[Terozzzz]

Yes it sounds better on anything but there is still room for improvement. A lot.

 

[asarkhentamentiu]

Well, FedEx unfortunately was very leisurely with the package at Connecticut, it finally left this morning and is supposed to be here Thursday, def a lil bummed out right now…

@asarkhentamentiu


The amp you have is more than enough to drive the Ananda with ease.
I don't know about sound quality but this is something that you are going to decide.
Start with what you have and then upgrade if you feel that you are missing something.

This is great advice, I will, I have good confidence in my unit, it makes sound smoothly fuller, richer, and deeper which in my mind is a perfect complement to critique such as this from Reddit:

Is this model headphone a double-sided magnet construction?

Yes. But it doesn't really matter.

Also if anyone can shed more light on “planar-magnetic” or demo any songs of planar bass that would be great

Ananda is one of the weakest planars when it comes to bass. It doesn't have much slam like Sundara for example. It's more on the boomy/sluggish side compared to most planars. I would say it's even worse than Deva. But the strongest feature of Ananda is the soundstage. I don't think there is any competition until something like Arya or HD800S. There are some potential competitors with decentralized drivers like Ultrasone Edition 11 or Beyer T1 2.gen but those are V-shaped and gives you a different listening experience. Another great thing about Ananda is neutrality and imaging making it a great all-rounder overall. But it's one of those headphones that didn't impress me at anything but doesn't sound bad at anything either.

I do hear some complaints of plasticity in the sound; what’s up with that

Ananda's timbre is slightly off making it sound cold/harsh/nasal/shouty/thin/plasticky/metallic/call it whatever you want. It has inconsistent treble with aggressive dips and peaks so it sounds distant and harsh at the same time. Sometimes it's very natural and sometimes it's kinda too aggressive for me.

 

[BassInYourSpace]

I really loved the sound of these and honestly hated having to send them back, but my big-ass head was not made for that suspension strap. Gave me a top-down headache in like 20-30min. Only pair of cans I've ever had do that.

But if it fits your head then rock on! The weight was excellent, the pads felt fine to my head, and when paired with a Topping DX7 Pro I really did enjoy the sound.

 

[asarkhentamentiu]

my new HIFIMAN Ananda.. they sound and fit great

sound is great honestly

clarity, perfect

richly airy, full, detailed... bass is sick. deep, tight, liquid, very responsive

well done

separation, imaging, and soundstage are just like the popular opinion, very accurate and immersive, its a nice headphone. I'm satisfied! now just the hard part -- listening to music lol

 

[DJ LP]

Gentlemen, I have an update on my Anandas. THEY ARE FANTASTIC!!! Once I found the right combination, they are the best headphones I have ever owned. My only problem before was sub bass. I didn't think I was getting enough of it before. I purchased the xDuoo XD05 Plus and the xDuoo X10T II Turntable player. I also purchased an usb-c to usb-c cable (Audioquest Carbon) , along with a cord for my Anandas ( I'll tell what cord later) that's sounds oh so good. The bass that was to me missing before is no longer missing. The xDuoo XD05 Plus has a bass boost that I engaged, the xDuoo X10T has an equalizer that I adjusted to compensate and take away the mid bass boost the xDuoo XD05 gave me. I then boosted the sub bass on the xDuoo X10T II just a smidge and YESSSSS!!! Finally got what I was looking for!! Set up sounds open, detailed, images pretty good, has plenty of slam and dynamics with plenty of sub bass. I am very happy with what I now have. I see no need for me to buy anymore portable gear.

 

[DJ LP]

Had my Ananda for a few days now. Only did a initial listing session its not even close been in the same league to my K1000 setup that's been in storage. i'll burn it in for a few more days. Is re-cabling recommended with the Ananda? does it make a big difference?

For me it did. I'm not at home right now but once I get home, I will tell you what cable I used.

 

[DJ LP]

Your DAC/amp will affect this, but I get you mean. Ananda is what I call a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Nothing about it really impressed me, but it was an easy listen and recommendation. Especially if we listen to modern pop.

Agreed that the Ananda doesn't have a wide staging. In fact I would say its staging is quite restricted, even from my amp. Layering fares better and does help to keep it from being congested.

And yeah, it has somewhat warmish tonality. I thought it was fine and its biggest strength (again, depending on your chain). Somewhere in the treble can bother me sometimes.

Out of my desktop amp, the bass had enough oomph for me, but yes it is not its strength as well. But I felt it was enough for me to enjoy it.

Its worst weakness is in actually dynamics. I couldn't stand its flat sound. I realized it when I went back to my HD600. But no issue for gaming or modern pop.

I wasn't completely satisfied until I found the right combo, applied eq and I'm loving them now. The soundstage is pretty wide to me also. What I like about the soundstage is that the image is to the front, like a pair of speakers. I think sometimes that gets confused with the all around you soundstage most headphones present and that's why some think the soundstage is narrow.

 

[Brahmsian]

I wasn't completely satisfied until I found the right combo, applied eq and I'm loving them now. The soundstage is pretty wide to me also. What I like about the soundstage is that the image is to the front, like a pair of speakers. I think sometimes that gets confused with the all around you soundstage most headphones present and that's why some think the soundstage is narrow.

It also projects a relatively tall image, which might make it seem narrower than it is.

 

[DJ LP]

The Ananda by nature is shy on bass no matter what would do, mostly same like an HD800. If you want real deep bass, get the Audeze LCD-X or 2C

Not true. I'm a purist who loves bass and once I was able to eq properly, I think they do an excellent job with sub bass. I have a nice home system with 2 M&K MX-350 THX subwoofers. Me putting on the headphones, I don't feel like I'm missing any of the bass that my home system gives me.

 

[DJ LP]

TL;DR
Ananda can be a bass canon if you want. But it sounds great for most music without EQ. A 10 dB boost is needed for edm and other bass heavy genres to be engaging.

Just a few more notes regarding my use of EQ with ifi xbass / schiit Loki and the ananda. The analog EQ just does a great job of staying out of the way when it needs to. I don’t know it’s there unless it’s already on the track. The Q tuning and balance along the lower frequencies is fantastic.

The ananda is really close to perfect to me without EQ for acoustic and classical music. I use the low XBass setting on my ican only, just to give a bit more weight to stringed instruments and vocals. No Loki.

For edm, I use the high XBass setting. It’s about +10 dB and adds just enough thump to make it much more engaging. I will turn up the Loki a little depending on the track and my mood. A 10-15 dB boost does the trick for me. I start with XBass and add more with Loki as needed, usually about 3-5 dB. The ananda takes it splendidly without audible distortion at loud volumes.

For immersive gaming and movies, I’ll stick to about a +15 dB boost. I just love a solid rumble when it’s called for. Again, the bass stays completely out if the way unless it’s called for.

If you want to get crazy with bass tracks, like stuff from bass outlaws, the ananda will let me max out my analog boost capabilities at about +22 dB at 20 Hz. I can get it to distort, but this is far from the norm and only at unsustainable volume levels. It’s just worth mentioning that the ananda can be a basshead can if you want it to be. You just need a lot of EQ and power. I don’t think ifi xbass or Loki get the ananda to basshead levels on their own though. But when you combine the two, the anandas can absolutely become bass canons.

I agree with you about the 10 db boost around 20 hz. Mine is somewhere around the same. My reference is how it would sound live and I try to get as close to that as I can, with my home system, car system and my portable stuff. If bass is present, I want to hear it, with authority.

 

[dsrk]

I agree with you about the 10 db boost around 20 hz. Mine is somewhere around the same. My reference is how it would sound live and I try to get as close to that as I can, with my home system, car system and my portable stuff. If bass is present, I want to hear it, with authority.

10db boost, man you are bass heads.

 

[DJ LP]

I'm not sure why people seem to expect this to be a bassy headphone.
Looking around I have yet to see anyone advertise it as such and the frequency response does not indicate it is. So I guess I'm just a little confused when people are surprised it doesn't have much slam.

That's because there were reviews written saying it had sub bass out of the box. I read a lot of those reviews myself before I purchased mine and I was kind of disappointed myself when I got mine. Just because someone wants bass doesn't mean you want a bassy headphone. Using home speakers for my analogy, some here are bookshelf speaker types, while others are floor standing and others like myself are floor standing with subwoofers. Each one, as you step up, gives a more full presentation. Some music doesn't call for floor standing, with subwoofers, some does.

 

[asarkhentamentiu]

I agree; I think the bass on Ananda is actually tantalizing, it’s super-liquid and the control is masterful. its effortless

I also wanna add that dac-x6mkii is a great pairing!! The sound has clarity and air, it’s richly detailed… I’m very happy, only thing I could mention, sometimes it seems like the amp has no headroom. Might benefit from JDS atom, schiit, topping. ??

It’s not had to drive but it greatly benefits from more power— I definitely can see and agree with that statement.

 

[Terozzzz]

I agree with you about the 10 db boost around 20 hz. Mine is somewhere around the same. My reference is how it would sound live and I try to get as close to that as I can, with my home system, car system and my portable stuff. If bass is present, I want to hear it, with authority.

True, same here. There is nothing wrong with using EQ. ALL music today you hear is made by using EQ on instruments. Why not in headphones to get the best out of it?

 

[asarkhentamentiu]

Short review and sound demo, hope you check and enjoy!