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

Product Information

Pads do not rotate on the vertical axis (as all HiFiMAN’s headphones), but since they are so big, they still remain very comfortable" The Ananda Nano continues Hifiman’s tradition of egg-shaped earcup design. It bears a striking resemblance to the Ananda Stealth Magnets Edition, but the Nano introduces a reworked headband to ensure a superior seal around the ears. The earcups of the Ananda Nano are a hybrid of plastic and metal. The grille, a crucial component for sound quality, is crafted from metal, while the surrounding frame is constructed from sturdy plastic. 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. 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.

Now, as always, aesthetics are a very personal thing and I am a huge fan of the Ananda looks. The prolonged shape of the cups, the grille, the leather (or faux-leather) headstrap, it all comes together to present a product that I really like. Out of the Hifiman line-up, as far as looks, my favourite is the Susvara but the Ananda is not far behind. I think it has sort of an “industrial hi-fi” look to it, which matches well with my style.Now for the not so obvious, The HD800 with its plastic construction is nearly 100 grams lighter than the Ananda and to me is an easier fit and more universal in fit. Those same friends I mentioned earlier that had trouble getting the Ananda adjusted had no issues with the HD800. Clamping force is slightly higher on the HD800 but not so much as to be uncomfortable for long wear. To me, the HD800 is the benchmark for soundstage and imaging, it quite simply has better imaging and stage than anything else at anywhere near its price point and easily defends that crown against a lot of things priced much higher. The downside is the HD800 has the now famous 6k spike that the Anax mod calms a bit but does not completely remove. Here the Ananda scores points for being a model with a more polite and even treble with almost as good a stage and imaging as the HD800. In fairness, detail level is better on the HD800 but those who like the stage on the 800 but not the treble will do well to give the Ananda a listen. 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. This one has been easier for me than I initially thought it will be. In terms of build quality, the Clear is built more premium, but it’s not as comfortable as the Ananda. Also, its light gray earpads and headband tend to look quite gross after about a year of heavy use, and there’s no way to replace just the headband cushion, you have to get the whole thing new, and that ain’t cheap. Thanks to that, I’d rate the Ananda higher. I think that by this point I have already made it clear that I am a fan of the Hifiman Ananda, so I will refer to my earlier comment about these being my “Meyer Sound” of headphones. I have no doubt that there are other headphones that excel at specific points, or are just (slightly) better overall, but as we move up in the price range from here, these differences get smaller and smaller and personal preference becomes more and more relevant.

The Ananda is a great sounding headphone that holds up very well against more expensive competition. It has an open soundstage and high resolution. The bass is tight and deep the highs are nice and liquid. It has a delicious midrange presence. As with all headphones, preference is subjective: If you hate the forward sounding midrange presentation of e.g. the Sennheiser HD650 or the Oppo PM1, you might not be as happy about the Ananda as I am. But for me, having a sweet, slightly pronounced midrange reminiscent of the HD650, but with more resolution, wider and deeper soundstage as well as great bass- and treble extension, is a fabulous thing.I will be sharing my review as more of a first impression (3 days in) and will commit to changing any information below if warranted after my full time with the Ananda. 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. 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. There are headphones that dig even a bit deeper in the bass, there are headphones that feel even a bit more snappy and dynamic. No headphone does it all perfect.