Well European consumer rights are quite strong, as is warranty, so I’ve no doubt I could get replacements if needed, but I can’t stand having to do the process too often.

That’s what she said ;) Anyway, considering getting a pair of Maxwells, but I’m extremely concerned about the reports of broken drivers and such. I have notoriously bad luck with electronics in this regard. Has anyone recently received their Maxwells from a new order and can vouch for the QC?

I would definitely like to try that, yes. It’s just the tonality of the Aryas are already so perfect to me, haha. :)

Sadly think I’ve gotta get rid of the Aryas. :frowning2: Inflation and interest rates has hit me real hard. Edit: nah, I’m keeping them. Tried the Sennheiser HD 800S today and the 660S, and they sounded completely lifeless and boring in comparison. Too trebly in the former, to veiled in the...

Hifiman Arya Stealth for sale in great condition. Looking for a straight sale or trade against a pair of Sennheiser HD 800S. Willing to ship at buyer’s expense. Including a balanced cable in purchase (4-pin XLR, see picture). I’m the second owner and I’ve babied them since getting them in...

Honestly any amp will drive the Aryas well; they are very easy to drive. I use the low gain on my iFi Zen DAC V2 and anything past 1 o’clock gets crushingly loud.

Yeah, honestly the Aryas are as far as I’m concerned endgame headphones. There’s nothing they lack in anything I use them for; music, movies and gaming - the Aryas do everything well. I have a Dolby Atmos license on PC/Xbox and they sound so amazing in games with great sound design like Destiny...

I really need to take advantage of the fact that I got a balanced cable with my purchase. I just need a 4 pin to Pentaconn-adapter. I’ve found a sensibly priced one but funds are strained before Xmas. :(

It’s funny. I keep telling myself I don’t deserve to have as fine a headphone as the Arya Stealths. I keep wanting to sell them to finance other things I want or need in life, and settling for something like the Edition XS, but then every time I listen to music through them I change my mind. I...

I just got a Dolby Atmos license for PC/Xbox. Sounds absolutely amazing for gaming and movies with the Aryas.

Agreed. I’m treble sensitive as I have slight tinnitus from my days as a musician, and I have no issues listening to the Aryas all day long. Would love to hear them through a tube amp!

Love the bass boost on my Zen DAC V2, and I usually don’t like such functions. It adds just the right amount of low end to poorly mixed music with thin bass. Adds some extra “woof” to gaming and movies as well. :)

Congrats! First impressions?

I'm listening to Periphery's "Reptile", and boy, what a stellar production it has, and how amazing these headphones recreate the lowest lows to the highest highs! Simply stunning. :)

In any case, what a set of headphones. I got a balanced cable I’m dying to try out. What in general can I expect from going balanced vs single ended?

It absolutely is enough. I have the standalone Zen DAC V2 and it alone powers the Aryas to ridiculously loud levels, even on the low gain setting. I lack nothing soundwise from it. You will be extremely happy with it :)

Brought the cans to work today. Sorry about the pictures being on the side; I have no idea why.

I a/b:ed the LCD-X against the Arya Stealth, and while I initially was set on going for the Audeze because of the great, raw energy and midbass character, I ultimately ended up with the Aryas. While the bass slam and impact was better on the Audezes, they did not go as deep and as high as the...

They are very easy to drive. I’m using an iFi Zen DAC V2 to drive them, and they get crushingly loud past 12 o’clock even on the low gain setting.

I’ve just been playing music to break them in. So far, it has worked really well for me. :) Once again, I’m astonished by how versatile these cans are. They sound good with every single genre I throw at them, and excel at both gaming and movies.

That’s a really good summary, and a far better explanation than I could give. :) I definitely noticed a difference after ten-ish hours. The treble was a lot more piercing at first, especially with crash/splash cymbals; they were a bit harsh. It’s now mellowed out to a much smoother treble...

Yeah like I said above, I agree, but I adhere to the psychological burn in-factor more than the physical. A speaker cone will eventually soften up, but I don’t see how a planar magnetic speaker will. The pads will soften over time, though.

An honest question: why were you expecting bad first impressions?

Close to one week-impressions: Wow, these headphones just keep on growing for me. Such balanced, yet musical sounding headphones. I don't really care about measurements or technical jargong; as long as the dynamics are great and I get lost in the music, does it really matter how much they differ...

Haha, yeah. Poorly produced/mic:ed cymbals are awful 😣