Got these yesterday after a cans shoot out at my local hiegh end audio store. Spent 2 hours going back and forth on many options. Settled on this when paired with the iFi Diablo. ❤
How does the Arya Organic compare to the HE1000 V2 with Stealth Magnets? Those are on sale for 1.4K USD, and I'd like to know how the Arya Organics compare.
Honestly - I have barely gotten to listen to HE1000 V3/Stealth, but my impression is that the V3 "on sale" might be a better pick at around the same price for some folks who find the Arya Organic to be bright. Since we're a store, our reviews are either based on mfr provided demos (Arya Organic was a demo proivded by HIFIMAN) or returns. I guess maybe the best thing I can say about HE1000 V3 is that we barely got any returns and they turned around so fast as open box items, that I didn't get a chance to spend more than 30 minutes it.
I listened to both models: HiFiMan Arya Organic and HiFiMan HE 1000. HiFiMan Arya Organic sound musically, and HiFiMan HE1000 has a clinical and analytical sound. My ears have chosen HiFiMan Arya Organic. If you want a boring and analytical sound, then your choice is HiFiMan HE1000, if you need a musical and live sound, then HiFiMan Arya Organic.
thanks for the review, really enjoyed the comparison to the older versions! :) purely talking about soundstage(vertical height especially)/depth/concert hall feeling, do you still think the arya v1 or v2 has the advantage over arya organic? (since the v3 traded off some soundstage and the organic seems to me more like a middle ground i get the impression that arya v1 or v2 still is king in that category?? or does the arya organic actually have to same soundstage(vertical height especially)/depth/concert hall feeling as v1 v2?(again, not asking about other categories or brightness, just performance in those 3 aspects) also, do you really need an amp for the arya? do you hear a big difference between a 100euro/dollar dac/amp and a 1k one? thank you!!
Just in terms of absolute space the original/V2 probably still wins, but Organic wins on overall quality of imaging. As far as DACs and amps, Arya still sounds best with a good amount of power, but there’s some stuff in the $100-200 range that sounds great with Arya (like the iFi hip-dac) and stuff that’s 5x the price that’s “better” but makes Arya sound thin or harsh. It’s really about finding the combination of tuning/synergy that sounds best to your ears.
My Arya V3 comes quite well on the portable ifi Gryphon. On the RME ADI 2 DAC Amp with top EQ, it sounds really good - do not underestimate the possibilities of the EQ! That makes so much, you can have a lot of everything according to your mood, or moderate, or... Newly I have given the Arya a Violectric HPA V222, the result is phenomenal, the Arya V3 only now shows its full potential. A great experience, a top investment.
Hello, I recently bought the Organics but I prefer my v3 stealths so much more. The treble elevation in the Organics is too much its so harsh and shouty at the top end. There is more bass too but the top end eclipses this and actually drowns out a lot of resolution in the sound. After just 30min of organic listening my ear drums feel battered and the stealth sounds so mellow and balanced and beautifully gentle - Organics ironically sound very plastic and artificial - it has the warmth I wanted that the v3 lacks but then why did they also elevate the treble so much, v3 has perfect treble already 😢. Please can someone advise if they have experienced same - could it be my dac amp? I'm using smsl su9 with gustard h16. Massively welcome any guidance.
Interesting. I can see how you had that experience, but mine was a little different. It is going to be very dependent on the source as well. I've seen a lot of talk about the brightness, and that's probably the one issue with the headphones. I think especially with a lot of the common DAC chips - like ESS (like the SMSL) and Cirrus Logic - it does sound too bright. Using AKM or Burr Brown DACs, something with an R2R structure, or complementing the ESS or Cirrus Logic DAC with a tube amp really gets the best of the headphones. Across the board, and even with the more typical solid state amps and an ESS DAC, I felt Organic had much more clarity and much better imaging than V3, but if you can't get past the brightness, V3/Stealth is probably a stronger choice with that kind of setup. Everyone's ears are different though, so I might just not be hearing a frequency that's challenging for you in the same way that you hear it.
Something might be wrong. Try different cables, see if you can try a different set of Arya Organic. Play around with stuff to try to diagnose it, because to me something sounds like it's off kilter.
I have been listening to the Arya Organics for about 6 weeks. Right out of the box I thought they were, for me, too bright with some music. However, now that they have a couple of hundred hours on them, and I use balanced cables, they have grown into a stunning, warm (yet detailed) headphone, that, for me in my somewhat limited experience, are the best headphones I've owned (including B & W and an early HIFIMAN, the HE400S, which is lovely). They've gone from too crystalline to more like light shining through honey (is that too poetic?). Give them another chance and invest in balanced cable if you have something that has balanced output.
I just bought the Arya V3 and I'm very happy with the sound over my Ananda SE but curious is it worth the extra $300 to go with organic. There are many YT Arya organic review just release and I found they all say different things. Example, he say organic is overall a combine of v2 & v3 plus a better timbre, bass and tonality seem like better of everything. While other say lesser in the bass, mid are better and natural and some say bright in high and warm in the mid. Basically it all over the place. I say how about do a sound demo so we all can judge them ourself. YT have a bunch of music sample they can play without geting copyright.
Yes I bought it after all the reviews but I'm returning it soon. Maybe it's my setup maybe it's my ears - in summary the Organics have 10% more bass and warmth but 50% more treble harshness - shreds my ear drums
If its $300 difference we should hear a distimct differences immediately. If I have to do an A/B then its not worth it. Example going from Anada SE to Arya SE. Its $400 apart but so is the sound. No need for A/B. Many say Ananda is very close to Arya, well, they need to check their hearing or equipment.
@@dtz1000 Yep, most of these UA-camrs just hype things up for views! I'm tired of listening to these type of sitting in from of camera BS reviews telling you how it sound and when pull the trigger, sometimes it somewhat close to what they are describes and most other times are just S**** TBH. Same with DAC and Amp. I bought 3 DAC from the hype wagon and 3 very expensive headphones they are ranging from $1K and up and so those DAC/AMP. IMO some of them are over hype and over price.
I think the harshness is going to be very dependent on the source. Either would be a great choice for gaming, but the Stealth might be more forgiving with a standard PC headphone interface.
I tried the Arya Stealth with the EF400 and alternatively with the Dragonfly cobalt or plugged directly into my 2019 27"iMac whilst using Tidal to stream or whilst playing lossless versions of my CDs but I found that whilst it had a lot going for it, especially the soundstage and clarity, separation etc, it also sounded distinctly digital in certain areas and the Bass was a little lacking even with the EF400 which is why I returned the Arya Stealth with the EF400. However this new version with the 'organic' moniker, suggesting a less 'digital' presentation, interests me. I'd appreciate your thoughts on my set up as I wonder whether it might be worth trying with my current options, of either the Dragonfly Cobalt (with iPhone, iMac etc) or my MacBookPro M3 headphone port (which I think uses Cambridge Audio DAC ), or whether those are simply not sufficiently up to the job to make it worth my while and whether I should consider the Ananda or something entirely different? I did notice an improvement with the EF400 but not enough for me to commit to non mobile listening
On the one hand, I would say yes, the Arya Organic does improve the timbre of previous generations and sounds more natural. But on the other hand, if the bass was an issue with the Arya Stealth, Organic has less bass and low-end than Stealth, so it might not be the best fit for you.
From my own personal listening and feedback we've gotten already from other reviews/customers/forums - if you're more sensitive to bright headphones or are using a fully solid state stack (particularly with ESS DACs), the Stealth might be a better pick. If you're using a slightly warmer setup, use EQ, or would rather have more resolution, soundstage, and clarity regardless of brightness, I think Arya Organic is worth it.
@@BloomAudio Coming from a Beyer DT1990 which would you pick? Basically looking for a planar version of it. Full SS stack and listen to edm/electronica.
Definitely bigger soundstage than Ananda Nano. Nano is still a better pick for a warmer sound or for most portable devices, but Arya Organic is better overall.
Yes, the HE1000 series may be even more confusing than Arya as a whole... It's been a while since I've heard HE1000SE - and I was mostly comparing with HE1000v2 - but my impression was that HE1000SE was closer to Susvara in soundstage and imaging, but I found it to be a little shouty and I had some issues with the vocal presentation. HE1000v2 was slightly brighter, but I preferred V2 to SE. I haven't gotten to do a full evaluation of HE1000v3, but my first impression was that it was less bright than V2, so it might be the best of the HE1000s to my taste, but I'd need a lot more time to be sure.
@@BloomAudio Thanks. Wish I could have a demo. Considering recent price drops, ordered he1000se, have used Arya but have no point of reference against V3. If didn't like he1000se, would give v3 a try.
@@BloomAudio I'm trying to explain your confusion. I believe this is because Hifiman has applied for a patent for stealth magnet technology. In order to protect the company's interests, they have replaced all their product lines with Stealth version, and Hifiman He1000 Stealth is just one of them. Hifiman is leading the industry in the field of planar headphones, and it will become a research object for other companies. Stopping products without patents may be a way to combat competitors. However, the objective result of doing so is that the He1000 Stealth and He1000se are very similar. Of course, the He1000se is a higher-level earphone, but whether it is worth paying such an extra price is up to you to consider.
Getting a 4.4mm cable and using them with the iFi Gryphon would be really solid. I would recommend the Fiio Q7, but I don't personally love the combo of Arya and ESS DACs - which does rule out a number of other portables using ESS chips. Probably anything from the FiiO Q3 or iFi hip-dac on up will provide enough powered with a balanced cable, but you'll want to lean towards a slightly warm/smooth sound over something that's too bright and incisive.
It won't work. You need an audio amplifier or a sound card with a 3.5 mm jack that can work with balanced headphones. The built-in sound cards in your laptop, phone, or computer can't work with balanced headphones.
Personally, I'd lean towards the Nano. I don't currently have the right combo in my home stack to synergize well with Arya Organic, and I tend to prefer slightly warmer sound. If I had a good tube amp, I'd definitely go Arya Organic though.
@@BloomAudioI'm currently running a hd660s with a topping dx7 pro. I'm interested in a headphone upgrade and I've heard good things about the arya organics. Would they pair well at all with the topping dx7 pro?
@@BloomAudio Interesting how one half the cost of the other is potentially better subjectively (not technically). I could be talked into a $1300 headphone if it were unanimously praised. I have a Gungnir Multibit and Mjolnir 2, as I only use tubes and R2R, but even with that setup I'm worried about being put off by the treble on the Arya Organic, especially since I had that reaction to the Arya Stealth. Additionally, Oratory1990 doesn't have a preset EQ for this headphone yet and I don't really trust myself to create a parametric EQ profile on my own.
I've listened to HiFiMan Arya Organic, Ananda Nano and HiFiMan HE1000, and my choice is HiFiMan Arya Organic. I listen through FiiO K19. HiFiMan HE1000 sound overly analytical, and they have a clinical sound. Ananda Nano does not have the high resolution and depth of sound that HiFiMan Arya Organic does. HiFiMan Arya Organic sounds emotional, musical, beautiful and lively, and listening to HiFiMan Arya Organic is very pleasant.
Just come from another reviewer saying these cans don't have bass at all, almost as weak as V1 and instruments sound thin, not body at all. Which proves how unreliable hi-fi reviewers videos are.
I swung it around with a bunch of different sources: with something like a Topping stack or any other ESS DAC, I did feel like it sounded more thin (I tried to note that in the review, but it might not have come across clearly or may have been more clear in a take that got edited out). Across the board, I felt the clarity, resolution, and imaging was better than V3 and that it was better overall than V2, but with any warmer/smoother DAC or with tubes/hybrid tubes I thought the overall balance was improved.
Watching / listening to this with my few-weeks-old Organics :p
Got these yesterday after a cans shoot out at my local hiegh end audio store. Spent 2 hours going back and forth on many options. Settled on this when paired with the iFi Diablo. ❤
How does the Arya Organic compare to the HE1000 V2 with Stealth Magnets? Those are on sale for 1.4K USD, and I'd like to know how the Arya Organics compare.
Honestly - I have barely gotten to listen to HE1000 V3/Stealth, but my impression is that the V3 "on sale" might be a better pick at around the same price for some folks who find the Arya Organic to be bright. Since we're a store, our reviews are either based on mfr provided demos (Arya Organic was a demo proivded by HIFIMAN) or returns. I guess maybe the best thing I can say about HE1000 V3 is that we barely got any returns and they turned around so fast as open box items, that I didn't get a chance to spend more than 30 minutes it.
How is the organic for Classical Music ?
I listened to both models: HiFiMan Arya Organic and HiFiMan HE 1000. HiFiMan Arya Organic sound musically, and HiFiMan HE1000 has a clinical and analytical sound. My ears have chosen HiFiMan Arya Organic. If you want a boring and analytical sound, then your choice is HiFiMan HE1000, if you need a musical and live sound, then HiFiMan Arya Organic.
thanks for the review, really enjoyed the comparison to the older versions! :)
purely talking about soundstage(vertical height especially)/depth/concert hall feeling, do you still think the arya v1 or v2 has the advantage over arya organic? (since the v3 traded off some soundstage and the organic seems to me more like a middle ground i get the impression that arya v1 or v2 still is king in that category?? or does the arya organic actually have to same soundstage(vertical height especially)/depth/concert hall feeling as v1 v2?(again, not asking about other categories or brightness, just performance in those 3 aspects)
also, do you really need an amp for the arya? do you hear a big difference between a 100euro/dollar dac/amp and a 1k one? thank you!!
Just in terms of absolute space the original/V2 probably still wins, but Organic wins on overall quality of imaging.
As far as DACs and amps, Arya still sounds best with a good amount of power, but there’s some stuff in the $100-200 range that sounds great with Arya (like the iFi hip-dac) and stuff that’s 5x the price that’s “better” but makes Arya sound thin or harsh. It’s really about finding the combination of tuning/synergy that sounds best to your ears.
@@BloomAudio thank you so much, helps me out alot :)
My Arya V3 comes quite well on the portable ifi Gryphon. On the RME ADI 2 DAC Amp with top EQ, it sounds really good - do not underestimate the possibilities of the EQ! That makes so much, you can have a lot of everything according to your mood, or moderate, or... Newly I have given the Arya a Violectric HPA V222, the result is phenomenal, the Arya V3 only now shows its full potential. A great experience, a top investment.
Hello, I recently bought the Organics but I prefer my v3 stealths so much more. The treble elevation in the Organics is too much its so harsh and shouty at the top end. There is more bass too but the top end eclipses this and actually drowns out a lot of resolution in the sound.
After just 30min of organic listening my ear drums feel battered and the stealth sounds so mellow and balanced and beautifully gentle - Organics ironically sound very plastic and artificial - it has the warmth I wanted that the v3 lacks but then why did they also elevate the treble so much, v3 has perfect treble already 😢.
Please can someone advise if they have experienced same - could it be my dac amp? I'm using smsl su9 with gustard h16.
Massively welcome any guidance.
Interesting. I can see how you had that experience, but mine was a little different. It is going to be very dependent on the source as well. I've seen a lot of talk about the brightness, and that's probably the one issue with the headphones. I think especially with a lot of the common DAC chips - like ESS (like the SMSL) and Cirrus Logic - it does sound too bright. Using AKM or Burr Brown DACs, something with an R2R structure, or complementing the ESS or Cirrus Logic DAC with a tube amp really gets the best of the headphones.
Across the board, and even with the more typical solid state amps and an ESS DAC, I felt Organic had much more clarity and much better imaging than V3, but if you can't get past the brightness, V3/Stealth is probably a stronger choice with that kind of setup.
Everyone's ears are different though, so I might just not be hearing a frequency that's challenging for you in the same way that you hear it.
Thanks so much for your detailed reply. I will try with R2R dacs and tube amps - thank you again, love your channel bro!
Something might be wrong. Try different cables, see if you can try a different set of Arya Organic. Play around with stuff to try to diagnose it, because to me something sounds like it's off kilter.
Hey I tried different cables and R2R dac but it's still to harsh. The Headphone show jush did a video talking about the upper end spike
I have been listening to the Arya Organics for about 6 weeks. Right out of the box I thought they were, for me, too bright with some music. However, now that they have a couple of hundred hours on them, and I use balanced cables, they have grown into a stunning, warm (yet detailed) headphone, that, for me in my somewhat limited experience, are the best headphones I've owned (including B & W and an early HIFIMAN, the HE400S, which is lovely). They've gone from too crystalline to more like light shining through honey (is that too poetic?). Give them another chance and invest in balanced cable if you have something that has balanced output.
Awesome review.
I just bought the Arya V3 and I'm very happy with the sound over my Ananda SE but curious is it worth the extra $300 to go with organic. There are many YT Arya organic review just release and I found they all say different things. Example, he say organic is overall a combine of v2 & v3 plus a better timbre, bass and tonality seem like better of everything. While other say lesser in the bass, mid are better and natural and some say bright in high and warm in the mid. Basically it all over the place. I say how about do a sound demo so we all can judge them ourself. YT have a bunch of music sample they can play without geting copyright.
Yes I bought it after all the reviews but I'm returning it soon. Maybe it's my setup maybe it's my ears - in summary the Organics have 10% more bass and warmth but 50% more treble harshness - shreds my ear drums
If its $300 difference we should hear a distimct differences immediately. If I have to do an A/B then its not worth it. Example going from Anada SE to Arya SE. Its $400 apart but so is the sound. No need for A/B. Many say Ananda is very close to Arya, well, they need to check their hearing or equipment.
I didn't think they were that much better than my Arya Stealth when I tried them. These UA-camrs always hype things up way too much.
@@dtz1000 Yep, most of these UA-camrs just hype things up for views! I'm tired of listening to these type of sitting in from of camera BS reviews telling you how it sound and when pull the trigger, sometimes it somewhat close to what they are describes and most other times are just S**** TBH. Same with DAC and Amp. I bought 3 DAC from the hype wagon and 3 very expensive headphones they are ranging from $1K and up and so those DAC/AMP. IMO some of them are over hype and over price.
Hey Steve! How do these compare to 64 Audio u6t/u12t/volur?
I'm hearing the sound stage shrunk a bit. Hmmmmm will go with the stealths for gaming.
Anything 1W @ 16 OHM so even the R4 4.4mm jacks fit the minimum requirements (barely)
With the lower impedance, do you think I could use these with my phone and a Fiio BTR7?
I've used them with a few portable DACs, and as long as you have that extra juice from a 4.4mm/balanced, they do pretty well.
@@BloomAudio Nice, thanks!
I’m considering the stealth for gaming, but would the organic possibly be better? I’m concerned of the harshness up top I’m reading about.
I think the harshness is going to be very dependent on the source. Either would be a great choice for gaming, but the Stealth might be more forgiving with a standard PC headphone interface.
I tried the Arya Stealth with the EF400 and alternatively with the Dragonfly cobalt or plugged directly into my 2019 27"iMac whilst using Tidal to stream or whilst playing lossless versions of my CDs but I found that whilst it had a lot going for it, especially the soundstage and clarity, separation etc, it also sounded distinctly digital in certain areas and the Bass was a little lacking even with the EF400 which is why I returned the Arya Stealth with the EF400.
However this new version with the 'organic' moniker, suggesting a less 'digital' presentation, interests me. I'd appreciate your thoughts on my set up as I wonder whether it might be worth trying with my current options, of either the Dragonfly Cobalt (with iPhone, iMac etc) or my MacBookPro M3 headphone port (which I think uses Cambridge Audio DAC ), or whether those are simply not sufficiently up to the job to make it worth my while and whether I should consider the Ananda or something entirely different? I did notice an improvement with the EF400 but not enough for me to commit to non mobile listening
On the one hand, I would say yes, the Arya Organic does improve the timbre of previous generations and sounds more natural. But on the other hand, if the bass was an issue with the Arya Stealth, Organic has less bass and low-end than Stealth, so it might not be the best fit for you.
many thanks for your reply@@BloomAudio
Do you have any measurements for this headphone?
I’m debating going with the organics or an open box deal of the stealth for 800 bucks, do they justify the extra 500?
From my own personal listening and feedback we've gotten already from other reviews/customers/forums - if you're more sensitive to bright headphones or are using a fully solid state stack (particularly with ESS DACs), the Stealth might be a better pick. If you're using a slightly warmer setup, use EQ, or would rather have more resolution, soundstage, and clarity regardless of brightness, I think Arya Organic is worth it.
@@BloomAudio Coming from a Beyer DT1990 which would you pick? Basically looking for a planar version of it. Full SS stack and listen to edm/electronica.
How does the soundstage of the organic compare with the Ananda nano please?
Definitely bigger soundstage than Ananda Nano. Nano is still a better pick for a warmer sound or for most portable devices, but Arya Organic is better overall.
@@BloomAudio thanks that is very helpful
What DAC + AMP is the best for these headphones?
HE1000 V3 (Stealth) is different than HE100se right? If si, Now V3 with Stealth, how different V3 is from se?
Yes, the HE1000 series may be even more confusing than Arya as a whole... It's been a while since I've heard HE1000SE - and I was mostly comparing with HE1000v2 - but my impression was that HE1000SE was closer to Susvara in soundstage and imaging, but I found it to be a little shouty and I had some issues with the vocal presentation. HE1000v2 was slightly brighter, but I preferred V2 to SE. I haven't gotten to do a full evaluation of HE1000v3, but my first impression was that it was less bright than V2, so it might be the best of the HE1000s to my taste, but I'd need a lot more time to be sure.
@@BloomAudio Thanks. Wish I could have a demo. Considering recent price drops, ordered he1000se, have used Arya but have no point of reference against V3. If didn't like he1000se, would give v3 a try.
@@BloomAudio I'm trying to explain your confusion. I believe this is because Hifiman has applied for a patent for stealth magnet technology. In order to protect the company's interests, they have replaced all their product lines with Stealth version, and Hifiman He1000 Stealth is just one of them.
Hifiman is leading the industry in the field of planar headphones, and it will become a research object for other companies. Stopping products without patents may be a way to combat competitors.
However, the objective result of doing so is that the He1000 Stealth and He1000se are very similar. Of course, the He1000se is a higher-level earphone, but whether it is worth paying such an extra price is up to you to consider.
What would be best portable DAC to drive them ?
Getting a 4.4mm cable and using them with the iFi Gryphon would be really solid. I would recommend the Fiio Q7, but I don't personally love the combo of Arya and ESS DACs - which does rule out a number of other portables using ESS chips. Probably anything from the FiiO Q3 or iFi hip-dac on up will provide enough powered with a balanced cable, but you'll want to lean towards a slightly warm/smooth sound over something that's too bright and incisive.
@@BloomAudio thanks for your reply. I really appreciate you taking some out for suggestion. I think I would go with Gryphon.
thank you, I will buy Arya Organic, it's a pity, of course, that I will live without a kidney, but I hope it's worth it.
to live without kidney I would most likely buy Susvara xD Arya is a joke
Question do these headphones work with 3.5mm ports or things like phones and laptops?
These headphones need dedicated amplifiers
It won't work. You need an audio amplifier or a sound card with a 3.5 mm jack that can work with balanced headphones. The built-in sound cards in your laptop, phone, or computer can't work with balanced headphones.
Which would you add to your collection between the Ananda Nano and the Arya Organic?
Personally, I'd lean towards the Nano. I don't currently have the right combo in my home stack to synergize well with Arya Organic, and I tend to prefer slightly warmer sound. If I had a good tube amp, I'd definitely go Arya Organic though.
@@BloomAudioI'm currently running a hd660s with a topping dx7 pro. I'm interested in a headphone upgrade and I've heard good things about the arya organics. Would they pair well at all with the topping dx7 pro?
@@BloomAudio Interesting how one half the cost of the other is potentially better subjectively (not technically). I could be talked into a $1300 headphone if it were unanimously praised. I have a Gungnir Multibit and Mjolnir 2, as I only use tubes and R2R, but even with that setup I'm worried about being put off by the treble on the Arya Organic, especially since I had that reaction to the Arya Stealth. Additionally, Oratory1990 doesn't have a preset EQ for this headphone yet and I don't really trust myself to create a parametric EQ profile on my own.
I've listened to HiFiMan Arya Organic, Ananda Nano and HiFiMan HE1000, and my choice is HiFiMan Arya Organic. I listen through FiiO K19. HiFiMan HE1000 sound overly analytical, and they have a clinical sound. Ananda Nano does not have the high resolution and depth of sound that HiFiMan Arya Organic does. HiFiMan Arya Organic sounds emotional, musical, beautiful and lively, and listening to HiFiMan Arya Organic is very pleasant.
How does this headphone handle EQ?
I didn't test EQ much personally, but there are some threads over on head-fi that indicate people have had a lot of success with EQ.
I'd rather have them start bright in treble and then after a couple hundred hours, they mature & burn-in the best treble around.
Aaron rodgers the Miami version
The best? For you maybe.
but is it worth it? now a days hifiman got occasions to buy he1000se in similar price... Arya is just a gimmick
Just come from another reviewer saying these cans don't have bass at all, almost as weak as V1 and instruments sound thin, not body at all. Which proves how unreliable hi-fi reviewers videos are.
I swung it around with a bunch of different sources: with something like a Topping stack or any other ESS DAC, I did feel like it sounded more thin (I tried to note that in the review, but it might not have come across clearly or may have been more clear in a take that got edited out). Across the board, I felt the clarity, resolution, and imaging was better than V3 and that it was better overall than V2, but with any warmer/smoother DAC or with tubes/hybrid tubes I thought the overall balance was improved.