HIFIMAN Svanar Wireless LE Luxury Edition – Chocolate Case For Punchy Sound
HIFIMAN Svanar Wireless LE Luxury Edition is a $199 USD pair of TWS or True Wireless In-Ear Monitors / IEMs, with a Luxury build, including a beautiful brown transport case, the same IEM shells as all the other Svanar wireless on the outside, but a different tuning and sound on the inside. Today we will dive deep into the sound and tech behind the Svanar Wireless LE and also compare them to other IEMs in the same price range including Astell & Kern AK UW100 MKII (299 USD), FiiTii HIFIDots (199 USD), and Pamu Slide 2 ANC (159 USD). We will also draw a good number of comparisons with the original Svanar Wireless, which is still running for a price point of 499 USD.
Introduction
HIFIMAN is a large company from China always trying to bring music lovers and audio aficionados better ways to enjoy music, and Svanar Wireless LE or Luxury Edition is a great example of the company’s commitment to bring us an excellent sound that they developed in-house, with their own unique tech, but for a lower price now than ever. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. A huge thanks to HIFIMAN for providing us with the sample for this review.
PROs – Clean, sharp and brilliant sound, Great comfort, Exceptional build quality, R2R DAC inside, LDAC support, Wide and Holographic soundstage, Revealing Sound, Extremely Loud Maximum Volume, Strong Battery Life, Beautiful and sturdy design, Good call quality and microphone quality.
Cons – Using ANC mode and Transparency mode will affect sound quality.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/3zgGrxO
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Reviewing the Choco version of the Svanar has to be a tasteful experience, and the whole presentation of those is actually a bit better looking than the big Svanar Wireless, with the transport case having a more pleasing color. This being said, most of the other aspects are similar, including the package, accessories and the IEM shells, which look exactly the same. I have seen some folks noting that Svanar Wireless LE may not have LDAC, but Samsung S23 Ultra detects them and connects to them via LDAC, so I am not sure why it wouldn’t work for others. S23 Ultra reports both LDAC, and 32 Bit / 96 kHz playback.
The DAC in each IEM is an R2R Architecture, with an amplifier embedded in each IEM. We are seeing the Topology diaphragm implemented once again in the IEMs, and Bluetooth 5.2 powers the IEMS, with both ANC and ENC, and even IPX5 rating for the IEMs. It is important to have a good DAC inside of each IUEM, as that is where the conversion happens, and the Bluetooth signal is actually a digital signal, with TWS IEMs always needing a DAC inside of the IEMs. The R2R solution found in the Svanar Wireless LE is the HYMALAYA developed in-house by HIFIMAN.
Speaking of which, this custom ladder DAC, is paired with a custom Headphone Amplifier module, and we getty a THD or Total Harmonic Distortion of 0.52$ for a -60 dB loudness signal, or a 0.005% THD for a -2dB loudness. The maximum undistorted output of the combo is 54mW for a 16 OHM impedance, or 45mW for a 32 OHM impedance, which in theory should be more than enough for a pair of TWS IEMs.
HIFIMAN draws a comparison, that Svanar Wireless can offer a 24 Bit / 96 kHz signal, comparable to systems costing thousands more, which is true, as a wired Svanar would cost you around 2000 USD, and a HIFIMAN EF400, which uses the same HIMALAYA DAC costs around 599 USD.
The IEMs have a weight of 8 grams for each IEM, which is towards the heavier side, but the battery life is fairly good, with the IEMs lasting for around 5 hours in HIFI Mode (the best sounding one), or 6 hours in ANC mode, and those numbers are actually accurate. The Transparency mode can bump the battery life to 7 hours, but I did not use it that much, as I typically need IEMs to isolate me from the outside noise and not to amplify it.
The actual usage is super fun, and pretty much my experience is exactly the same as the one I had with the original Svanar Wireless. Using the ANC On option will cancel a lot of the sound around you, but will affect the music volume and quality. Transparency will amplify some of the background noise, to the same level as music is playing. This has the downside of also affecting music quality, and maximum volume, and since the microphones are on the outer shell you use to control music playback, brushing your finger against it is amplified a lot, so it produces an uncomfortable sound.
High Fidelity sounds the best, it has the best resolution, clarity, and best volume. The IEM shells are comfortable, a bit on the heavy side, but they sit in my ears while I run on the treadmill with max speed, and they offer a good wearing comfort overall. The passive noise isolation is sufficient that from 30% of the max volume, you won’t hear the background noise, unless it is incredibly loud. We have LDAC support, and the package includes 8 pairs of silicone tips, out of which the simple single flanged tips are the best for me. I have gotten used to using the Svanar Wireless, and over the months I’ve used them, I noticed no glaring issues, there was an occasional disconnect at the gym, if 3-4 people also using bluetooth were standing really close, but that’s about to be expected in that situation, and a reset of the IEMs usually clears it up anyways.
Sound Quality
Overall Signature – Svanar Wireless Le has a clean, deep and V-Shaped sound with a profound, deep and bold bass, clean and recessed midrange, and with a sharp, detailed and sparkly treble, aiding the resolution and revealing ability the IEMS express. The overall clarity is really good, and they are a good fit for all music styles, having some of the magic their big brother, Svanar Wireless has, but making the sound a bit more aggressive, authoritative, more forward, and adding more treble sharpness, sparkle, as well as more bass, more sub bass, and more body to music.
Bass – Starting with a bold, deep bottom end, Svanar Wireless LE is a bass master, they can produce the earth rumbling bass that bands like Om need for their Sinai song, but also a full and rounded bass as you’d need for pop songs, or even EDM. The bass has a strong presence all the way through, from the lowest sub-bass, where Svanar Wireless Le reaches 20 Hz really well, all the way to 120 Hz, as the entire bass regions are powerful and bold. A faster bass means that the bass can have a lot of texture when the song has been recorded as such.
Midrange – We have a clean, well defined midrange, with a wide and holographic soundstage. The midrange is recessed down right in the middle, offering a stronger lower midrange and upper midrange presentation than right down in the middle, making a sound which is V-Shaped, but without coloring voices too much. Both male and female voices sound exactly as they sound, with an emphasis on guitar solos.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – The texture is on the sharper side, Svanar Wireless Le presents a square wave with all the edges and corners. The sound has a fair dynamic presentation, it sounds dynamic, but the dynamic range itself is slightly compressed, most likely due to the bluetooth / wireless design of the IEMs. This means that Svanar Wireless Le is really good with rock, metal and pop, bringing forward more of the background information.
Volume Control – The maximum volume allowed by the Svanar Wireless Le is higher than that of all the other Svanar wireless IEMs, and the distortion even at absolute max is very low. There is not a big difference between low volume and high volume listening, although at max volume, or close to it, the sound becomes sharper, more dynamic, and more aggressive, the frequency response being very similar to low volume, with still a bold bass and a sharp treble.
Treble – This has to be the sharpest sounding Svanar variant, having a brilliant, bright treble, with a strong extension up to 15 kHz, and a strong presence peaking around 12 kHz. This creates a clean image and presentation for rock and metal, bringing a lot of energy to all songs, and creating a revealing presentation for the IEM in general. The sound is exceptionally cohesive as there is a single dynamic driver, and the speed of the driver is constant for all frequencies.
Comparisons
HIFIMAN Svanar Wireless LE vs FiiTii HIFIDots (199 USD vs 199 USD)
Build – Like most commercial TWS Bluetooth IEMs, Fiitii Hifidots have a novelty effect for their transport / charge case, which is substantial in weight, solid in build and feels really nice in person. The IEMS are plasticky, made of a lightweight plastic and feel a bit frail. The ANc does not change the sound with the HIFI Dots, but it does have a sonic impact on Svanar Wireless LE. The whole IEM feels much sturdier with Svanar Wireless, and the build is better.
Sound – Sonically, despite the meme name, HIFI Dots are quite good, having a U-Shaped sound, while Svanar Wireless LE has a V-Shaped sound with more mid bass, more upper midrange and a more cohesive overall sound. Both options are rather great for all music styles, but I see myself enjoying classical and mature music with Svanar Wireless LE, while HIFI Dots are best for EDM, Dubstep and commercial or pop music, failing to deliver a natural sound for other styles. The voicing of Svanar Wireless is much better for both male and female voices, the soundstage is larger, details are more evident, and instrument separation is stronger.
HIFIMAN Svanar Wireless LE vs Astell&Kern AK UW100MKII (199 USD vs 299 USD)
Build – UW100MKII is a plastic IEM with a lightweight shell, which is somewhat large in size, but still very ergonomic. Svanar Wireless is also ergonomic and comfortable, but the IEMs are heavier. We have LDAC support for Svanar Wireless LE, but only aptX Adaptive with UW100MKII, and there is no ANC with UW100MKII. The Battery life is quite a bit longer on UW100MKII, but I would not keep a pair of IEMs in my ears for longer than 3 hours at a time, both IEMs reaching this safely.
Sound – Sonically, Svanar Wireless has a somewhat V-Shaped sound which is on the opposite side of the spectrum compared to the more mid-centric signature of UW100MKII. The max SPL of UW100MKII is not very high, and they stay a bit quiet compared to Wireless LE, and UW100 sounds smoother, softer, and a warmer overall bass, the midrange is more natural and less recessed, while the treble is much smoother. Svanar Wireless Luxury sounds much sharper, more detailed, each musical note is more defined, and the bass is more impactful, at the cost of the midrange being recessed.
HIFIMAN Svanar Wireless Le vs Pamu Slide 2 ANC (199 USD vs 159 USD)
Build – Pamu Slide 2 ANC has a novelty effect for the transport / charging case, but the IEMs are made of plastic and don’t feel very sturdy. Svanar Wireless LE has the advantage of having metallic shells for the IEMs, which I think is very important for Gym usage, as I did drop the IEMS from 1 and a half meters often while doing very heavy bench presses, then getting up and trying to clean them. The ANC effect is stronger on the Svanar Wireless LE, but it affects the sound, and the same happens with Pamu Slide 2. You cannot bring Pamu Slide 2 very loud, as you will hear the driver hitting the enclosure and a lot of distortion, while Svanar Wireless LE doesn’t have this problem at all.
Sound – Sonically, Svanar Wireless LE is much sharper, more detailed, cleaner, reveals details and information better, and has a more engaging, more enjoyable sound. The soundstage is small and somewhat compressed with Pamu slide 2, while it is expansive, and well defined, well separated with Svanar Wireless LE. At this point in time, Svanar Wireless Luxury Edition is a better purchase for their price point, Pamu Slide 2 sounding great for the money, but being kept back by a lack of maximum volume and high THD in comparison.
Value and Conclusion
With such a low price as we have with the Svanar Wireless, it is not just an incredible deal, it is one of the best deals for Bluetooth Wireless IEMs as long as you’re looking for the sharper, V-Shaped sound they offer, and if you’re a fan of the chocolate case they are using with their IEMs.
At the end of the day, HIFIMAN has proven that they can offer a most exquisite listening experience even for those who are on a budget, and with the current pricing of the Svanar Wireless LE Luxury Edition, they are competitive against all of the other TWS IEMs, and provide a very similar experience compared to the big Svanar Wireless, but for less than half the price, considering the current 199 USD sale price on the HIFIMAN website at the moment.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/3zgGrxO
Technical Specifications
Drivers – 9.2mm Topology Diaphragm with special Nano particle coating
Connectivity – Bluetooth 5.2 (LDAC, AAC, SBC)
Frequency Response – 10Hz – 35KHz
Impedance – 32 ohms
Battery life – Up to 4h (HiFi mode), 6h (ANC Mode), 7h (Transparency mode)
Sound Isolation – Up to 25dB
Waterproof – IPX5
IEM Weight – 8g
Charging Case Weight – 83.7g
Transmission Distance – up to 15m (barrier-free transmission)
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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The audio is amazing. The ANC and transparency features are terrible, I don’t even know if mine works.