[ezduzit2500]

Did you stop what you were doing to collaborate too, or just listen?

I did stop to write that post - but only after a particularly impressive transparent and dynamic song segment.

 

[ezduzit2500]

More impact is good news; I had found the original Aryas to be "soft touch" headphones, that had sounded puny with kick drums or electronic instruments, compared to the LCD-3s I had replaced them with (no surprise, when you look at how big and heavy their competitor's headphones are).

How's the timbre with the stealth Aryas? Has it improved any? I had gotten rid of the original ones, because of what I felt was a hollow, plasticky timbre that I had noticed with female vocals, in particular.

It turns out that my choices are currently limited at that price point, as well: the Audeze's LCD-X 2021s are out of production, at the moment.

The Stealths have much improved texture and timbre vs the V1's and v2's. Much much less of the "plasticky" timbre of the v2's. Barely noticeable - if noticed at all.

 

[ezduzit2500]

How is the bass on the Arya's? I've never actually owned planar's before but I always hear open back planar's are the best types of open backs for slammier bass, which I love. Sounds like from the above comment, they're weaker in this area?

Generally speaking,... Dynamics are known for the best midrange or timbre (but both the upper treble and lower bass suffers). Planars are known for the best bass by far and for having competing transient speed and detail (to electrostatics). Electrostatics are known for the best overall detail and transient speed (but bass suffers). Planars bridge the gap between dynamics and electrostatics - having some of the detail and speed of electrostatics, and having some of the midrange accuracy of dynamics - but having better bass than both. Generally speaking.

 

[cgb3]

Same here!

I think I'm 120 hours into burn-in with pink noise now, and it's a night/day difference from even 70 hours ago. I'm finding the soundstage to be not only bigger, but also realistic (things sound appropriately far or near, depending on track), bass can be very punchy when called for, and the treble peak (the one at around 9k I think) is significantly lower and in line with the rest of the treble. I think I'm gonna give it the full 150 hours Hifiman recommends, but wouldn't be surprised if it keeps opening up more after that.

Plus with how much the Arya's leak sound, it's nice to have a bit of pink noise playing in my room at night!

My v2 Ayra's were purchased as "open box" directly from HiFiman (US $1099, no tax, no shipping). They opened as new, with nary a mark on phones or packaging.

I've not experienced any obvious benefits from "burn in". The cans sounded great at the beginning, they remain outstanding. I haven't noticed any great change.

Granted, I've used EQ from the beginning, (second EQ profile from Oratory). Used with Peace EQ.

Pre amp: -4.6
All frequencies in hz., all filters peak unless identified other.
100 5.5 low shelf
1800 5 : 1.2Q
2700 -2 3.2Q
4400 -2.7 5Q
6400 -1.5 5Q
8150-2 5Q
10000 3 low shelf,

I use a balanced cord.

 

[dan3952]

Enjoy it! I’ve always wanted to try the new LCD-X. But then again, the Arya is so light and comfortable. It’s definitely one of its main draws in my collection. Hope your wallet recovers soon!

I am mainly a speaker user, so the LCD-X 2021 could be my only headphone for a while. I had gotten rid of my LCD-3s after having discovered that my Martin Logan speakers out-resolved them, which I had been quite disgusted about. Bass was of better quality with all of the headphones I've had (even the $500 Shures), due to physics. Even a servo enabled sub can't produce the low distortion bass that a headphone can. For one thing, I had a huge room null at 60 Hz that you can't repair by EQ'ing it up.

I could hear more texture in bass guitars with the Aryas. Clears and Aryas were about equal in resolution. The LCD-3s were more brawny in the bass (power over finesse). LCD-3 resolution was definitely not class leading at its price point, but were more musical than the Clears. If I don't like the LCD-X 2021s, I will probably go with the Auteurs or the Arya v3s. As long as I don't want to pay for Verites, I'm rather stuck. It does say on the ZMF website, that Zach had chosen biocellulose and then beryllium for drivers, because he had disliked the timbre of pure metal drivers (exactly my experience with the Clears). I had also hated aluminum tweeters when I was younger (when I could hear above 13kHz.)

 

[haasaaroni]

My v2 Ayra's were purchased as "open box" directly from HiFiman (US $1099, no tax, no shipping). They opened as new, with nary a mark on phones or packaging.

I've not experienced any obvious benefits from "burn in". The cans sounded great at the beginning, they remain outstanding. I haven't noticed any great change.

Granted, I've used EQ from the beginning, (second EQ profile from Oratory). Used with Peace EQ.

Pre amp: -4.6
All frequencies in hz., all filters peak unless identified other.
100 5.5 low shelf
1800 5 : 1.2Q
2700 -2 3.2Q
4400 -2.7 5Q
6400 -1.5 5Q
8150-2 5Q
10000 3 low shelf,

I use a balanced cord.

I wish I had the patience to EQ! Every time I try it, I end up messong with things indefinitely, so I just don’t even try anymore.

I also got my Arya V2 open-box, but found it opened up quite a bit with burn-in as well. Could be that a lot of the changes happen to the FR, or that the whole thing is placebo. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a little of both!

 

[Reputator]

Generally speaking,... Dynamics are known for the best midrange or timbre (but both the upper treble and lower bass suffers). Planars are known for the best bass by far and for having competing transient speed and detail (to electrostatics). Electrostatics are known for the best overall detail and transient speed (but bass suffers). Planars bridge the gap between dynamics and electrostatics - having some of the detail and speed of electrostatics, and having some of the midrange accuracy of dynamics - but having better bass than both. Generally speaking.

Really good summary of why I've always loved planars since the start of their revival. The benefits of dynamics and electrostats without the need for a specialized amp/energizer.

 

[haasaaroni]

I am mainly a speaker user, so the LCD-X 2021 could be my only headphone for a while. I had gotten rid of my LCD-3s after having discovered that my Martin Logan speakers out-resolved them, which I had been quite disgusted about. Bass was of better quality with all of the headphones I've had (even the $500 Shures), due to physics. Even a servo enabled sub can't produce the low distortion bass that a headphone can. For one thing, I had a huge room null at 60 Hz that you can't repair by EQ'ing it up.

I could hear more texture in bass guitars with the Aryas. Clears and Aryas were about equal in resolution. The LCD-3s were more brawny in the bass (power over finesse). LCD-3 resolution was definitely not class leading at its price point, but were more musical than the Clears. If I don't like the LCD-X 2021s, I will probably go with the Auteurs or the Arya v3s. As long as I don't want to pay for Verites, I'm rather stuck. It does say on the ZMF website, that Zach had chosen biocellulose and then beryllium for drivers, because he had disliked the timbre of pure metal drivers (exactly my experience with the Clears). I had also hated aluminum tweeters when I was younger (when I could hear above 13kHz.)

Yeah the Auteurs are magical. The biocellulose drivers have a very unique naturalness to them, and the resonance of the wooden cups (especially if it’s a lighter wood) really adds to the experience. I haven’t heard the Verite, but most seem to agree that while it does better technically, the Auteurs win on “natural-ness.” Definitely a different take on neutral compared to the Arya, but equally amazing.

 

[ezduzit2500]

My v2 Ayra's were purchased as "open box" directly from HiFiman (US $1099, no tax, no shipping). They opened as new, with nary a mark on phones or packaging.

I've not experienced any obvious benefits from "burn in". The cans sounded great at the beginning, they remain outstanding. I haven't noticed any great change.

Granted, I've used EQ from the beginning, (second EQ profile from Oratory). Used with Peace EQ.

Pre amp: -4.6
All frequencies in hz., all filters peak unless identified other.
100 5.5 low shelf
1800 5 : 1.2Q
2700 -2 3.2Q
4400 -2.7 5Q
6400 -1.5 5Q
8150-2 5Q
10000 3 low shelf,

I use a balanced cord.

When I had my v2's I really enjoyed them. Instead of EQ though, I picked up a used Class A amp. That amp made all the difference in the world IMO, and negated the need for EQ. The timbre and lack of punch issues were eliminated with the Class A amp's dynamic and revealing presentation but not brittle or bright character. Smooth is a good descriptor.

 

[amele]

I am buying an amp / dac for Arya Stealth and I have decided to buy Violectric DHA V380 MK2 or Violectric HPA V550 + DAC, but in case I buy Violectric HPA V550 I will be forced to opt for low bucket DAC. The DAC would then be something in the sense of the Gustard DAC-X16 Balanced DAC. What do you think which variant is better.
tnx

 

[phthora]

Yeah the Auteurs are magical. The biocellulose drivers have a very unique naturalness to them, and the resonance of the wooden cups (especially if it’s a lighter wood) really adds to the experience. I haven’t heard the Verite, but most seem to agree that while it does better technically, the Auteurs win on “natural-ness.” Definitely a different take on neutral compared to the Arya, but equally amazing.

I agree with this. To my ears, the Auteur has a perfectly balanced tuning and the most appealing and natural vocals I've ever heard. The Verite has surprisingly detail, clarity, and width of soundstage, but at the cost of a bit of a peak in the treble. It loses some of that naturalness or realistic timbre as well.

On the other hand, with a well selected set of tubes, the Verite is really quite amazing. It gains a warmth and richness to the tone that the driver speed prevents from ever becoming syrupy or muddy, and the treble peak is softened back to reality. The wide soundstage and excellent imaging become even better, to the point of rivaling or besting anything that I've ever heard.

Of course, I could also say that the Verite is very picky about the amp pairing. Paired with a solid state amp, it doesn't stand out much from the Auteur. Paired with a THX amp, it can be a little too bright. Paired with a class-A amp, it tends towards sounding mushy and dull. The Auteur is much more easygoing in this regard (still much less impressive with class-A though).

The Arya, I think, is a nice alternative to the Verite for people that want to spend approximately half the price or who have a solid state amp. It keeps that resolution, imaging, and soundstage, balances out the treble peak and shifts it away from cymbal strikes and towards guitars, and adds in some incredible bass extension. Closer still is the HEKSE, which to my ears just loses out to the Verite in terms of timbre.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

I agree with this. To my ears, the Auteur has a perfectly balanced tuning and the most appealing and natural vocals I've ever heard. The Verite has surprisingly detail, clarity, and width of soundstage, but at the cost of a bit of a peak in the treble. It loses some of that naturalness or realistic timbre as well.

On the other hand, with a well selected set of tubes, the Verite is really quite amazing. It gains a warmth and richness to the tone that the driver speed prevents from ever becoming syrupy or muddy, and the treble peak is softened back to reality. The wide soundstage and excellent imaging become even better, to the point of rivaling or besting anything that I've ever heard.

Of course, I could also say that the Verite is very picky about the amp pairing. Paired with a solid state amp, it doesn't stand out much from the Auteur. Paired with a THX amp, it can be a little too bright. Paired with a class-A amp, it tends towards sounding mushy and dull. The Auteur is much more easygoing in this regard (still much less impressive with class-A though).

The Arya, I think, is a nice alternative to the Verite for people that want to spend approximately half the price or who have a solid state amp. It keeps that resolution, imaging, and soundstage, balances out the treble peak and shifts it away from cymbal strikes and towards guitars, and adds in some incredible bass extension. Closer still is the HEKSE, which to my ears just loses out to the Verite in terms of timbre.

Have to disagree with the last paragraph

Verite lover here, and I have hard time to understand how to enjoy Arya (regardless the version), except with few specific acoustic/jazz songs when paired with the right set-up. For me the planar alternative to Verite (with cheaper price) would be LCD-X, of course not exactly the same, but closer than what Arya offer.

 

[LoryWiv]

The Arya, I think, is a nice alternative to the Verite for people that want to spend approximately half the price or who have a solid state amp. It keeps that resolution, imaging, and soundstage, balances out the treble peak and shifts it away from cymbal strikes and towards guitars, and adds in some incredible bass extension. Closer still is the HEKSE, which to my ears just loses out to the Verite in terms of timbre.

Is this due to treble roll off / lack of air up top at the higher frequencies?

 

[chrisnyc75]

I am buying an amp / dac for Arya Stealth and I have decided to buy Violectric DHA V380 MK2 or Violectric HPA V550 + DAC, but in case I buy Violectric HPA V550 I will be forced to opt for low bucket DAC. The DAC would then be something in the sense of the Gustard DAC-X16 Balanced DAC. What do you think which variant is better.
tnx

You'll get better thoughts on this in the V550 thread, but based on the research I did when I was considering buying, the real difference between the 380 & 550 is that 380 does not have preamp functionality and the 550 is more powerful at 50ohms to better drive Susvara & 1266TC. In both cases I think the DAC add-in is generally considered very good. Unless you plan on using the preamp and/or upgrading your Arya to a Susvara or 1266 at some point, I think the V380 is probably the better choice. Sonically I don't think they are any different.

 

[phthora]

Is this due to treble roll off / lack of air up top at the higher frequencies?

To me, it sounds like the Verite takes the 3khz to 8khz range of the Arya and lowers it by about 5db, all of it except for the peak at 5khz. Past 10khz, it's hard to say, but the Verite seems to have more presence there. The Arya centers that peak right around 3-4khz, which makes guitars sound more biting and aggressive, but I find that easier to deal with. Usually you can guess from the genre or the band whether that extra zing there is going to be too much and it's pretty consistent from song to song. It's a wide peak, more of a plateau, so it doesn't sneak up on you. With the Verite I found that certain cymbal strikes hit way too hard, but I could never predict in which music that would happen. A problem aggravated by my tendency to listen to the Verite louder than the Arya to bring out more treble presence elsewhere in the FR.