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Expansive soundstage and a bright sound signature
Cup style
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Open-back headphone designs are often higher-performance but have poor noise isolation and leak sound. Closed-back designs provide better noise isolation and leak less sound.
Open-Back
Wearing style
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Over-ear headphones sit over your ear and surround your ear with a ring of padding. On-ear headphones are padded but rest on top of your ear. In-ear monitors are worn inside your ear canal.
Over-ear
Driver type
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Speakers and headphones use a device called a 'driver' to create sound. Different types of drivers have different strengths and weaknesses, but can all produce great sound. Common varieties include dynamic, planar magnetic, and electrostatic.
Planar Magnetic
Amp required
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Some headphones require the power of an amplifier to reach comfortable listening volumes.
Yes
Connectivity
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Connectivity refers to the method in which the headphones connect to the audio source. Headphones can be either wired or wireless.
Our Take: A direct competitor to the Sennheiser HD800S, Focal Clear and Audeze LCD-X, the Hifiman Arya are perfect for anyone that craves an expansive soundstage (not on the level of the HD800S) and a brighter sound signature. Lightweight and comfortable, the Arya are easy to leave on your head all day while you're at the office or at home listening to music. With a recent price drop from $1599 to $1299, the Hifiman Arya Planar Magnetic Headphones will not disappoint.
Arya is the culmination of HifiMan’s work. Never has a company brought this kind of Planar performance at this price point. Fast, wide soundstage and mind-blowing detail make the Arya a must-listen. HifiMan Arya features a driver based on the HE1000 V2 headphones, one of the best drivers on the market in our opinion, which raises the sonic characteristics to a considerably higher level than similarly priced products.
“Our HE1000 series is an audiophile favorite. In particular, the 1000 V2 continues to be one of our best-selling models to date,” said Dr. Fang Bian, Founder and CEO, HIFIMAN Electronics. “Our experience working and reworking the technology until we reached sonic perfection gave us the ability to adapt many of the same technical features in a headphone that is accessible to a wider audience of music lovers.”
With an ergonomic design to comfortably fit most listeners, the Arya incorporates such HIFIMAN features such as the patented “window shade” system that reduces reflections to widen the soundstage. A super-thin diaphragm guarantees faster response and the bare minimum of distortion.
As with all new HIFIMAN products, the Arya features 3.5mm headphone connectors that are angled at 10°, thereby lessening the pressure points associated with straight-angled connectors. These pressure points sometimes stress the connection, but the new design ensures a solid, reliable, and long-lasting link between the headphone and the cable.
Nanometer Thickness Diaphram A breakthrough core technology developed by HIFIMAN, it’s the first of its kind in headphone applications. Working with this advanced material is extremely challenging, but the successful incorporation of this film as the Arya’s planar driver is the cornerstone of its remarkable sound.
Advanced Asymmetrical Magnetic Circuit Years of research into planar driver optimizations led HIFIMAN to utilize an asymmetrical design with smaller magnets on the side facing the ear. This reduced interference in sound wave transmissions from the diaphragm.
Metal and High-Grade Plastic Construction HIFIMAN designed the Arya’s high-quality metal headband with extra strength and a special high-grade plastic for lightweight comfort and rugged durability.
Bold, Black Aesthetic With its class HE1000-style shape and striking good looks of its all-black exterior, the Arya is a statement of both aesthetics and sonic excellence.
I have had less than three hours to listen to these. i'm being shaken down to provide a review on a product I've barely had time to open. My extension cable isn't in yet, but standing literally 3 feet in front of my stereo I guess they sound OK. The clipd that hold the head strap tight are BS at this price range though and ought to grab better. Meanwhile, leave me alone. If they suck I'll let you know. If they're great I'll let everyone I know know. The restof you shouldn't be putting so much stock in the opinions of srangers anyway.
Tom F.3/5Verified
Sounds great! Arrived 3 days early, and in good condition!
Tyler J.5/5Verified
Preliminary impressions: I am not a big time audiophile but since I finally bought an amp that can push clean power (Hifiman EF600) I thought I'd try my first pair of planars, and these deliver the goods.
Excellent staging (to the extent my ears can detect it), wonderful definition and clarity in classical music, my main reason for buying these.
Comfortable, but it takes time to get used to the large area in contact with my head. Overall pleased with the product and the service.
Peter E.4/5Verified
Pretty great headphones. Ordered as a complement to my Clears; a role they fulfill in spades.
Mini-review: Light, bright, airy, "fast" (like all the reviews say). Bass is drumskin-tight and they extend deep, but don't punch. Midrange is rather thin compared to more romantic cans. High-end is a bit sharp, and poorly recorded or artificial cymbals have some unnatural tizz and hiss. Textures and details come through wonderfully (a good bit more resolving than my Clears on first blush, particularly on echoes), though they need some juice to overcome their naturally soft character. The soundstage is a good bit wider than my Clears or LCD 2.2s (shocker) and present a wonderful sense of spaciousness, plus they image more precise and smooth than anything short of Stax.
These cans are neutral enough to do pretty much everything well, but are especially great with instrumental music. Especially at their current price, they're a fantastic deal and pair wonderfully with Clears or the HD 600 line.
Matthew L.5/5Verified
What a fantastic deal. Only because of this price was I able to get a headphone of this caliber. And I must say, it is stellar! Currently have it paired with a fiio k7 and I’m sure it scales beyond that (will be getting a k9 pro soon). It really does sound great with the k7 though. Overall, if you want to experience a very high end headphone but you’re a mere mortal, but this right now at this price while you still can!
Andrew H.5/5Verified
Got them for around 600! They are lightweight with great soundstage. Enjoying them so far!
Kevin S.5/5Verified
Vary great headphones love it music on these are amazing
Tim P.5/5Verified
These headphones are VERY comfortable to wear! I have a big head and large ears: These headphones are so comfortable and they don’t squeeze into my head, that I’ll be reaching for them first, every time. My only other headphone experience has been the Bose brand. And I love these Arya by HiFiMan SO much more.
The sound quality is hard for me to describe, because I’m not as smart as the other reviewers on here. But I will say this, you just know when you’re hearing deeper richer sounds from your music. You’re immersed in the sensation of everything you’re hearing as if for the first time. It’s that “first time” aspect of the experience you just HAVE to savor for yourself. I would recommend you bought THIS pair of headphones over another commercial brand. (And I have neither been paid nor otherwise persuaded to make this endorsement.)
Frank C.5/5Verified
they the real shit mane
Ben J.5/5Verified
I love the imaging of the Aryas.
Jarret C.5/5Verified
Excellent all-rounder! I like them much more than my previous high-end cans - the Focal Clear.
Atanas I.5/5Verified
Excellent headphones, price, and customer service.
Mitchell K.5/5Verified
I bought the Arya Stealth based on the detailed review of the headphones. My listening appraisal matched the reviewer's comment, so I upgraded from my Sen 600s.
I have bought from you guys for many years and have grown to trust your service and reviews.
Daniel K.5/5Verified
As a music lover, I know the story of diminishing returns in audio all too well, so I've often looked up to headphones like the Arya lineup but they had often still been too price prohibitive in comparison to the improvement in audio quality you may get over Hifiman's own Sundara for example. While I still hold true to that sentiment, it is a solid jump up regardless, and especially worth it if you catch it on a good deal like I did. The sound-staging is great, it's relatively wide along with a kind of vertical height to it that I've not been used to with most headphones. Not to mention the imaging within is quite a bit more distinct in placement and detail compared to the Sundara. The Arya Stealth nearly disappears on my head at times, and it's fairly comfortable with relatively little clamp force and a good headband. As long as these ear cups are, they don't always seal the best on my head, but luckily it doesn't really have much negative impact at all to the sound I get out of these. Overall, these headphones happened to be right up my alley so I'm loving the addition of the Arya Stealth to my setup. Though that goes with saying these headphones aren't for everyone. They won't offer you the same level of dynamic impact as a set of Focals or the same kind of rock-ability as a pair of Audeze, but if you're looking to disappear into the soundscape around your head, the Arya Stealth is a pretty good contender. All in all a pretty good headphone, IMHO
Elliot H.5/5Verified
Had to get these for $650. It’s been comfortable on my head despite the size. Like reviews have said instrument separation, imaging and a wide soundstage are this headphones strengths. Stock cable is pretty bad but 3.5mm connectors to the headphones make it a cheaper to replace.
Jamie C.5/5Verified
Great compliment to my Focal Clear OG's. Takes to EQ wonderfully, although doesn't need EQ to be enjoyable. Great with rock/classic rock, instrumental, soul. Not really geared toward rap/metal, but listening to those genres you'll discover new things in the recordings compared to the Clear's. Very fun.
Derrick L.5/5Verified
The Hifiman Arya stealth magnets headphones are a significant bump up from the Hifiman Ananda Manos, which were already incredible. The Arya has increased clarity in the treble and a much wider sound stage than the Ananda s, which is wonderful for the big orchestra late romantic symphonies that I enjoy listening to. Mahler's 5th symphony has never sounded so good.
Geoffrey B.5/5Verified
These headphones were back ordered but well worth the wait. Fantastic headphones in every respect.
Geoffrey Z.5/5Verified
Build quality is good, the materials aren't really up to par for 650 bucks let alone 1600 but they definitely sound amazing to make up for it. I like warmer sound signatures and this is a decent in between of technicality and enjoyment. Very comfortable for my head too. Would recommend for the 650 dollar price drop.
Jackson S.5/5Verified
I wanted them for about 4 years, bought the Ananda Nano skipping the Hifiman Arya Stealth Magnets Edition. Now I have both!!! listening astaticly, falling deeper down the rabbit hole? Why do I now wonder how the organics sound?
Harvey J.4/5Verified
Two years ago, I was shopping for headphones and narrowed my options to Arya Stealth Edition vs Audeze LCD X. I gambled that Arya SE would see a price drop if a new revision released, so I bought the LCD X. Now, that gamble has paid off, albeit somewhat pointlessly. Listening to both headphones now, I can’t find anything with the LCD X that I prefer over Arya SE sonically. The main difference maker for is soundstage and imaging. Arya SE has a much wider soundstage with great imaging and instrument separation, and, while I won’t say imaging on LCD X is bad, the soundstage is narrow. Soundstage wasn’t as big an issue for the LCD X when listening to rock and metal, but I still preferred Arya SE’s imaging. I’m not good at describing frequency response, so I’ll just say I didn’t find anything unpleasant about either set of headphones (I don’t use EQ). I only have a couple of criticisms of Arya SE. First, after unboxing them I instantly realized the materials (and the headband) are identical to those used in the Massdrop x Hifiman HE-350. Simply put, the materials feel cheap, and the headband feels like a downgrade from Sundara, especially compared to the LCD X’s solid metal build. Second, the included cable has a 1/4” plug instead of a 3.5mm plug with a 1/4” adapter, meaning you’ll probably need to buy another cable. I had to do just that since I mainly listen to music using a Fiio BTR7 (connected to my phone over bluetooth or with a USB C cable for lossless playback). Overall though, I’m blown away with how good these sound and am happy with my purchase.
Jose R.5/5Verified
So I got these HiFiMan Arya Stealth headphones about a week ago, and they sound truly awesome, easily the best headphones I have now. They are light enough weight, they are very comfortable, and boy do they sound great. I am very happy with my purchase, and for $899 I think these are a very good value compared to its peers on the market.
Alex L.5/5Verified
Excellent
Randy S.4/5Verified
Superb! It’s like a slightly brighter $3,000 cheaper Susvara.
Assaf M.5/5Verified
Excellent headphone. Perfect complimentary pair to my OG Focal Clear.
Michael N.5/5Verified
The Arya sound very, very similar to the Sennheiser HD800 except the Arya has a little better, cleaner, tighter bass than the HD800. The HD800 has a little better soundstage, though. While both are comfortable, I’d give a slight edge to the HD800. The Arya sounds better with the Phonitor XE amp, but my HD800 sound better paired to my high-output impedance tube amp. If you already have an amp and it’s clean and powerful and has a low output impedance, then I’d choose the Arya. If your amp is great but has a high output impedance and also powerful, then I’d go with the HD800. (I preferred the sound quality of the HD800 when paired with my high output impedance tube amp.). If you’re buying amp and headphones at the same time, then I’d strongly suggest selling off your older gear and saving up for the SPL Phonitor XE with built-in DAC and the HifiMan Arya. This is a great match and the DAC sounds really good, too. (At this price it should, right!). BTW, compared to the Audeze LCD-X, the Arya are more balanced from lows to highs and are lighter and more comfortable to wear. By comparison, the LCD-X are just too dark with rolled off mids and highs. As a purist, I’m hesitant to EQ anything, so prefer to get a can that mates well with the amp from the get-go. Also, both the Arya and HD800 sound great with all music types, including rock where you really want the guitar to cut through. If you already have LCD-X and want an improvement, the amp that best mates with it is the Cary 300SEI integrated amp. It’s headphone output runs through those 300B tubes. Using the current stock Cary Genalex Gold Lion 300B, the 300SEI is very bright and balances the dark LCD-X. Conversely, if you have the Cary 300SEI and looking for a can, then get the LCD-X and enjoy… at least until your neck gets sore from all that weight! LOL! But getting back to the Arya, these are the best cans I’ve personally owned and have experience with. I’ve also owned the HD600, Grado GS1000, Grado RS1, Grado SR325 along with a lot of nice headphone amps. My best setups are Arya with SPL Phonitor XE and in close second place Senn HD800 with tube amp (Rogue 99 Super Mag). Tied for second place is the LCD-X but only if paired with Cary 300SEI.
Stephen E.5/5Verified
The Arya Stealth sound great. Online praise for these headphones are accurate.
Anthony E.5/5Verified
Great Can. Detailed, with instruments easily discernable. Drums are in perfect balance with vocals, guitars, piano as a result of great mids. Bass is controlled and adds great depth. Sound stage was a little less than I expected, still good but was expecting a little more. That said I am happy with it as I didn't want it to be to extensive losing music in the process. Very happy wih the cans. Thanks
Wayne B.5/5Verified
The Arya is as good as all the reviews have made it out to be, and more. I first started the HIFIMan experience with the Sundara, which was an eye opener compared to the HD6xx I was using at the time. The Edition XS improved on that with sound stage. The Arya, however, took the good things from the lower-tiered offerings, and improved it so much more. To my ears, they have so much more sound stage, resolution, and imaging than any other headphone I've heard. I had read some users say that the Arya SE is only the "last 10%" compared to an Edition XS, and I have to vehemently disagree. It's a complete world apart -- at least to me.
I will say that I don't particularly do well with out-of-the-box tuning for any HFMs, and the Arya was no exception. I custom tuned them to my oddly-shaped ears, and they've been the most amazing experience, ever. Also, the Aryas use the same earpads as the Edition XS, which I hate. When wearing glasses, the cloth padding will rub against my glasses frames, and make an awful squeaking noise whenever I move my head. The only workarounds are to either wear contacts, or to put a piece of scotch tape on the pads where the frames rub, which is hardly cosmetic, but at least it resolves the squeaking noises. The Dekoni velour pads also solve this, but they fell apart in 2 months of use on my Edition XS, so I'm avoiding that route for now.
I have no higher-tier HFM cans to compare the Arya with, but compared to the ZMF Atriums I bought after this (2x the price), I can safely say that the Arya still holds a prominent spot in my headphone rotation.
I am currently running them through a SMSL D300 -> Fosi P1 Tube Preamp -> Jotunheim 2, and that has given me everything I want -- including a bit of tube flavor added for those harmonics. I did try them through the Bottlehead Crack OTL, and with some careful EQ tuning, it sounds pretty good there too, despite the impedance mismatch.
Overall, I've enjoyed them significantly, and hope that they last a long time (fingers crossed for HFM QC).
Joshua A.5/5Verified
First off, I love the website, how easy it is to order and the fast shipping. This headphone is incredible. It's everything I have wanted that was lacking from the Sennheiser HD650's and the Hifiman Sundara. Those are great headphones and I use them weekly still. But the Ayra v3 is a dessert wine or very rich chocolate. Every time I listen to them, I sink back and the music comes to life. My favorite part of this headphone is the air and treble, plus how clear it is. The bass is present but not overbearing at all. It fills up the "room" without detracting from the mids. Overall, very pleased!!
Sean M.5/5Verified
This headphone is a great choice for anyone in the $1-2K budget range that wants a sound signature that highlights the treble frequencies. It can come across too bright on occasion for my personal tastes. But I found they are wonderful for uncovering detail in older recordings where the air and treble frequencies aren’t pushed as far forward. They have a very cinematic presentation, panning effects in the stereo-field are exciting. The stage width is pretty wide. I kind of wish it had a little more note weight and punch in the low-mids and bass regions. I prefer a more physical dynamic presentation. It was worth the money even if it isn’t my preferred tuning or presentation. It brings out lots of hidden nuances in my tracks and is wonderful for watching movies as well.
Tiffany F.4/5Verified
I expected these to be an improvement over my HifiMan Sundaras which I really like. I was not expecting them to be such a huge improvement though. They are a really excellent "do it all" headphone. Has sounded great with everything I have listened to. Great for electronic, vocals, acoustics. Great for movies. Great for games. If you're like me and don't particularly want a collection of headphones that you pick and chose from for various moods and tastes and purposes and just want an extremely good headphone for everything. I think this is the one you want.
The too big and weirdly shaped earcups are really the only sore spot of the whole thing. Not a huge deal but seriously HifiMan? Who's head is actually shaped like this? But it's a minor issue compared to how excellent they sound. They aren't uncomfortable, just not as comfortable as you'd want for it to be a 100/100 headphone.
Isaac L.5/5Verified
You don't need me to tell you about this headset. It's everything they say it is in the billion positive reviews of this thing online. I added it to my lazy boy chair, sidecar audio system....high praise indeed. It's THE ONE amongst my many. Buy it, and buy it from headphones.com if you want a top tier purchasing experience. Thank you, please drive through.
Duane P.5/5Verified
At $1299.00 it is not even fair, how do you compete with that? I am upgrading from the Ananda, thank you headphones.com, and only have those to compare too. I am very treble sensitive and these do not cross any lines for me, I have seen this mentioned in some reviews, the out of the box tuning is tight up my ally and at 47 years of age, the air up top is not bothering me . The Midrange is where I notice the difference, less of a V-shape and ever so sweet to the ears. You get nice micro contrast that tickles your ears, where the Ananda just kind of laid back and made the listener to all of the work. These are just an effortless joy and bring a ton more excitement and energy to everything I throw at them,
Anandas are great, but it is easy to figure out where the extra 700.00 went with these cans, the differences are not subtle, and for me, worth every penny to upgrade. At 1299.00, this is a no brainer. If your budget is in this range, do not even think about it, buy them. If your budget is $500, get a second job and save up for these.
Jeff G.5/5
Exceeded my wildest expectations. Delivers sound how it’s meant to be heard.
Jonny A.5/5Verified
Best sounding headphone I've ever heard! I currently own the focal clear, the audeze LCD-2C, the Sennheiser hd58x, and the Gold Planar GL2000s. These have the vocal clarity, deep bass, and overall crispness to blow all my other cans out to the water. I am extremely happy with my purchase. this was the most expensive item I've purchased other than a car. Shipping had me a little nervous because I ordered them on the Wednesday April 13 and and they didn't arrive and until the Monday (April 18 2022) after easter. not quite overnight shipping but I digress. other than that great job.
Christopher S.5/5Verified
Not a lot to be told about this headphone. Lovely sound, comfortable, and great support from Headphones.com. . My only complain : Headphones won't ship Hifiman from the USA to Canada anymore :-( .
Alfredo P.5/5
Amazing good detail. Very good treble not harsh, airiness very open sound stage. They get better over time. Headphones.com has made my audio journey exciting, I will be purchasing again and again. The connection with me has been nothing short than amazing.
Erick G.5/5Verified
This planar is an awesome headphone. It is smooth and purely enjoyable. So far, I mostly listen to acoustic, classical, and orchestral type music. I use Shiit stack and Apple Music. Most of my music are streamed at Hi-Res or Lossless.
The headphone is phenomenal with these types of genre. I would listen to the classical music for hours and I would feel like that I am sitting in a concert hall in front of a large orchestra. The feeling is natural and not artificial. The headphone is light, comfortable, and does not cause any fatigue to my neck.
The quality of the headphone meets my expectation of a $1600 product. I don't notice any quality issue. I watched and read many written reviews and Youtube reviews, before I settled on Arya.
I got the stealth magnet version. I never listen to the non-stealth version so I cannot compare the sound difference.
If you are looking for an endgame, open-back, and planar headphone within this price range, this is it.
Sam S.5/5Verified
This was the first time I used headphones.com. My order arrived when it was supposed to and the new stealth magnet aryas are a fantastic. I would not hesitate to order from them again.
Daniel D.5/5Verified
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