Ok so, I ultimately decided to return my pair after 2 weeks of testing. I immensely enjoyed the arya and I really wanted to keep it. I truly enjoy the hifiman planar sound. But the splashy S sounds, even after EQing were such that i simply couldnt justify keeping them. From what i've read, the...

Wow thats really cool. Did you notice any difference in vocals, like S sounds and such?

Any differences beside the mesh to tell if you got v1 or v2? I bought mine just a week ago, and judging by the mesh it looks like i got v1. My headband around the swively yokes also creak when i twist it. Also what do you mean by less sharp? Could it be that they added the mesh to slightly...

If this is normal for all detailed, revealing headphones, then I'm fine with living with that being how it is. If this is just particular for hifiman / planar headphones, then I'm not fine with it. Would you find the same sibilance characteristic on say a Sennheiser HD800 or Focal Utopia?

You might be right in that its just my subjective obsession with it that makes it annoying, and the fact that i havent attuned myself to this sound yet. Maybe over time I will let go of this annoyance as my brain acclimates. Im listening to this small section on loop and it sounds about equally...

I might have gotten paranoid or something. Ive had the DT150 for 10 years or so now, and ive never even thought the thought about something sounding sibilant. After I got the arya im hearing this sibilant S everywhere around me in real life and also with my DT150s.

For those of you who have heard the arya and compared it to other headphones: Is what the arya does with the S sound in vocals normal for headphones that are considered having bright treble? Do other bright headphones sound the same way or is this a trait of planars/hifiman sound signature?

Thanks for your input. Which other amps have you had and how would you rate them? I looked at the Marantz PM5005 and m-cr511, but a lot of reviews complained about build quality and component failure, which turned me away from them. I have not seen any sansui amps in my country (Norway).

I'm looking for an integrated amp to complement my hifiman arya headphones. Qualities im looking for: Tight bass control, a bit forward midrange, a little laid back treble (the aryas treble is a tiny bit bright especially in the 9-11k range) and good soundstage. Im mainly looking in the sub...

Do headphone outs of full size speaker amps have the same output as its regular outputs? It seems really hard to find any specs on the headphone outs in particular. There seems to be a lot good looking speaker amps in the $3-400 range from pioneer, onkyo, yamaha, denon, marantz, nad.. etc. They...

Thanks a lot for your recommendations. The fact that you feel the same way about the arya as i do, makes your recommendation carry a lot of value to me, and i feel like i can trust your advice. Ill take a look into the headphones you mentioned. i really enjoy the bass and easygoingness of the...

Yes i did watch his review, amongst like 5-6 others on youtube. Interesting that you should mention that review, because i noticed exactly the same thing you pointed out in his video, and it really made me think twice about the purchase. Amongst all the other reviews raving over the arya, his...

Hello bidn, thank you for your reply. Yes, i totally agree that the arya is great for when you want to have a laid back listening experience. The soundstage together with the comfort provided by the lightness and all encompassing earcups, really makes me feel like im melting or blending right...

its not bright or harsh outside of the sibilance issue. And even the sibilance itself isnt harsh, it just sounds artifically forced and distorts the sound a bit. mind you this varies a lot in degree depending on the track. On some i dont notice, while on others its very profound. On low volume...

i understand that the amplifier is important, and my plan was to get a better amp if i found the tonality of the arya to my liking. And i do like most of it, but can you really fix sibilance with an amp? Bidn, who has significantly better gear and experience than me also commentes that it...