TONALITY: 8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.8/10
TIMBRE: 8/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.5/10
IMAGING: 9/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 7.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
ACCESSORIES: 7.8/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.5/10
INTRO
Hifiman doesn’t need an intro since they are among the most well known audio companies when it comes to Planar headphones, which they specialize in for more than 15 years.
Today I will review one of their latest planar Headphones release, the Ananda Nano.
Priced 500$, the Ananda Nano uses a similar planar driver to flagship Ananda, it has both the Stealth magnet design and nanometer thickness diaphragm that improve transient response and lower harmonic distortion.
This means the Nano aims to raise sound benefit return by slashing the price by half of the Ananda and offering a gray color alternative.
Let see in this review how the Ananda Nano sound performance stands up in 2024.
CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES
The ANANDA are very big open-back planar headphones, with a hybrid headband design to improve the comfort of its weighty construction made of metal and plastic. The ear cups are gigantic and have an asymmetrical shape thought to fit any ear size, should it be large or tall. These ear cups have a thick plastic body as well as a light aluminum window shade grill. Under the grill, there is a tissue filter that prevents any dust from entering the drivers. The ear cups are swivelable to offer better ergonomics and sealing. The construction is quite complex and has numerous pieces put together, this can be a concern in terms of durability and sturdiness because a lot of these pieces are plastic. The Ananda BT overall craftsmanship is average for its price, and this can be judged in little imperfection like small parts not perfectly stick together, questionable plastic solidity, earpads not fully integrated to the cups, cheap plastic button, squeaky noise when you move the cups or play with the headband. My suggestion is to take great care of this luxury product because one drop on the hard floor can surely be dramatic due to its consequent weight and overly plastic build.
In terms of design, the BT is a beautiful headphone to look at, with an elegant and sober aesthetic that inspires high-end audio luxury. I love the mix of black and gray used as well as the grainy black earcups. The gray window shade grill is a great design choice that gives a distinctive appeal, as well as avoiding any risk of grill sound reflection due to a fully open design. The hybrid headband design sure improves a lot the comfort and the very thick leather ear pads permit a perfect seal, which is a big improvement over both DEVA and SUNDARA headphones. Still, the ear cups are very tall and will create a little pressure on your head temples, which can lead to slight discomfort for big-headed people like me. This pressure point seems to cancel the headband relief because I can wear the Sundara longer without discomfort issues.
The packaging is minimalist and comes in a recycled cardboard box that doesn’t scream luxury yet it's the very same box used for flagship models like Arya Organic and HE1000 Stealth too.
In this box, we have a very good carrying case, which is compact and durable and protects the headphones very well. This is very welcome and a nice addition from Hifiman. Then we have a rather long 3 meter cable of decent quality, it comes in 3.5mm single ended with a L shaped plug, a plus though this plug design is thinked for portability and a bit contradictory choice for 3 meter long cable more adequate for sedentary use. I think a 4.4mm cable with XLR and 3.5mm adapter would be wiser choice after all but this is very subjective and nitpicky. I’ve seen the worst cable included with Hifiman headphones so nothing to complain at 500$ price apart that 3 meter length isn’t that useful for desktop use and more appropriate for baby boomers wandering on their Lay-Z-boy with Ananda hooked to their big sound system far away in their living room. This kinda audiophile creature is rarer and rarer, so better bet on a new gen of audiophile when it comes to accessories.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
The tonality of Ananda Nano can be summarized as bright to cold neutral with slight mid bass and upper treble boost. It’s not what i would call a fun sounding Headphones but it could be plain lean and clinical if it wasn’t of this punchy textured and speedy bass which do add excitement to musicality.
The Nano sound technical, transparent, open and airy, presence and texture of instrument is more highlight than their substance, this isn’t a warm nor mid centric soundsignature. It’s more of a reference tuning that can be used for monitoring as well as enjoying well recorded music.
The Ananda Nano are surprisingly refined in tuning and excellent in technical performance, this isn’t a big step down from way pricier Arya Organic, though it’s leaner sounding and not as vast in headroom due to less holographic sound experience.
The bass is all about lean controlled quality, but I was surprised to get proper mid bass punch and feel it’s hitting pressure properly, which shows an awakened and weighty dynamic that inject minimal once of fun in otherwise mature musicality.
The kick has fast transients with excellent control, it doesn’t resonate above mids and stay well defined even when the bass line occurs. Those bass lines are texture and well defined in presence, but it doesn grunt or rumble a lot, it’s lean in release and don’t have density and headroom the the slam which is rounded and slightly damped in infra bass air vibrancy release. While not plain papery thin or boxy, the bass isn’t the most meaty or thick, it’s all about this speedy catchy punchyness and well preserved clean rendering that permit great resolution and realism.
This mean lack of coloring or over boosting make the performance versatile for different music, the double bass has this lean and clean extension that avoid warm boominess that ruin it’s presence definition, it keeps it’s layering clean and transparent.
Same goes for cello, but here extra euphony and warmth can in fact make more appealing it’s presence which need a bit more sub bass boost and bodied release, yet it’s again super realist, the cello don,t sound overly thin or unbalanced in texture like when upper mids are way too boosted and lower mids too scooped.
Very refined bass response, a tour de force in its own right for planar headphones.
The mid range is gently bright, a bit lean in dynamic but very transparent with a good sense of center stage openness. We are in neutral territory with boosted instrument presence and minimal lower mids boost, this is why instruments don’t sound boxy, wonky or plain thin even if not the thickest and lushest, the timbre is realistic and balanced in texturing to avoid unwanted scratchy peaks.
Instruments are clean in definition, transparent in layering, you don't struggle to pull apart each of them. The attack is speedy with natural sustain release, so while piano note aren’t super even nor super round and dense in presence envelope the note hit fast and offer natural resonance of the instrument which can be follow in soundscape, even if light in rendering the piano don’t get lost in the mix due to great layering.
Both male and female vocal presence are on par, and we have a near-monitor like rendering with gently boosted presence that isn't too edgy or shouty, still, presence is a bit aggressive in rendering which can make wind instrument and vocal more forwards and compressed, it’s not lush and wide instrument presence here, the Nano isn’t mid centric and even slightly recessed in term of center stage so the spatiality go crisper and airier and sense of clarity go cleaner.
As a warm timbre lover, I find Nano a bit dry, the sax and trumpet lack air within them, which make it a bit plasticky in tone but it doesn't dominate or stole the show too.
I don’t encounter problematic sibilance, this is impressive since intelligibility of signed lyrics is very good. Even an old album of Johnny Cash sounds smooth enough and it’s voice is right in tone, a proof lower mids isn’t fully scooped here.
The treble is the star of the show, from upper mids-lower treble to ultra high it feels loud, lean, richly and fully extended. For a planar, it delivers some brilliance and sparkle too though it doesn’t resonate long and the snap is more vivid than the sheen of a metallic instrument.
For example, an acoustic guitar will have proper bite and clarity, we can appreciate the pulling of string then the release will not blossom widely in the air and close on itself rather fast. This means the highs aim for speed and control over a more colored or spiky treble that will amplify the swing of sustain-release.
Micro details are plenty to be found and don’t mix up in macro mudyness, it’s speedy and snappy, metallic percussions and sound has a sharper edge with a notch of brilliancy realism.
In term of aggressivity, it’s not trebly nor too spiky, we don’t have the percussions forced on us, in fact some might need more energy on top because it’s not the most airy sounding open back headphones from Hifiman, in that regards Arya is a better bet.
The Imaging is very good and I can see myself using this for monitoring purposes due to bright and balanced enough tonality. The transparency of layering is excellent and instrument positioning is clear and precise but not extremely spacious in lateral spacing. Yet, they don’t mix presence color with each other, permitting good macro readability.
The soundstage is sure above anything IEMs, earphones and earbuds but tuning isn’t as U shape and concert hall like as first Ananda, while you're not extremely close to center stage the overall spatality is wide but still intimate as if you were in small but open room, the spatiality isn’t super grand and out of your head. It's not very tall nor very deep.
COMPARISONS
VS SIVGA LUAN
The Nano is notably superior in technical performance from transient speed and control to imaging to resolution and to both bass and treble extension as well. In that regard, it feels like a complete other league which is expected due to superior planar drivers used against a decent dynamic driver.
Luan is a notch brighter and less neutral, so slightly more V shape but it’s bass is more resonant, the sub bass don’t rumble naturally and with controlled linearity like Nano. Nano bass is faster and mid bass punch is cleaner, more defined and round, more textured, sub bass does produce natural vibrancy so following bass line is way easier and more accurate with nano.
The mids is where Luan is notably brighter and even shoutier, upper mids loudness release is again more resonant and aggressive, vocals are more forwards too but layering is poorer, mid range sound info mixes together more easily, making macro resolution darker and less monitor like. Timbre is less dry and notch thicker with Luan too, vocal presence blossoms more, it’s wider, so even if shoutier I find vocal more natural and pleasant, in that regard Nano is quite colder.
Then for treble, Luan is darker, notably less detailed, it’s less snappy in attack, percussion as less bite and feel drafted, unlike sound info of Nano which are fully extracted with their own transient space. But again the DD delivers something planar struggle: longer sparkle release, but without the attack lead snap that Nano excels at.
Soundstage is wider, taller and deeper with Nano.
Imaging is from another league with Nano.
All in all, this comparison is too unfair i think…Luan is a 300$ headphones that don’t offer higher sound value than it’s price tag and technical performance is so inferior..macro dynamic go all mushy with busy track while Nano deal with it effortlessly, but the musical factor might be more appealing for vocal lover with the Luan, if you're willing to trade off for everything else.
VS HIFIMAN SUNDARA
The Sundara are less technical sounding, less lean neutral, overall warmer, lusher and notably more mid centric.
The Nano suddenly feels analytical and cold compared to those more musical and laid back sounding Sundara which offer thicker soundscape, more natural and colorful timbre, less edgy attack and treble, less transparent and well resolved macro dynamic too.
The bass is warmer and less punchy with Sundara, it’s more euphonic, less textured and well defined, the bass lines are thicker and more vibrant but muddier too. Nano has better bass definition and separation, more resolved and textured kick and bass, leaner rumble, both these headphones aren’t very bassy but bass quality sure go to Nano here.
Then the mids are more open and lean with Nano, its clearer and presence has edgier definition, vocal and saxo can feel more centered and compressed while it can go ‘’anamorphic’’ and wider in presence with Sundara. Mids are thicker and more buttery with Sundara, main instruments like vocal, piano or saxo are more upfront, we have more lower mids and fundamental to fully feed the tone to the detriment of its texture details and transparency which is both superior with Nano. Nano has more air around instruments too.
Treble is darker, softer and more foggy with Sundara, it’s less snappy and airy, less sparkly and crisp, the Nano digs way more micro details and offers sharper imaging and tighter attack control. Crash cymbals can go very euphonic with Sundara while it keeps its transient speed intact with Nano. Their no doubt treble quality is superior with Nano, and it extends further too.
The soundstage is about the same width with both, Sundara spatiality feels taller but notably less deep, you're closer to the main stage with Sundara while Nano offers a studio-like spatiality where you feel more as an observer than active player of the band.
The imaging is way superior with Nano, sustain release doesn’t add euphony to presence so it’s better defined and more accurate in positioning, transparency being superior the layers stage are easier to dig in.
All in all, to my ears the Sundara is more musical and mid centric but certainly not superior in technical performance, here the sign of age begins to show.
VS Hifiman HE1000 Stealth:
Ok, this is just a fast comparison for fun, let’s begin by stating these are very different tonality wise, HE1K being more mid centric, more colored, lusher and warmer.
This makes the Nano sound even more colder and flat bright neutral since HE1K is more dynamic sounding, has chunkier and more vibrant and rumbly bass, but darker in texture in definition.
Nano sounds cleaner and more analytical, more appropriate for monitoring purposes than HE1K which will be for post-production listening to know if a track is truly musical.
The mids are thicker and more forward yet less harsh, it’s buttery and notably more natural in timbre, female vocals have wider creamier presence and induce emotional response way more in my case, i’ll never drop a tear with the Nano while i do some time with HE1K. Note weight is heavier too, instrument has more presence and lower mids fullness. There is a notch more air around the instrument with the Nano, but it’s leaner overall and the instrument feels smaller and more compressed in presence, less free in dynamic.
The treble has more bite with Nano, it has more sparkle too but not as much as Arya. Again, HE1K has rouner and thicker highs, percussions are more 3D in envelope, the attack sustain release blossoms more too which can have a bit of euphony and steal this sparkle release that Nano keeps lean.
The Soundstage is wider and taller with HE1K, everything sounds grand while for Nano it sounds centered and deeper, but center stage feels more static. You're not in the middle of holographic musicality.
But this means imaging is sharper and cleaner in positioning, though in smaller space.
All in all, this comparison just confirms how good is the technical performance of Ananda Nano yet how the musicality is mature and less sweetly colored with much needed substance.
CONCLUSION
The Ananda Nano might be the very best sound value from Hifiman after the Sundara which is certainly not as performant when it comes to clarity, imaging and attack control. Yet offer warmer, lusher and more mid centric musicality.
Subjectively, the musicality of Nano isn’t really reaching my emotional side and left me a bit cold, like its tonality, but I do respect its near neutral balance and excellent technical performance.
If you seek reference sounding Headphones at competitive price-to-performance ratio, the Ananda Nano is an excellent choice and something I would take over Sennheiser HD820 anyday. This is the logical upgrade to HE400 series. Then, a logical upgrade to Nano would be Arya Organic, a bassier and more spacious sounding Nano.
All in all, I applaud Hifiman for offering a budget version of Ananda that in fact can be considered an upgrade in terms of more neutral balance and more refined performance.
Very recommended!
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PS: I want to thanks Hifiman for sending me this review sample. As always, those are my independant minded sound impressions and opinion.
You can order the Ananda Nano for 500$ directly from Hifiman official store here: https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/ananda-nano.html