HifiMan Ananda, Audeze LCD-2C or Focal Elex/Clear?

Headphones Headphone Discussion / Help
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So I mean, it’s going to be pretty different than all of those lol. What aspects are you looking for a comparison in? 700 bucks isn’t bad.

In terms of presentation and spatial recreation I found that the ananda was a more grandiose presentation that was more in front of you with reasonably good placement where the aeon was more traditional, the lcd2c had a larger presentation but with a good bit of more width than depth, was still somewhat more traditional like the aeon, the elex has a more smaller more circular stage around the head, with really good depth in that stage. The aeon has a refined and decently accurate stage albeit a bit small and more closed off feeling compared to other options.

For resolution, I think the elex and aeon resolve low level info well here, with the ananda being pretty close as well, although the lcd2c felt a bit behind here. The ananda tends to be the most forward with it’s detail, and the elex and aeon I think are similar in that regard, the lcd2c is more relaxed with it’s detail presentation

For impact and slam, the lcd2c really hit harder here with more authority in the low end, the elex was very tight controlled and punchy but lacked real hard impact, the aeon was fairly linear and controlled but also didn’t slam, and the ananda while linear and tight felt a bit soft in impact almost, kinda smoothed over

Timbre wise the lcd2c was pretty good, and the elex was also pretty solid here. The aeon was also good although not stand out, and the andana was similar there. For tonal density the lcd 2c felt like it had the most meat on the bone, the elex and aeon are a bit thinner but still reasonably thick sounding, the ananda is a bit more dry and thinner here.

Overall signature the aeon is pretty neutral, the ananda is more neutral bright, the elex is more a fun slight w signature, and the lcd 2c is a more a warmer slightly darker signature

Dynamically the elex really excels here, then followed by the lcd2c. The aeon 2 and ananda aren’t exactly the best here but do reasonably well

Personally I thought it preformed well of things like a monolith liquid platinum, flux fa12s or fa10, cayin iha-6, among others but that’s a good spot to be with those amps. Generally pairing with the plat expanded stage more, gave very nice timbre, kept it pretty energetic and punchy with also really solid dynamics, but detail was slightly less forward. The flux added more weight and body, relaxed things a bit, also gave better space, and provided solid timbre, with reasonably good technical ability. The cayin was more forward than the other options with lots of slam and impact, strong macodynamics, good smoothness, and pretty nice.

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Thank you very much. Will cheaper amps work well with the Aeon 2?
On a related note, the local dealer also has the Ether 2 for 1250 bucks. Is that good?

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I think you can get by with something like an asgard 3, but they do scale for sure

Oh that’s actually pretty solid for the price, it’s a nice headphone although more amp demanding. It’s actually going for a more warmer, smoother, relaxed, and dense sound (almost audeze prefazor like imo). I think it’s a step above the aeon for sure although if the sound sig is good for you or not is a different story

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Thanks again. I guess I will go with the Ananda or the Elex then, as they seem to be less amp-dependant than the Aeon 2 or the LCD2 C.

With something like the Ether 2, how close are you to summit-fi/TOTL?

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The least amp dependent of the bunch is the lcd2c, then followed by the ananda, then the aeon, then the elex. I actually might say the elex is the most revealing of amp choice lol

Uh I’m not exactly sure what you would mean by that, but it would be a solid step up from any of the aforementioned cans for sure, and can give you some real serious performance

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What I mean is if I get an ether 2, would there be significant upgrades afterwards (abyss AB-1266, susvara, d8000, stax etc)

Also, thanks for letting me know that the Lcd2c is pretty easy to drive. I thought it would be a nightmare because the monolith m1570 is not that easy to drive and I thought they were identical

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Yes

So the lcd2c just likes decent power, it’s not as concerned about quality of power so it’s easier to fulfill (but don’t skimp on quality if you don’t have to). That being said they don’t scale as much as the other options with higher end amps, they can still appreciate nicer source gear but it isn’t as reliant in comparison

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Is ananda the most effecient out of the 4 then?
And I listen to female vocals, jazz and guitar. Do you think the ananda will be too thin for that?

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If you are talking how much actual power it needs to get going, technically by sensitivity and impedance ratings, the ananda is going to be the least demanding, and then followed by the elex (which admittedly is relatively similar sensitivity but with a higher impedance), then the lcd 2 classic with a similar sensitivity but lower impedance, and then the aeon 2 actually requires the most power to get going with a much lower sensitivity (despite the low impedance)

In the real world, the ananda requires more power than it would seem at a glance, but again if you can get like a reasonable amount of power it’s going to sound solid (similar to how the lcd 2c would). The elex while pretty efficient, is very demanding on the quality of power to where it becomes very amp picky for what it sounds good with. The aeon 2 also requires a fair bit of power and current, while a decent demand on quality of power

So basically what I’m saying is that you would want to spend more on an amp for the elex and aeon than you would for a lcd2c or ananda

If you pick a warmer thicker toned amp I think you could be fine as long as tonal density isn’t your main goal

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Thanks. So I can get the Ananda for 550 new, do you think that makes it the best value?
Also, I was considering the sendy aiva as well. I read somewhere that it has recessed mids, does it affect the vocals?

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That’s not bad, so I guess that would make it a compelling choice (given you don’t get good discounts on the other headphones). Personally I would say at new price the lcd2c are the worst value, and the better values per dollar new would likely be the elex and Ananda. So getting the Ananda at 550 seems pretty compelling

The midrange and vocals are recessed yes. Imo I’m not the biggest fan of that headphone, while decent detail and speed for the price, it’s tuning can leave the mids sucked out, it’s spatial recreation is too 2 dimensional imo, and timbre was poor. Also dynamically meh. Personally would feel the Ananda is a higher class.

On notes for an amp for the Ananda, the ones I mentioned for the aeon 2 also pair well with it

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I quite enjoy my Koss Porta Pro. In terms of sound signature, is the Lcd2c like it? But yeah good point at 800 dollars it’s a different ballpark to 550 for the Ananda.
In terms of other discounts, other more high end Hifiman headphones are discounted. Arya is 1250, like the Ether 2. HE1000V2 is 1750

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Hmmmm. No, but both are def warmer

Honestly have you considered looking for a used lcd 2 pre fazor? You might have to go on a hunt, it’s a superior choice to 2 classic (the classic sounds and feels like a cheap imitation imo) and should be able to be had around 500-700 used depending on condition and headband

I think if you could find a used hifiman edition x v2, that would be really nice imo. A step ahead of the ananda in most ways, but with a more warm smoother and dense signature

There’s actually someone selling one on the forum right now with a good price (at least I think his is a v2)
https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/buy-sell-and-looking-for-thread/6305/1624

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I’ve never bought pre-owned gear before. Are there any advantages of buying it new?

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You do get something never used before, you get a reliable warranty, and I guess it can be more straightforward and accessible than buying used. That being said, when you buy used you get much better value for high end gear, and typically with higher end gear people tend to baby their gear so it’s basically like new most of the time (but you have to check of course lol). The main potential problem would be either getting an irritating or untrustworthy seller (typically not the case, but they are out there for sure), and potentially warranty problems can be more convoluted to handle or may not be something you can take advantage of. So a bit more risk in exchange for getting better value. Personally I buy almost everything I get used specifically if it’s high end (otherwise I wouldn’t be able to get a lot of this stuff lol) and over the years it’s been generally without problems, but things can happen so

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Thanks. The thread you showed me, edition X for 550 is really reasonable. Unfortunately I don’t live in the US and he ships US only.

Also, do you think the Hifiman products are dropping in quality? The Ananda is worse than the Edition X V2, Sundara probably worse than original He560, HE6se v2 worse than HE6 etc.

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I don’t have a fixed budget, I would go for a more expensive headphone if it is worth it. Should I skip this ~700 dollar price range and go for endgame altogether?
At around the 1200 range, I can get the Arya, Clear MG Pro, LCD-X 2021, Aeolus, Ether 2, HD800S, HD8XX etc

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Ah ok NVM then lol

Hmmm no, just moving in a different direction

Yes, but the Ananda also sells new cheaper than the edition x v2 did when it was new, so it was moreso they moved the price point lower so quality dropped a bit, and they changed the tuning/priorities

So I would personally agree if you compare the original he560 and not the cheaped out modern versions, but again remember that the 560 sold for more new than the sundara did new, so the sundara was more accessable AND also easier to drive making it a more feasible option for some imo. The sundara is a better value than the he560 was for sure

This is true, I was able to get a first run he6se and found it close enough to my later run he6 6 screw, but the current he6se and v2 models being pumped out at the lower price just aren’t good imo. There are higher end options than the he6 now though in hifimans current lineup, although the he6 is still a special headphone, it doesn’t compete with some of their upper stuff like the he1000 v2 or se, or the susvara, or Shangri la jr

No, I’d try one of these options you are already deciding on, and then move from there, because to take the next step above something like an Ananda you want to make a further jump in source gear as well, and really want to make sure your preferences are nailed down

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That’s true. And I guess upgrading is part of the pleasure you get in the hobby!

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Getting more experience as a listener is also really important, you want context for each upgrade to better understand what you are paying for, and where you want to be. If you spend more time at each level and don’t skip around, you will end up developing your hearing more and the upgrades will be more meaningful each time

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