Hifiman Arya - Official Thread

That’s great you have the new Arya on the way! I’m curious to hear what you think of it. Have you heard any of the previous Arya revisions?

Actually have not. Was about to buy the “old” ones just as the new ones came out, so a bit of serendipity.

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I think it’s the “Topping sound”. I had a similar experience going from Arya+A90 to Arya+Lyr 3. Lyr turned Arya into a whole new headphone and basically fixed everything I didn’t like about it on the A90.

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Hmm, initial whisperings around the internet suggest that the new Arya v3 is quite different than v1 & v2. And maybe not in a good way. Has anyone here heard both yet?

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Has anyone had a chance to compare the V1/V2 Arya to the new V3 Stealth Magnet revision? There are mixed opinions on other forums from people who have compared the two. Some are saying that the soundstage of the V3 is a lot smaller than V2, while others are saying the difference is not significant.

I’m deciding between an open-box V2 or a new V3 in the near future, and I’m not sure which way to go yet.

For anyone wondering how the Arya Stealth Magnet version compares and what’s going on there, it’s essentially the same as the V2 (dust cover change), just with a bit more upper treble. Additionally, it seems to have slightly more bass and lower mids but that’s within the ballpark of unit variation so it’s not a huge difference. All in all, there’s not much difference. Both V2 and V3 are smoother in the mid treble than the V1.

My take is that the stealth magnet Arya (V3) is ever so slightly better in the treble with the addition of extra air at around 12khz, just because that balances out the lower and mid treble peaks a bit more. This gives it a slightly ‘airier’ yet smoother treble presentation overall. But the same strengths of the previous version (and the few weaknesses) are still here, it’s a great sounding headphone.

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It could just be me, I haven’t actually done any serious A/B-ing yet, but don’t you find the Stealth version slightly less open? The space is not quite as exaggerated on this one?

I find it to be very similar to V2 in general, although it wouldn’t surprise me. If you physically look at the window shade grille, you can see it’s an entirely new structure on the V3. So maybe there’s something to that? But in general, I don’t have any issues with the soundstage.

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I don’t have any issues with it, I actually meant it as a compliment.

The V2 sounded a little “too far away” at times.

But I’m not sure if the Stealth version is different or if I have just acclimatised to it. Hopefully I can spend some time with both this week and reach a conclusion (even if it’s wrong :smiley: ).

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How deep are the pads on the Arya? I own the Sundara, and though the comfort is ok due to their being light, the pads are pretty shallow. As a result, my ears press into the metal housing over the drivers, which leads to hotspots. Do the Aryas have deeper pads? Or am I likely to have the same experience as with the Sundara? (Granted, I realize that the pads on the Arya are much, much taller. My main concern is depth and clearance for my ears relative to the driver)

I have left my comparison of the Arya v2 and Arya Stealth Magnet here:

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For those checking out @Resolve measurements of the V3 (Stealth) Arya, I have created an EQ for it - 2018 Target over ear

Preamp: -5.6 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 16 Hz Gain 5.1 dB Q 0.27
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 155 Hz Gain -1.8 dB Q 1.24
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 344 Hz Gain -1.8 dB Q 0.96
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 866 Hz Gain -1.6 dB Q 3.46
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1111 Hz Gain -1.6 dB Q 2.64
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1620 Hz Gain 0.6 dB Q 1.16
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 1801 Hz Gain 6.8 dB Q 1.01
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 2969 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 3.32
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 3101 Hz Gain -1.8 dB Q 0.49
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 18821 Hz Gain -3.3 dB Q 0.53
Filter 11: ON PK Fc 20024 Hz Gain -3.3 dB Q 0.44

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Thanks, will try this out on the weekend!

On another note, Arya V3 has massively impressed me. Sounds great on “slam stack” Dangerous Music Convert-2 and BHA-1.

I’d consider these to be the best generalist/ single pair of headphones on market today under 2K, if not a little bright. This for me surpasses my previous benchmarks LCD-X 2021 slightly, and Clear/ Auteur a bit more convincingly.

Have not EQ’d yet - we’ll see if it’s as apt as LCD-X in responding to EQ.

Severely underrated headphone - my criticisms to HiFiMAN over the last 3 stagnant years are somewhat retracted as this is a hidden gem.

It’s quite a bit better than the Arya V1 I owned, and V2 I’ve heard. HiFiMAN did a great job, and the naysayers thinking this is inferior to previous gens… well, I’m not one to be mean but should consider practicing their critical listening skills.

Happy New Year & Happy Listening.

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thanks! how can i get a little bit more bass?

A pair popped up local at a price that seems too good to be true, has anybody seen boxes like this with a hifiman.cn website call out? Cant tell if this is legit or a typo.

I have a photo of the paperwork but i can only attach 1 screenshot.

The left driver on my Arya also failed.

Unacceptable. These headphones should last years for the price one pays.
I want the community to be aware.

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Excellent review with some truly original insights into why the HD 800S and Arya sound the way they do.

I suspect you’re familiar with them already, but in case not, that Manuel Delago album reminds me a bit of Portico Quartet.

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I wonder if anyone who owns Arya can measure the width of the leather headband for me?