – Hz |
| Headphone Type | Over-ear |
| Sensitivity | 96 dB |
Verdict
The Audivina LE are less easy to recommend than some of Hifiman’s better-known open-back pairs. They have a few sonic quirks and aren’t quite as flexible as you might hope from a closed-back set. But you do get ultra-wide sound for this class, as well as a bunch of major technical strengths usually linked to Hifiman’s planar magnetic drivers.
-
Great detail -
Impressive width and scale -
Includes multiple cables and case
-
Limited sub-bass power -
Uneven mids can lead to tiring vocals -
Giant cups with limited isolation is a portability turn-off
Key Features
-
Planar magnetic drivers
Like most Hifiman headphones, the Audivinia LE use planar magnetic drivers rather than dynamic ones. -
Triple cable package
Three cables are included, terminating in 3.5mm, 6.35, and XLR connectors. -
Closed-back design
Closed cups result in much lower sound leakage and better isolation than Hifiman’s many open pairs.
Introduction
Hifiman makes several of the best, and best value, home headphones in the world. But those are open-back hi-fi pairs, and the Hifiman Audivina LE are not of that breed.
The Hifiman Audivina LE are closed back headphones, which Hifiman has a much more patchy history with. But the premise otherwise appeals here. These are a more affordable take on the Hifiman Audivina from 2023, which originally cost an eye-opening £1699. These are a mere £359.
Don’t mistake them for a cabled portable-friendly alternative to the popular wireless ANC pairs, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, though. They feel most at home indoors. Their sound also has more eyebrow-raising elements than Hifiman’s best too. But you still get an unusually wide and detailed presentation for a closed-back set.
Design
- Closed-back design
- XL-size cups with leather effect finish
- Dual-sided 3.5mm cabling
Let’s get some hard essentials out of the way. You might think the closed back design of the Hifiman Audivina LE would make them a decent option for portable use. They are not.
These cups may be closed, but they are also humungous and do not look nearly as close to a cabled alternative to, say, a Sony WH-1000XM6 as you might imagine. Relatively high weight doesn’t help either.
The Hifiman Audivina LE are best thought of as home headphones for folks who don’t want to annoy anyone nearby with sound leakage.
Don’t expect too luxury a feel either, which after all is consistent with the Hifiman Audivina LE’s position in the company’s range. They are a mid-price follow-up to the Audivinia from 2023, which originally sold at £1699. Hi-fi headphones get pricey.
The Hifiman Audivina LE’s cup outer has a leather-like finish, but it’s rendered in simple hard plastic. All the silver parts are metal, though, not the plastic often used in headphones to lower weight. It is, I presume, anodised aluminium. But the finish has a shinier, brighter and less fine texture than is seen in, for example, Apple’s MacBooks. It doesn’t come across as super high-grade stuff.
Hifiman uses a fairly simply hammock-style headband. You can only control the size/height of the headband, and the cups swivel just a little in each direction in order to better conform to more people’s heads. I find the faux leather hammock can create an uncomfortable pressure point at the top of my head after a few hours, more so than some of the brand’s recent pairs with the same headband design.
Don’t expect too much from the Hifiman Audivina LE’s isolation either. They just don’t block out a huge amount of ambient noise. It shouldn’t be a problem for home use (or for braver office workers) but is another black mark against using them out in public.
Hifiman is known for keeping its accessories basic. Much like Grado, the focus is all on the actual headphones, not the side plate stuff. However, here we do get a few extras.
The Hifiman Audivina LE include three cables. There’s a portable-style short 1.5m cable that ends in a 3.5mm jack, a longer 3m 6.35mm-terminated one, plus an XLR cable. We even get a semi-hard carry case.
Some folks like to complain about the quality of Hifiman’s cables. They are basic-looking things with plastic terminal housings. Zero flashiness, but do you really need anything more in a £360 headphone?
Sound Quality
- Very wide sound for a closed-back set
- Fibrous low treble character
- Conservative sub-bass
The Audivina LE are quite unusual-sounding headphones that, unsurprisingly considering Hifiman’s history, are less easy to recommend than open pairs in this class like the Edition XV or the now much cheaper Edition XS and Sundara.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Audivina LE sound is its scale, or more specifically its width. Closed-back headphones tend to sound less open and airy, but these are exceptionally wide among closed pairs.
You can mentally visualise where each part of a song sits in the space around your head, which is pretty neat for a closed headphone. I do find the presentation leads to a certain atomisation of mixes, though, which can rob music of some of its sense of direction and drive. Some tracks end up too diffuse-sounding for their own good.
The Hifiman Audivina LE’s tuning is also a bit weird in a few respects. Sub-bass, the really low stuff, is tamer than I’d hope for here. But there’s also a slight extra bump of mid-bass that detracts from the sense of speed and poise planar magnetic driver headphones are typically known for.
I am partial to headphones that have relatively lean and controlled mid-bass, ones that aim to avoid any sense of bloat, and that make up for it with some added sub-bass punch. The opposite approach is taken here, and while the scale of the sound more than makes up for that — I wouldn’t say this pair sounds congested — you can’t but help wonder if another equalisation approach would have worked better.
Hifiman’s treatment of the mids is a little odd too, and it does vocals few favours. The Hifiman Audivina LE make Sabrina Carpenter sound unusually fibrous and tiring, and Randy Newman’s voice unusually thin and hollow. “Rock saviour” Cameron Winter’s solo debut Heavy Metal sounds much better than either thanks to his voice register and the album’s own production, but you can still pick out that insistent upper-mids/treble anomaly pulling focus in his vocal lines at times.
However, feed the Hifiman Audivina LE instrumental music where your ears have a less firmly-rooted anchor to let you pick out tuning quirks and they start to really shine. These headphones have excellent detail, and their bass can sound fast and responsive, when it doesn’t highlight the tiny little paunch of mid-bass present here.
These are clearly super-capable headphones that effortlessly outclass their more popular wireless contemporaries on the technical aspects of sound. But they are also loaded with some sonic quirks some will want to try to EQ out.
Should you buy it?
Buy if you want open headphone sound width in a closed pair
While these headphones aren’t perfect, they do bring some of the expansiveness usually expected from an open, not a closed-back, headphone.
You want a portable-friendly take on Hifiman’s best headphones
These headphones are really too large for breezy portable use, and their sound is less tonally consistent than Hifiman’s open-back pairs.
Final Thoughts
Hifiman’s truly killer affordable closed-back headphone may be one for the future, but there’s a good amount to like about the slightly odd Hifiman Audivina LE.
They sound much wider than most closed back headphones, which was likely a deliberate aim when big and spacious audio is a Hifiman calling card.
There are some tuning quirks, though, that can leave vocals sounding a little hard-edged, while the Hifiman Audivina LE’s sub-bass is quite conservative.
How We Test
We test every pair of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find.
We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Tested with real world use
- Tested for several weeks
FAQs
The LE – Limited Edition – version is a much more affordable headphone but the two share a closed-back style.
The Hifiman Audivinia LE weigh 449g without cable.
They include a large semi-had case.
Full Specs
| Hifiman Audivina LE Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £359 |
| Manufacturer | HiFiMAN |
| IP rating | No |
| Weight | 449 G |
| ASIN | B0FLXVZTVT |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| Driver (s) | Planar magnetic |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm single end, 3m XLR Balanced, 3m 6.35mm single ended |
| Colours | Black/silver |
| Frequency Range | 5 55000 – Hz |
| Headphone Type | Over-ear |
| Sensitivity | 96 dB |
