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HIFIMAN Ananda Over-Ear Full-Size Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones with Stealth Magnet, Comfortable Earpads, Detachable Cable for Home and Studio

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 393 ratings

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Purchase options and add-ons

Brand HIFIMAN
Model Name Ananda
Color Black
Form Factor Over Ear
Connectivity Technology Wired

About this item

  • Acoustically Invisible Stealth Magnet: Unlike the sound waves created by a conventional magnet, the special shape of Stealth Magnets enables the waves to pass through the magnets without generating interference. HIFIMAN’s advanced magnet design is acoustically transparent, dramatically reducing wave diffraction turbulence that degrades the integrity of the sound waves. The reduced distortion yields pure sonic output that is accurate and full-range.
  • NEO “supernano” Diaphragm (NsD)- “Hear what you have been missing”: The all new NsD is 80% thinner than previous designs resulting in a faster more detailed response while retaining lush musicality never before possible. At between 1 to 2 microns thick, the NsD diaphragm sets all be standards.
  • High Sensitivity: High Sensitivity allows use with virtually any smartphone or portable audio device. Low distortion and amazing sound quality.
  • ★Window Shade Grill Design greatly reduces sonic reflections for clearer sound;★ Asymmetrical Ear Cups follows the natural shape of the human ear;★ Hybrid Headband Design: ANANDA has a carefully designed weight dispersing strap allowing the headband to afford outstanding levels of long-term comfort. The sleek and sumptuous matte black finish is combined with a metal construction for maximum durability;★ Making Connections ANANDA comes with our updated 3.5mm headphone connectors.
  • Efficient Planar Performance: ANANDA is the culmination of years of development, lightweight, ultra-fine planar drivers at their heart sing with unmatched agility and power sensitivity. Unparalleled Portable Audio Performance: ANANDA is the perfect companion for the portable devices, a sonic match made in heaven allowing you to experience sonic bliss wherever you may be.
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Product Description

Header-ANANDA
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About HIFIMAN

Founded by Dr. Fang Bian in 2007, HIFIMAN is widely regarded as one of the leading manufacturers of high performance headphones and portable audio products. HIFIMAN is especially known for its critically-acclaimed Planar-Magnetic headphones that feature state-of-the-art driver technology. The company also designs and manufactures world-class dynamic in-ear drivers which have also garnered awards and rave reviews.

Efficient Planar Performance

ANANDA is the culmination of years of development, lightweight, ultra-fine planar drivers at their heart sing with unmatched agility and power sensitivity.

  • Acoustically Invisible Stealth Magnet
  • High Sensitivity
  • NEO “supernano” Diaphragm (NsD)
  • Unparalleled Portable Audio Performance
  • Window Shade Grill Design
  • Asymmetrical Ear Cups
  • Hybrid Headband Design
  • Updated 3.5mm connectors

  • Specifications:
  • Frequency Response: 8 Hz – 55 kHz
  • Sensitivity: 93 dB
  • Impedance: 16 Ω
  • Weight: 398g

Stealth Magnet Design

Stealth Magnet

Unlike the sound waves created by a conventional magnet, the special shape of Stealth Magnets enables the waves to pass through the magnets without generating interference.

HIFIMAN’s advanced magnet design is acoustically transparent, dramatically reducing wave diffraction turbulence that degrades the integrity of the sound waves. The reduced distortion yields pure sonic output that is accurate and full-range.

HIFIMAN has advanced its manufaturing processes to create this all new planar driver at unheard of prices. HIFIMAN has again set a all new bar for performance/value ratio that the rest of the industry will have a very hard time following.

NEO “supernano” Diaphragm (NsD)

NEO “supernano” Diaphragm (NsD)

“Hear what you have been missing”

The all new NsD is 80% thinner than previous designs resulting in a faster more detailed response while retaining lush musicality never before possible. At between 1 to 2 microns thick, the NsD diaphragm sets all be standards.

High Sensitivity

High Sensitivity

High Sensitivity allows use with virtually any smartphone or portable audio device. Low distortion and amazing sound quality.

Unparalleled Portable Audio Performance

Unparalleled Portable Audio Performance

ANANDA is the perfect companion for the portable devices, a sonic match made in heaven allowing you to experience sonic bliss wherever you may be.

Form follows Function

Window Shade Grill

Ear Cup

Headband

Making Connections

Window Shade Grill Design

Window Shade Grill Design greatly reduces sonic reflections for clearer sound

Asymmetrical Ear Cups

Asymmetrical Ear Cups follows the natural shape of the human ear

Hybrid Headband Design

ANANDA has a carefully designed weight dispersing strap allowing the headband to afford outstanding levels of long-term comfort. The sleek and sumptuous matte black finish is combined with a metal construction for maximum durability.

Making Connections

ANANDA comes with our updated 3.5mm headphone connectors. This offers users the most robust headphone connector we have ever used giving both maximum survivability and enhanced longevity.

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HIFIMAN Ananda Over-Ear Full-Size Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones with Stealth Magnet, Comfortable Earpads, Detachable Cable for Home and Studio
HIFIMAN Ananda Over-Ear Full-Size Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones with Stealth Magnet, Comfortable Earpads, Detachable Cable for Home and Studio
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Price$399.00$529.00$449.99-35% $149.95
List:$229.25
$149.00$1,299.00
Delivery
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 4
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3
Customer Ratings
Sound quality
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.1
5.0
Comfort
4.2
4.7
4.4
5.0
4.9
Quality of material
4.0
3.8
4.5
4.6
For gaming
3.4
4.7
4.4
4.6
Noise cancellation
3.5
2.6
3.4
Sold By
HIFIMAN
Amazon.com
S-Waves Electronics
ARF Tech
HIFIMAN
HIFIMAN
connectivity tech
Wired
Wired
Wired
Wired
Wired
Wired
headphones form factor
Over Ear
Over Ear
Over Ear
Over Ear
Over Ear
Over Ear
connector type
3.5mm Jack
1/4-inch, 3.5mm Jack
6.35mm Jack, 3.5mm Jack
3.5mm Jack
headphones jack
3.5 mm Jack
6.35 mm Jack
3.5 mm Jack
3.5 mm Jack
3.5 mm Jack
3.5 mm Jack
cable feature
Detachable
Retractable
Retractable
Detachable
Detachable
Detachable
control type
Media Control
Media Control
control
Media Control

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    HIFIMAN Ananda Over-Ear Full-Size Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones with Stealth Magnet, Comfortable Earpads, Detachable Cable for Home and Studio


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    Customer reviews

    4.2 out of 5 stars
    4.2 out of 5
    393 global ratings

    Customers say

    Customers like the detail, measurement and fit of the headphones. For example, they mention that it provides more clarity and detail retrieval, it does best with low-impedance, high-sensitivity headphones and that the ear cuffs are large and fit their big ears. They are also satisfied with sound quality. That said, opinions are mixed on appearance, comfort, quality, and value.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    98 customers mention73 positive25 negative

    Customers like the sound quality of the headphones. They say it has a rich sound that brings out details in music. They also say the sound is wide and the drum sounds wide. Customers also say it's the best balance of tonality, clarity, dynamics, imaging, bass extension, and that it presents vocals in an intimate way. They mention the imaging is superb and the voices come across as open and well positioned. Overall, customers say the headphones are a step up in musical performance and a huge step up for comfort.

    "...you're going to power this with your phone, yeah it will work and get fairly loud, but to really want to get all it capable of, plan on a descent..." Read more

    "...The mids on the Ananda’s are smooth and exciting. Voices come across as open and well positioned, along with the proper distance between singers and..." Read more

    "...a much wider soundstage, greater detail retrieval and overall the music sounded clearer, better, and more powerful compared to the other headphones..." Read more

    "...The imaging is superb, it presents vocals in an intimate way similar to the HD 650, have a staging similar to(but not as wide as) the focal clear,..." Read more

    34 customers mention26 positive8 negative

    Customers like the detail in the headphones. They say it provides more clarity and detail retrieval than other headphones. Customers also say that it provides enormous detail and staging in a very comfortable and easy to use design. They mention that the headphones pay attention to details in all frequencies throughout the musical spectrum and that the clarity is far and above what they had experienced before.

    "...They have a far bigger soundstage and are much more crisp and detailed...." Read more

    "...Headphones can be addictive, in the sense, they’ll immerse you with their life like rendition of whatever you’re asking their musical charms to..." Read more

    "...Very detail sound & separation of the detailsBad: While I bought it here, NEW from Hifiman...." Read more

    ".../heavily layered songs such by The Prodigy by providing more clarity and detail retrieval and clear instrumentation to complex songs with a wide..." Read more

    17 customers mention17 positive0 negative

    Customers are satisfied with the measurement of the headphones. They mention that it EQs extremely well, does best with low-impedance, high-sensitivity headphones, and is excellent. The music sounds clearer, better, and more powerful. They also appreciate the similar soundstage and imaging, and the similar overall performance. The frequency range is wide, and fidelity is high. The headphones deliver very well on the low end, and it does fine across the frequency response to accurately reproduce sound in timbre.

    "...that can be corrected with EQ, and unlike the 6xx the Anandas EQ extremely well...." Read more

    "...Everyone cherished them. They measured very well, base, and middle frequencies were well done, highs were ok … but, more importantly, everyone said..." Read more

    "...but other than that, they had similar soundstage/imaging, similar overall performance, but I have my t50s modded to be bass cannons thanks to the..." Read more

    "...They are accurate as in they don’t suffer from impedance spikes like traditional transducers, speakers etc. they remain steady and stunning...." Read more

    14 customers mention10 positive4 negative

    Customers like the fit of the headphones. For example, they say the ear cuffs are large and fit their big ears. The headphones are adjustable for various head sizes and the ears fit inside so there is no pressure. They also say the sound is great and the headphones do an amazing job for something so compact.

    "...n't have the widest stage but they have quite a tall one, and it is plenty wide as well but not as wide as the focal clear and not nearly as wide as..." Read more

    "...The sound is just amazing. It’s huge, spacious, and very detailed. Nothing is left out, nothing is over emphasized. Just a really nice balance...." Read more

    "...One other thing: the cups on the Ananda are so huge that positioning them properly on your head..." Read more

    "...For my head, the Ananda sits well enough, I sometimes have to play with it, or lean them a bit forward to get comfortable...." Read more

    50 customers mention34 positive16 negative

    Customers are mixed about the quality of the headphones. Some mention that they are great quality, extremely good headphones with amazing sound. However, others say that the build quality is atrocious, the cups are hollow plastic, and the housing is plastic.

    "...number of selective tunes from a new streaming site, these Headphones can be addictive, in the sense, they’ll immerse you with their life like..." Read more

    "These are the best things I have ever heard. And I have heard a LOT of headphones. A LOT...." Read more

    "...they remain steady and stunning. Not too bright, not too muddy. They aren’t anything. Imagine a perfect signature, that’s what I say...." Read more

    "...I live alone and don't care but it is a remarkable quality that I didn't understand until I had them...." Read more

    37 customers mention23 positive14 negative

    Customers are mixed about the comfort of the headphones. Some mention that the cup size and material is comfortable for long-term use, and the pads are super soft. However, others say that they can't wear them comfortably, the headband adjuster is very tight after the fifth click, and there is a lot of clamping force for their head.

    "...The 6xx are far more comfortable for long listening sessions...." Read more

    "...It is a wonderful experience.These are also pretty comfortable...." Read more

    "...first planar at an affordable price.($400) However it was heavy, uncomfortable, and difficult to drive...." Read more

    "...it's really up to the person but for me it fits very well and is very comfortable...." Read more

    22 customers mention15 positive7 negative

    Customers are mixed about the value of the headphones. Some mention that the price is well worth it, while others say that it's overpriced. They also mention that there are no balanced cables and that the build is subpar.

    "...than the Edition XS, and it has to be said...they are spectacular at that price point...." Read more

    "...For 180 bucks, they offer a great value proposition for a beautiful "U-shaped" sound signature...." Read more

    "...because the quality of the headband is just a joke and an embarrassment for the price. For $700, I expect a comfortable and durable headband...." Read more

    "...if you desire planar magnetic headphones at an extremely affordable price (can be had for $150 or less) and have a big modding community behind them..." Read more

    11 customers mention6 positive5 negative

    Customers are mixed about the appearance of the headphones. Some mention they are stunning, vibrant, and detailed. Others say that they are not the most slick-looking or the most comfortable pair of headphones. They also mention that the fancy leather looking box is poorly designed and that the pads are mediocre and you can notice irregularities on the metal mesh design.

    "...They have a far bigger soundstage and are much more crisp and detailed...." Read more

    "...One ear cup even had two short hairs in it. See picsBad headband design. The headband deep scratches / damages itself under normal use!!..." Read more

    "...not siblant, the bass is deep yet not overpowering, and the mids are gorgeously detailed and up close...." Read more

    "...The cables are really bad - they are not the best looking cable, and also have problem in sound quality...." Read more

    Beats The Competition
    5 Stars
    Beats The Competition
    TLDR first: The Hifiman Ananda in a shootout against other various headphones I own, they blew the competition away. However may not be worth the paying double the price over the Hifiman Sundara which gives em a run for their money.Tested with various music in the Metal, Indie, Rap, Jazz, and Electronic Genres, the Anandas provided a much wider soundstage, greater detail retrieval and overall the music sounded clearer, better, and more powerful compared to the other headphones in my collection.These are definitely a keeper and money well spent.--------------------The contestants:1. Hifiman Ananda2. Hifiman Sundara3. Beyerdynamic T1 (Gen 2)4. Fostex T50RP Mk3 (w/Mayflower Mod + Mr Speakers Alpha Pads)Songs tested (all lossless):1. Daft Punk - Giorgio By Moroder2. The Prodigy - The Day Is My Enemy3. The Great Kat - Vivaldi's The Four Seasons For Violin, Chamber Orchestra4. Warren G - Regulate5. Dr. Dre - Nuthin' But A G Thang6. The Game - Let's Ride7. Symbolik - Invoking Oblivion8. Arch Enemy - Pilgrim9. Fleshwrought - Inner Thoughts10. Pavement - Range Life11. Stereo Lab - Miss Modular12. Cradle of Filth - Beneath The Howling Stars13. Psyclon Nine - Crwn Thy Frnicatr14. Marcus Miller - Boomerang15. Nine Inch Nails - Ruiner16. Summoning - Over Old Hills17. Beastie Boys - Shake Your Rump18. Dream Theater - Scene Seven: I. The Dance Of Eternity19. Rancid - Daly City Train20. Ataraxia - CobaltEquipment:PC running Foobar WASAPI output up to 24bit 192khzMicca Origin G2 DAC/AMPSennheiser HDVD 800 DAC/AMPHifiman Ananda: These headphones accelerated above the competition, no matter the genre I toss as them. Everything from fast and heavy death metal, to deep and complex electronic, to rhythmic and sub bassy Rap/Hi-Hop, and everything in-between. While they are no where close to being bass cannons, especially with hip-hop/rap, they still manage to rattle your ears and deliver clear and satisfying sub bass.Then the one department where the Anandas delivered above the rest was in sound stage and clarity.. Especially with The Prodigy's The Day Is My Enemy, after hearing this song with the Anandas, everything else sounded muffled or closed-in/shallow in comparison.--Hifiman Sundara: It was hard to tell any difference between the Sundaras and the Anandas, they competed neck and neck in most songs, except the Anandas excelled in complex/heavily layered songs such by The Prodigy by providing more clarity and detail retrieval and clear instrumentation to complex songs with a wide range of overlapping low, mid, and high frequencies, and the Anandas had less sub bass or lower frequency range roll-off such as in hip-hop/rap songs, providing a slight bit more physical air movement pushing feeling on your ears.Overall I highly recommend the Hifiman Sundara headphones as they offer a similar listening experience to the Anandas, in the majority of songs in my testing, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference in a blind test, and at 1/2 the cost, unless you believe a 10-15% slightly more bass and slightly wider soundstage in certain types of music is worth the extra $350 to you then go with the Anandas, otherwise the Sundaras get my complete stamp of approval and recommendation.--Beyerdynamic T1: All I can say is I am disappointed, I received these at the same time as the Anandas and immediately from first listen, they failed to impress and got an instant fail in my book. While they are great as the competition in detail retrieval, unfortunately everything through them sounds muffled and closed-in, even the Sundaras which cost up to 3 times less than them provided a much cleaner, clearer, and wider sound with the exact same detail retrieval. I expected more from a brand's Flagship headphone.The other area where these headphones fail is in being pushed, just one of those downsides of dynamic drivers, where the Planar Magnetic headphones can be pushed to uncomfortable volume levels and beyond while retaining clarity, the Beyerdymanic headphones, even with their "Tesla Technology" drivers begin to deliver distorted sound which gets worse.Needless to say, I am returning these headphones.. I bought these along side the Anandas to compare and planned on keeping the better of the two and these are a definite instant rejection.--Fostex T50 RP (modded): Less detail retrieval compared to the competition... but bass cannons! What can I say? if you desire planar magnetic headphones at an extremely affordable price (can be had for $150 or less) and have a big modding community behind them, you can do no better than the Fostex T50s.. They even give the flagship Beyerdynamics a run for their money at up to 3 times less the price (up to 6 times unmodded), The one and only area where the Beyers beat the t50s was in detail retrieval, but other than that, they had similar soundstage/imaging, similar overall performance, but I have my t50s modded to be bass cannons thanks to the Alpha Pads and tweaks to the Mayflower mod.-Conclusion: My recommendation, save $350 and go with the Sundaras and use the $350 to upgrade your dac/amp or buy another pair of headphones for variety.. unless you desire a bit more soundstage, larger planar drivers, bit more clarity and bass then go with the Anandas, either one, you'll have a great listening experience.
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    Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2020
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    Top reviews from other countries

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    William B
    5.0 out of 5 stars My first HiFiMAN planar. Now 3!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 14, 2024
    One person found this helpful
    Report
    Juan Manuel Avalos Flores
    5.0 out of 5 stars Suenan maravilloso
    Reviewed in Mexico on August 16, 2023
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
    Balaji Ramachari
    5.0 out of 5 stars Portable high end experience
    Reviewed in India on November 22, 2020
    Customer image
    Balaji Ramachari
    5.0 out of 5 stars Portable high end experience
    Reviewed in India on November 22, 2020
    Picked these on Amazon prime day sale a couple of months ago and below are my impressions. I am a big fan of planars and have started my journey with Hifiman He-560 quite some years ago and was itching for an upgrade from Mrspeakers Aeon closed and Sundara and here comes the Ananda.

    While Ananda is an upgrade from the above mentioned Headphones it belongs to a slightly different category from the above mentioned ones as it is the most easiest to drive of all the above. This is a headphone for the ones that crave for a grand experience portably, Ananda is the first step in the world of planars which opens a world of grandness with its massive stage height from a portable device.

    Cutting it short Ananda is pretty easier to drive at 103 db/mW, a mid-fi DAC with good driving power like ibasso DX-160 or Quloos QA 361and a mid-fi DAC Amp like Earmen TR-Amp can do good justice to it, however the benefits of a bigger amp cannot be ruled out. Ananda being advertised as being able to be driven a phone is like a joke but the good news is something like the Earmen TR-Amp can drive it well more so than the ibasso DX 160. With my experience with the three I would rate the experience with Earmen TR-Amp as the best followed by QA 361 and DX-160 in balanced.

    Build

    Solidly built with all metal and very comfortable even though the chassis is the same as the Sundara. The good news about Ananda's ear cups is the side wall material is of thicker variety and one can be rest assured it will have a longer life, on the contrary Sundara's side wall material is on the softer side and starts tearing up after an year of usage.

    I had auditioned a friend's unit which has been in use for more than 2 years and was glad to see that it is very intact. A big thumps up for the build quality even on the looks front Ananda looks grand especially on the side profile with silver shaded grilles.

    When I had a closer look at the driver units I could see that the 2020 version has a thicker cloth mesh to protect from outside dust and Hifiman claims that the QC is much better on the newer HPs and they have not received any single driver failure on the newer models in India, a bit reassuring.
    The cable is a joke but at least it is on the softer side and is very much usable and does not have a mind of its own but Hifiman decides to give you two cables one with 3.5 termination and one with 6.3mm termination!! What about an XLR instead of 6.3mm! have they lost their mind?

    Sound

    So how does it sound? It’s like a big extension of HD 650 if I can say! The first thing that strikes you immediately is the height of the stage it is so huge given the size of the driver. It actually has the warmth of a HD650 with the speed of a planar. The one thing that puts me down with warm sounding DD HPs is the lack of speed and Ananda comes as a refresher here, it is a touch warmer than Sundara making it the most musical HP in Hifiman line up.

    Ananda is a culmination from Hifiman Edition X and is more on the detailed side and I would say they had hit the bull's eye with tone in Ananda, no wonder these sell very well worldwide. It has enough bass to keep you engaged and punchy but if you are looking for pure slam, Sundara scores better but please note that Sundara is a bit harsh sounding than Ananda and needs to be Eq'd however with Ananda you just don't need Eq at all.
    I don't listen to genres like R&B & Hip hop but with Jazz, Rock and Indian film music it plays hard. Rock especially is particularly refreshing as it has a good treble response along with the warmth and punchy bass.

    I listen to 80s & 90s mostly, the golden (Raja) era of South Indian film music and would like my voices full and rounded and Ananda does full justice to that, honestly I would not expect any more from the voice front on this. It can fall back a smidgen on the mids when compared to the likes of Arya when it comes to emotion of mids but Arya is double the price and needs a desktop setup too, I would request not to come to a judgement with just a few tracks.

    Some of my regular Jazz nos had the voice upfront and grand with TR-Amp itself and there is not a hint of shoutiness with such a small DAC/Amp. This is the biggest strength of the Ananda as mentioned above, you need not be tied to a desktop set up to experience a grand scale presentation however it scale well with a good desktop set up.

    Treble response is sweet and is technically or I can say qualitatively far better than the likes of HE400i and Sundara which completes the package very well, those who upgrade from HPs like Sundara will immediately notice that the quality of the treble is on a much higher pedestal. It has higher resolution and is comparable to the high end category like Arya.

    It is on the thinner side compared to the likes of HD800 which could be thicker and a bit harsh sounding. If you want me to pick up a HP between Ananda & HD800 my choice would be the Ananda. HD800 needs a better desktop chain and is very amp picky and needs a lot of additional investment to sound better unlike the Ananda which just shines with an entry level DAC amp like TR-Amp. Ananda beats HD800 in stage height and HD800 beats Ananda in stage width, I would say any HP for that matter. The scalability factor with high end amps could be higher on the HD800 but Ananda gives you an easy path to high end audio.

    Conclusion

    Overall it is an excellent package and I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for an upgrade from Sundara or who is not happy with the Audeze line up in this price category.
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    20 people found this helpful
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    H.M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Preis-/Leistungs Hammer
    Reviewed in Germany on November 16, 2020
    23 people found this helpful
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    Flament Nicolas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Casque de très haute volée !
    Reviewed in France on March 1, 2020