HiFiMAN Arya Full-size Over Ear Planar Magnetic Audiophile Adjustable Headphone

Product Information

Built quality-wise, I think the Hifiman Arya v3 is designed and built with quality in mind. While I am not a fan of some of the materials used on the headphone, like the plastic parts. I think it was necessary to keep its weight down. Though, I don’t think it will add a noticeable amount of weight if Hifiman used real leather instead of pleather. Unfortunately, you can’t just buy the Arya SE and expect the level of the 1000se for half the price – the latter is a superior sounding headphone in every aspect, being a natural improvement over the new addition to Hifiman’s lineup.

I haven't noticed a difference with the V2, it is still excellent and the primary reason why I will be selling my HD800s. Even after +5db bass boost on the HD800s the quality/feeling of the bass on the Arya is just so much better in my opinion. The Focal Clear Mg is another beast at the same price range but this time the sound signature differences from the Arya are quite pronounced. HiFiMAN Arya Stealth — HEDDphone ONE — ZMF Auteur OG Zebrawood LTD — AKG K340 — Stanton Dynaphase Sixty (modded)The Arya is the epitome of a well balanced and neutral sounding headphone without really exaggerating any part of the frequency spectrum while the overall transparency is at the highest possible level, so source matching is quite critical. The build quality is really good. Even though the earcups are made of plastic, the whole headphone feels solid and really well-made. As usual with high-end Hifiman products, I have to point out one, very important thing. I can’t rate the build quality and comfort separately, since one is dependant on the other. Having in mind that the Arya SE is significantly lighter and more comfortable than the Audeze LCD-X, and WAY more comfortable than the HEDDphone, I can’t do anything else as rating the build quality superb. It’s just an engineering approach to the design, where functionality and comfort are most important, and that’s how it should be. The imaging is much superior on the Arya which also offers a grander soundstage with better sense of holography.

For me the Arya are the Planar answer to Sennheiser HD800 or HD820, it offer an even more open and out of your head spatiality and better dynamic and sound layering for way less money. I do prefer the slightly warmer and less dry timbre too over HD820 as well as how the bass hit in a more weighty way. Only con would be that Arya are harder to drive properly and have not as good craftmanship even if HD820 is near all plastic built. Unseen, unheard​When sound waves pass through the magnet structure via the diaphragm, they are prone to interferences and diffraction with conventional designs as air is moved through them. The Stealth structure ensures this to happen to a minimum for more precision, clarity and imaging precision. In the same vein a stealth bomber’s shape and form which is not a random or artistic choice at all, and ensures deflecting or bouncing off radar waves and becoming unnoticed, HIFIMAN’s stealth system ensures magnets not being in the way of the sound as good as possible. Most if not all planar Headphones are hard to drive and benefit from good amping power, and the Arya is sure no exception but I wouldn't say they are harder to drive than the Sundara, yet perhaps a bit even more capricious.

The EarMen Colibri which we looked at a week or two ago in balanced mode sounds very fast, precise, and energetic with the Arya Stealth. The most remarkable thing here is that the Colibri struggles a bit with complex passages. For the rest you get a sound which is lighter in body and bass presence, with more forward vocals. You can turn on the Bass Boost function, but it just doesn’t sound natural to me with this headphone. This isn’t the very best combo for my ears, and that’s quite remarkable as I absolutely love the Colibri which I gave a recommended buy award. I have tested numerous Hifiman products in the past, from their flagship IEMs like Svanar, RE600, RE800 and RE2000 Gold to their diverse planar Headphones like Deva, Ananda BT and my personal favorite: the Sundara. So I would not say the Arya are perfectly balanced in that regard, and this is why I perceive the tonal balance as a unique U shape to neutral with slight lower bass boost. For gaming, there’s enough body and presence to sound great in action scenes. Hiding out from tanks in Battlefield 2042 was thrilling. It can drive my R70x to extremely loud volumes without reaching max volume and without noticable distortion on high gain. Excluding very dynamic Romantic music (which is quiet by design) it drives every genre to loud levels (it reaches 110dB peak SPL even for bass which is more than enough headroom). If it drives the R70x it can drive these.