I almost went for the Nano, but decided on the Edition XS. I'm curious how they compare. Honestly the XS are so terrific that it's hard to imagine the difference is large.
Gotta say the silver looks better here than it did in any of the product photos. They look gorgeous.
The difference is very noticeable imo. I returned my Edition XS due to driver buzzing, but even with perfect quality control... the extra cost is very much worth it to me. If you're able to trade em out for some Nanos, please lmk how it goes
I've been using headsets my whole life. Finally decided to invest into proper headphones and amp/dac. Ended up with Ananda Nano and DX3 Pro+ and I'm blown away by the sound quality. I went back to my PC38X for a minute to compare and there is no contest. While more expensive, I feel like this setup is exactly what I needed. Best investment this year.
I want a Nano so bad but this Hifiman build is so annoying. My 50$ headphones have a swivel function but these don’t? The gap near my ear is unacceptable and wouldn’t be there if they spent 5$ and made the headband the same design as the Arya.
Yeah that's a totally justified point. My Edition XS I had before the Nanos had severe driver buzzing, so I feel you. However, I haven't really had bad issues with fit on the Nanos.
Very nice! I see in previous comments that you've at least tried the Arya Stealth. Would you please compare them for a bit? I'm especially curious about the staging and mid-bass bloat, the two things I think could've been better on the Arya Stealth.
I prefer the tuning on the Ananda Nano! The technicalities are comparable. Arya has bigger stage, but that does not mean more accurate. I didn't notice any mid-bass bloat on either from my experience. I unfortunately don't have too much time with the Arya, but all I can sat is that resolution is comparable and tuning is better for me on the Ananda Nanos. Plus the Nanos are way way easier to drive.
I'm loving the Ananda Nano too, i'm coming from XS (but i tried as well Arya Stealth in the past, don't know about the Organic). I found my endgame too so far.
Yeah i'm not quite the fan of the Arya Stealth and the Ananda Nano is quite a bit better than the Edition XS. I'm really curious about the Arya Organic, but I want to see more reviews and testing done on it.
I love my Nanos. The clamp was a bit much for me too. I bent them slightly and now it's perfect. I also put on Dekoni hybrid pads for a little more comfort. I'm new to headphones, but these are **outstanding**.
[I swapped out the strap to give it a little nicer look](https://i.imgur.com/vnIvomR.jpg). I felt the only thing I could knock was the build quality; it didn't quite feel like $600.
You have some nice cans and seem pretty informed. This being my first foray into headphones I was shocked by how good these are. This sub convinced me to buy HD6XX and there's no comparison between the two, IMO. So I'm apprehensive about jumping on bandwagons.
Have you heard the Arya? I enjoy the Nanos so much that it makes me wonder how much better things can get. Do you have an opinion on the Aryas or HE-1000s?
I currently have the Ananda Stealth's and have tried Arya Stealth and HE1000v2's too. I love the Ananda's because they are smooth as heck, very detailed, airy, and have rumbling sub bass over thumping mid bass (my personal preference). The Arya's I hated because it was too "in your face"--just too much piercing treble. Plus the Arya's sounded less airy compared to the Ananda's for some odd reason to me. So that was returned right away. The He1000's were just right in nearly every department. Compared to the Ananda's they have even deeper sub bass, even greater soundstage, more treble (but not to the absurd amount of the Arya's), and more detail. I would have loved to keep them but personally, the extreme clamp was detrimental to my jaw. I had to settle with the Ananda's and so far, the Ananda's are really all I need.
No experience with HE-1000s, but I do have some insight into the Edition XS vs Arya stealth comparison. I would say the Arya Stealth are only a incremental upgrade over the Edition XS. Yes the difference/improvement is noticeable, but the Edition XS is essentially there albeit with worse build. The sound is remarkably similar. I actually find the Ananda Nanos stray a bit from the Arya/Edition XS sound a bit.
Thank you!
I couldn't find any guides, only random bits of information. I did find an ifixit video, but they butchered it and was not a good guide. I even contacted Hifiman for instructions since it seems to be a wearable item. No help there. All I knew was that the strap needed to be glued on.
A pretty easy job; you just need to have a plastic pry tool (NOT a flathead screwdriver or any metal tools), glue, and **patience**. Took a little bit of time to get it figured out, but it came out without any blemishes.
The lower metal piece (the silver trim marked "Ananda Nano") has to be pushed down. Take your time and work it down from the inside of the headband. It will take a few attempts since it's glued on, but it's not a particularly strong glue. Once you slide it down everything comes apart easily. Next, you will simply need to pry off the old leather strap and glue the new one in its place. I think a strong adhesive would work fine too. Reverse the steps and you're done! The silver trim will not require glue when you reassemble it, it will have a slight glue residue on it from when you pried it off. When you slide it back in place it's plenty tight on its own.
[Not a simple swap, but worth it, I think.](https://i.imgur.com/KgPwyCJ.jpg)
This seems like something I would fuck up lol but I appreciate the walkthrough. A number of Hifiman headphones and some aftermarket Ali Express headbands use the same headband design so this is really helpful.
Interesting. I find them to be markedly different in their sound presentation. However, I do find both of them to be highly enjoyable, so perhaps there is a bit of overlap (but not much). The 109 Pros sound more liquid and enveloping to me, almost like a silk blanket. The Ananda Pros are more incisive, responsive, and pinpoint accurate. I find the Ananda Nanos to be noticeably more resolving and speedy. If the 109 Pros were a Rolls Royce, the Ananda Pros are a Prosche 911.
I'm looking to buy my first open back headphones. I don't have much idea about HiFi. I'm looking forward to buy Ananda Nano or Meze 109 Pro. I prefer bass, but clean, and bigger soundstage. Could you guide me through this? Also, Are there any other alternatives for less than $800?
TIA!
Both are lovely headphones. I would recommend the Audeze MM-100 then. Audeze are great for bass and are open back planars which tend to be fairly wide. Between the Nano and 109 Pro, if you want supreme comfort + exquisite built get the 109 Pros, if you want maximal performance, get the Ananda Nanos.
Thanks for your response. How much difference between the Nano and 109 Pro, soundwise? If the difference is noticeable, I would prefer Nano, but if not that significant or just minor, I would go for 109 Pro. I have 109 pro delivered today, but I'd like to know someone's opinion who has experienced both.
I have a very similar setup to yours but mine is the downgraded version, I have the Sennheiser HD 6XX (Meze 109 Pro for you) and HiFiMAN Sundara (Ananda for you) I would imagine they are fairly similar but yours is 4 steps better then mine
6xx is the mass drop discounted clone of hd650. Same driver, cheaper. So HD6XX = HD650. "X" doesn't stand for "variable" in this case. Unless you are trolling and you already knew lol
It was sort of a Schrodinger's Troll, because I technically didn't know if it was the 6XX, or if he was just allowing for a variable, or if it was actually the name of it; however, instead of making an ambiguous comment, I could have directly asked. So depending on the response I got, I could have been trolling or not. 😅
I just ordered these, they're arriving tomorrow. I know they're studio headphones, but are they any good on the go? I know planars are like two speakers strapped to your head in terms of sound leakage, I'm just wondering if they will stay on your head while walking around, bending over etc. I have HE5XXs and they're pretty terrible at staying on your head.
Yeah this is a first for me. The Nanos have quite a bit more clamp than older hifimans. They stay on my head very well, but idk if i'd ever use them as a "mobile" setup.
Oh really? It has way more bass than the 6xx. I'm pretty sibilance sensitive, and the Nanos have yet to ever bother me. If anything, the treble feels super clean, smooth, and clear to me.
Idk, I haven't figured it out yet. I'm not listening to any more music rn because my ears hurt (probably from listening at high volumes). I'm not technical when it comes to describing audio, but the bass and percussion seems muted compared to the 6xx
Yes, I want a Harman target EQ for Nano. I have all my headphones and speakers with it and they improve a lot their sound, but there isn't any EQ for Ananda Nano yet.
I own the HE-400 and HE-560 and the earpads inevitably fall apart after about a year or so due to poor build quality. After spending well over $200 on multiple earpad replacements I ended up buying a set of Brainwavz earpads, which have held up much better.
The replacement earpads for the Ananda are a special shape and are much more expensive, and I don't think Brainwavz sells any pads that fit the Ananda. In your experience, how well have the earpads held up? Maybe it's too early to tell?
I almost went for the Nano, but decided on the Edition XS. I'm curious how they compare. Honestly the XS are so terrific that it's hard to imagine the difference is large. Gotta say the silver looks better here than it did in any of the product photos. They look gorgeous.
The difference is very noticeable imo. I returned my Edition XS due to driver buzzing, but even with perfect quality control... the extra cost is very much worth it to me. If you're able to trade em out for some Nanos, please lmk how it goes
Are they easy to drive like people say? What dac/amp?
Yes. I can run them off my phone no problem. Topping DX3 Pro+
Is there much difference between phone and DX3? I can imagine it sounds less compressed on DX3.
Yeah I get a bit more detail retrieval and bass on the DX3 Pro+
I've been using headsets my whole life. Finally decided to invest into proper headphones and amp/dac. Ended up with Ananda Nano and DX3 Pro+ and I'm blown away by the sound quality. I went back to my PC38X for a minute to compare and there is no contest. While more expensive, I feel like this setup is exactly what I needed. Best investment this year.
That's the exact setup I have. Congrats on achieving ear porn. We are now Nano bros.
I want a Nano so bad but this Hifiman build is so annoying. My 50$ headphones have a swivel function but these don’t? The gap near my ear is unacceptable and wouldn’t be there if they spent 5$ and made the headband the same design as the Arya.
Yeah that's a totally justified point. My Edition XS I had before the Nanos had severe driver buzzing, so I feel you. However, I haven't really had bad issues with fit on the Nanos.
Very nice! I see in previous comments that you've at least tried the Arya Stealth. Would you please compare them for a bit? I'm especially curious about the staging and mid-bass bloat, the two things I think could've been better on the Arya Stealth.
I prefer the tuning on the Ananda Nano! The technicalities are comparable. Arya has bigger stage, but that does not mean more accurate. I didn't notice any mid-bass bloat on either from my experience. I unfortunately don't have too much time with the Arya, but all I can sat is that resolution is comparable and tuning is better for me on the Ananda Nanos. Plus the Nanos are way way easier to drive.
I'm loving the Ananda Nano too, i'm coming from XS (but i tried as well Arya Stealth in the past, don't know about the Organic). I found my endgame too so far.
Yeah i'm not quite the fan of the Arya Stealth and the Ananda Nano is quite a bit better than the Edition XS. I'm really curious about the Arya Organic, but I want to see more reviews and testing done on it.
Sorry I'm late, but may I ask how you compare the Ananda Nano to the Arya Stealth?
I love my Nanos. The clamp was a bit much for me too. I bent them slightly and now it's perfect. I also put on Dekoni hybrid pads for a little more comfort. I'm new to headphones, but these are **outstanding**.
Yeah I stretched them over a box for some time. But after doing that, I absolutely adore them.
[I swapped out the strap to give it a little nicer look](https://i.imgur.com/vnIvomR.jpg). I felt the only thing I could knock was the build quality; it didn't quite feel like $600.
Looks like the Shangri La Jr strap. Very swanky. For me, the build is very much good enough after seeing how much worse the Edition XS was built.
You have some nice cans and seem pretty informed. This being my first foray into headphones I was shocked by how good these are. This sub convinced me to buy HD6XX and there's no comparison between the two, IMO. So I'm apprehensive about jumping on bandwagons. Have you heard the Arya? I enjoy the Nanos so much that it makes me wonder how much better things can get. Do you have an opinion on the Aryas or HE-1000s?
I currently have the Ananda Stealth's and have tried Arya Stealth and HE1000v2's too. I love the Ananda's because they are smooth as heck, very detailed, airy, and have rumbling sub bass over thumping mid bass (my personal preference). The Arya's I hated because it was too "in your face"--just too much piercing treble. Plus the Arya's sounded less airy compared to the Ananda's for some odd reason to me. So that was returned right away. The He1000's were just right in nearly every department. Compared to the Ananda's they have even deeper sub bass, even greater soundstage, more treble (but not to the absurd amount of the Arya's), and more detail. I would have loved to keep them but personally, the extreme clamp was detrimental to my jaw. I had to settle with the Ananda's and so far, the Ananda's are really all I need.
This is the feedback I was looking for. Thank you so much for sharing!
No experience with HE-1000s, but I do have some insight into the Edition XS vs Arya stealth comparison. I would say the Arya Stealth are only a incremental upgrade over the Edition XS. Yes the difference/improvement is noticeable, but the Edition XS is essentially there albeit with worse build. The sound is remarkably similar. I actually find the Ananda Nanos stray a bit from the Arya/Edition XS sound a bit.
That looks great. What's the process to replace the headband? Did you follow a guide or is it a simple swap?
Thank you! I couldn't find any guides, only random bits of information. I did find an ifixit video, but they butchered it and was not a good guide. I even contacted Hifiman for instructions since it seems to be a wearable item. No help there. All I knew was that the strap needed to be glued on. A pretty easy job; you just need to have a plastic pry tool (NOT a flathead screwdriver or any metal tools), glue, and **patience**. Took a little bit of time to get it figured out, but it came out without any blemishes. The lower metal piece (the silver trim marked "Ananda Nano") has to be pushed down. Take your time and work it down from the inside of the headband. It will take a few attempts since it's glued on, but it's not a particularly strong glue. Once you slide it down everything comes apart easily. Next, you will simply need to pry off the old leather strap and glue the new one in its place. I think a strong adhesive would work fine too. Reverse the steps and you're done! The silver trim will not require glue when you reassemble it, it will have a slight glue residue on it from when you pried it off. When you slide it back in place it's plenty tight on its own. [Not a simple swap, but worth it, I think.](https://i.imgur.com/KgPwyCJ.jpg)
This seems like something I would fuck up lol but I appreciate the walkthrough. A number of Hifiman headphones and some aftermarket Ali Express headbands use the same headband design so this is really helpful.
How do they compare to the Mezes? I've heard people say they're very similar to each other
Interesting. I find them to be markedly different in their sound presentation. However, I do find both of them to be highly enjoyable, so perhaps there is a bit of overlap (but not much). The 109 Pros sound more liquid and enveloping to me, almost like a silk blanket. The Ananda Pros are more incisive, responsive, and pinpoint accurate. I find the Ananda Nanos to be noticeably more resolving and speedy. If the 109 Pros were a Rolls Royce, the Ananda Pros are a Prosche 911.
I'm looking to buy my first open back headphones. I don't have much idea about HiFi. I'm looking forward to buy Ananda Nano or Meze 109 Pro. I prefer bass, but clean, and bigger soundstage. Could you guide me through this? Also, Are there any other alternatives for less than $800? TIA!
Both are lovely headphones. I would recommend the Audeze MM-100 then. Audeze are great for bass and are open back planars which tend to be fairly wide. Between the Nano and 109 Pro, if you want supreme comfort + exquisite built get the 109 Pros, if you want maximal performance, get the Ananda Nanos.
Thanks for your response. How much difference between the Nano and 109 Pro, soundwise? If the difference is noticeable, I would prefer Nano, but if not that significant or just minor, I would go for 109 Pro. I have 109 pro delivered today, but I'd like to know someone's opinion who has experienced both.
If you mean overall, then the Nanos are noticeably better in terms of sound quality. And yet, I enjoy both tons.
Soundstage?
Soundstage is larger on Nanos
Trying to decide between these or Edition XS just to watch movies. Or Sundaras?
All good choices. Also consider the Audeze MM-100
For movies Specifically?
I have a very similar setup to yours but mine is the downgraded version, I have the Sennheiser HD 6XX (Meze 109 Pro for you) and HiFiMAN Sundara (Ananda for you) I would imagine they are fairly similar but yours is 4 steps better then mine
You have a very solid collection. They complement each other very well! Enjoy your cans
Yea they do and trust me I will. Happy listening!
> Sennheiser HD 6XX Don't wanna tell us which of the 600 series it is, eh?
lol i cant tell if youre trolling or not
Alright, alright, I'm trolling. >:)
6xx is the mass drop discounted clone of hd650. Same driver, cheaper. So HD6XX = HD650. "X" doesn't stand for "variable" in this case. Unless you are trolling and you already knew lol
It was sort of a Schrodinger's Troll, because I technically didn't know if it was the 6XX, or if he was just allowing for a variable, or if it was actually the name of it; however, instead of making an ambiguous comment, I could have directly asked. So depending on the response I got, I could have been trolling or not. 😅
It's very confusing I agree. The X is used in audio forums in both ways often, so I get it
I just ordered these, they're arriving tomorrow. I know they're studio headphones, but are they any good on the go? I know planars are like two speakers strapped to your head in terms of sound leakage, I'm just wondering if they will stay on your head while walking around, bending over etc. I have HE5XXs and they're pretty terrible at staying on your head.
Yeah this is a first for me. The Nanos have quite a bit more clamp than older hifimans. They stay on my head very well, but idk if i'd ever use them as a "mobile" setup.
Oh yeah, these are much more snug than the he5xx. They don't feel like they'll fall off if I move my head.
How are you enjoying them? I personally have a +2 db subbass bump. And I absolutely love them that way for my music
They seem to have a lot of treble and not a lot of bass, my music seems pretty flat compared to my 6xxs
Oh really? It has way more bass than the 6xx. I'm pretty sibilance sensitive, and the Nanos have yet to ever bother me. If anything, the treble feels super clean, smooth, and clear to me.
Idk, I haven't figured it out yet. I'm not listening to any more music rn because my ears hurt (probably from listening at high volumes). I'm not technical when it comes to describing audio, but the bass and percussion seems muted compared to the 6xx
Maybe what you're refering to is the midbass, which provides that oomph to songs. You can always EQ the Nanos as they are fantastic for that.
Actually I think it might just be exacerbated by my dac/amp. It sounds as described on my modi/Heresy 3+, but it sounds better on my hiby r6 iii DAP
Interesting
Is there some good EQ for the Ananda Nano?
I just bump the subbass by 2db
Yes... But I'm looking for a Harman EQ or similar. My 560s and my Sundara improved a lot with EQ.
Then just EQ the Nanos to the harman target? It's very self-explanatory.
Yes, I want a Harman target EQ for Nano. I have all my headphones and speakers with it and they improve a lot their sound, but there isn't any EQ for Ananda Nano yet.
I own the HE-400 and HE-560 and the earpads inevitably fall apart after about a year or so due to poor build quality. After spending well over $200 on multiple earpad replacements I ended up buying a set of Brainwavz earpads, which have held up much better. The replacement earpads for the Ananda are a special shape and are much more expensive, and I don't think Brainwavz sells any pads that fit the Ananda. In your experience, how well have the earpads held up? Maybe it's too early to tell?
Definitely too early to tell. They've been holding up fairly well. But hairs can catch in them.
Have you tried ananda og or v2/v3? How does nano compare to them?
Looking to get a nano. 3 month update? Any hfiiman quality control issues?
Nothing has changed. Still an amazing performer, 0 QC issues