HIFIMAN Ananda Nano is an updated version of the well-known Ananda. It features a Neo super nano diaphragm, stealth magnets, an updated design, a lower impedance than the original Ananda, and a de-attachable cable.
Many thanks to HIFIMAN for providing the sample for this review. No one paid me make this review. I don’t offer any specific opinions about this product. And all thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
Nano offers an impressive frequency response range with a lot of dynamics, sound realism, and HIFIMAN’s in-house sound signature and, in today’s episode, we will also talk about how the Ananda Nano compares with Sundara, Edition XS, original Ananda, and the latest Ananda Stealth edition.
But let’s start with the unboxing first. The headphones arrived in HIFIMAN’s new environment-friendly box. It’s plain and straightforward and I appreciate this packaging. We have an illustration of the headphones on the front of the box. On the side of the box, we have a list of technical specifications.
In the box:
- Ananda Nano headphones
- 3-meter-long de-detachable cable
- 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm adapter
- And a carrying case
Also, HIFIMAN didn’t include a foam insert in the box, which typically comes some other HIFIMAN models as their environment-friendly package. Which means Ananda Nano comes without the basic foam headphone stand.
The impedance of headphones is 14 Ω. The sensitivity is 94 dB. Ananda Nano weighs 419 grams without a cable. The original Ananda, despite having the same design, weighs 399 g without cable.
Compared to the original Ananda, the Nano also has less impedance. If you take a look at the numbers, you might think that you can drive it from portable sources. But the headphones still need some power that will truly open up and make them shine. And I would suggest using a good amplifier and source with this pair.
Design and build
The Ananda Nano closely resembles the original Ananda, with a predominantly metal build. This headband mirrors the one found on the original Ananda. It’s constructed from a steel spring with a sleek black finish, featuring a cut in the middle. The inner part of the headband consists of a pleather suspension band mounted on plastic inserts.
The plastic inserts feature the HIFIMAN logo on both sides. There is a Hifiman brand name on the left one and Ananda Nano on the right. The headband’s ergonomic design ensures comfort and effectively distributes the weight of the headphones. What sets the headband of Ananda Nano apart from the original Ananda is its clamping force, which is increased. This was done to create a better seal around the ears and it’s good news for listeners with smaller heads.
I have an average size head, and increased clamping force provided a better seal in my case. Yet it didn’t affect the comfort, which by the way is exceptionally good. The yokes that connect the headband to the ear cups are crafted from a single piece of metal. This increases their durability as well. To adjust the headband, simply move each ear cup up or down; the headband size adjustment mechanism works smoothly. Another minor distinction between the original Ananda and Nano lies in the yokes, which are slightly more rounded on Nano.
The cups are egg-shaped and measure 130 mm in height, with a large ear pad opening that will accommodate a lot of ears, including those that are on a larger side. There is minimal horizontal swivel of the ear cups, yet surprisingly, the ear cups have nearly a full 360-degree vertical rotation. Each ear cup is equipped with a 3.5 mm connector socket, positioned slightly toward the front of the ear cups.
The outer part of the cups is covered with the grills. The grille’s design goes beyond aesthetics; it serves a significant acoustic purpose. If I recall correctly, Hifiman first introduced this grille design, known as the “Window Shades Grill,” with the HE1000. The company needed a design solution that would offer effective driver protection while optimizing the cups for the best possible sound quality. This system prevents sound waves from undergoing secondary refraction, thereby it helps to avoid unwanted vibration and distortion.
Ear pads are user-replaceable and attach to the ear cups via small clips. The ear pads are made from pleather and are filled with memory foam. The part in contact with your head is made out of perforated fabric, and it effectively minimizes any discomfort caused by sweat. The ear pads are large and asymmetrically shaped to fully enclose your ears. The opening of the ear pads is also egg-shaped and is 95 mm in height and 55 mm across.
This design ensures that your ears do not come into contact with the inner part of the pads, significantly enhancing comfort during long listening sessions.
Fit and comfort
Despite the fact Ananda Nano weighs 416 grams without cable they are still comfortable. I have an average-sized head, and the headphones fit me well. In addition, I liked how the headband distributes the weight of the headphones. As I mentioned the clamping force is slightly above average and also stronger than on the original Ananda, but in my case, it provided a good fit and I didn’t experience any discomfort even during long listening sessions.
The hybrid earpads are breathable and comfortable. I have large ears and they completely fit inside the ear pads. Out of all the HIFIMAN models I have reviewed on my channel so far, Ananda Nano is the most comfortable one.
Cable
Now let’s look at the cable. The headphones come with one detachable cable which is 3 meters long. There is an angled 3.5 mm TRS connector on one end. The other end has two 3.5 mm TRS connectors.
The connectors have channel indication markings on it. Which are very hard to read as HIFIMAN decided to use a black font on a black connector. By the way, as both ear cup connectors are located slightly forward to the front of the earcups. So when the cable is connected, it drapes across the user’s chest for better comfort.
The cable is flexible and soft which is good. It’s also minimal in microphonics which is also good. But neither the cable nor the connectors keep up with the headphone’s price tag. And in addition at this price point, I wanted to see a second balanced stock cable too.
Anyway, if you are not happy with the stock cable, you can purchase an aftermarket replacement. It it easy to find as HIFIMAN uses standard connectors.
HIFIMAN Ananda Nano sound overview
First of all please note that all the sound impressions I’m sharing on this channel are completely subjective. Please take them with a grain of salt. The impedance of Ananda Nano is 14 Ω. However, they are still a bit inefficient, rated at 94 db of sensitivity and they require plenty of currents to open up and shine, so pairing it with a good amplifier and source is in my opinion necessary.
Over the years Ananda’s tuning was a sweet spot between neutrality, technical abilities, and balanced tuning with a fast and well-controlled bass, good midrange, slightly bright treble, and a large sound stage. I also think that with each new revision, Ananda was getting better and better.
Bass
As usual, we will start with the bass. The Ananda Nano delivers a well-extended, remarkably neutral, and well-controlled bass performance, displaying the typical traits of planar magnetic headphones which are tightness and speed.
The bass here is very transparent and informative, and you can hear all the little details and textures in the bass. Each bass note stands out on its own, so you can pick them apart easily. The bass also has got a nice amount of authority and impact, but as with many HIFIMAN open-back models, you should not expect too much rumble from this pair.
Anyway, the whole bass range sounds just right and the tone of the bass notes sounds spot on. The tracks that have a lot going on in the lower register sound clear and this is a plus too. Overall I liked the bass performance here.
Midrange
Talking about the midrange, it’s transparent and offers a good level of texture, detail, and resolution. The lower midrange is slightly less full and detailed in comparison with the upper midrange, but it’s warm so this compensates it. The upper midrange character has a lot of presence and intensity, but at the same time, it’s not harsh at all.
The midrange brings a lot of musicality into the overall headphone presentation and both instruments and vocals sound natural and are very pleasant to listen to. In addition, the headphones offer a good performance in terms of instrument placement and separation and I enjoyed such an upfront and natural performance.
Treble
The treble on Ananda Nano is the star of the show if you ask me. It’s well-extended and detailed, but at the same time, it’s very informative, offering a lot of detail while maintaining a smooth character.
This region resonates with clarity, and each element stands out with distinct precision and impact. For instance, percussion gains a well-defined body and striking presence and cymbals remain notably well-controlled. The treble also got a good amount of air and sparkle, offering a crisp rendering of the details and small nuances.
Micro details are excellent too and with well-recorded music, the Nano’s treble reveals itself as exceptionally detailed, transparent, and brilliant.
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Sound stage, imaging, details
The Ananda Nano sound stage is above average in width, but it’s also deep and quite tall. This gives a listener an open feeling and a spacious presentation, where each instrument breathes easily, creating a great three-dimensional sonic landscape.
Original Ananda has in my opinion a slightly wider soundstage, but it’s not as deep. So if the width is the main soundstage factor for you, then staying with Ananda OG might be a good idea.
The sounds on Ananda Nano hold their particular positions in space, even during busy passages, which is good. Imaging is excellent, and driver matching in my case was good too with no channel imbalance.
The separation of instruments is amazing and probably it’s one of the best I have heard so far in this price range. As for detail and micro-detail retrieval, Ananda Nano delivers a lot of music information, extracting even the tiny bits of your recordings and I was surprised with the sheer resolution of this pair.
The layering and clarity are also great, and Nano strikes a perfect balance between musicality and technicality.
Comparison
Now let’s move to the comparisons. Ananda was always a logical upgrade to Sundara. But then Edition XS was introduced and it made the upgrade path not as clear as it was before. Now with the introduction of Ananda Nano, the situation has become more complex, but bear with me and I will try to make things easier for you.
Ananda Nano vs. Original Ananda
Compared to the original Ananda, the most significant changes for me were the tuning and sound stage size. Nano is more warm and lush, with more bass and a slightly more narrow soundstage. So if you own the first revision of Ananda and want to upgrade in the above-mentioned fields, the Ananda Nano might be a good fit for you, as it incorporates all the latest brand innovations and its tuning is slightly more engaging. However the original Ananda sound stage feels slightly more expansive and spacious, so keep that in mind if it’s the most important aspect for you.
Ananda Nano vs. Ananda Stealth
If you already own the latest version of Ananda, which is Ananda Stealth, I don’t think upgrading to Ananda Nano makes a lot of sense. The Nano is easier to drive, it has more bass, about the same sound stage, but a tad less energetic treble. While Nano may look like a more relaxed version of Ananda Stealth based on the paper and graphs, I can assure you, that the Nano still maintains HIFIMAN’s famous balanced reference type of tuning which can be fatiguing for some listeners.
Ananda Nano vs Edition XS
Compared to Edition XS, Ananda Nano is just a better headphone in every way. But you need to understand that at this price point, the differences are marginal and you should not expect night and day differences when you upgrade from Edition XS to Ananda Nano. If we put sound qualities aside, Ananda Nano is miles ahead of Edition XS in terms of fit and comfort as it uses a better headband design, and has slightly more clamping force.
Ananda Nano vs Sundara
If you own a Sundara, are willing to upgrade, and have some spare cash, I would skip Edition XS and get Ananda Nano, as in my opinion, it’s the best logical upgrade to Sundara in 2023 if you want to stay with the HIFIMAN family.
Conclusions
At the time of making this review, I spent more than 2 months with Ananda Nano and put more than 100 hours of listening into it. In my opinion, it’s a great addition to HIFIMAN’s headphone line as it utilizes all the company’s innovation and brings a lot to the table at its price point.
The Nano in my opinion also elevates the performance of the original Ananda to the next level by delivering a better bass response, more engaging tonality, deeper layering, and a more holographic presentation which results in an immersive experience, especially when it comes to symphonic music.
Pros
- Good design & solid build
- Updated headband that provides a better fit
- HIFIMAN’s in-house reference tuning
- Well-controlled, fast, and detailed bass response
- Excellent midrange with a lot of presence and details
- Excellent treble extension with lots of energy and sparkle
- Expansive sound stage
- Excellent detail and micro detail retrieval
- Class-leading instrument separation
- And a carrying case
Cons
- Stock cable could be better and I’d like to see a second balanced stock cable at this price point too
- And despite having low impedance, the headphones are source-picky and need the power to open up and shine
While it’s built similarly to the original Ananda and Ananda Stealth and carries the same sound DNA, the Nano is in my opinion a less dry, and more exciting pair, especially compared to the original Ananda. Overall I can absolutely recommend Ananda Nano to anyone who seeks an upgrade to Sundara and Edition XS or is familiar with the HIFIMAN in-house tuning and wants to skip the entry-level models.
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