Big thank you to Mark over @ HIFIMAN for the Arya loaner!
Greetings mate, and Welcome aboard. Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear), all over again, so…
Today we’ll take another look at the Arya (this is the stealth magnets version) and determine whether or not it’s worth a purchase. Originally retailing at $1,599, it has since come down to around $600-$650. Is that a more realistic monetary representation of what you can expect out of these headphones sound-wise?
We’ll discuss it all today and help you make a sound decision. If it’s still not worth a purchase, I’ll point you in the direction of something that is.
Note: From the manual, it doesn’t look like there is supposed to be an additional cable provided although I did find one in the box. It was resting on top of the box so I’m not really sure what the deal is there.
Yes, I could (and still can) hear a slight improvement in overall resolution/refinement, but not to the tune of almost $2000.
Before I start ranting, let’s discuss build and get this thing rolling.
Build
Surely HIFIMAN has made some strange decisions over the years, and in the case of the Arya, it almost seems like they took a step back; at least on the surface.
While the Ananda/Sundara builds represented a deviation from their original design, the Arya actually hearkens back to the strange, somewhat alien aesthetic of the OG Edition X.
The OG.
Again we have fully rotating earcups, the old headband pad, and the deformed Ostrich-looking headband adjustment.
Well, alrighty then. It feels like 2017 all over again.
In other words, let’s be honest here; you’re going to look like a complete buffoon with these on your head. Again.
NERD!!!
Seriously, don’t go outside unless you want to get punched in the throat by a random passerby; or yelled at by Homer Simpson xD.
Regardless,
I don’t know exactly why they reverted back to the initial form, but it’s not an issue (aside from the fact that you may look like a gigantic geek).
The headphones are built well and feel a little more robust than the somewhat flimsy nature of the Edition X.
They’re designed well, but I do remember some folks hating the look.
We’ve still got the window-shade grille, and the pads mimic the shape of your ear so there’s plenty of room in there for even the largest of auricles.
So if you have ears the size of Minnesota, you’re in luck!
Crikey look at the size of those things!
Comfort
Jokes aside, HIFIMAN headphones rarely disappoint when it comes to overall comfort, and the Arya is no exception.
Even as a planar (they tend to be heavier) at around 400g, the weight is distributed evenly and sits wonderfully on your head.
Clamping force on the sides is excellent, and despite a thin piece of padding on top, they don’t dig into my skull all that much.
The cups are open, deep, and also loosely mimic the shape of the human ear. More on the materials in a bit.
Unlike past models, I haven’t had an issue with the pad digging into the back of my ear where that ridge/bone lies.
Other than that, the headphones do move a little on your head and minor adjustments will probably be made every so often. That said, you don’t notice them much, and their pretty non-intrusive; similar to something like an SHP9500 but a little tighter of a fit.
Because of the angled drivers inside, you can actually push the headphones forward so that the backs are resting on your ears a bit.
This gives off a slightly more open Soundstage and better immersion, but don’t expect to be able to hold that position indefinitely.
The headphones will nearly always find a happy medium on your melon – on their terms, not yours.
Do I find this to be an issue?
Not really. If the headphones were super uncomfortable, then yes.
But this is another small quirk about HIFIMAN that you’ll have to accept if you decide to take the plunge.
Playlists:Here (Main), Here (Arya/Ananda/XS Shootout), and Here.
Albums: Listed toward the end!
After listening to 14+ albums and hundreds of songs, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the Arya is a good headphone; with some quirks of course.
That said, let’s prepare you for the reality of its sound, starting with bass.
Bass
Unlike the Ananda, the bass of the Arya doesn’t roll off below 50Hz, but if we’re being honest, it’s inconsequential. You can’t hear bass below 40Hz, but some would argue you can “feel” it. OK. Whatever.
Mid-Fi HIFIMAN bass also tends to roll off a little more below 50-60Hz, but the vast majority of folks reading this will surely appreciate the low end of the Arya regardless.
It’s tight and controlled, delivering just the right amount of weight and impact without sounding bloated, muddy, and/or clammy. Bass notes are heard better, and the mud regions of 200-300Hz, thankfully, aren’t boosted into oblivion like the majority of consumer trash.
This means that instead of getting your brain rattled harder than an autistic person banging their head against a wall, you’re able to follow bass lines and pick them apart. Who would have thought?
Could 60-90Hz use a bit of a boost? Yeah, probably, but the cool thing is that HIFIMAN headphones typically respond to EQ pretty well.
For my philosophy on bass and why it’s so important, click here.
Mid-Range
The Arya is one of the most revealing headphones I’ve ever put on my head, and it starts with the mids.
In other words, these are very neutral and portray the music exactly as it was recorded; good or bad.
If the HD600 gives you a blank stare, the Arya looks something like this:
“Tina come get some HAM!”
The first thing you’ll notice is that the overall resolution is a clear step up from anything in the mid-fi category.
Thus, tracks are a lot more revealing because sounds are separated nicely and occupy whatever space the artist placed them in. This is hugely important, especially for voices that sounded layered over top of each other in cheaper products.
The Arya’s excellent separation means you can hear nearly everything that went into the recording, and it makes for a wonderfully immersive experience with the right tracks; i.e. ones that were mixed and mastered properly.
Heck, you may even enjoy all the errors you’re bound to hear in music that doesn’t sound as polished.
Again, the Arya is not in the business of putting lipstick on a pig, so plan accordingly.
That said, vocals and instruments are lively, present, and accounted for, and while the HIFIMAN house signature “dip after 1kHz, rise back up at around 2-3” is still apparent, it’s not as jarring as it is with some of their mid-fi offerings like the 400i,400S,400se,Sundara, etc.
In other words, while those headphones may sound slightly dull/pushed back/warm/sleepy/veiled at times (pick your word salad), the Arya avoids these pitfalls and sounds crisper and more energetic overall.
Treble
Another great aspect is the treble response, which opts for a dip around the sibilance regions of 9-10kHz in favor of some air after 10k. This gives the sound some openness without the essiness and bite that accompanies inferior headphones; ones that typically boost certain areas of the high-end too much.
Now, is the dip a little much? Yeah, I’d say it could stand to come up by a couple of dB, but this is a fairly minor nitpick.
That said, my initial reaction to the Arya wasn’t at all like my initial reaction to the Ananda, and I was a little taken aback by it.
For the price of the Arya at launch ($1,599), I was expecting to be floored and wasn’t.
Note: since the original publishing of this review, they have come down in price twice: once to around $900-$1000, and a second time down to around $600-$650 as mentioned at the start.
I should also note that both the Ananda and Edition XS have dropped in price. More on that later.
So is the Arya at $650 worth a purchase?
Arya vs. Ananda vs. Edition XS
It’s a bit closer than it used to be, so if you believe an extra $300-$400 for slightly better resolution is worth it to you, by all means, have at it.
To me, that money could be better spent elsewhere, as I’m still inclined to recommend an Ananda at roughly $359 (for those who prefer a brighter sound) or an Edition XS at around $269 (for those who prefer a darker sound).
These prices are subject to change and moving forward, I will edit the article accordingly.
I’m not going to sit here and rant about the current price of the Arya, but I will say that paying the old price ($1600) for slightly better resolution was always ridiculous to me.
My original dilemma with the Arya was that I wouldn’t buy it if I could get a Utopia on the second-hand market for around $1500-2000 as it’s a superior headphone in a myriad of ways: resolution, timbre, overall tuning, driver matching, really anything you can come up with sounds much better than an Arya.
The only thing that the Arya arguably does better is it keeps the treble a little more in line – ever so slightly.
Though not a super bright headphone by any stretch, the Ananda sometimes sounded just a smidgen essy at times, and you could hear a bit of hiss though it wasn’t (and still isn’t) a dealbreaker.
Genre Considerations
For instance, Metal music (and even some more aggressive Rock) with an Ananda typically gives off the impression that the headphones are bright-neutral, meaning you’ll probably hear a slight bit of hiss depending on the track in question.
Animals as Leaders’ 2014 “The Joy Of Motion” is an example of this; it’s just a tad bright for me, but still (as progressive metal) it’s recorded better than the traditional thrash/heavy metal of the ’80s and ’90s.
Similarly, Mogwai’s 2021 “As The Love Continues” falls in a similar vein – a bit bright in spots, and definitely heavier than I’m used to from the Legendary post-rock instrumental group.
So far, other than those albums, it’s mostly smooth sailing on the treble front.
As for the Arya, like the Ananda and Edition XS, it works beautifully for 99% of genres you may encounter, working incredibly well for Rock,Hip-Hop,Pop, Indie, EDM, Jazz,Classical, Acoustic, Folk, and anything in between.
Amplification
At 35 Ohm Impedance, the Arya doesn’t resist power much but is very inefficient at 94dB Sensitivity meaning it requires more juice from an amp to reach acceptable listening levels.
Back when I used them with the iFi Zen CAN Signature HFM (HIFIMAN), I was at +6dB with the knob around 12 – 1 ‘o clock.
Still not quite as hard to drive as you may think, but I still would never rely on a phone (or even a Go Link) to push these.
I go into the pairing of the HFM stack in the official Zen CAN Signature HFM review as well as the aforementioned HE400se review if you were curious about how they sound together.
With that,
what supposedly sets HIFIMAN apart according to…HIFIMAN?
Let’s take a gander at the manual.
Nanometer Thickness Diaphragm
We talked about planar magnetic technology and the stealth magnet design in the 400se review, so if you’re new and haven’t seen that article, check it out.
HIFIMAN utilizes a nanometer-thick diaphragm which they say is invisible to the naked eye if you turn it sideways.
Just think of a malnourished marathon runner on a diet of rice cakes and Powerade if you’re having trouble.
Yes, this can result in issues for obvious reasons, and I have heard people report that theirs have malfunctioned and/or broken.
HIFIMAN also concedes it’s incredibly challenging to design and manufacture them, and I have no doubt this is true.
They really didn’t say exactly what this helps to achieve other than a general indication of better sound, so take that for what it’s worth.
Patented “Window Shade” System
“Created to meet the need for driver protection and optimized open-back design”
HIFIMAN says the Window Shade is precisely structured to gain greater openness in the headphone design.
“It keeps the sound waves from reflection and refraction to avoid unwanted vibration and distortion.”
“The result is a wider Soundstage, outstanding imaging, and remarkable clarity.”
Can’t argue there as it echoes my sentiments above with regard to how the Arya sounds overall: clear, resolving, and tuned very well.
“Aesthetically, the “Window Shade” also provides a unique, high-tech look to the Arya.”
*rolls eyes*
Advanced Asymmetrical Magnetic Circuit
“Years of painstaking research with this groundbreaking design offers near-perfect reproduction of live music”
Well, yeah. That makes perfect sense considering what we discussed earlier about the Arya’s neutral and honest portrayal of music.
These headphones will absolutely present the music exactly as it was recorded.
Unfortunately, that’s not always a good thing if your goal is to max and relax with some tunes… all casual-like.
Out of all the headphones I’ve demoed, I truly believe this is one that absolutely demands the best source files. Like Big Pun, there’s no getting around it.
For instance, I was listening to Mos Def’s “Brooklyn In My Mind” with the Arya recently and noticed something in the instrumental itself that threw me off – something I had never experienced before.
9th Wonder mixed it in such a way that there’s this subtle hi-pass filter applied but it’s not something that I could ever discern with cheap headphones, car speakers, or even mid-fi cans.
The Arya is an example of a headphone that will reveal these things to you and thus what makes it sound a cut above like Jersey Mike’s.
Again, this goes back to the extreme transparency/honesty present; something that is hard to come by.
“It took the HIFIMAN team years to obtain the optimum balance between high driver efficiency and high sound quality. The innovative design of the double-sided, asymmetrical magnetic circuit is the perfect marriage of the nanometre-thick diaphragm and its magnetic partners. The result is planar magnetic magic.”
That’s…really market-y and word salad-y, but yeah, it can be a revelation for sure.
The Headband
“Ergonomic and comfortable headband design for most people, with greater reliability and durability.”
Seems fine.
“The headband is the result of clever industrial design. It will accommodate a wider range of head sizes while applying pressure evenly over the wearer’s head.”
All true. NERD!
“The metal headband structure is created via CNC milling and hand polishing.”
Pretty cool.
If you were unaware, CNC machining is a manufacturing process that uses computer-controlled machines to precisely cut, shape, and finish materials like metal, plastic, or wood. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, meaning that the machines follow programmed instructions to create complex parts with high accuracy and consistency.
The Ear Pads
“The Arya ear pads have been specially designed to be thicker with an asymmetrical shape that follows the form of the ear. The pads are beveled so that they contour to the shape of your head for superb comfort and extended listening.”
Can’t argue there. They are very easy to wear and I always look forward to putting them on my head for some strange reason. It’s become a sort of obsession. Like they’re calling my name on some weird episode of the Twilight Zone.
The premium ear pads also have a new surface that contacts with your head. This material changed from Velour to Polyester to increase sound transparency. The surrounding pleather material has not been altered.”
The DEVA also utilized this new pad material change, and I have to say it makes sense considering just how transparent the Arya is – a running theme in this article.
With all that said,
How does the Arya specifically separate itself from other headphones and competitors?
What exactly makes it “Hi-Fi”?
Since writing this article, I’ve been doing a lot of listening with it and various Amp/DACS:
What I’ve found is that the headphone’s resolution is the #1 thing that makes it a clear step up from most Mid-Fi headphones.
I jotted down a few tracks that really stood out to me and, similar to the Mos Def track from above, were ones that revealed things that I had no idea were there when listening with other headphones.
On Foreign Exchange’s “Shelter,” there’s a really subtle wind that you can hear during the intro.
On Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” you can hear so much more subtlety going on in the background that it becomes hard to explain.
I’ve heard this track hundreds of times over the years but it was as if the Arya peeled back another layer of sound.
On both “Hear Me Out” and “Ex-Factor” by Frou Frou and Lauryn Hill respectively, the same sorts of things will manifest: lots and lots of subtlety and nuance to the recording itself – as if you’re almost getting a glimpse into the process/studio space.
On “Blacklight” from Apollo Brown, there’s a subtle flute that comes through much clearer on the Arya.
Fleetwood Mac’s “That’s Alright” contains some backing vocals that sound much more prominent and accounted for than ever before.
Cautious Clay’s “Get By” has a ton of background sounds and atmosphere that doesn’t sound nearly as clear as it does with other headphones.
On Elzhi’s “Light One Write One” there are again, more background sounds, atmosphere, voices, etc. that you’ll notice.
It’s a neat thing to behold and makes you appreciate the artist and what they put into the track.
This is what you can expect when you purchase a headphone of this caliber.
It’s a more immersive, intimate experience and let’s be honest, that’s what most of us are looking for when we crave something “better.”
In thinking about it even further, the main reason all of the above is possible lies in the Arya’s ability to separate sounds incredibly well.
If the separation on a headphone like the HD600 was above average to excellent, the Arya is exemplary.
This is something you simply won’t find even in mid-fi (to this extent, anyway), and that’s a huge reason why it does indeed sound better at the end of the day.
Video Shootout
Here I compare the big 4: The Arya, Ananda, Edition X, and Edition XS
Closing Thoughts
The Arya is a solid pair of headphones with a mostly neutral sound signature and excellent resolution.
The bass hits just right and with the right source material, these can really sing.
I may advise you to stick with modern, well-recorded pop (I like Indie) most of the time vs. some older recordings, but that’s just me.
You’ll likely be a tad disappointed with sub-par material because again, these most certainly do not put lipstick on a pig.
But, are they a “sound” investment?
If you’re just starting, I’m still going to recommend an Edition XS or Ananda. You can always “upgrade” later and try the Arya, but in my opinion, there’s no real reason to spend the extra money even though it’s a much better value than it was at $1,600.
If you already have an Ananda or XS and wondering if it’s worth the extra, mehh.
I got a chance to try the Arya Organic, and it actually sounds much better than an Arya Stealth if you can believe it.
By and large, resolution on Arya models is slightly better than an Ananda or XS, and in the case of the Arya Organic, much better.
That said, you can get most of the sound from the Ananda variant, which is in my opinion the better value if you want to make a significant step up from mid-fi without having to work the local street corners later because you’re fresh out of cash.
That said, if you think a small to medium-ish upgrade in resolution is worth triple the price (or whatever it happens to be), buy it. Just please, please don’t expect it to change your life. Because it won’t and you’ll have wasted all that money for no good reason.
If you’re looking for the absolute best, that’s still a Utopia until I hear something better.
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this HIFIMAN Arya Review and came away with some valuable insight.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
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Is this product worth an investment? What are your thoughts on the Organic? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
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Media
Black Moon – Enta Da Stage (1993)
The Strokes – Is This It? (2001)
DRAMA – Dance Without Me (2020)
Band of Horses – Why Are You OK (2016)
Spoon – Gimme Fiction (2005)
God Speed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (2000)
Stu is determined to help you make sound decisions, and strives to deliver the best and most in depth content on the internet! In his spare time, he likes to fish, paint, play guitar, pray, rap, make beats, take photos, record videos, graphic design, and more. His sense of humour, coupled with a knack for excellence and strict attention to detail are what allow him to stand out in an crowded industry.
Now that was a great review! no hype or bullshit, you laid everything so well!!
Fortunately they can be had on the used market here in the Utah for 700-800 (the V1-V2 non-stealth editions), price which is quite similar to the older HD800 & S, between those two widely different headphones.. which would you pick for a jump from the mid-fi i am currently sitting on (HD660s & Sundara owner) ?
There is also the LCD XC which a completly different beast, which also picked my interests since i have never tried a “high end” closed back.
That’s pretty tough. The HD800 has a better Soundstage, but does have the 6kHz issue. That would actually be a great price for the Arya – a bit more than the Ananda but not over the top at $1600.
The LCD-XC was a disappointment when I heard it. I remember the mid-range being pretty shouty. The sound wasn’t your typical dark-ish Audeze house sound. It was brash and in your face in the treble as well. It also feels really heavy on your head – even more so than most Audezes. Honestly, taking all of that into account, you’ll probably just end up getting fatigued fairly quickly. I remember taking the headphones off after a short time like “Wtf is this”? Lol.
I was just having this conversation with someone through email; that is, how hard it is to recommend an upper echelon type of closed back. They aren’t nearly as abundant as open-backs. I may recommend you something like a Dan Clark Aeon Flow Closed, but some people don’t enjoy that warm-ish type of fun sound. It really is a love it or hate it type of thing. I personally fell in love with it. They really have a way of mimicking the effects of a live person singing in front of you.
If it’s between the Arya and HD800, I’d probably lean toward the Arya as long as you understand it’s going to be incredibly raw and honest. That is, the best source files are required for a good listening experience.
The Arya I have heard (2020 version?} had a lot of problems in the upper mid range and lower treble. Brass instruments and many vocals did not sound correct and pop recordings had an accentuated lower treble that caused sibilance and an over energetic, fake sound. Compared to a more neutral headphone like the Meze Empyrean, the faults were very obvious. The sound stage and articulate bass are the Arya’s strengths. But they are not very revealing, only bright and hence faux detailed without revealing through musical detail. I say they are overpriced for what they deliver. The faults are quite unescapable even in casual listening.
Hey man! Yeah, they are definitely overpriced and not nearly as good as I was expecting but I do think a lot of it comes down to source material. The one I have is the stealth magnets but not sure if it’s the version you’re talking about.
Interesting review. I’m curious about what amplifiers you used them on.
They only really start to shine on high current amplifiers.
Class A speaker amplfiers take them to a whole new level.
I find the Aryas to be very revealing of source material and gear chain but they scale very well.
Focals are the complete opposite, sound good on almost any amplifier but won’t scale.
Thanks for your comment! As for the gear, I have been demoing the Arya on the K9 Pro, Gryphon, Zen + MT-604, DragonFly Red, etc.
I’ll be honest with you; I’m not a huge proponent or believer in synergy/scaling, etc. Given the amount of expensive gear I’ve demoed, I just don’t find much truth in it. After trying 60+ of them (many class A), The differences from Amp to amp are almost non-existent. Sure, there are some subtle discrepancies that mostly boil down to Output Impedance and to some extent the DAC chip, but outside of that, the DAC and Amp have very little to do with how music sounds in my mind.
I do however believe in source file above all else, so I agree with you about the Aryas being extremely revealing of source material – perhaps moreso than most other headphones I’ve tried. At the end of the day, I would never pay $1600 for these when I can just get an Edition XS. I actually have all 3 now and am doing a shootout, so stay tuned for that!
Hi there! Thank you for the review.
I think there is some confusion about a couple of things. Is the headphone in the review the Arya with stealth magnets, or the V2? It says it is the stealth version in the “At A Glance” table, but then you talk about how hard it is to drive as it has 35 ohm impedance and 90dB sensitivity. Those are the specs of the old Arya V2, the stealth version is at 32ohm, 94db sensitivity, considerably easier to drive than the V2. So much so that you can achieve plenty of volume levels even from a phone or laptop, whereas the V1 and V2 Aryas were essentially impossible to drive without an amp (sure enough, the stealth version will also perform much better with good amplification, particularly when it comes to dynamics). Also, the FR graph from Crinacle you show here is, once again, that of the V2, not the stealth (Crinacle also has the measurement for the stealth). Given all this, plus your description of their tonality as being not much better than the Ananda, I started wondering if this review was about the V2 or the stealth. Even if the measurements may look quite similar, the stealth version does sound different! Ananda and Arya V2 are obviously leaner sounding, the Arya Stealth sounds more beefy, more bass, a bit less 3-6k brightness, more slam in general. Lastly, I should point out that already after less than one year since its introduction, the Arya Stealth is already down to $1200, and that is truly a great price given the headphone’s performance.
1) You can see from the In The Box Image at the top that it’s the stealth version.
2) 35 Ohm/90dB is correct for the stealth version via Apos Audio, but it looks like there’s a discrepancy because HIFIMAN’s website cites your numbers and I’m inclined to go with that. Thanks for pointing it out! I will also reach out to Apos.
3) I need to switch out those graphs, thanks!
I will fix both of those things now.
That said, 94dB is pretty low and still very inefficient. I definitely would not rely on a phone to power it. A discrepancy of 4dB doesn’t make the headphone suddenly work with a mobile device. Just my opinion. Both need an amp.
I haven’t heard the V2, but I did a deep dive comparing the 3 (Ananda/Arya/Edition XS) I’m afraid I have to disagree. The article linked goes into exactly why.
The reason the Arya has come down is the same reason all expensive headphones come down – it’s because they’re not worth those ridiculous prices – this is obvious to anyone who actually compares them side by side. And the Arya still isn’t worth $1,200 to me. Not even close. This is the same sort of thing that happened with the original Edition X. It retailed at $1,200+ but was nowhere close to being worth that much.
Case and point: the Edition XS is finally priced right at $500 and HIFIMAN learned their lesson.
Anyone paying $1,200 for the Arya is burning money in my opinion. So I’m going to spend an extra $700 for what is essentially the same sound? Yeah, no. That’s completely asinine.
I’m not going to really touch on the other things you mention regarding Amps and such, as I’d just go off on a rant and feel it’s not appropriate (maybe I already ranted, idk xD). I actually typed out a long rant last night but decided against it after sleeping on it as I feel like you’re a nice fella and I don’t want to rub you the wrong way (okay that sounded dirty lol). OH, BEHAVE!!
Yours and my hearing and opinions on the Aryas are nearly ~180. I own the Ananda, owned the Arya V2, and now own the Stealths after I traded in the V2s for them I had them all at the same time for a several weeks. IMO, the Aryas are several steps up the ladder from the Anandas. Where the Ananda gives you the “skeleton” of the music, the Arya fleshes out the rest of the body with meat, blood, and internal organs – meaning, that it fills in with dynamics, timbre, texture, and trailing edges of details that the Ananda merely “hints” at. Also, you’ve not exactly done due diligence if you’ve driven them with portable or IC chip based amps – they really shine on discrete Class A or AB balanced amps of ~2W or better. I had them all with Topping A90, Monolith ‘887, and Schiit Magnius – and my cheaper discrete Class AB amps (ie: Emotiva A-100, Schiit Magni 3+) sounded much more natural timbre-wise and with more depth of stage than any of the IC based amps – the IC amps just weren’t very good with the Aryas (neither version). After I sent the IC amps back, I bought a used discrete Class A balanced amp – the Gustard H20 – and it surpassed all of the listed amps pretty handily. That better Class A timbre and the continuous current from same made all the difference in the world, IMO. IMO, the Arya is somewhat of a class leader – with the right chain – and is somewhat of a bargain considering it’d take another ~$1K or more to better it in just “some” areas – much less all areas……
Your comment prompted me to go back and refresh my memory on some Class A amps that I’ve demoed. I’ve used quite a bit of them and should edit to add I demoed the Arya with the Class A Burson Playmate 2. I will mention it in this article.
I do agree with you to an extent that Class A seems to improve the presentation somewhat, i.e. it’s a bit cleaner and has slightly better resolution, separation and clarity, but to me, it’s a pretty subtle distinction. You can read my impressions in the article linked if you were interested.
I’m just not sure it’s night and day as you seem to be alluding to. That said, if I had the choice between a Class A amp and not, I’d certainly take it over the others. I will also plan to try the Arya again with any others I can get my hands on and report back any findings.
I have an Arya stealth myself now, but I can tell you I don’t enjoy it as much as I did with the akg k702. The stage with the k702 was so immersive, every sound sound sounded in its own specific place. I don’t find that in other headphones. Yes akg k702 sounds much thinner, but for me probably more musical. Sorry to have sold the akg. Probably will buy them again to have them in my collection.
Do you still have them in your collection?
Hey Svyatoslav! Yeah! I actually just replaced the pads on my K702. It’s my daily driver when not demoing other headphones 🙂 Check out the short I did: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FbfRBvjpwm4
12 comments
Now that was a great review! no hype or bullshit, you laid everything so well!!
Fortunately they can be had on the used market here in the Utah for 700-800 (the V1-V2 non-stealth editions), price which is quite similar to the older HD800 & S, between those two widely different headphones.. which would you pick for a jump from the mid-fi i am currently sitting on (HD660s & Sundara owner) ?
There is also the LCD XC which a completly different beast, which also picked my interests since i have never tried a “high end” closed back.
Hey man, thank you!!
That’s pretty tough. The HD800 has a better Soundstage, but does have the 6kHz issue. That would actually be a great price for the Arya – a bit more than the Ananda but not over the top at $1600.
The LCD-XC was a disappointment when I heard it. I remember the mid-range being pretty shouty. The sound wasn’t your typical dark-ish Audeze house sound. It was brash and in your face in the treble as well. It also feels really heavy on your head – even more so than most Audezes. Honestly, taking all of that into account, you’ll probably just end up getting fatigued fairly quickly. I remember taking the headphones off after a short time like “Wtf is this”? Lol.
I was just having this conversation with someone through email; that is, how hard it is to recommend an upper echelon type of closed back. They aren’t nearly as abundant as open-backs. I may recommend you something like a Dan Clark Aeon Flow Closed, but some people don’t enjoy that warm-ish type of fun sound. It really is a love it or hate it type of thing. I personally fell in love with it. They really have a way of mimicking the effects of a live person singing in front of you.
If it’s between the Arya and HD800, I’d probably lean toward the Arya as long as you understand it’s going to be incredibly raw and honest. That is, the best source files are required for a good listening experience.
Keep me posted and thanks for stopping by!
The Arya I have heard (2020 version?} had a lot of problems in the upper mid range and lower treble. Brass instruments and many vocals did not sound correct and pop recordings had an accentuated lower treble that caused sibilance and an over energetic, fake sound. Compared to a more neutral headphone like the Meze Empyrean, the faults were very obvious. The sound stage and articulate bass are the Arya’s strengths. But they are not very revealing, only bright and hence faux detailed without revealing through musical detail. I say they are overpriced for what they deliver. The faults are quite unescapable even in casual listening.
Hey man! Yeah, they are definitely overpriced and not nearly as good as I was expecting but I do think a lot of it comes down to source material. The one I have is the stealth magnets but not sure if it’s the version you’re talking about.
Interesting review. I’m curious about what amplifiers you used them on.
They only really start to shine on high current amplifiers.
Class A speaker amplfiers take them to a whole new level.
I find the Aryas to be very revealing of source material and gear chain but they scale very well.
Focals are the complete opposite, sound good on almost any amplifier but won’t scale.
Dean,
Thanks for your comment! As for the gear, I have been demoing the Arya on the K9 Pro, Gryphon, Zen + MT-604, DragonFly Red, etc.
I’ll be honest with you; I’m not a huge proponent or believer in synergy/scaling, etc. Given the amount of expensive gear I’ve demoed, I just don’t find much truth in it. After trying 60+ of them (many class A), The differences from Amp to amp are almost non-existent. Sure, there are some subtle discrepancies that mostly boil down to Output Impedance and to some extent the DAC chip, but outside of that, the DAC and Amp have very little to do with how music sounds in my mind.
I do however believe in source file above all else, so I agree with you about the Aryas being extremely revealing of source material – perhaps moreso than most other headphones I’ve tried. At the end of the day, I would never pay $1600 for these when I can just get an Edition XS. I actually have all 3 now and am doing a shootout, so stay tuned for that!
Best,
-Stu
Hi there! Thank you for the review.
I think there is some confusion about a couple of things. Is the headphone in the review the Arya with stealth magnets, or the V2? It says it is the stealth version in the “At A Glance” table, but then you talk about how hard it is to drive as it has 35 ohm impedance and 90dB sensitivity. Those are the specs of the old Arya V2, the stealth version is at 32ohm, 94db sensitivity, considerably easier to drive than the V2. So much so that you can achieve plenty of volume levels even from a phone or laptop, whereas the V1 and V2 Aryas were essentially impossible to drive without an amp (sure enough, the stealth version will also perform much better with good amplification, particularly when it comes to dynamics). Also, the FR graph from Crinacle you show here is, once again, that of the V2, not the stealth (Crinacle also has the measurement for the stealth). Given all this, plus your description of their tonality as being not much better than the Ananda, I started wondering if this review was about the V2 or the stealth. Even if the measurements may look quite similar, the stealth version does sound different! Ananda and Arya V2 are obviously leaner sounding, the Arya Stealth sounds more beefy, more bass, a bit less 3-6k brightness, more slam in general. Lastly, I should point out that already after less than one year since its introduction, the Arya Stealth is already down to $1200, and that is truly a great price given the headphone’s performance.
Hey Luke!
Thanks for your comment.
1) You can see from the In The Box Image at the top that it’s the stealth version.
2) 35 Ohm/90dB is correct for the stealth version via Apos Audio, but it looks like there’s a discrepancy because HIFIMAN’s website cites your numbers and I’m inclined to go with that. Thanks for pointing it out! I will also reach out to Apos.
3) I need to switch out those graphs, thanks!
I will fix both of those things now.
That said, 94dB is pretty low and still very inefficient. I definitely would not rely on a phone to power it. A discrepancy of 4dB doesn’t make the headphone suddenly work with a mobile device. Just my opinion. Both need an amp.
I haven’t heard the V2, but I did a deep dive comparing the 3 (Ananda/Arya/Edition XS) I’m afraid I have to disagree. The article linked goes into exactly why.
The reason the Arya has come down is the same reason all expensive headphones come down – it’s because they’re not worth those ridiculous prices – this is obvious to anyone who actually compares them side by side. And the Arya still isn’t worth $1,200 to me. Not even close. This is the same sort of thing that happened with the original Edition X. It retailed at $1,200+ but was nowhere close to being worth that much.
Case and point: the Edition XS is finally priced right at $500 and HIFIMAN learned their lesson.
Anyone paying $1,200 for the Arya is burning money in my opinion. So I’m going to spend an extra $700 for what is essentially the same sound? Yeah, no. That’s completely asinine.
I’m not going to really touch on the other things you mention regarding Amps and such, as I’d just go off on a rant and feel it’s not appropriate (maybe I already ranted, idk xD). I actually typed out a long rant last night but decided against it after sleeping on it as I feel like you’re a nice fella and I don’t want to rub you the wrong way (okay that sounded dirty lol). OH, BEHAVE!!
In any event, thank you for stopping by man!
-Stu
Yours and my hearing and opinions on the Aryas are nearly ~180. I own the Ananda, owned the Arya V2, and now own the Stealths after I traded in the V2s for them I had them all at the same time for a several weeks. IMO, the Aryas are several steps up the ladder from the Anandas. Where the Ananda gives you the “skeleton” of the music, the Arya fleshes out the rest of the body with meat, blood, and internal organs – meaning, that it fills in with dynamics, timbre, texture, and trailing edges of details that the Ananda merely “hints” at. Also, you’ve not exactly done due diligence if you’ve driven them with portable or IC chip based amps – they really shine on discrete Class A or AB balanced amps of ~2W or better. I had them all with Topping A90, Monolith ‘887, and Schiit Magnius – and my cheaper discrete Class AB amps (ie: Emotiva A-100, Schiit Magni 3+) sounded much more natural timbre-wise and with more depth of stage than any of the IC based amps – the IC amps just weren’t very good with the Aryas (neither version). After I sent the IC amps back, I bought a used discrete Class A balanced amp – the Gustard H20 – and it surpassed all of the listed amps pretty handily. That better Class A timbre and the continuous current from same made all the difference in the world, IMO. IMO, the Arya is somewhat of a class leader – with the right chain – and is somewhat of a bargain considering it’d take another ~$1K or more to better it in just “some” areas – much less all areas……
Eric,
Thank you for your input!
Your comment prompted me to go back and refresh my memory on some Class A amps that I’ve demoed. I’ve used quite a bit of them and should edit to add I demoed the Arya with the Class A Burson Playmate 2. I will mention it in this article.
I do agree with you to an extent that Class A seems to improve the presentation somewhat, i.e. it’s a bit cleaner and has slightly better resolution, separation and clarity, but to me, it’s a pretty subtle distinction. You can read my impressions in the article linked if you were interested.
I’m just not sure it’s night and day as you seem to be alluding to. That said, if I had the choice between a Class A amp and not, I’d certainly take it over the others. I will also plan to try the Arya again with any others I can get my hands on and report back any findings.
Thank you for stopping by!
I have an Arya stealth myself now, but I can tell you I don’t enjoy it as much as I did with the akg k702. The stage with the k702 was so immersive, every sound sound sounded in its own specific place. I don’t find that in other headphones. Yes akg k702 sounds much thinner, but for me probably more musical. Sorry to have sold the akg. Probably will buy them again to have them in my collection.
Do you still have them in your collection?
Hey Svyatoslav! Yeah! I actually just replaced the pads on my K702. It’s my daily driver when not demoing other headphones 🙂 Check out the short I did: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FbfRBvjpwm4