HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled Planar Magnetic Headphones – Vocal Sweetness Transparent World
HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled is a $549 USD pair of over-the-ear planar magnetic headphones, currently the most affordable entry in the unveiled series of headphones designed by HIFIMAN, a series that set many world records. Today we will review the Ananda Unveiled and also compare them with other similarly priced headphones including Fosi Audio i5 (549 USD), Sivga Peng (495 USD) and HarmonicDyne Baroque (559 USD).
Introduction
HIFIMAN is currently one of the most popular headphone manufacturers, best known for their HIFIMAN Susvara flagship headphones, and Sundara entry-level headphones, having offered exceptional performance both for their priciest and for their most affordable models alike. HIFIMAN headphones are available for purchase on Amazon, Aliexpress as well as most HIFI dedicated shops, having many selling points in each country, and nowadays are known for their stellar build quality and high-end support. I personally recommend purchasing their products from Amazon, as they have usually the lowest prices and the best availability with the lowest waiting time, or using the HIFIMAN shopping page as they have their own shop as well.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4sH5MYT
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3DK2KCn
Build Quality – Design
Ananda is a series of headphones that grew to instant popularity after the release of their first model, so it is no surprise that an ananda unveiled was heavily hoped for by music lovers. HIFIMAN introduces in the new Ananda Unveiled many of their best technologies including the new Unveiled drivers, that have no need for a cover, Enhanced magnets and headband Gen.2.
To explain the Unveiled drivers, it would be best to read our review exploring the HIFIMAN Susvara unveiled, but the short version is that the grille of the headphones products acoustic interference with the driver and this causes distortion, so to solve it, HIFIMAN removed the grille completely. As the Director and owner of HIFIMAN, Dr. Fang noted in our interview, – to really improve the sound, you have to always ask whether you can improve even the most basic aspects, how to optimise from the ground-up the construction and how to actually discover and create new technologies. The original Ananda was released in 2018, and the new Unveiled is released in 2025, 7 years setting the two apart.
With this new version, HIFIMAN introduces many upgrades, but most importantly they exclude the Grille. For the upgrades, they include the Neo Supernano Diaphragm which is 60% of the original Ananda, and it uses Enhanced Magnets, and a composite headband. You can protect the drivers while they are not in use using the Magnetic Veils, and Ananda Unveiled has fairly standard specifications for HIFIMAN Headphones, although they made the Unveiled easier to drive. With a weight of 440 grams, it is going to be comfortable, it has an impedance of 22 OHMs and a SPL of 93 dB.
Subjective Usage
HIFIMAN made the Ananda Unveiled far more comfortable than most of the other new headphones in the more entry-level price range, because they made Ananda Unveiled bigger, with larger earcups, everything sits better on my head, and I have more than enough space for my ears inside, plus they are not exaggeratedly tight. It feels really good to wear the Ananda Unveiled.
There is no passive noise isolation, and default cables could use an upgrade, as I am using either ddHIFI BC150B or an Aune AR3 Headphone Cable. Ananda Unveiled has the unveiled drivers which means that it is sensitive to small metallic objects, you should use the covers while the headphones are not in usage to protect the drivers.
Everything else is rather standard and Ananda Unveiled feels like a very open Ananda Nano, with improved comfort, lower weight, subjectively better earpads and slightly better overall comfort.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test and drive the HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled, I have paired it with a large number of sources including FiiO K17, Audioengine HXL, Shanling Onix Beta XI2, Surfans F35 Music Player DAP, iBasso D17 Atheris, Burson Playmate 3, Rose Technics RT-5000, and Luxsin X9.
Ananda Unveiled is quite easy to drive compared to most planar magnetic headphones, but it is not easy to drive by itself. It favors high power, designed for low impedance, and does not like an output with high voltage but low power. You can drive Ananda Unveiled using most midrange and even some entry-level amplifiers just fine, you do not have to worry much about them. The cheapest you can go is Fx-Audio Tube-02 Pro if you have a decent DAC.
Overall Signature – HIFIMAN made the Ananda Unveiled closer to the roots of the Ananda and HIFIMAN signature, as Ananda Unveiled is quite mid-centric, vocal, softer in the treble, revealing and one of the most neutral sounding unveiled headphones. While most of them are quite forward and aggro tuned, Ananda Unveiled is a bit more relaxed, similar to an Arya OG signature rather than the Nano or Organic, as Ananda Nano is a more central sounding headphone, with a more intimate soundstage and focused sound. Instrument separation is a highlight while scatter factor is quite low.
Bass – Starting from the bass, Ananda Unveiled is a rather neutral with a hint of warmth kind of headphone. Extension goes as low as about 40 Hz, and it has a bit of extra warmth between 80 Hz and 120 Hz, creating a bit of bloom and dark tint to the low range of the sound. Ananda Unveiled has a natural-fast speed for the bass, can reveal details and textures nicely, but it does not sound fatiguing or dry, instead having a musical side. Burn-in a couple of hours at louder volumes can help open and deepen the bass and also increase extension, but it will happen naturally while you’re listening anyways, so don’t push things, just expect the bass to become better after a couple of hours, around 10-20 hours.
Midrange – Vocals are sweet and work equally well for male and female voices. It is musical, slightly soft, slightly dark and quite revealing, creating a sound that is very much reminding me of the Arya Stealth rather than any of the Ananda Headphones. Ananda U sounds more revealing and more detailed than any of the other Ananda Headphones, it extracts more details from music, but is also more laid-back and less fatiguing than Ananda Organic and it is more vocal centric too, creating a magical, fun character.
Treble – With an extended and revealing treble, Ananda Unveiled is quite airy, but not overly sharp and instead takes a slower, more relaxed approach to the treble, which makes music easy to enjoy even if you’re listening to a lot of aggressive music. Treble is usually the least present and least intrusive part of the Ananda Unveiled headphones, but it is tuned well for the rest of the style, so it is not absent and actual extension reaches 17 kHz nicely, but most energy is kept low above 4 kHz, the entire treble takes a step back and allows the midrange to sound central and vivid.
Dynamics And Textures – Ananda Unveiled has a relaxed and laid-back texture presentation which gives music smoothness. This being said, it is technically capable of reproducing details, textures and even micro details as the drivers are neither slow nor veiled, but it is simply tuned for an anti-aggressive behavior. Dynamic range is really high, but not obvious, owed to the mid centric sound which is never overly dynamic, as most music always sounds kind of present due to voices and information being easily audible at all times.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Ananda Unveiled has a unique loudness saturation gradient, it becomes more vivid, more colorful and more crisp when taken louder, and it does not become distorted even if taken extremely loud, over 120 dB, but it is sensitive to the source quality and needs power more than it needs voltage to sound good extremely loud. This means that you risk running into a high THD and overdriven sound if the source provides enough voltage but not enough power, and they also become more intimate, more direct, more aggressive and extremely loud, but I still would classify them as relaxed, laid-back and smooth even at 120 dB.
Soundstage – At their core, Ananda Unveiled is quite personal, mid centric and intimate, allowing you to hear every single detail and helping reveal those details with minimal scattering. Although this is a core and key characteristic of the sound of each Unveiled headphone, with Ananda it is far more obvious and while with Susvara Unveiled I never felt like they were small sounding or too tight, Ananda Unveiled pushes things into the very personal territory. I find this tuning enjoyable for rock, metal, modern music, where the exceptional imaging and layering helps a lot, but they are a bit tight for classical, orchestral and acoustic music in general. This being said, anything with a voice, male or female, will sound magical, personal and interesting with the Ananda Unveiled.
Comparisons
HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled vs Fosi Audio i5 (549 USD vs 549 USD) – Fosi made the i5 a bit larger, but also a bit heavier compared to Ananda Unveiled. Both headphones are comfortable long-term, but fosi includes a better cable that you don’t need to change right away. The full metallic construction of the Fosi i5 feels really sturdy, but they have a bit of inner resonance and offer some passive noise isolation, while Ananda U is the most open pair of headphones you can get with zero passive noise isolation, much more leakage, but also a more transparent sound. Both are moderately hard to drive, but i5 is easier to drive and less picky with the source. Sonically, Ananda U is more transparent, more vocal, more revealing of details and has a higher resolution. Fosi i5 sounds warmer, smoother, fuller and has a more laid-back, more relaxed sound with a bit extra width in the soundstage, and also a bit more depth, but also a bit more scatter. Ananda U is a focused, layered, but intimate sounding pair of headphones with a cleaner definition and more separation between instruments.
HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled vs Sivga Peng (549 USD vs 495 USD) – Sivga Peng looks amazing in its wooden shells, but it is a closed-back model with a better cable, interesting transport solution and it is more adequate for someone who travels as Ananda U is quite sensitive to being handled. With Peng you have far less leakage and far better passive noise isolation, and they are easier to drive. Sonically, Sivga Peng is more V-Shaped, has a bouncier sound, with more bloom and depth, more treble sparkle and sharpness and generally they sound more vivid and more punchy. Ananda U is far more laid-back, relaxed and smoother, more vocal and more intimate. Ananda U has a higher resolution in the midrange, while Sivga Peng reveals more information in the bass and the treble. They are quite opposed in tuning, so your choice will be straightforward, if you’re looking for a vocal, mid centric headphone, Ananda U will deliver nicely, while if you want a V-Shaped pair of headphones, Sivga Peng will deliver that.
HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled vs HarmonicDyne Baroque (549 USD vs 559 USD) – Baroque has been a personal favorite of mine, and with a full metallic build and a fairly comfortable fit, it is an excellent pair of headphones even now. This being said, Baroque comes with a better cable than Ananda U, but it is also quite a bit heavier, making Ananda U much more comfortable. The two are about equally hard to drive and both sound gret with similar sources, although Ananda U needs more power, while baroque works better with more entry-level AMPs. Sonically, Ananda U is a more vocal headphone, and Baroque is also vocal, but more balanced. This means that Baroque has more bass, more treble, is more neutral natural, sounds wider and a bit more scattered, while Ananda U is more focused, has a higher instrument separation better overall resolution, but sounds more intimate too.
Value and Conclusion
With a price tag of 549 USD, Ananda Unveiled is currently the sweetest, most vocally pleasing sounding pair of headphones you can purchase with a mid centric signature, but strong extension in the bass and treble, and with an excellent comfort.
We didn’t know that there would be such affordable Unveiled powered headphones, but Ananda U is a pleasing surprise, it goes back to the darker stealth roots of the HIFIMAN sound, more relaxed, smoother, yet revealing and crisp as per the Unveiled principle, and with ananda having a comfortable shape and ergonomic, this is one of the best unveiled headphones you can buy today, and one of the most affordable high-end sounding headphones you can buy in general.
PROs
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Strong construction quality, exceptional reliability
- Top price performance ratio
- Detachable cables easy to replace
- Easier to drive than the other Ananda headphones
- Intimate soundstage with pinpoint accuracy for the imaging
- Strong extension in the treble without sounding harsh or fatiguing
- Overall an excellent choice for listening to all music styles, really versatile
- Best sound tuning for a laid-back headphone in this price range
Cons
- Being unveiled in design means that they must be kept free of small metallic objects so nothing will damage the drivers
- Quite mid centric, vocal and intimate, a unique tuning closer to the stealth roots rather than the rest of the unveiled series
- Package is a bit limited and it still is a bit hard to drive
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4sH5MYT
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3DK2KCn
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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