[pkcpga]

I happen
I can assure you that @jjacq is amping her HD800s properly. And her Stax. And her LCD3. She is no spring chicken, either, when it comes to headphones. Although, her loss of her LCD2.1 was my gain.

Audio definitely is a personal journey, but I will say that @jjacq's descriptions of headphones and IEMs that I also own or have extensive time with match my own perceptions fairly closely.

Just surprising that someone who owns similar headphones as myself would find the Aria so different. I also have hd800, LCD 3, gs1000 and hopefully soon Utopias (if they ever arrive). I listen to them through different DACs though, I love chords products so I use the mojo for travel and Dave for home. I have listened to the schiit Yggdrasil and disliked it's congested sound but that's the only schiit DAC I've heard so I don't know the other schiit DAC used. I wonder if the tuning on the demo Aria is slightly different than mine or if something happened to the unit.

 

[sq3rjick]

   
I won't be there personally, but there should be some new goodies to check out.

It's too bad you won't be there. It's fun every year!  I'd even take you out to one of the many fine local breweries / distilleries / eateries.

 

[sq3rjick]

I wonder if the tuning on the demo Aria is slightly different than mine or if something happened to the unit.

 
I don't know.  I had the unit first (well, second, after it went to an Austin meet) and it sounded the same that everybody (who didn't have the tour unit) was describing it.  I think it'll go on back to Luke at some point for a check up.  It looked to be in pretty much pristine shape when I got it, and I know it was in pristine shape when I sent it back out.
 
If I am honest, I slightly do hope that the tour unit had some sort of issue with it.  I am completely in love with my experimental tuned version and if Luke really didn't do much to change it to get it to this point I would feel bad that I was having an unfair comparison between the two.

 

[EagleWings]

I have come across cases, where, one set of people have had a certain experience, while another set of people had a completely different experience with the same IEM. And no, I am not referring to preferences in sound tuning here, but the harshness in the upper mids and treble region. I believe, when it comes to IEMs, there are a lot of factors in play here, such as, an individual's ear canal shape & length and the ear tips being used.
 
If you read my review of the Aria, I would have referenced a certain un-named $600 IEM under the Technical Capability section. That particular IEM is one of the highly recommended IEMs in that price range. It has amazing technical capabilities and is supposed to have a very smooth sound. And after reading through the respective thread of that IEM and reviews, almost everyone seemed to be in agreement with the fact that, it had a smooth sound. But to me and a couple of other people, the sound was just piercing and fatiguing. I returned the IEM in a week. 
 
If you all are up for some experimentation, I would suggest trying this Paper Napkin mod referenced in this post by James444 on any of your Universal IEMs:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/569527/sennheiser-ie80s-impressions-thread/6975#post_12215829
 
You will notice a drop in bass and an increase in treble brightness. It just goes to show how such a small gap can create a huge impact on the entire signature.
 
My point being, Universal IEMs can indeed sound different to different people. 

 

[EagleWings]

Another far-fetched theory of mine is, during Aria's commute of 4-5 days between Austin and jjacq's location, it might have been subjected to excessive heat as it is summer. I am not aware of, how tolerant the the drivers are to heat. But like I said, its a far-fetched theory.

 

[Luke Pighetti]

@Hisoundfi , the tour Aria is tuned the exact same as the one in your inaugural review. If there's a difference, it would have to be some sort of damage.
 
@Army-Firedawg, when you receive it, can you look over it and have a listen? If you suspect some kind of damage, please let me know. It would be a total drag to pass around a tour unit that was damaged.
 
I have to admit, I am a little puzzled by the response. When I first designed Aria, I found them to be exceptional, and the jury response was extremely favorable. Then, all of a sudden, six months later, a collection of people were complaining of the exact same issue with the 'lower mids.' All QA on my end checks out 100%. Not quite sure what to make of that.
 
 
Also, I tweaked the description on my site a few months ago to better match what my customers were hearing. So please refer to this description for all reviews.

 

[Army-Firedawg]

@Hisoundfi
 , the tour Aria is tuned the exact same as the one in your inaugural review. If there's a difference, it would have to be some sort of damage.

@Army-Firedawg
, when you receive it, can you look over it and have a listen? If you suspect some kind of damage, please let me know. It would be a total drag to pass around a tour unit that was damaged.

I have to admit, I am a little puzzled by the response. When I first designed Aria, I found them to be exceptional, and the jury response was extremely favorable. Then, all of a sudden, six months later, a collection of people were complaining of the exact same issue with the 'lower mids.' All QA on my end checks out 100%. Not quite sure what to make of that.


Also, I tweaked the description on my site a few months ago to better match what my customers were hearing. So please refer to this description for all reviews.

Yes sir, will do.

 

[sq3rjick]

  @Hisoundfi , the tour Aria is tuned the exact same as the one in your inaugural review. If there's a difference, it would have to be some sort of damage.
 
@Army-Firedawg, when you receive it, can you look over it and have a listen? If you suspect some kind of damage, please let me know. It would be a total drag to pass around a tour unit that was damaged.
 
I have to admit, I am a little puzzled by the response. When I first designed Aria, I found them to be exceptional, and the jury response was extremely favorable. Then, all of a sudden, six months later, a collection of people were complaining of the exact same issue with the 'lower mids.' All QA on my end checks out 100%. Not quite sure what to make of that.
 
 
Also, I tweaked the description on my site a few months ago to better match what my customers were hearing. So please refer to this description for all reviews.

I sort of hope that there is damage.  I'm absolutely in love with my custom one.

 

[meringo]

  I sort of hope that there is damage.  I'm absolutely in love with my custom one.

Yeah. I hope this gets sorted out, too.
 
I sincerely love my Aria customs and am finding that most all of my other headphones are collecting dust. Customers have to keep in mind that there is just one product right now. As the brand develops, I'm sure there will be more models appropriate for other preferences in sound signature. For me, I'm happy where it's at. For others, maybe not. Be patient and wait for more models.
 
Luke provides awesome customer service, is transparent with what goes into the product, and crafts beautiful faceplates that usually adds to the cost elsewhere. The current Aria is just step one. I can't wait to see what else happens.

 

[Luke Pighetti]

 
Aria custom in Amboyna x Smoke for D. Chan

 

[sq3rjick]

Great job, Luke!

 

[silvrr]

 
 
Aria custom in Amboyna x Smoke for D. Chan

 
Another great shot.  Did you remember a setup shot?

 

[Luke Pighetti]

Dang it! I forgot. I should be snapping more photos tomorrow, I'll try to remember then.

 

[Luke Pighetti]

 
Aria custom in Ironwood x Tea. This one has a natural sunburst effect... don't see that every day!

 

[Luke Pighetti]

Thanks to @cleg for posting up a great video review on the Aria!