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

I would like to start with a brief description of my own HiFi experience. I am, what many would consider an old timer for this hobby. If we head back in time to the mid or late 1960s, you’ll get a better picture of my past adventures in this field. Those were the days of reasonable and affordable equipment … examples would be - the Shure V15 cartridge, Dynaco A25 speakers, Acoustic Research, Phase liner, Manaplaners, AR turntables and the famous line of Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, and Crown products, which were our reference products at that time (and, more expensive of course). I love those times, there was so much fun and enjoyment …for me anyway.Then everything changed …stereo magazines started advertising (and reviewing) mega buck equipment, high end amplifiers, speakers, turntables, and even ridiculously priced cartridges, that were easily out of reach for 99 percent of us audiophiles. That’s when the fun stopped, for most of us anyway. Sometime after this transition, I’m not exactly sure when, (because I did bail out from this hobby for a period of time) we switched to buying Headphones, as an alternate music source, of course it came along with all their associated equipment needed …such as, amps, Dacs, cables etc.And that was that.Let us move on to what I’m writing this review about …the HIFI Man Ananda headphones. The Ananda’s come in a nicely decorated box, which was a nice touch. Inside are two cables, one is short while the other is long (Sorry, I didn’t measure them). The important part is to not get rid of them, which I’ll come back to why later. I did listen to several reviewers and ordered a replacement cable, a dual 3.5mm to 6.3mm cable, with the quarter inch plugging into my amp.Why I purchased the Ananda’sTo be honest, I wanted something of an upgrade over my other Headphones, I have: Fostex Sennheiser and Grado and even an earlier HIFI MAN, the HE – 400.I started reading reviews of all other Headphones, and eventually decided on the Ananda’s. The reason was actually because of the critically and much-loved Sondora’s. Everyone cherished them. They measured very well, base, and middle frequencies were well done, highs were ok … but, more importantly, everyone said they were the headphones to beat at their advertised price. However, I wanted something a little more special than – “a best at that price point kind of product!” So, I went out and brought, what I figured was, an even more refined product, the Ananda’s (at least that was what reviewers were stating.)So how do they sound, well, first let me say this, I wanted the Ananda’s to fail. I wanted to listen to them for a period and then decide …” hey, these aren’t any better than the headphones I already own” and eventually return them … in turn, save the money. I didn’t … I kept them. They, the HiFi man’s Ananda, are simply beautiful sounding.However, I do think the Ananda’s must be broken in, some may reject this procedure and that’s fine, but for my ears they seemed to settle down over time, became smoother, opened up and reduce the slight grain in the upper mids to an almost nonexistent level. Remember that cable I replaced, the one’s that came with the Ananda for a different one, well, I got rid of it, and instead used the original shorter of the two cables that came with the headphones, and bingo, that just about fixed everything that I had questioned about the sound. Be careful what cables you buy. Lesson, the Ananda’s will reveal everything that’s going on downstream through your components and very thoroughly too!Sound DescriptionThe mids on the Ananda’s are smooth and exciting. Voices come across as open and well positioned, along with the proper distance between singers and band. Orchestra instruments sound vibrate and natural sounding without any trailing grain or edginess, just, Listen to Noah Jones or Alison Krauss on a well recorded track. The highs are particularly good also, smooth and airy. I believe are one of the best highs produced on any HIFI man headphone. The bass, well you undoubtedly heard this a thousand times before …this is not for bass junkies. The bass is very satisfying, but you will not hear (or feel for that matter) the impact of the cannon shots on John Williams, The land Race form the movie Far and Away.Summarizing, the Ananda’s are good to very good in many areas of sound reproduction, but what makes them so special to me, well …let me take this approach to better describe their sound,Hopefully you seen the movie Goodfellas, if you did, you’ll remember the part that emphasizes their lifestyles back then, when Henry Hill played by Ray liotta takes his date Karen, played by Lorraine Bracco, to the Copacabana nightclub. Using their special celebrity status, they bypass all the regular paths (that us normal people would have to take) to get into the nightclub, when they get to the main stage, a couple of servers bring out a table, which they position close to the band …one that’s up front and center. Other Servers, then attach a table lamp, which is followed by someone sending over (to their table) what looks like, an expensive bottle of something, for Henry and his date.Now … it’s the up-close part that you should be focusing on, because this is what the Ananda’s do. These headphones will force you to dive into the heart of the music source itself. What I mean is, the closeness, almost touchy-feely sensation of the sound itself, and this is not an in-your-face experience part, which other headphones will only plant in front of you.I’m sorry, If this analogy didn’t make sense to you, for the life of me, it’s sometimes hard to describe the sound signature of these headphones. However, if you put on a good recording like - Jazz at the Pawnshop,” you’ll be at that front row table listing to an excellent jazz band, also, listen to Brandi Carlile sing, This Time Tomorrow and you’ll swear she’s playing her guitar several feet from you.More so, if you’re listening to sample tracks from an album, or perhaps a number of selective tunes from a new streaming site, these Headphones can be addictive, in the sense, they’ll immerse you with their life like rendition of whatever you’re asking their musical charms to reproduce for you. Their seductive powers will force you to play the whole selection straight through, over and over again.Yes, Ananda’s will have you follow a trail of breadcrumbs leading to a dream like cottage in the woods, one surrounded by colored flowers, and a clear blue sky, just like a Kinkade painting hanging in an art gallery… pardon me for this silly analogy. Simply put, the Ananda’s will easily excite you, just as a live experience would.In closing, the Ananda’s are my favorite headset right now. These are the ones I use when I want to disappear into the exciting world of music at night.Funny, sometimes it feels like the late 1960’s again … imagine that!Bobby J

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.