The Hifiman Ananda Unveiled is a full-sized open-back planar magnetic headphone. It features Hifiman’s oval/egg-shaped cup design, a new Gen.2 headband, and a driver with dual-sided magnets and the ultra-thin Neo Supernano Diaphragm Gen.2.
The Ananda Unveiled is the entry-level model in Hifiman’s “Unveiled” open-back, grill-less series. The idea behind the Unveiled design is that in order to eliminate any possibility of unwanted reflections from anything outside of the driver, Hifiman has removed the grill entirely, fully exposing the magnet array and the diaphragm. This might be better acoustically, but the obvious downside is that you must handle it with utmost care, and you should use the supplied magnetic shields for storage.
The Ananda Unveiled is the fifth headphone in the Hifiman Ananda line. The previous versions are the original Ananda (OG), Ananda Stealth V2 and Stealth V3, and Ananda Nano.
The Ananda Unveiled is currently priced around 549 USD / €569 (incl. tax).
HIFIMAN ANANDA UNVEILED SPECIFICATIONS
- Open-back full-size headphones.
- Driver: planar magnetic
- Unveiled design with exposed drivers
- Impedance: 22 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 93 dB/mW
- Dual-sided magnet driver
- NEO Supernano Diaphragm gen. 2
- Frequency Response: 5Hz-55kHz
- Cable: detachable 1.5 mm
- Cable connectors: dual 3.5 mm
- Cable termination: 3.5 mm with 6.35 mm adapter
- Headband: strap design gen.2
- Pads: hybrid
- Covers for storage included (magnetic veils)
- Weight: 449g (headphone only)
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Ananda Unveiled
- AliExpress: Ananda Unveiled
BUILD AND DESIGN
As mentioned, the Ananda Unveiled is a full-size headphone with Hifiman’s characteristic oval/egg-shaped design. It’s also of the Unveiled type, with no grill covering the drivers. It is strongly recommended to handle it carefully and use the supplied “Magnetic Veils” – basically flat magnetic covers cut to shape, around 5 millimeters thick.
That said, the chances of your fingers hitting the diaphragm are pretty slim because the magnets are lined up quite close together. The real problem is objects that are magnetic and will be attracted to the strong magnets, and also, of course, dust and hairs.
HEADBAND – The Ananda Unveiled uses the newest headband design, the Gen.2 headband. It was first introduced with the Edition XV and HE600. It is a compact arc and strap headband, which I personally find very comfortable, although people with significantly larger heads might want a longer strap. The new headband features more swivel action than the previous Ananda versions, which is much appreciated.
PADS – The pads are, as mentioned, large and oval/egg-shaped, featuring the typical hybrid construction. There is memory foam with fenestrated pleather on the inside, textile on the face touching your skin, and non-fenestrated pleather on the outside. The pads importantly feature the new 6-clip attachment system introduced with the Edition XV and the Unveiled series, not compatible with the previous 9-clip system of previous oval/egg-shaped pads.
CABLE – The Ananda Unveiled has a detachable cable with 3.5 mm connector sockets on each cup. The supplied cable is pretty basic, but it is very easy to get third-party cables that suit your needs in terms of connectivity and length.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
Associated equipment:
- Amp: Bryston BHA-1
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
The Other Side by Tord Gustavsen Trio
Very airy and a bit on the brighter side. The snare is crisp and snappy.
Re-Melt by Tord Gustavsen Trio
Again, the snare is very crisp. Great detail. Bass is modest in quantity; things feel neutral-to-bright in general but in a nice, upfront way, not overly sharp.
In The Mountains by Espen Eriksen Trio
The bass is very tight and controlled, but there is definitely no bass boost here. The piano is clear and a bit bright. Percussion is snappy.
Eye of the Day by Marta del Grandi
The vocals are beautiful but in a brighter and textured way; it is not at all dark, neither especially warm. The bass is polite and the guitar is slightly crisp.
Teardrop by Massive Attack
The bass is very polite in terms of quantity but high in quality. It’s very tight. The vocals are bright and have a great sense of texture. It is not sibilant, but certainly not very warm or in any way dark-leaning.
The Hidden Camera by Photek
The bass is again polite in quantity but very tight and has excellent control. The percussion is slightly dry and crisp – everything feels very snappy.
Sujet Tabou by Renaudin and Cahours
Things are crisp and upfront, snappy and energetic.
Outlaws by Bill Frisell
Impressive bass quality. Percussion is airy. Great sense of detail.
Dancing in the Dark by Jørgen Dahl
This is an excellent rendition of the Bruce Springsteen classic. The vocals here can sometimes be a bit overly crisp and bright with many headphones, but surprisingly enough, the Ananda Unveiled isn’t one of them. The vocals are excellently textured and never sibilant or unpleasant, but they are not especially warm or liquid.
Terminal 7 by Tomasz Stanko Quintet
This sounds airy and bright without feeling sharp; everything is snappy and tight.
Don’t Stay by Linkin Park
Very crisp with a lot of texture and detail, but lacking in low-end grunt. An EQ bass-shelf might be a good fix.
Fata Morgana by Spiritbix
Very detailed, great sense of texture and layering. Vocals stand out clearly.
Mango Drive by Rhythm and Sound
This track contains a very deep and challenging bass, which the Ananda Unveiled handles like a champ. The quantity is still low, but the quality is great.
Take on Me – MTV Unplugged by a-ha
Lots of detail and nuance. Neutral-to-bright leaning tonality without turning sharp. Amazing amount of detail in the vocals, great texture and nuance.
Mozart piano sonata no. 16 by Lang Lang
Great tonality, the piano is crisp and clear, rich in texture and full of detail, without ever revealing any nasty peaks or unevenness as some headphones can have.
II. Allegro – Destinées by Sophie de Bardonnèche
Upfront and crisp string timbre with lots of texture and nuance. It’s energetic and bright but not sharp.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
This track sounds different on every headphone. Sometimes it’s dark and muddy; on the Ananda Unveiled it’s bright and clear, with great instrument separation, a slightly aggressive tone with “bite”, without feeling overly sharp.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Ananda Unveiled has a neutral-to-bright sound signature with a very linear bass response but a polite bass presence.
Treble
The treble is bright, clear and detailed, but I don’t find it sharp or unpleasant.
Midrange
The midrange is upfront and bright rather than warm and lush. There’s a lot of texture and nuance.
Bass
The bass is very tight and clean all down to the lowest regions. However, it’s very linear in response and there’s no bass shelf or bass boost in any way, leading to a polite-sounding bass experience unless of course you use EQ – which seems to be handled very well.
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage is very airy and large. The imaging is very good, but it feels better at positioning instruments on the left-to-right or up-and-down axis; it is equally good when it comes to creating a sense of depth – in my setup at least.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
The detail level is very good, with detail rendered in a crisp and textured way.
Micro-dynamics and articulation are great, especially in the mids and highs. Macro-dynamics are good in the mids and highs, but not equally impressive overall. The bass is too polite; there’s not too much slam. However, with some EQ on the bass, things can feel quite different.
The timbre is slightly dry and crisp rather than warm and lush. It has a forward, textured feel. The Ananda Unveiled does, however, seem to take EQ well, and using EQ affects the tonal character.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC/Amp: Ferrum Erco mk2
HIFIMAN STEALTH V3 vs ANANDA UNVEILED
The Ananda Stealth V3 is the direct predecessor of the Ananda Unveiled. It has the “Window Shade” grill design, which offers better protection of the drivers but might cause more reflections in the cup. The V3 uses the old strap headband with almost zero swivel. The V3 is currently priced as low as 249 USD.
Sound wise, the Ananda Stealth V3 and Ananda Unveiled are quite similar. In terms of technical performance, I find them surprisingly close.
The Stealth V3 has a slightly warmer character with more bass presence and slightly softer highs, while the Unveiled is a bit brighter across the frequency range and gives an even greater sense of air.
You can read my full comparison here:
Hifiman Ananda Unveiled vs Stealth V3 Comparison Review
- Amazon: Ananda Stealth V3
HIFIMAN EDITION XV vs ANANDA UNVEILED
Like the Ananda Unveiled, the Edition XV was launched in 2025, as the successor of the Edition XS. It uses the same diaphragm material, headband, and cup design as the Ananda Unveiled. They have compatible pads. However, they differ in grill design, where the XV has a traditional protective built-in grill. The XV costs 499 USD.
The Ananda Unveiled and Edition XV differ quite a bit in tuning, although they’re still in the same family. The XV has more bass and darker mids. It sounds more laid back; in comparison, the Ananda Unveiled is brighter and offers a more airy and textured character.
You can read my full comparison here:
Hifiman Edition XV vs Ananda Unveiled Comparison Review
- Amazon: Hifiman XV
- AliExpress: Hifiman XV
HIFIMAN HE600 vs ANANDA UNVEILED
The HE600 was also released in 2025 and is heavily inspired by the original, legendary HE6. It’s not the same driver, but the tuning is similar.
The HE600 uses the same diaphragm material and headband as the Ananda Unveiled, but has smaller, circular cups with the same grill pattern as the XV. The HE600 costs 799 USD, currently around 250 USD more than the Ananda Unveiled.
Comparing the HE600 to the Ananda Unveiled, the HE600 is warmer and more intimate; the Ananda Unveiled is crisper, brighter and airier. I also think the HE600 sounds a tad more refined.
You can read my full comparison here:
Hifiman HE600 vs Ananda Unveiled Comparison Review
- Amazon: Hifiman HE600
- AliExpress: Hifiman HE600
CONCLUSION
The Ananda Unveiled offers a neutral-to-bright tuning, rich in detail, delivering a tight and textured sound.
The new headband is a welcome upgrade, but the exposed drivers command careful handling. For some users it won’t matter at all; for others it can be a problem. It simply comes down to what environment you are using the headphones in and what type of handling they are exposed to.
Even though I typically prefer a warmer tuning, I have really enjoyed reviewing the Ananda Unveiled. Its tight, crisp character and airy soundstage make for a really good listen.
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- Amazon: Ananda Unveiled
- AliExpress: Ananda Unveiled
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