[mksilent]

Hi!

I hardly think any new Hifimans are good value, especially the Arya. God i look at the Arya and wonder how that thing can cost $1600. My Ananda creaks when I'm listening to it.

So with me nothing creaks at all about my Ananda when I listen to this music. If I hold the Ananda with both hands and something back & forth it clatters a little - but that does not interest me. The thing should be quiet when I have him on and that's him.

Well I know that A LOT of people will disagree but the fact is a fact HEX v2 and Ananda has THE SAME diaphragm - not those do not sound identical - but very similar - Difference comes from different cups materials and pads - but those are not night and day and I would be really surprised if anyone could tell them apart in proper double blind volume matched test...
Yes those sounds slightly different but not enough to say which ones which.

I have compared both of them in detail and it would be very easy for me to recognize them - even in a blind test.
The HEX V2 has more punsh and is warmer tuned. The Ananda sounds drier, a bit cooler and has more low bass at the same time. In general I feel the Ananda more open than the HEX V2 with a bit more super high frequencies.

Find this fundamental discussion "the Arya is better than the Ananda or the HEX V2" always a bit amysant.
The individual taste is not considered with this evaluation. In addition, depending on how the headphones are tuned, they are better or "worse" suited to the music genre.
In addition, of course, there is the relationship between price and performance - and here I find the Ananda currently as extremely interesting! For 799€ you get an excellent headphone - the Arya costs here in Germany 1.800€ -> "just for once" 1000€ MORE, that means I get two Ananda for it and can eat with the rest a few times with my wife.

But that's how it is in this segment; for a few percent more quality you have to invest a lot of money over proportionally. This thread is about Ananda and my personal opinion is that these headphones are a good piece of hardware at a fair price.

 

[SilverEars]

I agree that HEXV2 and Ananda are easily distinguishable. It's even possible two different headphones of the same model can be distinguishable due to production variance.

Arya from what I've heard is technically superior to Ananda and HEXV2. My short impression is that it sounded more engaging compared to more analytical HEK series.

With all these trials of Hifiman cans, I've realized that Hifiman isn't just naming the same headphones differently. There are slight to more obvious differences between them. HEK series difference are in the lower range.

 

[Luke Thomas]

thx just have my Ed x away and toying with buying the ananda. Just wondered if the ananda can compete with the Ed x

 

[Toby Joe]

It’s nice seeing some movement on this thread as the HEX V2, Ananda, and Arya threads have been pretty dry lately.

As many of you know, I own both the HEX V2 and the Ananda and I consider them to literally be the exact opposite in everyway and, like many here, I could easily tell them apart in a blind test. IMHO, the detail of the Ananda with sound and notes flying all over the place is a dead giveaway that I’m listening to the Ananda. Plus, the lush midrange of the HEX V2 is a dead giveaway. Plus, the tube-like vocals of the HEX V2 vs. the solid-state-like vocals of the Ananda are a dead giveaway. Plus, the extended high-end of the Ananda vs the “slightly recessed” high-end of the HEX V2 is also a giveaway. IMHO, it’s like I’ve been saying, the HEX V2 and the Ananda are literally the exact opposite.

Also, IMHO, at this level of headphones, there is no “better,” as there is only “different;” as the HEX is different than the Ananda, and the Ananda is different than the Arya, etc, etc, etc. At this level, IMHO, I think it all comes down to personal taste and what the listener is interested in at that particular moment so they can pick their “in the mood” headphone. For me, I go back and forth between the Ananda and the HEX V2 and I do not even mess with my other headphones anymore as the HEX V2 and Ananda cans do it for me. For instance, for fun I tried my 1060 and 1060c the other day and I just couldn’t do it and had to go back to the Ananda and HEX V2. Plus, I also tried my HE5se and I couldn’t do this either as they came right off my head just like the 1060 and 1060c. For movies, I like the Ananda because sound is flying all over the place, but the HEX V2 makes movies sound lush and rich, so it depends on what I’m in the mood for.

Also, IMHO, I do not think the HEX (V1 or V2) share the same driver as the Ananda, as was just mentioned here, as I think the HEKse, Arya, Ananda, HE560, and Sundara all share the newer and thinner diaphragm; where the HEK (V1 and V2), HEX (V1 and V2), HE400i, and HE5se all share the older and thicker diaphragm.

Someone here mentioned “upgrading” from the HEX and I agree with someone else here that this is really difficult to do as the HEX (V1 and V2) are very unique with the only “upgrade” in my book being the HEK (V1 and V2) as all four are very similar. However, if the “upgrade” is intended to be quite different: than the HEKse, Arya, and Ananda could be considered.

Also, like many here, I am also waiting for the HFM price drop on the Arya as sub $600.00 for a used HEX V2, and $699.00 for a new Ananda make $1599.00 for an Arya quite pricy in my book. I do know HFM adjusted the HEX V2 pricing from $1799.00 down to $1299.00 for a $500.00 price drop, so maybe an Arya at $1099.00 is the next drop; with sub $1k after that? Like many of you, I’ll wait for the price drop.

: )

 

[Ripper2860]

Also, IMHO, at this level of headphones, the is no “better,” as there is only “different;”

 

[Luke Thomas]

Thx above. Would it be fair to say. The Ananda is Hifimans best under $1000 new

 

[cactus_farmer]

Is there any sort of cloth/membrane dust cover on the backs of the Ananda's drivers or is the driver membrane entirely exposed to the open air? If it is, surely its just a matter of time before it gets caked in microscopic dust particles and can no longer move as freely back and forth as it once did?

 

[sennfan83261]

Is there any sort of cloth/membrane dust cover on the backs of the Ananda's drivers or is the driver membrane entirely exposed to the open air? If it is, surely its just a matter of time before it gets caked in microscopic dust particles and can no longer move as freely back and forth as it once did?

The backs of the drivers are covered by a thin material to prevent dust from reaching there. And the pads have a thin cloth-like material to prevent hair and dust from reaching the other side of the drivers. Now, I saw that Hifiman did a silent revision for the Arya where the cloth-like material of the pads are now affixed to the ear-facing side of the drivers and removed from the pads. I guess Hifiman didn't want people pulling off the pads and exposing the drivers. However, I had an experience where a piece of hair managed to get through the pad-cloth and lodge itself between the magnet and driver of an Ananda, which resulted in buzzing. With permission, I removed the pad and carefully pulled out the hair and the buzzing disappeared. With the silent revision to the Arya, it seems like it is impossible to do the same fix unless one disassembles the driver assembly. I hope this revision does not come to other similarly shaped Hifimans.

 

[cactus_farmer]

With permission

Thanks for the response. Serious question though - who did you need to seek permission from?

 

[Luke Thomas]

So basically the Ed x has more bass. Ananda more detail

 

[sennfan83261]

Thanks for the response. Serious question though - who did you need to seek permission from?

The Ananda's were not mine.

 

[lugnut]

So basically the Ed x has more bass. Ananda more detail

The Ananda sounds drier, a bit cooler and has more low bass at the same time. In general I feel the Ananda more open than the HEX V2 with a bit more super high frequencies.

 

[bagwell359]

I would say that Aryas are perfectly placed in term of price as those are repacked and slightly differently tuned HEK v2... so 50% off for 90% (or more) of performance.
Will you agree with overall price policy of Hifiman mostly depends on size of your wallet - Mind you company is not doing too bad so there must be enough of people OK with it.

I agree buying used hfm is the way to go. I bought 3 used and 3 new,

5SE was a major fail on the new side and jury out on the 6SE.

I think the Arya is between HEK V1 and V2 and somewhat better than both of them - as classical seems more correct. So compared to the original list on those two the current price on the Arya is quite good.

The Arya (in my experience and my taste of course) is better than HFM cans such as: HE500, HEX v2, Ananda, HE6SE, HEK v1, HEK v2. It's potentially close to the original HE-6 (not sound, just in quality traits and musicality - and maybe better), I'd need to hear them together. A nice HE-6 is $900-1050. In 13 months used Arya's for $900 with the bonus of being about 8 years "less experienced". Sounds like a pretty fair deal to me.

 

[bagwell359]

Also, IMHO, I do not think the HEX (V1 or V2) share the same driver as the Ananda, as was just mentioned here, as I think the HEKse, Arya, Ananda, HE560, and Sundara all share the newer and thinner diaphragm; where the HEK (V1 and V2), HEX (V1 and V2), HE400i, and HE5se all share the older and thicker diaphragm.

Someone here mentioned “upgrading” from the HEX and I agree with someone else here that this is really difficult to do as the HEX (V1 and V2) are very unique with the only “upgrade” in my book being the HEK (V1 and V2) as all four are very similar. However, if the “upgrade” is intended to be quite different: than the HEKse, Arya, and Ananda could be considered.

Also, like many here, I am also waiting for the HFM price drop on the Arya as sub $600.00 for a used HEX V2, and $699.00 for a new Ananda make $1599.00 for an Arya quite pricy in my book. I do know HFM adjusted the HEX V2 pricing from $1799.00 down to $1299.00 for a $500.00 price drop, so maybe an Arya at $1099.00 is the next drop; with sub $1k after that? Like many of you, I’ll wait for the price drop.

: )

Glad to see all the folks that agree with me - Ananda is not close to the HEX v2 - by a solid amount.

Good overall post, but the diaphragm thickness is != driver.

The HE5SE != HE-5 | HE5-LE
The HE6SE ! HE6 (4 | 6 screw)
The HE500 != HE560 (v1 | v2 | v3)
The HEKse !!!!!!!!!====== Sundara | HE560 | Ananda (either the driver or the diaphragm - the recent 560's compared to the HEXse - just no)

I believe in making connections, but, some of these are a bit of a reach.

 

[Toby Joe]

As far as diaphragms go, I had initially thought HFM only had two types: the 2009 HE5 type and the 2014 HE560 type. This entire time I thought the HEK V2 was the old HE5 type, but sure enough, the HFM website shows it’s nanometer, which was surprising and I was wrong about this one. Now, the HFM website says “the [2015] HEK V2 was the first in nanometer,” but the HE560 came out in 2014 and I thought this was the first nanometer? Also confusing is the HFM website for the 2016 HEX V2 that shows the diaphragm as “Ultra Thin” with no spec’s, so is this nanometer, NEO supernano, old HE5 type, or something else? This entire time I thought the HEX was the old HE5 type, but I could have been wrong on this too.

HFM is big on their website as saying “nanometer,” or “NEO supernano,” or “Ultra Thin” for their headphones; so now I’m confused on the HE560 and the HEX V2. The HFM website never addresses the HE400i and HE6 series diaphragm being different than the HE5 series. The HFM website no longer addresses the HE560 diaphragm. The HFM website also no longer addresses the 2011 HE500 diaphragm.

I think might be:

For the old 2009 HE5 type: HE5, HE5LE, HE5se, HE500, HE400i, HE6, HE6se

For the 2014 / 2016 Ultra Thin (maybe nanometer or NEO supernano NsD): HE560 and HEX (v1 and v2)

For the 2015 nanometer: HEK (se, v1, v2), Arya

For the 2017 NEO supernano Diaphragm NsD (1-2 nanometers) : Ananda, Sundara