[Skycyclepilot]

I've given up. I just can't live with the Beyer 1990s. They have to be equalized to sound right, and even then, they just don't sound as good as planars to me.

I'm considering the Ananda and the Edition X-v2. I want neutral, open, and extended bass with at least some thump and punch...

Suggestions? Comments?

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Both have tight bass but not exaggerated. The Ananda is brighter than the HEX V2. The HEX has a slightly larger soundstage. Both are good. Neither will be nearly as bright as the 1990.

 

[Skycyclepilot]

Both have tight bass but not exaggerated. The Ananda is brighter than the HEX V2. The HEX has a slightly larger soundstage. Both are good. Neither will be nearly as bright as the 1990.

Which is more accurate? And how does the bass compare to the HE400i and the Beyer 1990 - I have both?

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Which is more accurate? And how does the bass compare to the HE400i and the Beyer 1990 - I have both?

The bass is better on both the Ananda and HEX compared to the 400i, especially the sub bass, which you can actually hear on them. I don’t know what you mean by “more accurate”?

I’ve never heard the 1990 but I’ve heard the T5P 2nd gen. and the 1770. I hate Beyerdynamic. They’re all way too bright for me. Their treble peaks are like swords stuck into my ears.

 

[Skycyclepilot]

The bass is better on both the Ananda and HEX compared to the 400i, especially the sub bass, which you can actually hear on them. I don’t know what you mean by “more accurate”?

I’ve never heard the 1990 but I’ve heard the T5P 2nd gen. and the 1770. I hate Beyerdynamic. They’re all way too bright for me. Their treble peaks are like swords stuck into my ears.

By accurate, I mean neutral, or flat - heard as intended in the recording studio. The 1990 is an open 1770, and the treble is the same. I've been running a narrow filter at 8 KHz it kill it.

Thanks for the information on the bass with the other two models. I'd try the Focal Clear, but I just can't stretch the budget that far.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

By accurate, I mean neutral, or flat - heard as intended in the recording studio. The 1990 is an open 1770, and the treble is the same. I've been running a narrow filter at 8 KHz it kill it.

Thanks for the information on the bass with the other two models. I'd try the Focal Clear, but I just can't stretch the budget that far.

I’d say both the Ananda and HEX V2 are close to neutral but slightly U shaped. The HEX has slightly more bass and soundstage, and the Ananda is slightly brighter with some ringing around 8K, but far less than Beyer.

 

[Skycyclepilot]

I’d say both the Ananda and HEX V2 are close to neutral but slightly U shaped. The HEX has slightly more bass and soundstage, and the Ananda is slightly brighter with some ringing around 8K, but far less than Beyer.

Thanks. That's most helpful. For financial reasons, I'll probably go with the Ananda, and hope I get a good pair - there seems to have been some quality control issues recently. I can't seem to find anything else in the same price range that compares.

 

[oddeeoh]

I've given up. I just can't live with the Beyer 1990s. They have to be equalized to sound right, and even then, they just don't sound as good as planars to me.

I'm considering the Ananda and the Edition X-v2. I want neutral, open, and extended bass with at least some thump and punch...

Suggestions? Comments?

If you want the extended bass and some thump and punch, definitely go with the HEX V2 over the Ananda. My findings align with u/Hifiearspeakers in that the HEX V2 has better bass response, while the Ananda are slightly brighter. I also prefer the comfort and adjustability of the HEX V2's headband and ear cups over the Ananda. The HEX V2 cups swivel, while the Ananda does not. That being said, I ended "upgrading" to HE1000's, although the HEX V2 sounds better to me out of the box. I had a little bass boost to the HE1000's with my iFi Pro iCAN.

In regards to quality control, another user on Head-Fi posted that they were able to purchase some metal clips for the HEX V2 from Hifiman (the HE1000's already come with metal clips). That seems to be the weakest point in the HEX V2 build.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hifiman-ananda.879628/page-48#post-14524879

You can find near new HEX V2's on sale here for cheaper than the Ananda, new or used.