[intronoise]

This sort of closed-minded thinking is what holds people back from making progress. Cable deniers are about on par with flat earthers but extremely more vocal.

Lmao imagine believing in cables and accusing the other of side of being the science denier.

 

[Karister]

Hello again after long break.

It has been a year since I bought my HFM Arya. Thus I am going to share my thoughts and I have an unusual question. In terms of sound they are awesome. I still enjoy music the same way as it was on the first day. Amazing mids filled with some pleasent warmth, yet clear vocals and nicely separated instruments. This warmth is nicely balanced by present but not harsh treble. Actually at the beginning I found them to bright but over time I appreciated it a lot. Bass is just at sweet spot. Sub bass reproduced with ease gives power and energy to music while it is not boomy as mid bass is not over-exaggerated. Just perfect. Some people say Arya is neutral and slightly oriented towards warm sound and some say neutral slightly on the bright side. I think Arya is both and this is what makes this sound so good. Comfort is very good as well.

Now the question. I am looking for new Headphones and I need an advice what is worth auditioning. I am looking for something as comfy as Arya and with as close sound signature as possible. I am completely fed up with their build quality. My yoke regulation is so loose that they fall to lowest setting just because being touched while resting on the stand. I need to put them on stand and my head super-gently in order to preserve headband setting. It gets worse and worse over time as this free drop to lowest setting happens even when I put something on the desk. And they tend to squeak. Black painting slowly chips off. No matter how good they sound to me, I am going to end my adventure with HFM. At this price tag this is unacceptable. I am looking for something with proper build quality and premium feeling. Max price I can Afford is 3k EUR. Do you know any headphones with similar sound signature that are not HiFiMAN? I can slightly adjust sound with RME ADI2 DAC equalizer.

 

[szore]

How is the amp on the RME? Don't you miss balanced out?

 

[Karister]

No, why should I? It offers 1.5W from SE out which is more that balanced outs from several audiophile AMPs and enough to drive almost anything. No distortions at all in high power mode at all. No hissing, buzzing or anything like that. At high volumes in sub bass heavy songs whole Aryas are shaking on my head, yet rumble is super clear and delightful. Definitely my last headphone DAC/AMP. Oh, maybe I'll reconsider if they release newer version of ADI. I posted more impressions today in RME thread.

 

[szore]

No, why should I? It offers 1.5W from SE out which is more that balanced outs from several audiophile AMPs and enough to drive almost anything. No distortions at all in high power mode at all. No hissing, buzzing or anything like that. At high volumes in sub bass heavy songs whole Aryas are shaking on my head, yet rumble is super clear and delightful. Definitely my last headphone DAC/AMP. Oh, maybe I'll reconsider if they release newer version of ADI. I posted more impressions today in RME thread.

Interesting. Ok, thank you. It was the RME or the Questyle 400i, I went with the Q, but I'm thinking of grabbing an RME for the hell of it...

 

[Dramlin]

Like this one: GUcraftsman balanced Cable on Aliexpress? This cable easily outperformed my 260 euro balanced cable from Portento Audio (italy). AE sells a lot of crap, but most surely also has amazing VFM examples, especially for Audiophile cables/adapters etc... GUcraftsman is a true gem imho.

I've got that exact cable and can recommend it as well. I'm adamant that expensive cables don't equal better sound, as past a certain point manufacturers will charge more just to make their cables seem like they are something special. You end up paying due to a marketing strategy, and often times the quality of the cable is worse than (much) cheaper options. Price wise the GUcraftsman is on the upper edges of what I personally think is acceptable for a cable, but sound-wise it does at least live up to it's price. After trying a lot of cables for the Arya, I'll be sticking with this one long term. For those looking for a cheaper cable, I do think the $58 Periapt Type 8 gets you most of the way there (better $ to performance ratio), but I can't deny that the GU is an overall better sounding cable than the Periapt.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Interesting. Ok, thank you. It was the RME or the Questyle 400i, I went with the Q, but I'm thinking of grabbing an RME for the hell of it...

RME still take the lead compare to 400i, especially at soundstage part. The 600i would be much closer if not at the same level to RME, with a bit more powerful amplifier in balance mode. Personally I will choose 600i as dac+amp combo, and RME if want to use as dac standalone.

 

[szore]

I've got that exact cable and can recommend it as well. I'm adamant that expensive cables don't equal better sound, as past a certain point manufacturers will charge more just to make their cables seem like they are something special. You end up paying due to a marketing strategy, and often times the quality of the cable is worse than (much) cheaper options. Price wise the GUcraftsman is on the upper edges of what I personally think is acceptable for a cable, but sound-wise it does at least live up to it's price. After trying a lot of cables for the Arya, I'll be sticking with this one long term. For those looking for a cheaper cable, I do think the $58 Periapt Type 8 gets you most of the way there (better $ to performance ratio), but I can't deny that the GU is an overall better sounding cable than the Periapt.
[/QUO Cables make a HUGE difference. It's ridiculous to

RME still take the lead compare to 400i, especially at soundstage part. The 600i would be much closer if not at the same level to RME, with a bit more powerful amplifier in balance mode. Personally I will choose 600i as dac+amp combo, and RME if want to use as dac standalone.

I was actually thinking of upgrading to the Questyle 12

 

[BubbaJay]

I've been using my Arya with my Topping D50s dac but today I hooked up the good ol Mimby with the SP200 amp and boy does it sound good. I'd say it sounds more musical with a nice bit of warmth compared to the D50s which sounds more neutral. I feel like the mids are also a touch more forward and the soundstage has a bit more of a 3D presentation to it. as well.

I've really been tempted to buy the Bifrost over the past few months and hearing how the Arya sounds with the Mimby I think I might go ahead and get it in the near future. It's either that or a new amp like maybe Lyr but I think I'd enjoy the Bifrost more because my SP200 amp is still a great amp and sounds good with everything.

 

[McTeags]

I’ve been using my Arya headphones since I received them in July. They’re hooked up to my Topping A90 + D90 combo.

I appreciate the cable suggestions in this thread. I ended up going with a 4.4 balanced cable from LQi cables. It’s made a huge improvement in my experience. The cable is much more functional than the stock cable. I ordered a longer cable and its more flexible and reshapes much more easily. It sounds great, however I can’t tell you if it sounds better than the stock cable as I have spent time attempting to compare them.

one question I have for the community is:
Are there any good aftermarket ear pads for the Arya?

I googled it but all I can find is replacement ear pads. I imagine thicker pads that are plushier would improve the comfort of the headphones.

They’re not uncomfortable (like every Audeze headphone I’ve every tired. Those are like strapping a pair of bricks to your head.) They’re also not what I would call comfortable. Every time I put my Mr. Speakers Aeon back on after using my Arya’s for a couple weeks it’s like experiencing true comfort again for the first time. I would compare them to my experience with the HD600. You put them on and they’re just kind of... there.

Much appreciated and thanks again for the cable suggestion guys!

 

[Gabehcuod]

one question I have for the community is:
Are there any good aftermarket ear pads for the Arya?

For the absolute love of god, please don't fall for pad rolling memes.
The pads are specifically made to tune the headphones and ensure the proper distance between your ears and the drivers.
Pads aren't simply for comfort or aesthetics, they're an integral part of the headphone.
The only reason guys like dekoni exist is because of all the zeos kids convincing themselves that they can improve their wall of mud-fi.

 

[CoFire]

Are you talking about the Hifiman Edition X v2??
I own both: Arya is considerably more difficult to drive, more detailed, less warm/more neutral, way more sub bass extension, more airy, massive soundstage, better imagining, better suited for EQ tuning and more punchy/faster sounding... the Arya really deserves a powerful amp: The topping A90 (using a balanced cable) is reasonably priced. A good amp is essential and has massive impact on Arya's bass/transients/dynamics/pace. The Arya responds really well to EQ in Roon for instance: I do this with an 3db bass shelf at 90hz and a 2.5 db gain around 2khz... after that the sound is pretty much perfect: faster/punchier and a ***load of PraT, speed and grunt without loosing any Arya/hifiman qualities. Absolutely killer.

Can you elaborate on when you might one headphone over the other? Music preference between the two headphones? Does the Arya negate the HEX V2? Does the HEX V2 have considerable more warmth? Does the HEX V2 have more mid bass impact and weight? Do you find the HEX V2 much more laid back compared to the Arya?

I have an HEX V2 and preferred it in a head to head comparison against the Ananda. The Arya often sounds so appealing and at times worrying depending on impressions. To some degree, the Arya seems to have a chameleon presentation perhaps more influenced by where a person is coming from. One of these days, I'm going to demo a pair. Based on all these positions, I'm reluctant to purchase a pair of right.

 

[McTeags]

For the absolute love of god, please don't fall for pad rolling memes.
The pads are specifically made to tune the headphones and ensure the proper distance between your ears and the drivers.
Pads aren't simply for comfort or aesthetics, they're an integral part of the headphone.
The only reason guys like dekoni exist is because of all the zeos kids convincing themselves that they can improve their wall of mud-fi.

Thanks for the heads up. I’ve never changed pads on a pair of headphones before. I figured since this is the most expensive pair of headphones I’ve owned and I intend on having them for a long time I’d try and make the experience as comfortable as possible. I’ll steer away from the idea of swapping pads. I’ll hope maybe they’ll break in a little more as time goes on.

 

[Flextreme]

I've got that exact cable and can recommend it as well. I'm adamant that expensive cables don't equal better sound, as past a certain point manufacturers will charge more just to make their cables seem like they are something special. You end up paying due to a marketing strategy, and often times the quality of the cable is worse than (much) cheaper options. Price wise the GUcraftsman is on the upper edges of what I personally think is acceptable for a cable, but sound-wise it does at least live up to it's price. After trying a lot of cables for the Arya, I'll be sticking with this one long term. For those looking for a cheaper cable, I do think the $58 Periapt Type 8 gets you most of the way there (better $ to performance ratio), but I can't deny that the GU is an overall better sounding cable than the Periapt.

Cool to see another GUcraftsman user here, it seems such a niche product and deservers more exposure. Cables are often overpriced (I wasted so much tbh) but GUcraftsman are excellent. Can only agree on your Periapt recommendation, it gets a lot of love from fellow head-fiers.

 

[Flextreme]

Can you elaborate on when you might one headphone over the other? Music preference between the two headphones? Does the Arya negate the HEX V2? Does the HEX V2 have considerable more warmth? Does the HEX V2 have more mid bass impact and weight? Do you find the HEX V2 much more laid back compared to the Arya?

I have an HEX V2 and preferred it in a head to head comparison against the Ananda. The Arya often sounds so appealing and at times worrying depending on impressions. To some degree, the Arya seems to have a chameleon presentation perhaps more influenced by where a person is coming from. One of these days, I'm going to demo a pair. Based on all these positions, I'm reluctant to purchase a pair of right.

I keep it around because it much easier to drive, but honestly I never listen to the my HEX v2, I should sell it. I'm utterly in love and convinced about my Arya's. Without EQ they are fantastic, with EQ they are truly 99,5% perfect to me. The Arya reminds me of my utterly expensive NAIM/Harbeth stereo setup I had, and then some. Still after 100s hours of listening, I am blown away. When you get an Arya, get the A90, the Arya responds extremely well to quality amplification. The soundstage has so much depth, width and height: instruments fly 3D around and in front of my head. Not many headphones can stage/image like the Arya: and it is genuinely addicting.