[jjazzy]

I decided to upgrade to the Arya stealth from a Sundara with an iFi Zen DAC v2. This dac/amp won't put the Arya to justice so I also need a new dac and amp.
On this forum I read that the Arya doesn't pair well with certain dacs and amps, sounding too 'clinical' or too sharp on the high notes.
After some research, the SMSL SU-9 and Singxer SA-1 looked like a good combo. Would this be a good setup or are there better options for a similar price? (Budget €1300)
Thanks a lot and sorry for asking, I am new in this complicated ecosystem

Complicated it is, expensive doesn’t always mean ‘sound good’

I audited a few amps

Burson conductor 3xp sounded good but not all the way there (but absolutely really good though!!) listened to it unbalanced

Burson conductor 3rx reference, balanced connected, amazing sounding!!

Violectric 380 version 2 with the new dac. Comparable quality wise to conductor reference, but a little bit more focussed to warmth and bass, not up to my taste.

Hifiman ef400, for the price amazing sounding. But missing dsd and only usb input was putting me off

Curious to the new hifiman ef600 which could be a game changer for the price range but no reviews yet, available in april.
What I read untill now the ef400 more to the warmth (in a good way) de ef600 more to reference specs, more focus on stage and air bringing the best out of a arya for example.

 

[TrumpOrMonkey]

I decided to upgrade to the Arya stealth from a Sundara with an iFi Zen DAC v2. This dac/amp won't put the Arya to justice so I also need a new dac and amp.
On this forum I read that the Arya doesn't pair well with certain dacs and amps, sounding too 'clinical' or too sharp on the high notes.
After some research, the SMSL SU-9 and Singxer SA-1 looked like a good combo. Would this be a good setup or are there better options for a similar price? (Budget €1300)
Thanks a lot and sorry for asking, I am new in this complicated ecosystem

I personally really like the Jotunheim 2 + Modius for Arya V2 (haven't tried stealth though). I had the SA-1 before (which I also paired with the Modius) and thought it was more detailed and had a wider stage than the Jotunheim, but it was less warm, a bit drier, and had much less body and was lacking in dynamics often sounding quite flat - personally an amp which can bring a bit of warmth, body and dynamics with enough power to the Arya V2 (I guess Arya Stealth too if I extrapolate a bit) gives a good synergy IMO but everyone's taste will be different.

 

[SRKRAM]

Complicated it is, expensive doesn’t always mean ‘sound good’

I audited a few amps

Burson conductor 3xp sounded good but not all the way there (but absolutely really good though!!) listened to it unbalanced

Burson conductor 3rx reference, balanced connected, amazing sounding!!

Violectric 380 version 2 with the new dac. Comparable quality wise to conductor reference, but a little bit more focussed to warmth and bass, not up to my taste.

Hifiman ef400, for the price amazing sounding. But missing dsd and only usb input was putting me off

Curious to the new hifiman ef600 which could be a game changer for the price range but no reviews yet, available in april.
What I read untill now the ef400 more to the warmth (in a good way) de ef600 more to reference specs, more focus on stage and air bringing the best out of a arya for example.

The Arya Stealth is pretty efficient, and sounds amazing with the Sony WM1AM2 plus a bit of its excellent system-wide eq - to my ears anyway.

 

[jjazzy]

The Arya Stealth is pretty efficient, and sounds amazing with the Sony WM1AM2 plus a bit of its excellent system-wide eq - to my ears anyway.

I agree, the Arya stealth is very efficient, I can run it from am ifi xdsd gryphon, sounding very wel.

But I also know how the Arya stealrh sounds from desktop dac/amps and there you see it starts to shine, which is a combination of power and just a better hardware based stage build around the dac. (Which is logical).

A Hifiman ef400 (cheaper than the xdsd gryphon) make it sound better. Tried it with a ifi Diablo powerwise blows the ef400 to pieces, it looses.

So efficient yes, but if you want it to shine a desktop amp absolutely wins.
But that is a choice, I can fully understand the choice DAP.

I chose both, portable and desktop
Dac/Amp (wasn’t planning to, but heared what a decent desktop combination sounds like)

 

[SmashedITR]

Any try the Arya Stealth on a JDS Element 3?

 

[jjazzy]

Any try the Arya Stealth on a JDS Element 3?

No, only thing I know it is a good device for the money.

 

[OCC7N]

I wont recommend anything under the power of SE port of Chord TT2. AryaV2 is no joke next to Susvara. It needs power.

and like @jjazzy says iFi Diablo might be enough, I can not remember exactly, but iFi Diablo did a very good job, it also beat RME ADI2 FS in my experience.

But do run it balanced into the Diablo. This DAC is no joke either.


____

Still Chord TT2 is the best pairing for me, it pushes life into the mids of AryaV2. On RME Arya felt too lose. On Diablo it was more fun, but some recessed frequencies were there not as clear highs as RME though, but I would pick it again over the RME

 

[kRed]

I can confirm that even the V3 benefits from a decent quality power.

In general I feel like the sound is more defined and more lively, in particular the bass slam suffers a lot from underpowered source.

I really like them on the FiiO k9 and the Lake People G111.

 

[user404]

I can confirm that even the V3 benefits from a decent quality power.

In general I feel like the sound is more defined and more lively, in particular the bass slam suffers a lot from underpowered source.

I really like them on the FiiO k9 and the Lake People G111.

How does the K9 compare to the EF400? If the K9 is better, do you believe it’s worth the price difference?

Thanks!

 

[kRed]

How does the K9 compare to the EF400? If the K9 is better, do you believe it’s worth the price difference?

Thanks!

They are pretty different in almost every aspect. I think the K9, while having some software and support issues, is vastly superior in build, ergonomics, features and probably have a slight edge in overall details.

They sound different: the FiiO is more clinical and forward in the highs while presenting the sound in a more even and full “wall of sound” way.
I would definitely pick the FiiO if I had to choose one, but the ef400 with an external amp (it is unusable without applying a negative preamp in the source) can be even better if you like a more “organic” and less detailed sound.
The difference is striking on very busy heavy track, where on the FiiO you can hear everything on the same level, the ef400 (as an aio, not in dac mode) falls behind.

 

[jjazzy]

I can confirm that even the V3 benefits from a decent quality power.

In general I feel like the sound is more defined and more lively, in particular the bass slam suffers a lot from underpowered source.

I really like them on the FiiO k9 and the Lake People G111.

It depends, what some say you need many watts of amp to let it sing that’s not true. The xdsd gryphon with 1000mw make it sound really nice without to much bass.

The violectric v380 has way more power but makes the bass to annoying level to me, even making me stop listening to a planar altogether.

So I would say, benefit a good source, not only power

 

[jjazzy]

They are pretty different in almost every aspect. I think the K9, while having some software and support issues, is vastly superior in build, ergonomics, features and probably have a slight edge in overall details.

They sound different: the FiiO is more clinical and forward in the highs while presenting the sound in a more even and full “wall of sound” way.
I would definitely pick the FiiO if I had to choose one, but the ef400 with an external amp (it is unusable without applying a negative preamp in the source) can be even better if you like a more “organic” and less detailed sound.
The difference is striking on very busy heavy track, where on the FiiO you can hear everything on the same level, the ef400 (as an aio, not in dac mode) falls behind.

I so disagree, but with hifi that is subjective altogether. The ef400 not flawless but certeanly not missing details. It is very detailled but more natural sounding. De k9, gave me fatique, after a while it start to annoy me. Which I don’t have with a violectric v380, burson conductor 3rx reference, or several r2r dacs.
And I don’t even like violectric, too much focus on bass.

 

[tradyblix]

You totally missed what I said and what I meant. To wit: When they're brand new out of the box, the Stealth has a small-ish stage - but after they've played in/burned in for a while (~75 hours of pink noise or bass-heavy music) their stage expands significantly to be virtually the same size as the V2's - but with better timbre, sharper imaging, and more apparent layering out of the box. Both are still an Arya and both still have large stages.....

Yeah they had a kind of metallic sound right away that went away quickly within the first 10 hours.

 

[tradyblix]

Here's an affordable option. I personally don't believe expensive cables make a sound difference though.

They make a difference, there's no question. Are they worth the money expensive boutique cable manufacturers charge ? Probably not. But if you're in the hobby it's the last thing you spend money on when you can't go anywhere else (or don't want to)

 

[Ficcion2]

They make a difference, there's no question. Are they worth the money expensive boutique cable manufacturers charge ? Probably not. But if you're in the hobby it's the last thing you spend money on when you can't go anywhere else (or don't want to)

I never noticed a difference with the JPS XLRs or RCAs. The Super Conductor on my Diana made no difference or the expensive Audioquest power cables either.

Regular Mogami or Canare wire get the job done for me. That money is better spent on nicer transducers or amps IMO.

Gotta say DHC, Norne, Forza etc make some damn sexy cables though.