The HIFIMAN Ananda hits $249 at Amazon, and nothing at this price competes with planar magnetic drivers

Planar magnetic headphones used to be the kind of thing you’d spend $500 or more to get into. The HIFIMAN Ananda changed that conversation when it launched, and at $249, it moves that conversation further still. That’s $150 off its $399 list price for …

If you want “wow, I didn’t know my music had that in it,” these open-back planars are on sale

Most headphone upgrades are incremental. You get a little more bass, a little more clarity, and you move on. Open-back planar magnetic headphones can be a different kind of jump. They’re the sort of gear that makes familiar songs feel bigger, more deta…