[DJ LP]

I sold the Arya Stealth a few weeks ago and I've been missing them ever since. I thought owning the HE1000 V2 was going to be enough but something about the Arya Stealth really grabbed my attention in a way that most headphones that I've owned and sold haven't.

I pulled the trigger on buying an Arya Stealth today. I missed not having one so much that I sold my Radiance for it.

Can't wait until they arrive!

So what did you miss on the Stealth's over the HE 1000v2's? I'm thinking about getting the HE 1000v2's right now and I already own the Stealth's.

 

[DJ LP]

I owned the HE1000V2 Stealth before I bought my current HE1000 V2. I absolutely hated the HEKV2 Stealth.

HiFiMan ruined a great headphone in my opinion. The HEKV2 Stealth has ALOT more treble energy in 12K. Really sibilant for me. They also eliminated the sound stage and ruined the midrange.

The HE1000 V2 is quite a bit warmer with much more natural timbre and a massive soundstage. I absolutely love them.

The Arya Stealth has a tad more treble emphasis but smaller stage and less warmth. I really like its tonality though and it’s tuned incredibly balanced especially for the price.

I think they are different enough in a collection to own both.

I asked the same question as the person you just responded to, so no need to answer it again. Thanks for the detailed information for the difference in sound signatures.

 

[Sanaycasino]

This thread is from 2018!

The organic deserves its own thread!

Sure, is the sound is different?

 

[OCC7N]

Sure, is the sound is different?

please dont tell me its just appearance?

 

[DJ LP]

I see, one of the things that make the HEKV2 great is it's chameleon-like character of being the most neutral Hifiman while taking EQ very well. This may not concern you as it seems you have multiple headphones in your arsenal, but my current approach is to have multiple EQ presets for different genres. For certain tracks like EDM/house, I add a bass shelf of 7-8dB@100Hz and it makes the HEKV2 slam very hard.

I do reference measurements online and EQ accordingly as a starting point, but I deviate quite a bit with my presets. I know that EQ will color the music but it's for my enjoyment and I don't care if it's accurate or not.

For what I listen to, which is a wide range of genres, I want what I listen to to sound the way it would sound if to was live (tonality). Wanting that means I have to eq. Really just the sub bass. Everything I've listened to live normally has a little more sub bass that my stealth's do without eq. Everything else is pretty much flat.

 

[Sanaycasino]

please dont tell me its just appearance?

Mm?

 

[Reputator]

I ended up selling my Arya SE due to problems with a center image. It wasn't noticable with instrumental tracks, but with all vocals it sounded like the vocalist was coming split from the left and right, not center. There was always this big gap that I couldn't get to go away unless I used crossfeed, which would make the imaging and soundstage worse. Loved everything else about them though.

That's a really weird issue. Almost like the phase was mismatched between them. A good working Arya has ROCK solid imaging, including the center. It's laser focused, better than any other headphone I've owned.

 

[yeboyi]

I just received these $10 earpads from aliexpress for my Arya SE. The fit and comfort quite a bit better. I'm impressed. The ''quality'' seems better than stock pads.

Update on aliexpress pads. I'm in love with the comfort. So perfect on my head.

The sound... I EQ'ed both pads to match. I think it's more diffuse and less defined with these pads. Soundstage is bigger though. Imaging also seems better. Images are a bit bigger and their position seem more precise. However individual elements sound more vague, less defined. There is some kind of echo to the sound.

My opinion is stock pads sound better but these aliexpress pads aren't slouch either. I actually like these more for games. Music loses some impressive spice that stock Arya SE brings i feel.

Another note is that these pads have some ''suck effect'' like closed backs. I also heard people having this feeling with Audeze headphones. I think these have pretty solid front seal. This is probably why sound changes way more when i bring my hand closer to back of the earcups.

 

[lanep]

That's a really weird issue. Almost like the phase was mismatched between them. A good working Arya has ROCK solid imaging, including the center. It's laser focused, better than any other headphone I've owned.

Maybe I got a couple units with phase mismatch. I had the same center image issue on my Ananda Stealth. I'm guessing hifiman doesn't work well with my hrtf

 

[gazzington]

I’m considering either getting an arya stealth or organic or even the he1000 v2 stealth. Anybody know what the differences in sq are? Too many choices!

 

[szore]

lol, they just had a whole discission!

 

[Reputator]

I’m considering either getting an arya stealth or organic or even the he1000 v2 stealth. Anybody know what the differences in sq are? Too many choices!

You should buy the Organic just so we have more people giving impressions on them.

 

[kRed]

I’m considering either getting an arya stealth or organic or even the he1000 v2 stealth. Anybody know what the differences in sq are? Too many choices!

I'm AB ing both the Arya Stealth and the HE1000 Stealth these last few days, since I have to decide if I am to keep the Arya alongside the HE1000 or trade it up.

Today in particular I've tested them with not so optimal tracks, mostly rock and metal (as I already know for jazz and classical the HE1000 are simply better), and the results were pretty consistent:

Tha Arya is slightly warmer, the vocals in particular comes out warmer and more weighty on the Arya, while they are more agile and nimble (and detailed) on the he1000. The bass is more mid focused on the Arya, while the HE1000 is tighter, cleaner and punchier in most tracks (but not all).
The stage is noticeably bigger on the he1000, the Arya as more a "you are in the middle of the music", while di HE1000 feels more you are in a front row of a very big room.

If you take a song with a sophisticated production, lots of layers of background vocals, guitar riffs, keys, etc like Radiohead's Nude, you are going to hear all that background stuff more on the HE1000, which can separate instruments better than the Arya at the cost of being a bit dry in comparison.

The timbre, as far as I can tell (I do have quite some experience with instruments and live music), is better on the HE1000 Stealth.

All in all, they sound pretty similar if you look at the big picture, the Arya is warmer and softer, the HE1000 is tighter and cleaner. But, keep in mind, we are not talking about big stuff. They are still both bright-tilted of neutral with a touch of warmth.

One thing to say is that I feel like the Arya Stealth is easier to synergize with, if we talk about amp and dacs. The HE1000 Stealth seems like they don't go along well with my FiiO K9 Pro.

Since I already have a wet and soft sounding headphone, the ZMF Aeolus, I think I will trade the Arya and keep the HE1000.

P.S. I would probably not be able to tell them apart in an ABX test with a song I'm not already familiar with on the Arya, just to give you an hint about how similar they sound on a major scale.

 

[Tachyon88]

I agree with you and if I had just a couple headphones and a PC with Peace I’d probably have multiple EQ presets as well.

Unfortunately I’m a bit obsessed with the hobby and have explored through roughly 30 or so different headphones in the four years I’ve been in the community. I know basically exactly what I’m looking for in what I would call a complete collection and I’m working towards that goal. I’m in a weird point in the journey where I don’t really see a need to hop up to the Summit-Fi or End Game level. But I’m kind of out of options underneath where I’m at.

The HE1000V2 compliment the Arya Stealth very nicely especially with the source gear that I have so it gives me more genre pairings to play around with. As opposed to using EQ I use source equipment to find a good synergy and different headphones with their own playlists to find good fits.

After that many what is it you're looking for ?

 

[Kevintj604]

After that many what is it you're looking for ?

Currently I’m not looking for anything. For the first time in the hobby I no longer feel the need to “upgrade” or buy anything. I’m super happy with my collection.

I bought my ticket for CanJam SoCal to knock off a few more items on my list but unless something truly blows my mind there I won’t be making any more purchases for a while.

The search never really ends but the appetite for the next best thing quickly goes away when you’re happy with what you have.