Fit and Comfort

Seen above is the HIFIMAN Ananda Stealth on a mannequin head that I bought recently to better show how headphones would look on the human head. Note that it's slightly under average sized and account for discrepancies accordingly. For those asking—this head does not have any specific name and suggestions/bribes for naming rights are welcome. On a more serious note, as with all headphones, getting a good fit and seal is crucial, so make sure to properly use the pivot points and height adjustability of the headband and ear cups. In this case, the lack of horizontal swivel can be a potential issue, but I would postulate most users would be fine. The clamp force is sufficient, to where you won't feel the headphones being loose and yet not find it too tight either as with the LCD-5 originally. Account for the larger size of the ear cups though, as they would extend past the ears and down to your jaw too. At 440 g, the Ananda Stealth is among the heavier headphones on the market, but it still pales compared to the likes of the Audeze LCD series, to where actual mass density is on the lower side. A good fit can thus remain comfortable, although I still found myself taking these off every hour or so to adjust the ear cups and headband, owing to the unvented support band. Sound isolation isn't high here courtesy the open-back nature of the Ananda Stealth. Those around you are likely to get a second-hand listen of whatever you are listening to, so it's best used in a quiet environment.

Audio Performance

Audio Hardware

If you are curious about how planar magnetic drivers generally work and differ from standard dynamic drivers, take a look at the equivalent section on this page. In fact, go ahead and read through the same page of the HIFIMAN Arya review since it goes over the various new HIFIMAN technologies in detail, especially as the stealth magnets introduced with the flagship HIFIMAN Susvara in 2017 have now made their way down the ladder in various forms. This is not to say that the magnets in the $6000 Susvara are the same as those in the Ananda Stealth, which are no doubt with a lower magnetic flux, and potentially less stealthy in terms of how much they lower the resonance sound waves generate. We also see the use of the previously mentioned and patented HIFIMAN window shade grill design, that aims to reduce sonic reflections exiting the ear cups on the other side. Where things certainly differ from the likes of the Susvara and HE1000se is the diaphragm and traces used here, given as the thinnest nanometer-scale diaphragms continue to be reserved for those more expensive headphones.

The Ananda Stealth gets the so-called Neo supernano Diaphragm (NsD) that HIFIMAN says is ~80% thinner than "previous designs" without specifying what it is being compared against. Regardless, we are also told the diaphragm is 1-2 µm in thickness, which is already on par with the best planar drivers in the world. This can, in theory, make for faster transients and is in turn associated with how fast of an audio response we get. Ultimately, the Ananda Stealth is a typical planar set in having a relatively low rated impedance of 27 Ω, and then we get to the part that makes it easy to power given the relatively high (for planars) sensitivity of 103 dB/mW. Interestingly, the non-stealth Ananda has the same sensitivity, but even lower impedance meaning this is the rare situation where the supposedly more efficient stealth magnets did not help enough to make the updated set even easier to drive. Regardless, you should not have any issue powering the Ananda Stealth off even a decent portable DAC/amp and this makes the HIFIMAN Ananda Stealth all the more conducive for use in various professional environments, being run directly off mixers without needing a powerful amplifier.

Frequency Response Measurement and Listening

I will mention that I have a general preference for a warm-neutral signature, emphasizing a slightly elevated bass and smooth treble range with detailed mids and good tonal separation. I also generally prefer instrumental music over vocals, with favored genres including jazz and classical music.


Our current headphones test setup uses a set of two custom in-ear microphones for the two channels. These microphones closely adhere to the IEC711 class, but have been tweaked to be more reliable in the >10 kHz frequency range, the precise issue with my previous setup, that is otherwise still very good and will continue to be used for IEMs and earphones. Two soft silicone pinnae are installed on the sides, separated by a distance matching my head, and multiple "height" adapters have been 3D-printed for further customization, based on fit, head size and shape. Each set of microphones has an XLR output I separately adapted to 3.5 mm. I used a transparent source—the JDS Labs Element II—for measurements after confirming it was not a bottleneck in any way.

This artificial head simulator feeds the microphone lines into a reference USB sound card, which in turn goes to a laptop that has ARTA and REW running. I begin with an impulse measurement to test for signal fidelity, calibrate the sound card and channel output, account for floor noise, and finally test the frequency response of each channel separately. Octave smoothing is at the 1/12th setting, netting a good balance of detail and signal to noise ratio. The default tuning was used for testing, and no app or program-based EQ settings were chosen, unless specifically mentioned. Each sample of interest is tested thrice with separate mounts to account for any fit issues, and an average is taken of the three individual measurements for statistical accuracy. The raw data is then compensated based on a custom curve created after having worked with Crinacle from In-Ear Fidelity to get measurements with this setup, on par with a GRAS 043AG industry-standard measurement rig, especially by accounting for the slightly different pinna gain compared to the KEMAR anthrophometric pinna there.


As per usual, you can find my headphone frequency response measurements on VSG.squig.link, along with all the earphone measurements. Scroll to the bottom and choose different targets there, including two from Harman Kardon developed after years of R&D. The Harman 2018 over-ear target in particular, is a reference curve many headphone makers aim for now, but I find it too bass-boosted. As such, I am opting for the Harman 2018 curve with the bass target from the Harman 2013 curve, which is what is referred to as the "Harman Combined" target. Before we get talking about the sound signature of the HIFIMAN Ananda Stealth, I want to briefly touch upon the channel balance achieved here. You will notice how the left and right channels are pretty much identical all the way through to the lower treble, following which there are two points of discrepancy, which itself need to be taken with a grain of salt given they can be attributed to the fit/seal on the ears as well as the coupler resonance itself. In practice, I noticed that slight discrepancy showing at 6 kHz only after paying attention to it after having done the measurements, so I was clearly fine with the channel balance here until then!

HIFIMAN doesn't specifically call the Ananda Stealth out for anything outside of the usual marketing spiel, and it took me all of five minutes of listening to these to figure out it was tuned in line with what is the HIFIMAN signature sound. Indeed, with the founder Dr. Fang Bian having started the company in the mid-2000s while in New York and listening to the New York Philharmonic for his share of classical music galore, I certainly see the inspiration here. The typical HIFIMAN open-back, planar tuning caters favorably to instrumental music over vocals, which makes them personally appealing. In that sense the generally neutral-bright tonality of the new Ananda Stealth fares well in allowing for extremely transparent mids, while emphasizing instruments such as pianos, violins, viola, and more that have fundamental and 1st-order harmonics tones in the upper mids and treble. It might be a touch too hot for some though—especially with the recessed 1 kHz region that's a house tuning by choice to help create a larger sense of space too. Indeed, I would say the Ananda Stealth does very well for those wanting an expansive soundstage to listen to classical music and orchestral music in particular. I do have an issue with the 6 kHz peak though and found these headphones resulting in sibilance where tracks don't necessarily have them in the recordings either. It's not the easiest to EQ out either, given the relative dip immediately after, and thus the Ananda Stealth has a couple of tonality issues here marring what is otherwise a highly enjoyable experience.

The mids on the other hand are clean and transparent throughout to where it's still one of the better headphones for vocals too. It's not a completely flat line all the way down but the slight warmth added makes for intimate male vocals that are forward facing and not taking away from guitar strums either. Note that if you try to EQ out the dip in the upper mids you might end up making things worse here, given the upper mids are already approaching being shouty. I personally also lost some detail and balance doing so and would rather leave it as-is even if it doesn't make the best case possible for certain female vocals. Either way, the Ananda Stealth is excellent for general media consumption including movies and podcasts and I understand why HIFIMAN made a Bluetooth version paired with a boom mic for the former set in this regard. Imaging is quite precise around the ears, but I felt it getting slightly fuzzy in the central channel visualized inside the head. As such, despite the Ananda's presentation making a case for sound around a wide field outside your ears, it's strongest case is still fairly intimate. This is where the more expensive Arya and HE1000se justify their existence I suppose!

The bass response might be the most take-it-or-leave-it part of the listening experience with the Ananda Stealth. This is not to say it's a poor performer here but the warmer upper bass and lower mids makes the lower frequencies come off slightly recessed by comparison. It's still going to allow good extension all the way down to 20 Hz and even lower, but I would not classify the Ananda Stealth as the most engaging or slammy set here. It's a good example to bring up for dynamic driver lovers who profess the punch that planars aren't seemingly capable of, I suppose. EQ helps here to an extent given the low distortion drivers employed, but honestly I had a good time, given I care more for bass detail and quality over pure quantity. You can easily pick out different drum hits here with fast decay on kick drums and yet allowing for decent hang time on bass guitars too. I can see the Ananda Stealth being used for music monitoring thus, but there are a few other sets that I'd rather take for this application.


Given I alluded to this before, I had to do a quick comparison to the other two HIFIMAN sets that are on either side of the Ananda Stealth price-wise. The Edition XS is a real tough competitor that costs slightly less and is arguably better tuned overall for the masses, courtesy a more warm-neutral tuning. It's not as detailed as the Ananda Stealth however, and the headband here is a definite improvement for comfort as long as you get the Ananda to fit well enough. The Edition XS also hangs looser around your head, to where it also doesn't have the most engaging bass either, so in that regard the Ananda caters to its strengths better too. The HIFIMAN Arya Stealth, on the other hand, is a significant step up in tonal balance while still maintaining the characteristic neutral-bright response. It's hard to pick out any extra detail doing blind A/B testing between the Ananda Stealth and the Arya Stealth, but the latter also executes staging and presentation better by actually giving you enough to fill out the wider and taller soundstage you get there as opposed to coming off slightly inflated. I'd also be remiss if I don't call out the Arya for its far more customizable headband and the cleaner aesthetics too, but all this comes at a price, as it is nearly twice the cost of the Ananda Stealth at the time of this review.


When it gets to non-HIFIMAN contenders for your money, the Ananda Stealth finds itself in a relatively uncompetitive market that doesn't have a whole lot to offer. Companies either challenge at >$1000 or go lower where you also have plenty of dynamic driver sets to choose from. I can think of the recently covered HarmonicDyne G200 which is another planar set that has better build quality and accessories, but can be less comfortable and with a generally worse tuning. If you go with replacement pads as discussed in that review, however, the G200 would be my personal recommendation given how technically competent those drivers are! The Ananda Stealth is the product of a stacked lineup within the HIFIMAN portfolio that necessitates it not best the Arya at least, whereas there are no such restriction on the HarmonicDyne side. The G200 does require more power to drive it though and costs slightly more, so perhaps it will end up costing even more once you account for the source too.

There's also the Audeze LCD-2 Classic, which is a more apples-to-apples comparison in being more budget-friendly options from planar heavyweight brands that offer far, far more expensive headphones too. The LCD-2 Classic is much warmer in the mids and can be fun for those who like this tuning, but A/B testing revealed how lacking in detail and accuracy it can be now that I have had far more critical headphone listening experience since that review. It is also built better than the Ananda Stealth in my books, and the stock cable is far superior, but I'd give the edge to the HIFIMAN for comfort and the overall listening experience. There are a few other planar sets coming out of China recently, including the less-than-impressive ZEPHONE Tiger which makes you glad HIFIMAN put money on the headphones more than the product box itself. I am unfortunately low on dynamic driver headphones in the price range the Ananda Stealth operates in—also electrostatic headphones, but that is being dealt with separately—so the closest I can talk about confidently is the Sivga SV023 with its in-house LCP diaphragm and another warm tuning. Not sure why this is seemingly being a pattern here! The Sivga offering is also going to take the win on build quality and accessories although comfort is hit-or-miss there. It's also quite close to the Ananda when it comes to its technical performance so it comes down to personal preference and your music library here. I'd take the Ananda for mine given the jazz and classical music I listen to more so than rock and pop music that the SV023 handles better.