Hifiman Ananda
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bagwell359
Headphoneus Supremus
Plug in 
to reality. Grade for anyone making those claims with that knowledge base? F
to reality. Grade for anyone making those claims with that knowledge base? F
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bagwell359
Headphoneus Supremus
Quite different I'm talking Ananda vs HEX v2 - although the bass is close. Both lack bass impact and 'grunt'. HEX v2 has some frequency sags in the upper mids and treble. Without capable EQ they do not have a lot of dynamics, which leads to the well known label as mellow/un-dynamic. Both do have a very good image size (a bit tall and not quite wide enough compared to non large cup HFM's). The Ananda has a light breezy open sound - very nice on first listen. Eventually I ask - where are the harmonics? Where is the body (very transparent, but also lacking fabric in the mids and upper bass). After EQ (use a good graph, forget the proposed settings, add +2.5 db under 100 Hz, set per ratings, then look to drop the 8-9k area for ringing), and a cable replacement to ANY capable cable over the stock rubbish the HEX v2 reveals itself - with one more setting. Get the center of the cups aligned right over your ear drums AND get the cups down on the side of your head that gives the best closure. Very cohesive sound, lots of depth (more than Ananda), remains a great morning or late night can. Less obvious detail than an Ananda, but, lots more harmonics richness. Also the HEX v2 avoids that screechy 6-8k range that even an EQ cannot quite settle for the Ananda. I've got a HEX v2 for 2.5 years or so, I would NOT trade it for an Ananda - but the Ananda is certainly best in class at price for a SS amp.. And I would not take the Ananda over any of my regular 4 cans.
The cans I listen to (in order) are: HE-6sev1 (35%), HE-500 (highly modded) (30%), Senn HD-600 only on BHC (heavy mods) (20%) , HEX v2 (15%)
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ctrlm
100+ Head-Fier
I just got the Ananda yesterday after some auditioning over the last month or so, I'm using them with my RME ADI-2.
I have to wonder if there has been some sort of silent revision by Hifiman after reading some wildly differing things online re: the frequency response (apologies if I've missed something). I also looked at the Oratory suggested EQ for the RME with these cans and that suggests a 7dB boost at 1.6 kHz! I tried it and it sounds bloody awful. It's interesting because I really like Oratory's Harman tweaks for my HD600s, with only a 1 to 2 dB low shelf gain.
There is no way these need that much, they really do sound fairly balanced out of the box and a 3dB gain at around 1.6kHz and a slight notch at 200 Hz is icing on the cake to these ears. I finished my first night of listening testing the following EQ that I found on a forum by a guy called chrono from headphones.com:
Peak at 200hz, -2dB Q of 3
Peak at 700hz, -3dB Q of 3
Peak at 1500hz, +3dB Q of 2
Peak at 3500hz, -1.5dB Q of 2
This sounds pretty good to me and takes away that ever so slight muddiness around the 200Hz mark....but I guess I do like my music a little skewed to the colder side of things.
Interestingly, I also found where the same guy posted the following slightly different recommendations in his YouTube video review in the same month:
Peak at 200hz, -2dB Q of 3
Peak at 700hz, -3dB Q of 3
Peak at 1500hz, 3dB Q of 2
Peak at 3000hz, -3 Q of 2
Peak at 12000hz, -2 Q of 2
Anyway, I'm looking forward to spending more time with these. I really like my HD600s but I craved something with a little more soundstage.
I have to wonder if there has been some sort of silent revision by Hifiman after reading some wildly differing things online re: the frequency response (apologies if I've missed something). I also looked at the Oratory suggested EQ for the RME with these cans and that suggests a 7dB boost at 1.6 kHz! I tried it and it sounds bloody awful. It's interesting because I really like Oratory's Harman tweaks for my HD600s, with only a 1 to 2 dB low shelf gain.
There is no way these need that much, they really do sound fairly balanced out of the box and a 3dB gain at around 1.6kHz and a slight notch at 200 Hz is icing on the cake to these ears. I finished my first night of listening testing the following EQ that I found on a forum by a guy called chrono from headphones.com:
Peak at 200hz, -2dB Q of 3
Peak at 700hz, -3dB Q of 3
Peak at 1500hz, +3dB Q of 2
Peak at 3500hz, -1.5dB Q of 2
This sounds pretty good to me and takes away that ever so slight muddiness around the 200Hz mark....but I guess I do like my music a little skewed to the colder side of things.
Interestingly, I also found where the same guy posted the following slightly different recommendations in his YouTube video review in the same month:
Peak at 200hz, -2dB Q of 3
Peak at 700hz, -3dB Q of 3
Peak at 1500hz, 3dB Q of 2
Peak at 3000hz, -3 Q of 2
Peak at 12000hz, -2 Q of 2
Anyway, I'm looking forward to spending more time with these. I really like my HD600s but I craved something with a little more soundstage.
bagwell359
Headphoneus Supremus
Those settings look pretty good although I find there is an area around 6k to tame down too. Try your 600's with a OTL tube amp? Amazing, certainly much richer tonally.
SinisterDev
100+ Head-Fier
Just got my Anandas in today, and I am in Heaven! These things sound incredible! No complaints so far. Never heard anything sound this good before.
That's what I thought first time listening to them. Welcome to the Ananda club.
SinisterDev
100+ Head-Fier
This has been my biggest venture (and expenditure lol) into the audiophile realm. Im in utter bliss right now 
. Looking forward to having a nicer equipment stand and a dedicated headphone stand, but for now this humble setup is working out nicely.
. Looking forward to having a nicer equipment stand and a dedicated headphone stand, but for now this humble setup is working out nicely.Attachments
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ctrlm
100+ Head-Fier
Day 3 with the Anandas and on my main rig I've been messing with the EQ on the RME ADI-2, being very conscious of only making subtle changes so as not too change the overall character that I really like. I agree with your comment on the area around 6k
and have ended up with the following that I'm happy with:Peak @ 200Hz, -2.0dB Q3
Peak @ 900Hz, -1.5dB Q3
Peak @ 1600Hz, +3.0dB Q2
Peak @ 3000Hz, -1.5dB Q2
Peak @ 6400Hz, -2.0dB Q5
High Shelf @ 10000Hz, +1.0dB Q0.7
As I said, it's all pretty subtle and doesn't take away from the spaciousness or soundstage. The bass is a little more defined with the 200Hz cut and when it's there......the sub bass is more noticeable. Overall I think the presentation has a bit more body. The cut at 6400Hz isn't much but it takes some of the edge/forwardness off without detracting from the sound signature, I think the big benefit here will be less chance of fatigue over longer sessions. I trialled a deeper cut for some time but thought 2dB was enough.
Having said all that, I can still live with them out of the box and I don't use EQ when I use them at my computer (Qutest + Topping L30).
Finding the right position for the cups has been interesting and I now have them sitting much lower than what I did when I first got them home. While it's not a big deal, I'm not a fan of the rubbery cord and would be open to any suggestions on a decent replacement.
So, my overall impressions so far? I agree with opinions I've seen that the Anandas are somewhat polite and a bit shy when it comes to slam and dynamics but apart from my usual rock/new wave/synthpop/house fare, I don't listen to much classical but I do listen to a decent amount of soundtrack & musical scores and this is where they really do excel. I was actually torn between the cheaper Sundaras and these when auditioning, particularly as the Sundaras felt like they were tailor-made for my head (sooooo comfortable) and were not as polite, but in the end I went with the Anandas for their spacious sound and the sound of those strings (yum). I'm actually still tempted to get the Sundaras as well one day as I think they complement each other quite well.
For the record I did also audition the Focal Clears, Senn HD800S, Audeze LCD-2 & LCD-X and others but when faced with paying up to twice the price of the Anandas, weight & comfort became a sharper focus of the purchasing methodology.
My favourite headphones as well. Love the tonality of these things.
I am joining the family. I just purchased an Ananda. My first planar magnetic headphones. I am so excited about it. Can't wait to see how they complement my HD800S and ZMF Verite Closed headphones.
Question: What is the best 4-pin XLR cable to get for the Anandas? I see something on Amazon, but it doesn't look that great. Don't want to spend a lot of money on it. Just want something that feels good to the touch and can make use of all of my 4-pin XLR adapters for all of my sources.
SinisterDev
100+ Head-Fier
Im very satisfied with the custom cables I got from Audiophile Ninja on Etsy. Jeremy has been a pleasure to do business with. He can customize the cables in various ways to meet your needs. I just got a XLR set for my Sundara/Anandas and my HD6XX. I have nothing to complain about so far. They look, ferl and sound incredible. They appear to be made of high quality materials and the prices are more than fair too!
My recommendation as of now is to check out Audiophile Ninja on Etsy. Jeremy is an awesome dude who put alot of work into developing a great cable. The customer service is top notch. He can do custom orders. Change lengths, swap different connectors and such. I just got a custom set of 6ft cables for my Sundara/Ananda and 6XX. Im really impressed with them so far. The custom cables ran me about $75 each, which is a pretty darn generous price considering the materials used and craftsmanship. I've seen similar cables go for a couple hundred bucks a pop.
Thanks for the recommendation. This is exactly what I was looking for. Great prices too.
bagwell359
Headphoneus Supremus
[/QUOTE]Day 3 with the Anandas and on my main rig I've been messing with the EQ on the RME ADI-2, being very conscious of only making subtle changes so as not too change the overall character that I really like. I agree with your comment on the area around 6k
Peak @ 200Hz, -2.0dB Q3
Peak @ 900Hz, -1.5dB Q3
Peak @ 1600Hz, +3.0dB Q2
Peak @ 3000Hz, -1.5dB Q2
Peak @ 6400Hz, -2.0dB Q5
High Shelf @ 10000Hz, +1.0dB Q0.7
As I said, it's all pretty subtle and doesn't take away from the spaciousness or soundstage. The bass is a little more defined with the 200Hz cut and when it's there......the sub bass is more noticeable. Overall I think the presentation has a bit more body. The cut at 6400Hz isn't much but it takes some of the edge/forwardness off without detracting from the sound signature, I think the big benefit here will be less chance of fatigue over longer sessions. I trialled a deeper cut for some time but thought 2dB was enough.
Having said all that, I can still live with them out of the box and I don't use EQ when I use them at my computer (Qutest + Topping L30).
Finding the right position for the cups has been interesting and I now have them sitting much lower than what I did when I first got them home. While it's not a big deal, I'm not a fan of the rubbery cord and would be open to any suggestions on a decent replacement.
So, my overall impressions so far? I agree with opinions I've seen that the Anandas are somewhat polite and a bit shy when it comes to slam and dynamics but apart from my usual rock/new wave/synthpop/house fare, I don't listen to much classical but I do listen to a decent amount of soundtrack & musical scores and this is where they really do excel. I was actually torn between the cheaper Sundaras and these when auditioning, particularly as the Sundaras felt like they were tailor-made for my head (sooooo comfortable) and were not as polite, but in the end I went with the Anandas for their spacious sound and the sound of those strings (yum). I'm actually still tempted to get the Sundaras as well one day as I think they complement each other quite well.
For the record I did also audition the Focal Clears, Senn HD800S, Audeze LCD-2 & LCD-X and others but when faced with paying up to twice the price of the Anandas, weight & comfort became a sharper focus of the purchasing methodology.
I have no doubt that the Ananda is much better than the Sundara. I've had very good luck with a cable company out of the UK - Custom Cans. Cable plus shipping and money changing ought to run $130-135. Super cleans sound with nice bass, but nothing is over anything else. Seem quiet too. I use them on my HD-600 and HE-6se.
I do like the Clears. Not like those particular LCD's, 800S is a lab instrument, it'll kill any weal links in your system, and you will NEVER relax with them until you run them off of tubes. If you EQ the crap out of them they can be gentle but you just lost 50% of the definition you paid for.
In the near future if you look beyond the Ananda, there is the HE6sev2, Arya, used E2's, and if you like to tweak, my tweaked HE-500's bury the Ananda overall.
DancingShade
Head-Fier
- Joined
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Speaking of cables I originally bought a custom replacement (forget which manufacturer) for my Ananda due to the jank of the stock cable. I left the original draped over a couple coat hooks on the back of my door for some months (yes, months) and eventually it DID straighten out and all the kinks in the transparent tubing went away. The original cable is quite usable now.
You'll probably still want to buy a custom / substitute replacement cable while you're waiting through, unless you have the patience of a saint. Also the Final Audio dual entry 3.5mm cables from their Sonorous headphones series also work perfectly fine on the Ananda, if you have one of those lying around.
You'll probably still want to buy a custom / substitute replacement cable while you're waiting through, unless you have the patience of a saint. Also the Final Audio dual entry 3.5mm cables from their Sonorous headphones series also work perfectly fine on the Ananda, if you have one of those lying around.
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