An internet search will show “Headphone Calculator” results for looking at your headphones, mW, ohms, etc. Just type in your headphones sensitivity and ohms and the calculator will give results for different listening levels. For example: 1 watt = 1000mW, and I think a few people here will be surprised at the 100mW or 200mW of power they listen to. For me, my new tube amp is 1 watt (1000mW) and I’m listening to the Ananda at 1/4 volume and I keep turning it down as it’s loud.
Hifiman Ananda
- Thread starter SilverEars
- Start date
Thanks, my tube amp is the Monoprice. I don’t have the Woo WA6, House does. It’s good hearing you’re using planar and a tube amp and that you like it. I’m really happy with mine and wish I had purchased mine sooner. I hear really good things about the Darkvoice and I think Zeos has one. Is your amp the 336? I think Zeos has the 336? It’s nice knowing an OTL works and that House and my toroidal amp work with planar too. It’s a good day. Thanks again…………..
I'll have to check out the Monoprice. I've been happy with my setup from the start. However, my recent upgrades take the package to another level. If you haven't done so (and your unit allows) use a good quality power cables. Alternately, you could purchase a linear power supply with the correct voltage. My streamer and DAC are connected to a linear power supply providing a huge, positive gains in detail, soundstage, imaging, and tighter bass response). Lastly, don't be afraid to try different tubes.
Good luck with your setup.
Marc
chellity
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after about 3 weeks of having my set of anandas, I can confidently say I love them 
they really have that initial 'wow' factor that I really didn't get from the more technical and sterile focal clears. my set of clears ended up getting damaged during shipping, but it sounds like its for the better. they just had too much of a bass roll off compared to planars for me, all EQ being equal. I definitely love the sound of anandas un EQ'd too, but with EQ they really just sound more fun than clears. If I was after purely mids and technicals, i'd go for clears for sure. but all rounders to match my eclectic music library...it has to be anandas i'm not convinced I could like audeze as an allrounder , but I'm still keeping my eyes out for verum two coming at some point
they really have that initial 'wow' factor that I really didn't get from the more technical and sterile focal clears. my set of clears ended up getting damaged during shipping, but it sounds like its for the better. they just had too much of a bass roll off compared to planars for me, all EQ being equal. I definitely love the sound of anandas un EQ'd too, but with EQ they really just sound more fun than clears. If I was after purely mids and technicals, i'd go for clears for sure. but all rounders to match my eclectic music library...it has to be anandas i'm not convinced I could like audeze as an allrounder , but I'm still keeping my eyes out for verum two coming at some pointezduzit2500
1000+ Head-Fier
According to that I stand corrected, but I'd still rather have a little extra power on tap for SS amps and especially with planars. Really need that current. Tube amps can be over-driven and clip softly when pushed close to their limits, having even order harmonics, being less strident on the ears/brain, as I've read. I'm inclined to believe that with my limited experience with tubes in older gear and my tube pre.
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lalawilson168
Head-Fier
I got a Massdrop X CTH on the recent drop. It advertised as " It delivers the current required by planar magnetics, ", I realised a pretty drastic change in sound vs the Hersey on the Ananda, much flatter bass , and all in all not very enjoyable. Bought this amp as i like the form factor and thinking it's an improvement on the Hersey for my ananda and 6xx. ananda definitely no, 6xx i can tell sound-stage slightly wider but im not sure I'm a fan losing the intimacy of the mid range that the 6xx is known for.
ezduzit2500
1000+ Head-Fier
Wow, that's unfortunate. Can you get a refund? I see that the specs only have a 1 watt output @ 50 ohms and just the one tube. That's not very much power IMO, and my preamp has two 5654w tubes. I've got a Magni 3+, brother to Heresy, but I stepped up to Emotiva a-100 to have all the power I believe I'll ever need for cans and speakers and so that I could be good for a good while. Punchy and dynamic paired with an inexpensive DAC, smoothed with the tubed pre buffer. Good for the price. How do you like the Heresy?
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lalawilson168
Head-Fier
CTH > Hersey for 6xx, and Hersey > CTH ananda, truth is i dont wanna plug my anandas in the cth again, that crackle and circuit break (turns red) didnt look healthy for the amp or for the headphone.
Louisiana
500+ Head-Fier
I use the Ananda in connection with the RME ADI-2 DAC FS as DAC and the CTH as AMP, and I am very satisfied with the sound! The CTH makes a slightly wider stage than the ADI2, bass is the same, but I think that's because of the built-in tube.
About 6 or so years ago my girlfriend bought me a pair of HE-400s as I wanted to try planars as an upgrade to my AKG K702s. I thought they were okay, but wasn't all that impressed. But for the next 5 years these are what I used. About a year ago, just for fun, I dug the 702s out of the closet. My jaw almost hit the floor. The HE-400s went into the closet and the 702s became my headphones to listen to. In comparison the 400s sounded muddy and the transient response was slow and the high end almost didn't exist and I was under the impression that this is what planars excel at!
So time came to upgrade my headphones so I did a lot of research and it was clear that the best model under $1000 was the HiFiMAN Anandas. Given my disappointment with the HE-400s, I purchased the Anandas(now $699) with some trepidation. I Don't have the ability to audition different models and I've never had the pleasure to listen to big-buck($2,000 and up) Audez or Focals, etc. So when I plugged these in, no break in, these are easily the best headphones I've ever heard. I've owned HD600 and 650's. Grados that I hated. You couldn't design a more uncomfortable headphone if you tried. The Anandas bass almost thumped off my head, the mids were accurate and the transient response was crystal clear. On John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucia's Friday Night in San Francisco(Japanese 1st Release) the lighting fast guitars notes were easily reproduced. I could actually hear the sounds of the picks striking the strings for the first time. If you want to give your gear a workout, this record will do the job. The title track of Steely Dan's Aja is another. Listen to Steve Gadd's drumrolls if you want to test bass response.
If you've got the scratch, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed. They are efficient, but leak a lot so they're not going to work well on the train coming home from work. The cables have a very flexible outer jacket so they are easy to kink. I've search for aftermarket cables, but they cost over 50% of what the Ananadas cost. And this is for single ended. Yes balanced cables would have been a nice addition. I've never heard a balanced system. At least not yet...
So time came to upgrade my headphones so I did a lot of research and it was clear that the best model under $1000 was the HiFiMAN Anandas. Given my disappointment with the HE-400s, I purchased the Anandas(now $699) with some trepidation. I Don't have the ability to audition different models and I've never had the pleasure to listen to big-buck($2,000 and up) Audez or Focals, etc. So when I plugged these in, no break in, these are easily the best headphones I've ever heard. I've owned HD600 and 650's. Grados that I hated. You couldn't design a more uncomfortable headphone if you tried. The Anandas bass almost thumped off my head, the mids were accurate and the transient response was crystal clear. On John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De Lucia's Friday Night in San Francisco(Japanese 1st Release) the lighting fast guitars notes were easily reproduced. I could actually hear the sounds of the picks striking the strings for the first time. If you want to give your gear a workout, this record will do the job. The title track of Steely Dan's Aja is another. Listen to Steve Gadd's drumrolls if you want to test bass response.
If you've got the scratch, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed. They are efficient, but leak a lot so they're not going to work well on the train coming home from work. The cables have a very flexible outer jacket so they are easy to kink. I've search for aftermarket cables, but they cost over 50% of what the Ananadas cost. And this is for single ended. Yes balanced cables would have been a nice addition. I've never heard a balanced system. At least not yet...
animefreeks
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like AKG has stagnated as of late. Their latest and greatest were the K701/K702, but I think ever since Samsung bought them out, they've been at a standstill as they have been focusing on making the Galaxy Buds.
Also, most cables that you Google will come up as expensive. I use some cheap cables by NeoMusica that I found on Amazon on my HD 700, and they do make some for the Anandas!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H6SPVX5/ref=twister_B07H6TLHXC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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Wow! $22! To order a replacement cable from HiFiMAN cost close to $200. I hate to come off as an audiophile elitist, but $22! Moon Audio's cheapest, the Blue Dragon, is $350.
I always sneak in a comment when cables are discussed, but you may also want to consider the Periapt Type 8 at $58:
https://periaptcables.com/products/8-type-8-dual-3-5mm
I have the Periapt, Neomusica, and several others that range from $10 up to $100. The Periapt sounds the best to me without any downsides, but as always YMMV depending on your other gear.
Side note on Moon audio. I've ordered several small items from them and they've always been great as a seller, but the prices are outrageous to me. Paying $350 (or even over $200) for a cable is a bit farfetched to me, and I'm a cable snob.
https://periaptcables.com/products/8-type-8-dual-3-5mm
I have the Periapt, Neomusica, and several others that range from $10 up to $100. The Periapt sounds the best to me without any downsides, but as always YMMV depending on your other gear.
Side note on Moon audio. I've ordered several small items from them and they've always been great as a seller, but the prices are outrageous to me. Paying $350 (or even over $200) for a cable is a bit farfetched to me, and I'm a cable snob.
animefreeks
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When the stock cable on my HD 700 started going out, I replaced it with the aforementioned cheap ones. I was able to do an A/B comparison (bending the stock cable a certain way reestablished the connection). As far as I can tell, there was zero difference. Then again, the stock cable that Sennheiser provided wasn't that good to begin with. However, the cheap cables were MUCH easier to manage due to them being braided.
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