[newaudio46]

I may be getting a set this week.
Does any body have any recommendations for amp and a external dac that run around £1000-1200. I was looking at the jotunheim or thx 789 but I can’t see the 789 available in the U.K.

 

[devilboy]

I'm LOVING my Arya with a Burson Conductor V2+. I first started using it as a three-in-one with its own internal DAC. I've since added the mhdt Orchid but just saying, the Burson with its DAC drove the Arya wonderfully IMO.

 

[Karister]

I would advise RME ADI 2 DAC. Recently they released refreshed version and I am going to buy it for my Aryas. RME offers plenty of power, superb performance in terms of ultra low noise and amazing parametric EQ.

 

[GSquaredFi]

I would advise RME ADI 2 DAC. Recently they released refreshed version and I am going to buy it for my Aryas. RME offers plenty of power, superb performance in terms of ultra low noise and amazing parametric EQ.

Can confirm. I just bought the new version and am using it to power my set of Aryas. It's a wonderful experience. Coming from a Bifrost Uber/Liquid Carbon setup.

 

[newaudio46]

I’m going to look into those today. Any recommendations for balanced?

 

[bagwell359]

Bass alone? Now that is a tough one. To my surprise, the Arya (Mogami W2893 diy) and the HE-500 (Furukawa PCOCC custom-built) are really, really close in terms of bass. On my setup (THX AAA 789 - balanced output), the HE-500 may slam a tiny bit harder and the Arya may have better articulation, but to be honest the two are very, very close in the bass department. I had to go back and forth between them several times on the same track since they're are almost indistinguishable when it comes to bass. The most noticeable difference is that the HE-500's bass distorts (static) at listening levels while the Arya's bass was clean as a whistle when comparing the two on Han Zimmer's "2049" from the "Blade Runner: 2049" soundtrack. I think I'm going with Arya's bass with the last point being the tie-breaker between the two. If the HE-500's bass did not distort the way it did, then it would've have been a toss-up.

Test tracks:
Black Eyed Peas - Street Livin'
The Cinematic Orchestra - Reel Life (Evolution II)
The Dwindlers - How the Ostrich Became a Girl and Her Bicycle
Hans Zimmer - 2049
Project Skyward - Blind
Ross from Friends - Epiphany (edit)

I've read this a few times over the past few days. I don't hear the HE-500 as that similar to the Arya in the bass. The Arya goes down well under 20 essentially flat, the 500 buckles around 30 Hz, holds to 20, but gives up a bit in terms of output. OTOH, the timbre of the 500 is more colored, but very good for rock/pop. The Arya is cleaner and faster. It also has a more diffuse sound, the 500 is a bit more localized, but not as much as the HE-6.

I really like both headphones and I'd like to add the Arya to my collection next to the 500. That being said, its not a slight that the bass they produce is not the same.

My tracks - most of "Cafe Blue", several Dead Can Dance tracks, Who Quadrophenia "Sea and Sand", Chesky "Bass Resonance", "Dynamic Test", several Bill Bruford/Chris Squire cuts, "Aja", "Binocerous".

 

[sennfan83261]

I've read this a few times over the past few days. I don't hear the HE-500 as that similar to the Arya in the bass. The Arya goes down well under 20 essentially flat, the 500 buckles around 30 Hz, holds to 20, but gives up a bit in terms of output. OTOH, the timbre of the 500 is more colored, but very good for rock/pop. The Arya is cleaner and faster. It also has a more diffuse sound, the 500 is a bit more localized, but not as much as the HE-6.

I really like both headphones and I'd like to add the Arya to my collection next to the 500. That being said, its not a slight that the bass they produce is not the same.

My tracks - most of "Cafe Blue", several Dead Can Dance tracks, Who Quadrophenia "Sea and Sand", Chesky "Bass Resonance", "Dynamic Test", several Bill Bruford/Chris Squire cuts, "Aja", "Binocerous".

Going in, I thought they would be noticeably different, but they were closer to my ears than what I expected on the same source and amp swapping back and forth between them while listening to the test tracks listed in my earlier post. I forgot to add that my HE-500 is unmodded except for the focus pads.

 

[bagwell359]

Going in, I thought they would be noticeably different, but they were closer to my ears than what I expected on the same source and amp swapping back and forth between them while listening to the test tracks listed in my earlier post. I forgot to add that my HE-500 is unmodded except for the focus pads.

Sorry, I didn't mean to call your findings into question, I don't have your situation and visa versa.

As for modding. My HE-500's are much faster with less cruft in the mid bass and upper bass and even missing some sub bass compared to stock with the focus pads - so that makes my HE-500 closer sonically to the Arya than stock - and yes still I just don't find them that similar. I mean they are closer to each other than the HD-600 or MD-4XX (stock) for instance. OTOH, my HEX v2 are closer to the Arya than the HE-500 (mod or no).

More: The Arya bass reminds me of a force over area speaker such as Maggie 3.7i and ML CLX - quick , well damped, and unlike those two, strong down into the sub bass. The 500 reminds me of ProAc EBS or Response 3's, some Monitor Audio and KEF models. Bit richer tone in the bass than .707 acoustic suspension optimum tuning Q. Both excellent, both different,

 

[Arghavan]

Is there any third-party earpads available for these headphones? I took great care of my HEXv2 and yet the cloth on the pads have turned to this:

I think the glue just doesn't last long.
Honestly I think 79$ is a bit too much for this quality and I much prefer to have something like ZMF, Brainwavz pads for them.
Can I somehow glue them without affecting the sound?

 

[r343]

Finally got these and been listening for plenty of time, they are grand sounding and detail is not lacking either! my other hp is HD800.
For me Arya is better. Tonality is much improved,i think its quite on "spot", soundstage is less wide but it makes up by being taller, genre/song compability is better.
Felt many times with HD800 that some songs were just made for it and others didint match at all.

Biggest fear was that it would be too mellow/soft sounding as i dont prefer that type of sound but gladly not, its crisp, bass goes deep when song calls for it and singers aint recessed, just what i need

Overall Arya is impovement but i have to say that HD800 still has some merits. In complex songs it separates instruments better so its bit more technical. Sound has more foward projection capability "3D. Prefer it at gaming, propably because of that.

 

[TeamHiFiMAN]

Is there any third-party earpads available for these headphones? I took great care of my HEXv2 and yet the cloth on the pads have turned to this:

I think the glue just doesn't last long.
Honestly I think 79$ is a bit too much for this quality and I much prefer to have something like ZMF, Brainwavz pads for them.
Can I somehow glue them without affecting the sound?

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that. If you could please email us at customerservice@hifiman.com so we can see how to help you.

Thank you!

April

 

[Daimonos]

A question for those of you having owned / compared both Arya and Ananda.

Am I better off with my Ananda for metal music (black, prog, (melo)death etc.)?

I love everything about the Ananda except the lack of sviwel, but cannot keep myself from wondering about upgrading to the Arya.

 

[bagwell359]

A question for those of you having owned / compared both Arya and Ananda.

Am I better off with my Ananda for metal music (black, prog, (melo)death etc.)?

I love everything about the Ananda except the lack of sviwel, but cannot keep myself from wondering about upgrading to the Arya.

Hmmm, the closest I get to that sort of music is Dead Can Dance, and its not metal. Ananda is a clean and bright sounding can. IMO its lacking subtle aspects that I look for such as overtones, and inner details but at the recently discounted price not much else does. The Arya is more subtle and more truthful, but I do not know if your music/playback can show that off. If you can get hold of one and then decide. The Arya will reveal playback path issues more than the Ananda too - factor that in, and it needs more juice, you can run the Ananda on a cheap DAP or phone and get pretty close to desktop quality sound. Only heard the Arya on a Rag 2, and I doubt it would scale down.

 

[Sunset1982]

Hey guys,

my Aryas arrived today. I try to read though this thread, but maybe someone can give me some advice for a warm and relaxed sounding dac/amp kombo that will pair good with the Arya. My budget is around 500-1000€. Any advice?

I also have the Audezey LCD-2C. I have to make the decision if I should keep them for pc gaming because of the more punchy sound or if I should sell them. I will see. But for now I would like to listen to the Arya‘s with a good DAC/Amp the fits well and has a warmth sound.

 

[Fegefeuer]

The Arya is a much better gaming can. Much better staging (depth, height, width), imaging, tracing and especially cohorence of the stage. LCD-2C requires different pads to reach a somewhat competitive balance but even then will never reach Aryas technicaliities. No reason to keep them afterwards even if the bass is really great.

Sell the LCD-2C. Enjoy both music, gaming and movies with the Arya.

Get a Bifrost 2 + Asgard 3. Is slightly around 1060€ but one hell of a package. Can't give you better amp advice right now.