Any more news about a possible Ananda V3?

Submitted by fretit t3_1225ams in headphones

Right after I sent back an Ananda because the merchant sent me the OG version instead of the Stealth one as described on their website, I came across a three week old post about a V3 Ananda!. Seriously, HIFIMAN?!?

Some merchants are still trying to sort out between V1 with V2, because in its infinite wisdom HIFIMAN doesn't use clearly distinguishing model names for the two versions, but we apparently now have a third version to confuse them and us even more.

What's more, the specs of this V3 seem drastically different, with an impedance of 16 Ohms vs 25 and 27 for the OG and V2, as well as significantly lower sensitivity.

Has anyone seen this V3 on any website? HIFIMAN's ultra-slow website still shows only the V2 specs (27 Ohms, 103 dB). Is it really a revised model or had they just made up the specs before and they now have actual measurements? I certainly am not going to order any Ananda until all this confusion is sorted out.

3

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

blorg t1_jdqaxnw wrote

I don't think there is a V3. It's just they updated the specs on the box at some point after releasing the Stealth Ananda. They presumably remeasured them and updated the specs at that point.

There's the OG Ananda and the V2/Stealth Ananda. That's it.

The specs were never accurate in the first place, they are often way off. That doesn't mean anything.

OG Ananda Hifiman spec 25Ω / 103dB. ASR measured at 33Ω. RAA also measured at 33Ω and 109.2 dB/V SPL / 94.4 dB/mW SPL.

So this was already way off.

HE6SE is another one, Hifiman say 50Ω, ASR and RAA both measured at 64Ω. The 50Ω number was copy pasted from the HE6, which was 50Ω, and they are still using that number on the spec for the HE6SEV2 14 years later, even though it's not.

You can read far too much into this, they are nowhere near accurate.

The drivers would have changed in the change to the stealth version. Initially, I think they didn't update the specs, or not significantly, 2Ω is very little and they kept the 103dB. Then at some subsequent point they updated them.

The weights are often off as well, it's only 40g. I think the stealth version should be heavier. They has this whole same thing with the Arya/Arya Stealth, the weight changed by about the same and there was a delay until they updated it so there are two weights generally floating around for that.

None of this stuff is that accurate and it changing a bit doesn't indicate an actual change with the headphone.

In the post you linked someone emailed Hifiman and they said "They have the same drivers. The production batch is different, the specification will be adjusted, but the sound quality remains the same."

I suspect this the change from non-Stealth to Stealth, and that they initially didn't update the specs but then decided they had better. I also do suspect the Ananda Stealth and Edition XS driver may be related, as their specs are now so similar. But I don't think there was a distinct V2 and V3.

4

AntOk463 t1_jdqcxdu wrote

Even if they made slight changes to the V2 Ananda, they likely aren't coming out with a V3, there isn't a drastic enough change that it would result in a name change. They have the most up to date Hifimsn Stealth magnets, and the V2 Ananda is relatively new and isn't getting a successor for a while.

The Arya Stealth listed the weight as 404g, the same as V2, but all reviews said the weight is around 440g. Weight is the easiest measurement of a headphone and Hifiman still didn't fix it. So this is most likely them updating their measurements.

3

blorg t1_jdqfc4o wrote

Arya Stealth

Mine, actual weight is 439g. Lots of other places saying 440g, which is close enough to the actual weight.

There just isn't consistency on this, I mean even Hifiman.com has both weights listed. They even have both weights listed on the one page. They simply aren't careful about these specs at all, and they frequently copy specs from an older model and only update them (if at all) somewhat later. They re-use the boxes (which have the old specs on them) and slap a "stealth magnet" sticker on the front, so sure they have the old specs on them, unless they put a label over that too.

But sometimes the specs even just get copied onto the new packaging. Like I said, they are quoting literally 14 year old specs from a model two generations back on the HE6SE and have never bothered to update that in all these years.

People then see the initial versions of the new model had specs from the old model and now they changed and think it's actually a third model, but it's not, this is reading far too much into the specs.

2

fretit OP t1_jdsa5bz wrote

You just painted me a picture of a chaotic company. If they can't properly manage such extremely simple things, why should I not think their headphones aren't made with the same sloppiness? Just slap on there whatever drivers or pads come out of some big random bin.

I suddenly have this uneasy feeling that it is a very suspect company. With all those measurements of the Arya/Ananda/XS being so close, almost within the variation you see between left and right side drivers, I am suddenly envisioning all the drivers coming from the same bin and just getting slapped on whatever egg-shaped cup model is being assembled.

1

blorg t1_jdsav8n wrote

Whatever they are doing, their headphones sound great. They are also very consistent in hitting their target, indeed over multiple headphones never mind batches or supposed revisions of headphones.

I do think the Edition XS and Arya sound very very close to each other, the tonality is very similar.

OG Ananda is a bit lighter/rolled off in the bass. From VSG's measurements they may have fixed that with the stealth edition.

https://vsg.squig.link/?share=HIFIMAN_Ananda_(2022_Stealth_Magnets),HIFIMAN_Edition_XS,HIFIMAN_Arya_(2021_Stealth_Magnets)

Well worth it, pick based on price and fit. Edition XS is far and away the best value, I recommend that.

Other companies like Audeze, there is far far more batch to batch variation, even with no "revisions", stealth or otherwise.

One indication I think is how close Oratory's EQ work, they seem to just work exactly on my Hifiman. Have to modify quite a bit for LCD-X, I think mine is different to his one.

2

fretit OP t1_jdswyzs wrote

Yeah, I think I overreacted a little bit.

I actually tried the XS. It is a great headphone except for some very slight artificial "sheen" to the sound. And even though my head was big enough for the band (one click seemed to be the best position), it felt a little loose on my head when I leaned forward or when I moved side to side. So I returned it and got the Ananda, but they sent me the older version, so I returned that as well.

I am just going to wait a little for the dust to settle and probably order directly from HIFIMAN instead of Amazon.

2

fretit OP t1_jds8wvu wrote

> I suspect this the change from non-Stealth to Stealth, and that they initially didn't update the specs

But they did update the impedance from 25 to 27 Ohms.

1

blorg t1_jds9w5i wrote

Right, so they miscopied, or possibly adjusted, one datapoint. The original is neither 25Ω nor 27Ω anyway, it was measured by both ASR and RAA at 33Ω.

You are reading far, far too much into these numbers. It's like divining tea leaves.

1

fretit OP t1_jdsbp1t wrote

> You are reading far, far too much into these numbers.

Imagine for a second saying this about a car company, or something closer like the specs of an amplifier.

1

sustained_vibrations t1_jdpsjg5 wrote

If I had to guess, given the INSANE popularity of the Edition XS, they are putting their power into creating a V2 for that model. I could be wrong.

0

fretit OP t1_jdptc8x wrote

You just made me realize the specs of this alleged Ananda V3 are very close to the specs of the XS. Impedance is 16 Ohm vs 18 Ohm for the XS and sensitivity is the same (92dB).

So maybe Ananda V3 is a tweaked XS with the strap style headband?

I guess we shall see soon enough.

1