[Marlowe]

I love them on my FiiO K9 Pro, I think it really have a great synergy with this headphone.

Interesting about the FiiO K9 and the Arya Stealth, though I see you have the now discontinued AKM version. I am looking for a new amp and DAC to use in my preferred late night listening spot without moving gear or using a dongle and am currently dithering between the K9 Pro ESS version ($850 USD) and the FiiO Q7 ($750 USD; FiiO bills this unit as portable, but it's size, weight, and performance makes it more a small desktop unit with a battery power option that is transportable). Both units are based on the $1800 M17 DAP with all the player parts stripped out (the Q7 looks very similar with the same chassis and dimensions but a tiny screen instead of the M17's large screen and slightly revised controls reflecting the loss of the Android touchscreen). The major differences is that the K9 retains the M17's dual ESS ES9038PRO DAC chips and the same THX amp modules but power output drops from 3W to 2.1W. The Q7 retains the 3W power output on DC power (making the power drop in the much larger K9 appear odd) but only has one ES9038PRO DAC chip, though it has a newer and more advanced XMOS chip than the one in the K9 and M17. Most reviews found all three units to have fairly similar performance with only small differences. ATM, I'm leaning to the Q7 primarily because of its 50% higher power output and (subjectively) I finder it a cooler looking device. (I'd probably add FiiO's PL50 external linear power supply to replace its switching power brick and match the K9's internal LPS; this would make the total package slightly more expensive than the K9.)

 

[kRed]

@Marlowe as far as I understand, FiiO tried to tune the ESS version as close as possibile to the AKM version, so i expect it to perform similarly.
I’ve never, ever, gone over 60% of the volume with the Arya SE with a balanced cable on the 2W K9 Pro, on low gain.

Wattage is not as important as implementation and delivery. I actually think it’s almost becoming like megapixels for Cameras, 90% marketing and 10% actual meat. I would be very surprised if a battery powered device sounds like a desktop amp.

For example, many many reviews reports that the tiny and actually less powerful (on paper… you know) Ifi Go Blu drives full sized headphones better than almost any other BT dongles. There is way more than watt outputs that goes into this, like having a nice full bass and controlled treble.

In general, it seems to me like the stuff that goes after measurements and great technicality on paper sometimes disappoints, way beyond what the paper would tell.

Also, one final note: going higher in watt could be detrimental if you want to use more sensitive stuff: on my EF400 i can’t use the Arya SE if I don’t lower the volume on my source device (so i can’t have bit perfect). To get to my listening volume (which is lower than 70dB) without lowering the source output, i experience channel imbalance and a minuscule control.

 

[Marlowe]

@Marlowe as far as I understand, FiiO tried to tune the ESS version as close as possibile to the AKM version, so i expect it to perform similarly.
I’ve never, ever, gone over 60% of the volume with the Arya SE with a balanced cable on the 2W K9 Pro, on low gain.

Wattage is not as important as implementation and delivery. I actually think it’s almost becoming like megapixels for Cameras, 90% marketing and 10% actual meat. I would be very surprised if a battery powered device sounds like a desktop amp.

For example, many many reviews reports that the tiny and actually less powerful (on paper… you know) Ifi Go Blu drives full sized headphones better than almost any other BT dongles. There is way more than watt outputs that goes into this, like having a nice full bass and controlled treble.

In general, it seems to me like the stuff that goes after measurements and great technicality on paper sometimes disappoints, way beyond what the paper would tell.

Also, one final note: going higher in watt could be detrimental if you want to use more sensitive stuff: on my EF400 i can’t use the Arya SE if I don’t lower the volume on my source device (so i can’t have bit perfect). To get to my listening volume (which is lower than 70dB) without lowering the source output, i experience channel imbalance and a minuscule control.

Thanks, I largely agree with you. I asked one reviewer (who gave great reviews to both the K9 ESS and Q7 about their relative performance without regard to form factor and he said that the K9 would perform slightly better with most headphones (unless you have something like an Abyss or Susvara which the K9 cannot quite drive to their fullest but the Q7 can) because the K9's linear power supply gives it better dynamics. However, if you added the PL-50 LPS (which is not a pain in practical terms since the Q7 already uses a power brick), he preferred the Q7 since they now performed equally but the Q7 had more power. In the end, I have no doubt that the K9 is more than sufficient to drive the Arya Stealth but find myself more drawn to the Q7 for aesthetic reasons.

 

[Nellie75]

Dac? >> Burson Soloist 3xp >> Arya

I’ve got the Arya Stealth and a Burson Soloist 3xp in route. Now I need to find a dac.

Any good balanced dac suggestions under $500?

I’m already over budget. I’ve heard people say a clean analytical dac would do well with the warmer sounding Burson. Would a cheaper SMSL or Topping be limiting?

 

[ahmonge]

Any good balanced dac suggestions under $500?

Topping D30 Pro.

 

[ezduzit2500]

How did you trade your v2 for the stealth? Just sell it and put that money towards the stealth? I have v2 and I like it a lot but had thoughts about eventually going up to v3 if it's worth it.

I reached out to Hifiman and asked. They will have different prices for the upgrade - depending on if your V2 is in or out of warranty, and in what condition it's in.....

 

[ezduzit2500]

I’m sorry guys, i have to get this off of my chest, as an original Arya V1 and now Arya SE owner i have to be honest and say that i prefer the OG, sure it wasn’t as accurate, and yes the SE is more well rounded, but the OG was really something special, atleast to me. That stage, presentation, the spaciousness, it all made the OG one of a kind. I am happy with the SE, but i don’t grab it nearly as much as i grabbed the OG. Just wanted to put that out there. Lol

I still like the OG Arya too - but for me, the Arya Stealth's much better out of the box timbre, it's slightly better imaging and layering, and it being much easier to drive - which also gives it better bass dynamics - all made the Stealth too hard to pass on. I had a chance to audition both of them at home before I made the decision to send the V2's in and keep the Stealths. The only place where the OG may be slightly different is a very slight bump in gross soundstage size - but the Stealth to me is more realistic and is virtually the same as the V2 most of the time. Side by side they're virtually the same size after the Stealth has had a chance to burn in......

 

[ezduzit2500]

Any dac / amp recommendations that would make them sing?

A balanced DAC of your choice - plus a discrete Class A or Class AB amp that you can afford. IC/THX based amps like the Topping A90 and others like that don't have very good synergy with the Aryas, IMO. They don't really reproduce soundstage depth very well, neither do they have very good timbre - they kind of have an unnatural type of timbre....

Examples of discrete Class A and Class AB:

*Schiit Asgard (SE) or Jotunheim (BAL);
*Singxer SA-1;
*Gustard H20;
*Kinki Studios THR-1;
*Burson Soloist 3XP;
*Flux Labs FA-10, FA-12, FA-22;
Others I'm forgetting......

 

[ezduzit2500]

Dac? >> Burson Soloist 3xp >> Arya

I’ve got the Arya Stealth and a Burson Soloist 3xp in route. Now I need to find a dac.

Any good balanced dac suggestions under $500?

I’m already over budget. I’ve heard people say a clean analytical dac would do well with the warmer sounding Burson. Would a cheaper SMSL or Topping be limiting?

The OG SMSL SU-9 or the newer SU-9 Pro over Toppings DACs, IMO. Or the new SU-10 or a used D1SE if you can find a used one for cheap. They're generally neutral but not overly bright or harsh in the trebles.....

 

[Nellie75]

A balanced DAC of your choice - plus a discrete Class A or Class AB amp that you can afford. IC/THX based amps like the Topping A90 and others like that don't have very good synergy with the Aryas, IMO. They don't really reproduce soundstage depth very well, neither do they have very good timbre - they kind of have an unnatural type of timbre....

Examples of discrete Class A and Class AB:

*Schiit Asgard (SE) or Jotunheim (BAL);
*Singxer SA-1;
*Gustard H20;
*Kinki Studios THR-1;
*Burson Soloist 3XP;
*Flux Labs FA-10, FA-12, FA-22;
Others I'm forgetting......

I have the Aryas and a Burson 3xp coming in the mail. I was going to get the cheapest balanced dac I could find since I’ve hit my budget already like a Topping or SMSL.

But…..maybe I need to bite the bullet and get a Bifrost 2.

 

[ezduzit2500]

My Arya SE is camped on this chain : Metrum acoustics Ambre ==>> Schiit Bifrost 2/64 ==>> Singxer Sa1

It sings so beautifully on that chain that it almost makes me think I'm listening to an "endgame" chain. Yet when I move it another chain with an upgraded amp/Dac combo, such as a sonnet morpheus ==>> niimbus us4, the arya SE knows how to up the ante by showing me how foolish I was to consider the previous chain as endgame... the point being, how well it sings, and how well it scales, provided the components of the chains are in great synergy... I. love both chains, and I am sure the Arya SE would show me other very beautiful soundscapes if I can find another beautiful synergy on a different chain... and so it goes. I think that synergy is what counts at the end of the day... the pricing of the components in the chain is not as important, as long as they are of decent quality (which is not always or necessarily determined by price tags).

This^^^.

 

[ezduzit2500]

I have the Aryas and a Burson 3xp coming in the mail. I was going to get the cheapest balanced dac I could find since I’ve hit my budget already like a Topping or SMSL.

But…..maybe I need to bite the bullet and get a Bifrost 2.

Either or. I'm more partial to either SMSL or Schiit before Topping though. Personal bias......

 

[antanast]

Any experiences with the Schiit VALHALLA?

 

[ezduzit2500]

Schiit VALHALLA

I just looked at the specs for it. I wouldn't do it because pure OTL tube amps usually don't play well with planars, and it's power output doesn't specify any more than 600mW - it looks like it's designed for high-impedance dynamic driver HPs (ie: 300 ~ 600 ohms). If you want to use OTL tube amps, you'd have to get one that's pretty powerful - or tube/SS hybrid amps......

 

[Marlowe]

I just looked at the specs for it. I wouldn't do it because pure OTL tube amps usually don't play well with planars, and it's power output doesn't specify any more than 600mW - it looks like it's designed for high-impedance dynamic driver HPs (ie: 300 ~ 600 ohms). If you want to use OTL tube amps, you'd have to get one that's pretty powerful - or tube/SS hybrid amps......

I had this exact discussion earlier today on the ZMF Aeolus thread. I recommended the Valhalla 2 to a poster looking for an inexpensive tube amp for the 300 ohm dynamic Aeolus, but noted that it wasn't a good match for low impedance planars (like the Arya). Another poster disagreed with me, but I am unconvinced. At least for those headphones that also have low to lowish sensitivity. While the Arya Stealth is easier to drive than the earlier versions, it still isn't especially sensitive and I doubt the Valhalla has sufficient juice at that impedance load to really drive it well. It'll probably get plenty of volume, but it won't be close to its best.