[yeboyi]

How does the Ananda respond to EQ, specifically the Harman curve?

Oratory1990 eq sounds fuller, more bite to electro guitars and such, more stereo like smaller soundstage. Ananda is a shapeshifter but stock tonality is good.

 

[ezduzit2500]

Interesting article. Audioholics got five audiophiles to compare Monster 1000 speaker cables vs coat hangers in a blind test. No one could tell the difference, they couldn't even tell that they were just coat hangers.
https://gizmodo.com/audiophile-deathmatch-monster-cables-vs-a-coat-hanger-363154

I looked up that "test" and it seemed flawed to me. They played only seven songs of which the "'audiophiles' had never heard before". No mention of recording quality, room setup, or listeners' experience. Even on the hi res online test there were more song samples.

 

[ezduzit2500]

Yep it's probably heat. Soundcards are not much different than dac amps though so no need to differentiate that much. There are not much soundcard anymore anyway. In this specific case easier to drive Ananda does not work well with AE5 soundcard at high volumes unlike harder to drive DT 1990. Difference is Ananda requires good current, 1990 requires good voltage. Voltage is easier to do for soundcard. Current i'm guessing is hard inside the case with all the heat going on. Soundcards are couple of cm away from a beefy gpus inside the case. They get really hot.

I would doubt if most sound cards put out enough current to drive planars well at higher sustained volumes, most are designed for amplifying voltage for dynamic cans.

 

[ezduzit2500]

Just received my Ananda. Interesting headphone. First impression is that i much prefer it with electronic music like edm, techno and radio hits over natural recorded music like classical music.

Btw how can i check if my amp has high current?

Welcome. To check if I had enough power on hand to drive my cans I looked at the specs of my prospective amp. Most stand alone amps that can provide ~2 - 3 watts output with a 2v signal from the DAC are powerful enough for most planar cans. Of course the acid test is to turn up the volume momentarily while you listen. If you hear distortion before the headphones get really loud, you definitely need more power. If the cans get loud but with distortion, you may want more power. If when you increase the volume and everything is loud and clear, you probably are good to go as far as power - for now.

 

[bagwell359]

Used preferable. Maybe up to 2k.

I don't know the dynamic side well, but there are Sony, Fostex (900), AT cans with big reps.

Planar: MD-X00 Ebony, LCD-4, and a bunch more.

Seek out the bassheads threads for a really good list.

 

[yeboyi]

Yes i like the sound in low impedance more than in OTL. Well i just think it has enough current.

The Ananda has the best bass i heard from any headphone till now. Is there any headphone with a similar bass that hits even more? For Techno it can't be deep enough.

Since you like the Ananda and it's bass, Arya is my recommendation hands down.

 

[Deolum]

I don't know the dynamic side well, but there are Sony, Fostex (900), AT cans with big reps.

Planar: MD-X00 Ebony, LCD-4, and a bunch more.

Seek out the bassheads threads for a really good list.

Hat the Fostex and the Sonys but they suck at other things are bassfocused. The Ananda is good in everything while having a great bass. That surprises me.

 

[Deolum]

Since you like the Ananda and it's bass, Arya is my recommendation hands down.

Yeah i decide between keeping the Ananda or returning it and get the Arya. But from what i've heard the Arya is basslighter and brighter? Did you have both?

 

[yeboyi]

Yeah i decide between keeping the Ananda or returning it and get the Arya. But from what i've heard the Arya is basslighter and brighter? Did you have both?

Arya is more v shaped. Slightly more bass and treble and more bass dynamics. I haven't listened it but my impression is it's superior version of Ananda. More dynamic impact, more soundstage, more treble, better technicalities.
Check out this review good: https://www.headphones.com/blogs/news/hifiman-arya-review-a-planar-hd800s

Edit: I'd say if you can buy the Arya buy it. Sundara has even more value than Ananda but i bought Ananda.

 

[Deolum]

Arya is more v shaped. Slightly more bass and treble and more bass dynamics. I haven't listened it but my impression is it's superior version of Ananda. More dynamic impact, more soundstage, more treble, better technicalities.
Check out this review good: https://www.headphones.com/blogs/news/hifiman-arya-review-a-planar-hd800s

Edit: I'd say if you can buy the Arya buy it. Sundara has even more value than Ananda but i bought Ananda.

Well i've heard other things. Mainly the 5 khz spike with slighty less bass than Ananda but better soundstage and details and overall brighter tuning.

Nah those reviews are bullsht. I only trust crinacle.

 

[xanlamin]

I actually prefer Ananda over Arya as it has more bass and sounds smoother and better for long listening session.

 

[BubbaJay]

Ever since getting the Grados SR325e about 2 weeks ago I've only really been listening to them and I really like them a lot. Today I thought I'd go back to my old favorite and to be honest it took a little while to get back into them. At first they actually sounded quite warm and almost dull compared to the Grados which is very fast and lively. After about 15 or 20 mins they started to sound like I remembered and I also remembered why there my favorite. Such a good headphone that really has no weaknesses imo and can sound good with whatever you're listening to.

 

[Pugzilla]

Any tips to the reduce the Ananda's clamping force? Is it safe enough to bend the headband with my hands or should I leave it on some books for a few hours?

 

[animefreeks]

Any tips to the reduce the Ananda's clamping force? Is it safe enough to bend the headband with my hands or should I leave it on some books for a few hours?

Up to you, it's metal after all. I bent mine gently at the top only to the point of easing the pressure and not to the point of creasing it the other way. Didn't seem to help much. I think breaking in the earpads work better. They seem to get more comfortable with constant and consistent wear. Haven't tried books or even a "basketball" but I would assume the pads could be worn in a different, undesired way if you go this route.

 

[bagwell359]

Hat the Fostex and the Sonys but they suck at other things are bassfocused. The Ananda is good in everything while having a great bass. That surprises me.

Good, I don't like that hyped up bass. Ananda has bass, what it lacks is impact and growl that should be there occasionally. The original long cup HFM's: HEK v1, HEX v1&2, Ananda all share this character. The current HEKse is really great, but its big bucks. The earlier HE6 6 screw has bass impact that will snap your eyes shut. The HFM HE-500 doesn't have the same impact as the 6, but the tone of the bass is better than those early long cups. The recent HE6se has bass between the 6 and 500, and could be had for about $1k. It takes nicely to EQ.

The E2 has excellent bass with no false added emphasis. The LCD4 has some nice bass and isn't as weak as the LCD2 and LCD3 in the upper mids, but it costs. The Phi of course has the best bass, but you need to print money to buy one.