Arya organic vs V3 + EQ vs something else
Apr 13, 2024 at 10:38 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 5

Thoven

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While most people seem to agree that the organic is a definite improvement over V3, that mostly seems to be due to it being more V-shaped. Which can be emulated via EQ. So, does the organic do other things better? Or could I have the same sound for $300 less on the used market with a little tweaking?

Also, interested to hear about people's QC experiences. Everything I've read makes it sound like arya would be perfect for me, and I loved them when I had the opportunity to demo. But all the reports of breaking scare me, I don't want an expensive set of headphones that will become a paperweight as soon as the warranty period ends. Is there another headphone with better QC that offers a close sound signature with that slamming bass?

My preferences are for very high quality bass (quantity and quality) and forward vocals. I seem to be sensitive in the 6K-8K range. Possibly also in the 1K-3K range. I can't speak to what soundstage I prefer, I never quite wrapped my head around the concept.

I had the opportunity to briefly demo an atrium, wasn't immediately impressed like with arya. Although I didn't get much time with them. Also got to spend some time with some empys, and I found them to be similar to aeolus with less frequency spikes. Had just a minute with Diana TC, and the vocal presentation super impressed me.

Taking suggestions at all price ranges for a long term wishlist. In the short term I can't spend more than about $1500. Plan to buy used.



Things I've heard before:

  • Focal elegia - great bass! Obvious wonky tuning. Was very disappointed when the headband snapped on me after under a year of use, the reason I'm so concerned about QC with arya.
  • DCA Noire - inoffensive, but possibly to their detriment. I found them boring and lacking in dynamics.
  • Hifiman sundara - at their price, I really liked these! Primary reason for upgrading was lacking bass, even when eq'd to the point of clipping. Also, too bright for my ears.
  • ZMF aeolus - based on all the reviews I thought this was going to be my endgame. I love the build quality! And pairing with a bottlehead crack made a big improvement. But ultimately, they don't quite match what I'm looking for. The midbass bump (around 250) makes everything sound boxy. Vocals seem a bit recessed, and there's some bright stuff that I find fatiguing.
 
May 1, 2024 at 12:17 AM Post #2 of 5
While most people seem to agree that the organic is a definite improvement over V3, that mostly seems to be due to it being more V-shaped. Which can be emulated via EQ. So, does the organic do other things better? Or could I have the same sound for $300 less on the used market with a little tweaking?

Also, interested to hear about people's QC experiences. Everything I've read makes it sound like arya would be perfect for me, and I loved them when I had the opportunity to demo. But all the reports of breaking scare me, I don't want an expensive set of headphones that will become a paperweight as soon as the warranty period ends. Is there another headphone with better QC that offers a close sound signature with that slamming bass?

My preferences are for very high quality bass (quantity and quality) and forward vocals. I seem to be sensitive in the 6K-8K range. Possibly also in the 1K-3K range. I can't speak to what soundstage I prefer, I never quite wrapped my head around the concept.

I had the opportunity to briefly demo an atrium, wasn't immediately impressed like with arya. Although I didn't get much time with them. Also got to spend some time with some empys, and I found them to be similar to aeolus with less frequency spikes. Had just a minute with Diana TC, and the vocal presentation super impressed me.

Taking suggestions at all price ranges for a long term wishlist. In the short term I can't spend more than about $1500. Plan to buy used.



Things I've heard before:

  • Focal elegia - great bass! Obvious wonky tuning. Was very disappointed when the headband snapped on me after under a year of use, the reason I'm so concerned about QC with arya.
  • DCA Noire - inoffensive, but possibly to their detriment. I found them boring and lacking in dynamics.
  • Hifiman sundara - at their price, I really liked these! Primary reason for upgrading was lacking bass, even when eq'd to the point of clipping. Also, too bright for my ears.
  • ZMF aeolus - based on all the reviews I thought this was going to be my endgame. I love the build quality! And pairing with a bottlehead crack made a big improvement. But ultimately, they don't quite match what I'm looking for. The midbass bump (around 250) makes everything sound boxy. Vocals seem a bit recessed, and there's some bright stuff that I find fatiguing.
The ultimate problem of hi-fi stuff is that your sound isn’t determine solely by your headphone. Every part of the chain affects the headphones. If you get a good DAC and Amp, the “cheap” 500 headphones will sound oddly as good as something 2x+ its price.

That said Arya is meant for people who likes warmer sound signature so good choice there. In terms of QC, Hifiman’s QC is a problem for all their headphones, even the 6K ones. The thing that snaps is the leather band of the headphone and not the metal band. For leather band you can just buy a replacement online. There are plenty of cheap ones on the market if it ever snaps.
 
May 1, 2024 at 1:44 PM Post #3 of 5
Did you try the Audeze LCD X 2021 version? I am very interested in those. Its often said that the bass is phantastic, high detail retrieval and not overly sharp treble. The build quality seems to be very good.
 
May 1, 2024 at 5:32 PM Post #4 of 5
Did you try the Audeze LCD X 2021 version? I am very interested in those. Its often said that the bass is phantastic, high detail retrieval and not overly sharp treble. The build quality seems to be very good.
I've seen several treble sensitive people complain of LCDX. Looking real hard at LCD-2C though.
 
May 1, 2024 at 6:14 PM Post #5 of 5
For the best bass you might look in some closed-back options. Didn't try the new DCA E3 but it looks good, maybe about 1500$ used.

I have the Hifiman HE1000SE, brother to the Arya. The bass is quite faithful but not much. Maybe not the most fun bass presentation so be sure to try it before.

Other options would be Sony-Z1R, Sandy Audio Peacock, Monolith AMT, Heddphone...
 

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