[szore]

Fair enough. I haven’t heard any of the Fostex lineup so I can’t speak on that but for me the Arya is just on the cusp for stock tonality being too bright. The Arya tows that line extremely well and I think it’s one of the nicest bright leaning stock tunings out of the HiFiMan lineup. With no EQ I think the current lineup from warmest to brightest looks like this:

HE1000V2
Susvara
Arya Stealth
HE1000V3 Stealth
HE1000 SE

Just lurking...I got the Arya stealth 3 weeks ago and it was brightish out of the box but I now have 190 hours on it burn in (or brain burn?) the Arya treble is smoother... It is a brightish headphone tho no doubt. But after the LCD X's darkness, it is a nice contrast.

 

[grumpy213]

I'm searching for a headphone for pc gaming and music, just saw your review about arya organic, you wrote that arya organic is insane for gaming, I'm thinking about buying it, could you please give me some more feedback about organic for gaming?

Thankyou.

It’s further in the review when he goes into soundstage.
Basically the soundstage is in between the Arya OG and the SE and he praises the imaging capabilities of the Organic as being great, better than LCD-Xs

 

[rev92]

I'm searching for a headphone for pc gaming and music, just saw your review about arya organic, you wrote that arya organic is insane for gaming, I'm thinking about buying it, could you please give me some more feedback about organic for gaming?

Thankyou.

Dunno what else I can say honestly - great all-day comfort, superb imaging i gaming, highly recommended mate

 

[XERO1]

Updated OP with Arya Stealth price drop to $999!

 

[XERO1]

 

[bagwell359]

Susvara isn't bright at all and is arguably the world's most resolving headphone. Same pattern for all of the following:

Final Audio D8000Pro
Audeze LCD4
Audeze LCD5
ZMF Caldera
Abyss Diana V2

I can go on but to be honest I can't think of too many top performers that are considered bright. You might love the HE1000SE if you're into EQ. Just needs the treble subdued and it's a solid headphone.

One can obtain a Susvara NIB sometimes for $3800. The OG HEK v2 at $1300 at 96.5% of the quality is for me the winner when budgets matter, but you want something in/near that exalted class of your list. Susvara is exceptional, although those that want the bass impact/hammer might opt in another direction. If we include non planars for resolution, than I'd vote the DCA Voce and Rall CA-1a (with the filter) as more so.

 

[Kevintj604]

One can obtain a Susvara NIB sometimes for $3800. The OG HEX v2 at $1300 at 96.5% of the quality is for me the winner when budgets matter, but you want something in/near that exalted class of your list. Susvara is exceptional, although those that want the bass impact/hammer might opt in another direction. If we include non planars for resolution, then I'd vote the DCA Voce and Rall CA-1a (with the filter) as more so.

Thanks for the reply @bagwell359. I was originally replying to @tradyblix with my response. It seems like him and I have an extreme difference in how we communicate and I’m not interested in replying to someone like that.

In response to you I’m surprised to hear the HEXV2 is comparable to Susvara but I’ve never heard the HEXV2 so maybe I’ll have to add it to my list. I’m a hard out with Susvara ownership. The money aside it needs at least a comparable amount of money in source equipment to properly drive them and I’m not willing to spend that kind of money on a single headphone experience.

I’d be interested to see how the HEXV2 compares to the Arya Stealth or Arya Organic.

 

[bagwell359]

Thanks for the reply @bagwell359. I was originally replying to @tradyblix with my response. It seems like him and I have an extreme difference in how we communicate and I’m not interested in replying to someone like that.

In response to you I’m surprised to hear the HEXV2 is comparable to Susvara but I’ve never heard the HEXV2 so maybe I’ll have to add it to my list.

No HEK v2, not HEX v2, my typo. The HEX v2 which I've owned for 4 years is in my own system seldom heard in favor of the HE-6 SE, HE-500, and HD-600 on a BCHs.

I’m a hard out with Susvara ownership. The money aside it needs at least a comparable amount of money in source equipment to properly drive them and I’m not willing to spend that kind of money on a single headphone experience.

I’d be interested to see how the HEXV2 compares to the Arya Stealth or Arya Organic.

Yeah, I'm retired, so at most I can see one more at $2500, and the #1 for me at that price, and well above is the Rall CA-1a w/ the adapter and filter.

Reports on the Organic don't sound promising. The HEK v2 currently on final closeout at $1300 is the one that's near Susvara's class, the Arya Stealth is roughly (in different ways) about equal to me to my modded/EQ'd HE-6 SE.

 

[Kevintj604]

No HEK v2, not HEX v2, my typo. The HEX v2 which I've owned for 4 years is in my own system seldom heard in favor of the HE-6 SE, HE-500, and HD-600 on a BCHs.


Yeah, I'm retired, so at most I can see one more at $2500, and the #1 for me at that price, and well above is the Rall CA-1a w/ the adapter and filter.

Reports on the Organic don't sound promising. The HEK v2 currently on final closeout at $1300 is the one that's near Susvara's class, the Arya Stealth is roughly (in different ways) about equal to me to my modded/EQ'd HE-6 SE.

Ah. That makes more sense. I haven't heard the Edition X V2 but i've seen a few reviews of it and by all accounts it seems like a warmer but less technical version of something like the Ananda or Ananda Stealth.

In my testing of the HE1000V2, HE1000SE & Susvara the Susvara was the most technical with the HE1000SE being about 80% of the way there but a lot brighter and more aggressive. The HE1000V2 had the warmth that the Susvara had but probably 70% of it's technicalities. I don't like putting a number of percentage like that but that's the best I could describe what I heard.

I agree that for the current price and limited number of HE1000V2 non-stealth units still available to buy from HiFiMan it's one of the best value's in the hobby right now. For my preferences it's an end game headphone and one of the best HiFiMan has ever made. I'd personally avoid the HE1000V2 Stealth as it eliminates all the positive factors that the HE1000V2 has. It's a lot brighter with much less soundstage.

I think the Arya Stealth is reasonably close to the technical abilities of the HE1000V2 but considerably less warm and has much less soundstage depth and width. I think that's an unfortunate side effect of the stealth magnets. Basically the Stealth Magnet technology is adding more 12K and taking away a lot of the stage.

I haven't seen enough data on the Arya Organic for me to be excited enough to pull the trigger on one yet. I'm surprised HiFiMan didn't send out demo or review units.

 

[bagwell359]

Ah. That makes more sense. I haven't heard the Edition X V2 but i've seen a few reviews of it and by all accounts it seems like a warmer but less technical version of something like the Ananda or Ananda Stealth.

Less technical? No. Less bright yes.

In my testing of the HE1000V2, HE1000SE & Susvara the Susvara was the most technical with the HE1000SE being about 80% of the way there but a lot brighter and more aggressive. The HE1000V2 had the warmth that the Susvara had but probably 70% of it's technicalities. I don't like putting a number of percentage like that but that's the best I could describe what I heard.

70% of a Susvara is between a Sundara and a Ananda IMO.

I agree that for the current price and limited number of HE1000V2 non-stealth units still available to buy from HiFiMan it's one of the best value's in the hobby right now. For my preferences it's an end game headphone and one of the best HiFiMan has ever made. I'd personally avoid the HE1000V2 Stealth as it eliminates all the positive factors that the HE1000V2 has. It's a lot brighter with much less soundstage.

Can’t disagree with that.

I think the Arya Stealth is reasonably close to the technical abilities of the HE1000V2 but considerably less warm and has much less soundstage depth and width. I think that's an unfortunate side effect of the stealth magnets. Basically the Stealth Magnet technology is adding more 12K and taking away a lot of the stage.

I haven't seen enough data on the Arya Organic for me to be excited enough to pull the trigger on one yet. I'm surprised HiFiMan didn't send out demo or review units.

You know your mind, demo some more and u should be set to go.

 

[MixMasterMan]

I’m not criticizing those who chose to EQ their headphones. I personally would rather listen to headphones that match my preferences so I can do more of what the headphones are supposed to do. Provide an escape through the listening experience to enhance my life through music.

I’m sure you make a lot of points that work for you and I’d love it if I had the time, energy and focus enough to buy measurement equipment and EQ software to dial in headphones that require it. But to be totally honest I’ve owned over 30 full size headphones in the past five years and have had countless amazing experiences with headphones that sound incredible stock.

For my use case and preferences I’ll just keep on building a collection of equipment that matches what I’m looking for and discard the rest.

I don't EQ headphones. I EQ the audio/music. No amount of EQ is going to change the "stock" sound of a headphone. It's going to sound the way it's going to sound. That's why we buy different headphones. Because they each have their own sound - As well, I don't use measuring equipment. I use my ears. When it sounds the way I want it to sound, I stop tweaking. - If it suits you or anyone else to keep purchasing different equipment to achieve what can be done with any software or hardware EQ, then have at. Spend that money. - I would have spent tens of thousands of dollars more in audio equipment chasing the sound I like, if I didn't have the ability to EQ the audio/music. If you know what you are looking for in terms of frequency response, you should EQ your favorite test songs the way you like them to sound on any given headphone, and compare (going for that particular sonic profile). You may or will have to adjust the EQ for each headphone, but you are still going for the ultimate goal: What YOU like. - This is what I do, and it makes it easy to tell which headphones I like or don't like, and for what reasons.

 

[andjar]

EQ-ing has never been as spectacular,as efficient as it is today...on the amazing headphones and IEMs we have today. It's also because of the fantastic HP DAC-amps we have today. What was available 10 years ago feels like the stone age of head-fi technology... especially in the budget range.

EQ-ing some cheap headphones really is like beating a dead horse.
But there are 40$ IEM's out there that can be made to sound like a 200$ one using a 5 band eq and like a 1000$ headphone using a 10 band eq .

 

[Lightspeed12]

EQ-ing has never been as spectacular,as efficient as it is today...on the amazing headphones and IEMs we have today. It's also because of the fantastic HP DAC-amps we have today. What was available 10 years ago feels like the stone age of head-fi technology... especially in the budget range.

EQ-ing some cheap headphones really is like beating a dead horse.
But there are 40$ IEM's out there that can be made to sound like a 200$ one using a 5 band eq and like a 1000$ headphone using a 10 band eq .

What are the best EQ. To use to achieve this ?

 

[tradyblix]

EQ-ing has never been as spectacular,as efficient as it is today...on the amazing headphones and IEMs we have today. It's also because of the fantastic HP DAC-amps we have today. What was available 10 years ago feels like the stone age of head-fi technology... especially in the budget range.

EQ-ing some cheap headphones really is like beating a dead horse.
But there are 40$ IEM's out there that can be made to sound like a 200$ one using a 5 band eq and like a 1000$ headphone using a 10 band eq .

Someone needs to build an AI EQ tho. I guess that's what things like Sony ClearVoice are.

Now, I know people and I know they will say things like: "Turn that off, that ruins everything, it sounds like crap" But I think there are really a lot of applications for dynamically tuning to a headphone type based on the music "tract" as sony says. lol

 

[rlanger]

For EQ it's Mojo2 for me. Most transparent implementation of EQ I've heard. Unfortunately, it's only 4-band. But when the Hugo3 comes out with 10-band, I'll be all over that thing (here's hoping)!

I really liked the features and customizability of Peace/APO, but was always bothered by the impact I heard on overall transparency. So, for me, the tradeoff with Mojo2 is more than worth it.