Amp for Ananda Nano

[gurkancalban]

I was looking for headphones for mixing. I want headphones that are better than my AudioTechnica ATH-M50X and AKG K240 Studio headphones, and I chose the Hifiman Ananda Nano. However, do I need an amplifier to run these headphones and use their full potential? Or I don't know which amplifier I need. I have an Audient ID4 mk2 sound card. Which amplifier should I get? I would really appreciate a budget-friendly recommendation.

You can share your thoughts on my headphone choice, and if you can make a recommendation, that would be even better for me.
I usually work at an 80dB sound level.

 

[staticV3]

If your current Amp plays loud enough for your needs and there's no audible clipping/distortion/hiss/crosstalk, then buying a new Amp would be pointless.

In other words, buy an Amp if your current one has a concrete fault and you know that the new Amp would fix it.

Don't buy a new Amp to get better "definition", "clarity", "slam", "sound stage" etc. This won't happen.

 

[gurkancalban]

If your current Amp plays loud enough for your needs and there's no audible clipping/distortion/hiss/crosstalk, then buying a new Amp would be pointless.

In other words, buy an Amp if your current one has a concrete fault and you know that the new Amp would fix it.

Don't buy a new Amp to get better "definition", "clarity", "slam", "sound stage" etc. This won't happen.

I don’t have a headphone amplifier. I’m planning to plug the headphones directly into my audio interface. I think the data in this image suggests that my audio interface’s headphone output should be sufficient. But does the output impedance affect sound quality? I noticed that the Ananda Nano has a flat impedance response, but I don’t fully understand what that really means.

 

[staticV3]

I don’t have a headphone amplifier. I’m planning to plug the headphones directly into my audio interface.

..which has a built-in headphone Amplifier.

But does the output impedance affect sound quality? I noticed that the Ananda Nano has a flat impedance response, but I don’t fully understand what that really means.

It means that the tonality of the headphone will remain unchanged, regardless of the Headphone Amp output impedance.

 

[DVDdoug]

But does the output impedance affect sound quality? I noticed that the Ananda Nano has a flat impedance response, but I don’t fully understand what that really means.

It can... The amplifier should have much lower impedance than the headphones and/or if the headphone impedance is flat you'll only get power loss without it affecting frequency response.

Impedance and Frequency Response

I was looking for headphones for mixing.

In addition to what I've posted below, it's probably best to pick one headphone as a reference, learn what a good mix sounds like on them, and stick to it as a reference.

Headphones can be very good for checking bass in "home studios" because you don't get rRoom Mode problems. But since you can't feel the bass in your body like "real bass" in a room it's important to have a known good reference recording.


Here are some excerpts I've collected:

This is from Recording Magazine by a mixing engineer:

Can I mix on headphones?

No. But in all seriousness, headphones can be a secret weapon and it really doesn’t matter what they sound like…

Over time, after constantly listening back to my work from different studios on those headphones I really started to learn them. They became sort of a compass. Wherever I went… It became a pattern for me to reference these headphones to see if what I was hearing was “right”…

I learned them, I knew them, I trusted them. It didn’t matter whether or not I loved them…

So, can you mix on headphones? Probably. I just think you really need to put some time into learning them first…

This is from Recording Magazine's "Readers Submissions" where readers send-in their recordings for evaluation:

As those of you who have followed this column for any length of time can attest, headphone mixing is one of the big no-no's around these parts. In our humble opinion, headphone mixes do not translate well in the real world, period, end of story. Other than checking for balance issues and the occasional hunting down of little details, they are tools best left for the tracking process.

This is from Floyd Tool's book, Sound Reproduction

Headphones entertain masses of people. Professionals occasionally mix on them when conditions demand it. Both rely on some connection to sound reproduction, that is, loudspeakers in rooms, because that's how stereo is intended to be heard. Stereo recordings are mixed on loudspeakers.

 

[gurkancalban]

..which has a built-in headphone Amplifier.


It means that the tonality of the headphone will remain unchanged, regardless of the Headphone Amp output impedance.

Then it seems like I won't have a problem, at least at the sound level I like to work with. Still, I will try to buy an amp in the future. Thank you.

 

[gurkancalban]

It can... The amplifier should have much lower impedance than the headphones and/or if the headphone impedance is flat you'll only get power loss without it affecting frequency response.

Impedance and Frequency Response


Here are some excerpts I've collected:

This is from Recording Magazine by a mixing engineer:


This is from Recording Magazine's "Readers Submissions" where readers send-in their recordings for evaluation:


This is from Floyd Tool's book, Sound Reproduction

Thank you. I have been working with my ATH-M50X headphones for a long time because I don't have an environment where I can use acoustic panels. For a while, I will only work from the built-in amp of my audio interface. At least until there is a headphone amp that I can buy in stock in my country. I think it will be enough for me to buy the Topping L30. I hope they come to stock soon.