[hikaru12]

although one thing that stands a bit is the peaky treble so will eq.

Damn shame to read this. I had heard that the V2 has taken care of that 5K peak but it seems they haven’t. HiFiman makes great technically capable cans but they always tend to have issues with brightness 400i, 560, 6SE, HEK SE, etc.

 

[dougq]

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?

I can confirm that this is just the Arya. I have been testing for the last 4 hours between the Asgard 3, and the RME and I hear no difference. I also tested High power vs auto ref, to get to a good volume level the RME doesn't even need to go into high power mode but forcing it on makes no difference in sound qualities.

Basically if you aren't liking the sound with the RME you likely won't like it with a high powered amp. The RME has the power to blow these out.

 

[In1unison]

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.

I got Arya to complement LCD-2F. For me they are both outstanding, approaching music reproduction from different points.

 

[quawn0418]

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?

The rme’s amp is pretty good but it’s balanced line outs are where it really shines in my opinion, I’d say get a good amp and mess around with the on-board EQ and you’ll find what your looking for.

 

[dbcampbell]

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?

I have the burson conductor 3 ref and it’s been am amazing pairing with the Arya to my ears. Hope the soloist does well for you. Would be interested in hearing your impressions.

 

[betula]

I have the burson conductor 3 ref and it’s been am amazing pairing with the Arya to my ears. Hope the soloist does well for you. Would be interested in hearing your impressions.

I spent a few hours with the Arya, ADI2 and Soloist 3XP. As I said earlier I think most of my initial dissatisfaction with the sound was down to 'burn in'. The Arya's sound definitely improved after 20-30 hours: smoother treble and fuller bass.
To my ears the Soloist 3XP definitely improves the Arya a little further. The ADI2 does a great job, and I would say it drives the Arya well enough. I would say 80% well compared to the Soloist 3XP. What this amp adds to the Arya's sound is 'tightness' first of all. Everything sounds tighter and even more precise. Bass is a little clearer and has a little more impact, upper-mids and treble is more spacious with better instrument separation. It is not night and day, but to me clearly noticeable. Whether the 20% improvement in sound is worth it for someone that is down the individual. For some it is going to worth it, for others probably not.
Interesting observation that with my more sensitive LCD-X the improvement was even smaller. I probably wouldn't bother buying the amp for the LCD-X only, but for the Arya it is a tougher cookie. There is noticeable improvement there, I just need to figure out if it is worth the investment for me personally.

Regarding the Arya versus the LCD-X, a well-driven Arya is a better headphone objectively and overall. In 8 out of 10 things the Arya is a clear winner: more lifelike, bigger space, more balanced, a more 'hi-fi' experience. Where the Audeze excels is bass body and impact. The two things I personally hold in very high regard due to the majority of music genres I listen to. I can see these two headphones complementing each other pretty well.

 

[Dopaminer]

My Arya arrived from the factory a few days ago. Fedex from China to an island in the South China Sea in 5 days. Pretty soon we'll be at Star Trek transporter delivery times....

As I hoped, it is brand spanking new.
First impression - it's gorgeous.
Second impression - all the comments about poor build quality are overstated. It's solid as a rock and the fit and finish are perfect. The cups rotate but don't flop around. The metal headband has perfect rigidity. And claims that it is completely plastic are wrong, I think. The grills sure seem like metal to me... The cups are clearly typical plastic. But the yokes are more like that newer kind of 'engineered plastic' or 'composite' material (like Sigma Art lenses, which many people mistakenly believe are metal). This material is very dense, strong, and can be extremely durable (he says hopefully).

Anyway, it's freaking gorgeous and unlike the HEK, actually fits my pin-head. I don't even have to use the smallest setting! Nevertheless, I have already purchased a new headband assembly for it. I'll report how that goes when it arrives.

And I just had to get those lambskin pads that freeza2001 posted about earlier here. Based on his experience, rather than trying to reuse the current rings, I am going to make new rings and attach with double-sided tape, a la Audeze and DCA. About these lambskin pads, I agree with him completely that they are "very well made with good stitching complementing the soft memory foam." I'll report back with that mod when it's done. I'm actually surprised at how much I like the stock pads, though. Again, all the negative reviews about how uncomfortable they are don't match my experience.....

 

[lalawilson168]

I think it's a dumb ques but here it is. Stock cable has two rings on the connection. (TRS) I noticed the focal ones which has one ring (TS) connectors also work on the Aryas, is that ok for the Aryas. Reason I asked is I have a balanced Hart audio TS 3.5mm cable from a focal headohone, and preferably I don't have to buy another one for the Aryas.

 

[Bboy500]

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.

Arya just doesn't have the mid bass nor the warmth (Its on the brighter side) needed for many songs/genres, I take my 2C over my Arya for EDM/Hip-Hop myself as well and am looking for that long term complimentary headphone right now. 2C Might not be the perfect at doing what the Arya doesn't quite do, and it gets beat in many things by it, but it does a few things better to its credit.

Damn shame to read this. I had heard that the V2 has taken care of that 5K peak but it seems they haven’t. HiFiman makes great technically capable cans but they always tend to have issues with brightness 400i, 560, 6SE, HEK SE, etc.

The Peak isn't really an issue as long as you can EQ the headphone. Once I found my settings I haven't even noticed the peaks for months and months, without EQ I would have actually not kept the headphone. It needs a slight amount of EQ for sure, though I am treble sensitive so that would have been a deal breaker for me specifically.
Luckily the Arya handles EQ really well.

 

[hikaru12]

The Peak isn't really an issue as long as you can EQ the headphone. Once I found my settings I haven't even noticed the peaks for months and months, without EQ I would have actually not kept the headphone. It needs a slight amount of EQ for sure, though I am treble sensitive so that would have been a deal breaker for me specifically.
Luckily the Arya handles EQ really well.

Imo having to equalize a headphone that costs $1500 is a deal breaker. I'm treble sensitive too and a 5-6K peak really aggravates that which is a shame because the overall tonality of the can is warm. The can is already detailed enough. They don't need to add artificial peaks for more detail or bite. I don't think anyone would have complained if it was attenuated by 1-2DB. For me, I try to find the perfect tonality that doesn't require equalizing because that way you can just enjoy the sound as is. Otherwise I would just spring for the Utopia and fix it's issue as well.

 

[Ripper2860]

These may not be for you unless paired with a warm DAC or amp. I use mine with a Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC (which is considered a tad on the warm side) and with tube HP amps (Schiit Valhalla 2 (OTL) , Schiit Lyr 3 (Hybrid), Schiit Ragnarok (SS but a tad warm), and Incubus (OTL). While the SS amp does a nice job with Arya, the tube amps allow me to get the sound I desire (a bit more lush and organic) via tube rolling as opposed to SW EQ. I have a 'thing' about software EQ, so I do not EQ and share your thoughts that one should not 'have to EQ' to correct flaws in a premium HP. I also do not fault those that may want to tailor HPs more to their liking, but I'll not give a HP mfg a pass when having to use use EQ either. I love my Aryas, but I'm also not what I would consider treble sensitive -- at least to the degree that some are. If you've given them a suitable break-in time (and I believe you have), then these just may not be the cans for you, unfortunately.

 

[joseG86]

I find EQ necessary for any kind of HP no matter the price if you really want to get the best out of it, don't you tweak your TV to get the best picture possible?

 

[Ripper2860]

Maybe I have not found the right SW EQ, but I do not use anything that is not EXCLUSIVE MODE and BIT PERFECT. Sure I could use SW EQ when I stream music or play ripped music, but not really as easy when a CD player and Turntable are also involved. I happen to like the Arya's as they are and really feel no need to tweak them. Again, I do not frown on anyone 'tweaking' their HPs (I choose not to as I feel they are great the way they are), but I do feel that using EQ to correct glaring issues with a HP is giving the MFG a pass. I don't think Arya has any truly glaring issues and does far more right than it does wrong.

Now once Schiit introduces a balanced Loki EQ, then I'd be hard pressed not to try my hand at EQ, but with HW.

 

[joseG86]

Now once Schiit introduces a balanced Loki EQ, then I'd be hard pressed not to try my hand at EQ.

Hear hear!

If you need the bass missing in your Arya you might want to try these EQ settings

 

[Dopaminer]

Installed the lambskin pads on my new Arya. The slow-rebound memory foam is much nicer than the stiff fast-rebound stock pad.
I used an old plastic folio to make some simple rings, cut the hole square to match the driver, attached with double-sided tape. If I'm still enjoying these pads after a few long listening sessions, I'll get some double-sided adhesive sheets and do a proper job.