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

Product Information

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. 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.

Hex V2 doesn't handle louder volumes as well as the Ananda though but don't expect Ananda to let you crank it up like a HE series oldschool Hifiman, which not only sustain much more power but are more dynamic as well and therefore also give you a better reason to crank it up. Ananda and Hex V2's compressed dynamics don't allow for the "startling effect" anyway. This startling effect describes the explosive power of the HE-6 to fire at you from total darkness, nothingness with a hail of supernovae. I'm exaggerating here but you might understand what I mean. What music genres are these headphones best suited for?All genres sound great to me, but I’ve especially enjoyed classical and electronic. Electronic music was a surprise since that genre usually benefits more from heavy emphasized bass, but the speed and micro detail in the Ananda’s allows for a precision in the music that elevates electronic music to the next level. As stated previously, the cables are a bit weird and funny looking, but they do get the job done. Make sure to consider getting a nice aftermarket cable though, as the Ananda really deserves it. Ananda without EQ preference score 82 https://www.dropbox.com/s/l1wivpf8901uflr/Hifiman Ananda.pdf?dl=0

Introduction​

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. 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! Midrange is ever so slightly warm but clean and pronounced. The Mids have good emotion and while not totally neutral the do have a neutral quality about them I found them rich and very tastefully done, vocals had a natural tone and sat somewhere just behind the instruments yet remained clear.

Soundstage is open and one of the best I've ever heard, its very spacious and equally wide as it is deep not only that the details and separation make the imaging near perfect. What does one gain from climbing halfway up the mountain? Better views, for sure, but are they worth the effort? And if so, wouldn't it be better to just keep climbing to the summit? 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? If you are seeking absolute detail retrieval, deep thumping bass or a wide open soundstage, there are other designs that could do it better, but if you want something of everything, the Ananda will do it for you.

Comparisons​

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