[NascentAP]

Thanks! Checked on it and found that:

Ares2 output impedance XLR: 1.25 kΩ
Ares2 output impedance RCA: 625 Ω

A90 input impedance XLR: 2 kΩ
A90 input impedance RCA: 10 kΩ

A90D input impedance XLR: 2 kΩ
A90D input impedance RCA: 10 kΩ

Ares2 -> A90 via XLR : 1:1.6 ratio
Ares2 -> A90 via RCA : 1:16 ratio

Ares2 -> A90D via XLR : 1:1.6 ratio
Ares2 -> A90D via RCA : 1:16 ratio

So XLR interconnects between Ares2 and A90 or A90D are not recommended.
Changed my interconnects to RCA and now Bass has lot more punch. However, vocals still seems bit recessed but that could be because now I am used to listen to bit brighter vocals and Ares2 vocals could be termed as natural.

I went through the same path as you. I also tried the RCA connections as well and although it seemed to sound better, I couldn't tell for sure whether the perceived postive change was real or due to a placebo effect. In the end, I wanted to use balanced connections (also not a fan of NFCA) so I decided to get a different amp altogether. Goodluck on your aural journey

 

[bagwell359]

Just wanted to say a BIG thank you for your posts on ringing .

I really enjoy eq:ing my headphones but have increasingly become frustrated over an inability to adress issues I’m hearing. Thanks to your posts I’ve learned that using only FR as a reference has it’s limitations. l read the write up on Diyaudioheaven and now have a better understandning of how ringing impacts the sound.

PS. It also explains why I’ve bought and sold the non-stealth Hifiman Anandas several times, loving the tuning but getting frustrated over the sound every time .

Thanks. Let me just recap for everyone interested.

I spent a lot of time hunting ringing down (CSD over .2 MS) - after I did the mods - HE-500 and HE-6 SE - are the ones I worked on the most. Then parametric EQ. In terms of hierarchy I think those items come before the CSD/ringing.

Now there is no way to control all audible ringing above 2k - unless you want to suppress the treble over all. Yuck. Start with the CSD plots you can find. Use recordings you feel are excellent (I use lots of female vocals, violins, cymbals, piano) and you know well on equipment that seems good to you. Note that any changes you try should be -1.25 to 2.5 db. and its got to be with a very narrow Q (6->9) using a parametic - unless you have a fixed EQ with 20+ settings - forget them - including the Schiit pieces.. The goal is to slightly suppress the 2 (at most) discrete frequencies that annoy you, but not lose notable musical reality. I'd rather have it a bit ringy and be true to the music than have it be calm and relaxed at all times and lose real musical edginess. Another issue is that headphones (planars (do it the more) right and left do not always track each other.

My HE-500 settings after mods are; 3.6k -2.5 db Q 2.20 (brightness on the FR side and ringing both) 8.3k -2.4 db Q 8.20 - so that could be seen as just one FR change.

My HE-6 SE (v1) settings are: 4160 Hz -2.2 db Q 5.20, 9820 Hz -2.4 Q 7.90.

My cans, my mods, my ears, my equipment - pretty much guarantee these will not work for most if any.

For both of these cans the 1.75k trough, the open back, no screens need a bass boost - those are both more audibly needed than treatment of ringing - but thats with mods, w/o, the 500 at least is going to ring a lot - the fuzzor and getting rid of the stock cable cut it back a lot.

EQ is like a posted speed limit. Not knowing the area, its a pretty good idea to follow. But on Rte 128 West of Boston on a sunny Friday in July at 3:15 PM, 80% of the traffic is going 75 MPH+. In my case the bass settings of crincile being influenced by adjustments for faux (below) average room bass AND current listener tastes is AMUSICAL period. Ignore if you are for accuracy and/or not a basshead.

 

[Tachyon88]

Just wanted to say a BIG thank you for your posts on ringing .

I really enjoy eq:ing my headphones but have increasingly become frustrated over an inability to adress issues I’m hearing. Thanks to your posts I’ve learned that using only FR as a reference has it’s limitations. l read the write up on Diyaudioheaven and now have a better understandning of how ringing impacts the sound.

PS. It also explains why I’ve bought and sold the non-stealth Hifiman Anandas several times, loving the tuning but getting frustrated over the sound every time .

Did you have any songs in particular you found it most obvious to you ?

 

[TheR0v3r]

Did you have any songs in particular you found it most obvious to you ?

Usually I use the same tracks to get a feel for the sound. Often I start out with Joss Stone’s ”The Chokin’ Kind” from the album ”The Soul Sessions” (great album!). It’s a very well known test track for sibilance and highlights any problems in the upper midrange. Her voice is cleanly recorded, no distortion, so if it becomes difficult to hear what she is singing there are issues.

Check out Tonmeister for a great list of test tracks.

Edit: Another overall great recording is Donald Fagen's ”The Nightfly”. It also a very well known reference recording. I use it to listen for transient responese, if for example the drums (cymbals etc) sound harsh there are issues. With these two you quickly get a feel for any problems in the midrange and treble.

 

[Derek Dean]

It's a land mine situation. There are placebo effects, suggestability, and ego. I've seen it and I've been sucked in by it at times.

I certainly have a hard time endorsing people that say everything is measurable - take a look at my post last night on the OG HE-6 thread vs. a FR graph that is being held as proof that the 6 screw sounds the same as the SE v2.

I have heard many times vast differences in RCA cables that are not insulated. But change position of the cable and/or equipment and the sound changes. Even moreso while I might have found the "best" RCA in one environment it's not necessarily transferable to another. Same thing with power cords. So, it's Russian Roulette with no clear hierarchy. When I discovered balanced cables all seemed the same on various equipment in various settings I was sold. As for power cords I did have one that seemed to be as good or better than others. Why get on the merry go round seeking an illusory best? Audio nervosa is a real and present danger.

I ask people to avoid the poles, and try each piece with as little bias and objectivity as possible. For instance the rare times I go into a shop I don't want the biasing of a salesdroid in my ear. "What an epic bass", "the most transparent mids ever". How about ****. Also ASR dumps on the new Raal due to measurements and appearance. Some objectivity - not.

Most people find it hard not to be on a side and thus quiet the mind from excess stress. They are not the questers. Sheep don't discover, they just walk on ground already laid out. Thus people fervently glued to one side may have gotten there with an open mind, but I'm afraid the odds are against it.

Yes, I agree that keeping an open mind is vital, and to be honest, I'm not firmly in one camp or the other. I'm firm a believer in science, but at the same time, I know that there are MANY things that science hasn't explained. In any case, these questions are really best bandied about in a different thread, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[bagwell359]

Yes, I agree that keeping an open mind is vital, and to be honest, I'm not firmly in one camp or the other. I'm firm a believer in science, but at the same time, I know that there are MANY things that science hasn't explained. In any case, these questions are really best bandied about in a different thread, so I'll leave it at that.

I was not thinking of anyone in particular. I'm afraid this issue is at the core of this hobby - so I will disagree about place and time.

 

[Marlowe]

I was not thinking of anyone in particular. I'm afraid this issue is at the core of this hobby - so I will disagree about place and time.

Tedious people hijacking a thread by posting repetitious post after repetitious post about their personal obsessions is not at the heart of this hobby as I understand it. I don't like being this bluntly unpleasant, but this has gone on way too long.

 

[Tachyon88]

Tedious people hijacking a thread by posting repetitious post after repetitious post about their personal obsessions is not at the heart of this hobby as I understand it. I don't like being this bluntly unpleasant, but this has gone on way too long.

You'll be alright..

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Your interconnects could already be RCA based. But if not, try changing to RCA ones from XLRs and observe (better?) sound changes.

Just tried this and can't say that I hear a difference except balanced XLR sounds about 3db louder than RCA. I think I prefer running it in balanced. Sounds like it has a little more oomph to me.

Side note: I definitely prefer running music playback through Audirvana rather than Tidal app. It's hard to explain but, through Audirvana, everything sounds more "HiRes", and PRaT is noticably better. Making it more musical and engaging. Through Tidal, I feel like the sound is good but I'm a bit disengaged. Through Audirvana, I am bobbing my head and tapping my feet with the music. I think it's a great companion/extension for the Ares II.

 

[Vijay74]

Just tried this and can't say that I hear a difference except balanced XLR sounds about 3db louder than RCA. I think I prefer running it in balanced. Sounds like it has a little more oomph to me.

Side note: I definitely prefer running music playback through Audirvana rather than Tidal app. It's hard to explain but, through Audirvana, everything sounds more "HiRes", and PRaT is noticably better. Making it more musical and engaging. Through Tidal, I feel like the sound is good but I'm a bit disengaged. Through Audirvana, I am bobbing my head and tapping my feet with the music. I think it's a great companion/extension for the Ares II.

Hmm.. this whole audio business seems complex! There are so many variables in the whole chain that you never know what something might impact or enhance it. May be its Audirvana, may be its A90D that's behaving different or it may be different version of Ares2 or it could be even be interconnects!

I am bobbing my head and tapping my feet with the music

Ultimately this is what matters in the end. If one gets it, that is THE ENDGAME!

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Ultimately this is what matters in the end. If one gets it, that is THE ENDGAME!

I've been giving this some thought. I know the word "endgame" gets thrown around a lot. But no other headphone/setup has given me as much musical pleasure than this right here:

Audirvana -> Ares II -> A90D -> Arya V2

This could very well be a system that I keep with me for a lifetime. There's little to nothing that I would change from the FR and sound that I get out of it. No harshness, sibilance whatsoever. Imaging, texture, and layering is just immaculate. Synergy is just spot on. Just an immersive and analog experience. Like having a whole vinyl catalog right at my fingertips.

I have yet to build a system around the HE1000 V2 that sounds as good as this.

 

[orangecrescent]

I've been giving this some thought. I know the word "endgame" gets thrown around a lot. But no other headphone/setup has given me as much musical pleasure than this right here:

Audirvana -> Ares II -> A90D -> Arya V2

This could very well be a system that I keep with me for a lifetime. There's little to nothing that I would change from the FR and sound that I get out of it. No harshness, sibilance whatsoever. Imaging, texture, and layering is just immaculate. Synergy is just spot on. Just an immersive and analog experience. Like having a whole vinyl catalog right at my fingertips.

I have yet to build a system around the HE1000 V2 that sounds as good as this.

Try pontus II -> class A (singxer sa-1 or better) -> hekv2

 

[dermott]

The Cayin iHA-6 is powerful, but definitely not warm. I'd say it's on the cold/clinical side of neutral, especially in the highs that I find problematic. Its technicalities (stage width, dynamics, black background, slam/impact, speed, layering and separation, etc) are the best of all my headphone amps however.

I prefer warm-neutral amps (or those without fatiguing highs), which it seems the Oor is, and I've basically decided on it (waiting for any possible holiday sales). I think it will provide the technicalities I want with more of the timbre I seek.

Drat! The Cayin does not sound like a solution for the V2.

 

[korbendallasCZ]

hey I'm quite new here. got my hands on used pair of Arya v1 and unfortunatelly one of drivers is dead. Previous owner tried to repair it, which killed it fully. Looking for someone willing to sell pair with one working driver or just the driver. thanks!

 

[yeboyi]

Bear McCreary shared the God of War Ragnarok album on Tidal. If you want your mind blown with Arya SE. https://tidal.com/browse/album/255959922

Literally breathtaking. This is where Arya really shines. This type of music makes Arya stand out, not some flat modern pop.