My personal preference is the gear with Linear Power Supply. It will match Arya quite nicely, e.g. it will add body to the music. If you want to stay with Schiit, you can stack Asgard+Modius ($400) if you like full-bodied warm signature or Jot+Modius ($600) if you prefer a more neutral sound. Otherwise, Gustard H16/X16 and Questyle CMA400i (Amp/Dac) could also be an option in your budget range.
HIFIMAN Arya - Arya Stealth - Arya Organic :: Impressions Thread
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I am not convinced by my new Arya's performance straight out of the RME-ADI2 even in high power mode. Especially bass is lacking, but the whole sound is a bit thin.
This is usually a sign of a not well-driven headphone. Luckily I picked up a Burson Soloist 3X as well, which should arrive in a week or so. I really hope that will improve things with the Arya. Any ADI2/Arya owner who can comment on this? Am I right thinking that the ADI2 alone is just not enough for the Arya?
This is usually a sign of a not well-driven headphone. Luckily I picked up a Burson Soloist 3X as well, which should arrive in a week or so. I really hope that will improve things with the Arya. Any ADI2/Arya owner who can comment on this? Am I right thinking that the ADI2 alone is just not enough for the Arya?
skypablo
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I am using Arya since yesterday and next days I will make some test. For now I am using the d90+a90 on xlr gain M and volume never more than 11 (I keep sound quite low but I like that way) and I think Arya is driven @ full potential. I will test adi dac2fs and the rme amped by the 887 and do some comparison. Probably the 6W of the A90 balanced against the 1,5W of the RME (@32) make a difference on strong hits
Handling large dynamic swings is usually function of built in capacitors size and quality of power supply. We should be also be thinking more about current delivery rather than specified power.
Bboy500
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If you don't want to go Balanced (Which I don't blame you, I don't bother with balanced cans either) then maybe also consider the Lyr 3. Single Ended, within your budget, extremely powerful and if your not scared of tubes you can tune the sound sig exactly to what you want by rolling. For what's it worth, the stock tube that comes with the Lyr 3 works really really well with the Aryas and you do not need to change the tube at all if you don't want to.
Could easily be your one stop solution. For reference, I upgraded from my Topping L30 to the Lyr 3 and have 0 regrets which is not far off from what you would be doing.
Also finally recieved my RMA'ed Aryas back and all is good again. So glad to have these back, though in the 2 weeks I didn't have them I fell in love with my LCD-2 Classics again (Due to a new tube that paired really nice) and now have changed my mind on selling them for an Atticus. Yay for saving money!
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dougq
100+ Head-Fier
There is no reason it would not be enough. The adi2 has enough power to drive most all demanding headphones. I will know for sure on Monday when I can test out and compare it with my adi2 and Asgard 3 but I have already tested out headphones like verite closed between an Asgard 3 and heresy and once volume matched they sounded the same.
X1787X
100+ Head-Fier
I am a few years late but massdrop hd800 is here
Thanks. I will see it for myself soon enough, but all inputs are welcome on the matter. Perhaps Arya's sound is just not for me as I find it a bit too thin and polite. At the same time I appreciate it's resolution and airiness. I might just need to stick with my slightly EQ's LCD-X which is not as spacious or resolving as the Arya but has a much meatier and more 'lush' sound not to mention it's satisfying bass performance. It might just be personal taste.
Anyway, I am curious to see what improvement the Burson Soloist 3X will bring to the picture and if it makes the Arya a keeper.
I can already see the Arya to be a better pick for orchestral music and perhaps some vocal centric acoustic bands, but those are not my main music genres.
Quick question: Does it make sense to drive the Arya with a chord mojo or is that a non-starter? I also have grado rs2e, sonzy ier z1r and shure kse 1200 so if you would recommend a dac/amp kombo (needs to be transportable at least between rooms) what should it be? Budget for that should not exceed 1.4k euro or so.
brianfromspace
100+ Head-Fier
I really like my Fiio m15 DAP with the Arya's (4.4m output) Connecting them to the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge with Farad power supply gives me more slam and wider soundstage. (but that's a $3600 combo.)
Just received the Arya's. Daaaamn this headphone is amazing! The sub-bass is real, details galore in the whole spectrum, grand soundstage(!) and I really like the relatively relaxed and smooth tonality compared to others I've had, although one thing that stands a bit is the peaky treble so will eq. And I'm only powering these with JDS atom amp (high gain) without a DAC haha so their full potential hasn't been unlocked yet. Weight and comfort so far are great but I have to see if I get jaw pain as reported by others. I will invest in a good amp - I'm thinking Elekit 8200R as suggested by @UntilThen so I can power both planar and dynamic cans with tube goodness - and a DAC like the Denafrips Ares 2. I think this one's a keeper.
UntilThen
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@Jjrg good choice. Elekit TU 8200r, Auralic Taurus Mk2, WA22, Oblivion, Questyle CMA 12 are all good candidates in that price range.
Arya needs a bit of juice (power) to get it going and all those amps will drive it to kingdom come.
Of course there are other amps but these are the ones I have sampled and owned.
My son uses Topping D90 and A90 with his Arya. I thought that combination is pretty good too. The Topping combo is bright but Arya is more mellow sounding compared to He1000se. That’s why I kind of like the Toppings and Arya combination but given the choice myself I would pair Arya with any of the amps I mentioned above.
As usual ymmv.
Arya needs a bit of juice (power) to get it going and all those amps will drive it to kingdom come.
Of course there are other amps but these are the ones I have sampled and owned.
My son uses Topping D90 and A90 with his Arya. I thought that combination is pretty good too. The Topping combo is bright but Arya is more mellow sounding compared to He1000se. That’s why I kind of like the Toppings and Arya combination but given the choice myself I would pair Arya with any of the amps I mentioned above.
As usual ymmv.
I don't think the problem is your amp. My THX AAA amp (and I don't want another) has the same power rating as yours. I had gone from Aryas to LCD-3's, and had made similar observations to yours. The LCD-3s are less sensitive than either of your headphones, and I had used the same amp to power both.
Arya and HE-1000, have a "soft touch" characteristic, they aren't very dynamic headphones.
Resolution, is not class leading even with the $1945 LCD-3 (they make people pay all that money for a MX-4 or an LCD-4 to get better). I would keep using the Reveal+ plugin with any Audeze you may have, as none of my EQs had sounded better than that, despite having spent hours fiddling. I have never heard anything as good as Audeze headphones for pure visceral impact. With kick drums, and electronic music, it is especially noticeable. I would say I could hear more texture in the bass (especially stringed instruments) with the Aryas than with the LCD-3s, or the LCD-Xs (I haven't heard the latter headphones since 2018).
I think partly my first impressions were down to 'burn in'. After 20-30 hours on the Arya the treble did smooth out a little bit and the bass filled up. That said, I hear the same characteristics what you just described. Since I am mainly coming from Audeze headphones, Arya bass feels a bit soft and lacks impact in comparison. Audeze headphones are also more dynamic. At the same time I enjoy the spaciousness on Arya and the more neutral and more natural presentation. The Arya is a better pick for jazz or classical as it provides a bigger stage with more natural airiness. On the other hand Audeze LCD-3/LCD-X are better for EDM. Kickdrums on the LCD-X sound full, rounded and visceral while on the Arya they are kind of blunt and dull. Two very different bass presentations. It is strange as I wouldn't say the Arya lacks anything in the bass: it is well-extended, clear and there is good quantity. Just no fullness and impact like on the Audeze. Also, while the LCD-X in theory is a neutral studio headphone, still sounds a bit sweeter than the Arya. Arya is a bit drier. Audeze adds just a few drops of sugar syrup to the sound which can be quite addictive, although less accurate when it comes to recreating the recording. The difference in soundstage size is also very obvious in favour of the Arya.
The Arya is a fantastic headphone with a spacious and natural sound. Still great bass for a big open back headphone, but also has its limitations (impact, not a very 'full' sound, lack of dynamics make sound quite soft). Note, that all my observations were done on the RME-ADI2. Hopefully in a few days I will try the Arya on a proper powerful amp, which I think will improve things to a certain degree, but I do not know by how much. I do not think anymore that the ADI2 is not enough to drive the Arya, it is. But probably not to it's absolute full potential. That I will find out in a few days.
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I'll take my Arya all day over my LCD-2C with EDM even though the 2C has more bass. I just don't like the Audeze house sound anymore and the Arya sounds better in just about every way to me. I've heard the LCD-2F/3F/X and they all have that Audeze problem with the mids and even when I EQ'd them they still don't sound as good as the Arya imo. As far as planars go the Arya is the GOAT in the under 2K range.
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