HIFIMAN Arya - Arya Stealth - Arya Organic :: Impressions Thread
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Marlowe
500+ Head-Fier
I'm planning to get an LCD-X this spring for that very reason (I'm retired on a fixed income so need a few months to save up after splurging my savings on a Denafrips 12th-1 and an Aune S17 Pro late least year). I love the Arya Stealth with my only niggles being lack of bass quantity (quality is terrific) and slam. I figure the LCD-X is the best complement to the Arya Stealth for those areas under $2K (including the newer Audeze MM-500).
jsk ksj
1000+ Head-Fier
I'm also retired, so try to keep the costs down by buying used equipment & having a strict rule: If it's not being used...sell it!
I tend to use headphones based on what I'm listening to:
jazz : hd800s
bass heavy music, rap, hip hop : lcd-x
most anything else : arya.
house to myself : speaker system
Given that 90% of the time I am listening to jazz, the hd800s come in for the heaviest use.
MrHaelscheir
100+ Head-Fier
EQing the bass up is one thing, but how about EQing the "ear gain" region down?
The LCD-X has an upper midrange and lower treble relaxation compared to the Arya which may or may not influence the chosen listening volume levels. Also, how well is the Arya sealing around your head? That can influence sub-bass extension. And do you think your amp is driving your Arya loud enough when applying these EQs? In regard to "slam", is it that you are getting the bass quantity, but don't feel the transient impact or tactility? If you are currently using an unbalanced cable, switching to a balanced one if your amp has a balanced output may help extract more power from your amp.
As for pad recommendations, per https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hif...ressions-thread.890421/page-758#post-17866658 (post #11,361), the Dekoni pads will mainly differ in their upper midrange characteristics with no significant increases in bass. The Elite Sheepskin pads extend the deepest into the infrasonics, but technically with the result of having less sub-bass relative to the other pads, and the increase in upper midrange might work against simulating the LCD-X sound. Maybe the LCD-X's smaller pad aperture (like with Focals) if not simply the feel of leather against the face and said seal (like with the Meze Elite), and its having a higher sensitivity influences the perception of bass transients even though I already find the Arya to be among the most incisive headphones I know, albeit when driven by the FiiO K9 Pro ESS on the balanced connection.
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Marlowe
500+ Head-Fier
I just don't buy anything used. Ever. When I drove , I never even bought a used car. Probably a character flaw, but there it is. (OK, I bought an AR turntable from a friend in college a little over fifty years ago and that's the only exception I remember. BTW, I remember the AR fondly, though I don't recall what happened to it. The AR was completely manual and a genuine classic. I haven't kept up with turntables for decades, do they still produce it or a true descendant?)
I don't sell anything either, but not for the same reason but because I'm congenitally lazy. That's definitely a character flaw. Plus, I'm not really sure how you go about dealing securely with strangers. I have at least three or four amps just sitting in the closet and a bunch of headphones that I never or rarely use, including the Focal Elex and ZMF Aeolus--just those two would probably get me at least very close to a new LCD-X.
I'm genuinely confused about the concept of seal with a headphone like the Arya (or any really open back headphone for that matter). Now, I understand the importance of seal with IEMs or closed back headphones (though I don't have any of the latter ATM; I'm retired and live alone so don't see the need). But given that the Arya is so ridiculously open, is seal really an issue?
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Na, I think your spinning your wheels; X doesn't have any more bass quantity then the Arya Stealth, IMHO. In fact, the opposite.
jsk ksj
1000+ Head-Fier
Agree regarding seal. Not an issue with open back headphones as far as I know. With my hd800s, there are finger sized gaps where the pads don't touch my head. Zero effect on sound.
MrHaelscheir
100+ Head-Fier
Whether open or closed back, the seal of the pads and hence the containment of air pressure affects the sub-bass extension and the bass resonance. Any breakage of seal or intentional porting/venting will cause the headphone's bass response to approach something like the below:
(Funny enough, when pulling this off of Google, I didn't even realize it was for the HE1000 V2 which uses the same (or general size and shape of) pads, so this graph is totally relevant.)
The sub-bass to lower bass will start to rise toward a resonance, below which a greater roll-off in bass will be perceived. In moderation, some seal breakage can actually increase the sub-bass from 20 Hz up to a point, but at the cost of infrasonics which some folks might at least be able to feel. With enough of a seal breakage, the sub-bass itself will start to be rolled off, nullifying attempts to EQ it up.
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Lightspeed12
500+ Head-Fier
I tend to agree with you i have the arya stealth & the LCD-X & find them similar in bass.Na, I think your spinning your wheels; X doesn't have any more bass quantity then the Arya Stealth, IMHO. In fact, the opposite.
How do you find the soundstage comparison?
I think you're right the sealing-factor can influence sub-bass extension. The Arya Stealth definitely seal around the ears stronger than lets say the dt990 for example, but it doesn't seal anywhere as strong as the lcd-x. It's been a while since I had the lcd-x but I'd say the clamp force of them is like 2-3 times stronger than that of the arya stealth. (Which comes with the downside that it leads to comfort issues during long sessions though.)EQing the bass up is one thing, but how about EQing the "ear gain" region down?
The LCD-X has an upper midrange and lower treble relaxation compared to the Arya which may or may not influence the chosen listening volume levels. Also, how well is the Arya sealing around your head? That can influence sub-bass extension. And do you think your amp is driving your Arya loud enough when applying these EQs? In regard to "slam", is it that you are getting the bass quantity, but don't feel the transient impact or tactility? If you are currently using an unbalanced cable, switching to a balanced one if your amp has a balanced output may help extract more power from your amp.
As for pad recommendations, per https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hif...ressions-thread.890421/page-758#post-17866658 (post #11,361), the Dekoni pads will mainly differ in their upper midrange characteristics with no significant increases in bass. The Elite Sheepskin pads extend the deepest into the infrasonics, but technically with the result of having less sub-bass relative to the other pads, and the increase in upper midrange might work against simulating the LCD-X sound. Maybe the LCD-X's smaller pad aperture (like with Focals) if not simply the feel of leather against the face and said seal (like with the Meze Elite), and its having a higher sensitivity influences the perception of bass transients even though I already find the Arya to be among the most incisive headphones I know, albeit when driven by the FiiO K9 Pro ESS on the balanced connection.
I've never heard about balanced cables being able to extract more power from amps. That's interesting. My Magni Heresy doesn't have an unbalanced output but I plan to upgrade my amp some time anyways. Might gonna get one with balanced output. But I probably won't be able to resist getting an RME ADI2 haha.
Balanced cables do not draw more power from the amplifier, they simply allow the amplifier, if balanced, to deliver its full power by allowing its two amplifier sections (direct and inverted) to be used, whereas the single ended output (and cable) only uses one of its two amplifier sections.
jsk ksj
1000+ Head-Fier
The only comfort issue with the lcd x, for me, is that those cushy pads can lead to warm ears in the summer
Clamp is fine for me, as those comfy pads are super squashable & whilst they are heavy, I hardly notice due to the superb weight distribution.
Probably the most comfy headphones I have ever tried.
Conversely, I find the hd800s weird! I find myself adjusting them too often.
The aryas are comfy, but the teardrop shape does press on my jaw somewhat.
arya organics are amazing. better than expected
