So.... these and the Arya Organic just came out of nowhere. It's been half a year already, but when I first heard about them, I really thought it was like some sort of joke, like somebody parodying the, at times, insane speed that Hifiman updates its products at. In addition to that, I was skeptical at how much of an improvement they could be. I had just bought the Ananda Stealth, and didn't want the honeymoon phase to end so soon. But I had to try the new thing down the road, so here I am.

To start off, immediately apparent is how speedy the sound is. Notes are presented cleanly, finish on a dime and almost never slur or lose composure. The attack of notes is extremely well-defined and quick. I would say it's coming very close to the HD 800 in this sense. Some Hifimans, and many headphones in general, present a lot of notes with a lack of distinction, in how overtones are represented and in how precisely the sound is imaged. The Ananda Nano does not match the HD 800 or headphones of similar stature in terms of minor details at the edge of the stage or fine transients you'd hear in tracks with a lot going on, but it is an absolute monster in the clarity and distinctiveness when it comes to the more macro-side of sound reproduction, i.e. obvious notes and vocals meant to be front and center.

They also excel in soundstage. Both width and height are impressive and a step up from the Ananda SE. Especially impressive is depth, and they sometimes give off the impression of more depth than height, a rare and perhaps very valuable trait to some. I think that also contributes to the imaging, and in general the stage is much more circular than most headphones around and images are placed fairly cleanly in the stage, but not to the precision of an Arya or an HD 800.

In terms of tuning, I think that it's good, but not a home run like say, the edition XS was. I don't mind even more treble energy than normal (for Hifiman) but this headphone has the tendency to come off as dry. It's not so much so, but it won't give you much in the way of warmth. Another part of this is that the decays on the end of notes are somewhat shortened, or even cut off, and that exacerbates it's deficiency in this regard. As for the treble, it teeters on the edge of sibilance and rarely if ever crosses it, but this is a certainly a bright listen. There is never any doubt, in nearly any track, that the Nano's FR is tilted upwards.

Coming full circle now, the quality and dynamics of this headphone on the attack are the most noteworthy thing about it. It punches very hard, even harder than the Arya Stealth, which I have listened to on occasion, and in general has a very robust bass that extends deep, slams in the sub-bass and rumbles well. It's the biggest upgrade over the Ananda SE, which on tracks that needed this quality, could come across as thin and brittle. Talking about the Ananda SE, let me summarize the differences between the Nano and it:

• Nano images more precisely and more evenly
• Nano has a bigger stage in every dimension, especially depth
• Nano punches far harder, same for dynamics across the whole range
• Nano has a much more distinct center image and can do intimacy better
• Nano has much better bass technicalities
• Ananda SE is a smoother, warmer and sweeter listen. Vocals, jazz and other easy-going tracks benefit from this, and I think that the Nano is just not in its element here.

I like to be thorough, so let me give a word on non-audio things. The headband system that's been around since the first Ananda and the Sundara is still used here and I think it's a good one. It molds well to the shape of my egg-ish head. It clamps hard, though, nearly as much as an out of the box HD 600. You get used to it in time, but some might not like that. Also, I think it's slightly tweaked on the Nano as compared to before in that the strap is a touch longer and has more slack. Fixes the issue of the SE's bending inwards whenever I'd widen it to pass over my hair and ears when taking it on/off. A minor issue, though, is that my Nano's headband creaks pretty badly every time I open it up. The SE's didn't do that at all. When it comes to accessories, the Nano came the kind of cable my bottom drawer loves to eat, and a case which is serviceable if you want to take it somewhere safely.

I underline this review with the conclusion that the Nano is very impressive. When it comes to technicalities, dynamics and general clarity, it can't be beaten in its price bracket. However, it is not for everybody, with it being an unashamedly bright set.