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Hifiman Sundara vs Ananda

zyghom

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An iPad's not a phone. And the $9 Apple USB -> 3.5mm dongle measures as well as much more expensive DACs. If you've got a phone, and it provides enough power for the headphones, why go spending hundreds of dollars more? That's not really what this site is about.

remind me please the output power of this dongle?
when you have an amp circuit, that can do max 1W, it will behave much better delivering 0.5W (SINAD etc.) vs the amp, that can do max 0.1W and you need this 0.1W always - you will simply push that one to the limit, and we all know: at the limit, it will behave... at least mediocre
 

solderdude

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You will only need 'power' when you want to play the Ananda painfully loud.
The Ananda is a VERY sensitive headphone (much more so than Sundara) and can reach 119dB SPL at 1V = 40mW and is loud enough to play music at impressively loud levels.
A phone/dongle can provide that in 25 Ohm.
The Sundara will play half as loud (10dB lower efficiency)
 
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threni

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remind me please the output power of this dongle?
when you have an amp circuit, that can do max 1W, it will behave much better delivering 0.5W (SINAD etc.) vs the amp, that can do max 0.1W and you need this 0.1W always - you will simply push that one to the limit, and we all know: at the limit, it will behave... at least mediocre

No idea - you can look it up yourself if you're interested. I was merely stating that there's no reason not to drive $700 headphones with a phone
(or something similarly priced to a phone). Obviously some phones and some headphones won't get along. *shrug*
 

zyghom

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No idea - you can look it up yourself if you're interested. I was merely stating that there's no reason not to drive $700 headphones with a phone
(or something similarly priced to a phone). Obviously some phones and some headphones won't get along. *shrug*
true
 

Bernd

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I have Ananda for 2 weeks now, so far very happy with it :)
Fits my big ears, easy to drive, very musical and not boring for most type of music.
The only issue is that I found my right ear is not able to receive the same sound stage as left, which makes me to feel the music not coming from the centre, never notice this with speakers or other not-so-good headsets. Guess I just need to get used to it.
With the discounted price I can't really complain.
Hi, that is interesting - I have "exactly" the same issue - but with a pair of Sundara's. And it is not my ears because I do not have that issue with my Focal Elex. I've been reading a lot about Hifiman's issues with quality control and I think this is another symtom of it. For my part, I simply cannot get used to it and will sell the headphone.
 

Sophia Garcia

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Hi,
Today I heard the sound of Sundara from a local shop and I like it a lot. Looking at Hifiman’s product line there is a big brother Ananda. My questions for those who have either one:
1) If probably driven, does Amanda sound better than Sundara? I ask because Rting gives higher score to Sundara
2) One advantage of Ananda being quite easy to drive. Does it mean I can get decent sound by connecting directly to computer or iPhone?
3) If I go for Sundara, what would be the cheapest portable amp that can drive it to its full potential (or close)? I’d avoid desktop amp as I already own Matrix Element M (assume it can drive Sundara)
Thank you all in advance!

The sound of those 2 headphones is markedly different n my mind. The Sundara features a warmer, more relaxed, and laid back vibe. It's immensely detailed but definitely sounds lusher. The Ananda is that the opposite; it's got a cooler, more analytical sound and portrays a way more open soundscape.
 

Autechre

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So, I've been using the Ananda for about a week. Unfortunately, they give me ear fatigue, I must be treble sensitive or something. Anyway, would the 660s be better for me? I've never had fatigue with Sennheisers before. The Ananda sounded great when I first got them, and whenever I stopped using them for about a day or two, then went back to them.
 

Mariner9

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I've been using the Ananda for about a week. Unfortunately, they give me ear fatigue,

Have you EQ'd them? I ask because my impression was they were fatiguing without EQ. There are InnerFidelity and Oratory1990 presets available for them.
 

Autechre

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Have you EQ'd them? I ask because my impression was they were fatiguing without EQ. There are InnerFidelity and Oratory1990 presets available for them.

Yes, I have used the Oratory1990 and Crinacle presets via SoundSource to no avail. Would you suggest Sennheiser instead?
 

swamps

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So, I've been using the Ananda for about a week. Unfortunately, they give me ear fatigue, I must be treble sensitive or something. Anyway, would the 660s be better for me? I've never had fatigue with Sennheisers before.
Do a sine sweep at 7khz+ and manually remove the peaks with EQ, but they will still end up brighter than the 660s.
 
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