[Smoothstereo]

For folks using the Arya V2, what hp cable do you find mates better, all copper or all silver one?

 

[ezduzit2500]

For folks using the Arya V2, what hp cable do you find mates better, all copper or all silver one?

I've got both types. I bought a SPC 8-core XLR cable that was for the Gold Planar GL-2000. It's a decent cable now but was a little bright/harsh when brand new. Now that it's played in a while the harshness has gone and it has great resolution and tight bass. I also bought a Periapt OG copper XLR cable. It's also great, IMO. It's a straight excellent cable that's great all-around. It's more mellow than the SPC cable, and has more natural mids and bass with inoffensive but still revealing treble. Either one is good. Generally speaking, if your chain is neutral-warmish sounding a SPC cable may work well, but if your chain is neutral-bright the OFC cable may work better. Experiment to see, I still switch up sometimes just for fun.

 

[Mediahound]

For folks using the Arya V2, what hp cable do you find mates better, all copper or all silver one?

I use the stock cable and I think it's a good cable. It's said to be crystalized pure copper.

 

[kryptonite]

I use the stock cable and I think it's a good cable. It's said to be crystalized pure copper.

Agree, tried other cables and decided to stick up with the stock, even thought I think they could do a better solution for the 3.5 mm adapter

 

[kryptonite]

Well after a few evenings listening and a full day of comparison, I'm ready to give some thoughts on how the Arya Stealths and the HEDDphones stack up to each other so far.

Source chain
---------------
DAC: Schiit Modius — This DAC brings Schiit's signature touch of warmth, with depth and body
Amp: Corda Classic — Discontinued Class A opamp-based single-ended amp from Meier Audio that's probably unfamiliar to people new to the hobby, but has a lot of power (3.2W @ 30ohms) and a neutral, clean, tight sound with a wide soundstage

Practical things
------------------
Aryas are about 56% of the weight of the HEDDphones. That means a LOT in the area of comfort, and without a suspension-style headband, most of the HEDDphone's weight is pressing on top of your head with a thin, tightly-padded band. Simply put, I cannot wear the HEDDphones as long as I want to, and have to add padding to the underside of the headband which means the earpads sit a little high on my ears, resting partly on my earlobes due to the short earcup extensions. Comfort is a key issue, though not everyone will have the same experience. Aryas will be comfortable for nearly everyone for long periods of time.

Amping is another consideration. Aryas need amping but not as much as the HEDDphones. I'd love to say I have a large stable of powerful amps to swap between, but I don't. I believe what I have is more than enough power for the HEDDphones, but volume matching while swapping between them is tricky, and I wish I had a way of doing so reliably. Aryas have more dynamic range and so that means I have to fiddle with the volume knob between albums more often, whereas the HEDDphones I can largely "set and forget".

Bass
-----
Bass is really no contest. Arya Stealths win hands-down. It's powerful, impactful, extended, and controlled. Pretty much everything you'd ever want unless you really want a headphone with bass that rattles your teeth. Mid-bass is tight and punchy, sub-bass is thick and rumbly when called for, and there's times I feel like I can hear the frequency waves individually — it's THAT textured. Incredibly fast, the bass never loses its power or impact even when other elements of the song are gradually added in. Now I don't begrudge the HEDDphones one bit for what they're able to do. Having AMT drivers that can do adequate bass is an accomplishment, it's just not as refined as a planar technology that has many more years of development. Bass isn't as controlled, textured, or impactful on the HEDDphones. There's a good amount of it but if a song would benefit from less, such as classical music, the HEDDphones aren't as restrained, and can make the presentation seem slightly muddy. For most genres this isn't a problem, but the lack of refinement here is pretty evident. Lower bass has pretty good response, but mid-bass in particular isn't as punchy as I'd like, which hurts the fun-factor with a number of genres, limiting the versatility of the HEDDphones, unfortunately. Still if you like a fairly warm bass presentation and don't mind the drawbacks, you'll probably be happy given how good other frequency ranges are on the HEDDphone in many genres.

Mids
------
Close, but the mids get a slight nod to the HEDDphones for many genres. Mids are more forward, and everything there, especially vocals, is more up-front. Aryas are slightly more recessed (V-shaped). You'll notice more going on in the mids with the HEDDs, with good separation. This can be pleasing especially for acoustic music and singing, and you may pick up on some nuances more easily, but I hesitate to call them more detailed. The trade-off is you don't get as much depth or space between instruments, with the soundstage being more like a flat strip of wall going across your face, touching your nose, and out to the sides. With a more forward midrange, the HEDDphones can also seem a little less dynamic. Mids can be tonally more neutral sounding on the HEDDs, and there are definitely times they sound more natural and realistic with instruments like pianos, saxophones, and violins. Those are areas the HEDDs definitely excel at. Mids are still very good on the Stealths, and I don't think there's a vast difference here.

Treble
-------
Far more restrained on the HEDDphones. The treble is hard to match there. It's clean and balanced with the rest of the frequency range. For acoustic music, it's a much more natural presentation. I think I prefer the treble overall on the HEDDs, but there are a few situations where the extra treble hotness on the Aryas will be a benefit, like in non-acoustic music. Aryas will pick up on the higher frequency transients, string plucks and textures, and sparkly cymbal crashes. Aryas also give more emphasis to air and reverb in the recordings. HEDDs have more natural decay, but if you want a more spacious sound, that added air can help in some things. Neither headphone are in the least bit sibilant to my ears with my chain.

Electronic
-----------
Vast difference in favor of the Aryas. The slightly V-shaped FR is virtually tailor-made for this genre. These headphones seem to lean towards the fun-factor. The huge soundstage and spacious layering make this music sound incredibly engaging. First time I heard it it blew my mind. Songs I listened to numerous times sounded new again. Bass is hard-hitting, punchy, and sub-bass is thick and rumbling. There's texture here I don't think I've experienced before.

Jazz
-----
With the more natural decay and more forward and clear-sounding mids, the HEDDphones generally win here. Jazz is not a genre that needs a lot of dynamic range, I find, and clarity is king here, which the HEDDs do very well. The added treble emphasis on the Aryas doesn't come off quite as natural-sounding, and the sense of air seems a tad exaggerated. Vocals are more forward on the HEDDphones, and it seems like you have to turn up the volume on the Aryas a little more to match. The sense of realism, like you're there live with the artists, is quite enjoyable on the HEDDphones, and this is the genre I've listened to and enjoyed the most on those headphones.

Bluegrass/Folk
-----------------
Aryas with their brighter treble can bring out some instruments like steel guitars and banjos in places where the HEDDphones will recess them. For folk music which is more vocal focused, the Aryas aren't as forward and the HEDDs do better there. The more forward mids can also help some bluegrass instruments as well like violins and acoustic guitars or mandolins. Cellos do sound better on the Aryas, especially if (like in some folk songs) a bow is involved. Bluegrass is similar to jazz in that being up-front in the mids can be a definite benefit, and again they don't need as much in the way of dynamics, working in favor of the HEDDphones. There are times the treble emphasis on the Aryas is helpful, giving some instruments more presence as mentioned earlier, and you definitely hear the plucks of the strings more clearly. Tones of acoustic guitars and violins are more evident on the HEDDphones, being pushed more to the forefront with good cohesion of harmonies while still avoiding congestion. Many folk songs definitely benefit from the soundstage of the Aryas, though. It deeply depends on the album or even the song, as well as the listener's own preferences as to which one is better. I wouldn't say there's a clear winner, though for me personally, the HEDDphones do slightly better more often than not.

Hard Rock/Metal
--------------------
Hard rock and metal, Aryas win hands-down. Punchy drums, splashy treble, and for metal the expanded soundstage is quite welcome. Pleasing air around the drum hits, shredding treble texture on the guitars, and despite the depth and layers, the Arya's have a splendid ability to take the lead vocals and keep them front-and-center. Also it might be the physical size of the drivers, but big guitar moments sound BIG.

Classical
----------
This one was surprising. Symphonies are really quite enjoyable on the Aryas. The treble response brings out the tiniest details, and the soundstaging abilities is really well suited here. The better controlled bass does not intrude or bloat in any way, and there's a greater sense of dynamic range which helps bring out the crescendos better. HEDDs sound a little bit flatter, and have just a pinch too much lowend. Even string quartets sound better on the Aryas, although it's a closer race. The treble texture is quite enjoyable, and again there's a greater sense of dynamics.

Overall
---------
After feeling like this might be a slaughter for the HEDDphones, the more I listened the more nuanced the comparison became. HEDDphones are the king of jazz between the two, really, and that can be a big factor for a lot of audiophiles. But so can comfort, and for me the big problem with the HEDDphones is, as good as they sound, if a headphone isn't comfortable, the audio capabilities are sort of academic. Especially at this price, you shouldn't have to worry about if a pair of headphones might give you a headache. Maybe it won't! For people with large heads though, I don't recommend the HEDDphones. And if you place vocals high on your priority list, the HEDDphones definitely give you a little more there.

But for fun genres, Arya Stealths are the better-suited, with their crowd-pleasing slightly V-shape response, and the wow-factor of their soundstage presentation. It's like they have two drivers, one that places some sounds up-front, and another that handles more distant elements. Their "multitasking" is really quite astounding, and that goes for bass response as well. When the HEDDphones win, I feel like it's only by a slight margin, but when the Aryas win, more often it's by a landslide. They have remarkable versatility, and even the genres they're not ideal in will still sound good for most listeners. You could conceivably own this as your only headphone and be pretty darn happy.

@AntonRisto @haasaaroni

Thanks for great comparison! Would you say Arya V3 bass is better than in Arya V2 ?

 

[Flognuts]

The thing with Ayra's and why I ultimately didn't buy them is they feel and look like a cheap headphone.
The demo pair in the store less than a week old was already heavily scratched from changing the size adjustments.
Hifiman make fantastic sounding headphones, I love their tuning but they need to lift their game in quality control and packaging contents for the consumer......when I spend $2,000 AU on a headphone I expect it to resemble a $2000 headphone. In all honesty my Sundara are the exact same build quality if not better designed but even then came with the worst cable you'll ever find in an enthusiast priced headphone.
Just take a look at the Focal Clear and what you get for $1399 AU, apart from sounding incredible they are a piece of art you can tell they are not cheap and opening the box is an experience.

 

[Mediahound]

The thing with Ayra's and why I ultimately didn't buy them is they feel and look like a cheap headphone.

It's super comfortable though and seems durable overall. I don't even care how it looks.

 

[ezduzit2500]

Thanks for great comparison! Would you say Arya V3 bass is better than in Arya V2 ?

I'd say so. The v3's have quite a bit more "punch" and are also easier to drive. Mine also seem to be slightly more transparent with a blacker background - though I could be just comparing them with my Anandas.

 

[ezduzit2500]

The thing with Ayra's and why I ultimately didn't buy them is they feel and look like a cheap headphone.
The demo pair in the store less than a week old was already heavily scratched from changing the size adjustments.
Hifiman make fantastic sounding headphones, I love their tuning but they need to lift their game in quality control and packaging contents for the consumer......when I spend $2,000 AU on a headphone I expect it to resemble a $2000 headphone. In all honesty my Sundara are the exact same build quality if not better designed but even then came with the worst cable you'll ever find in an enthusiast priced headphone.
Just take a look at the Focal Clear and what you get for $1399 AU, apart from sounding incredible they are a piece of art you can tell they are not cheap and opening the box is an experience.

Yeah, I understand why you feel that way. Other HPs at Arya's price "feel" more premium but don't sound any better - many don't even sound as good. I kind of like the light weight of it though and that would be sacrificed if it was built heavier. I think it's kind of purpose built, if not elegant.

 

[Reputator]

Thanks for great comparison! Would you say Arya V3 bass is better than in Arya V2 ?

Not for me to say, but plenty of other people who have owned/heard the V2 have said the V3 is better.

 

[Smoothstereo]

I've got both types. I bought a SPC 8-core XLR cable that was for the Gold Planar GL-2000. It's a decent cable now but was a little bright/harsh when brand new. Now that it's played in a while the harshness has gone and it has great resolution and tight bass. I also bought a Periapt OG copper XLR cable. It's also great, IMO. It's a straight excellent cable that's great all-around. It's more mellow than the SPC cable, and has more natural mids and bass with inoffensive but still revealing treble. Either one is good. Generally speaking, if your chain is neutral-warmish sounding a SPC cable may work well, but if your chain is neutral-bright the OFC cable may work better. Experiment to see, I still switch up sometimes just for fun.

I use the stock cable and I think it's a good cable. It's said to be crystalized pure copper.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[orangecrescent]

For folks using the Arya V2, what hp cable do you find mates better, all copper or all silver one?

I use high quality all copper cables. I did not buy silver or silver plated copper cables because from the web sources it seems that for arya pre-v3 a pure copper cable should be the way to go so as to "bring down" the highs a little. I don't think I can hear any difference but I just take their word.

 

[chaz_flhr]

The thing with Ayra's and why I ultimately didn't buy them is they feel and look like a cheap headphone.
The demo pair in the store less than a week old was already heavily scratched from changing the size adjustments.
Hifiman make fantastic sounding headphones, I love their tuning but they need to lift their game in quality control and packaging contents for the consumer......when I spend $2,000 AU on a headphone I expect it to resemble a $2000 headphone. In all honesty my Sundara are the exact same build quality if not better designed but even then came with the worst cable you'll ever find in an enthusiast priced headphone.
Just take a look at the Focal Clear and what you get for $1399 AU, apart from sounding incredible they are a piece of art you can tell they are not cheap and opening the box is an experience.

they have what you want you just have to be willing to pay more, I believe the Arya tech wise is actually a lower priced he1000 without the build quality.

 

[Arius]

If youre talking about the build quality already... Where can I get replacement parts and what do they cost? (I live in germany)

Another interesting question would be, what does Arya cost in production or what do Highend Headphones cost in production in general?

I can find Ear Pads on the Hifiman Page but not the right Headband. Can anyone give me a link please? Here are the Ear Pads:
https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/serenitypads.html

 

[misternoe]

I would say a good portion is for R&D and overhead from doing small production runs.