The Ananda sound great with the warmer sounding pairing of the iFi Zen Dac + Zen Can class-A Amp $129+$149. Unfortunately the new mic does not sound good, it's really picking up the room echo. Even an inexpensive $50 (RØDE Lavalier GO) mic can sound great if it's placed off centre (placed where the breast pocket on a tee-shirt would be) that way it avoids the excessive hot low-end resonance that can happen when is placed in the centre-top of the chest.
Thanks for the tip on the iFi chain, Lockk9. I agree that a lapel/lavalier mic is preferable in an untreated space like my office. The shotgun mics really struggle with the reflections. When I record the review of the MKE 200 I'll use it in multiple locations to further demonstrate where it works well and where it doesn't.
Thanks for this review. I was looking forward to it. I have owned a pair since 2 months ago and I am very very happy with them. Some people get surprised to know I chose this over the Focal Clear MG. For my ears, the Ananda's sound gorgeous, especially with Jazz and classical Music. They are very well balanced in all the frequencies, quite warm and, in all, a pleasure for my ears. I paired it with a modest hiby R5 Saber and happy with the couple. For me the Ananda is far more refined than the Sundara´s. Let's not forget the quality of the recordings is important !! Take care
Hi Jose, I haven't heard the Clear MG yet, but that is interesting that you prefer the Ananda. It goes to show why it's important that we have multiple options available to us because our tastes and listening preferences are all different. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Ananda have one of the best sound signatures right out of the box for those who can’t be bothered with using EQ. I’ve heard many of the Hifiman headphones and as far as diminishing returns go… the Ananda are worth paying double the price of the Sundara… but the Arya are not worth double the price of the Ananda. In an A/B test I actually preferred the Ananda sound sig over the Arya and HD 800s
@@PassionforSound Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the Arya and 800s also… but like I said with diminishing returns the Ananda are giving you probably 90% of what the Arya are doing. I also think the 800s are overpriced at $1700 and while the wide soundstage is amazing for genres like Classical, it struggles with Rock type genres and really needs EQ. The Ananda are arguably a benchmark headphone at $700 US and a pretty good all a rounder. It also pairs well with tube amps like the LYR3. If I was into EQ and I’m not… I’d consider getting the Arya and 800s in the future.
Yes totally the Ananda worth paying double over the Sundara. I own both. When I bought the Ananda I had the chance to compare them for a few days at home with the Arya. I was certain at the beginning I will choose the Arya over the Ananda cause it was more expensive ans I was ready to pay for it. After many hours of listening I end up preferring the Ananda. Ananda have a more "natural" timbre. Arya do better in some areas but is not "enjoyable" like the Ananda. If I consider to move up I will go directly to the HE 1000 V2 that Hifiman had return in their current line up and skip the Arya.
@@black_n5492 No, it's the versatility that is the strongest feature. They sound much like most stock cables. The stock cables that came with the Ananda? Remind me of something found in a field med kit.
As you perfectly stated the Sundara are easy, fun listening headphones that aren't particularly showing the quality of the recording. The Ananda are great revealing headphones. What makes the difference to me is the way the Ananda sound when coupled with a tube amp. Great video, thank you for sharing.
@@PassionforSound I particularly appreciate your approach to the couple Sundara/Ananda: a lot of people look at them as alternatives. I think that as you cleared they are more complementary headphones with which one can cover different kind of listenings and different approach to music.
Tube amps don't have to muddy the sound - that will depend on the amp. Pairing a very revealing headphone with a tube amp can be a magical combo by balancing detail retrieval and clarity with presence and musicality.
That’s for the detailed review! And especially for the heads-up that there is a risk of pairing them with a neutral or bright source. Was considering the Ananda since I really like the HE400i 2020 which seem to have a somewhat similar tuning. Also liking the Sundara for its own strengths. So probably not worth getting the Ananda additionally.
The Ananda is better than the Sundara and HE400i, but unless you're planning to sell the HE400i, I don't think there's much point having all three because the Ananda is kind of like a blend of the two you already have (more bass than the 400, more treble than the Sundara)
I recently upgraded from an Ananda to a ‘21 LCD-X. I use EQ, listen to many genres and prefer the LCD-X. Ananda has an airier presentation but in my system the LCD-X wins in all other categories. I imagine the Ananda could sound wonderful on a tube amp while listening to jazz or orchestral music though. Great review, thanks!
Thanks for sharing your LCD-X experiences. I hope to try more of the LCD range in the future. I've owned the LCD-2 in the pre-Fazor days and I'm reviewing the LCD-1 now.
@@PassionforSound Thanks for your reply and looking forward to future reviews. The LCD-X is $4-$500 more than the Ananda so maybe it’s not a fair comparison. For the money, the Ananda does deliver some great sounds.
Different measurement setups and compensation curves will impact what you see and I don't 100% trust the miniDSP EARs in the high frequencies so don't get put off by the graph. There's no doubt that it's got a treble peak, but the sound isn't anywhere near as bad as that graph might have you believing. What's more important is my description of the headphone's sound and comparison to other headphones you might know because without context, measurement graphs are of limited value due to the variations in scale, compensation curves, smoothing, etc.
I just ordered the Amandas, thanks for the review and detailed insight. I currently have the Focal Elex with the Topping A50s & D50s stack. I think the Amandas will give me a smoother sound that will compliment the Elex.
Hi Ray, I haven't heard the Elex, but I expect you'll really like the Anandas. Enjoy! I've also got a video coming soon discussing some affordable cable options for the Ananda (and all HiFiMan cans) so you might find that interesting too 🙂
Just this week I uploaded my review of my own pair after having them for a year, and I do have to say that I agree with you on most parts, however I either got used to the treble peak you talk about, or I don't get it at all. SPOILER ALERT, I 💖💖✨ADORE ✨💖💖 my Ananda, and I only had one thing to really complain about... BTW, I'm starting my channel and I would love to have your feedback on it, on the style, the content etc. I hope you can give it a watch. P.S. I love love love your frequency response overlay during the audio section. Brilliant and elegant.
Glad you liked the review! I got quite a lot of feedback that people didn't like the FR graph overlay so I've actually gone more traditional in later vids, but I personally preferred this approach given that the graphs are only an indication of sound and shouldn't be taken too strongly as a direct indicator of performance or sound quality. I'll take a look at your channel when I get home from holidays. Good luck with it and stick with it - the first little while can be slow going as you build your audience.
@@PassionforSound thank you very much! And I'd say, stick to your own style! I think it's very nicely executed, and at the end of the day it's diversity that keeps any community interesting, active and evolving!
The Sundara still is, one of the best pound for pound plana headphones around, especially at it's price range 🥊 Great review Lachlan, once again. Also definitely think that Schit makes some good bit of kit.
Would you say this is less harsh or warmer? sound. I think I would like a warmer sound. I'm looking at this DAC the SU-9 and the SU-8S, DO200, LOXJIE D50, LOXJIE D40, M500 MK2, and the VMV D1SE or the SU-9N. I stream music with Tidal and never heard MQA but would like to have.
These are fairly neutral. I'd probably recommend something like the new Sendy Apollo if you want a warmer sound. I have a review of those coming very soon
Thanks for the review! I’m looking at getting one Ananda so I liked your take on it, but I’m having a bit hard time picking a decent suitable matching desktop amp for it. I’ve internet-looked at Pro-Ject S2 and Burson Playmate 2 and JDL Element mostly, but cannot decide really. Don’t want anything budget and not owerly qualified either :-)
I haven't tried the S2 or Playmate, but I'd personally lean towards the Playmate based on my recent experiences with Burson's products. The Ananda aren't hard to drive, but they do perform best with a smoother sounding amp in my opinion so the Playmate's ability to swap op-amps might be useful too
Was shopping these the other night. Stop reading my mind please. Appreciate the review as always though ✌️ (edit) Oh, the new mic is fine. Lil stuffy sounding maybe, not as dulcet as your regular mic (or how you're processing the audio from that mic), but perfectly fine imo.
Haha. Maybe it's you reading my review schedule 😉 Thanks for the feedback on the mic. Not looking to replace my current setup - just a quick review in the near future
Prices have really come down, maybe now is a good time to hear what planars can do. The Sundara is very compelling now that it's $300. It seems like the better sound signature for me personally but I wish it had more bass extension. I don't want to to mess with EQ, at least for now. And the Ananda is I think $550 from the $700 in this video. That puts it on par with the Edition XS.
I think the Sundara is an amazing option at that price! The bass extension isn't terrible either and hard to get better without spending significantly more.
Hi Jeet, that's a really interesting question that I'm currently exploring once and for all. The theory of low impedance cans and OTL amps being a bad match comes down to 2 things: 1) dynamic headphones have different impedances at different frequencies. If the output impedance of the amp is too high, this causes variations in the power delivered at different frequencies which results in a different frequency response from the headphone. For some cans that's beneficial, for others not so much. What's important though is that this has ZERO bearing on planars because planar headphones have the same impedance at every frequency. 2) an amplifier is also responsible for controlling or damping the driver. Dynamic drivers actually create current themselves because of the voice coil moving between the magnets. The amp's damping factor (determined by its output impedance vs the headphone impedance) tells us how well it can resist this and therefore control the driver's unwanted motion. Planars are different again though because they have a trace on a diaphragm rather than a coil of wire and this creates (I believe) less return current. I also believe planars might be stiffer to start with and less likely to create significant unwanted movement. If that's the case, planars are also immune (or mostly immune) to the damping factor issue as well, but that's the one I need to test a bit more before being completely certain. So, the short version of a VERY long answer is that you can absolutely use planars on OTL amps. The worst case scenario will be immediately obvious distortion if the amp lacks sufficient power to overcome the impedance mismatch (e.g. xDuoo TA-26 struggles with all low impedance cans). What will often happen though is that you'll get much the same sound as from a solid state amp (accounting from different characteristics of the different amps) or perhaps a slightly less controlled sound (a little less attack, slightly looser bass) due to less damping.
Would love to see what you think of the Aryas, as they're meant to be a lot harder to run but also remarkable technically. Anandas I think are around £500 in the UK which is pretty remarkable for what I think they offer.
Hi, thanks a lot for your very good video. I currently have the Grado 325 SRe and am thinking of upgrading to the Ananda. How do they compare to the Grado, in particular for classical and jazz? I use a Lehmann Audio Linear headphone amp. Kind regards, Ignacio
I don't know the 352s well enough to comment, but having used multiple Grado headphones, the Ananda is more tonally balanced than the Grado tunings so they tend to suit a wider range of music better. I would personally take the Anandas over a pair of Grados, but it's worth noting that the Grado tuning is deliberately dynamic and involving so give yourself a little time to adapt to the sound of the Anandas before deciding if you like them better or not.
Great detailed review and very enjoyable video. Love the superimposed images of the frequency response over your video, very nicely done. What do you use software-wise if I may ask? Cheers from Paris.
Glad you liked it, Raphael. I use DaVinci Resolve for all editing of videos. My measurements are done in Room Equalisation Wizard (REW) and I invert the frequency graphs using Affinity Photo so they can be effectively overlayed.
I have the Ananda With the SMSL SP200 amp no DAC yet But some times the highs are to harsh for me getting headaches fatiguing. Which DAC i could use to bring it down a bit
You'll get smoother sound from most decent DACs. Depending on your budget and location, I'd look at something like the Topping E30 or E50 or a Schiit Multibit DAC (Modi Multibit or Bifrost 2). The Schiit DACs are my preference, but availability has been tricky lately
I went into addicted to audio in Sydney ready to buy Anandas after reading all the reviews but when I demo'd them I just found them too harsh and metalic sounding, that 8k peak was just too much. I also thought the resolution/spacing was a bit awkward. There was a pair of Clears in the demo room and so I gave them a try and they just sounded so much better. That sucked for me because this was before the price drop on the Clears and they were out of my price range. But I got lucky and found a well-used set on eBay. Now with Clears dropping in price no one should buy Anandas without auditioning Clears IMO.
I agree that the Clears are a great headphone. I'm not sure how long they'll be available though. I believe they've been discontinued. I had to sell mine to fund another purchase so I couldn't compare them here. What did you demo the Anandas from? Like other cans with strong treble peaks, they definitely need a smoother source.
@@PassionforSound I think it was a Topping DX7, so not ideal but I listened to the Clears out of it too. I remember when you reviewed the Clears you said something like they were right at your limit for treble aggression, I think I feel the same and the Anandas are one step too far for me. I also think I really value what I call coherence, that sense that everyting is in it's right place spacially, the Anandas felt like a gangly teenager to me, like they had just grown all this soundstage but didn't quite know how to use it properly if that makes sense.
That's interesting. It might be a result of the DX7 because it will produce a relatively flat, but wide stage with minimal depth and that could cause some problems I expect. It will also push all the details forwards and that would definitely do no favours for the Ananda. Probably one of the worst pairings I could imagine for them so I totally get why you feel that way 🙂
I've never heard a planar magnetic headphone so I don't have any point of reference for them. How would you say the Ananda compares to a DT990 Pro 250 ohm with Brainwavz XL pleather ear pads which add low end bass? I also run them with v shaped EQ driving them from my PC using an EVGA Nu Audio card and all of my music is 320 kb ripped by iTunes. I also have the DT990 Edition with the same pads and its much lighter on the low end frequencies but I do love the Beyerdynamic open back sound signature.
Unfortunately, I don't have enough experience with the DT990s to compare them - sorry! What I can tell you is that the Beyers tend to have much peakier sound (i.e. more points of extreme emphasis). That can make them fun and exciting, but the planars often have a more neutral sound. The Anandas are a little peaky, but not like the DT880s I own and I expect also not like the DT990.
It's somewhere in between I think. It's more neutral, but with a slight amount of treble emphasis that's also offset by solid bass. Not exactly v-shaped but more in that direction I'd say...
@@PassionforSound Thank you again. I'll try to get one used on Bay for around 250-350 dollar if I can. Ebay auction sniping is something not easy to do lol.
@@PassionforSound What upgrades to the sound compared to the Deva Pro? Unfortunately couldnt get it at the price point but thinking of getting one on aliexpress for 355.
It's hard to compare to Deva Pro because it depends on if you're using the DP wireless or wired. When wired, the Anandas have better bass extension and presence which gives a more natural overall tonality in my opinion. Beyond that, I can't recall each well enough to say.
as much as it’s easy to drive , hifiman planars generally always want more even the lower two, the cable is revolting it also comes with the susvara which is hilarious
Yeah, it's pretty bad for a $6,000 headphone, isn't it? As for the whole power thing, that's a huge myth as far as I can tell. I'm yet to see any evidence that having more power improves the sound in any way. Having enough power for peaks in the music is vital of course, but once you have enough power, more power will do nothing. I'm going to test this soon to confirm my suspicion. I believe where this started was people turning to vintage speaker amps and the like to drive HE-6s, etc. back in the day. When you change amps you also change whatever colouration comes from each of the amps so it's very difficult to compare how a headphone actually sounds with more power because the variables (such as amp voicing/colouration) aren't being controlled. In the case of vintage amps, many of them have a punchy, full sound which will of course make the headphones sound bassier and richer, but that's the amp's character, not the power that's altering the sound.
@@PassionforSound Some times what people mean by power is voltage swings. The high impedance headphones like the HD6XX have the lowest impedance at around the mids, which is why cheap solid state amps make it sound even more mid-centric. With expensive tube amps, the bass and treble start to get filled out. Also sometimes you need extra headroom for the slam because while the amp may be powerful enough for the vocals or the main melody, sometimes for the slam you need plenty more power
I got these with an ifi hip dac, 4.4mm Hart Audio cable and 2 aftermarket cables(2.5mm & 3.5mm) for $550 shipped. I'm hoping ifi's xBass pairs well with it without mudding up the sound.
Love your work as always amazing. I recently bought myself a pair which I'm waiting for them to arrive in the next days and I'm in the process of choosing a nice head amp to pair them with. My audio chain consists mainly of a bifrost 2 + freya plus so I got two or maybe three ways to choose from and since I've found from your reviews that my taste and preferences are very similar to yours and you give really informative feedback I'd really love to hear your opinion on this matter. One is to get a decent solid state head amp like SMSL SH-9 and pass it through Freya + if I want to test that tube sound. The second is to go straight for Valhalla 2 and not pass it through my audio chain. And the third would be to get perhaps a Mojo 2 in order to use them with my mobile as well. Which one would you think would be the proper way to go for Ananda? Thanks in advance for any help and if you think that you have a better recommendation at this price point (I'm willing to pay no more than 500-600) I'd love to hear it! Thanks in advance for any help :)
Nice headphone choice! For an amp, I would recommend something discrete if you can (or tubes) so you can enjoy the better soundstage presentation. The Jotunheim 2 is one option, but the Valhalla would also be great. The Singxer SA-1 is also excellent, but might be out of the budget I think. If you're likely to go mobile often, the Mojo 2 would also be great as it's as good as the Bifrost 2 with a discrete amp built in and an amazing EQ
@@PassionforSound thank you for your reply! Actually the singxer sa-1 is not out of my budget (just on the upper part). Do you think I should go for a tube amp or this one? I'd love to get Jotunheim 2 but I'm not in US at this point and EU store is out of stock so I'll end up paying a significant amount in customs which definitely does not worth it (I can get a better headphone amp for that added cost). But I can find Valhalla 2 here in my country. Or should I go for Singxer? Again thanks for your invaluable help!
I haven't yet tried the Valhalla so I can't say on that one. Generally, solid state amps are more versatile with everything from IEMs to challenging headphones whereas tubes can be a little more tricky with the IEMs. I don't know if that applies to the Valhalla though.
Great video. Consistent comments out there regarding the Ananda being more refined ito quality of the sound than Sundara, but the Sundara is better "tuned". Would you not then EQ the Ananda and it would be perfect?
@@PassionforSound thanks for the reply! I see my question was worded horribly haha. Apologies. I was wondering if it was as "easy" as just EQing. The Sundara is described as being more energetic in certain areas, and I'm not sure those qualities can be just EQ'd into another headphone.
You're absolutely right that there are many things EQ can't change. That said, the Ananda is a better headphone on quite a few levels so tweaking it slightly to bring it's frequency response to a flatter shape might get good results.
@@PassionforSound Thanks man. I mainly listen to rock music, so I've seen the Sundara is even more recommended for that. But I'm looking to explore the rabbit hole and enjoy the experience too with other genres, so I might yet go with the Anandas. I am looking at either. Cheers
Any idea what material the ear cups are made of? Are there magnets on both sides of the diaphragm? Have you a chance to compare them to the Verum 1 and/or the Sundara?
Hi Neil, I'm not certain of the build materials or magnet setup - sorry. They could be lightweight metal or plastic - probably plastic I think, but a good quality plastic. As for comparisons to the Sundara and Verum 1, I own all three and I do believe the Ananda is the better headphone overall. It's tonality is probably closer to the Verum, but also a little more emphasised in both bass and treble.
Do you think these will pair well with a fx-audio Dac x6 Mark 2? (One of the budget dac/amp combos out there) You mentioned that dry sounding amps are quite an issue. (The x6 is known to have a dry sound)
Unfortunately, without hearing it, I can't really say. I'd probably recommend something of a higher quality for a headphone of this level though or you're really hamstringing their performance
@@PassionforSound I have been looking quite a lot at different amps in the past couple of days and i think I will pick up a Schiit Asgard 3 with an ES9028 DAC inside which is also fairly portable. As you mentioned in the video that these pair well with the Ananda’s, I’m keen to pull the trigger on these
Your drop off in the sub bass contradict other reviewers measurements and my own subjective experience. Do you perhaps have have the first revision Ananda’s that had seal problems? Extension should be flat past 20hz
Hi Ren, these are brand new and received just 2 months ago or thereabouts. It is possible that the long earpads altered the measurement accuracy because I'm only using the EARS from miniDSP, but I definitely did hear some roll-off compared to the GL2000 which did measure quite flat and also has a fairly large pad (not quite as large though). I didn't do specific listening tests for extension (I have a few tracks with bass that's only at the extremes so I could perhaps try those to see)
Hi Ren, I've done further searching and all but one other measurement I found in a brief search (about 4-5 sites) showed some roll-off similar to mine. I've also remeasured them and I had to apply crazy extra levels of clamping to get a flat bass response so I don't think that's realistic to achieve in normal wearing conditions. It also doesn't hurt their sound because they still sound great
Thanks for the helpful and articulate review. Is this the “stealth’ edition of the Ananda? That is, the recent update with the thinner diaphragm? Another review noted that its soundstage is much narrower than the original Ananda version. Have you found this?
I wasn't aware that the Ananda had been updated. Are you sure you're not talking about the Arya? That's definitely had a recent change and I've got that coming up pretty soon (about 2 weeks from now IIRC) The Ananda I reviewed was brand new from HiFiMan so it will be the most recent version available
Base on your ananda graph, you didn't get a proper seal when you measure it. Adjust abit and measure again. Because the ananda lack of swivel, the sound changes significantly in the bass region without good seal.
All measurements I've seen (bar one) show noticeable roll-off, but they don't all show the bump in the bass so it's quite possible that the seal isn't great on the EARS rig I'm using for measurements. There's nothing more I can do though because I already took multiple measurements in multiple different positions to try and get as accurate a reading as possible. This is why I don't list frequencies or dB levels on my graphs and focus more on the general shape of the curves, because the EARS can't be trusted for fine details.
@@PassionforSound Please notify us as soon as your review is up I ordered the new stealth magnet anandas yesterday. Should be getting them in two days.
Great review. I think the aftermarket cable makers really enjoy that few manufactures seem to be able to get their stock cables right... As for the the Sennheiser mic, sounds okay (able to hear what you're saying without focusing as much, as the last example) but still can hear a bit too much of the room. Are you planning on doing a review of it? I wonder how it would sound outside, in a larger room or if you put up some heavy blankets. Any of those might give it a better fighting chance.
I agree! Almost every headphone I've ever bought has benefited from an aftermarket cable either ergonomically, sonically or both. As for the mic, when I record the review, I'll try it in my large living room (untreated) and also outside to see how it performs in various places. I might take it to the local cafe to check for background noise rejection too.
I have Anandas but i thought they would not work well with tubes because of their low impedance. I have a dark voice on its way. Did you actually test it with a Dark voice, or do you just think that it should match up nicely? Also I find it very interesting that you experience bass dropoff. On measurements from other reviewers it extends far better than the sundaras on Bass
I'll have to go and recheck that because I'm pretty certain that's what I heard as well as measured. I'll check and post to the community page with my findings. As for the Darkvoice, it's an OTL amp which means it has particularly high output impedance. That won't alter the frequency response of the Anandas, but may alter the damping factor slightly (how well the amp controls the driver) and will likely make them sound a bit slower and fuller - not necessarily bad and certainly not a reason to avoid trying the pairing. The idea that tubes and planars don't work well together is an over-generalistion from the fact that older, inefficient planars needed more current than tubes could produce. It's not true anymore as a rule and we need to look at the individual amp and headphone specs to see if they'll work together.
Thank you for the great video. If were ro recommend one headphone that is crazy enjoyable for pure music listening up to the 1700$ price range what would it be? I took a look at the Focal Clear MG, Hifiman Arya, Ananda, Sennheiser HD800S, and Audeze LCD-X. But regardless of the price what's the best headphone of you choice that provides the best comfort and experience in terms enjoyment.
That's a really interesting question and I haven't heard the LCD-X yet, but I think it would come down to either the HiFiMan Arya (stealth version) or the ZMF Auteur depending on personal taste
Hi Ray, it's unlikely I'll get my hands on an Elex - sorry. I do have the DT1990 Pro coming up with comparison to the Ananda, but that's not what you asked for ☹️
Actually the Ananda is twice the customary selling price of the Sundaras at $350. Seen them as low as $300. My Sundaras sound great through my Schiit Raganok II amp. I wondered about the Anandas when I got some Audeze Classic 2 phones at $100 more. Don't think I'll regret passing on them in favor of the Audeze based on your review. I run them with an iFi portable Signature amp. I might add that the Audeze comes with a wonderful cable. Fun with Audio.
The Audeze are great! I used to own LCD-2s and would PROBABLY choose them over the Anandas, but I'd need to compare them again to be certain. Ultimately, both are excellent and I'd be very happy with either.
The weight of the LCD-2s? Yes, a little. It wasn't enough that I didn't enjoy them, but given an equally good headphone that's lighter I would choose the lighter headphone.
Hi Jeffrey, I'm not looking for a new mic and I'm actually already using a Blue Encore 300. The MKE200 is here for review. It clearly doesn't go so well in small, untreated rooms...
@@PassionforSound Of course is not helpful. I for example, can hear the differences between different connectors. It's night and day. The more expensive ones make my bass tighter and tame the highs. Trust me! I can distinguish between different type of Mosquitos. From the sound they make, I can tell where they coming from and if they are male or female. Trust me!
I said it's not helpful on its own. It IS helpful, but has significant limitations like listener fatigue, expectation bias (yes, it goes both ways), and also complications to the source chain in order to setup a blind testing scenario so the correlation between blind listening tests and reality is tenuous.
I repeated the measurement multiple times, but it might be the long pads not coupling well with the miniDSP EARS. My listening impressions were all formed before measuring though and the GL2000 definitely sounded more extended.
I wouldn't say it's a worse FR. Both headphones do certain things well and if you go beyond FR, the Ananda is significantly better in many ways (faster, more resolving, etc.)
The Ananda sound great with the warmer sounding pairing of the iFi Zen Dac + Zen Can class-A Amp $129+$149.
Unfortunately the new mic does not sound good, it's really picking up the room echo. Even an inexpensive $50 (RØDE Lavalier GO) mic can sound great if it's placed off centre (placed where the breast pocket on a tee-shirt would be) that way it avoids the excessive hot low-end resonance that can happen when is placed in the centre-top of the chest.
Thanks for the tip on the iFi chain, Lockk9.
I agree that a lapel/lavalier mic is preferable in an untreated space like my office. The shotgun mics really struggle with the reflections. When I record the review of the MKE 200 I'll use it in multiple locations to further demonstrate where it works well and where it doesn't.
I'm planning to pair this with hip dac. 😁
Nice. Enjoy!
@@prabinpaudel5572 and what about the results?
Thanks for this review. I was looking forward to it. I have owned a pair since 2 months ago and I am very very happy with them. Some people get surprised to know I chose this over the Focal Clear MG. For my ears, the Ananda's sound gorgeous, especially with Jazz and classical Music. They are very well balanced in all the frequencies, quite warm and, in all, a pleasure for my ears. I paired it with a modest hiby R5 Saber and happy with the couple. For me the Ananda is far more refined than the Sundara´s. Let's not forget the quality of the recordings is important !!
Take care
Hi Jose, I haven't heard the Clear MG yet, but that is interesting that you prefer the Ananda. It goes to show why it's important that we have multiple options available to us because our tastes and listening preferences are all different. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
@@PassionforSound Hi Lachlan. I agree with you absolutely. Every listening experience is unique. Thanks to you for your awesome work
@@PassionforSound
From what I understand, the new stealth magnet technology is a giant leap forward, making these other headphones irrelevant.
Ananda have one of the best sound signatures right out of the box for those who can’t be bothered with using EQ. I’ve heard many of the Hifiman headphones and as far as diminishing returns go… the Ananda are worth paying double the price of the Sundara… but the Arya are not worth double the price of the Ananda. In an A/B test I actually preferred the Ananda sound sig over the Arya and HD 800s
That's really interesting about the Ananda vs Arya. I'm looking forward to trying the Aryas in the future
@@PassionforSound Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the Arya and 800s also… but like I said with diminishing returns the Ananda are giving you probably 90% of what the Arya are doing. I also think the 800s are overpriced at $1700 and while the wide soundstage is amazing for genres like Classical, it struggles with Rock type genres and really needs EQ. The Ananda are arguably a benchmark headphone at $700 US and a pretty good all a rounder. It also pairs well with tube amps like the LYR3. If I was into EQ and I’m not… I’d consider getting the Arya and 800s in the future.
I completely agree about the Ananda at the price and your thoughts on the 800s. I'm m looking forward to trying the Aryas still 🙂
Yes totally the Ananda worth paying double over the Sundara. I own both. When I bought the Ananda I had the chance to compare them for a few days at home with the Arya. I was certain at the beginning I will choose the Arya over the Ananda cause it was more expensive ans I was ready to pay for it. After many hours of listening I end up preferring the Ananda. Ananda have a more "natural" timbre. Arya do better in some areas but is not "enjoyable" like the Ananda. If I consider to move up I will go directly to the HE 1000 V2 that Hifiman had return in their current line up and skip the Arya.
@@francoisrochette3808 I’ve learned to trust my ears and ignore price when comparing headphones. Many headphones are way overpriced/hyped
It's almost like you know what I'm interested in! First the HD560s, then now this!
Haha. Maybe I'm psychic!
You asked for viewer feedback on the microphone and the sound quality. So to put it delicately, the video quality of this video is excellent!
Haha. Thanks. The MKE 200 seems to struggle in my untreated office. Most shotguns will, to be fair. I'll test it outside next
I really enjoy mine. Got a great deal at $250 from a friend. Replaced the I.V. looking cable with the Hart Audio cables and they smoothed out.
Great deal and great idea on the cable choice, Alan!
Hi Alan, are you saying the sound improved with the Hart cables?
@@black_n5492 No, it's the versatility that is the strongest feature. They sound much like most stock cables. The stock cables that came with the Ananda? Remind me of something found in a field med kit.
As you perfectly stated the Sundara are easy, fun listening headphones that aren't particularly showing the quality of the recording. The Ananda are great revealing headphones. What makes the difference to me is the way the Ananda sound when coupled with a tube amp. Great video, thank you for sharing.
Thanks Stefano. Glad you liked it!
@@PassionforSound I particularly appreciate your approach to the couple Sundara/Ananda: a lot of people look at them as alternatives. I think that as you cleared they are more complementary headphones with which one can cover different kind of listenings and different approach to music.
No point in ruining a revealing headphone by pairing it with a tube amp that muddies the sound.
Tube amps don't have to muddy the sound - that will depend on the amp. Pairing a very revealing headphone with a tube amp can be a magical combo by balancing detail retrieval and clarity with presence and musicality.
@@monochromios
From what I understand, the new stealth magnet technology is a giant leap forward, making these other headphones irrelevant.
That’s for the detailed review! And especially for the heads-up that there is a risk of pairing them with a neutral or bright source. Was considering the Ananda since I really like the HE400i 2020 which seem to have a somewhat similar tuning. Also liking the Sundara for its own strengths. So probably not worth getting the Ananda additionally.
The Ananda is better than the Sundara and HE400i, but unless you're planning to sell the HE400i, I don't think there's much point having all three because the Ananda is kind of like a blend of the two you already have (more bass than the 400, more treble than the Sundara)
@@PassionforSound I'm doing an upgrade from the 400 to the ananda, do you think it's worth it?
I recently upgraded from an Ananda to a ‘21 LCD-X. I use EQ, listen to many genres and prefer the LCD-X. Ananda has an airier presentation but in my system the LCD-X wins in all other categories. I imagine the Ananda could sound wonderful on a tube amp while listening to jazz or orchestral music though. Great review, thanks!
Thanks for sharing your LCD-X experiences. I hope to try more of the LCD range in the future. I've owned the LCD-2 in the pre-Fazor days and I'm reviewing the LCD-1 now.
@@PassionforSound Thanks for your reply and looking forward to future reviews. The LCD-X is $4-$500 more than the Ananda so maybe it’s not a fair comparison. For the money, the Ananda does deliver some great sounds.
Yeah, that's a bit of a jump, but for some people they'll both fall within budget.
This is the first time i saw a FR graph of Ananda that looks like that. That treble peak is huge.
Different measurement setups and compensation curves will impact what you see and I don't 100% trust the miniDSP EARs in the high frequencies so don't get put off by the graph. There's no doubt that it's got a treble peak, but the sound isn't anywhere near as bad as that graph might have you believing. What's more important is my description of the headphone's sound and comparison to other headphones you might know because without context, measurement graphs are of limited value due to the variations in scale, compensation curves, smoothing, etc.
@@PassionforSound Thank you for replying and the excellent review video.
My pleasure 🙂
I just ordered the Amandas, thanks for the review and detailed insight. I currently have the Focal Elex with the Topping A50s & D50s stack. I think the Amandas will give me a smoother sound that will compliment the Elex.
Hi Ray, I haven't heard the Elex, but I expect you'll really like the Anandas. Enjoy!
I've also got a video coming soon discussing some affordable cable options for the Ananda (and all HiFiMan cans) so you might find that interesting too 🙂
I actually use the Hart Audio cables with my setup using the 4.4mm interconnect. i really like there interconnect cables.
Awesome! The Hart Audio cable is one of the ones in the review. They're great!
Can't wait to hear your thoughts about the Arya :)
Not long now... I've had to bump it back one week for a new product launch that I want to share, but it's still coming this month.
What a great review, you need at least a few mill subs.
Thanks so much! Getting there slowly but surely 🙂
Just this week I uploaded my review of my own pair after having them for a year, and I do have to say that I agree with you on most parts, however I either got used to the treble peak you talk about, or I don't get it at all. SPOILER ALERT, I 💖💖✨ADORE ✨💖💖 my Ananda, and I only had one thing to really complain about... BTW, I'm starting my channel and I would love to have your feedback on it, on the style, the content etc. I hope you can give it a watch.
P.S. I love love love your frequency response overlay during the audio section. Brilliant and elegant.
Glad you liked the review!
I got quite a lot of feedback that people didn't like the FR graph overlay so I've actually gone more traditional in later vids, but I personally preferred this approach given that the graphs are only an indication of sound and shouldn't be taken too strongly as a direct indicator of performance or sound quality.
I'll take a look at your channel when I get home from holidays. Good luck with it and stick with it - the first little while can be slow going as you build your audience.
@@PassionforSound thank you very much! And I'd say, stick to your own style! I think it's very nicely executed, and at the end of the day it's diversity that keeps any community interesting, active and evolving!
Nicely said! Loved your review. Keep up the great work 🙂🙂
The Sundara still is, one of the best pound for pound plana headphones around, especially at it's price range 🥊
Great review Lachlan, once again. Also definitely think that Schit makes some good bit of kit.
Hi Ben, no doubt about the Sundara. Still one of my favourite headphones regardless of price. And yes, Schiit definitely make some great gear 🙂🙂
I am thinking abt buying these cans, do you think they would pair well with my schitt stack?
Definitely! They'll scale well with the higher end Schiit stacks, but will be great with a simple Modi/Magni stack too
Would you say this is less harsh or warmer? sound. I think I would like a warmer sound. I'm looking at this DAC the SU-9 and the SU-8S, DO200, LOXJIE D50, LOXJIE D40, M500 MK2, and the VMV D1SE or the SU-9N. I stream music with Tidal and never heard MQA but would like to have.
These are fairly neutral. I'd probably recommend something like the new Sendy Apollo if you want a warmer sound. I have a review of those coming very soon
Thanks for the review! I’m looking at getting one Ananda so I liked your take on it, but I’m having a bit hard time picking a decent suitable matching desktop amp for it. I’ve internet-looked at Pro-Ject S2 and Burson Playmate 2 and JDL Element mostly, but cannot decide really. Don’t want anything budget and not owerly qualified either :-)
I haven't tried the S2 or Playmate, but I'd personally lean towards the Playmate based on my recent experiences with Burson's products. The Ananda aren't hard to drive, but they do perform best with a smoother sounding amp in my opinion so the Playmate's ability to swap op-amps might be useful too
Element 2, i have them paired with the ananda, sounds amazing.
Was shopping these the other night. Stop reading my mind please. Appreciate the review as always though ✌️
(edit) Oh, the new mic is fine. Lil stuffy sounding maybe, not as dulcet as your regular mic (or how you're processing the audio from that mic), but perfectly fine imo.
Haha. Maybe it's you reading my review schedule 😉
Thanks for the feedback on the mic. Not looking to replace my current setup - just a quick review in the near future
Prices have really come down, maybe now is a good time to hear what planars can do. The Sundara is very compelling now that it's $300. It seems like the better sound signature for me personally but I wish it had more bass extension. I don't want to to mess with EQ, at least for now.
And the Ananda is I think $550 from the $700 in this video.
That puts it on par with the Edition XS.
I think the Sundara is an amazing option at that price! The bass extension isn't terrible either and hard to get better without spending significantly more.
Have any plan to review Audeze lcd-2c??
Another great option in this price range.
I'd love to. I've got the LCD-1 review coming soon and hope that it will lead to further Audeze reviews in the future
Hey lachlan wouldnt otl amps be bad with planars as planars are low impedance?phenomenal review as always
Hi Jeet, that's a really interesting question that I'm currently exploring once and for all.
The theory of low impedance cans and OTL amps being a bad match comes down to 2 things:
1) dynamic headphones have different impedances at different frequencies. If the output impedance of the amp is too high, this causes variations in the power delivered at different frequencies which results in a different frequency response from the headphone. For some cans that's beneficial, for others not so much. What's important though is that this has ZERO bearing on planars because planar headphones have the same impedance at every frequency.
2) an amplifier is also responsible for controlling or damping the driver. Dynamic drivers actually create current themselves because of the voice coil moving between the magnets. The amp's damping factor (determined by its output impedance vs the headphone impedance) tells us how well it can resist this and therefore control the driver's unwanted motion. Planars are different again though because they have a trace on a diaphragm rather than a coil of wire and this creates (I believe) less return current. I also believe planars might be stiffer to start with and less likely to create significant unwanted movement. If that's the case, planars are also immune (or mostly immune) to the damping factor issue as well, but that's the one I need to test a bit more before being completely certain.
So, the short version of a VERY long answer is that you can absolutely use planars on OTL amps. The worst case scenario will be immediately obvious distortion if the amp lacks sufficient power to overcome the impedance mismatch (e.g. xDuoo TA-26 struggles with all low impedance cans). What will often happen though is that you'll get much the same sound as from a solid state amp (accounting from different characteristics of the different amps) or perhaps a slightly less controlled sound (a little less attack, slightly looser bass) due to less damping.
Would love to see what you think of the Aryas, as they're meant to be a lot harder to run but also remarkable technically. Anandas I think are around £500 in the UK which is pretty remarkable for what I think they offer.
Me too. I'm hoping to get my hands on some Aryas in the near future 🤞🤞
The Arya’s soundstage depth/size, layering and separation are on another level compared to the Ananda.
Hi, thanks a lot for your very good video. I currently have the Grado 325 SRe and am thinking of upgrading to the Ananda. How do they compare to the Grado, in particular for classical and jazz? I use a Lehmann Audio Linear headphone amp. Kind regards, Ignacio
I don't know the 352s well enough to comment, but having used multiple Grado headphones, the Ananda is more tonally balanced than the Grado tunings so they tend to suit a wider range of music better. I would personally take the Anandas over a pair of Grados, but it's worth noting that the Grado tuning is deliberately dynamic and involving so give yourself a little time to adapt to the sound of the Anandas before deciding if you like them better or not.
Doesn't sound like they'd make a good pairing with my Marantz PM6007 then?
I don't know the PM6007 to comment - sorry!
Great detailed review and very enjoyable video.
Love the superimposed images of the frequency response over your video, very nicely done. What do you use software-wise if I may ask?
Cheers from Paris.
Glad you liked it, Raphael. I use DaVinci Resolve for all editing of videos. My measurements are done in Room Equalisation Wizard (REW) and I invert the frequency graphs using Affinity Photo so they can be effectively overlayed.
I have the Ananda With the SMSL SP200 amp no DAC yet But some times the highs are to harsh for me getting headaches fatiguing. Which DAC i could use to bring it down a bit
What's your current source before the amp?
@Passion for Sound I'm running 3.5mm to xlr from gigabyte z390 master motherboard.
You'll get smoother sound from most decent DACs. Depending on your budget and location, I'd look at something like the Topping E30 or E50 or a Schiit Multibit DAC (Modi Multibit or Bifrost 2). The Schiit DACs are my preference, but availability has been tricky lately
I went into addicted to audio in Sydney ready to buy Anandas after reading all the reviews but when I demo'd them I just found them too harsh and metalic sounding, that 8k peak was just too much. I also thought the resolution/spacing was a bit awkward. There was a pair of Clears in the demo room and so I gave them a try and they just sounded so much better. That sucked for me because this was before the price drop on the Clears and they were out of my price range. But I got lucky and found a well-used set on eBay. Now with Clears dropping in price no one should buy Anandas without auditioning Clears IMO.
I agree that the Clears are a great headphone. I'm not sure how long they'll be available though. I believe they've been discontinued. I had to sell mine to fund another purchase so I couldn't compare them here.
What did you demo the Anandas from? Like other cans with strong treble peaks, they definitely need a smoother source.
@@PassionforSound I think it was a Topping DX7, so not ideal but I listened to the Clears out of it too. I remember when you reviewed the Clears you said something like they were right at your limit for treble aggression, I think I feel the same and the Anandas are one step too far for me. I also think I really value what I call coherence, that sense that everyting is in it's right place spacially, the Anandas felt like a gangly teenager to me, like they had just grown all this soundstage but didn't quite know how to use it properly if that makes sense.
That's interesting. It might be a result of the DX7 because it will produce a relatively flat, but wide stage with minimal depth and that could cause some problems I expect. It will also push all the details forwards and that would definitely do no favours for the Ananda. Probably one of the worst pairings I could imagine for them so I totally get why you feel that way 🙂
I've never heard a planar magnetic headphone so I don't have any point of reference for them. How would you say the Ananda compares to a DT990 Pro 250 ohm with Brainwavz XL pleather ear pads which add low end bass? I also run them with v shaped EQ driving them from my PC using an EVGA Nu Audio card and all of my music is 320 kb ripped by iTunes. I also have the DT990 Edition with the same pads and its much lighter on the low end frequencies but I do love the Beyerdynamic open back sound signature.
Unfortunately, I don't have enough experience with the DT990s to compare them - sorry!
What I can tell you is that the Beyers tend to have much peakier sound (i.e. more points of extreme emphasis). That can make them fun and exciting, but the planars often have a more neutral sound. The Anandas are a little peaky, but not like the DT880s I own and I expect also not like the DT990.
Would you say this one is a warm sounding headphones or colder? Thinking about getting these instead of Aryas since they cost less.
It's somewhere in between I think. It's more neutral, but with a slight amount of treble emphasis that's also offset by solid bass. Not exactly v-shaped but more in that direction I'd say...
@@PassionforSound Thank you again. I'll try to get one used on Bay for around 250-350 dollar if I can. Ebay auction sniping is something not easy to do lol.
Good luck!
@@PassionforSound What upgrades to the sound compared to the Deva Pro? Unfortunately couldnt get it at the price point but thinking of getting one on aliexpress for 355.
It's hard to compare to Deva Pro because it depends on if you're using the DP wireless or wired. When wired, the Anandas have better bass extension and presence which gives a more natural overall tonality in my opinion.
Beyond that, I can't recall each well enough to say.
as much as it’s easy to drive , hifiman planars generally always want more even the lower two, the cable is revolting it also comes with the susvara which is hilarious
Yeah, it's pretty bad for a $6,000 headphone, isn't it?
As for the whole power thing, that's a huge myth as far as I can tell. I'm yet to see any evidence that having more power improves the sound in any way. Having enough power for peaks in the music is vital of course, but once you have enough power, more power will do nothing. I'm going to test this soon to confirm my suspicion. I believe where this started was people turning to vintage speaker amps and the like to drive HE-6s, etc. back in the day. When you change amps you also change whatever colouration comes from each of the amps so it's very difficult to compare how a headphone actually sounds with more power because the variables (such as amp voicing/colouration) aren't being controlled. In the case of vintage amps, many of them have a punchy, full sound which will of course make the headphones sound bassier and richer, but that's the amp's character, not the power that's altering the sound.
@@PassionforSound Some times what people mean by power is voltage swings. The high impedance headphones like the HD6XX have the lowest impedance at around the mids, which is why cheap solid state amps make it sound even more mid-centric. With expensive tube amps, the bass and treble start to get filled out. Also sometimes you need extra headroom for the slam because while the amp may be powerful enough for the vocals or the main melody, sometimes for the slam you need plenty more power
That's a good point about the varying impedance of dynamic cans, Justin. It doesn't apply to planars though and that's where I hear this most often.
EQ'ed 8K to -1.2db. Happy with slight reduction in the treble.
I imagine that would work very nicely
@@PassionforSound Even without EQ these sound great but with certain tracks, the treble is too much for me.
I completely agree. They work really well with warmer amps for that reason.
Is it possible to pair the Ananda to Chord Mojo 2?
Wirelessly you mean? No. The Mojo 2 is only a wired device
I mean for the Ananda Wired + Chord Mojo 2.
Oh, yes. In that case, they work very well together 🙂
Thank you for the confirmation Sir as im planning to buy a headphone for my Mojo 2.
My pleasure. I hope you enjoy the Ananda as much as I do
I got these with an ifi hip dac, 4.4mm Hart Audio cable and 2 aftermarket cables(2.5mm & 3.5mm) for $550 shipped. I'm hoping ifi's xBass pairs well with it without mudding up the sound.
I think you'll be very happy! Enjoy 🙂
And how the results of the ananda mixed with the ifi hip dac? Is it good?
Will Ananda work OK with Zen Dac/ Can combo??
It should do absolutely fine, but I haven't personally tried it
Love your work as always amazing. I recently bought myself a pair which I'm waiting for them to arrive in the next days and I'm in the process of choosing a nice head amp to pair them with. My audio chain consists mainly of a bifrost 2 + freya plus so I got two or maybe three ways to choose from and since I've found from your reviews that my taste and preferences are very similar to yours and you give really informative feedback I'd really love to hear your opinion on this matter.
One is to get a decent solid state head amp like SMSL SH-9 and pass it through Freya + if I want to test that tube sound.
The second is to go straight for Valhalla 2 and not pass it through my audio chain.
And the third would be to get perhaps a Mojo 2 in order to use them with my mobile as well.
Which one would you think would be the proper way to go for Ananda? Thanks in advance for any help and if you think that you have a better recommendation at this price point (I'm willing to pay no more than 500-600) I'd love to hear it!
Thanks in advance for any help :)
Nice headphone choice! For an amp, I would recommend something discrete if you can (or tubes) so you can enjoy the better soundstage presentation. The Jotunheim 2 is one option, but the Valhalla would also be great. The Singxer SA-1 is also excellent, but might be out of the budget I think.
If you're likely to go mobile often, the Mojo 2 would also be great as it's as good as the Bifrost 2 with a discrete amp built in and an amazing EQ
@@PassionforSound thank you for your reply! Actually the singxer sa-1 is not out of my budget (just on the upper part). Do you think I should go for a tube amp or this one? I'd love to get Jotunheim 2 but I'm not in US at this point and EU store is out of stock so I'll end up paying a significant amount in customs which definitely does not worth it (I can get a better headphone amp for that added cost). But I can find Valhalla 2 here in my country. Or should I go for Singxer? Again thanks for your invaluable help!
I haven't yet tried the Valhalla so I can't say on that one. Generally, solid state amps are more versatile with everything from IEMs to challenging headphones whereas tubes can be a little more tricky with the IEMs. I don't know if that applies to the Valhalla though.
Great video. Consistent comments out there regarding the Ananda being more refined ito quality of the sound than Sundara, but the Sundara is better "tuned". Would you not then EQ the Ananda and it would be perfect?
I'm personally not a huge fan of EQing, but theoretically it's possible.
@@PassionforSound thanks for the reply! I see my question was worded horribly haha. Apologies. I was wondering if it was as "easy" as just EQing. The Sundara is described as being more energetic in certain areas, and I'm not sure those qualities can be just EQ'd into another headphone.
You're absolutely right that there are many things EQ can't change. That said, the Ananda is a better headphone on quite a few levels so tweaking it slightly to bring it's frequency response to a flatter shape might get good results.
@@PassionforSound Thanks man. I mainly listen to rock music, so I've seen the Sundara is even more recommended for that. But I'm looking to explore the rabbit hole and enjoy the experience too with other genres, so I might yet go with the Anandas. I am looking at either. Cheers
Both are excellent headphones and very hard to go wrong with either
Any idea what material the ear cups are made of? Are there magnets on both sides of the diaphragm? Have you a chance to compare them to the Verum 1 and/or the Sundara?
Hi Neil, I'm not certain of the build materials or magnet setup - sorry. They could be lightweight metal or plastic - probably plastic I think, but a good quality plastic.
As for comparisons to the Sundara and Verum 1, I own all three and I do believe the Ananda is the better headphone overall. It's tonality is probably closer to the Verum, but also a little more emphasised in both bass and treble.
Do you think these will pair well with a fx-audio Dac x6 Mark 2? (One of the budget dac/amp combos out there) You mentioned that dry sounding amps are quite an issue. (The x6 is known to have a dry sound)
Unfortunately, without hearing it, I can't really say. I'd probably recommend something of a higher quality for a headphone of this level though or you're really hamstringing their performance
@@PassionforSound Thanks! What about the topping dx3 pro+? Seems like a good thing to pair with these headphones for a considerable price.
I haven't tried the DX3 Pro+, but I'd definitely expect it to be comfortably better than the FX Audio
@@PassionforSound I have been looking quite a lot at different amps in the past couple of days and i think I will pick up a Schiit Asgard 3 with an ES9028 DAC inside which is also fairly portable. As you mentioned in the video that these pair well with the Ananda’s, I’m keen to pull the trigger on these
That will be a great setup! I haven't tried the new 9028 card, but for a compact solution, it should do just fine.
Your drop off in the sub bass contradict other reviewers measurements and my own subjective experience. Do you perhaps have have the first revision Ananda’s that had seal problems? Extension should be flat past 20hz
Hi Ren, these are brand new and received just 2 months ago or thereabouts. It is possible that the long earpads altered the measurement accuracy because I'm only using the EARS from miniDSP, but I definitely did hear some roll-off compared to the GL2000 which did measure quite flat and also has a fairly large pad (not quite as large though). I didn't do specific listening tests for extension (I have a few tracks with bass that's only at the extremes so I could perhaps try those to see)
Hi Ren, I've done further searching and all but one other measurement I found in a brief search (about 4-5 sites) showed some roll-off similar to mine. I've also remeasured them and I had to apply crazy extra levels of clamping to get a flat bass response so I don't think that's realistic to achieve in normal wearing conditions. It also doesn't hurt their sound because they still sound great
@@PassionforSound Thank you for the effort!
My pleasure. I always like to check if there's a chance I've made a mistake
This review's right on time lol I'm buyin these on payday
Awesome! Enjoy... 🙂🙂
Thanks for the helpful and articulate review. Is this the “stealth’ edition of the Ananda? That is, the recent update with the thinner diaphragm? Another review noted that its soundstage is much narrower than the original Ananda version. Have you found this?
I wasn't aware that the Ananda had been updated. Are you sure you're not talking about the Arya? That's definitely had a recent change and I've got that coming up pretty soon (about 2 weeks from now IIRC)
The Ananda I reviewed was brand new from HiFiMan so it will be the most recent version available
is this the 2021 version? or the previous one?
These were new from HiFiMan in 2021 so current version to my knowledge
Base on your ananda graph, you didn't get a proper seal when you measure it. Adjust abit and measure again. Because the ananda lack of swivel, the sound changes significantly in the bass region without good seal.
All measurements I've seen (bar one) show noticeable roll-off, but they don't all show the bump in the bass so it's quite possible that the seal isn't great on the EARS rig I'm using for measurements. There's nothing more I can do though because I already took multiple measurements in multiple different positions to try and get as accurate a reading as possible. This is why I don't list frequencies or dB levels on my graphs and focus more on the general shape of the curves, because the EARS can't be trusted for fine details.
@@PassionforSound
Guys.
The new stealth magnet technology is here.
I understand that it's a giant leap forward.
Is that true?
It's not a giant leap souch as some subtle improvements. I've got a full comparison planned for the nearish future
@@PassionforSound
According to hifiman, the new stealth magnet technology is a big improvement, that's why they are discontinuing the older version
@@PassionforSound
Please notify us as soon as your review is up
I ordered the new stealth magnet anandas yesterday.
Should be getting them in two days.
Great review. I think the aftermarket cable makers really enjoy that few manufactures seem to be able to get their stock cables right...
As for the the Sennheiser mic, sounds okay (able to hear what you're saying without focusing as much, as the last example) but still can hear a bit too much of the room. Are you planning on doing a review of it? I wonder how it would sound outside, in a larger room or if you put up some heavy blankets. Any of those might give it a better fighting chance.
I agree! Almost every headphone I've ever bought has benefited from an aftermarket cable either ergonomically, sonically or both.
As for the mic, when I record the review, I'll try it in my large living room (untreated) and also outside to see how it performs in various places. I might take it to the local cafe to check for background noise rejection too.
I have Anandas but i thought they would not work well with tubes because of their low impedance. I have a dark voice on its way. Did you actually test it with a Dark voice, or do you just think that it should match up nicely?
Also I find it very interesting that you experience bass dropoff. On measurements from other reviewers it extends far better than the sundaras on Bass
I'll have to go and recheck that because I'm pretty certain that's what I heard as well as measured. I'll check and post to the community page with my findings.
As for the Darkvoice, it's an OTL amp which means it has particularly high output impedance. That won't alter the frequency response of the Anandas, but may alter the damping factor slightly (how well the amp controls the driver) and will likely make them sound a bit slower and fuller - not necessarily bad and certainly not a reason to avoid trying the pairing. The idea that tubes and planars don't work well together is an over-generalistion from the fact that older, inefficient planars needed more current than tubes could produce. It's not true anymore as a rule and we need to look at the individual amp and headphone specs to see if they'll work together.
Thank you for the great video. If were ro recommend one headphone that is crazy enjoyable for pure music listening up to the 1700$ price range what would it be? I took a look at the Focal Clear MG, Hifiman Arya, Ananda, Sennheiser HD800S, and Audeze LCD-X. But regardless of the price what's the best headphone of you choice that provides the best comfort and experience in terms enjoyment.
That's a really interesting question and I haven't heard the LCD-X yet, but I think it would come down to either the HiFiMan Arya (stealth version) or the ZMF Auteur depending on personal taste
@@PassionforSound Thank you very much for your response sir! 🙏🏻
My pleasure
I would love to see a review of the Hifimann Anandas and the Focal Elex, since they both sell for $700, and one a planar y the other dynamic driver
Hi Ray, it's unlikely I'll get my hands on an Elex - sorry. I do have the DT1990 Pro coming up with comparison to the Ananda, but that's not what you asked for ☹️
@@PassionforSound hello,
Ananda or DT1990 is more bright ?
I'd say the DT1990 is the brighter headphone due to the more extreme treble peak
Actually the Ananda is twice the customary selling price of the Sundaras at $350. Seen them as low as $300. My Sundaras sound great through my Schiit Raganok II amp. I wondered about the Anandas when I got some Audeze Classic 2 phones at $100 more. Don't think I'll regret passing on them in favor of the Audeze based on your review. I run them with an iFi portable Signature amp. I might add that the Audeze comes with a wonderful cable. Fun with Audio.
The Audeze are great! I used to own LCD-2s and would PROBABLY choose them over the Anandas, but I'd need to compare them again to be certain. Ultimately, both are excellent and I'd be very happy with either.
@@PassionforSound were u bothered by the weight?
The weight of the LCD-2s? Yes, a little. It wasn't enough that I didn't enjoy them, but given an equally good headphone that's lighter I would choose the lighter headphone.
The mic was echoing and flat. Try looking at blue or Shure
Hi Jeffrey, I'm not looking for a new mic and I'm actually already using a Blue Encore 300. The MKE200 is here for review. It clearly doesn't go so well in small, untreated rooms...
sound is very good, but it was also good in the past
Thanks EV
Thanks for the review Murray, say Hi to Sal, Joe, and Q for me.
Hi Nick, either I'm missing the joke or you have me confused with someone else 🙂
Nevermind. Just Googled the names and found the Impractical Jokers.
Can you please show us in a blind test how you distinguish different cables and amps. :P
No because blind testing alone isn't helpful. I've just recorded a video discussing why and will publish it in a couple of weeks
@@PassionforSound
Of course is not helpful. I for example, can hear the differences between different connectors. It's night and day. The more expensive ones make my bass tighter and tame the highs. Trust me! I can distinguish between different type of Mosquitos. From the sound they make, I can tell where they coming from and if they are male or female. Trust me!
I said it's not helpful on its own. It IS helpful, but has significant limitations like listener fatigue, expectation bias (yes, it goes both ways), and also complications to the source chain in order to setup a blind testing scenario so the correlation between blind listening tests and reality is tenuous.
By the way, I'm not entirely sure if you're being sarcastic or honest. I'm taking it as sarcasm, but let me know if I'm wrong...
The graph looks like what happens when you don't have a proper seal
I repeated the measurement multiple times, but it might be the long pads not coupling well with the miniDSP EARS. My listening impressions were all formed before measuring though and the GL2000 definitely sounded more extended.
Btw sundara cost 350 insatead of 700
So double the price for a headphone with worse FR ? Nah it doesn't worth it.
I wouldn't say it's a worse FR. Both headphones do certain things well and if you go beyond FR, the Ananda is significantly better in many ways (faster, more resolving, etc.)
@@PassionforSound
Interesting
How do you compare the Ananda to the arya ?
I'm yet to try the Arya, but I hope to get my hands on a pair soon
Guy's.
From what I understand, the new stealth magnet technology is a giant leap forward, making these other headphones irrelevant.
Any thoughts?
You sound good in that cave.
Haha. Yeah, it's a bit echoey when using a mic that's not suited for it, isn't it?
Sennheiser mke 200 sounds worse
Yeah, it's really not suited to small, untreated rooms, is it?
@@PassionforSound
IDK but the original sound source you use is way better than the sennheiser