Diaphragm design based on the SUSVARA resulting in ultra-low distortion and lightning fast transient response As for appearance, there is little separating the Nano from the original Ananda beside the new silver-coated aluminum frame. Not ugly, but perhaps a touch boring. Design

HIFIMAN has also reworked the fit of the Ananda, and I think it’s an improvement, though will certainly vary in how its received. Historically, the company’s egg-shaped earcups have all been quite large, which results in a loose fit. It’s good for long-term comfort but was challenging if you also had a small head. At 5’ 8”, I always found them to be a bit looser than I would prefer, though wasn’t especially bothered by that quality. I believe the Ananda has retained the same Ultra Pads the Edition X V2. On inspection, I cannot tell any difference between the pads on eitherof these headphones. I had a few weeks to spend with Ananda Nano and they’ve been some of the best sounding weeks I’ve had in a long while, so I also had the time to pair them with a good number of sources, including HIFIMAN’s own EF400 DAC AMP, but also FiiO K9 PRO, iBasso DX320 MAX TI, Astell & Kern ACRO CA1000T, Palab M1 Mini, Aune S9C PRO and Hiby R6 III. Although the somewhat low SPL of 94 dB makes it feel hard to drive, I had excellent experience with affordable sources too, and you only need a JDS Labs Atom Hevi AMP to have an excellent experience, and you could do really well with a high quality portable DAC AMP like Shanling UA5 too, so no need to panic. If there’s anything I would add to Ananda Nano is a balanced cable to use all the power available with all the sources out there. Overall, my favorite sources with Ananda Nano have been HIFIMAN’s own EF400 and FiiO K9 PRO, both of which provide a really wide and powerful sound with it. It’s no secret that HiFiMAN usually makes some pretty comfy headphones. I think that it’s unlikely that very many are going to be too disappointed by what they find in this department, regardless of which pair they going with – unless you simply find the Nano’s clamp force too biting. Technical Design In conclusion, both the Hifiman Ananda Nano and the iBasso SR3 are exceptional headphones, each offering unique strengths. While the Ananda Nano stands out due to its superior technical capability and true-to-tonal quality rendition, the iBasso SR3’s unique strengths and versatility make it a worthy contender. Ultimately, the choice between the two will come down to personal preference, and many audiophiles will find satisfaction with either option.

Ananda Nano

Like the Sundara, the loss of the swivel joint may put some people off as it does lose a little flexibility of its predecessor. The offshoot, however, is a much stronger metal gimbal and pivot system that is less likely to break. In particular, the individual gimbal screws going into the baffle of the cups look much stronger than the one-piece system of the older Edition X V2.

While there are some surprising similarities to go over when it comes to balance, the Ananda, Ananda Nano, and Edition XS all have rather distinct staging and imaging characteristics. Input: This provides enhanced connectivity and compatibility with a wide range of aftermarket cables. And like the Sundara, this is not exactly an aesthetic upgrade, there are sonic differences also that, for me, improve on the Edition X V2. The Ananda Pitch Price Point

The soundstage is moderate-sized with a solid three-dimensional feel. There’s a good sense of width and depth, but not as much height. The imaging is strong, with a holographic feeling and a good sense of weight to instruments and voices. In addition, like the Arya, the Stealth Magnets originally designed for the SUSVARA are part of the ANANDA NANO. This design is recognized for enabling soundwaves to pass through the magnets without causing interference. The advanced magnet design is acoustically transparent, dramatically reducing turbulence that degrades the integrity of the sound waves. The reduced distortion yields pure sonic output that is accurate and full range. The Ananda Nano is lightweight and super comfortable with an even distribution of the weight but it has a somewhat tense initial clamping force and the huge size of it might not offer the best fit for people with smaller shaped heads even in the minimum adjustment length. The planar magnetic design is really different from traditional dynamic drivers, and where we have the magnets on one side, and the ear on the other side, with dynamic designs, we have two huge magnets on each side of the diaphragm with planar magnetic designs. It is named planar because the magnets are aligned in the same plane as the diaphragm, and this will result in a much larger moving surface for the driver. The voice coil, or the conductor layer that moves the driver is also aligned with the diaphragm in the same plane, and this means that the force that moves the driver is aligned with uniformity, increasing the surface where the force is distributed heavily. This results in a much lower phase distortion, improved spatial information, and better instrument separation than most dynamic drivers. The trebles are energetic and absolutely finely resolved. Although it seems tangy, you have to listen very loud for this to become a problem. And I mean really loud! With my usual listening volume and a bit above, I get an ingeniously playing transparent sound that never drifts into sibilance.