[haasaaroni]

My open box Arya shipped today! I ordered a non stealth version so I'm curious if that's what I'll get. I don't care so much if it's v1 or v2 as long as it's one of the two

Congrats! If it’s from Hifiman it’s gonna be a V2. They haven’t had the V1 in stock for a long time.

 

[Xerosnake90]

Congrats! If it’s from Hifiman it’s gonna be a V2. They haven’t had the V1 in stock for a long time.

It's from Hifi Heaven which is an official retailer for Hifiman. I noticed after I ordered it, the non stealth version dissapeared so I wonder if I snagged one of their last ones

 

[haasaaroni]

It's from Hifi Heaven which is an official retailer for Hifiman. I noticed after I ordered it, the non stealth version dissapeared so I wonder if I snagged one of their last ones

Nice! Yeah who knows, the V2’s might be slowly beginning to be phased out. I can’t imagine Hifiman producing two types of the same headphone for very long.

 

[Xerosnake90]

Nice! Yeah who knows, the V2’s might be slowly beginning to be phased out. I can’t imagine Hifiman producing two types of the same headphone for very long.

Exactly why I was so adamant about snatching one up instead of the V3. I had the Ananda and loved the soundstage but had to move to the XS due to comfort issues. The XS soundstage was no where near the Ananda and that was such a dissapointment, but it's awesome for Rap/Hip Hop/Pop type music. I might keep it and use the Arya for all my other music instead

 

[adamjohari]

I heard that Tube Amps are not good for Planar headphones like the Arya. Would the McIntosh MHA200 pair well with the Arya?

 

[Xerosnake90]

I heard that Tube Amps are not good for Planar headphones like the Arya. Would the McIntosh MHA200 pair well with the Arya?

Hybrids are typically pretty good for Planars, looking at the MHA200 I'm guessing it's a no but I could be wrong. I believe you want a low output impedance combined with high current for Planars.

 

[haasaaroni]

I heard that Tube Amps are not good for Planar headphones like the Arya. Would the McIntosh MHA200 pair well with the Arya?

Ok, I was actually quite surprised to find out the Arya sounded quite good out of my OTL Bottlehead Crack amp. The misconception is that tube amps somehow mess with the sound of low-impedance planars, when in reality it’s just a matter of them delivering enough current to the planar drivers to properly drive them. As long as you have a relatively sensitive headphone like the V3 Arya (not the previous 2 versions), it should actually play relatively nice out of any tube amp.

That said, I did have to push the crack quite a but to get enough volume. Otherwise a hybrid amp is definitely the safest bet. I’m actually considering the TA-604 to pair with mine, using the pre-out of the Burson Soloist.

The MHA200 might actually be too much power, just from looking at its crazy gain issue.

 

[Xerosnake90]

Replying to my own post as a follow up. I have about 130 hours now on my Arya V2 and here are my observations.

The Arya V2 right out of the box sounded very crisp, clean, pristine and borderline sharp. After some burn in like about the 10th hour, those same songs are less sharp now and only appears on bad recordings.

On my solid state setup (Jot2/BF2), it sounds good. It has the power to make them sing, very good separation, layering, open spacious soundstage, and the aforementioned clean, crisp, pristine, focused presentation. I was surprised that this pairing did not have that much recessed vocal mids that some have reported. Perhaps its a tad more recessed than my Sundara which I was already used to.

What makes the Arya V2 shine even more is putting some tube flavor in the chain. Once I use my tube buffer in between the Jot2 and BF2, the performance jumps up noticeably.

First, it makes the Arya V2 more natural, less dry. Then it adds a bit a warmth and weight to the sound. Bass is heftier, oh that sub bass thumps so well. That treble sharpness I mentioned earlier is now smoothed and softened with the right amount without losing detail.
The vocal mids are a bit more recess ( more on that later) which creates a deeper soundstage. Soundstage width and height also increased. Each instrument and singer have more space between each other. I hear a very 3d spacious soundstage. Overall having tubes in the chain just makes the Arya more analog sounding (in a good way).

Just to point out the mids being a bit more recessed with tubes is based on my preferences. My tube buffer has a bass and dimensions knob that I can adjust to my liking. If I want more soundstage, I can turn knob to widen the stage which pushes the mids back but creates more depth. Conversely, I can turn knob to narrow the stage, so the mids come forward, more upfront /focused and stage depth decreases in respect. I like it wider hence the mids are a bit recessed compared to my solid state option.

At this point, I think the Arya V2 is at least 10% (if not more) better than my Sundara in my opinion. It pretty much beats the Sundara in almost all areas. However, the Sundara does sound smoother , vocal mids are not as recessed, and has a more upfront presentation, so there is more impact/intimacy. So some folks will like those qualities more.

Will put more hours on the Arya V2 to see if any more improvements.

Heyo, going back in time a bit for this one. What tube buffer and tube are you using?

 

[Smoothstereo]

Heyo, going back in time a bit for this one. What tube buffer and tube are you using?

As mentioned on my previous post, I currently use the Black Ice Audio FOZ SS-X tube buffer. I have great results with RCA Cleartops 12AU7 and Brimar CV4024. RCA more gear towards soundstage, detail, separation, while the Brimar are more warm, thick, and weighty but with a wrap around stage.

 

[Aetherhole]

I have not been completely attentive to the exact amount of time has been put on the Arya since I got them, but given an estimate of at minimum 10 hours a day, that would put them at about 80-90+ hours of usage. I'm still running them, but I will say I perceive a decent amount of change already. In comparison to when I first listened to them, the sound stage did appear smaller than what I am experiencing now. Now, it sounds more expansive and the detail/vocal/instrument separation seems to have more depth within the sound stage than what I remember initially. Additionally, I am enamored by just how fluid the sound stage is, meaning panning there there is no separation between the left and right ears when moving back and forth. For example, in the track "Wings For Marie (Part 1)" from the album 10,000 Days by Tool, there's a continuous run of droning notes and triplets that ping pong back and forth between the left and right channels that I hear smoothly transitioning. That sound stage fluidity and accuracy also carries over its benefits to video games as well. I've been playing some Halo Infinite multiplayer and I definitely have a much better gauge as to where opponents are compared to any of the other headphones I had previously used. Hasn't necessarily made me that much better of a player (still squarely middling), but maybe improved a bit because of the accuracy.

High frequencies also seem to have tamed down a touch; the sizzle seems to have relaxed a bit, but the sparkle still is present. On less than ideal recordings the highs still can be harsh, though, I suppose that is due to the analytical and revealing nature of these headphones. The mid range seem a bit smoother with a little less shout and feel less forward. Vocals appeared to have taken a step back in the sound stage. One of the things that continually impresses me each time I listen to these headphones is the bass reproduction. The Audeze I had gave more bass, but these articulate bass much better to my ears. There's a notable amount more texture in the bass frequencies and it digs deep! This is a bit hyperbolic, but I certainly am noticing more information in the low end in recordings I am very familiar with that I had experienced before. I've heard people say these don't do as well for material with double kick drums, but my experience has been different. It does not have slam, but it still has impact and articulation that doesn't muddle double kick drums. There's still plenty of snap to bass notes and bass hits.

Listening to choral music and orchestral music has been quite an experience on these too. Listening to chamber groups, like the men's vocal group Chanticleer, has been so incredibly engaging. The positioning of each singer wrap around the front of the listener placing individual voices one next to another, allowing a visualization of where each part is coming from. Listening to symphonic pieces and large choirs gives an equally impressive expansive width and depth to the presentation.

So far, these headphones are so easy to listen to. Now back to listening...

 

[ezduzit2500]

I have not been completely attentive to the exact amount of time has been put on the Arya since I got them, but given an estimate of at minimum 10 hours a day, that would put them at about 80-90+ hours of usage. I'm still running them, but I will say I perceive a decent amount of change already. In comparison to when I first listened to them, the sound stage did appear smaller than what I am experiencing now. Now, it sounds more expansive and the detail/vocal/instrument separation seems to have more depth within the sound stage than what I remember initially. Additionally, I am enamored by just how fluid the sound stage is, meaning panning there there is no separation between the left and right ears when moving back and forth. For example, in the track "Wings For Marie (Part 1)" from the album 10,000 Days by Tool, there's a continuous run of droning notes and triplets that ping pong back and forth between the left and right channels that I hear smoothly transitioning. That sound stage fluidity and accuracy also carries over its benefits to video games as well. I've been playing some Halo Infinite multiplayer and I definitely have a much better gauge as to where opponents are compared to any of the other headphones I had previously used. Hasn't necessarily made me that much better of a player (still squarely middling), but maybe improved a bit because of the accuracy.

High frequencies also seem to have tamed down a touch; the sizzle seems to have relaxed a bit, but the sparkle still is present. On less than ideal recordings the highs still can be harsh, though, I suppose that is due to the analytical and revealing nature of these headphones. The mid range seem a bit smoother with a little less shout and feel less forward. Vocals appeared to have taken a step back in the sound stage. One of the things that continually impresses me each time I listen to these headphones is the bass reproduction. The Audeze I had gave more bass, but these articulate bass much better to my ears. There's a notable amount more texture in the bass frequencies and it digs deep! This is a bit hyperbolic, but I certainly am noticing more information in the low end in recordings I am very familiar with that I had experienced before. I've heard people say these don't do as well for material with double kick drums, but my experience has been different. It does not have slam, but it still has impact and articulation that doesn't muddle double kick drums. There's still plenty of snap to bass notes and bass hits.

Listening to choral music and orchestral music has been quite an experience on these too. Listening to chamber groups, like the men's vocal group Chanticleer, has been so incredibly engaging. The positioning of each singer wrap around the front of the listener placing individual voices one next to another, allowing a visualization of where each part is coming from. Listening to symphonic pieces and large choirs gives an equally impressive expansive width and depth to the presentation.

So far, these headphones are so easy to listen to. Now back to listening...

You just did an excellent communication of what the Arya sounds like to me. ~75 hours seems to be the median time for the Aryas to "bloom". Keep us posted...

 

[Kevintj604]

Looking for a review of the Arya V3 vs LCDX 2021. Anyone seen any reviews on YouTube?

Alternatively anyone have both and could share your impressions?

I don't need another headphone but I want to see if the Arya V3 is redundant or not with my current collection.

 

[Xerosnake90]

Got my pair arriving today. Cannot wait to finally hear these

 

[Aetherhole]

Looking for a review of the Arya V3 vs LCDX 2021. Anyone seen any reviews on YouTube?

Alternatively anyone have both and could share your impressions?

I don't need another headphone but I want to see if the Arya V3 is redundant or not with my current collection.

LCD-X 2021, Rosson Rad-0, and Arya V3

Don’t have the LCD-X, so can’t personally compare, but I’ve also heard Andrew from Headphone Show compare the two, as well. If I remember correctly, he states that the LCD-X 2021 is impressive after EQing them, but without EQ he prefers the Arya. Take that for what you will.

 

[Aetherhole]

I am really lovin’ these headphones! Listened to a bit of Nora Jones last night and just sat in my chair, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the sound coming out of these. Also listened to one of my favorite acapella groups, Voctave, I experienced so much emotion while listening; I got goosebumps so many moments while listening.

I also have been using these for watching movies and have been thoroughly enjoying them for that. I watched ”Unbreakable” and part of “Get Out” last night and was thoroughly pleased with how these headphones sounded. There’s some subsonic frequencies in ”Unbreakable” during the train crash sequence at the beginning of the movie that really rattled my head!

My enjoyment of these headphones compelled me to take a couple more pictures of them out of admiration.