HiFiMan Ananda Stealth Edition - Better than Arya now?
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
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A review of the HiFiMan Ananda stealth magnet version including comparisons with the original Ananda, Arya stealth edition and HarmonicDyne G200.
Note: I did not have the Edition XS here for comparison at the time of this review so I can't answer the question of how they directly compare, but I definitely prefer the tuning and presentation of the Ananda Stealth Edition
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00:00 Introduction
00:39 Glamour video
01:17 Price and key changes
04:12 Sound quality
04:24 Ananda vs Ananda Stealth
09:49 Ananda Stealth vs Arya Stealth
13:13 Ananda Stealth vs HarmonicDyne G200
18:21 Ananda Stealth amp pairings
19:23 Final conclusions
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#audiophile #audioreview #headphones - Наука та технологія
Great review, ty I love your way of dissecting every aspect of the headphones, and of course your calm, quiet voice and composure delivering the content of the review professionally, is a major plus. I love the flow of information, and how you describe your own feelings about the product.
So glad you like the way I review the products! Thanks for watching and commenting
Mate, I been smashing through your reviews. Your doing a great job, keep up the good work.
Thanks so much, SW! Glad you're enjoying the content
I got the Ananda Stealth at the $699 price, but then after spending about three weeks with them I decided to contact Hifiman and arrange for a swap. I was waiting on an open box Arya Stealth, and after watching your review of the Arya Stealth, as well as reviews from Sound Science, Wave Theory, DMS, Amplify Audio, and Sine Craft Audio, all this “sealed the deal” for me.
It is clearly a better headphone, and HifiMan sold me the open box for only $350 more. They were very responsive to my emails and very accommodating with the return and upgrade.
I appreciate your time with these headphones and relaying your experience.
That's great that you got to try both and ended up with the better one! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
They let you return the ananda and they sold you an arya for $350?!?!
I think he meant he paid $350 more
We all wish.@@jasonbhatnagar7134
Love my original Anandas, and I’ve been waiting on this one. Great work once again! The original Ananda remains some of the best value in the hobby in the used market.
I completely agree that it's a sometimes overlooked gem. The new version only gets better, but both are still great
@@PassionforSound what do you think of the review from Audio Science Review regarding the original Ananda ? ua-cam.com/video/NRftr9g03YM/v-deo.html
I'm not sure what you're asking exactly, François.
@@PassionforSound Cause you mention that the original Ananda is "still great". I was just curious to know what you think of the measurements and results from ASR. According to them original Ananda seems to be a headphone with a lots of major flaws. One of the worst they tested. Someone is wrong here. But who that's the question ?
No-one is wrong as such. ASR focus on measurements that don't always actually translate into audible effects so it's often a theoretical exercise more than a practical one. My focus is on the subjective experience of listening and the Anandas sound good regardless of any theoretical shortcomings
I was able to demo an Arya SE and an Ananda SE both with an Hifiman EF400. To my ears the Arya was brighter, tighter and a bit more detailed. The Ananda had more soul and was less "digital" sounding. Timber was better to my ears. I end up buying the Ananda and i'm 😀
That's great that you could try both and choose what you prefer. Happy listening! 🙂🙂
I also find my Arya V2 sounds to metallic/digital at highs so timber was off unpleasant for me ears. My dynamic driver headphones outclass Arya in everything that gives me pleasure of listening to music, thats the most important thing.
Yes, the v2 was a bit that way. I think the Arya Stealth improved this a bit, but still had a definite sound to it that's enjoyable, but not entirely natural
Been considering upgrading my Ananda’s to the Arya Stealth so many thanks, useful review.
So glad I could help!
I do not audition headphones or equipments except for the Meze Empyrean and iFi Zen DAC V2 (happened to be at the mall) because I have physical disabilities so I depend on only a few trusted reviewers. For HiFiMan, I started with the Sundara which is also my first planar. Love it for its cost-to-performance worth and still using it every now and then especially when I purchase new equipments. For me, my next planar must be a “big-enough” upgrade cos I don’t have the golden ears nor the patience to upgrade slowly or one step at a time.
Then I set my mind on the Arya Stealth after watching Lachlan’s review. Within weeks, a sale happened and I bought it. I love variety so I’d bought and kept “a few” headphones, DACs and amps. As with all my headphones, DACs and amps, they didn’t have enough play-time with me. Naturally, the Arya Stealth also didn’t have a lot of play time with me but it’s getting better and better with time. Maybe I am just breaking in the hours so like every headphone, DAC and amp in my collection, they are all sounding better and better. It now sounds better than a newly acquired ZMF Atrium which is more than double in price.
I particularly enjoy the Arya Stealth with Burr Browns and iFi’s “bass-boost aka TruBass aka X-Bass” on their DACs/Amps and the iFi Pro iCAN Signature amp although I like it with AKM-chipped DACs too. I did not particularly like my Topping 90 stack so I’d sold the D90SE. The Gustard R26 is coming in a few days as well as another headphone so there’ll be another round of removing everything on my desk (I mix pleasure and work together) and then reorganizing, placements, cabling, connections etc etc…
For playing classical music with a digital piano (es920) do you feel the XS are that great for around $500 or something else?
Thanks
The XS are probably overkill for that use (I played piano for years so I know exactly the use case you're describing). One of the challenges with the XS is that they're harder to drive and might challenge the output from your keyboard (unless you're running via an external amp to the headphones).
I'd probably go for the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X or even HiFiMan Sundara
Thanks for the review, there aren't many on these headphones yet. Just bought the Ananda for $430, waiting for them to arrive.
My pleasure and nice choice!
Thank you for your formidable review, I would like to ask you, I am currently coming from the 58X that I feel is very bassy, and the HE400SE that I really like, but I would like to go up a level, looking for a more analytical, detailed sound and I am among the Sundara that are here at $299 and the Ananda SE currently at $399, which one would you recommend?
Thank you for your support, Guillermo!
Both the Sundara and Ananda SE are excellent, but neither is a particularly analytical sound. Of the two of them, the Ananda SE is technically stronger than the Sundara so it will be more revealing, detailed, etc. but the tuning isn't analytical. If you want a high quality, more analytically tuned planar, the Verum 1s are excellent if you're happy to deal with a small brand and a quirky guy out of Ukraine.
Thanks Much !
That was very helpful . Gracias/ Thak you :)
My pleasure. Glad it was helpful 🙂
I really like my OG Ananda’s - throw some EQ (I use Roon convolution filter) and it sounds great - tames the highs and improves the bass - Good stuff. considering an Arya in the future or as a departure the 800s.
The OGs are still excellent! Glad you're enjoying them 🙂
About to receive a Stealth SE. @Passion for Sound: For an amp, would you (not) recommend the ZEN CAN Signature HFM for this? Would you recommend the Asgard or the Jotunheim over the iFi and if so why? What about Topping A30 Pro? Thanks in advance and for the video!
Congrats on the purchase! I haven't tried the ZEN Can so can't comment directly on that. What I can say is that discrete amps like the Asgard 3 and Jotunheim 2 consistently sound better to me (in terms of soundstage depth/layering and naturalness of sound) when compared to chip-based designs like the iFi, Topping, etc. I would personally choose one of the Schiit options for the Anandas as the slightly warmer sound will suit the Anandas really well
Ananda SM,599 open box,sound amazing after 100hrs burn..better comfort than XS,easy to drive, can listen all recording tracks on laptop, even on smarthone for casual music...and is not only 350 bucks difference, you need a very good dac/amp for Arya...not looking back
I just purchased them to be my first higher ended headphones. I current have a motu m2 audio interface that I can run them. Should I get a different dac and amp? If just a amp, what would be a good recommendation under $200. however I was planning to use them while I stream, so that’s why I have it running vi m2. Also, should i use the original cables that came with the headphone, or is the a good upgrade option?
Also, any way to get them to where I can head directional sounds in games, such as footsteps?
An audio interface is generally not a great headphone amp as they're focussed on recording and monitoring rather than music listening. In other words, a separate DAC and amp will be worthwhile. I'd personally focus on that before worrying about the cables. 🙂
thanks for doing this, saw a deal for ananda stealth for 400 and found ur video
My pleasure! That's a great deal. Enjoy!
smooth review
Glad you liked it!
What about ananda stealth +eq for flat response?
I don't tend to use EQ as it damages the signal in the process and I prefer to listen to the natural tonality/presentation of the headphones. Just a personal preference.
I'm new at all this and don't have anything fancy today. I listen to cds and records mainly using my Denon DR F100 receiver headphone jack into Marshall monitor over ear. I want to first upgrade headphones to something I can use on the Denon that sound good for mostly extreme metal but also classical music (chamber music with piano mostly or piano concertos, and occasionally string orchestras). After watching reviews from months, I feel the choice might lie between Ananda Stealth or Arya Stealth. What guidance could you offer me?
Both of those are great headphones. The choice will need to come down to your preferences in tonality because they are tuned a little differently and that's a personal thing. The Arya is a little stronger technically too so if resolution, imaging and soundstage accuracy are important, factor that into your decision making along with the tonality.
My original set of anandas were non stealth and right cup stopped working so i sent them back and got a new set but they sent me a pair that were in a cardboard box instead of a valour box. They must be the stealths because the grill is raised. ive been unasble to trust them since and am going to trade them in. Im stuck between the Aryas (worried Hifiman quality lets me down again) or the Dan Clark Ether 2. I dont know what to do. Anyone ever tried both before?
I haven't tried the Ether 2 so can't help there, but I would say that the HiFiMan headphones are generally very good for reliability these days. Any product can fail, but you'd be very unlucky to have a second pair do so.
If the new pair have raised grilles then they're definitely the stealth version and they're brilliant. Hope you find a solution you're comfortable with.
Nice review. Do you reckon it’s better than edition xs?
Definitely. When I compared the XS with the original Ananda in my XS review, I felt the Ananda OG was as good or better (better for me). The Stealth is enough of an improvement to take it above XS I think
Thanks for the review ❤Does the new version with 16impedance is better than this?
I am about make a purchase.
I've only just heard about it (from the other comment) and will need to look into it further.
@@PassionforSound 😁😁 okayyy
Hi sorry, what do you mean by poor recordings ? Like mp3 format ?
No. Recordings that aren't as well made in terms of the quality of production, harshness and imbalances in the mix, etc.
How does this compare to headphones a price bracket down from it? Edition XS and Verum 1 were two that I believe you said you preferred over the original Ananda in a past review. Does this change for the Ananda Stealth?
I still prefer the Ananda OG over the XS (can't recall with the Verum 1) so the Stealth extends the benefits of the Ananda over the XS for me and I think over the Verum 1 based purely on recent memories of listening to both, but not comparing directly
The Sundara is better than the Ananda Stealth and so is the he400S better. These headphone reviewers, such as this guy, have taken me down the wrong path with this Ananda. It's a bit crap.
Interesting how you describe the ananda stealth, it seems very similar to my EQ'd og ananda. Better bass with a fuller overall sound, better perceived details/separation thanks to boosting and lowering certain frequency ranges. I wonder if all the stealth magnets do is just tilt the perceived frequency response to one that's more pleasing.
They do a bit more than that. The difference in the sound is more than frequency response alone. The delivery of the sound is smoother and more refined. If you're enjoying your OG Anandas though, that's the bit that really matters!
The diaphragm material of the stealth edition is identical to the original-- the reason the impedance has changed is due to the new magnets having a different amount of magnetic flux acting on the diaphragm
Thanks for the info!
I went to finally test the Sundaras today and then due to a huge local special sale on the Anandas stealth. I tested them both went back & forth. I could not walk out of the shop without the Ananda’s. So now, I hear what all the fuss is about. Running them off my also newly obtained Cayin RU6 dongle. Amazing. I am as happy as a pig in …. You know what I mean. Even better because more than $150 off standard price. So, ecstatic is more of the feeling…
Thanks mate for all your help through videos and replies! 🙏🙏🙏😆
That's great news! So glad you're loving your new setup 🙂🙂
I bought them for 350$ from official site
Does a dongle power them properly?
Yes. They're easy to drive
Thanks a lot for this very good and informative video. I have the original Ananda and enjoy them a lot. However, I’m thinking of replacing them with the ZMF Aeolus on which I have read very good reviews. I understand they have a more enveloping (and also warmer) sound than the Ananda. I use my headphones with a Naim Atom Uniti amp. Do you think the Aeolus would be an improvement over the Ananda? Thanks in advance for your suggestions and feedback. Best wishes, Ignacio
Hi Ignacio. The Aeolus is one of the few ZMFs that I haven't tried so it's very hard for me to say. I'm sorry I can't be of any help on this one!
Thanks a lot for the reply! @@PassionforSound
@@ignicioperez4647 honestly that Naim combo probably is not a good choice for ZMF, they most likely need dedicated amp for headphones and best if its a tube amp, if you can enjoy Ananda with it dont waste cash for Aeolus because its not that headphone that can be driven by some random combo to its peak potential
quick question , if the amp is not a problem, should i go with ananda stealth or edition xs? my he6 left driver just got some issues and i am planning to get a cheap modern hifiman headphones while i am waiting for my rma.😢😢 since my amp can easily drive the he6, i assume my amp is good enough for both headphones. which headphones have the best performance
I'd personally go for the Ananda Stealth - I think it's the better headphone because the XS produces an unnaturally left/right soundstage that's very flat sounding.
I hope you didn't listen to this reviewer because I did and found out that it's a bit crap. The Sundara is better. So is the he400S.
This is an interesting review. I'd be curious to see your take on the new Ananda Nano vs Arya Stealth. I feel it closes the gap even more. Going from Ananda Stealth to Ananda Nano, the resolution, dynamics, speed, imaging and soundstage improved by a fair bit. Hopefully you can try it soon 😊
Funny you should say that. I'm pretty sure that's this weekend's video for release. If not, it'll be the midweek release.
@@PassionforSound Just saw your video hahahaha, time to watch 😁👍
Greetings,
yesterday i got my Ananda (Stealth?) but i wasnt sure since it came in the black box of the og Ananda, same with the cables.
But my grill sticks out and looks a bit different, do i have the Stealth? Hifiman couldnt answer my question even with me giving them both serials and multiple pictures.
That's a bit weird! I haven't seen an original Ananda with the protruding silver grille so I'd guess it's a stealth version. I haven't looked inside the two to see if the inside looks different and I don't have the OG Ananda anymore to check.
@@PassionforSound it was a warehouse deal from Amazon stating multiple times it was Version 2.
But when i saw the black box i wasnt so sure anymore.
I guess since im very treble sensitive the og Ananda would have already blasted my eardrums.
Nice review but I wonder what Amp/DAC you are using. A good tube Amp might tame some of that treble you find a problem or a good DAC might let you EQ that problem. I don't follow all your reviews so you might have put out this info but listening through different electronics could reshape your opinions.
I try headphones across a bunch of different gear, Bob. I only call out the source chain where it's specifically relevant (e.g. a particularly good or bad pairing). I agree that any headphone with extra treble can be tamed with tubes or EQ, but I leave that to each person to work based on their tastes and preferences 🙂
Hifiman he 1000V2 review would be cool since it’s found for under 2000$ now would be curious on your opinion
I keep trying to get one, but so far no luck ☹️
That panning percussive sound you mentioned in "Bellyfulla" jumped out at me when I gave the track a listen with my Beyerdynamic DT150 (250 ohm), and it's very clearly a mechanical typewriter. You can even hear the bell when it reaches the end of the line. I'm surprised that headphones costing 3-6x as much, don't offer that level of information to the listener.
I don't remember now, but it's possible that I didn't listen for long enough or focus on identifying the sound because I tend to jump back and forth between the headphones on a short segment of the music. Thanks for telling us what the sound is though. I'll have to go back and listen again
Well well explained comparison! I'm far from an audiophile, I just like good audio. I usually get a bit turned off when reviewers are competing with eachother who can use the fanciest most sophisticated terms instead of talking about what I want to hear. You nailed this perfectly! Super easy to understand exactly what you mean, really good idea to talk about specific tracks for reference and really nice that you're comparing them to more than just one other headphone.
I'm thinking about the Ananda SE as an upgrade from sundara. But now I'm really temped to skip that step and go straight for the Arya...🤔
So glad you liked the review and my approach! As for your plans to bypass the Ananda SE, I think it's a great headphone, but I like your plan better... Great idea 🙂
@@PassionforSound I will keep watching your videos, for sure! It's honestly the first time I listen to someone explain audio and I get a perfectly clear imagine of it in my head. I've tried the Ananda SE, and your description of them is just exactly what I hear as well, but you just know how to put in words!
🙂
Great review, thanks! What would you recommend fas the ideal dynamic driver companion for Susvera?
There's only about 4 main Dynamics that would be a good companion to the Susvara imo
Focal Utopia 2022
ZMF Atrium
ZMF Verite
Fostex TH909
I'd look those up and you'd probably have a fantastic experience with any
@@NushiSama Thanks! Utopia and Atrium are on my list. Will have a look at the others.
@@GadZookz Nice hopefully you find something you like, good hunting
I'm with Nushi- Sama. The Utopia 2022 and Atrium would be my top two picks
@@PassionforSound Thanks! Do you have a preference between those two?
how do the DT1990Pro compare to the Arya? ( I skipped the Ananda as they already sound less open as the DT`s, I prefer a more open, detailed, real sound). I do also gaming so I need a precise and clar presentation. I love that the 1990s can seperate each individual layer of a track so one is able to analyse it and come to the conclusion like "Yes, thats the way the artist wants the track to sound like"
I’ve owned both and I’ve gotta say the dt1990 is nowhere near the arya (mine is stealth version) in terms of details, soundstage, and imaging. The only similarity between them is they both have bright sounding. The dt1990 is considered more fun listening to tho due to its better dynamic
I've review the DT1990 in the past with some comparisons in that video, but I don't own them so couldn't compare them in this video - sorry
these are now going for £364.40 plus shipping on Aliexpress brand new. maybe I should have bought these instead of my XS.
Nice price! I do like them more than the XS, but both are excellent headphones
How do they compare to the xs?
I haven't compared them side-by-side, but I prefer the OG Ananda to the XS so the Ananda SE will be the best of the three
I have both the Ananda and Ananda stealth. When listening to Wish You Were Here track by Pink Floyd I could barely hear the sneeze around the 35 second mark. With the stealth not only did I hear the sneeze much clearer but also the heavy breathing before the sneeze and the sniffing afterwards.
Haha. There's a test for headphones! 😁
A good one at that.
@@PassionforSound haha love those detail boys they are core of our hobby 👍
I have the Ananda OG and love it still after a few years, I heard the Arya 2 and SE and I didn’t want to upgrade, yes, they are better, but very much in the same style, as you said, they are from the same family. I rather buy something from another brand and get another flavour. A lighter LCD -X would be perfect!:-)
Maybe check out the Sivga SV023 for something different and excellent. The Meze 109 Pro are great too (review on the way)
yep I never bought more than 1 pair of each company, better is to choose the one that is worth it price/performance and style of brand 👍 (well only ZMF I would love to have more models they are just beautiful)
Hi! For you best overall over ear (in sound) under 700€?
Thanks!
That's been a tough one to answer until now. The Ananda Stealth and G200 are both excellent, but I think the Meze 109 Pro will be taking that crown (review coming soon)
@@PassionforSound OK thanks!
Dude you’re the best in the game. Thank you
Thank you! I'm glad you like my videos so much! 🙂🙂
He's not the best. I listened to these headphone reviewers and bought the Ananda Stealth, but it's a bit crap. Not as good as the Sundara. That should have been the title of this video.
Got the G200 based on your suggestion (you and Zeos's to be exact), enjoyed it thoroughly on either the EF400 and Fiio K7. Thank you. And just as you said, the Ananda Stealth feels quite a bit thinner and harsher than G200, especially at those Chinese pop songs that I love. So, G200 it is for me.
So glad to hear from another G200 fan! Glad you're enjoying it 🙂🙂
As much as I loved the sound of my OG Ananda I upgraded to Arya Stealth and never looked back.
Confort is also important.
The Ananda's headband and its lack of swivel hurt my jaws after long listening sessions.
Buyers beware.
Sorry to hear you had comfort issues with the Ananda. No doubt, the Arya Stealth are a fantastic upgrade in every way
@@PassionforSound Yes it is.
Thank you for your review of the Arya.
It was the reason why I decided to upgrade.
My pleasure 🙂
Ie Sundara punchier in the bass than Ananda Stealth?
I think so, but it's been a long time since I compared them
With the Arya stealth at $999 now is the amanda still a good bet or is the Arya the better bet?
I think the Arya Stealth is better, but the Ananda Nano might have something to say about that. Review coming soon.
Nice review, though very disappointed you failed to compare it with the Hifiman Edition XS, which I thought would have been obvious as some people prefer it to the Ananda due to its tuning, law of diminishing returns works in both directions, not just with the Arya SE.
I don't own the XS so can only work with what I have. I compared the Ananda OG with XS in my XS review so you can pretty easily work out where they stand with the Stealth from that one 🙂
I own this Ananda stealth and the Sundara. The Sundara is better. So is the he400S.
I personally found the Ananda Stealth preferable to the Arya SE, though the Arya wins on comfort thanks to its swivel. I get the sense that with the Stealth Magnet technology, it tends to oversmoothen things kind of like Anti-aliasing in a videogame. I felt with the Arya, the antialiasing was cranked up to ultra levels producing an overly sanitized unnaturally clinical sound. The Ananda dials that back a bit to where it’s just right and delivers a more natural and musical tonality. I did find both the Arya and Ananda to be equally treble happy which can make them fatiguing (although nothing that a bit of EQ couldn’t mitigate) and ultimately I think I prefer my Sundara and Verum One overall for pure enjoyment and comfortable listening. But the soundstage capabilities of the egg shaped Hifiman are fun for orchestral and classical. And Sunglasses at Night is a fun track on the Ananda to show off its wide soundstage :)
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
don't forget jazz and stagine, I compared the ananda stealth vs sundara, I like both. But the moment I play some Diana Krall, Melody Gardot, Tony Bennett, it's gone Sundara, at least for staging, not saying the Sundara is bad in any way especially at that pricepoint! in other words it really depends what kind of music you play
@@Cestmoi50 The Arya (as well as the Ananda) is better if you’re into jazz, which I’m not :)
Absolutely lovely description, definitely thinking about the Ananda stealth now
I like less bass and more detail, that's why I veiled and removed the inner and outer foam on my 58x, would you say this would be a good upgrade path ? How about the moondrop para ? Para vs Stealth ?
I have the Para here now, but haven't tried it yet. I'll be shocked if it comes close to the Anandas.
can I switch cups from Arya to Ananda's Band? cause Arya's Band has plastic "hooks" and doesn't look solid, also for me with only one hand the Arya's systems of cups moving in every way its not good and Fragile
I assume you could swap cups between bands because they're mostly identical. As for fragility, I don't know that I've heard of any complaints of them breaking ever
@@PassionforSound if you will try put them with just one hand, i think they can break after some time, those hooks in Arya are plastic..:(
Ah, I understand what you mean now - sorry!
Do you think that HiFiMan is being a bit of their own worst enemy here with offering too many choices at these relatively close price points? It seems less clear to me the more folks say that from the XS to the Ananda to the Arya to the HE1k they're all sort of the similar HiFiMan flavor with mildly different technicalities. I don't see 10-15% more detail retrieval as the reason to spend 700 more for a headphone, especially if you listen to a wide range of music that may not benefit from it. These Stealth editions are great imo but their offerings seem to be competing with one another for performance and value. At least modify/improve the form factor as you go up in price no? HiFiMan ergonomics just don't compare to other brands imo, part of what makes them a great value since they seem to be keenly focusing on performance but over time.. comfort matters. Anyway great review as always. Just confused about this particular strategy they have going.
I believe the Stealths ultimately supersede the OG versions so the Stealth vs OG won't be a thing long term. However, the XS still makes little sense to me so I agree in that regard.
As for Arya vs Ananda (and maybe vs HE1k), it's a lot more than just detail retrieval. Tonal balance, staging and refinement of the sound (e.g. smoothness, etc.) are all better as you go up.
Where I'm from, the Ananda Stealth costs 400usd (Edition XS is around 380 and Sundara is 280) while the Arya Stealth is 1000usd. This made the choice simpler compared to 700 vs 1300. Currently enjoying my Ananda Stealth and plan on upgrading to the Aryas or HE1000V2 once budget allows, hopefully next year.
Damn. 400USD is a really great price for the Ananda Stealth.
I agree. Fantastic pricing!
u r from China?lol
@@tianervin7484 I live in South East Asia where we can directly order from Chinese sellers. They usually match or are lower than aliexpress prices.
It's a real upgrade over edition xs?
I think so
Hifiman Ananda Stealth or Sivga SV023 ?
That's a tough one because they're quite different. It's probably just slightly go towards the SV023, but I can't exactly say why - it's just what my instinct is
The Ananda Stealth has been on the market for some time. I've owned mine for almost a year and was happy but noticed it could be better. It was just missing.... Something. By accident I was in the position to buy lambskin leather earpads on the cheap to replace the stock earpads. I was curious what this would do for the sound. The original earpads are soft with small holes on the inside. The leather pads are much stiffer and without the small holes. And even though I cannot directly A/B test (don't want to change the pads too often because they are held in place by small, fragile plastic clips) the new pads made a significant difference compared to the original pads. I have listened enough to notice the difference in sound signature. Fuller sound, more details. Everything just went up a notch. I'm listening to my music library with a big smile on my face, wondering what differences and improvements I will notice next. I'm so much happier with my Ananda Stealth headphone now! The comfort is not as good since the new pads are stiffer, but the better sound makes up for that.
So, if you have the chance to pick up some of these earpads: buy them! You will not be disappointed...
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Mine work with high end cable + class A amp, no need of pad swap for me, sound is already full bodied with surprisingly good timbre for planars. They are very unique like planars had a baby with dynamic driver so hybrid was created 🤣
Glad you're enjoying them so much!
what's the minimum DAC?AMP I need to drive Ananda tor Arya?
The Ananda are very easy to drive so any dongle will be fine. The Arya are a little bit trickier so you'd need a powerful dongle or a desktop system for it. It is worth getting a decent quality source though, especially with the Arya because otherwise you won't hear it's full capabilities
@@PassionforSound Thank you very much for your advice. I have the Dragonfly Cobalt , is that sufficient to hear some good from the Ayra as well?
I think the Dragonfly should do nicely. I've had no troubles with a few dongles of similar power. The only challenge will be if you're using EQ to boost frequencies or if you listen very loud.
Unfortunately, AudioQuest don't publish power output, only voltage so it's hard to say for certain, but I expect you'll be fine.
@@PassionforSound thanks for your help
$549 at their website. I just bought a pair. Shipping was free and extremely prompt.
Awesome! That's a great deal. Hope you love them.
Arya Stealth is now $900 new or $759 refurbished.
Are they worth it at $759?
Totally! They're a brilliant headphone.
I have own an Ananda Stealth, and they are great sounding headphones, clearly a step up from both Sundara and Edition XS, but the comfort was terrible, too much clamping force and no swivel function made them unbearable to wear for more than 30 minutes, so I sent them back, but if they had Arya's headband they would be a game changer for $700.
Sorry to hear you found them uncomfortable! That's always going to be a very personal thing.
FTI, the spring steel headband can be bent to loosen the clamp pressure. I did it with my Sundara, an necessary mod once I pad-swapped them.
I totally disagree. The Sundara is way better. So is the he400S. This reviewer has led me down the wrong path. Tyll never did that but he's long retired now.
Nice review but wouldn't the obvious comparison be with the Edition XS? It's only $200 less than the Ananda and gets rave reviews.
I have review the XS and preferred the OG Ananda. The reason it wasn't in this video is that I don't own them - they were on loan from a channel patron
Maybe at some stage you could compare the 3 HiFiman Stealth versions at the same time if the opportunity arises !
It would be great having you review the Arya Stealth, Ananda Stealth & XS Edition together.
With the price of the Hifiman HE1000V2 just dropping by a $1000, I think the jump over the Arya to maybe a secondhand HE1000V2 may be more rewarding for owners of Ananda’s & XS Edition wanting to upgrade.
I don't expect to get an XS in at any time soon so it's unlikely to include that. I would like to compare the HE1k and Arya though for sure
@@PassionforSound That’s a pity, it would be nice to have a review to reevaluate the HiFiman range, the release of the XS Edition puts the price point of the rest of the range out of sync, after the lower price of the Ananda Stealth & Edition XS, the later models really need a price reduction, the HE 1000V2 has been dropped by $1,000 making the Arya Stealths overall price worth about $1,000-$1,100 at most…
I'm wondering (and I have no inside information) if the HE1k is due for an update soon. The drop in price might be foreshadowing a new model in the future that will rescale the pricing.
The XS is still a bit of a mystery to me and doesn't do much more than confuse the product range IMO
Can you arrange an interview with Antonio Meze? Talk about life n stuff
I was just thinking about that the other day. I'll see what I can arrange
Waiting on the Ananda Stealth this Wed. $550 USD now
Nice! Hope you love them
I had to buy it for 350$, could not go wrong for that money
That's an excellent price!
@@PassionforSound can I ask something? :) someone said in review that they work with tubes, have you tested it with tube amp? my Arya v2 didnt go along with tubes
These and the Aryas work wonderfully with tubes, just not OTL tube amps with high output impedance. Your best bet is a transformer coupled tube amp like a Bottlehead SEX or Mainline, or a hybrid amp like the xDuoo TA-20 Plus.
@@PassionforSound hate buying from the US due to taxes and shippment time is terrible but SEX looks promising (however it sounds haha)
There'll be other options not from the US and not DIY. I just couldn't think of one off the top of my head.
I purchased the Ananda on Amazon last year in November for $699. They then went on sale for $599 on Amazon so i purchased that one and was going to return the original to save the $100. So i had two Ananda's here to do a direct side by side comparison for a few months. The return window was extended over the holidays until January 23rd. They didn't sound the same. The differences in them was almost sounds like what you are describing with the stealth edition. I kept the newer one and returned the first one for sure.
If it wasn't a stealth edition it was kind of troubling to me that i could here such differences from headphones that were suppose to be the exact same model. Thought the first one sounded good mind you but when i had the second to compare....my choice was easily made. The bass was much fuller and better and everything just sounded a bit better for me. Wonder if i received an early stealth version before they were even labeling them as such??
I had the Sundara in house to try at the same time. That was definitely labeled stealth. Really enjoyed that headphone but the comfort of the round cups were not for me so i sent them back. Really enjoy the Ananda. Don't have tons of cash to play around with even more higher end headphones so these are going to have to be good enough.
I did however pick up a bunch of lower tier headphones over the years so i do have others when i would like a different flavor which is nice.
Thanks for the review Lachlan! Was awaiting patiently for this one. :)
That's really curious, Craig! I wonder what was going on there?
Glad you liked the review and thanks for your patience
@@PassionforSound I know, right!? After that experience if i ever upgraded to the Arya i would always be wondering if i received the best Arya. Not a good feeling to have in the back of your mind when spending that much money. Oh well. I"m satisfied with this Ananda. Also have a few Fidelios X2HR and X3 and a few Sennheiser's and Sivga's here. So those give me enough variance to be satisfied. Can't see myself going higher. Out of my league unfortunately. Think it is best i don't listen to anything better for my wallets sake....hah.
Comparison w. Edition XS and Venus
I compared Edition XS and Ananda OG in my XS review here: ua-cam.com/video/4cefq2KYKmU/v-deo.html
From memory, I slightly preferred Ananda so the Ananda SE is better still.
As for Venus, I haven't tried that one yet
I want to talk with u about usb cables....
Sure!
The Ananda and then some.
That's pretty much it, yes 🙂
think the missing piece in your Hifiman review is the HE1000se
I keep trying to get that one, but no luck so far...
@@PassionforSound good luck, i'm looking forward to that the most.....
If there's too much treble just put an old sock in each ear cup.
I tried that trick with an IEM once. Still wont hear the end of it.
I have the ananda se and the low can at time rumble both ear cups. According to the grapgh comparision here, the arya se the low is about 1 to 2 db higher and so the mid to high which seem like a better hp. I am not quite happy with ananda as i compared it to deva pro which i think a much better value for the $. Of course, deva pro low isnt as good as ananda but it isnt bad either. the rest is pretty much on par with it bigger brother for 1/4 of the price. I am tempting to go with arya se but not sure how much better it from ananda. According the graph and from what you said seem like a winner. Oh, i just recently return senn hd 660 s2. It was a waste of time and over hype.
The Arya Stealth and now Arya Organic are both excellent. The new Ananda Nano is also very good. I'm wondering though what source you're using to find the 660S2 so poor and to find the Deva Pro and Ananda to be on par. It might be that your source is limiting the performance you're able to achieve.
@@PassionforSound Hi, my equipment are d1se and su10. For hp amp d90 and thx 887. Senn hd660s2 isnt bad but isnt great either as far as it asking price as of right now $499 and even though i got it brand new for $372. Dilema here is that deva pro low is okay not great and the rest is pretty good pretty close to ananda, i would say like 8 out 10. And my he4xx isnt that great, may be for the low. I guess i am looking for that hp can do it all low to high. I just order the arya and it on the way as of this writing. I hope it will be a winner. 😁
Ok, that makes a lot more sense now and your source chain seems great. I hope you love the Aryas (pretty sure you will)
@@PassionforSound I just received my Arya SE v3 and all I can say is WOW... just WOW!!! I found Ananda SE produces deeper bass vs Arya SE. Other than that Arya take the crown. Best to describe Ananda SE vs Arya is someone just remove the paper towel from the microphone that muffle the sound and now that is gone.
$380+Taxes Ananda se vs $1K Arya se v3 that $600 differences and is it worth it? I have to say agreed and say yes.
Is that the Arya Organic or Arya Stealth?
Do the Ananda Nano next!
Ananda Nano, Arya Organic and Audivina (and EF600) are all here now for review soon...
I have used chifi iems mostly over the years with my Daps. I finally pulled the pin after watching and reading loads of reviews and picked up a pair of ananda stealths off Ali express 11.11 sale. I am very Happy with them, still giving them a good workout. I also have a pair of Dan Clark Audio Aeon X closed on the way for office use. Will be interesting to compare.
Glad you're enjoying your Anandas! Hope the Aeons are equally as enjoyable but different enough to give you another flavour 🙂
You wasn't scared to buying from ali (the price are very low compared to amazon) and did you have a warranty on them?
@@romantaplizki no, I have brought a fair bit from Ali Express. Buy from sellers with good feedback. No problems at all. Top quality original items. Very quick post too.
@@andrewy1983 I did so came in perfect condition, thank you 🤙
Hi, hello!
Hi Nick
@@PassionforSound Which part of Australia you from again ?
Melbourne
@@PassionforSound Nice,,,
Seems like you'll never get your hands on a audeze lcdx lol. You've reviewed almost everything on the planet besides a lcdx
I can't get the Audezes locally due to the local distributor. Any Audezes I review I have to buy secondhand when opportunities present ☹️
For hifiman QC and customer support, I can comfirm that it is still terrible.
I have an email chain over 20 messages long, going back and forth with their uncaring customer support, in a spand of a month and a half.
The original headphones i was sent had one side COMPLETELY broken. The driver simply didn't work. The replacement I got was also flawed, a MAJOR channel imbalance and rattling in the left earcup.
I'm sorry to hear this. It's definitely out of character compared to my experience all but three headphones in their non-electrostatic range and many others who've posted here. I'm not saying your experience isn't valid, but it's not common so I wanted to clarify that for anyone reading this.
@@PassionforSoundThe bad QC might have just been really unlucky on my end, so that might differ for other people. I don't mind a faulty product if i can just get an easy and quick replacement.
The real problem was the CS. Takes an average of 3 days for them to reply and my initial rep kept telling me the wrong information. Absolutely garbage IMO 😅
Yes, that's not good if the CS is bad. I'm sorry to hear you had such struggles.
STOP SHAKING THE DAMN THING WHEN YOU'RE MEANT TO BE SHOWING IT TO US!
Just hold it still! FFS
Wow. That's a really angry comment!
when someone make comparatives like this, the reviewer has almost the obligation to say the difference in percent, and I have to say that the differente bettwen arya vs ananda is just about no more than 4 to 6% depending the track quality
Not sure I agree that there's an obligation when assigning arbitrary numbers is so inaccurate. I think source chain and track/genre can play a big part and think the Arya can go well beyond 4-6% improvement, but I prefer not to put numbers to such things
@@PassionforSound Then you automatically become a seller, a publituber. Take my comment not as a criticism but as a point of objectivity, when you say that something is better than something else, you encourage consumerism, is that wrong? it is debatable. I think you're a great reviewer but lately all reviewers without exception have lost their objectivity.
I'm not sure how you're reaching that conclusion. Nothing has changed in my approach which has always been to try multiple products and share which ones I personally prefer while also highlighting who I think each product might suit. Just because I don't like a product, doesn't make it bad. There are still some products that I think are over-priced, over-hyped and, very occasionally, just flat-out bad, but we thankfully are at a place in this hobby where most products are honestly pretty good and it just comes down to personal preferences.
Question.
At $499, are the edition xs an excellent choice in your opinion?
Personally? I don't think so. There's nothing wrong with them, but I also wouldn't call them excellent. I'd prefer something like a Sivga SV023
How does the ananda compare to the sv023?
At just $499 and $699,
The edition xs and ananda stealth magnet, are better than ANYTHING else on the market today.
These two headphones are END GAME!
I do agree that they're great headphones, but I don't agree that they're better than anything else. I've got a review coming soon of something better for just $100 more than the Anandas.
@@PassionforSound which headphone? Is the video up already for the one you're mentioning?
I like to keep some suspense and the review isn't out yet, but coming soon. The headphone is already available on the market though 😉
Back to the Sennheisers sorry I was very underwhelmed 😞
That's ok. The Anandas are quite a different sound from the Sennheisers and personal preference is king in the end
Hi Lachlan,
Not interested in the topic - just like for the channel 👍. Cheers.
Thanks for the support Sergiy!