[yeboyi]

I've been reading/watching reviews left and right about HE1000 stealth. It looks very positive. Gist of all the reviews seems to be soundstage width and improved dynamics alongside of technical capabilities like detail and realism.

Only weakness of Arya Stealth in my opinion is the tight soundstage space and lack of lateral depth, width. It's like a ball of sound in front without distinct right and left. It was immediately noticeable to me comparing it to Edition XS.

HE1000 V2 for example seems to have big soundstage but it lacks the dynamics and energy of Arya Stealth. This is the picture i've got from the reviews. Now looks like HE1000 Stealth combine goodies of HEK v2 and Arya Stealth.

My own personal experience with egg shape Hifimans (XS, Ananda (non stealth), Arya Stealth) is:

XS: Widest soundstage, weakest technicalities
Ananda: Small but holographic/floaty soundstage lacking width just like Arya Stealth. Lacks dynamics and energy clearly. Soft.
Arya Stealth: Precise and tight. More similar to Ananda in terms of soundstage but less floaty/ethereal, more physical.

Did anyone send their Arya back and upgrade to HE1000 stealth here ? How much they are asking ?

 

[Nickapalooza86]

I've been reading/watching reviews left and right about HE1000 stealth. It looks very positive. Gist of all the reviews seems to be soundstage width and improved dynamics alongside of technical capabilities like detail and realism.

Only weakness of Arya Stealth in my opinion is the tight soundstage space and lack of lateral depth, width. It's like a ball of sound in front without distinct right and left. It was immediately noticeable to me comparing it to Edition XS.

HE1000 V2 for example seems to have big soundstage but it lacks the dynamics and energy of Arya Stealth. This is the picture i've got from the reviews. Now looks like HE1000 Stealth combine goodies of HEK v2 and Arya Stealth.

My own personal experience with egg shape Hifimans (XS, Ananda (non stealth), Arya Stealth) is:

XS: Widest soundstage, weakest technicalities
Ananda: Small but holographic/floaty soundstage lacking width just like Arya Stealth. Lacks dynamics and energy clearly. Soft.
Arya Stealth: Precise and tight. More similar to Ananda in terms of soundstage but less floaty/ethereal, more physical.

Did anyone send their Arya back and upgrade to HE1000 stealth here ? How much they are asking ?

I have the Ananda Stealth and find the soundstage to be very good both vertically and horizontally. I also tried the XS and did not care for it at all, way to dry and in musical to me but the soundstage was no bigger than the Ananda Stealth to me at least.

 

[Lightspeed12]

I've been reading/watching reviews left and right about HE1000 stealth. It looks very positive. Gist of all the reviews seems to be soundstage width and improved dynamics alongside of technical capabilities like detail and realism.

Only weakness of Arya Stealth in my opinion is the tight soundstage space and lack of lateral depth, width. It's like a ball of sound in front without distinct right and left. It was immediately noticeable to me comparing it to Edition XS.

HE1000 V2 for example seems to have big soundstage but it lacks the dynamics and energy of Arya Stealth. This is the picture i've got from the reviews. Now looks like HE1000 Stealth combine goodies of HEK v2 and Arya Stealth.

My own personal experience with egg shape Hifimans (XS, Ananda (non stealth), Arya Stealth) is:

XS: Widest soundstage, weakest technicalities
Ananda: Small but holographic/floaty soundstage lacking width just like Arya Stealth. Lacks dynamics and energy clearly. Soft.
Arya Stealth: Precise and tight. More similar to Ananda in terms of soundstage but less floaty/ethereal, more physical.

Did anyone send their Arya back and upgrade to HE1000 stealth here ? How much they are asking ?

Most of the reviews I have watched & read prefer the he1000v2 or he1000 over the stealth. I got the he1000v2 after reading them because of the lighter treble. I also have the ananda stealth which I like just as much.
I am going to purchase the hifiman ef600 dac/amp & possibly the ef400 aswell as I have heard great replies about them complimenting the hifiman headphones.

 

[iFi audio]

HE1000 V2 for example seems to have big soundstage but it lacks the dynamics and energy of Arya Stealth.

To an extent I agree with you about HE1000V2. Although I don't think that these cans lack energy per se, to my ears their focus is on imaging size, tone and meat, which may steal some thunder from traits such as dynamics and quickness, I think.

 

[Slim1970]

To an extent I agree with you about HE1000V2. Although I don't think that these cans lack energy per se, to my ears their focus is on imaging size, tone and meat, which may steal some thunder from traits such as dynamics and quickness, I think.

This is why some like myself prefer the HE1000v2’s. They may not be the most technical headphones out there, but boy do they put you into the music.

 

[tradyblix]

hi. did anyone here compare the Arya to the LCD2 rev2 pre-fazor? Tks

I have had both headphones (I still have the Arya, I had a 2013 non-fazor 2.3 Rosewood LCD 2). The Arya is a superior headphone in all respects. It images better, has far better resolution, and it has a more coherent soundstage. And it's more comfortable and less weight. And it's easier to drive. It doesn't have the actual wood (that you must keep oiled in case it cracks) that the LCD2 did tho. Or come with a case.

LCD2 was a nice headphone for it's time, and it's got a nice, rich liquid bass sound that you won't get on the Arya (Empyrean is the only thing I've heard with that type of sound lately) but yeah it's time has come and gone, and a lot of headphones came out since 2013 that are better, especially as I think I paid 700 for mine which was "cheap" at the time.

LCD2 was actually my first planar and I used it for a while until I sold my original collection in order to buy a Focal Utopia. (that since died, but I got a lot of years out of it)

 

[WhenKittensATK]

I ordered Arya Organic, Arya V2, and Edition XS to demo from Hifiman store. After a few hours of listening, here are my first impressions.

My Neutral/Bright Sound Preference: Arya V2 (cleaner more open than Edition XS) > Edition XS (deep bass / fun / intimate) > Arya Organics (not a fan, feels like too much is going on / congested)

Build quality: Aryas > Edition XS (they feel extremely cheap / lightweight).

Comfort: Edition XS (relaxed, no clamp force) > Aryas. Aryas are putting slight clamping pressure above my ears (temple)

Testing Equipment: Monoprice THX AAA DAC/AMP (standalone) and output to Topping A90D.

Conclusion: I think I'm going to keep the Arya V2 and Edition XS. They are different enough. If I could only have one, then Edition XS. My current main headphones are Focal Elex.

Edit: I'll update again once I've had more time. This was only the first day of listening.

One week later. None of these headphones sound like day one impressions except for Arya v2.

Edition XS: These headphones don't seem as fun as they were on day one. Bass is still deep. However overall sound feels mellowed out compared to day one.

Arya v2: Sound the same

Arya Organics: These changed for the better. They are similar to the Arya v2 but much more efficient with deeper bass. To get a similar sound on the Arya v2 I would have to turn up the volume beyond friendly levels. So if you were looking for a mix of Edition XS and Arya, then maybe the Organics are for you.

Conclusion: After comparing these with my existing Focal Elex and Sennheiser HD6XX, I really only like them for the difference in bass but other than that I still prefer the Elex for everything else. Considering returning all the Hifimans and this new Topping D30Pro + A90D stack. I may look into the Focal Clear if these Elex ever break. I've reached the point in my audio adventure where, yeah they sound good but they aren't life changing the higher you go up.

 

[tradyblix]

The initial impression when testing a new headphone is almost always wrong. You def need a few days on them.

I mean you generally know with headphones if you like them or not if you continue to be amazed by them on each listening session.

I've reached the point in my audio adventure where, yeah they sound good but they aren't life changing the higher you go up.

Congrats you reached the first sign of Audiophile madness. Convincing yourself you're done. lol.

 

[yeboyi]

I have the Ananda Stealth and find the soundstage to be very good both vertically and horizontally. I also tried the XS and did not care for it at all, way to dry and in musical to me but the soundstage was no bigger than the Ananda Stealth to me at least.

Yeah i think the soundstage is personal. We all focus on different things when we listen which shapes our perception of the sound. Not just that, even the fit and comfort affects it. A tight fit can feel claustrophobic, light fit can feel open and airy. XS fit was very light for example. Ananda doesn't have swivel and it's a tight fit on my head.

Most of the reviews I have watched & read prefer the he1000v2 or he1000 over the stealth. I got the he1000v2 after reading them because of the lighter treble. I also have the ananda stealth which I like just as much.
I am going to purchase the hifiman ef600 dac/amp & possibly the ef400 aswell as I have heard great replies about them complimenting the hifiman headphones.

Man i really wanna try ef600 and ef400 but economy is so bad in my country that makes these items extremely expensive. I have the Zen Can and it's good enough i guess. What traits caught your attention in v2/stealth comparisons ? From my reading, people say they are different and they don't have strong preference towards one. V2 seems to have bigger soundstage and lighter sound. Stealth is more energetic and dynamic one at the cost of soundstage. That's the gist i got.

To an extent I agree with you about HE1000V2. Although I don't think that these cans lack energy per se, to my ears their focus is on imaging size, tone and meat, which may steal some thunder from traits such as dynamics and quickness, I think.

I haven't heard them personally. I can't audition headphones where i live. I've used couple of egg shape headphones and yeah i agree with you. But still they sit at different place in the scale. Arya Stealth is quite energetic and fairly dynamic for an eggshape Hifiman. Ananda noticeably less energetic and more calm flavor with less dynamics.

The initial impression when testing a new headphone is almost always wrong. You def need a few days on them.

I mean you generally know with headphones if you like them or not if you continue to be amazed by them on each listening session.



Congrats you reached the first sign of Audiophile madness. Convincing yourself you're done. lol.

In my experience, i found that my initial impression is the most valuable one because it gives me the best contrast relative to other headphones i heard. Initial impression tells me what this headphone is about. Then with adaptation, ''burn in time'' i see if i personally like it or not.

 

[Jawbone]

I had the Abyss 1266 for a short while, a great headphone on a small number of tracks and basically breaks too many rules to try and get the manufacturers desired sound imo (breaking ear-cup seals and balancing the thing on your head from a wall bracket and a headband secured by rubber bands). Unbelievable detail, so much that it would rip many tracks apart from poor editing. Sound stage was immersive but I found myself trawling through tracks trying to find songs with the ingredients to deliver the soundstage otherwise the song would sound a bit flat.

Swapped out for the Arya Stealth a little over a week ago and have a solid 30+ hours on them now. Great headphone, an all genre easy listener. Smooth, neutral, everyday headphone. Enough detail that you pickup the best of the songs but it doesn't rip the edit to bits. Makes most of the songs in my playlists a delight to listen to. If I had to moan about something it would be the clamping force of the ear-cups infront of the ears, although it's not a deal breaker.

I can't comment on comparisons with other Hifiman headphones as these are the first I've listened to. But they are keepers!

 

[uktrobinson]

Hi, I hope it is okay to post here. I am currently a IEM user but due to ongoing comfort/fatigue issues (ear pressure?), I am thinking of switching to open backs. I own some moondrop variations and I do love their detail and bass. I listen to a wide variety of genres, but mostly psybient/psytrance and metal. I was thinking about stretching the boat out and buying in to either the Arya or maybe Focal clear. Is anyone experienced with both IEMs and these headphones? What could I expect in terms of sound quality/experience going from a mid priced IEM to a considerably more expensive headphone - no doubt i would also need something 'proper' to drive it too.

 

[Nickapalooza86]

Hi, I hope it is okay to post here. I am currently a IEM user but due to ongoing comfort/fatigue issues (ear pressure?), I am thinking of switching to open backs. I own some moondrop variations and I do love their detail and bass. I listen to a wide variety of genres, but mostly psybient/psytrance and metal. I was thinking about stretching the boat out and buying in to either the Arya or maybe Focal clear. Is anyone experienced with both IEMs and these headphones? What could I expect in terms of sound quality/experience going from a mid priced IEM to a considerably more expensive headphone - no doubt i would also need something 'proper' to drive it too.

I only have the Moondrop Aria for a IEM but going from something like that to any of the egg shaped Hifiman headphones is a huge leap in audio quality, soundstage and detail.

 

[DarginMahkum]

I am between the Arya Organic and the HE1000v2 (the original). I like the tuning of HEKv2 but didn't try the organic yet. Is the organic close to the HEKv2 in tuning? Thanks.

I am also looking for the Organic measurements.

 

[ma151]

Hi, I hope it is okay to post here. I am currently a IEM user but due to ongoing comfort/fatigue issues (ear pressure?), I am thinking of switching to open backs. I own some moondrop variations and I do love their detail and bass. I listen to a wide variety of genres, but mostly psybient/psytrance and metal. I was thinking about stretching the boat out and buying in to either the Arya or maybe Focal clear. Is anyone experienced with both IEMs and these headphones? What could I expect in terms of sound quality/experience going from a mid priced IEM to a considerably more expensive headphone - no doubt i would also need something 'proper' to drive it too.

I had a Variations and the difference (to my ears) is huge. The Arya Stealth is much better (across the board, better details, much better soundstage, midbass and mids. Some might find the treble a bit too much, but you can always EQ or just get the Arya Organic instead, which seems to improve on this matter and seems to have a slight bigger soundstage (don't quote me on that, haven't heard the Organic)), that is to be expected having double the cost, but to me it is totally worth it, I run the Stealth on a fairly modest configuration on a SMSL C200, and to me it already sounds pretty incredible. But ofc, if you have the money, go for a better amp/DAC, I myself bought a YULONG Aurora that's on my way now
There are many people here that can recommend a nice AMP and DAC for you, but I don't think you need to spend thousands of dollars to run the Arya Stealth (even less the Arya Organic@16ohm) "properly", or at the very least to sound really good and a nice upgrade from your Variations.

 

[uktrobinson]

I had a Variations and the difference (to my ears) is huge. The Arya Stealth is much better (across the board, better details, much better soundstage, midbass and mids. Some might find the treble a bit too much, but you can always EQ or just get the Arya Organic instead, which seems to improve on this matter and seems to have a slight bigger soundstage (don't quote me on that, haven't heard the Organic)), that is to be expected having double the cost, but to me it is totally worth it, I run the Stealth on a fairly modest configuration on a SMSL C200, and to me it already sounds pretty incredible. But ofc, if you have the money, go for a better amp/DAC, I myself bought a YULONG Aurora that's on my way now
There are many people here that can recommend a nice AMP and DAC for you, but I don't think you need to spend thousands of dollars to run the Arya Stealth (even less the Arya Organic@16ohm) "properly", or at the very least to sound really good and a nice upgrade from your Variations.

Thanks for the detailed reply - i look forward to it then! If i can find the money