Bang & Olufsen 980
Bang & Olufsen
85 Overall Score
vs
HiFiMan Ananda
HiFiMan
41 Overall Score
What Buyers Say
Bang & Olufsen 980
No customer feedback yet
HiFiMan Ananda
88 out of 100 low confidence 7 reviews
The HiFiMAN Ananda is widely praised for its exceptional sound quality, offering a huge soundstage, excellent detail retrieval, and a warm yet fast planar signature. Users highlight its value at current sale prices, especially compared to pricier models, and note it is relatively easy to drive for a planar. However, some find it less relaxing than the Sennheiser HD6xx for casual listening, and the build quality, while improved, still has minor criticisms regarding the cable and plastic design. Overall, it is considered a top-tier headphone for critical listening and gaming.
Pros
- Exceptional sound quality and detail
- Huge and immersive soundstage
- Excellent value at sale prices
- Relatively easy to drive for a planar
- Warm yet fast planar sound signature
Cons
- Less relaxing than Sennheiser HD6xx
- Stock cable feels flimsy and delicate
- Plastic design feels cheap for the price
- Lacks deep sub-bass without EQ
- Bright treble can be fatiguing for some
Sound quality 7
Soundstage 5
Value for money 5
Build quality 5
Comfort 4
Cable quality 3
Scores
Gaming
Budget
Work
Commute
Music
Calls
Studio
Specifications
| Bang & Olufsen 980 | HiFiMan Ananda | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | ||
| Form Factor | over-ear | over-ear |
| Open/Closed | closed | open |
| Foldable | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.28 kg★ | 0.40 kg |
| Headband | — | metal |
| Audio | ||
| Driver Type | dynamic | planar magnetic |
| Driver Size | 40 mm★ | — |
| Freq Min | 80 Hz | 8 Hz★ |
| Freq Max | 7 kHz | 55 kHz★ |
| Impedance | 24 Ω | 27 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 118 dB★ | 103 dB |
| Hi-Res Audio | ✓★ | — |
| Codecs | AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX LL, SBC | HIFIMAN Ananda Over-Ear Full-Size Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones with Stealth Magnet, Comfortable Earpads, Detachable Cable for Home and Studio |
| Noise Control | ||
| ANC | ✓★ | ✗ |
| ANC Type | adaptive | — |
| Transparency | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Bluetooth | 5.1★ | — |
| Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP | — |
| Multipoint | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Wired Connector | 3.5mm | 3.5mm |
| Detachable Cable | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cable Length | 1.25 m | 1.5 m |
| Range | 12.199999809265137 m★ | — |
| Battery | ||
| Battery Life | 23 hrs★ | — |
| Charge Time | 2 hrs★ | — |
| Fast Charging | 10 Minutes for 3 Hours | — |
| Charging | USB-C★ | — |
| Microphone | ||
| Microphone | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Mic Count | 6★ | — |
| NC Mic | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Boom Mic | ✗ | ✗ |
| Detachable Mic | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mic Pattern | Cardioid (Unidirectional) | — |
| Features | ||
| Touch Controls | ✗ | ✗ |
| App | Bang & Olufsen App | — |
| Volume Limiting | ✓★ | — |
| Gaming Mode | — | ✗ |
Pros & Cons
Bang & Olufsen 980
- Strong mic (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong sound (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong anc (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong connectivity (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
HiFiMan Ananda
- Strong build (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong user sentiment (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Strong social proof (71st percentile)
- Below average comfort (10th percentile)10th %ile
- Below average mic (16th percentile)16th %ile
- Below average anc (32nd percentile)
Pricing
Bang & Olufsen 980
No current pricing available
HiFiMan Ananda
Verdict
Winner: Bang & Olufsen 980
Scores 85 overall, wins 7 of 7 usage categories and 18 of 38 specs.
