That applies to just about any stock cable. I own a Sennheiser 800S and decided to audition a ToneKraft cable by Audio Envy. The improvement was night and day! It would totally suck listening to my 800S with a stock cable now.
audiophiles are obnoxious idiots meanwhile every artist is using only Beyerdynamic DT770 or that Japan made only Sony CD900ST which cost about 200$ the only reason they call Arya mid tier is because there are Susvara that nobody buys aside from fishing overly rich brats to sink their money back into the economy
Got to demo both months ago in 2021 and ended up preferring/getting the V2. The V3 sounded more refined in terms of detail retrieval, imaging, and resolution but found the V2 more enjoyable and something I'd listen more with.
I recently bought the V3 as an upgrade to the dt1990pro. After 1 month now using them everyday for hours, they sound perfect. In the beginning, first couple days I also heard a very harsh high frequency (above 16khz) metallic sound. So I eq 16khz+ down and all was good. Now they sound perfect without any eq. Not sure if "burn in" is real or not, but I would recommend never to give a final review with brand new headphones. Same goes with any comment regarding clamping force. This changes after a couple of weeks. For example the HD660s were super strong and uncomfortable, now I barely feels them, but sound is dogs%!$t compared to the Arya or even dt1990pro, when it comes to music. But sometimes for talking voice like podcasts and stuff the relaxed nature of the hd660s and being half the weight, makes them a good compliment for the Arya.
@@ChrisKeyman The Arya is way wider IMHO. To a point where I say it is just right. If they were wider certain music - mainly EDM - would sound strange. The 1990 only are better build, I also prefer the one sided cable that locks and the midrange timbre feels sometimes better. Anything else is far better on the Arya: Details, speed, bass, layering, imaging, presence and most of all comfort. The 1990 are great at its price point. Way better than the HD660s IMHO (both need eq). I think one of the YT reviews once said that the Arya sound "euphoric" (apart from bright neutral). This is probably the most accurate single word. First two hours I used them I felt like being on drugs ;-) You get used to it (like anything) - but it never gets old ....
@@ChrisKeyman This depends strongly on the recording IMHO. In "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas staging works great on the Arya. It sounds to me like the band plays in 1-2m semi circle around me and sounding clearer at the same time than on dt1990 or HD660s where it is basically in your head. At least the dt1990 has fairly good imaging , but the stage is quite close and narrow in comparison. In "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi it is basically in your head no matter what. Some more song that "stage" well: Another brick in the wall pt. 2, Wish You were here - Love in Gdansk, You're Beautiful - James Blunt, Walking in Avalon - Christopher Cross (A Night in Paris (Live)), Hold on - Amber Rubarth ..... If in these songs you don't have the feeling the music plays in front or around you, instead of in-your-head you are not experiencing sound stage .... I also think, that the comfort factor helps in this experience. One reason I wanted an upgrade from the dt1990 and HD660s was, because the are semi-on-ear - you always feel having headphones on. The Arya are fully over ear, don't touch the ears and after I got used to the large ear-cups, I can totally forget wearing headphones. There was initially a bit pressure on my jar, but that has fully gone way.
I haven't heard the V2's but I really love my V3's. Super engaging and fun to listen to without being fatiguing. I wear them while I work from home so comfort and harshness are big factors to me.
I auditioned the V2, V3, HD 800 S and... Susvara (because why not?)... side by side. All great in their own ways.. (Susvara was incredible! But 6k... SIX KAY!!!)... I bought the V2. Just the right sub bass extension for me and I found it more open/airy and spacious than the V3. The HD 800s was even more spacious, but both Arya's are better all rounders... There was always a feeling of the sound being freed every time I switched back from the v3. I agonised for hours but in the end V2 edged it for me.
Hi, would you explain a bit more the differences between the Arya v3 and the Susvara? (I got the v3 and might upgrade to the Susvara one day, if I don't listen to my wallet of course...)
@@christianblais3350 Talking just about sound - The biggest thing was resolution. Really amazing on the Susvara. To give a specific example. I compared them listening to Losing My Religion by R.E.M. a very busy track with many layers, yet every layer sounded so much clearer and textured on the SusV than the Arya V3. As a guitar player myself, I've always listened out for the acoustic guitar strumming on that song and I've found it hard to separate from the rest of the music on most systems I've listened to. The SusV just packaged it and handed it on a plate and did the same for all other elements of the track. I could focus on whatever element I chose to without having to work hard. It's also superior to the Arya in terms of timbre. Everything sounded full whereas on the Arya things sound comparatively thin, great in its own right, but thin vs the SusV. Soundstage on the Susvara sounded big, perhaps a shade smaller than the Arya, but still big ait felt more accurate. Lastly, no sibilance on the Susvara. It was never fatiguing. The Arya can sometimes slip over the edge but never too much for me. Other than sound, you'll need a lot more power to drive the Susvara so you may find yourself upgrading a lot more than just your headphones. The store I was at hooked everything up to a Benchmark beast and a Rose hifi streamer. That's a lot of money there.
@@reflection1119 Thanks for your detailed answer! Definitely have to hear the Susvara one day... It's probably the main candidate for me as an endgame headphone (as resolution, soundstage and timbre are the aspects of the sound I care the most about). The Hifiman Shangri-La Jr and Stax SR-X9000 (both electrostatics) are also on my short list of contenders. In the meantime, I'll still enjoy the Arya Stealth as a valuable compromise.
I trust Precog because his ears are similar to mine. The treble was just too much for me, so I returned the Arya Stealth. I'm sure they sound incredible to people who aren't treble sensitive.
In my experience, the Arya V2 had a very noticeable treble spike that made things sound a bit plasticky and sharp, while the Stealth lacked it and felt a bit more mellow. The V2 was also more distant sounding with reverb, while the V3 was closer, more direct, and had better imagining. I went with the V3, and find it to be a great complement with my Verite Closed.
@@krucacing The VC does imaging better, image separation slightly better, and the cup reverb & Auteur pads give off a more convincing sound stage than the Arya, which sounds a bit tighter. VC has the better impact and slam quality, though the Arya has better subbass and an enveloping quality to the bass.
@@krucacing The Arya sounds more open overall, of course since it's an open back, but with the right pads, the VC makes you feel like you're in the middle of the music. That being said, the Arya tops the VC when it comes to making music sound as clean and clear as possible, and the Ayra's upper treble makes everything sound super airy. The VC doesn't get to that level.
V2 "better for electronic" not much just slightly, Stealth better for metal, a lot better. Staging yeah Stealth new is smaller & Closed in, over a month it expands very close but V3 edges head slightly, But something to keep in mind is presentation the V2 does this thing where sounds are fast but decay spread outwards giving it a larger spacious sound ~compared. Bass V2 bit more slam, Stealth bit more punch. Basically what i'm saying is This review is the best one I've seen so far comparing. Great job!
@@na-dj6ob I suspect that would depend on there preference for bass, a lot of people seem to prefer punch over slam for electronic, Also the stealth does go a bit lower, But the thing is slam & the way the V2 handles decay makes electronic better it keeps the bass & power of the notes forward (floppy lingering bass you feel), meanwhile the stealth is a bit more relaxed in that regard, not much its very close but it's just not as good if you take the time to directly a/b, if you go off memory you can easily make the mistake of getting it wrong. That decay difference (not having it) is also what makes the stealth better with metal music
im so confused some people say the v2 is warmer than the stealth version and some say he v2 is brighter than the stealth so can not decide so many opposite opinions .
@@vavent_ yeah every now and the V2 come back for a open-box sale for $1099 but they come and go. And you cannot buy them new anymore from Hifiman, only the v3
I’m a big fan of the Arya V2 and V3. The build used to bother me but IMO, Hifiman really did such an exceptional job on the tuning (mild, transparent, textured bass after some hours of use), they had to cut costs big-time. They did improve the yokes with reinforcement and frankly in order to avoid the annoying design flaw of the scraping issue, just set it and forget it, problem solved. Lets face it, if these came with leather pads and metal chassis, they would have issues selling HE1000s. Such a good headphone to have in a collection if one can swing the cost. Great overview
Still daily using my V2's. EQ'd with Peace using Oratory 1990's rec. It's not my endgame as I do plan on getting a Susvara and 1266 RC very soon, but for right now, I see absolutely no point in getting any other HP. I LOVE my V2's eq'd. It's the only pair out of my entire collection that I still use, and I have a big collection.
Is there a big upgrade with the Arya over the Sundara? The Sundara changed the way i listen to music. This makes me want to see what is out there that might blow my mind again. What do you guys think?
I went from the 2020 Sundara to the Arya SE. I expected to be blown away by how much better the Arya were reputed to be, but it wasn’t nearly as substantial of a difference as I expected, at least initially. Certainly not 5x the cost different. That being said, the Arya are undeniably a better headphone than the Sundara. I noticed the real difference after listening exclusively to the Arya for a couple weeks and then going back to the Sundara. The difference was night and day at that point. I sold the Sundara soon after. Point being, the Sundara punches way about it’s weight and I could have been content with it had I not tried the Arya. When I did it took me a little while to fully appreciate the improvements. Your mileage may vary of course.
I like all models of HIFIMAN headphobes.Tell me please:whish model has more bass and punch for listening to heavy rock music ? Or better Focal Clean MG ?. Thank Y
Thanks! I keep wondering if I should have picked the Arya over the Clear last year but I liked that the Clear was cheaper and easier to drive, better built and more importantly, for me, had a more full-bodied and warmer tuning. Was worried the Arya would be too thin/bright but I’d still love to hear one
For me , I have Clear pro , and not please then buy Arya V3 . Sell Clear pro after A/B comparison . Clear pro , vocal not nature , less detail , less separate instrument , narrow soundstage , soundstage like bubble around head so annoying. Uncomfortable to wear. Both easy to drive with DAP. Used Clear Pro (or Clear) on sale has cheaper price than Arya V2/V3 .
I just spent two weeks with the V3 and the ananda testing them and i find that the v3 is just a little bit clearer than ananda but not 1000.00 clearer I honestly think you cant go wrong with either v3 or ananda I returned the Arya and kept Ananda.. they are sooo close v3 should only be a couple hundred more imo
Really, very interesting. Could you let me know the music genre you listen to? I am considering to upgrade to Arya over Ananda. My main genre is general classical.
Without more info this comparison is quite meaningless, unfortunately. Impossible to tell if you hit limitations of the headphones, your DAC, your AMP or even the quality of your music files.
I found the opposite to be true. I own both the Ananda and the Stealth, and I think the Stealth is quite a bit better in virtually all areas. The Stealth has deeper, punchier, and more textured bass; much better midrange realism, texture, imaging, and layering; and superior staging; and is just an overall much enveloping listening experience. Of course, it also depends on what amp you're feeding them with - with discrete Class A/AB amps trouncing virtually all IC-based amps like the A90 and thx-789.......
Differences are not small. V3 has better bass, clear mid, and sparkling treble with no sharpness. Believe or not, v3 has better sense of Soundstage depending on how it was recorded. For example, try the album 'Hooker 'N Heat', 'Couldn't Stant The Weather'.
@@ROCKSTAR3291 What amp? If you have an IC-based amp, they'll not allow for any type of treble smoothness to come through. All Aryas absolutely thrive on discrete Class A or Class AB amps......
Wait I thought the v2 is known as the brighter one.. if the v3 has more treble that's terrible. From what I've heard i thought the v3 was the more warm one with a slightly better bass and smoother yet very detailed treble. :(
The V3's need time to play in (~50 hours or so) - after they do, they have much deeper, punchier, and textured bass, greater midrange realism, texture, imaging and layering, and much smoother treble. Fresh out of the box they can be bright, but that smooths out after about 50 hours of play or burn in. IDK if this reviewer gave them time or if he reviewed them brand new.
Exceptional midrange? Stax would give a better midrange at that price point. Soundstage, speed, and resolution, too, are heads and shoulders above Arya. But Arya wins in low end reach and weight, and has a more naturally weighted treble that lacks the accentuated (and artifucial) energy of a similarly priced Stax.
If they had something in this price range yes but guess what stax nice headphones start at 2500 at least. The low end stax models don’t! I audited them!
only dynamics got that exceptional midrange, full bodied with right timbre (not including headphones that are worth 5k+ just because they should sound perfect for the money)
"I don't think the cable is unusable" 😅 our expectations for $1600 hifiman products is up there Hifiman: unless you pay $14,000 you don't deserve a good cable!!!
This is what you get inside the box: the headphones, 1 shitty cable, 1 shitty foam headphones stand. That's it lol. The headphones are not the well built either. Much worse then what you get from a $50 IEM.
@@XoMrNoNameoX People think that it is crazy to spend that kind of money on headphones but in this case you got beautiful made item that can last your whole life + you can always sell it so your money is invested. Nothing to loose, pleasure to gain :)
All Arya versions need time to play in. When they're fresh out of the box they're sort of "constricted" and slightly too bright. After about ~50 hours of either music or pink noise (ie: burn in), they settle in very nicely. Their bass deepens and gets more textured, the mids get waaaay more layered and textured, and the treble smooths out - no EQ needed. Oh, they absolutely thrive on discrete Class A or AB amps over most all IC-based amps like the Topping A90 and THX-789.....
This is untrue, burn-in isn't real. About the closest thing you have is mental burn-in, where you get used to how something sounds. But mechanically speaking, there's no real change in sound.
@@KaneAmaroq hmmm no. Break-in is real, it can be more with some headphones, less with others, and it is a real and well known thing with most speakers. And it shouldn't be surprising, as it shouldn't for anything that involves mechanical parts and flexible materials moving. A few times already I have had proof that it is not a mental thing, by having 2 pairs of the same headphones that sounded pretty much identical when brand new, and then used one for hundreds of hours and the other stayed, well, brand new. No comparison, they sounded like different headphones. This happened to me with Sennheiser hd600, Nad Viso HP50, Koss ksc 75, and Arya stealth. In the case of the Nad HP50, I even got to compare 3 models with very different playback mileage.
@@daniluzzu Pads wearing down will change the sound, that is not the driver, if that difference wasn't imagined. And the way I know it isn't real is this: One, if it were real, then burn-in would have just as likely a chance to make the sound worse as it does better. But it somehow only ever improves it. Two, the burn-in period always recommended is about as long as the return period for most things. How curious. Three, if it were real, and it made it sound better, why would the manufacturer not include doing the burn-in process for their transducers and tell you to do it for them instead? They easily could. Not only that, but every time sometime tries to test it, there are no measurable changes to the sound. The only "proof" of burn in anyone ever provides is "I felt there was a difference," which is a useless metric and means nothing, as imagining differences in sound is a very common thing.
@@KaneAmaroq we have actual measurements showing the difference. Look up dms's video on it. Also audeze does burn with all their products for a minimum of 20 hours AFTER QC. You are a pathological lier. Objectively proven.
Arya is mid tier? lmfao i always thought Arya is the top end while Susvara is just for rich boys to buy and show off and dont have to work in their life because their dad pay all their credit cards like who the f ever want to buy a Susvara?
I agree with you (I'd consider the Arya a high end headphone; stuff like Utopia, Abyss, Empyrean, Susvara, etc. are better termed summit-fi) up until your last sentence. Who wants to buy a Susvara? Hey, I do! But since I'm retired on a fixed income I'll never be able to afford one, so I'm saving up to buy an Arya Stealth (probably next month). Since the price cut to $1300, it's less than a quarter the price of the Susvara but I assume roughly 90% as good. To paraphrase Edmond O"Brien's famous closing line of The Wild Bunch: "It ain't quite as good as the Susvara, but it'll do."
@@marlowe1537 yea you do want to buy Susvara but you still wont buy it either lol lets face it we can afford Susvara but none of us will ever buy it because we know there is nothing much to gain and we are budget conscious people like i already said only rich spoil brats will buy it with their parent's credit cards for showing off because they have no clue what monetary value worth nor how to earn them i've seen many of these 2nd, 3rd generational rich brats with tons of money to spend and completely clueless, these products are for targeting them
Maybe you’re thinking of just the fundamental frequency? However, if you recess 3-4kHz using EQ, you should notice that most female vocals - not even sopranos - are being affected and will sound muted. I believe consonants, which lend to sibilance, go even higher (or at least I tend to associate them with 4-6kHz).
To borrow your snotty use of all caps, the word is SPELLED timbre but it is PRONOUNCED tambour. You have posted this exact incorrect comment in at least one other review. Since you simply don't know how the word is correctly pronounced it might be better to cease trying to look smarter than the reviewer by making obviously wrong posts.
"Cymbals sound a little bit metallic"... How would like them to sound? They are made of metal after all.
Its a nonsense word salad everyone uses
haha +1
Yeah, I get that. I really prefer those wooden cymbals, especially the hard red wood. Or even a good oak. 😂😂
Haha , that was the first thing I thought.. should they sound plastic? Or wooden?😂
Average day when precog
“Not unusable”. The best compliment a hifiman cable has ever gotten
A massive complement for anything coming from precog
That applies to just about any stock cable. I own a Sennheiser 800S and decided to audition a ToneKraft cable by Audio Envy. The improvement was night and day! It would totally suck listening to my 800S with a stock cable now.
Just as a reminder, for most people these are not mid-tier headphones with a price above 1k…
Still interesting to watch the video, of course 🙂
audiophiles are obnoxious idiots
meanwhile every artist is using only Beyerdynamic DT770 or that Japan made only Sony CD900ST which cost about 200$
the only reason they call Arya mid tier is because there are Susvara that nobody buys aside from fishing overly rich brats to sink their money back into the economy
I was under the impression that the new stealth magnet technology in the edition xs, the Amanda, etc....was a giant leap forward. Is that true?
compared to Susvara 7-8k it still look for me like lower tier but yes Hifiman prices are stupid
theyr'e still firmly mid-tier in the world of audiophile headphones, whether you like it or not is beside the point
Got to demo both months ago in 2021 and ended up preferring/getting the V2. The V3 sounded more refined in terms of detail retrieval, imaging, and resolution but found the V2 more enjoyable and something I'd listen more with.
I recently bought the V3 as an upgrade to the dt1990pro. After 1 month now using them everyday for hours, they sound perfect. In the beginning, first couple days I also heard a very harsh high frequency (above 16khz) metallic sound. So I eq 16khz+ down and all was good. Now they sound perfect without any eq. Not sure if "burn in" is real or not, but I would recommend never to give a final review with brand new headphones. Same goes with any comment regarding clamping force. This changes after a couple of weeks. For example the HD660s were super strong and uncomfortable, now I barely feels them, but sound is dogs%!$t compared to the Arya or even dt1990pro, when it comes to music. But sometimes for talking voice like podcasts and stuff the relaxed nature of the hd660s and being half the weight, makes them a good compliment for the Arya.
How is the Soundstage compared to the 1990?
Which one is wider ?
@@ChrisKeyman The Arya is way wider IMHO. To a point where I say it is just right. If they were wider certain music - mainly EDM - would sound strange. The 1990 only are better build, I also prefer the one sided cable that locks and the midrange timbre feels sometimes better. Anything else is far better on the Arya: Details, speed, bass, layering, imaging, presence and most of all comfort. The 1990 are great at its price point. Way better than the HD660s IMHO (both need eq). I think one of the YT reviews once said that the Arya sound "euphoric" (apart from bright neutral). This is probably the most accurate single word. First two hours I used them I felt like being on drugs ;-) You get used to it (like anything) - but it never gets old ....
@@stephanrudolph thank you .
The vocals are near to your head? Or they are a little distant?
@@ChrisKeyman This depends strongly on the recording IMHO. In "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas staging works great on the Arya. It sounds to me like the band plays in 1-2m semi circle around me and sounding clearer at the same time than on dt1990 or HD660s where it is basically in your head. At least the dt1990 has fairly good imaging , but the stage is quite close and narrow in comparison. In "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi it is basically in your head no matter what. Some more song that "stage" well: Another brick in the wall pt. 2, Wish You were here - Love in Gdansk, You're Beautiful - James Blunt, Walking in Avalon - Christopher Cross (A Night in Paris (Live)), Hold on - Amber Rubarth ..... If in these songs you don't have the feeling the music plays in front or around you, instead of in-your-head you are not experiencing sound stage .... I also think, that the comfort factor helps in this experience. One reason I wanted an upgrade from the dt1990 and HD660s was, because the are semi-on-ear - you always feel having headphones on. The Arya are fully over ear, don't touch the ears and after I got used to the large ear-cups, I can totally forget wearing headphones. There was initially a bit pressure on my jar, but that has fully gone way.
@@stephanrudolph thanks
I haven't heard the V2's but I really love my V3's. Super engaging and fun to listen to without being fatiguing. I wear them while I work from home so comfort and harshness are big factors to me.
I auditioned the V2, V3, HD 800 S and... Susvara (because why not?)... side by side.
All great in their own ways.. (Susvara was incredible! But 6k... SIX KAY!!!)... I bought the V2. Just the right sub bass extension for me and I found it more open/airy and spacious than the V3. The HD 800s was even more spacious, but both Arya's are better all rounders... There was always a feeling of the sound being freed every time I switched back from the v3. I agonised for hours but in the end V2 edged it for me.
Hi, would you explain a bit more the differences between the Arya v3 and the Susvara? (I got the v3 and might upgrade to the Susvara one day, if I don't listen to my wallet of course...)
@@christianblais3350
Talking just about sound -
The biggest thing was resolution. Really amazing on the Susvara. To give a specific example. I compared them listening to Losing My Religion by R.E.M. a very busy track with many layers, yet every layer sounded so much clearer and textured on the SusV than the Arya V3. As a guitar player myself, I've always listened out for the acoustic guitar strumming on that song and I've found it hard to separate from the rest of the music on most systems I've listened to. The SusV just packaged it and handed it on a plate and did the same for all other elements of the track. I could focus on whatever element I chose to without having to work hard.
It's also superior to the Arya in terms of timbre. Everything sounded full whereas on the Arya things sound comparatively thin, great in its own right, but thin vs the SusV.
Soundstage on the Susvara sounded big, perhaps a shade smaller than the Arya, but still big ait felt more accurate.
Lastly, no sibilance on the Susvara. It was never fatiguing. The Arya can sometimes slip over the edge but never too much for me.
Other than sound, you'll need a lot more power to drive the Susvara so you may find yourself upgrading a lot more than just your headphones. The store I was at hooked everything up to a Benchmark beast and a Rose hifi streamer. That's a lot of money there.
@@reflection1119 Thanks for your detailed answer! Definitely have to hear the Susvara one day... It's probably the main candidate for me as an endgame headphone (as resolution, soundstage and timbre are the aspects of the sound I care the most about). The Hifiman Shangri-La Jr and Stax SR-X9000 (both electrostatics) are also on my short list of contenders. In the meantime, I'll still enjoy the Arya Stealth as a valuable compromise.
Six-Second Summary Spoiler starts @ 9:34
I trust Precog because his ears are similar to mine. The treble was just too much for me, so I returned the Arya Stealth. I'm sure they sound incredible to people who aren't treble sensitive.
In my experience, the Arya V2 had a very noticeable treble spike that made things sound a bit plasticky and sharp, while the Stealth lacked it and felt a bit more mellow. The V2 was also more distant sounding with reverb, while the V3 was closer, more direct, and had better imagining. I went with the V3, and find it to be a great complement with my Verite Closed.
can comment shortly arya v3 vs vc, soundstage wise, bass slam?
@@krucacing The VC does imaging better, image separation slightly better, and the cup reverb & Auteur pads give off a more convincing sound stage than the Arya, which sounds a bit tighter.
VC has the better impact and slam quality, though the Arya has better subbass and an enveloping quality to the bass.
@@JL3001thanks. wow that surprised me that closed back can sound bigger than open backs, bit given the price difference maybe its possible.
@@krucacing The Arya sounds more open overall, of course since it's an open back, but with the right pads, the VC makes you feel like you're in the middle of the music.
That being said, the Arya tops the VC when it comes to making music sound as clean and clear as possible, and the Ayra's upper treble makes everything sound super airy. The VC doesn't get to that level.
@@JL3001 my VC is simply the best, never met planar that give me such pleasure from listening to music
V2 "better for electronic" not much just slightly, Stealth better for metal, a lot better. Staging yeah Stealth new is smaller & Closed in, over a month it expands very close but V3 edges head slightly, But something to keep in mind is presentation the V2 does this thing where sounds are fast but decay spread outwards giving it a larger spacious sound ~compared. Bass V2 bit more slam, Stealth bit more punch. Basically what i'm saying is This review is the best one I've seen so far comparing. Great job!
Interesting take, as most people who have tried both versions seem to say v3 is better for electronic than v2.
@@na-dj6ob I suspect that would depend on there preference for bass, a lot of people seem to prefer punch over slam for electronic, Also the stealth does go a bit lower, But the thing is slam & the way the V2 handles decay makes electronic better it keeps the bass & power of the notes forward (floppy lingering bass you feel), meanwhile the stealth is a bit more relaxed in that regard, not much its very close but it's just not as good if you take the time to directly a/b, if you go off memory you can easily make the mistake of getting it wrong. That decay difference (not having it) is also what makes the stealth better with metal music
Thank you, one of the best review.
V2 is the better listening experience. I own both and I am selling the Stealth .
im so confused some people say the v2 is warmer than the stealth version and some say he v2 is brighter than the stealth so can not decide
so many opposite opinions .
not only headphones are important, amp is sometimes game changer
It’s a shame that Hifiman doesn’t offer the V2 to purchase any more directly from them
actually they do, both V3 and V2 are selling for 1299$, open-box V2 can be found for 1099$ from their website
@@vavent_ yeah every now and the V2 come back for a open-box sale for $1099 but they come and go. And you cannot buy them new anymore from Hifiman, only the v3
@@camoturtle18 yep I bought my v2 open box from France, they are still in perfect condition
@@soulfulfool which site and price?
@@ssolx5527 it was maybe year ago from ebay it was around 1k euro, sold it already thou lol planars are not my style timbre is fake highs are sharp
I’m a big fan of the Arya V2 and V3. The build used to bother me but IMO, Hifiman really did such an exceptional job on the tuning (mild, transparent, textured bass after some hours of use), they had to cut costs big-time.
They did improve the yokes with reinforcement and frankly in order to avoid the annoying design flaw of the scraping issue, just set it and forget it, problem solved.
Lets face it, if these came with leather pads and metal chassis, they would have issues selling HE1000s.
Such a good headphone to have in a collection if one can swing the cost.
Great overview
Still daily using my V2's. EQ'd with Peace using Oratory 1990's rec. It's not my endgame as I do plan on getting a Susvara and 1266 RC very soon, but for right now, I see absolutely no point in getting any other HP. I LOVE my V2's eq'd. It's the only pair out of my entire collection that I still use, and I have a big collection.
the sundara is not the bottom of the hifiman stack, that would be the he400se
this is only a few months late, what with the V2s having been discontinued... :(
good, than I have unique headphone out of production xD
Real good video!
Iam also in my 20s and a bit sensitive abou the "s"-vocals - but really happy with the V3 - maybe i look into EQ someday
If you would have to keep only 1 between these two what would be and why, arya v2 or thieaudio monarch mk2? thanks.
Is there a big upgrade with the Arya over the Sundara?
The Sundara changed the way i listen to music.
This makes me want to see what is out there that might blow my mind again.
What do you guys think?
I went from the 2020 Sundara to the Arya SE. I expected to be blown away by how much better the Arya were reputed to be, but it wasn’t nearly as substantial of a difference as I expected, at least initially. Certainly not 5x the cost different. That being said, the Arya are undeniably a better headphone than the Sundara. I noticed the real difference after listening exclusively to the Arya for a couple weeks and then going back to the Sundara. The difference was night and day at that point. I sold the Sundara soon after. Point being, the Sundara punches way about it’s weight and I could have been content with it had I not tried the Arya. When I did it took me a little while to fully appreciate the improvements. Your mileage may vary of course.
@@mattgaunitzmusic that is the kind of information I need.
Thank you
Absolutely!!!
Arya is a big step up from Sundara, clearly. I suggest buying Arya SE, cause V2 may make you bored.
@@phuocnv0199 thank you
thanks for the review precog!
I like all models of HIFIMAN headphobes.Tell me please:whish model has more bass and punch for listening to heavy rock music ? Or better Focal Clean MG ?. Thank Y
Thanks! I keep wondering if I should have picked the Arya over the Clear last year but I liked that the Clear was cheaper and easier to drive, better built and more importantly, for me, had a more full-bodied and warmer tuning. Was worried the Arya would be too thin/bright but I’d still love to hear one
@Brendan Martin great write up, thank you! And I have the OG Clear.
For me , I have Clear pro , and not please then buy Arya V3 . Sell Clear pro after A/B comparison . Clear pro , vocal not nature , less detail , less separate instrument , narrow soundstage , soundstage like bubble around head so annoying. Uncomfortable to wear. Both easy to drive with DAP. Used Clear Pro (or Clear) on sale has cheaper price than Arya V2/V3 .
@@briancaulfield7251 OG Clear is crazy good with high end tube amps
Easy, the Arya is obviously better than the other Arya.
Personally I preferred the other Arya
Arya Stealth vs XS? Prices...
How many different versions of the Arya are there?
looking for arya v1 eu
comment plz
also which pads do arya v1 v2 use? and what amp dac is best for them?
Pretty sure the headband is spring steel, not aluminium like you mentioned
I just spent two weeks with the V3 and the ananda testing them and i find that the v3 is just a little bit clearer than ananda but not 1000.00 clearer I honestly think you cant go wrong with either v3 or ananda I returned the Arya and kept Ananda.. they are sooo close v3 should only be a couple hundred more imo
Really, very interesting. Could you let me know the music genre you listen to? I am considering to upgrade to Arya over Ananda. My main genre is general classical.
Without more info this comparison is quite meaningless, unfortunately. Impossible to tell if you hit limitations of the headphones, your DAC, your AMP or even the quality of your music files.
price is stupid high for Arya
I found the opposite to be true. I own both the Ananda and the Stealth, and I think the Stealth is quite a bit better in virtually all areas. The Stealth has deeper, punchier, and more textured bass; much better midrange realism, texture, imaging, and layering; and superior staging; and is just an overall much enveloping listening experience. Of course, it also depends on what amp you're feeding them with - with discrete Class A/AB amps trouncing virtually all IC-based amps like the A90 and thx-789.......
So is this Arya Organic coming out this week a V4?
Where can one even buy a V2 anymore?? 😢
Differences are not small. V3 has better bass, clear mid, and sparkling treble with no sharpness. Believe or not, v3 has better sense of Soundstage depending on how it was recorded. For example, try the album 'Hooker 'N Heat', 'Couldn't Stant The Weather'.
wrong
@@josha8715 You are.
@@munsukwon8393 lol. V3 just not worth upgrading to if you already have the V2.
no sharpness ? it's razor sharp to me. I've done a 200 hour burn in, still ear piercing
@@ROCKSTAR3291 What amp? If you have an IC-based amp, they'll not allow for any type of treble smoothness to come through. All Aryas absolutely thrive on discrete Class A or Class AB amps......
Diana TC vs Arya Stealth?
Return of the king!!!
Plain background?
Please do the review of the newly launched 500$ Hifiman Edition XS as well
Wait I thought the v2 is known as the brighter one.. if the v3 has more treble that's terrible. From what I've heard i thought the v3 was the more warm one with a slightly better bass and smoother yet very detailed treble. :(
if you are treble sensitive, then yes, the V3 is ear piercing. I'm returning it.
The V3's need time to play in (~50 hours or so) - after they do, they have much deeper, punchier, and textured bass, greater midrange realism, texture, imaging and layering, and much smoother treble. Fresh out of the box they can be bright, but that smooths out after about 50 hours of play or burn in. IDK if this reviewer gave them time or if he reviewed them brand new.
it all depend on your source mostly amp, Arya v2 can change a lot and sharp edge at highs can be removed by tube buffer
How does the v1 differ from the v2?
That's even less difference, V2 slightly less harsh treble.
@@AliArghavan Thx
@@AliArghavan which one has better soundstage and height/depth? v1 or v2? also is it dt990 levels bad of treble or how would u describ e it, ty
Exceptional midrange? Stax would give a better midrange at that price point. Soundstage, speed, and resolution, too, are heads and shoulders above Arya. But Arya wins in low end reach and weight, and has a more naturally weighted treble that lacks the accentuated (and artifucial) energy of a similarly priced Stax.
If they had something in this price range yes but guess what stax nice headphones start at 2500 at least. The low end stax models don’t! I audited them!
only dynamics got that exceptional midrange, full bodied with right timbre (not including headphones that are worth 5k+ just because they should sound perfect for the money)
what's the outro song
I don't care what anyone says. After A/B comparison , I picked Arya V3 because detail and clarity . My money ,
I don't need other people to say.
so why you are even here ?
@@soulfulfool For the fool buffalo who asked.
"I don't think the cable is unusable" 😅 our expectations for $1600 hifiman products is up there
Hifiman: unless you pay $14,000 you don't deserve a good cable!!!
for 1600 you got nothing only drivers xD build is cheap, leather is fake & cable is shit
This is what you get inside the box: the headphones, 1 shitty cable, 1 shitty foam headphones stand. That's it lol. The headphones are not the well built either. Much worse then what you get from a $50 IEM.
@@XoMrNoNameoX thats why my most expensive headphones are ZMF, beautiful made with outstanding sound
@@soulfulfool true, ZMF is one of a few brands worth spending more than $2000 on.
@@XoMrNoNameoX People think that it is crazy to spend that kind of money on headphones but in this case you got beautiful made item that can last your whole life + you can always sell it so your money is invested. Nothing to loose, pleasure to gain :)
All Arya versions need time to play in. When they're fresh out of the box they're sort of "constricted" and slightly too bright. After about ~50 hours of either music or pink noise (ie: burn in), they settle in very nicely. Their bass deepens and gets more textured, the mids get waaaay more layered and textured, and the treble smooths out - no EQ needed. Oh, they absolutely thrive on discrete Class A or AB amps over most all IC-based amps like the Topping A90 and THX-789.....
This is untrue, burn-in isn't real. About the closest thing you have is mental burn-in, where you get used to how something sounds. But mechanically speaking, there's no real change in sound.
@@KaneAmaroq hmmm no. Break-in is real, it can be more with some headphones, less with others, and it is a real and well known thing with most speakers. And it shouldn't be surprising, as it shouldn't for anything that involves mechanical parts and flexible materials moving. A few times already I have had proof that it is not a mental thing, by having 2 pairs of the same headphones that sounded pretty much identical when brand new, and then used one for hundreds of hours and the other stayed, well, brand new. No comparison, they sounded like different headphones. This happened to me with Sennheiser hd600, Nad Viso HP50, Koss ksc 75, and Arya stealth. In the case of the Nad HP50, I even got to compare 3 models with very different playback mileage.
@@daniluzzu Pads wearing down will change the sound, that is not the driver, if that difference wasn't imagined.
And the way I know it isn't real is this: One, if it were real, then burn-in would have just as likely a chance to make the sound worse as it does better. But it somehow only ever improves it.
Two, the burn-in period always recommended is about as long as the return period for most things. How curious.
Three, if it were real, and it made it sound better, why would the manufacturer not include doing the burn-in process for their transducers and tell you to do it for them instead? They easily could.
Not only that, but every time sometime tries to test it, there are no measurable changes to the sound. The only "proof" of burn in anyone ever provides is "I felt there was a difference," which is a useless metric and means nothing, as imagining differences in sound is a very common thing.
@@KaneAmaroq we have actual measurements showing the difference. Look up dms's video on it. Also audeze does burn with all their products for a minimum of 20 hours AFTER QC. You are a pathological lier. Objectively proven.
@@KaneAmaroq you also like your own comments. 💀
Precog gets more into headphones. Hurrah!
I was under the impression that the new stealth magnet technology, was LITERALLY a giant leap forward.
Is that not the case?
Nice presentation , thx …
It sounds like you keep saying "GigaHertz" when you mean "KiloHertz."
his ears register gigahertz
4:59 its a very small WHAT?!?!
That wall needs a new coat of paint.
Pretty sure it's paper back drop
It looks paper 🤦♂
Why is a 1600$ headphone made cheaply as per paint job etc? Sucks
its Hifiman what do you expect lol
Arya is mid tier? lmfao
i always thought Arya is the top end while Susvara is just for rich boys to buy and show off and dont have to work in their life because their dad pay all their credit cards
like who the f ever want to buy a Susvara?
I agree with you (I'd consider the Arya a high end headphone; stuff like Utopia, Abyss, Empyrean, Susvara, etc. are better termed summit-fi) up until your last sentence. Who wants to buy a Susvara? Hey, I do! But since I'm retired on a fixed income I'll never be able to afford one, so I'm saving up to buy an Arya Stealth (probably next month). Since the price cut to $1300, it's less than a quarter the price of the Susvara but I assume roughly 90% as good. To paraphrase Edmond O"Brien's famous closing line of The Wild Bunch: "It ain't quite as good as the Susvara, but it'll do."
@@marlowe1537 yea you do want to buy Susvara but you still wont buy it either lol
lets face it we can afford Susvara but none of us will ever buy it because we know there is nothing much to gain and we are budget conscious people
like i already said only rich spoil brats will buy it with their parent's credit cards for showing off because they have no clue what monetary value worth nor how to earn them
i've seen many of these 2nd, 3rd generational rich brats with tons of money to spend and completely clueless, these products are for targeting them
@@marlowe1537 I think you'll looove them. They sound better with discrete Class A or AB amps too. Ditch the IC based amps for much better SQ, IMO....
to buy Susvara is one thing but to make them sound like it should is 2nd thing, dac/amp combo for that overpriced beast cost a fortune
4:57.... mate 1-2khz recess, that's beyond female soprano territory not chesty male vocal.... unless you have Mariah Carey whistle fetish
Your voice has harmonics even up to 4khz because you possess a mouth and a throat, the base frequency is just the flapping of your vocal chords.
Maybe you’re thinking of just the fundamental frequency? However, if you recess 3-4kHz using EQ, you should notice that most female vocals - not even sopranos - are being affected and will sound muted. I believe consonants, which lend to sibilance, go even higher (or at least I tend to associate them with 4-6kHz).
The word is NOT tambour, it's TIMBRE.
To borrow your snotty use of all caps, the word is SPELLED timbre but it is PRONOUNCED tambour. You have posted this exact incorrect comment in at least one other review. Since you simply don't know how the word is correctly pronounced it might be better to cease trying to look smarter than the reviewer by making obviously wrong posts.
just rebrand to the EQ show already
Eeeeeee
Anyone ever wonder why so many young people review headphones when they don’t represent the largest market of buyers?
Why do you think?