The Ananda's left home and it is time to provide my full impressions.
Due to various circumstances I was fortunate enough to keep them for more than two months so they became my daily driver.
The gear used for listening was a Fiio M9 and X5III for portable use.
Desktop gear included Schiit Lyr 3 multibit , Violectric V280 , Cambridge Audio 851C , Musical Fidelity MX Dac and LX2 amp.
Cables were the stock single ended.
Some session photos.
Overall tonality is good and balanced.
This is a quite neutral tuning without annoying dips or peaks except one around 8khz which is quite audible.
Bass extends to sub bass territory it is very clean and articulate and doesn't bleed to midbass.
There is good layering and detail but it is lacking body and slam there is no weight to it.
Bowings and plucking notes can be very easily heard and are very well defined.
Despite this headphone being an open one overall bass response is very good suitable for all genres of music but of course not a basshead one.
Midbass is very natural with a slight warmness and a little bit muddy.
Mid response is great very tastefully done and lifelike.
Instruments and vocals sound just right without anything being over emphasized or laid back.
It is crystal clear and very accurate but still a slight lack of body can be heard.
Treble response regarding tonality is excellent without harshness or listening fatigue expect the peak around 8khz which can sound a little annoying or exhibit some sibilance with certain tracks.
Instruments sound right and even but decay is very fast.
This has a negative effect on high pitched percussion instruments and the leading edges of some notes so things start to sound a little bit artificial.
Soundstage is good not overly wide but with very precise instrument placement and separation with a plenty of air between individual instruments and groups of them.
The headphone can very easily handle complex symphonic music without a hint of congestion and can communicate very good the recording venue.
Detail retrieval is very good and satisfying but not overly done so you can concentrate on the music it self.
The overall presentation of the Ananda is ethereal and on the lean side.
There is a lack of macro dynamics and slam.
This combined with the very fast decay , speed and lack of body makes the headphone sound a little bit artificial and mechanical not so enveloping and 3d sounding.
Efficiency is very good and can be very easily enjoyed from decent portable devices but it scales very well so quality of source is very important and of great benefit.
Comfort is great due to the large ear pads and the even distribution of the weight.
Build quality is not on par with the price tag.
It feels cheap , there is cracking noise heard all the time when you touch them and when you adjust the height.
Cables are bad quality , fragile , they bend and crack at the outside very easily.
This is something that Hifiman must work on it and improve.
Overall the Ananda is a great headphone especially regarding overall tonality.
It has a great bass response , natural presentation , airy and wide soundstage and great technical ability.
It's sound signature will fit many needs and tastes and should be on the sort list of everyone looking for a reference - critical listening headphone around the 1K region.