Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!
Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
HIFIMAN has come a long way since the days of incessant QC issues and pricing concerns, but the sound of their headphones has never come into question; at least as far as I’m concerned.
For many years I recommended the Ananda, then the Ananda Stealth as a fantastic upgrade from mid-fi. But what about the Nano version? What’s changed?
Let’s take a look at yet another revision and find out if it’s worth a purchase. My main concern today for you will be price to performance and overall value, so strap on and let’s dig in.
By the end of this article, you’ll know if the Ananda is for you, and if it’s not, I’ll steer you in the direction of something that is.
Deal?
Cool.
Let’s roll.
What is it?
HIFIMAN’s Ananda Nano is an open back, planar magnetic headphone boasting a Nanometer Thiccness Diaphragm which HIFIMAN says contributes to a “Massive Sonic Upgrade.”
We’ll get into that in a bit, but let’s dive into build first.
Build
The Ananda Nano mimics the original but this time is adorned in mostly silver vs. the all-black profile of its predecessors.
It’s based on HIFIMAN’s 2018 revision first seen in the Sundara: the cups can fold down flat but don’t rotate at all and the overall design received a massive durability upgrade. In other words, they’re mostly built like a tank and the metal is incredibly solid.
Despite the rigidity of the design, it’s still fairly easy to get a good fit on your head and the headphones are very robust at a whopping 414g. That may seem very heavy, but HIFIMAN’s always done a fantastic job of somehow managing the weight and evenly distributing it throughout the entirety of the unit. More on comfort in a bit.
The memory foam/polyester combo makes a return and has become HIFIMAN’s default pad combination for many years; replacing the original velour seen in some of the earliest models.
Moreover, the headband adjustment pieces are incredibly solid and the rounded-off headband shape represents another subtle difference between the Ananda’s design vs. the deformed Ostrich look of the Arya variants.
The same flimsy, thin headband pad is present, but the suede-feeling material it’s made from is a little different than the Arya’s vinyl-ish, soft plastic feel. Neither pad feels demonstrably “better” on my head, so I wouldn’t get too caught up in the materials used here as the headphones do a pretty good job of not digging into the top of your melon.
HIFIMAN, as usual, opts for dual 3.5mm connections coming from the bottom of each ear cup and terminating in a single, 90° angled 3.5mm jack at the business end. Also included is a snap-on 1/4″ adapter.
Comfort
Comfort is mostly phenomenal.
The cups mimic the shape and contours of the human ear, they’re plenty deep enough, and they also clamp nicely on the sides of your head.
Moreover, they don’t dig into to top of your skull either and feel rather excellent over extended listening sessions.
It does feel like you’re sometimes wearing a football helmet, but the sound more than makes up for you looking like a complete nerd.
Speaking of, how does the Ananda Nano sound?
Sound
- DAC(s) Used: FiiO K19, K11, Universal Audio Volt 2, JDS ATOM 2.
- Playlist: Here and Here!
- Source(s): FLAC, Spotify, Prime, Max, PS4
- Games: Coming Soon.
If you’re new to audiophile-grade headphones, the Ananda Nano is going to be quite a revelation.
Part of the reason lies in its planar magnets which are evenly distributed around the diaphragm and much more uniform. This undoubtedly results in lower distortion, better resolution and transient response, more air, and a general sense of greater openness, spatial cues, and separation between sounds.
All of these things come together like the Beatles and contribute to a more realistic sound, and while you won’t feel like “you’re there,” the in-person effect can manifest subtly for a few seconds until your brain becomes acclimated to the stimulus.
So be very wary of people saying it feels like you’re listening to a live show. That’s just not the case, but you can achieve small morsels of it.
The Soundstage, while certainly above average, isn’t as wide or deep as something like a K702, but it’s still very good. As a producer who’s mixed and also listened to countless tracks, a lot of these phenomena depend entirely on the track and how it was recorded, mixed, and mastered.
Please keep that in mind before listening.
Bass
As with all “above mid-fi” HIFMAN offerings, the bass is mostly a flat line although the Ananda variants have always had a slight bit of roll-off below 50Hz or so.
The Nano is no different. This variety of low-end is robust and plentiful without sounding bloated or cheap in the all-important mud regions of roughly 200-300Hz. HIFIMAN instead opts for neutrality (or a slight cut) and it pays dividends.
Bass is going to hit nicely in the crucial regions of 60-90Hz, but if you need a bit of extra weight, you can always EQ it up a bit. Use your discretion on how much. This is the area to EQ if you want that wet, juicy, saturated slam baby yeah.
One perk of HIFIMAN tuning their headphones in such a way is that they respond well to EQ. You could even boost the sub-bass a bit more if you want, but it’s unnecessary as anything below 40Hz is largely not discernable to the human ear.
The mids are also done well, and the gradual dip after 1kHz that a lot of 400 series models suffer from isn’t quite as noticeable here due to the improved resolution and openness of the design. In other words, there’s still a decline, but it’s not quite as sharp.
While those headphones can sound sleepy, dull, and a bit claustrophobic at times, the Ananda mostly avoids these issues and is therefore an excellent upgrade from the mid-fi doldrums.
If there’s one thing HIFIMAN knows better than almost everyone else, it’s how to correctly tune a headphone (for the most part). This, combined with their planar drivers and nano thicc diaphragm results in the exemplary resolution and timbre we’ve all come to know and love.
And the Nano is no different as it continues the long-standing tradition of excellent overall sound and superior tuning.
Treble
Despite all that, the treble of Ananda variants has always been somewhat of a minor nitpick, as they opt for a bit of sparkle and brightness at the top which can and will border on sibilance. Still, a lot of this also depends on the track, and for the most part, I can live with it.
If you need to, a slight reduction at around 8kHz will do just fine, pig.
Despite that, they mostly cut 9-10kHz in favor of boosting the areas after 10k which is a much better way of handling treble.
Overall, the Nano sounds excellent with nearly any genre, but you’ll really start to wet yourself with well-recorded modern music in the vein of polished-sounding Pop, Indie, Hip-Hop, EDM, and generally anything with more bass emphasis.
“Bounce” by Emotional Oranges, or DRAMA’s “I Do” are both prime examples of songs that should get you up and dancing in your underwear (or better yet, naked as I do). Just try not to soil yourself.
The bass pumps wonderfully without the bloat, vocals are present and accounted for, instruments are tonally accurate, and the treble is nice and crispy while for the most part avoiding the hiss that some tracks can undoubtedly suffer from.
I’ve always felt the Ananda is one of the best at toeing the line of “overly sibilant” vs. “way too dark,” and the Nano is another example of them mostly getting it right. I’d classify it as bright-neutral which is just about the perfect way to construct the high end IMHO.
Overall, the Ananda in all its glory can simply be described as skiing down a mountain in January while sipping a Lipton Brisk Iced Tea and chewing Winerfresh gum.
As far as amplification is concerned, the Ananda will do well with anything ranging from a FiiO K19, Universal Audio Volt 2, JDS ATOM 2, FiiO K7, K11, etc.
With an Impedance of 14Ω and Sensitivity of 94dB, it’s inefficient but still not all that hard to drive.
As for a “massive sonic upgrade?”
I wouldn’t call it massive, but sure, it’s probably a little better sounding than a Stealth. I experienced this same sort of thing with the Arya Organic and Arya Stealth FWIW.
Final Verdict
It’s no secret that I’ve recommended Ananda the world over since it first came out. Yes, I loved the sound so much and thought it was such a fantastic upgrade from mid-fi, that I did recommend it at its original $1000 asking price in 2019.
EEEEEEWHAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!?!?!?!
That’s right you read that correctly. It was love at first hearing and I’m not ashamed in the slightest as it’s been one of my main recommendations since it first came out.
Fortunately for you, they’re basically giving it away now at only $400 for the Nano and roughly $360 for the Ananda Stealth (Prices subject to change). So it would BEHOOVE you to go on ahead and snag a pair while you fist pump at checkout.
Which pair?
Well, I’m not going to complain about 2 Jacksons, so just get the Nano. As always, I will update this article if prices change.
HIFIMAN Ananda Nano
In The Box
HIFIMAN Ananda Nano
Carrying Case
3.5mm Cable
Specifications
- Frequency Response: 5Hz-55kHz
- Sensitivity: 94dB
- Impedance: 14Ω
- Weight: 419.6g
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this HIFIMAN Ananda Nano Review and came away with some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
If you love what I do here and want to support the blog and channel in a more personal way, check me out on Patreon and discover all the value I have to offer you.
Is the Ananda Nano worth the price? Do you trust me? I would love to hear from you. Just keep it civil. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu