HIFIMAN Ananda Over-Ear Full-Size Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones with Stealth Magnet, Comfortable Earpads, Detachable Cable for Home and Studio

1 year update:I've now had the Ananda for almost one year and have been switching back and forth between them and the HD6xx. I will have a new incoming very soon (either the Audeze LCD-2c or Focal Clear OG). After a year, the truth is I find myself using the Sennheiser HD6xx slightly more often than the Hifimans. There is one simple reason for this, and its one that I mentioned in my original review below...the Sennys are much more comfortable and more critically, RELAXING. More often than not I listen to my headphones at the end of the day after my kids are in bed, and normally I want a relaxing experience. The HD6xx do a much better job of that than the Ananda. There is no question that the Ananda are technically a much more competent headphone than the HD6xx, but relaxing is not a word I would use to describe them. Its also more difficult to focus on something else while listening to the Ananda, sometimes I want music in the background while I'm doing something else. The HD6xx are excellent for that purpose, Ananda not so much. I still enjoy the Ananda for gaming and for listening sessions when I really want to pay attention to the details in the music. If thats what you want, they are an amazing deal now (even cheaper than I paid). But if you're an old fart like me (I'm 42 btw), you might actually prefer a Sennheiser HD 600 series can. My initial impressions in my original review all still apply.Original Review:I just bought these at what is apparently the new reduced price of $399, cheaper than the Edition XS, and it has to be said...they are spectacular at that price point. Yes they now have a newer version of these (the nano) but are they worth $300 more? Probably not. However, the only thing I can compare them to is the Sennheiser HD6xx because thats the only other higher end open back can that I own.To give you some background I am by no means a dedicated audiophile. Generally speaking I would not spend more than about $500 on any single piece of audio gear because it is my firm belief that beyond this price the law of diminishing returns really starts taking precedent. I've been listening to rock/metal and blues all my life and have been playing guitar and recording for 30+ years. FYI my $500 limit does not include guitar or recording equipment, only equipment purely for the purpose of LISTENING to music. My source gear includes a high end gaming PC and Schiit Modi/Magni stack connected via USB. Prior to purchasing the Ananda I had the 6xx for a few years and have really enjoyed them.These are my initial impressions of the Ananda vs. the 6xx after roughly 5-6 hours of listening time:Overall I find the Ananda to be much more "surgical" than the 6xx. They have a far bigger soundstage and are much more crisp and detailed. The 6xx are more intimate and a little warmer, particularly in the mid range, and I prefer the 6xx when it comes to vocals (and more specifically MALE vocals). For just about everything else though, the Ananda is superior. Just like the 6xx, the Ananda also lacks in the low frequencies, but that can be corrected with EQ, and unlike the 6xx the Anandas EQ extremely well. I found the 6xx to get a little muddy with too much low end boost, but not the Ananda. Despite the relatively neutral response of the Ananda, I do find them to be a little brighter than the 6xx which I don't like. But once again, that can be corrected with EQ. Due to the excellent soundstage and imaging of the Ananda when it comes to gaming and movies, there is simply no comparison to the HD6xx, they are far superior. Comfort is my biggest complaint so far with the Ananda. I have pressure points at my jaw and on the top of my head due to the combined effect of the clamping force, relatively stiff earpads, and the shear weight of them. The 6xx are far more comfortable for long listening sessions. One other thing: the cups on the Ananda are so huge that positioning them properly on your head (placing your ear in the correct location inside the cup) is actually very important and impacts the sound. That can take some adjusting early on to get them in the right place.If you read that comparison above and are still wondering whether or not I prefer them to the 6xx, you aren't alone. I'm still on the fence about that and haven't come to a firm conclusion. But either way, they are sufficiently different from the 6xx (and most likely all other Sennheiser HD models) to justify owning them along side the Sennys. I wouldn't trade in my 6xx for them, but I am happy to own them and most likely will reach for them more often than the 6xx, perhaps just not for as long of a stretch. At $399 though, you can't go wrong. You'll most likely be happy with them and overall, I would consider them a marginal "upgrade" to the HD6xx/650.

My first planar was the HiFiMAN HE-400 as that was the first planar at an affordable price.($400) However it was heavy, uncomfortable, and difficult to drive. The sound quality was on the muddy side especially in the mid and high end which is supposed to be what planars excel in. I picked up my old AKG K702s and never used the 400's again. So it was with trepidation I purchased this headphone fully expecting to return them. However I was more than pleasantly surprised. Right out of the box these are best sounding headphones I've ever listened to! The bass heard through Nirvana's Nevermore. The snap and pop heard with Steely Dan's Aja was incredible. I could actually hear the drum stick hit the snare and a guitar pick striking a string. On Miles Davis Kind of Blue, Miles' trumpet and John Coltrane's and Cannonball Adderly's saxes were stunning.These were originally $999, but dropped to $699 which still isn't cheap. But it does put them in reach of anyone wanting a hi-end headphone. The main caveat is to really get the most out of these, a dedicated headphone amp is a must. You're not going to plug these into your phone and experience what they have to offer. First off being open back planars, they leak a lot. So listening to them in a public without disturbing others will not work.I've not had the chance to hear them through Audioquest Dragonfly Red or any other USB powered DAC/amps, so, as they say, you pays yer monies, and you takes yer chances.You can return them, but for this quality, in my humble opinion, an amp upgrade would be the way to go.One thing worth mentioning is the stock cables. One is a straight 1/4in. about 5ft. or 1.5 meters and the other is a right angle 3.5mm with a 1/4in. adapter. The connecters are high quality, however the outer jacket is very flexible to the point of being on the flimsy side. The nice part is they're comfortable so you don't feel like you're tied to the amp. The downside is they are on the delicate side so it's a good thing they aren't 3 meters. However it's easy to make a sharp bend or kink. Just something to be aware of. Being detachable it's easy to replace them with an aftermarket cable. Just remember their connectors are 3.55mm instead of 2.5 of earlier models.That being said, I can't imagine anyone not loving these headphones unless you're really used to big buck items. For home use for sure, but properly driven, I can't see anyone returning a non-defective set.Update: After 100 hours of 3 different brown noise tracks, they sound remarkable. There is a CD from Ayre Acoustics titled the "Irrational, but Efficacious System Enhancement Disc". This is not some tweek that everyone will forget in a year. My audio dealer gave me mine in 2002 and I still use it to this day. I think its $20. It will be the best 20 bucks you ever spend. Brown noise is "low-pass filtered to closely mimic the spectral distribution of music". This makes this ideal for breaking in anything that needs it, including cables. This disc also has some features I won't go into. Don't want to spoil... But I Digress.These headphones blow away every one I've ever heard. Do they sound better than a $2000 Audez or Sennheiser HD800 S? Or any other big buck Focals or really big buck electrostatics? I've never heard them as everything I do is online especially since my audio shop shut down about 6 months ago. However it's reasonable to assume they do. $25,000 electrostatics with their own tube driven amp and DAC will be the best sounding headphones ever made. Man, the Sennheiser HE-1 is over $50,000. You have to give Sennheiser $10,000 down(not refundable) and they will build them for you.The point I'm trying to make if there's another headphone under $1,000 that sounds better, I'd like to hear about it. And the price is down to $699. I've been an audiophile since 1979 so I know what I'm talking about.If you've got the scratch, buy a pair. Break them in thoroughly. The Ayre disc is ideal. You won't be disappointed.Since breaking this headphone has really come into it's own. I can't imagine any headphone costing less than $1000 sounding this good. Like I said if you're going to power this with your phone, yeah it will work and get fairly loud, but to really want to get all it capable of, plan on a descent headphones amplifier. You don't need a tube driven megabuck, but an amp/DAC that's close to what you paid for it.