[iFi audio]

All that said, I have run Aryas off an iFi micro iDSD Signature. That portable has a lot of power. The Aryas sound pretty good. I don’t normally EQ but the XBass+ function of the Signature does add a bit to the Arya’s low end without messing up the detail.

Thanks for mentioning our Siggy and I'm happy to read it works well for you. Haven't heard it with Arya, but it has enough power on tap to handle these cans.

 

[LongBeforeShort]

Arya takes eq very well, IMO. I don't find the v2 to be harsh or overly sibilant. I really only eq in a 3-5db bass shelf starting between ~100-200hz, if at all. I don't eq them most of the time because I don't feel it's really needed with my music and my source/DAC/amp chain. YMMV.

Everyone's ears & shape, listening level, the genre of music, or ear performance is different. I find the arya for example very sibilant on almost any listening level, and i'm talking about good recorded music as well. On the other hand i don't feel like they lack bass

It is just slightly bright, I'd say airy, but not sibilant at all. This is a wrong term. Being sibilant is when a headphone emphasizes certain high frequencies with high amount of graininess and lack of detail. Arya is a total opposite. It is one of the most detailed and revealing headphones. There are just slight bumps at 3-4K and 6.5-8.5K. So the term 'sibilant' is absolutely irrelevant. It is bright but in no way sibilant. Try lowering these areas in your EQ if you hear them as too bright. I never EQ my Arya because I bought it exactly for the purpose of hearing everything with the most detail possible while preserving natural tonality of the sound. I'd rather refer to Ananda for a more laid back sound. Slightly less detailed, more natural tonality, not so bright, and twice cheaper. If you don't need a precision tool for mastering like I do and you are treble sensitive then Ananda is a better choice.

The Arya's bumps in the high mid and treble areas can be tamed with EQ while there are headphones like Focal where the inherent metallic timbre just can't be cured due to the combing distribution of peaks and the material of the membrane which emphasizes the whole timbre rather than separate frequencies. Trying to battle those peaks will deprive the Focal headphones of their ability to resolve detail because their peaks seem to be interdependent.

The arya are going above the harman curve, so it puts some energy there. I personally can't listen to the arya without eq, because my ears are bleeding . Used oratorys EQ, but not as much, let bass untouched and gave additional -2db 8k up, but even this could not tame the arya for me. There are too many factors that can change the perception of how it sounds.

For example, i found the clears very shouty as well, not at the same fr. as the arya, but somewhere else. It's fascinating, how different the view is. I know one more person, who can't listen to the arya for long. Our earshape and size is about the same.

Do you guys think if it is good idea to run Arya on the portables?
I am looking to buy Arya but I only use portable sources (FiiO M11 Pro + Xduoo XD-05 Plus).

Despite what some people told you here, it's not true. If the xduoo 05 plus is as powerful as the BAL version, looking at the advertisement, you can run the arya without any limitation. I can say this with 100% certainty because I have compared it against a far more powerful AMP with A/B switch.

You can calculate what kind of power you need on some sites. Ifi audio platform provides this as well for example. The amount of power should be enough for quiet music, unless you eq the cans and use negative pre amp. Only than and if your ear performance is not the best, it could limit, otherwise you will be just fine. As long as the amp will have 0.8-1W, enough voltage/current, it will run the arya without any trouble to volumes that damage your ear for good.

I owned Ananda for almost a year, sold it recently. I liked it a lot but at times it sounds so compressed I couldn't bear it and the drivers vibrate a lot with bass heavy tracks which I hate.

I love the soundstage on headphones and that's the only reason why I am looking to buy Arya. Please don't suggest me an HD800s, I had it and hate it.

The ananda are very bright, even brighter than the arya, but they don't have this sparkling energy. The drivers don't vibrate as much and I don't like the 800s as well. You should give the Audeze LCD-2 or focal clear a try, if you can, before deciding on the arya. The clears are also very bright and instruments sounds a bit more realistic in my opinion, while the lcd's are far more relaxing and punchy, and even terrible source sounds okay.

My LCD-2F is from 2016/2017 with the new pads. It is still my favorite headphone (with Reveal+ plugin) and yes it complements Arya quite well. Low frequencies and Midrange as far as instrument tonality and body goes to LCD-2 while High Frequencies and soundstage/ imaging are Arya's strong points. One could say Arya is more for analytical listening while LCD-2 for relaxed, tonally accurate presentation. On a side note, I don't find Arya bright at all, but quite detailed and neutral (flat frequency response). However, be careful when using EQ. Most of the recommended Arya EQs found on the Net collapse the sound stage and disturb the headphone balance.

The arya are not accurate, when it comes to instruments, at least to my ears with experience how instruments sounds like. If you don't mess around way too much with EQ and use negativ pre amp as well, the sound stage remains big. Like the LCD very much as well

 

[In1unison]

Thanks for taking your time to answer my questions. I use the EQ of my ADI-2 DAC FS since my set up is away from my computer (that’s how I like it). I’m limited to 5 bands with the ADI 2. i found an ADI forum that gave me a starting point to EQ the LCD-2 and I’m very happy with it. Do you EQ your Aryas?

Yes, but only +3 db shelf below 80 Hz

 

[In1unison]

Everyone's ears & shape, listening level, the genre of music, or ear performance is different. I find the arya for example very sibilant on almost any listening level, and i'm talking about good recorded music as well. On the other hand i don't feel like they lack bass



The arya are going above the harman curve, so it puts some energy there. I personally can't listen to the arya without eq, because my ears are bleeding . Used oratorys EQ, but not as much, let bass untouched and gave additional -2db 8k up, but even this could not tame the arya for me. There are too many factors that can change the perception of how it sounds.

For example, i found the clears very shouty as well, not at the same fr. as the arya, but somewhere else. It's fascinating, how different the view is. I know one more person, who can't listen to the arya for long. Our earshape and size is about the same.



Despite what some people told you here, it's not true. If the xduoo 05 plus is as powerful as the BAL version, looking at the advertisement, you can run the arya without any limitation. I can say this with 100% certainty because I have compared it against a far more powerful AMP with A/B switch.

You can calculate what kind of power you need on some sites. Ifi audio platform provides this as well for example. The amount of power should be enough for quiet music, unless you eq the cans and use negative pre amp. Only than and if your ear performance is not the best, it could limit, otherwise you will be just fine. As long as the amp will have 0.8-1W, enough voltage/current, it will run the arya without any trouble to volumes that damage your ear for good.



The ananda are very bright, even brighter than the arya, but they don't have this sparkling energy. The drivers don't vibrate as much and I don't like the 800s as well. You should give the Audeze LCD-2 or focal clear a try, if you can, before deciding on the arya. The clears are also very bright and instruments sounds a bit more realistic in my opinion, while the lcd's are far more relaxing and punchy, and even terrible source sounds okay.



The arya are not accurate, when it comes to instruments, at least to my ears with experience how instruments sounds like. If you don't mess around way too much with EQ and use negativ pre amp as well, the sound stage remains big. Like the LCD very much as well

Yes, 100%. Our ear physiology and sound perception differ widely. I found Arya sibilant as well until I cleaned up the signal from source to DAC.

 

[X1787X]

Yes, 100%. Our ear physiology and sound perception differ widely. I found Arya sibilant as well until I cleaned up the signal from source to DAC.

Yep absolutely. Sometimes we might think certain reviewers are shills or are lying, when in fact they are simply describing what they hear. Frequency response is more objective, but sometimes I hear opposite opinions on the soundstage or imaging, which is most likely due to difference in ear shape

 

[In1unison]

Yep absolutely. Sometimes we might think certain reviewers are shills or are lying, when in fact they are simply describing what they hear. Frequency response is more objective, but sometimes I hear opposite opinions on the soundstage or imaging, which is most likely due to difference in ear shape

Frequency response might be objective (it has its own headphone measuring problems) but I find it uninformative for the most part in a sense of defining or predicting my enjoyment with the headphones. As we all agree, I think, this is a highly subjective hobby, and calling reviewers or each other liars or worse is not helpful.

 

[dsrk]

Despite what some people told you here, it's not true. If the xduoo 05 plus is as powerful as the BAL version, looking at the advertisement, you can run the arya without any limitation. I can say this with 100% certainty because I have compared it against a far more powerful AMP with A/B switch.

You can calculate what kind of power you need on some sites. Ifi audio platform provides this as well for example. The amount of power should be enough for quiet music, unless you eq the cans and use negative pre amp. Only than and if your ear performance is not the best, it could limit, otherwise you will be just fine. As long as the amp will have 0.8-1W, enough voltage/current, it will run the arya without any trouble to volumes that damage your ear for good.


The ananda are very bright, even brighter than the arya, but they don't have this sparkling energy. The drivers don't vibrate as much and I don't like the 800s as well. You should give the Audeze LCD-2 or focal clear a try, if you can, before deciding on the arya. The clears are also very bright and instruments sounds a bit more realistic in my opinion, while the lcd's are far more relaxing and punchy, and even terrible source sounds okay.

I had LCD2C and loved it, sold it only because of the weight. I have been thinking of buying it again.

Is LCD2 on the level with Arya when it comes to soundstage and imaging?

 

[Alex May]

Is LCD2 on the level with Arya when it comes to soundstage and imaging?

Not really. In addition, the LCD-2 is much darker and much less resolving than the Arya. However, for those sensitive to treble who perceive the Arya as too bright or even shrill (again, not sibilant because sibilance is a factor of low resolution), the LCD-2 might be a good alternative in terms of tonality and tuning. Dark headphones tend to rob you of the soundstage, so keep in mind.

Again, I would suggest that you try LCD-X over LCD-2. It's cheaper than the Arya, but more expensive than the LCD-2. The LCD-X has a very good resolution, the 2021 version also has good tuning, updated magnet structure and earpads. Very good soundstage and imaging, better than the LCD-2, so you won't be disappointed. But, of course, in comparison with Arya, it is still less pronounced. However, the resolution is top notch. The slam and dynamics are massive, which is also one of your priorities, I suppose. And don't forget that the LCD-X is much more efficient than the Arya. If you were willing to pay for the Arya, why downgrading to the LCD-2?

 

[In1unison]

Not really. In addition, the LCD-2 is much darker and much less resolving than the Arya. However, for those sensitive to treble who perceive the Arya as too bright or even shrill (again, not sibilant because sibilance is a factor of low resolution), the LCD-2 might be a good alternative in terms of tonality and tuning. Dark headphones tend to rob you of the soundstage, so keep in mind.

Again, I would suggest that you try LCD-X over LCD-2. It's cheaper than the Arya, but more expensive than the LCD-2. The LCD-X has a very good resolution, the 2021 version also has good tuning, updated magnet structure and earpads. Very good soundstage and imaging, better than the LCD-2, so you won't be disappointed. But, of course, in comparison with Arya, it is still less pronounced. However, the resolution is top notch. The slam and dynamics are massive, which is also one of your priorities, I suppose. And don't forget that the LCD-X is much more efficient than the Arya. If you were willing to pay for the Arya, why downgrading to the LCD-2?

At matched volume levels (80 db) I did not find Arya more resolving than LCD-2F (using Reveal + plugin). I would say apparently more resolving due to somewhat recessed LCD-2 in HF. On the other hand for my ears, LCD-2F sounds much better than Arya in LF detail and impact. As far as imaging, sound layering, and soundstage width, I fully agree with your take on it. Finally, saying LCD-2F is a downgrade from Arya is a bit too strong. Both have some very noticeable and strong advantages over the other and in the end, it all depends on what listeners value more in music.

 

[LongBeforeShort]

@dsrk

hard to tell, it depends on your ears as well. Found the with and depth on the LCD-2 much wider than the focal clear and HD6XX for example, but the arya not only beat it in that area, but as well "tallness", sometimes it sounds like the music is going above your head as well, no other headphone i heard could do the same (only the ananda).

Personally, I find it much more important, that you like the sound signature and that the headphones go well along with your type of music and start searching from this point on. Which means, if you loved the LCD-2, you should consider "darker", not dark sounding ones, and grab one of the best from that shelf. I heard the LCD-2 (not classic) also with EQ, it did get a lot more treble energy and details, but it won't come near the level of the arya even with eq. But even with that energy, it felt never aggressive to me.

After many headphones, i have learned that frequency response reading gets you nowhere really, you have to put them on your head and judge yourself. Because even if you listen to different cans with the harman curve EQ, it sounds different at the end, even with level matching.

LCD-X sounds like a good idea, never heard it, but most people say it's technically better, but needs eq. Maybe not the new revision. (damn, audeze has tons of revisions...)

@Alex May

Isn't it sibilance, if i find for example S tones unbearable, no matter how good the recording is until a max. of 90dbA (measured)? While the arya gave me trouble, it wasn't a problem with for example LCD-2/LCD-3

@In1unison

there is one really strong point in favor for the LCD-2 in my opinion, i could barely hear noise songs and some annoying details got lost. Makes old tracks really enjoyable.

 

[In1unison]

@dsrk

hard to tell, it depends on your ears as well. Found the with and depth on the LCD-2 much wider than the focal clear and HD6XX for example, but the arya not only beat it in that area, but as well "tallness", sometimes it sounds like the music is going above your head as well, no other headphone i heard could do the same (only the ananda).

Personally, I find it much more important, that you like the sound signature and that the headphones go well along with your type of music and start searching from this point on. Which means, if you loved the LCD-2, you should consider "darker", not dark sounding ones, and grab one of the best from that shelf. I heard the LCD-2 (not classic) also with EQ, it did get a lot more treble energy and details, but it won't come near the level of the arya even with eq. But even with that energy, it felt never aggressive to me.

After many headphones, i have learned that frequency response reading gets you nowhere really, you have to put them on your head and judge yourself. Because even if you listen to different cans with the harman curve EQ, it sounds different at the end, even with level matching.

LCD-X sounds like a good idea, never heard it, but most people say it's technically better, but needs eq. Maybe not the new revision. (damn, audeze has tons of revisions...)

@Alex May

when i hear S or something sharp in the voice and it's so damn loud that i have to lower the volume, isn't that sibilance? No matter how good the recording, it's really painful for me with the arya.

100%

 

[dsrk]

Not really. In addition, the LCD-2 is much darker and much less resolving than the Arya. However, for those sensitive to treble who perceive the Arya as too bright or even shrill (again, not sibilant because sibilance is a factor of low resolution), the LCD-2 might be a good alternative in terms of tonality and tuning. Dark headphones tend to rob you of the soundstage, so keep in mind.

Again, I would suggest that you try LCD-X over LCD-2. It's cheaper than the Arya, but more expensive than the LCD-2. The LCD-X has a very good resolution, the 2021 version also has good tuning, updated magnet structure and earpads. Very good soundstage and imaging, better than the LCD-2, so you won't be disappointed. But, of course, in comparison with Arya, it is still less pronounced. However, the resolution is top notch. The slam and dynamics are massive, which is also one of your priorities, I suppose. And don't forget that the LCD-X is much more efficient than the Arya. If you were willing to pay for the Arya, why downgrading to the LCD-2?

@dsrk

hard to tell, it depends on your ears as well. Found the with and depth on the LCD-2 much wider than the focal clear and HD6XX for example, but the arya not only beat it in that area, but as well "tallness", sometimes it sounds like the music is going above your head as well, no other headphone i heard could do the same (only the ananda).

Personally, I find it much more important, that you like the sound signature and that the headphones go well along with your type of music and start searching from this point on. Which means, if you loved the LCD-2, you should consider "darker", not dark sounding ones, and grab one of the best from that shelf. I heard the LCD-2 (not classic) also with EQ, it did get a lot more treble energy and details, but it won't come near the level of the arya even with eq. But even with that energy, it felt never aggressive to me.

After many headphones, i have learned that frequency response reading gets you nowhere really, you have to put them on your head and judge yourself. Because even if you listen to different cans with the harman curve EQ, it sounds different at the end, even with level matching.

LCD-X sounds like a good idea, never heard it, but most people say it's technically better, but needs eq. Maybe not the new revision. (damn, audeze has tons of revisions...)

Thanks guys.
I am a big fan of LCDs because of their bass and slam but the only thing I am worried about them is the weight. I also love soundstage on headphones, that's the only thing that still keeping me interested in Arya.

 

[LongBeforeShort]

@In1unison

wow thanks, and sorry for my little tiny vocabulary world, must be a pain to read haha

@dsrk

hmm, maybe zmf headphones could be something worth trying? Not sure if there are stores in America to try it out, or demo days of the sort anywhere? I only heard the verite open and that sounded like an absolute endgame to me and threw the arya out of the water with authority for me, which i find "almost" superior up to 2000€ from what i have heard until now. Was really surprised. (like the LCD-2 very much though).

The verite was fascinating and while maintaining all the details, which i personally never found fatiguing, it was slamming pretty hard and handled every genre well (i listen to rock, hard rock, metal, classic, songwriter/vocals, electronic, chinese/japanese pop, folk, blues/funk, country, jazz, tried them all.

Iam new to this forum, so not sure, but maybe you could go to a forum member come together, take your amp and music with you and try a bunch of stuff out, before you purchase something?

 

[ezduzit2500]

Yes, 100%. Our ear physiology and sound perception differ widely. I found Arya sibilant as well until I cleaned up the signal from source to DAC.

Everyone's ears & shape, listening level, the genre of music, or ear performance is different. I find the arya for example very sibilant on almost any listening level, and i'm talking about good recorded music as well. On the other hand i don't feel like they lack bass

Yes, 100%. Our ear physiology and sound perception differ widely. I found Arya sibilant as well until I cleaned up the signal from source to DAC.

^^^This,IMO.^^^
The arya are going above the harman curve, so it puts some energy there. I personally can't listen to the arya without eq, because my ears are bleeding . Used oratorys EQ, but not as much, let bass untouched and gave additional -2db 8k up, but even this could not tame the arya for me. There are too many factors that can change the perception of how it sounds.

For example, i found the clears very shouty as well, not at the same fr. as the arya, but somewhere else. It's fascinating, how different the view is. I know one more person, who can't listen to the arya for long. Our earshape and size is about the same.



Despite what some people told you here, it's not true. If the xduoo 05 plus is as powerful as the BAL version, looking at the advertisement, you can run the arya without any limitation. I can say this with 100% certainty because I have compared it against a far more powerful AMP with A/B switch.

You can calculate what kind of power you need on some sites. Ifi audio platform provides this as well for example. The amount of power should be enough for quiet music, unless you eq the cans and use negative pre amp. Only than and if your ear performance is not the best, it could limit, otherwise you will be just fine. As long as the amp will have 0.8-1W, enough voltage/current, it will run the arya without any trouble to volumes that damage your ear for good.



The ananda are very bright, even brighter than the arya, but they don't have this sparkling energy. The drivers don't vibrate as much and I don't like the 800s as well. You should give the Audeze LCD-2 or focal clear a try, if you can, before deciding on the arya. The clears are also very bright and instruments sounds a bit more realistic in my opinion, while the lcd's are far more relaxing and punchy, and even terrible source sounds okay.



The arya are not accurate, when it comes to instruments, at least to my ears with experience how instruments sounds like. If you don't mess around way too much with EQ and use negativ pre amp as well, the sound stage remains big. Like the LCD very much as well

Everyone's ears & shape, listening level, the genre of music, or ear performance is different. I find the arya for example very sibilant on almost any listening level, and i'm talking about good recorded music as well. On the other hand i don't feel like they lack bass



The arya are going above the harman curve, so it puts some energy there. I personally can't listen to the arya without eq, because my ears are bleeding . Used oratorys EQ, but not as much, let bass untouched and gave additional -2db 8k up, but even this could not tame the arya for me. There are too many factors that can change the perception of how it sounds.

For example, i found the clears very shouty as well, not at the same fr. as the arya, but somewhere else. It's fascinating, how different the view is. I know one more person, who can't listen to the arya for long. Our earshape and size is about the same.



Despite what some people told you here, it's not true. If the xduoo 05 plus is as powerful as the BAL version, looking at the advertisement, you can run the arya without any limitation. I can say this with 100% certainty because I have compared it against a far more powerful AMP with A/B switch.

You can calculate what kind of power you need on some sites. Ifi audio platform provides this as well for example. The amount of power should be enough for quiet music, unless you eq the cans and use negative pre amp. Only than and if your ear performance is not the best, it could limit, otherwise you will be just fine. As long as the amp will have 0.8-1W, enough voltage/current, it will run the arya without any trouble to volumes that damage your ear for good.



The ananda are very bright, even brighter than the arya, but they don't have this sparkling energy. The drivers don't vibrate as much and I don't like the 800s as well. You should give the Audeze LCD-2 or focal clear a try, if you can, before deciding on the arya. The clears are also very bright and instruments sounds a bit more realistic in my opinion, while the lcd's are far more relaxing and punchy, and even terrible source sounds okay.



The arya are not accurate, when it comes to instruments, at least to my ears with experience how instruments sounds like. If you don't mess around way too much with EQ and use negativ pre amp as well, the sound stage remains big. Like the LCD very much as well

I think how they're amped makes an impact on how they sound. My Gustard, after it's warmed up, makes Arya sing without the extra sharp Ssss or Tttt unless they're on the recording. When I had brighter chip amps they had no warmth. Of course we all have different ears and sensitivity to trebles.

 

[ezduzit2500]

Yes, 100%. Our ear physiology and sound perception differ widely. I found Arya sibilant as well until I cleaned up the signal from source to DAC.

^^^This^^^along with the amping for me.