[invisiblekid]

Sometimes I read posts and wonder why there is no dislike button

@ckhirnigs113 my friend, soon you'll have to consider retitling this thread - "drifting thoughts in the blowing breeze"

This thread is 177 pages with what, 20+ owners? For now there is nothing but wondering thoughts to go off.

 

[Menkau-ra]

I like Arya Organic, it's a great headphone. But saying that Arya is more technical and more resolving than Tungsten is not true. This review makes me feel that it's all about HFM sponsorship.

That being said, I still think the Tungsten are an excellent and outstanding headphone, specially for being Ryan's first try at a brand new headphone, I hope Ryan comes with a new version of these that are less demanding in their amp requirements in the near future at a similar price point and I think he's going to be able to dominate in this sector of this very niche market.

Less demanding Tungsten most likely would not be as popular. Right now Tungsten just like Susvara is a benchmark to test the most powerful amps. It's a game to find perfect matching chain and get Tungsten to its best potential.

 

[Melineous]

A lot of what he said in his review is in line with what I've said about Tungsten, but HEKSE > Tungsten? For me, that's the wild part. The overly boosted treble tuning of the HE1k series headphones just straight up sounds broken in comparison to Tungsten. I know some like that style tuning, but I've got 27yr old ears, and with Tungsten I get all the information without any harshness. No matter how close they are in technicalities I'd never recommend one of the eggs over Tungsten.

 

[up late]

I like Arya Organic, it's a great headphone. But saying that Arya is more technical and more resolving than Tungsten is not true. This review makes me feel that it's all about HFM sponsorship.

Less demanding Tungsten most likely would not be as popular. Right now Tungsten just like Susvara is a benchmark to test the most powerful amps. It's a game to find perfect matching chain and get Tungsten to its best potential.

i think that's a cheap remark to make about a diligent reviewer.

i also think that it's counter-intuitive to suggest that a less demanding tungsten would not be as popular - it would be more popular imo. the challenge of driving it adequately is an issue that Ryan himself acknowledges and is off-putting for some folks (myself included). clearly it's not for everyone. fortunately, there are more efficient alternatives for those of us who are interested in 'high-end' headphones but don't want to play that 'game'.

 

[Menkau-ra]

i think that's a cheap remark to make about a diligent reviewer.

He stated in the review that Arya is technically better than Tungsten. It’s not about preference or taste. Just technical performance.
Have you heard both of them side by side?

I’m not gonna argue more on that. I’m sure other people can comment on that too.

i also think that it's counter-intuitive to suggest that a less demanding tungsten would not be as popular - it would be more popular imo. the challenge of driving it adequately is an issue that Ryan himself acknowledges and is off-putting for some folks (myself included). clearly it's not for everyone. fortunately, there are more efficient alternatives for those of us who are interested in 'high-end' headphones but don't want to play that 'game'.

Easier to drive Tungsten would be an excellent headphone. But not a benchmark anymore. There would be no more reasons to put it on more advanced gear. No more chasing the best chain game.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Sometimes I read posts and wonder why there is no dislike button

@ckhirnigs113 my friend, soon you'll have to consider retitling this thread - "drifting thoughts in the blowing breeze"

Haha, this is pretty standard forum behavior. We can never stay on topic 100% of the time. I say it’s a win if a thread manages to remain on topic at least 75% of the time.

 

[up late]

He stated in the review that Arya is technically better than Tungsten. It’s not about preference or taste. Just technical performance.
Have you heard both of them side by side?

I’m not gonna argue more on that. I’m sure other people can comment on that too.

Easier to drive Tungsten would be an excellent headphone. But not a benchmark anymore. There would be no more reasons to put it on more advanced gear. No more chasing the best chain game.

his reviews are subjective and that is his opinion, which he is entitled to have as a reviewer just as you are as a consumer. agree or disagree with it but don't cast aspersions on him for having one. the guy seems sincere and well intentioned to me.
i've not heard either headphone and what if i had? what does my subjective opinion of these headphones have to do with his or yours? it's (ultimately) irrelevant.

yes, an easier to drive tungsten would still be an excellent headphone and most likely a more popular one. something that Ryan could do without at the minute no doubt. according to your logic, a benchmark headphone is defined by the ancillary gear that's connected to it. that's a belief that i don't hold but if this hobby is all about 'chasing the best chain game' to you, then by all means, go knock yourself out.

 

[dudeX]

I haven’t really heard the lesser Hifiman headphones at CanJam too much but I remember that they sound very different from the Susvara plus a bit more fun. But they’re not Tungsten DS quality.

As an owner of a Susvara and a Tungsten I find the differences in technicalities very slight. I still AB songs every now and then with my phones and whenever Susvara sounds better I never had the experience that Tungsten is slower, less
resolving, it’s just a different presentation that has different layers emphasized. Sometimes Susvara’s presentation is more cohesive like all the instruments sound good together rather than the separation of space that Tungsten can present that while still clean, in a direct AB can feel disjointed. Maybe it’s a FR thing or an issue with the ear pads. But if I didn’t have a Susvara, I am still hearing something amazing.

 

[betula]

He stated in the review that Arya is technically better than Tungsten. It’s not about preference or taste. Just technical performance.
Have you heard both of them side by side?

I’m not gonna argue more on that. I’m sure other people can comment on that too.

Easier to drive Tungsten would be an excellent headphone. But not a benchmark anymore. There would be no more reasons to put it on more advanced gear. No more chasing the best chain game.

I have heard both the Organic and the DS Tungsten, but not side by side, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt if you like. Despite I am not a fan of the egg-shaped HiFiMan sound, I have to admit that they represent good value on the market after HiFiMan's big price cut. Objectively they sound good, just my subjective preference is different. I also think that the Organic is the best tuned Arya by far.
That said, I also disagree that the Arya is more technical than the Tungsten, even after those brief auditions. The Organic is great and detailed for the money, but a lot of that comes from a brighter and almost 'harsher' treble. It is not harsh in general, but in comparison it is. The Tungsten to me was not missing out on details/speed and other technicalities, just sounded more natural, had more naturally smooth edges.

On your other point I slightly disagree. Why could an easier to drive headphone not be a benchmark anymore? Easier to drive flagship headphones scale as well, just maybe not to the extent of Susvara or Tungsten. Plus, easier to drive headphones would be available for more people as those sound fine from lesser gear too. I don't think, drivability determines a benchmark headphone. More like sound quality and value for money.

his reviews are subjective and that is his opinion, which he is entitled to have as a reviewer just as you are as a consumer. agree or disagree with it but don't cast aspersions on him for having one. the guy seems sincere and well intentioned to me.
i've not heard either headphone and what if i had? what does my subjective opinion of these headphones have to do with his or yours? it's (ultimately) irrelevant.

yes, an easier to drive tungsten would still be an excellent headphone and most likely a more popular one. something that Ryan could do without at the minute no doubt. according to your logic, a benchmark headphone is defined by the ancillary gear that's connected to it. that's a belief that i don't hold but if this hobby is all about 'chasing the best chain game' to you, then by all means, go knock yourself out.

He indeed seems like a diligent and honest reviewer; he definitely puts the work in his reviews and uses a lot of gear, then shares his honest thoughts. My issue with many of these YouTube reviewers is that thousands of less experienced people listen to them like they were oracles and think they represent some objective and ultimate knowledge, but in fact their personal taste affects a big percentage of what they say. I think, this could and should be communicated way more often from most YouTube reviewer's side.

 

[up late]

He indeed seems like a diligent and honest reviewer; he definitely puts the work in his reviews and uses a lot of gear, then shares his honest thoughts. My issue with many of these YouTube reviewers is that thousands of less experienced people listen to them like they were oracles and think they represent some objective and ultimate knowledge, but in fact their personal taste affects a big percentage of what they say. I think, this could and should be communicated way more often from most YouTube reviewer's side.

the youtube reviewers whom i respect regularly make disclaimers that the thoughts and opinions expressed in their videos are their own. i think that's sufficient.

 

[betula]

the youtube reviewers whom i respect regularly make disclaimers that the thoughts and opinions in their videos are their own. i think that's sufficient.

To me that means they share their honest thoughts, uninfluenced by gifts, manufacturers or anyone else. It is not really a warning about personal taste affecting their evaluation.

 

[DJJEZ]

Just because someone makes a youtube video about a piece of gear doesn't mean they are correct . Don't agree about him saying arya organic is more resolving.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I like Arya Organic, it's a great headphone. But saying that Arya is more technical and more resolving than Tungsten is not true. This review makes me feel that it's all about HFM sponsorship

Every time I read claims like these I get the feeling that the reviewer considers high treble = high detail.

I haven't heard the Tungsten myself yet, but since the reviewer is the odd one out here, there is probably something to it.

 

[up late]

To me that means they share their honest thoughts, uninfluenced by gifts, manufacturers or anyone else. It is not really a warning about personal taste affecting their evaluation.

i think it goes without saying that their opinions are informed by their personal taste, preferences, likes/dislikes, etc. it's a subjective headphone review that they've uploaded to their youtube channel after all - it's not science or a legal judgement. some reviewers include objective measurements and their interpretations of them in their reviews and they make a point of distinguishing between those and their subjective impressions, which i think is appropriate.

 

[psy472]

I have different amp taste. The source gear choice is likely affecting the reviews. HEK and organic do well on mid-fi gear but for the same reason the mid-fi gear is likely inadequate in driving Tungsten to its best. I had the same problem with Susvara and my HEK. They sound so much alike on my MJ3. And similarly the Violectric V281 is not well known for its resolution and instrumental separation.

Once I upgraded my amp to a Flux Mentor dual, that changed completely. The resolution on the Susvara is ridiculously better compared to HEK but you can’t find that in the reviewed amp setup.