[pataburd]

I have both, Ananda and Elegia. They are two very different headphones therefore they complement each other very well. If you want more bass than Elegias then Ananda is not for you. Actually elegia is much punchier than Ananda, with much more defined imaging with clearer and more localized dense images. Lack of punch and diffused imaging are basically two biggest drawbacks of anandas and Elegia does well in both cases. In everything else Ananda is a big upgrade, bigger stage, much better treble, better timbre and overall very smooth airy sound.

I don't perceive "diffuse" imaging with the Ananda: imaging seems well-anchored and precise; however, I think it is more-so the lack of soundstage depth that contributes to an overall "diffuse" sense. Lateral separation and definition are quite good, but front-to-back not as good.

[NOTE: Am using aftermarket Neotech UPOCC solid cores cables: (1) 4x 22AWG copper, (2) 4x 28AWG silver + 4x 24AWG copper and (3) 4x 22AWG silver.]

Am looking at the Elex, or the Clear OG, as an electro-dynamic counterpart to the Ananda. Used to own the Clear (and the Utopia) before a prolonged hiatus/cessation from headphone listening in general. The Sundara served as my reintroduction.

 

[pataburd]

I'm just having the WORSE customer support history of my life with my (arrived broken) HIFIMAN ANANDA bought from their official store.

They sent it from their poland warehouse and they arrived with left channel KO.
I asked for a reinbursement and they asked me to send it back to them in Poland
I paid an assured DHL shipment to their location, pack arrived.

Now it's 2 weeks that hifiman customer support is telling me that DHL delivered it to the wrong city (they're thinking that the DHL hub location is the shipment city lol) and they refuse to give my money back. (I've sent them DHL's digital shipment proof, the label created, the pic of the package etc).

I'm going to open a paypal dispute.
I'm really scared by this customer support quality. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER

Hope things work out for you.
Since the "Covid-19" debacle began, USPS shipping has been an absolute disaster--more so than before, if that were even possible. For example, I sent a pair of Focal Utopia 2-Day Priority. It took 5 weeks! with tracking completely unreliable: I literally had no idea where the package was for a full five weeks. Ended up eating PayPal fees in the interim. USPS offered no recompense. UPS and FedEx have been a lot more reliable.

 

[hammersrocco]

So… the results were not what I expected

I used low gain for both and with the crude measure of DecibelX app on my iPhone, I actually measured a an average slightly lower on the Ananda (78.4 dB) than on the 5XX (80.2 dB) at roughly 12 o’clock on the Jot:

Ok - so finally got the headphones - aside note: LOVE the sound signature, exactly as I expected. I think Amir botched his measurements.

BUT this is about gain setting

I did not compare them to my HE5XX - only between the two gain settings on my Asgard 3. Used the following recordings from Qobuz

Radiohead - Kid A/mnesiac ( the new remaster)
Andris Nelsons and the Boston Phil - 4 Brahms Symphonies.

Well - to lead with the conclusion, this is a conundrum...

First I tried Low Gain Setting:

• Radiohead - Achieved my preferred listening level at around 12 o'clock.
• Brahms - This is where it got a bit weird. I did not achieve my preferred listening level until I hit a smidge PAST 3 O' CLOCK! Almost maximum! Do not like that.

So tried High Gain Setting:

• Brahms - Achieved my preferred listening level at around 12 o'clock. This is behaviour that tracks with other low impedance BUT hard to drive headphones that I have. My preferred listening level is always around 12 o'clock at high gain setting
• Radiohead - Yowsa - Achieved preferred listening level at around 3 O'CLOCK - Wow - extrapolating, with that result I cannot imagine trying to get to 12 o'clock with that recording. It would be too loud.

So results are weird - haven't tested with more/different recordings. My theory right now is that the new Radiohead Kid A/mnesiac is mastered too loud. That is, my idea that big drivers need the high gain setting is right, need to use high gain... but to always watch out for those loud recordings. Will report when I test with more recordings.

hammers

 

[trellus]

First I tried Low Gain Setting:

• Radiohead - Achieved my preferred listening level at around 12 o'clock.
• Brahms - This is where it got a bit weird. I did not achieve my preferred listening level until I hit a smidge PAST 3 O' CLOCK! Almost maximum! Do not like that.

So tried High Gain Setting:

• Brahms - Achieved my preferred listening level at around 12 o'clock. This is behaviour that tracks with other low impedance BUT hard to drive headphones that I have. My preferred listening level is always around 12 o'clock at high gain setting
• Radiohead - Yowsa - Achieved preferred listening level at around 3 O'CLOCK - Wow - extrapolating, with that result I cannot imagine trying to get to 12 o'clock with that recording. It would be too loud.

Did you perhaps mean 9 o'clock on high gain for Radiohead?

 

[hammersrocco]

Did you perhaps mean 9 o'clock on high gain for Radiohead?

YES !

I don't know time! hahaha yes - on my defense, I haven't had a non-digital clock in years.

Yes 9 o'clock - and it was in fact a bit less than that - And that makes me confused - I keep reading how easy is to drive are the Ananda... too loud at 9 o'clock is as unsatisfactory as having to go to past 3 o'clock for a decent level... or maybe I am misinterpreting what "low gain" and "high gain" means on the Schiit gear... perhaps "low gain" is actually a below what is considered normal gain? maybe they do that for things like ultra sensitive IEMs? maybe "high gain" is pretty much what normal should be?

Need to research, bit if someone knows would appreciate...

hammers

 

[shady1991]

My theory right now is that the new Radiohead Kid A/mnesiac is mastered too loud. That is, my idea that big drivers need the high gain setting is right, need to use high gain... but to always watch out for those loud recordings.

I am a huge radiohead fan but everything after the bends is mastered horribly, they qualify as one of the worst offenders of loudness war.
Anyway, you should never have classical and non-classical songs in the same queue, even decently mastered mainstream music will be a lot louder than classical ones. I usually listen classical and other live music on high gain and the rest on low gain. Not only because of loudness, but generally I prefer how LG sounds on compressed tracks and how HG sounds on dynamic tracks, even when the volumes are matched. ( I know some people think they sound the same but...)

 

[hammersrocco]

I am a huge radiohead fan but everything after the bends is mastered horribly, they qualify as one of the worst offenders of loudness war.
Anyway, you should never have classical and non-classical songs in the same queue, even decently mastered mainstream music will be a lot louder than classical ones. I usually listen classical and other live music on high gain and the rest on low gain. Not only because of loudness, but generally I prefer how LG sounds on compressed tracks and how HG sounds on dynamic tracks, even when the volumes are matched. ( I know some people think they sound the same but...)

That all makes sense... indeed - I just thought that picking two extremes (I hadn't read about it, but I suspected what you said about Radiohead recordings...) would get me a way to find a happy medium that would be the best option - that is, if any of the settings, either low or high gain, would have been reasonable for both, within a range of course, to allow for mastering differences, then it would be obvious that setting would be the right setting.

But that did not happen, at least in my test... so still confused - repeating myself from above ( just because I added the comment as an edit and maybe not everyone read it):

too loud at 9 o'clock is as unsatisfactory as having to go to past 3 o'clock for a decent level... or maybe I am misinterpreting what "low gain" and "high gain" means on the Schiit gear... perhaps "low gain" is actually a step below what is considered normal gain? maybe they do that for things like ultra sensitive IEMs? maybe "high gain" is pretty much what "normal" should be?

Need to research, bit if someone knows would appreciate...

hammers

 

[TeamHiFiMAN]

I'm just having the WORSE customer support history of my life with my (arrived broken) HIFIMAN ANANDA bought from their official store.

They sent it from their poland warehouse and they arrived with left channel KO.
I asked for a reinbursement and they asked me to send it back to them in Poland
I paid an assured DHL shipment to their location, pack arrived.

Now it's 2 weeks that hifiman customer support is telling me that DHL delivered it to the wrong city (they're thinking that the DHL hub location is the shipment city lol) and they refuse to give my money back. (I've sent them DHL's digital shipment proof, the label created, the pic of the package etc).

I'm going to open a paypal dispute.
I'm really scared by this customer support quality. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER

Hi there, we are very sorry for the unpleasant experience, we are checking with our CS department and will back to you asap in PM.

 

[PierPP]

Hi there, we are very sorry for the unpleasant experience, we are checking with our CS department and will back to you asap in PM.

Looks like this nightmare is gone now.
Paypal just wrote me that the dispute is resolved to my favor

The crazy thing is that for a "normal" RMA procedure I lost a lot of time with also the risk of a money loss:

• I wrote around 30 emails to your CS
• I had to open a paypal dispute
• I had to wrote here in the forum and to you via the PM inbox

I don't think a respectable company can afford this kind of experience for its customers (ex-customer in my case)

Anyway thanks for your help which I believe was essential for the solution

 

[bagwell359]

It's a good place for the Ananda to be. Good match.

 

[LenAlex]

Do all recent purchases of Ananda ship from EU?

 

[hammersrocco]

Do all recent purchases of Ananda ship from EU?

Mine comes from the "Hifiman Store" at Amazon - came pretty quickly, 1 day I think...

hammers

 

[pataburd]

Got mine a few months ago, directly from the HiFiMan Store, North America.

 

[HTSkywalker]

Do all recent purchases of Ananda ship from EU?

All Amazon Hifiman orders ships from the Official Hifiman Store from NY Hiend-Music Inc

 

[misteral201103]

Hoping someone can help - maybe even @TeamHiFiMAN

Briefly - I am in Shanghai. Two years ago I bought the Ananda. Now the connection on the right side has given out. I would like to have them repaired, I am happy to pay.

I have tried contacting the customer service email address but a) they seem to be more international focused than China oriented and b) most of the time they just keep asking if I have a receipt. My wife has tried calling the HifiMan customer service number in China but nobody picks up. She has also tried adding a contact on WeChat twice but that contact will not confirm the add.

I just need some help with where to take/send these to get them fixed. Again, I will happily pay. I'm a big fan of HFM products, was not expecting this level of difficulty in China.

If anyone knows who/where to get in touch with, please let me know. Many thanks in advance.