Very good review. I have tried all headphones in this price category (500 - 1000$) available in Norway, and these gave the biggest wow experience. Surprised i hadnt heard of these before a salesman recommended them to me. Honestly sounds a lot better than Focal Bathys that i was planning on getting.
I love the Ananda Nano. For me. It was between the Ananda Nano or Focal Clear MG. I went with the Ananda Nano. Then comparing to the Clear OG. It was a tight battle but the Ananda Nano is the one I left with. Tuning on the Clear OG is great. But a little eq on the Nano and it's as good if not better. Dynamics on the Clear OG has a slight edge also. Comfort and build also the Clear OG was better. But the staging, speed, separation, imaging and raw detail won me over the Clear. I can see some people prefering the Clear OG. But for me, the Ananda Nano hands down is my pick. Truly amazing what it does for $600
"EQ can fix nothing". "EQ temporarily puts a Band-Aid on sonic flaws." (according to Dave the honest audiophile in his fairly recent rant and he has god on his side so he must be speaking the truth. Right?) Therefore you need to work out how you are going to achieve a permanent solution.
I found the Clear OG very disappointing. I was expecting punchy tight bass but instead I got slow muddy bass. The overall sound was rather dull. My budget HiFiman are much better.
@@dangerzone007 I'm not an EQ expert but I do use it on my Truthear HEXAs. The results you can get from EQ are a dramatic improvement considering the cost (free to very cheap). EQ can increase the value (price/performance) of at least some gear. Can you get better sound by spending more? Yes. That doesn't mean that you can't get better results/dollar using EQ. I'm surprised so many of my favorite reviewers are still ignoring EQ and how it can change the value proposition.
@@dangerzone007 I had a completely opposite experience with the Clear OG. I found them easy to listen, punchy, and fatigue free. But the Ananda Nano to my ear is more detailed, wider and larger sounding. Faster and intense. They compliment eachother amazingly. And I can see many people owning the two and being set 😊. The only issue with the Nano and Clear is that they both are amp picky. But overall love them both
Thorough review, thanks for the comparisons particularly - very helpful, given the fast-moving releases and aggressive pricing of Hifiman’s open-back planar models recently. Have you heard the Audeze MM-100 yet?
Interesting. Compared two XS and the Nano extensively. The two XS had clear differences between them. In short, preferred the XS because it is fatter in tone, warmer, female vocals is more moving etc. The Nano is more resolved, but also cooler and leaner sounding. I picked the XS that split the difference between the other XS and Nano. Also, the XS is more comfortable due to its significantly lower clamp pressure, lighter, and swivel earcup arms.
Just bought this about 2 weeks ago, and just wow, best I’ve ever heard (also most expensive) I do have a question though, I have a schiit modi+/magni+ and have been considering the EF600 for convenience/ price to performance from what I’ve seen, do you think it’s worth the upgrade with the nanos? Or do you think I won’t really hear a difference? Thanks!
Please do a review of best full size headphones with a good dongle! Is the nano still clearly better than 109pro or other dynamic driver cans with a dongle like the Cayin RU7 or other well reviewed dongles?
Arya Stealth is down to $899 now, $829 open box (which is probably new), $759 refurbished (direct from Hifiman). I wonder if they're clearing it out for the Organic.
Wow, great review. I'm thinking I might sub this one in for Beyer 1990/Amiron with Valhalla. I have the Arya and it's the best balanced headphone across all genres that I've ever had, not much competes with it on anything (best stage as well). If Nano is close to Ayra for now 500 dollars and only Clear beats it and you consider the value vs 800 dollars, I mean, nothing comes close, right? I guess you could worry about build, you would need a stand for a song, but that's not a huge problem. I wonder how other headphone makers do it wrong when HiFiMan is doing it so right? Maybe dynamics can be smoother with Focal for other genres, but HiFiMan is the ultimate paragon of neutrality.
Hifiman has flex on the headphonemarket and that they keep raising the bar, but when will they start raising their bar in terms of quality control as well as comfort.
@@thaflybear Eh, just a little. At least it's not like some of the focal headphone models which had a lot of drama with the failure reports. And hifiman have improved with that.
At 500$ range, the best complete package maybe the fiio FT5 and Ananda nano competes with the 109 pro at he 750-850$ range, like in my country i could buy them at the same price.
Heya, was the Ananda Stealth version that was used as a comparison in this review the V2 revision or the V3 revision? V3 specs are: 16ohms / 93db sensitivity / 398g weight. Does it match yours? Thanks!
On a sufficient amp (limited options around the same price) the HE6sev2 will likely outresolve and be slightly more holographic than Nano. But the Nano will likely stage bigger, have more natural timbre, and slam just as hard. Plus the Nano is far more amp friendly.
@@wavetheorysound As someone who is now a firm believer in diminishing returns... I'd point most looking for a HP in the $500 range to the Senn HD 560 S. Got a pair on Prime day for $150 and they are as good as the 600 and 650. I basically use them for Gaming and Movies/TV... but they are also excellent with music and anything entertainment. Probably the best bang of the buck HP under $500. Maybe under $1K. Diminishing Returns is a thing. And your wallet will thank you
Hello! Thank you for the video, very interesting. In the review, you mention that you find the Clear OG slightly superior. I would like to ask you a question about that. I own a pair of Clear OG but I am considering getting the Ananda Nano, the reason being that I had and sold the Ananda OG and, honestly, although overall I prefer the Clear, I miss the 'spark' that the Ananda gave me when listening to Hard Rock and Metal. My question is: Are they complementary? Based on the assumption that the Nano will be a refined version of the Ananda OG, I imagine they would be, am I right? Does each make up for what the other lacks? I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Thank you very much, please keep it up 😉.
The Clear and the Nano have different FRs and stage presentations, yes. They are not competing for the same listening experiences. Thus I think it is fair to say that they are complementary, yes. However, if you have a Clear you may miss the resolution going to the Nano. If you can snag an Arya Organic for a price you're comfortable with, I think you'll get 2 different sounds that are likely closer in technical proficiency.
@@wavetheorysound Ok, thank you for responding. At the moment, it's much easier for me to access a Nano (due to the price), and it's probably what I'll end up doing, but I'll keep it very in mind for the medium term.
@@ismadelro You'll be beyond happy with the Ananda Nano. I just bought myself a Clear OG and been doing comparison. One is not better than the other. Detail and resolution also is very very similar. And again. One is not better than the other. If I had to give an edge. I'd say the Ananda Nano has slightly more detail overall. But the Clear OG is less fatiguing, easier to listen for hours. Has more dynamic slam and punchier bass. Mids are more forward. But soundstage is more intimate but imaging is extremely precise. The Ananda Nano has more extension into the sub bass, you can really feel the lower frequency and texturing of bass notes. Mids are still forward but not as in your face like the Clear OG. It gives more space between vocals and instruments. Treble is brighter on the Nano. Heaps of air and detail that rivals the Senn HD800s. If you want a hyper detailed, very engaging and energetic sound. The Ananda Nano is your pick. If you want something where vocals shine, the sound is a little more laid back, and very nice dynamic slam. The Focal Clear OG is an amazing choice. But again. One is not better than the other. They both are very different and compliment eachother amazingly though 😊👍
It's been 2+ years since I heard Clear OG but my memory is that it's a bit forward in the mids that gives it a hollow timbre. But it likely has more detail than the Nano.
@@wavetheorysoundOwning both now and listening to both daily. They both have advantages. The Clear OG being more relaxed, more dynamic and punchy and overall able to be listened to for longer ( Less fatiguing ) The Ananda Nano is larger sounding, more extension in the low end. Overall more ethereal sounding. But when it comes to resolution. I am 100% set the Nano has a touch more resolution 😊. I agree with Arya SE, Arya Organic being an overall upgrade. But other companies need to watch out. I am one of the people that prefers the Clear OG over the MG. The OG has better timbre and tuning even though technicalities are improved on the Clear MG. But I feel the Nano has technicalities as good as the Clear MG. Detail is on par and yet still better staging, imaging and separation. I feel people have been so hyped about the Arya Organic that the Ananda Nano is being slept on unfortunately. For $600 🤯 mind blowing what it does.
I have the Stealth and love them, see no reason to upgrade but when you said this headphone is a touch brighter that had me concerned because the Ananda Stealth can be too bright at times so any brighter would be a deal breaker for me
Velocity factors and wave superposition. FR sweep graphs as typically done in our hobby won't catch these effects because they're not really looking for them. More to come on that.
Bro has never heard of a dispersion relation and is coming at a physicist with that level of snark. Some of these headphone kids oughtta realise where they are on the Dunning-Krueger curve
You are criminally underrated. Best reviewer on youtube hands down!
Very good review. I have tried all headphones in this price category (500 - 1000$) available in Norway, and these gave the biggest wow experience. Surprised i hadnt heard of these before a salesman recommended them to me. Honestly sounds a lot better than Focal Bathys that i was planning on getting.
Absolutely love these cans, have had them for almost 4 months now and they are just divine with my Schiit stack
I love the Ananda Nano. For me. It was between the Ananda Nano or Focal Clear MG. I went with the Ananda Nano. Then comparing to the Clear OG. It was a tight battle but the Ananda Nano is the one I left with. Tuning on the Clear OG is great. But a little eq on the Nano and it's as good if not better. Dynamics on the Clear OG has a slight edge also. Comfort and build also the Clear OG was better. But the staging, speed, separation, imaging and raw detail won me over the Clear. I can see some people prefering the Clear OG. But for me, the Ananda Nano hands down is my pick. Truly amazing what it does for $600
"EQ can fix nothing". "EQ temporarily puts a Band-Aid on sonic flaws." (according to Dave the honest audiophile in his fairly recent rant and he has god on his side so he must be speaking the truth. Right?)
Therefore you need to work out how you are going to achieve a permanent solution.
I found the Clear OG very disappointing. I was expecting punchy tight bass but instead I got slow muddy bass. The overall sound was rather dull. My budget HiFiman are much better.
@@dangerzone007 I'm not an EQ expert but I do use it on my Truthear HEXAs. The results you can get from EQ are a dramatic improvement considering the cost (free to very cheap). EQ can increase the value (price/performance) of at least some gear. Can you get better sound by spending more? Yes. That doesn't mean that you can't get better results/dollar using EQ. I'm surprised so many of my favorite reviewers are still ignoring EQ and how it can change the value proposition.
@@dangerzone007 I had a completely opposite experience with the Clear OG. I found them easy to listen, punchy, and fatigue free. But the Ananda Nano to my ear is more detailed, wider and larger sounding. Faster and intense. They compliment eachother amazingly. And I can see many people owning the two and being set 😊. The only issue with the Nano and Clear is that they both are amp picky. But overall love them both
@@S.G54321 Amp picky how? Will I be fine with my incoming Nano and magni+modi 2 multibit?
I have the Sundaras and I'm turning into a HiFiMan fan! They are disrupting the market, that's good for HiFiMan and us consumers.
I will also say that the Ananda Stealth is now less than $400 which is frankly insane for a headphone of that quality
Agreed
The whole HiFiman range is insane value.
Finally! Been waiting for info, and this review, on this headphone for a while.
Thorough review, thanks for the comparisons particularly - very helpful, given the fast-moving releases and aggressive pricing of Hifiman’s open-back planar models recently. Have you heard the Audeze MM-100 yet?
Have not heard MM-100 yet, no
Interesting. Compared two XS and the Nano extensively. The two XS had clear differences between them. In short, preferred the XS because it is fatter in tone, warmer, female vocals is more moving etc. The Nano is more resolved, but also cooler and leaner sounding. I picked the XS that split the difference between the other XS and Nano. Also, the XS is more comfortable due to its significantly lower clamp pressure, lighter, and swivel earcup arms.
Just bought this about 2 weeks ago, and just wow, best I’ve ever heard (also most expensive)
I do have a question though, I have a schiit modi+/magni+ and have been considering the EF600 for convenience/ price to performance from what I’ve seen, do you think it’s worth the upgrade with the nanos? Or do you think I won’t really hear a difference?
Thanks!
Please do a review of best full size headphones with a good dongle! Is the nano still clearly better than 109pro or other dynamic driver cans with a dongle like the Cayin RU7 or other well reviewed dongles?
Thanks...again, especially those comparisons!
Thanks for comparing with XS
Arya Stealth is down to $899 now, $829 open box (which is probably new), $759 refurbished (direct from Hifiman). I wonder if they're clearing it out for the Organic.
I agree. They're trying to move their stock. That's a lot of headphone for $900 though.
How does the soundstage of the Nano compares to the Arya Stealth's? Hifiman has it refurbished for $759, just $159 more than the Ananda Nano.
Wow, great review. I'm thinking I might sub this one in for Beyer 1990/Amiron with Valhalla. I have the Arya and it's the best balanced headphone across all genres that I've ever had, not much competes with it on anything (best stage as well). If Nano is close to Ayra for now 500 dollars and only Clear beats it and you consider the value vs 800 dollars, I mean, nothing comes close, right?
I guess you could worry about build, you would need a stand for a song, but that's not a huge problem.
I wonder how other headphone makers do it wrong when HiFiMan is doing it so right? Maybe dynamics can be smoother with Focal for other genres, but HiFiMan is the ultimate paragon of neutrality.
Nice review.
Nice shirt.
Hifiman has flex on the headphonemarket and that they keep raising the bar, but when will they start raising their bar in terms of quality control as well as comfort.
How big is the treble peak with the stock cable? What frequency?
Thanks for the great review. Now, 4 months later i got one for 427 bucks brand new
Where did you find that?
@@Cujobob Aliexpress with the anniversary coupons
@@ZandoNoid ah, that’s what I figured. I picked up a bunch of stuff and was about to grab an Arya Stealth when the coupon ended that morning.
are you not worried about warranty and qc issues?
@@thaflybear Eh, just a little. At least it's not like some of the focal headphone models which had a lot of drama with the failure reports. And hifiman have improved with that.
At 500$ range, the best complete package maybe the fiio FT5 and Ananda nano competes with the 109 pro at he 750-850$ range, like in my country i could buy them at the same price.
Heya, was the Ananda Stealth version that was used as a comparison in this review the V2 revision or the V3 revision?
V3 specs are: 16ohms / 93db sensitivity / 398g weight. Does it match yours?
Thanks!
Curious for you to try the iBasso SR3 and compare to the HiFiMan.
Do you think the hifiman HE6SE V2 is technically superior to this?
If you have a powerful enough Amp the HE6se V2 is a steal at around $600 Bucks. Nano is more of an upgrade to something like the XS
On a sufficient amp (limited options around the same price) the HE6sev2 will likely outresolve and be slightly more holographic than Nano. But the Nano will likely stage bigger, have more natural timbre, and slam just as hard. Plus the Nano is far more amp friendly.
@@wavetheorysound As someone who is now a firm believer in diminishing returns... I'd point most looking for a HP in the $500 range to the Senn HD 560 S. Got a pair on Prime day for $150 and they are as good as the 600 and 650. I basically use them for Gaming and Movies/TV... but they are also excellent with music and anything entertainment. Probably the best bang of the buck HP under $500. Maybe under $1K. Diminishing Returns is a thing. And your wallet will thank you
I used a BTR 7 because I need portable music. Would the Nano be good for that or should I get more expensive headphones?
How does the Ananda Nano compare to the non-stealth (original?) Arya?
What about ibasso sr3 or neumann ndh20 or fiio ft5 compared to this?
Hello! Thank you for the video, very interesting.
In the review, you mention that you find the Clear OG slightly superior. I would like to ask you a question about that.
I own a pair of Clear OG but I am considering getting the Ananda Nano, the reason being that I had and sold the Ananda OG and, honestly, although overall I prefer the Clear, I miss the 'spark' that the Ananda gave me when listening to Hard Rock and Metal. My question is: Are they complementary? Based on the assumption that the Nano will be a refined version of the Ananda OG, I imagine they would be, am I right? Does each make up for what the other lacks? I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.
Thank you very much, please keep it up 😉.
The Clear and the Nano have different FRs and stage presentations, yes. They are not competing for the same listening experiences. Thus I think it is fair to say that they are complementary, yes. However, if you have a Clear you may miss the resolution going to the Nano. If you can snag an Arya Organic for a price you're comfortable with, I think you'll get 2 different sounds that are likely closer in technical proficiency.
@@wavetheorysound Ok, thank you for responding. At the moment, it's much easier for me to access a Nano (due to the price), and it's probably what I'll end up doing, but I'll keep it very in mind for the medium term.
@@ismadelro You'll be beyond happy with the Ananda Nano. I just bought myself a Clear OG and been doing comparison. One is not better than the other. Detail and resolution also is very very similar. And again. One is not better than the other. If I had to give an edge. I'd say the Ananda Nano has slightly more detail overall. But the Clear OG is less fatiguing, easier to listen for hours. Has more dynamic slam and punchier bass. Mids are more forward. But soundstage is more intimate but imaging is extremely precise. The Ananda Nano has more extension into the sub bass, you can really feel the lower frequency and texturing of bass notes. Mids are still forward but not as in your face like the Clear OG. It gives more space between vocals and instruments. Treble is brighter on the Nano. Heaps of air and detail that rivals the Senn HD800s. If you want a hyper detailed, very engaging and energetic sound. The Ananda Nano is your pick. If you want something where vocals shine, the sound is a little more laid back, and very nice dynamic slam. The Focal Clear OG is an amazing choice. But again. One is not better than the other. They both are very different and compliment eachother amazingly though 😊👍
show the cables
Under 600$? Sony MV1 balanced
The $500 to $1k headphone market has gotten a bit crazy as of late! At this point it’s getting glutted.
If you've only got a budget amp is it worth spending more money to get an arya organic?
If you plan to stay with the budget amp long term, probably not. But if you're looking to build a system over time, then yes.
♥
Hi! For you its better Ananda Nano than Focal Cleaf OG?
It's been 2+ years since I heard Clear OG but my memory is that it's a bit forward in the mids that gives it a hollow timbre. But it likely has more detail than the Nano.
@@wavetheorysoundOwning both now and listening to both daily. They both have advantages. The Clear OG being more relaxed, more dynamic and punchy and overall able to be listened to for longer ( Less fatiguing ) The Ananda Nano is larger sounding, more extension in the low end. Overall more ethereal sounding. But when it comes to resolution. I am 100% set the Nano has a touch more resolution 😊. I agree with Arya SE, Arya Organic being an overall upgrade. But other companies need to watch out. I am one of the people that prefers the Clear OG over the MG. The OG has better timbre and tuning even though technicalities are improved on the Clear MG. But I feel the Nano has technicalities as good as the Clear MG. Detail is on par and yet still better staging, imaging and separation. I feel people have been so hyped about the Arya Organic that the Ananda Nano is being slept on unfortunately. For $600 🤯 mind blowing what it does.
Hi! Arya Stealth IS better than Ananda Nano?
@@S.G54321
Arya se is an overall upgrade than nano?@@S.G54321
I have the Stealth and love them, see no reason to upgrade but when you said this headphone is a touch brighter that had me concerned because the Ananda Stealth can be too bright at times so any brighter would be a deal breaker for me
Like the review said, may be cable upgrade is in order
Hifiman stock cables "put a treble peak" into a planar with a totally flat impedance curve? What's the mechanism there, exactly?
Velocity factors and wave superposition. FR sweep graphs as typically done in our hobby won't catch these effects because they're not really looking for them. More to come on that.
Bro has never heard of a dispersion relation and is coming at a physicist with that level of snark. Some of these headphone kids oughtta realise where they are on the Dunning-Krueger curve