HiFiMAN Ananda Review - worth it over Sundara?

[m.gideonhoyle]

Gotta say, Andrew, that you're by far my favorite reviewer for headphones, etc. The thought and detail you provide for each review are just outstanding. Happy to be a subscriber!

[patriotsru.s.]

I ended up selling the Sundara and keeping the Ananda. The clarity and staging of the Ananda were the primary deciding factors for me.

[Vaanfo]

Bought the Ananda thinking it'll be just a different headphone to the HD 660s that I can add to my collection, turns out it's just better in almost everyway and now I need to sell the 660s.

[cobrabucket]

You are the best headphone reviewer on YT, IMHO. Thorough explanations of sound quality and thoughtful comparisons as always. I really liked your written review of the Elegia on SBAF. I recently got an Elegia and think your impressions are spot-on. You have taken the torch from Tyll and Metal571. Thanks for all you do!

[SteveKaraokeAus]

Stumbled across your channel this week, have found your delivery and review format to be the most concise while being highly informative and have greatly appreciated them to the point where I’ve watched many, many of your vids now while researching planar magnetics and am now going to purchase the Ananda in the near future. Kudos mate, keep up the great work.

[JL]

Love the new intro and the graphics and ratings used!


I enjoyed the Ananda in an audition, but to me it had a "soft" sound. Not a whole lot of slam. It definitely works for classical and acoustic music more. Happy to have picked the Sundara over it (and of course, the HE-500 over that!).

[bigyeetus]

I feel like I'm always hearing smooth jazz playing in my head when watching this channel

[dialecticalmonist]

Thanks for speaking in a language normal people can understand, yet also providing a lot of depth with your analysis.

[allisknu]

Well, it looks like I gotta thank Joshua Valour because I was thrown in the audiophile algorithm and YouTube recommended your video. Sub'ed.

[ezvkm]

Own the Ananda's and really enjoy them with all genre's of music, good review thanks.

[AttackWithStyle]

EQ this headphone and you will never need another headphone ever again.
Problem with the Ananda is - The smallest headband setting is too big big for me so I have to improvise by wearing an old Grado G-cush on top of my head, then place the headphone on top of the G-Cush.

[ZeroHourEs]

Ultimately decided on the Sundara, primarily because I was thinking that if I had a DOA Hifiman, I'd rather it'd be a (probable) $350 headache instead of a $700 one. Here's hoping they really did step up the driver quality after the numerous complaints from early buyers.

[halimj]

Bismillah

Great review. I would have liked to hear your comparisons between the Ananda and Mr Speakers Aeon. I imagine you would agree the aeon has a tighter sound stage but more dynamic and comfortable. How about in the detail (they seem pretty simulate to me)?

[delvalle]

Because of your review/ comparison of the Arya and Ananda, I tried both. And ultimately kept the Ananda. The Arya was definitely more comfortable to wear however in my second week it already made a squeaking sound and I think 🤔 that’s the disadvantage of the swivel design. The pads of the Arya was way more comfortable vs the Ananda, however the sound quality was very similar and to me the Arya ‘s definitely not twice better than the Ananda, not even 30 percent better. So, I am still surprised why the Ananda is not a clear upgrade to the Sundara being that the Arya and the Ananda are pretty close in sound quality. I am still happy with my choice thanks to your review (in your old channel) . I am disappointed that probably I will be limited to the hifiman’s clamshell designs due to the large inside openings of this design. I have pretty big ears 👂 and HPs with small openings will be extremely uncomfortable even if they sound endgame. Thanks for your channel. And keep up the good work.

[sleepinglysithia]

The soundstage alone was worth the upgrade for me from the Sundara to the Ananda. The Sundara is a wonderful headphone but the Ananda is just amazing IMO. Also I don't find the punch and slam difference to be drastic at all. It's there but only really noticeable when comparing back and forth. The soundstage is night and day. The Sundara has a weak center image while the Ananda is strong.

[albertloan]

Great video, lighting. Nice to see from someone focused on audio.

[bxg]

Love your reviews, clear and concise and complemented by a nice comfortable background. Thanks!

[ishta]

I was going to keep the Ananda. But since I am using a Can Opener plugin to mimic a speaker setup ( I started mixing on headphones this year and bought a couple planars ), I opted to keep the Sundara. I just tuned the headphones to be as close to my monitors (unscientific method though ). The extra slam that is in the Sundara was the deciding point and $400 was a chunk of change and of course the conclusion on this review.

I do love your reviews and how you present them.

[MyNameJim]

So I just picked up the Ananda’s for $360 like new. Is that a steal?

[divinecurrent]

Your reviews are always so detailed and informative and I really appreciate that!
I did decide to get a Sundara the other day and I'm waiting on it to arrive. I'm actually relieved that you mentioned the Sundara has a more dynamic and not a soft sound like the Ananda, since that is what I prefer. Can't wait to hear how it performs against my HD600 and 58X.