HIFIMAN ANANDA Over-Ear Open-back Planar Magnetic Headphones, wired-Black

Product Information

Is this headphone overpriced? In the case of other headphones, I would say probably, but this one hits all the marks: It’s comfortable, durable, has a near-perfect sound signature, fantastic Imaging, and Soundstage, works with all genres, and doesn’t even need an amp! These remaining contents are a user manual, or rather a nicely written guide with specs and information about both the headphones and company, a cable terminated in a 90º 3.5mm TRS, another cable terminated in a 6.35mm TRS and a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter. I didn't find much difference when running the Ananda balanced (Gain 1) or single-ended (Gain 2) on the THX AAA 789.

The microphone is more than decent: your voice is heard quite loud and clear on the other side, though it’s best used in silent environments. In the context of the philosophy of complementary headphones aka insanity such a verdict is easily spoken out of course. What if I only had to choose between the two and wasn't allowed any other headphone at all? I would go for long time listening, lushness and probably chose the Edition X V2. Let me try and put it in context. Although I have been experimenting in the headphone world for a few years, my whole experience with audio has been mostly based around live sound or at least venues aimed at live performances (in which I am also including venues with live DJ’s and not always live musicians), with some studios thrown in along the way. That means that all of my life, speakers have been my source of music, some very good and some very bad. Other than listening to other peoples setups, I have very little experience with audio outside of the live or studio realm. Lower treble transitions from the upper mids smoothly and doesn’t have any notable spikes or dips. Treble is well detailed and has good texture. I did find timbre to be a bit bright at times as the Ananda seems to have an elevation in the 7kHz range that extends through somewhere between 9 and 10kHz. The upper end is tough to pin down as it seems to vary with source material. In this case bright should not be thought of as synonymous with harsh though. The Ananda maintains good control throughout the top end and while it has a bit of extra energy, it is not harsh and somehow actually manages to sound a bit relaxed and gentle. Again, the Ananda takes on the character of the recording. Poor recordings come off as thin, tinny, and metallic. Better recordings sound much more lifelike and lose that edge. Well recorded strings are a pleasure on the Ananda as it gets their timbre closer to spot on than most.Driven out of Hiby R6 and Magni 3, I felt that Ananda and HD800 are within the same class, they deliver the same resolution and details, imaging is better on HD800, but the warmth of Ananda is easier to listened to. A few entries later the softness and roundness became less and less and with the Susvara almost reaches HE-6 levels of slam and tactility now (while beating it in every other area). The Susvara is my favorite headphone out of all headphones but unfortunately out of my reach budget-wise. All in all, the Ananda is an open sounding headphone that performs very well across the board – with a dose of extra charm in midrange." Ananda without EQ preference score 82 https://www.dropbox.com/s/l1wivpf8901uflr/Hifiman Ananda.pdf?dl=0

Driveability wise the Ananda is as promised: easy. The Ananda will sound different with every amplifier or source you try it with, but that doesn’t mean a simple DAP can’t drive it. What you do get from the bigger amps is the special sense of power and control and the better sound stage/spaciousness/ separation. Sub-bass on the Ananda can only be described as minimal. Roll-off begins high enough up that anything below 150Hz is well behind the rest of the signature. Those looking for more low end, will be better served by other models in the Hifiman lineup. Mid-bass is much better represented and realistically from about 200Hz up, linearity is very good. To my ear, mid-bass is neutral or just a hair less, but mid-bass detail and texture are extremely good. While I would prefer a bit more bass, the fact that what the Ananda presents is as clean and well defined as it is, makes what is missing almost ignorable. Transition from the bass into the lower mids is very smooth and clean and where mid-bass bleed usually contributes a bit of warmth to the signature, here the tuning provides it as no perceptible bleed was present. We're not talking about Beyer, Ultrasone peak levels of course. I'm simply magnifying this part a lot to contrast the slight differences better. Pros: Great soundstage and imaging, near neutral performance with a couple elevations for increased musicality. I'd like to consider the Ananda as the more tonally "correct" headphone in most areas but the compulsive striving for "correctness" and linearity makes it a bit too stoic at times. It's as if it wants to take control at all times and not let go and sharpens up top to emphasize its own character even more, it's actually overshooting. This sharpening stands out as this very peak I mentioned. That's where the Ananda's "in control" slightly loses its grip and its overall character certainly makes this peak stand out more. The Edition X V2 would definitely let this peak go more unnoticed if it had it.The Highs have a nice airy and detailed presence, there is a good control from the lower to top frequencies and the treble comes off smooth and yet there is defiantly a gentle sparkle here. No spikes or harshness just details and wonderful separation. Strange outcome as I never heard anyone complaining on an Ananda tried right out of the box with no EQ. It confirms my theory, you will never complain if you just spent big money .... even if it sounds that awful like the blue colored picture "group delay" shows. Bring it soon to Mr Fang's knowledge and let's hope he makes some comments on this review!!! The treble of Ananda is clean, slightly wet in character, like most of their sound, and they present music enjoyable, the treble is natural in balance to the bass and the midrange, never being too much, making them natural rather than bright or hot headed. The treble is the best part for a headphone as well balanced as Ananda, and it helps give contour to the musical and sweet presentation they give to music. This is one of my favorite headphones for sure, and it is worthy to consider if you can't afford the Arya Stealth which is a bit more detailed and precise, or if you want a sweeter and richer sound than Arya Stealth. The sound of Arya is more upbeat, while the sound of Ananda is relaxed and smoother, and those are words that you can use to generally describe Ananda, smooth and relaxed. I would love to hear how it pairs with Chord Mojo 2 as that’s what I currently own and love please update the pairing section of your review Disclaimer: Hifiman sent us the Ananda Nano for this review, free of charge. This article reflects my unbiased opinion about the product. HIFIMAN

The Ananda is great and looking purely at sound quality and the level of technicalities it is the best headphone of the Edition X series. Forget about it being a successor of the HE-560 cause it is not. Comfort wise I somewhat feel the Edition X V2 is the better one, so I personally for my head, would love to see the Ananda drivers on the HE-1000 headband. (DIY anyone?) I got this unit as part New Zealand tour arranged by team Hifiman, thank you very much for including me in this tour Bass - On the Sundara bass hits are more visceral and has more impact, it feels like your closer to the woofer, while more controlled on the Ananda it feels like you are farther away from the woofer, this comes across as more tonally accurate and appropriate on the Ananda but is more fun on the Sundara. It seems like the bass is less blended and has more clarity on the Ananda, it bleeds into the lower mids far less or is simply less distracting and lets me hear the lower mids more clearly, I respect the level of control and accuracy on the Ananda here, but I also enjoy the fact I can feel the bass on my cheeks with the Sundara. Both cans do not do well with sub base and have noticeable rolloff. Planar magnetic drivers, unlike the conical moving coil speakers found in most consumer headphones, are flat planes traced with conductive filaments, suspended between rows of powerful magnets. This design results in low distortion levels, a crisp presentation, and impressive clarity. They provide a sense of spaciousness and great clarity, which I’ve consistently observed in Hifiman’s offerings. Regardless of your audiophile preferences – whether you’re a basshead, a treblehead, or a reference lover – Hifiman’s headphones are bound to impress from the first listen. This unique blend of technicality and clarity is what drew me to planar headphones, not just for music, but also for movie watching. Ananda does staging and imaging better than the Hex V2, cues in the "3D space" are easier to make out, traced and sharper drawn. It's certainly not due to its tuning alone but more founded in the improved drivers and how they maintain better control of the diaphragm.Overall, for my listening preferences (which is textured vocals) the Ananda performs extremely well at it’s price point. I find myself reaching for the Ananda far more in my listening room than other options I have available to me. Now, that could be down to the fact that I am on this loaner tour and find myself compelled to spend as much time as possible with it, but I would like to think that I would happily remove some of my current lineup for these. I have previously owned both the v1 and v2 version of the Edition X, and based on memory I can say that I prefer the Ananda for my listening preferences. Earcups can NOT swivel at all, so for some with wide, big faces, the headphone can feel very uncomfortable Also for those able to modify the HE-500, a well done one like mine also buries the Ananda in musicality and proper tone. Bass is mostly neutral, with decent extension which however doesn’t cover the lowest notes with the same authority. There’s a very good amount of detail and layering is great as well. Midrange is more towards the bright side than anything, with a clear rise starting in the middle and going up with frequency; this sometimes creates a bit of thinness, but in general manages to give more energy and vivacity to the sound without compromising its overall tonality. Treble is where the rise that started in the midrange tops off, only to then go down quite rapidly in the upper area. It can sometimes be a bit aggressive, but it’s also quite detailed and overall pleasant in the mix. Final Thoughts What is the general tuning? Neutral. To my ears there is a shift towards a U shaped sound with slightly elevated bass & treble. However, the shift is so small that the headphones are closer to neutral than anything else.