Introduction

Of the many, many audio brands currently active, I have not covered any as extensively as HIFIMAN, and the same could be said about our previous audio editor too. HIFIMAN was founded 20 years ago, although under a different name and really only burst onto the scene closer to 15 years ago with open-back planar magnetic headphones. Some of those earlier products continue to be cherished by many even to this day, while HIFIMAN has gone on to establish a rich product lineup consisting of open- and closed-back planar magnetic headphones costing ~$100 and going up to $8000 with the recently released Susvara Unveiled. HIFIMAN also makes and sellsdynamic driver headphones and IEMs—both wired and wireless—as well as DACs and amplifiers. But HIFIMAN hasn't stopped there either, making a foray into the untethered world of electrostatic headphones, with the Shangri-La Sr. being one of the very best headphones ever made, while costing more than a pretty penny. If you were a fan of HIFIMAN's tuning and wanted to access that with e-stats, there is also the Shangri-La Jr., again with its own suggested amplifier pairing, as well as the Jade II for a more affordable combo. There was clearly an opening between the Jade II and the Shangri-La Jr. though, especially with the former being somewhat long in the tooth, and that's where things get interesting.


While the Susvara Unveiled got all the attention, and understandably so, HIFIMAN had also launched a new e-stat just a few weeks earlier in the form of the Mini Shangri-La. As the name suggests, HIFIMAN would very much like you to consider this as part of the more premium and well-received Shangri-La set, and we see a similar oval-shaped ear cup design which we have come to associate with the brand. The Mini Shangri-La boasts the incorporation of technology that HIFIMAN has developed over the years, especially as it pertains to its higher end e-stats, but at a far more affordable price. It released alongside the Mini Shangri-La e-stat amplifier, once again following the trend of HIFIMAN e-stats designed alongside a source they are suggested being best used with. This combination has the potential to shake up the niche, yet passionate, e-stat headphone market, and HIFIMAN was kind enough to provide a sample of both the headphones and the amplifier to TechPowerUp for review. Let's dig deeper into both products in this combo review today, and begin with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications