[teqshea]

I prefer the Quad vs the Elegia.
It satisfies me more.
If you want the Quad, but dont want to spend that much, then get the Alara.
Similar sound signature, and is a bit more resolving.
Unique soundstage.
Its selling price will create a lot of "for sale", and you might wait for a "like new".

I have a very high opinion of the Alara's I received last month. They are an excellent value. The sound is quite detailed and smooth. A wonderful headphone.

 

[Josh83]

Why dont you measure them with your ears?
Then you'll know.

I don’t own the NDH 20.

 

[FullBright1]

I was referring to the Neumann, I'm looking for a closed back and I didn't like the Elegia.

Different horses in a different race.
First and foremost the Neumann is created for use when making music/production.
There are a few headphones that try to claim this prize, but the Neumann is really designed to be a substitute for studio monitors.
And if not a substitute, then they are designed to be one more link in the accuracy chain that helps you to create the music you create to sound its best.
They are not essentially sound-tailored to offer audiophiles what they want, as their sonic tuning is on the dry side, the neutral side, and they lack excitement.
Elira said the Elegia's have a "fuller" sound, and that is exactly right..... as the Elegia's are created to not sound flat or neutral.
The more exciting you need a set of headphones to sound, is exactly how much the Neumann's are not going to sound that way at all.
If headphone sound were a color, then the Neumann's are grey with a dash of taupe.

 

[FullBright1]

I have a very high opinion of the Alara's I received last month. They are an excellent value. The sound is quite detailed and smooth. A wonderful headphone.

Many headphone makers would have charged more for their sound.

 

[Enn Jott]

If headphone sound were a color, then the Neumann's are grey with a dash of taupe.

Couldn't agree more. Probably the best descriptions of the Neumanns yet. I still don't really know what to think about them. I'm always like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The opinions here and on gearsluts are rather mixed. There are two more reviews in German as of now. A very positive one on bonedo (review website of thomann actually) and another very positive one on delamar. You might as well check these out and use google translate german --> english if you want some more opinions on them. Personally I'd say you have to give them a go. I find them to be rather unique and different from other headphones (at least to the ones I've heard yet).

 

[FullBright1]

Couldn't agree more. Probably the best descriptions of the Neumanns yet. I still don't really know what to think about them. I'm always like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Of the Headphones ive purchased in the last month.......the Neumann's and the Ananda's are a type that i can enjoy, but are not the type i can listen to all the time.
Something like the Alara is a sound that i can listen to, a lot more often, and for a lot longer per listening session.
The Neumann's and the Ananda's both possess unique sonic sound realities, that for me, are very specialized and so, i would more often treat them as ........."ok, im tired of these, so, let me get the Neumanns or the Anandas".
Swapping headphones refreshes the listening experience, and so, some headphones i use, for the most part, to refresh my ears for continued listening.

 

[PaganDL]

Of the Headphones ive purchased in the last month.......the Neumann's and the Ananda's are a type that i can enjoy, but are not the type i can listen to all the time.
Something like the Alara is a sound that i can listen to, a lot more often, and for a lot longer per listening session.
The Neumann's and the Ananda's both possess unique sonic sound realities, that for me, are very specialized and so, i would more often treat them as ........."ok, im tired of these, so, let me get the Neumanns or the Anandas".
Swapping headphones refreshes the listening experience, and so, some headphones i use, for the most part, to refresh my ears for continued listening.

Interesting observations as always, @FullBright1,

I agree there are some headphones out there which are very enjoyable to listen to for various reasons & I find myself doing the same regarding the whole refresh listening experience.
The Ananda does have a nice sound indeed though not sure if I would own it but one never knows.
Listening is definitely more important than what any measurements can tell a person.
As Jude himself has said, there are a lot of good sounding gear which measures terribly but sounds amazing so like you @FullBright1, I rather trust my ears than any measurements to determine whether something appeals to me or not.

For a while, personally & subjectively, I keep going back to the AR 1 for that full, immersive sound experience at the desk though I do rotate between AR 1 & the SR 1, which I use as my current Reference but that's just me.
I certainly have others which I do rotate in & out but I like using these the most at the desk.
Personally, slightly off topic but on the go, I rotate IEMs more though I tend to stick with iBasso more than anything else.

Elegia is nice but as you say can't be compared to NDH 20 as they do serve different purposes.
Off topic again, personally & subjectively, price nowithstanding, Stellia is the more enjoyable to me than the Elegia.

If headphone sound were a color, then the Neumann's are grey with a dash of taupe.

I like your description. I get what you mean exactly, almost strangely enough.
I would certainly like to add the NDH 20 to the collection once a demo becomes available & see how everything synergies or in this case, compliments each other.

Keep up the great insight !

Hope you have a great day !

 

[FullBright1]

Interesting observations as always, @FullBright1,

I agree there are some headphones out there which are very enjoyable to listen to for various reasons & I find myself doing the same regarding the whole refresh listening experience.
The Ananda does have a nice sound indeed though not sure if I would own it but one never knows.
Listening is definitely more important than what any measurements can tell a person.
As Jude himself has said, there are a lot of good sounding gear which measures terribly but sounds amazing so like you @FullBright1, I rather trust my ears than any measurements to determine whether something appeals to me or not.
For a while, personally & subjectively, I keep going back to the AR 1 for that full, immersive sound experience at the desk though I do rotate between AR 1 & the SR 1, which I use as my current Reference but that's just me.
I certainly have others which I do rotate in & out but I like using these the most at the desk.
Personally, slightly off topic but on the go, I rotate IEMs more though I tend to stick with iBasso more than anything else.

Elegia is nice but as you say can't be compared to NDH 20 as they do serve different purposes.
Off topic again, personally & subjectively, price nowithstanding, Stellia is the more enjoyable to me than the Elegia.
I like your description. I get what you mean exactly, almost strangely enough.
I would certainly like to add the NDH 20 to the collection once a demo becomes available & see how everything synergies or in this case, compliments each other.

Keep up the great insight !

Hope you have a great day !

Nice to hear from you.
And yes, it seems that "grey" should be the sound of "neutral".
Blue is "rich", Black is "deep", Pink is "hot"....
Clarity and resolution would be "gold", Soundstage could be "white".
And all the others, in-between.

And yes, the Ananda offers a lot of detail and insight analysis.
Very interesting soundstage.
IN some ways it reminds me more of 5.1 then stereo.

And also, sure.... hearing is believing, and reading is waiting to find out.
A graph is not a headphone, and ears are the final authority.... not reviews.
In the end, its best if we own [ "" IT ""] because its what our heart wanted us to do, vs, being convinced by someone's POV.
I have great ears and a strong POV, Tyll has great ears and a strong POV, many here have great ears and a similar POV, but, of ourselves we hear only what we hear, and that is not what anyone else is going to experience.
Just trying to get everyone to agree on "treble response" is impossible.
Ive heard many headphones that had treble issues, that i hear, but not everyone else hears this issue.
Some people would categorize what i consider to be "too much bass" as , neutral.
The HD650 is a good example.......as many feel that this headphone's bass is normal or average or perfect.
Many others don't agree...
So, we just have to research and think about it, and yet...... buy it because its what our heart tells us to do, as this way, there is no blame to lay, and no reason to feel "fooled" or mislead.
Buy whatever you want, because you love the idea of owning it.
Keep it if it satisfies, and if it does not, then there is always someone else who will want to be satisfied by buying it from ...........
Or, keep them all, and let each one tell its own story to your ears......

 

[PaganDL]

Nice to hear from you.
And yes, it seems that "grey" should be the sound of "neutral".
Blue is "rich", Black is "deep", Pink is "hot"....
Clarity and resolution would be "gold", Soundstage could be "white".
And all the others, in-between.

And yes, the Ananda offers a lot of detail and insight analysis.
Very interesting soundstage.
IN some ways it reminds me more of 5.1 then stereo.

And also, sure.... hearing is believing, and reading is waiting to find out.
A graph is not a headphone, and ears are the final authority.... not reviews.
In the end, its best if we own [ "" IT ""] because its what our heart wanted us to do, vs, being convinced by someone's POV.
I have great ears and a strong POV, Tyll has great ears and a strong POV, many here have great ears and a similar POV, but, of ourselves we hear only what we hear, and that is not what anyone else is going to experience.
Just trying to get everyone to agree on "treble response" is impossible.
Ive heard many headphones that had treble issues, that i hear, but not everyone else hears this issue.
Some people would categorize what i consider to be "too much bass" as , neutral.
The HD650 is a good example.......as many feel that this headphone's bass is normal or average or perfect.
Many others don't agree...
So, we just have to research and think about it, and yet...... buy it because its what our heart tells us to do, as this way, there is no blame to lay, and no reason to feel "fooled" or mislead.
Buy whatever you want, because you love the idea of owning it.
Keep it if it satisfies, and if it does not, then there is always someone else who will want to be satisfied by buying it from ...........
Or, keep them all, and let each one tell its own story to your ears......

Hi @FullBright1,

Always nice to hear from you too.

As said, colours are good way to describe sound & I find myself in line with your observations there which is great as that definitely makes it easier.

Personally & subjectively, I don't mind the Ananda's sound in the Hifiman range, it certainly does what you say in giving more 5.1 than stereo though honestly not sure if I would ever own any Hifman.
The Jade is not bad either though I need more time to see where it rates for me as an Electrostat.
Slightly off topic, the 'best', for me, at any rate, so far in electrostat I have come across so far which I really like is the Sonoma One...

I have great ears and a strong POV, Tyll has great ears and a strong POV, many here have great ears and a similar POV, but, of ourselves we hear only what we hear, and that is not what anyone else is going to experience.
Just trying to get everyone to agree on "treble response" is impossible.

You most certainly do which is not just a great but really awesome thing to have.
Not only that, I appreciate how you substantiate your POV & opinions, as well as take the time to explain.
I do miss Tyll's reviews & insight.
But it is as you say, being individual is important as is individual hearing though like we both said before, being able to experience as much as possible in this past time is the best thing to do.

I also have great ears & at least a firm if not strong POV which I also use to take time to explain to others when necessary.
Case in point, one person on headfi recently thought I was being affronted in my PSA by audio idiots complaining about DAP SD card storage limits & told me to grow up which I thought was laughable.
They totally missed the point of what I stated in the first place about somehow thinking a big file size made all the difference when the source quality itself matters, regardless of format but I digress...
The whole high frequency debate, not just treble response, is definitely a powder keg waiting to happen ao you're not wrong.

There are many head gear, which include IEMs, not just headphones, where I have heard high frequency &/or bass issues.
Many which most have praised for being the so called best they have heard.
Which is why knowing one's source material really well is so important, especially if it has a good even spectrum range in the frequency response.
That way it is more possible to know what said head gear can handle as both of us stated before.

Now you got me curious, what do you consider too much bass if others say neutral?
I am certainly no bass head but I like good bass response which is true to source though there are certainly some tracks in some genres that certainly push the bass response an average to 3 db to 6 db more than it should.
These are definitely more enjoyable for long term listening to me than most EDM or bass heavy tracks just for the sake.

Holding onto something, doesn't matter what it is, especially if it satisfies, is a good thing & goes without saying but sometimes the issue becomes, especially outside the US, certain things are hard to resell but that's another story entirely...

Keep up the great insights !

Hope you have a great day !

 

[FullBright1]

Hi @FullBright1,

Personally & subjectively, I don't mind the Ananda's sound in the Hifiman range, it certainly does what you say in giving more 5.1 than stereo though honestly not sure if I would ever own any Hifman.

Now you got me curious, what do you consider too much bass if others say neutral?
!

I think the Ananda is basically the Hifiman "house sound"..
It actually sounds quite a bit like the older HE400.....has that type of treble expansion and bass, and also the typical midrange you find with Hifimann, which to my ear, is not really very forward regarding most of Fang's models.
For example, if i compare the Ananda with the Audeze X, its really not even close. The X has more mids, more forward/rich mids and a more natural overall sound/toneality.
The Ananda is a great sound, but its entirely analytical and all about the details, and not as much about overall musicality of sound.
Ear's vary, and all hear it differently.

And regarding 2 headphones that many like which i find just totally bass cooked would be :
PSB M4U & the NAD Viso 50.
When i say "bass cooked", im not speaking about a "Beats' type bass, which is a consumer headphone idea of bass response.
But the PSB and the NAD are tying to be affordable audiophile gear, and so, in this context, their bass response overwhelms.

 

[PaganDL]

I think the Ananda is basically the Hifiman "house sound"..
It actually sounds quite a bit like the older HE400.....has that type of treble expansion and bass, and also the typical midrange you find with Hifimann, which to my ear, is not really very forward regarding most of Fang's models.
For example, if i compare the Ananda with the Audeze X, its really not even close. The X has more mids, more forward/rich mids and a more natural overall sound/toneality.
The Ananda is a great sound, but its entirely analytical and all about the details, and not as much about overall musicality of sound.
Ear's vary, and all hear it differently.

And regarding 2 headphones that many like which i find just totally bass cooked would be :
PSB M4U & the NAD Viso 50.
When i say "bass cooked", im not speaking about a "Beats' type bass, which is a consumer headphone idea of bass response.
But the PSB and the NAD are tying to be affordable audiophile gear, and so, in this context, their bass response overwhelms.

Hi @FullBright1,

Agree completely with all your points.

Definitely not fond of 'bass cooked' or consumer Beats bass myself, as you say, both PSB & NAD are excellent examples of such.

I may need to listen to Ananda & Audeze X again but from memory, what you say is as usual, accurate.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[FullBright1]

Hi @FullBright1,

Agree completely with all your points.

Definitely not fond of 'bass cooked' or consumer Beats bass myself, as you say, both PSB & NAD are excellent examples of such.

I may need to listen to Ananda & Audeze X again but from memory, what you say is as usual, accurate.

Hope you have a great day !

Hey-ya.

Well, as i just posted to another member, i love the Ananda's, but i can't seem to listen to them..
Any volume i try, any dac or amp, any genre of music.....and one song = my ears are fatigued.
I can't solve this, and ive tried for a week.
"sigh".
I never have this issue with the LCD-X.
I never have this issue with the recently acquired Alara's.
And the AudioQuest NightHawks i mini reviewed yesterday, count not fatigue you even if you tried....
But these Ananda's...........!!!!
And the Neumann's,......are polite, and unoffensive......absolutely.

 

[PaganDL]

Hey-ya.

Well, as i just posted to another member, i love the Ananda's, but i can't seem to listen to them..
Any volume i try, any dac or amp, any genre of music.....and one song = my ears are fatigued.
I can't solve this, and ive tried for a week.
"sigh".
I never have this issue with the LCD-X.
I never have this issue with the recently acquired Alara's.
And the AudioQuest NightHawks i mini reviewed yesterday, count not fatigue you even if you tried....
But these Ananda's...........!!!!
And the Neumann's,......are polite, and unoffensive......absolutely.

Hi @FullBright1,

Interesting, you may be right as usual.
Ananda is almost the epitome of Hifman Sound which possibly means close to overcooked highs, what did you colour it...pink...I believe which explains the ear fatigue after extended listening time.
This would mean I would possibly hurt myself if I listened for the same length of time given I am sensitive to certain high frequencies.

I'll have to look for your Nighthawks mini review then though I am more curious about Nightowl Carbon...

Hopefully, one day soon on the NDH 20, still waiting for a demo...sigh...

Hope you have a great day !

 

[FullBright1]

Hi @FullBright1,

Interesting, you may be right as usual.
Ananda is almost the epitome of Hifman Sound which possibly means close to overcooked highs, what did you colour it...pink...I believe which explains the ear fatigue after extended listening time.
This would mean I would possibly hurt myself if I listened for the same length of time given I am sensitive to certain high frequencies.
I'll have to look for your Nighthawks mini review then though I am more curious about Nightowl Carbon...
Hopefully, one day soon on the NDH 20, still waiting for a demo...sigh...
Hope you have a great day !

Yes, Pink is a good color to represent the tone of the Ananda.
I wish i could say they fatigue me slowly over time, but the reality for me is....its about one song = fatigue.
Based on the feel of the bass response as it touches my ears, i can play the LCD-X much louder then the Ananda, without any fatigue.
That, i can't explain, except it must have something to do with the way the Ananda drives/fires the high freq into your ears.
They are really such a good sound....but, i can't seem to find a way to keep them on my ears.

 

[jude]

A german headphone review site has published their opinion on the NDH20 - not sure what to think of it. It's not super positive (yet quite good) but then again it's subjective of course. To sum it up here are the key statements and their simplified frequency response graph:

• great quality and looks
• very good isolation and comfort
• works well on low powered devices (laptops, cellphones)
• incredible bass extension
• detailed mids
• highs not overly present and ...
• ... therefore not a very wide stereo image ...
• ... and could have greater depth

The last points still make me shy away from them for now. There is a thread on gearslutz with some interesting opinions on them. Someone claiming they are "even darker and warmer than the focal listen pro's" (that I found to be too warm and too dark as well). Someone else stated that they are "flat but accurate and fantastic". I guess it's one of those headphones that people either like or don't and everyone has hear them to build their own opinion.

EDIT: Just ordered the NDH20 to find out what i'll think about them...

Has that reviewer posted any details on how he does his headphone measurements? I've heard the NDH 20 and it doesn't sound at all to me like that measurement would suggest.

We're in the middle of shooting the CanJam Singapore Preview Video right now, so I won't have an opportunity to measure it yet. When I can find a bit of time, I'll do it, and I feel rather certain it's going to be a different-looking measurement than the one quoted in the above post.