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

Product Information

I mainly used my HP EliteBook 745 G5 notebook as the source, with music files being mostly comprised of FLAC files ripped from CDs. HiFiMAN Ananda BT

This song is mildly compressed to my ears, there is some imaging there but the song does not benefit from the soundstage of the Ananda that much, because due to its compression or how it was recorded, it seems to be leaner in the mid range, the Ananda with this song might place the mids a little to recessed, resulting in having to turn up the volume a bit to get satisfactory vocal volume. The Sundara is more engaging and cohesive with this particular song, likely a result of the way the song was recorded. One thing that really worth mentioning as well is that they sounds very good out of portable as well. I tried them direct from Hiby R6 and while not as good as the Magni 3, still very enjoyable. One last thing that needs to be mentioned is the soundstage and image placement. As with the Ananda BT, this is a very wide headphone. There is a very ample width which is presented to you, it is certainly not an intimate headphone. I don't think that it is quite as wide as on the BT version, or at least I don't get the feeling that it is too wide like I did at times with that one, but it is certainly a first or second row experience, where speakers are placed well off to your left and right. Meanwhile, the redesigned headband offers slightly more clamping force and a wider range of compatibility for different head shapes and sizes. This is good news for audiophiles with both large and small heads. For me, it’s an extra big plus because I had my share of fit issues with the Edition XS. The Ananda Nano eliminates that problem entirely and offers a very comfortable fit for my head. Generally Ananda bests the Edition X V2 in technicalities but is drier and more stoic. The Edition X V2 counters with romanticism and character.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. I first would like to thank Hifiman for sending out this unit as part of the loaner tour program. I have had the pleasure of participating in a few of these types of programs with Hifiman, and prefer these types of programs to just sending out models to popular reviewers on YouTube. Once there, the transformation was dramatic. The headphone tonality was very nice now and sound super open and pleasing. Alas, after a few minutes of listening, I lost interest in wearing these headphones and focused once more on some grunginess. Mind you, it could just be imagined problem but the final outcome was unlike other headphones that I listen to that are nice. I usually won't stop until I have to do the review. Didn't happen here. The ratcheting adjustment system for the loaner unit was a little hit or miss. For example, the right side slides up and down fairly straightforwardly with the required amount of force for adjustment being just about right. The left side, however, was more difficult to slide due to the larger amount of force (far more than the right side) needed for adjustment. I don't know if this issue is simply isolated to the loaner unit, but it is rather annoying. As reported elsewhere, the paint of the inner sides of the arms of the earcups are stripped from previous adjustments. 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.

My typical listening gear daily is Hiby R6 -> Reso Concerro for USB to SPDIF converter -> Schiit Gumby -> DIYT2 -> Stax SR-007 Mk2

Build quality and comfort​

I didn't find much difference when running the Ananda balanced (Gain 1) or single-ended (Gain 2) on the THX AAA 789. Mids are clear and beautiful, although they might sits just ever slightly behind the bass and treble. Even though the Ananda is a warm headphone, the mids still come out very clear and clean. Okay, we’re now at the part of the review where I tell you how these headphones are great, superb, fantastic and so on and so forth. Let’s do it like this: let’s skip it altogether. Yes, the HiFiMAN Ananda BT are great; yes, they have so many good qualities; yes, they are hands down the best Bluetooth headphones on the market. The problem is: does any of this matter? Personally I do not share an office, but anyone who does would also have to find a different solution (or very understanding co-workers) because even at very low volumes, they are quite audible on the outside. Travel and commuting are obviously out of the question with the Anandas, well, unless you don’t mind hearing everyone around you and them hearing you. 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.

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." This is a non-scientific comparison between the Hifiman Sundara and Hifiman Ananda, without measuring equipment or proper volume matching, for the layperson who might have difficulty relating the measurements to real world listening experiences (aka me). I tried to listen at moderate volume on both, to where any higher would be uncomfortable. This is just my subjective experience and is not a substitute for scientific testing. Both headphones were plugged into a Topping A50S balanced 4.4mm output. Conclusion: Both are great, if you don't have an amplifier then the Ananda is the best way to go since they are easier to drive. I have to say, the Ananda are superior to me, but its not night and day. I found that certain songs I preferred on the Sundara but more of the songs I preferred on the Ananda. Out of the box, the tuning of the Sundara is farther from the Harman Target, I feel like this has a lot to do with the differences here. If you asked me if the price difference was worth it, I would say this. If you plan on just plugging it in and listening straight away without any EQ, yes the Ananda is worth the price difference, however when using EQ to the Harman Target on the Sundara, they become a lot more balanced, and that makes it more complicated, then it comes down to how much you value imaging and soundstage. With everything put together you get a sound that is thin in overall ambience, but yet every single note is full, clear, and with precise separation. Adding clean textured bass within an enveloping field, and you end up with a nice satisfying experience.Hifiman has consistently impressed me with its offerings, and the Ananda Nano is no exception. I’ve always held Hifiman’s planar headphones in high regard, considering them the last stop before the electrostatics. Having used the Edition XS daily for a year, I’ve had ample opportunity to experience a variety of equipment alongside it. Before delving into the Nano’s sound, I’d like to elaborate on this point. Planar headphones indeed have a unique sound, distinct from dynamic driver headphones. The sensation I first experienced with the HE-6 was replicated when I switched from a dynamic driver headphone to a Hifiman with planar drivers. HiFiMAN Ananda vs HiFiMAN HE-560: the HE-560 offer deeper, stronger bass that hits with more force and which sounds more linear and detailed than the Ananda’s, though transient response is similar. Midrange is way more linear and comes across as arguably better in terms of pure fidelity, though the Ananda offer slightly better detail. Treble is more extended, airy and open on the HE-560, which also have less bumps and therefore sound more linear, but the Ananda win by a decent margin in terms of detail. Soundstage is comparable, possibly with the Ananda offering slightly more width, but imaging is definitely better on the HE-560 and instrument separation is similar.

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. So, all of that was to put what I am about to say in context. The Hifiman Ananda are my Genelec/Meyer Sound of headphones. The higher mids are just as present, although there is no immediate drop after the 3kHz mark like in so many other headphones. Usually, if the 3kHz mark is followed by another peak, or if it doesn't roll off slightly, then I get the impression of things being a little harsh. This was an impression I got with the Ananda BT for example. In this case, although the graph shows that the Ananda doesn't really drop off after the 3kHz mark, it just rolls down smoothly (with a small dip around 5kHz), I don't get a sensation of harshness at all. My subjective listening tests bring me to the conclusion that if there is any excess in the treble, it is above my hearing range before it starts to become uncomfortable. In fact, as far as the "air" and "shine" up top, I have no complaints at all (which is a rare occurrence for me). At the beginning of the sound section of this review (although this has become so long they should probably be called “chapters”), I mentioned the words “end-game”. I just want to point out that “end-game” is something that is dependent upon each person but, to me, it means that you have found something that you don’t need to improve. In my case, the detail and definition of the Ananda is enough for me to not need to look for anything better, but that is something personal and only relevant to me. That also doesn’t mean that I won’t still be looking anyway.I have to pair them almost every time with my s21, since I cant just turn them on. Plus, when paired, they often only connect for “calls”, not for “audio”. Also, with LDAC disabled (have to manually turn it on), which also is crap (you can actually hear the difference in sound). The pads are quite soft, the sides are leather, while the surface that touch your ears are alcantara i think? they are comfortable and I don't have problems using them for 2 hours and more. It’s nothing new that Hifiman’s headphones use planar magnetic drivers. But thanks to improving this technology for years now, and having Dr. Fang Bian as the “brain” of its technology department, we can state that Hifiman products are probably the most technically advanced headphones in the world.