Ok Ananda-heads...I FINALLY got a pair of GL2000 here to compare side-by-side with the Ananda. I know there have been other impressions by more "qualified" listeners, but I felt like just posting mine as well. It's only the first day with them, so bear that in mind! Running both through the RebelAmp and BF2. Will try with the Violectric V200 once I get balanced interconnects. So far I gotta say I like the Ananda more, but this is before burn-in, so only time will tell if things change (I doubt it).
Pros for the GL2000:
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Impact! There is a definite advantage over the Ananda in sheer impact of all parts of the frequency range. Acoustic guitars have a sense of physical impact and not just a "pluck," voices are more clear and intimate when called on, and drums slam harder (still not "hard).
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Bass. More of it, maybe not as detailed, but much more "solid" feeling. There seems to be more of it too. Both in the sub-bass and mid-bass.
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Lower-midrange warmth. I feel like the Ananda has a sweet tonality, but lacks the body of the lower-mids that something like an HD600 has. The GL2000 has some of that good wamth, without over-doing it at all.
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Timbre. Not great, but definitely better than the Ananda. Things are somewhat drier, but also more realistic. Especially voices, which on the Ananda seem to be off every time to me, unless they're running through my WA6-SE...in which case they sound only a
little off.
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Air. The Ananda lacks air. Not upper midrange or lower treble, but the air is just absent. It's not on the GL2000's, it has that air quality I've been missing.
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Layering. Even though imaging is not as good, the sense of layering seems like an improvement over the somewhat flat presentation of the Ananda.
Pros for the Ananda:
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Cohesion. Somehow the whole musical picture is presented in a more cohesive way. Don't understand how or why. The GL2000 present sound all around you, while the Ananda is more of a speaker presentation. This is the first thing I notice switching back to the Ananda.
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Imaging. This goes along with cohesion. Images are just more clearly presented. Instrument separation is also much better.
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Sence of space. Maybe the images are more blurry and larger on the GL2000, but I hear more space (between the instruments, around the whole ensemble) much more easily on the Ananda.
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Details. Yeah, the Ananda is better with details. No question. GL2000 has that weird midrange haze/indistinctness. It reminds me of listening to my Mimby after getting the Bifrost 2.
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Less compression. The Ananda is more dynamic, which isn't "slam" the way I'm using the word. It's got a wider separation between loud and soft, forte and piano, if you will. It's also not great! Just goes to show you how much the GL2000's are compressed. It's very annoying, and yet exciting for certain songs. Especially if you like details shoved in your face.
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Comfort. I have the ZMF co-pilot on my pair, and comfort is so good on the Ananda. I also get a better seal than with the GL2000 personally, probably because clamp force is stronger on the Ananda, so I just feel like they're more secure on my head. Not a fan on the thick, padded headband on the GL2000, although I don't get a hot spot. It's just...not as comfortable. They're quite a bit heavier as well. (Also, it still surprises me that the Ananda has the edge on comfort for me, despite the non-swivleable earcups. Go figure! Guess HifiMan knew what they were doing after all.)
Equal on both:
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Soundstage. I think they extend just as far, but again, the presentation is different on each. The Ananda is more all in front of you and "cohesive," while the GL2000 is kinda...everywhere, from all sides. GL2000 might have the slight edge here, being both a little more deep and a little wider, but it's hard to tell when the music is so compressed.
That's it for now! Curious to hear if anyone else has made these observations, or different ones! I'll post more as I get used to the GL2000 and they (and my brain) burn in.
P.S. The GoldPlanar 1/8" cable with 1/4" adaptor for the GL2000 is AWESOME with both it and the Ananda. Regardless of which 'phones I keep, this cable is staying with me.
