HiFiMan Arya Stealth Magnets Headphones Review

[@warwickarnold2420]

I've had mine for six months and I am absolutely smitten after decades of searching for headphone nirvana. As a serious classical collector, for years I was a Stax devotee, with HD650 (cosy slippers) for everything else. Tried HD800 - too peaky and no bass. I eventually replaced my old Lambdas with the L700ii which I hated - big expensive mistake!! Nasty shouty mid that pushed every recording flaw to the foreground. Might have sounded better with a Moljnir/Gilmore amp, but I didn't want to invest big $$$ without an audition. After much KZbin research I bought a pair of Anandas... my first taste of planars and I was hooked - at last my ideal tonal signature; neutral mid and treble with a touch of warmth down low. Upgraded my source and amp from Oppo 205 (I am an old school physical media collector with over a thousand SACDs) and an old Musical Fidelity X-CAN V3. I now have a Marantz SA12se running into a Burson Soloist 3XP (with Supercharger PS). Then I bought the Arya Stealth: similar tonal signature as the Anandas but more refined treble, more detail, deeper, wider soundstage and endless bass extension. I may have stumbled across a perfect synergy. The smooth richness of the Marantz keeping in check any brightness in the Arya's treble with the transparency and solidity of the Burson, and that sub-bass providing vital ambient information: the closest recreation I have ever heard of real instruments in a real acoustic space. I can at last say I've reached my endgame.

[@annamark3422]

Do you have any scratches on the arms from adjusting the size of headband? Thanks

[@warwickarnold2420]

@@annamark3422 No, but it has been set and forget for me.

[@manu1381]

how good are these with vinyl listening vs lets say HD660 S2 or meze 109 pro?

[@Joniyah444]

I love my ananda’s so much. I got Arya organics, so worth it

[@seriouslyEH]

Have had the Arya Stealth for over a year, and they sound fantastic on Bifrost 2 / Bifrost 2/64 (upgrade) and Jotunheim 2, balanced. Great staging and detail. The Bifrost upgrade opened them up further in stage (depth and height) and deeper bass and detail and really nice treble activity. No fatigue, and from some seriously extended sessions. The only bad thing is the distraction of forgetting task at hand to enjoy the music ;)

[@tubapunk]

Bifrost 2/64 made that much difference? I'm Running BF2 and Burson Soloist 3x with Arya V2. Have been looking, but I have felt in my end game for a while now

[@JS-gk7rn]

Just got that combo of equipment delivered last week 👌🏼 been loving it all so far.

[@retro_boy_advance]

Thanks for explaining what stealth magnets are as I haven't really found a satisfactory explanation before this. Most KZbinrs just mention it and assume viewers know what it is or why it's supposed to be "better". Great review!

[@dasninjastix]

I had a strange situation with mine that I figured I'd share for anyone else that has a large head. For about the first 4-5 months I owned the Arya SE I thought they were extremely comfortable, I had no issues with their fit, clamp, or pad comfort. Then about a month later they suddenly started produced severe upper jaw pain for me. When I would adjust their seating so the pressure wasn't so flush against my jaw, they would then start causing pain against the upper side of my head. I went from wearing them 5-6 hours a day to no more than 45 minutes. I don't know if this was a function of pad wear but the pads (to my eyes) didn't seem to be degraded in any way. To my knowledge nothing changed with them, no one sat or them, the suspension system wasn't bent in anyway that I could tell. My only guess is maybe it had to do with the headstrap losing tension/resistance over time maybe? I really loved the sound of the them but sold them. If I can't wear something for at least two hours straights I have no use for it regardless of how good it sounds. When I originally got them I wondered how someone with a smaller head was supposed to wear them, I thought they were absolutely big head certified but now.. I'm not so sure. Just a FYI for folks who have large honeydew-sized heads or greater.

[@uribar-ner5055]

I own a few high end headphones, and this one is my favorite. Just love them, find myself sometimes listening for hours. I use them with Ibasso dx 320, mainly streaming Tidal, MQA files.For me it is just fantastic!

[@eLcHiNoChannel]

Wow, I was not expecting your hands 30cm or so away from the headphones would affect the sound. Great of you to notice and to let us know.

[@PixelPipes]

Agree with everything said. For the money, they're a tremendous value. The amps I find pair best are ones that are very neutral, maybe a touch of warmth, and especially Class A biased to really bring out that speed and punchiness. If the amp is a bit bright, it may not pair as well, as the treble can easily become sharp. Burn-in helps a lot to smooth this out as well. They excel in imaging and soundstage depth, which makes them great for live recordings, and media such as games and movies (add Dolby Atmos for Headphones for even more enjoyment). DACs and amps (R2R, multibit, discrete designs, or tubes) that enhance those traits will push the value up even further.

[@billgaston487]

Excellent headphones for wearing with hearing aids. As for many people in my situation, my hearing loss is not just a matter of volume. My hearing aids compensate for various particular frequency imbalances and make things sound more "normal" and realistic. I need headphones which fit comfortably over my ears and aids without weird pressures and feedback whistle from covering the microphones. I've tried many different pairs. While some headphones can be used if I turn down the aids a bit, the only other ones to perfectly fit the bill are my old Sennheiser HD800. Base is better in these. Both are extremely comfortable and can be worn for long periods.

[@DerekSheerin]

For a more resolving listen - the Arya stealth pair nicely with upsampled hq player files on the burson conductor 3x gt with a good xlr cable. For a more relaxing listen I have been enjoying the Aryas on a Gustard r26 fed through a willsenton r8 tube amp.

[@Thoughtflux]

R8 tube amp on a planar headphone sounds good?

[@islaymmm]

Somebody must've already pointed this out but the reason there's a big "bump" in the upper mids centered at around 3 kHz is not because we're "less sensitive" to that region but because, on the contrary, we're MORE SENSITIVE to that region. Remember headphone measurements are done at the ear drum, meaning sound would've already gone through all the anatomical features of our ear and head, which means the initial input has already been altered by the time they arrive at the ear drum. And this alteration imparted by our ear and head is what causes the "bump" in uncompensated measurements. So if it wasn't there that means that region is SEVERELY LACKING rather than not boosted enough. Just so you know.

[@shh532]

Have you had a chance to see the HE1000V3 (he1000v2 with stealth magnets) - hoping to receive my pair in 2 weeks

[@aznaxel]

Thanks for the review. I was considering upgrading my broken Ananda's to the Arya. I heard the Arya works well with almost everything with out having their sound signature change that much.

[@TheMasterofComment]

How did it break

[@nativeenglish2u]

Hey. Did you get the Arya's in the end?

[@petercraig389]

Really great headphones paired with the Audio-gd HE9. A good complement set when you need more punch and dynamics is the HE6se which the HE9 can really take control of and deliver all it has to offer.

[@docgify]

Just to add to your community…in response to ru6 ladder dac,that you reviewed,i have a HiBy rs6,which is an R2R in a bigger format and once id used it for a month it is divine….mind you ive got another system using a warm audio 273 and a hang sheng matched up with a schitt magnius and a reisong boyuu tube amp going into crap little passive speakers and that sounds pretty damn fine too….so there you go love your reviews sir best of health to you and joy 2023 all the best

[@nick62876]

Just to add an important comment about the v2 version , changing the pads on the v2 with the dekoni elite pads brings them almost Identical to the v3 . Give it a try v2 owners you will not be disappointed

[@AndreaDiLiddo]

Nice Review! Got a pair a few months ago and I really do find them great, even tho they are my TOTL headphone so i can’t make comparisons with higher end cans. I don’t find them too bright for rock and pop, especially on smoother gear (like the FiiO K9 Pro), and find the bass absolutely enjoyable for its speed and physicality (which was lacking on the pretty similarly measuring Sundara). I don’t usually do very long listening sessions, so it may be that which may not give me fatigue: i think after a couple of hours i generally have something else to do. Of course, something like a ZMF Aeolus is easier to listen to, but the spacial presentation of the Arya, they way they make you listen to the sound without that “headphone” feeling of a driver that pushes air into your ears… that’s pretty special to me. Something like Radioheads In Rainbows or Jeff Buckley Grace will just sound amazing on them!

[@PartyMusic775]

I own a pair and do not experience them as light in the bass at all. Quite the contrary, it's rather deep and impactful. On some tracks you'll get thud from soundwaves kinetically impacting your head. Depth and impact almost on par with a well-driven HE6SE V2 -- if perhaps slightly less fast/tight/controlled, but by no means unimpressive in its quality. The rest of the review lines up with my own experience. The slight brightness is mentioned so often that you might get the wrong idea that they're super bright, which they aren't. They're just not dark, perhaps slightly brighter than flat.

[@ubacow7109]

I have the V2 Arya's and I think I would have preferred the V3 Stealth. Folks were saying that the V2 had greater soundstage, but I think the V3 Stealth is just a lot less picky about sources compared to the V2.

[@Ezees23]

The Stealth is less amp picky, IMO. When I had the V2, I made the effort to seek out more powerful and "discrete" Class A or Class AB amps to pair with them so they wouldn't have that sort of "plasticky/metallic" timbre and "lacking in bass dynamics" they're known for. Most IC-based amps DO NOT WORK WELL with the Aryas (either version), IMO - they looove discrete amps. I bought a used Emotiva A-100 and bypassed the dropping resistors so that it would output ~12W into the V2's 35 ~ 40 ohms impedance (with a tubed buffer/preamp in front to modulate volume). That extra power "woke them up" really well and they weren't at all thin, bright, or "undynamic" in the bass any longer - I still get goosebumps when I think of how "uber-dynamic and limitless" they sounded in the bass and in soundstaging with more power, LOL.....

[@ubacow7109]

@@Ezees23 That's actually super interesting I might try for that in the future. Cause I've been using topping products and amps to drive them and haven't been satisfied with the results from it. Even with higher output Topping devices. I went from a DX3 pro+ to an L50 to try to drive them but it doesn't quite sound right still. I believe they are also a discrete architecture.

[@Ezees23]

@@ubacow7109 Neither the DX3 Pro+ nor the L50 have discrete topologies - they're both IC-based NFCA amps like the OG A90. I had the IC-based A90, Monolith '887, and Schiit Magnius amps to try beside my cheaper discrete Schiit Magni 3+ and Emotiva A-100 amps. The cheaper discrete amps sounded better in timbre/tonality, less dynamically compressed, and more natural than either of the more expensive IC-based amps. I sent them back rather quickly after I compared them to the Magni 3+, Emotiva A-100, and especially the Gustard H20 (Class A). You'd be rather looking at the Schiit Asgard or Jot 2, or something like the Singxer SA-1 or the Flux Labs FA-10 or FA-22 in the midrange price ranges - or used high-end amps for good prices. I scored my H20 used for $475 - the same price as the OG A90, but the H20 pretty much trounced it......

[@hdsarma]

@@Ezees23 How is the new A90D compared to these, I am actually considering one and the Violectric V202.

[@haukikannel]

A90D is very neutral and quite powerfull amp. So not warm, but very detailed.

[@kyron42]

Are they invisible to radar?

[@theodorezurla496]

Gsx mini/ gustard r26 !! Awesome combo!! ❤

[@mtnmankeith9069]

Great review!… Looking forward to the Meze 109pro review.

[@FabioKasper]

11:45 fun bass is car audio bass. 👌

[@Bootrosgali]

Vs Organic?

[@laszlokiss3578]

Hi, thx for the great review. I have spotted that you have the Magni Piety 😎 is the Arya Stealth or Edition XS good pairing with it? what headphones do you suggest to use with it? I use it with an Austrian Audio Hi-x65 eq-d based on Oratory measurements. thx

[@Ezees23]

The Arya (and to a certain extent the Anandas too - haven't heard the XS) really thrive on and looooove "discrete" Class A or Class AB amps over most IC based amps like the OG Topping A90 and Magni Heresy. The Piety only has 1W max @ 32 ohms and I'd be worried of not having enough juice for most planars - Arya included (and the XS is even more power hungry - though Ananda may be okay with 1W). I wouldn't want to drive the Arya on less than a ~2W amp with a hot BAL signal (4V+). This is just my opinion as an owner of both Ananda and Arya Stealth (I traded in my Arya V2 for the Stealths). Hope this helps......

[@kyron42]

Any frequency response problem can be fixed with EQ.

[@jasonmelo1974]

Probably true in this case but not for all cases because if it's a phase issue then it's about the time domain not about how linear the frequency responses. You can't fix phase issues with EQ, it has to be done physically.

[@CheekyFest]

I'm planning on getting some; and pondering the Topping A30 + D30 combo; what do you think about that matching?

[@Currawong]

If you like a flat sound with little or no depth, that's what you get with the SINAD-chasing amps.

[@CheekyFest]

@@Currawong What would you recommend (instead)?

[@CheekyFest]

@@Currawong I'll be connecting it/them to my (2014) iMac, to (only) use with the Aryas for a *wide* range of music

[@CheekyFest]

Would a Schitt be a better match in your opinion?

[@Currawong]

hear.audio/faq :)

[@gcb2101]

Did you try it on a Hugo 2 as well?

[@TTBoy1]

Can you do a video on how to safely remove the pads on these headphones.

[@Armbrust210]

They are attached with little plastic pegs. Shouldn't be a problem if you just carefully pluck them out one by one

[@ROCKSTAR3291]

Very true about the treble, the sharpness can get very very distracting. I couldn't stand it so I had to return these headphones.

[@Rockapotamus91]

Try HD600/650

[@pythagoras6938]

same with me and overall too bright for me. Technically very nice.

[@kajetan9550]

The stock cable really makes things worse

[@jpined14]

@@Rockapotamus91 Not the same league.

[@Rockapotamus91]

@@jpined14 listen with your ears and not your wallet

[@dawgy2]

i just bought this headphone with singxer sa-1 amp and schiit modius dac. is this a good combo? waiting for it to come in the mail, would the modius be a good pair with the singxer or should i spend more for a different dac that might sound better?

[@Currawong]

Wait until it all arrives and see how much you enjoy the set-up first.

[@Feliciano12v]

What’s the verdict of said combo?

[@dawgy2]

@@Feliciano12v it sounds pretty good. originally with the singxer sa-1 amp and schiit modius dac the volume sounded pretty low. i did the singxer sa-1 mod and i think that made it a bit louder. i got no complaints for this combo but i also havent tried any others.

[@andreaaaaaaa574]

which amp (with no dac) widened the soundstage the most in your experience?

[@Currawong]

The larger, top-of-the-line ones like the Audio-gd Master 9, R-27HE etc. It doesn't so much widen the soundstage (though there are designs where the crosstalk has been subtly altered to get a bit of that effect) so much as there is more space between instruments on better recordings.

[@Ezees23]

Currawong. I wonder IF and/or HOW MUCH you burned in your Arya set? I've just unboxed a new set and have about ~25hrs on them so far. From their fresh out of the box presentation (FOTB), they've slightly "bloomed" a little from their rather "bright with lean bass" FOTB sound presentation. I'm going to put another ~50hrs of pink noise on them to see how much they change. Of course, I'll be breaking up my continuous pink noise loops by some listening sessions at various times, as I find it easier to track changes with intermittent listening. Pure music listening makes tracking changes in HPs problematic because of auditory acclimatization. Any thoughts???

[@Currawong]

I was in the HE1000 (the very original) beta testers' group, and we had pairs that obviously had zero hours on them. They had bloated bass which tightened up with use. When I got a "final" version, they must have already had some hours on them, as they didn't change much, if at all. Other types of changes, such as reduced harshness in the mids and treble over time I usually get with regular dynamic driver headphones.

[@Thoughtflux]

Dumb question but where can i get the pink noise from? I have a Arya coming in soon.

[@climaxpicture]

@@Thoughtflux here...youtube :)

[@pcm9969]

Another great review. Thanks.

[@_josedperez_]

Im trying to play these without playing on the speaker on the outside? Is there no option for this?

[@Currawong]

No option. You want closed-backed headphones which have good isolation if you don't want everyone hearing what you're listening to, at least for the most part.

[@kyron42]

How do they sound through the Moto2?

[@dbean5174]

Good as long as you get an external amplifier. They sound alright with the internal amp of the Mojo 2 but will have increased dynamics, separation, and realism when powered by an external amplifier. Just plug the Mojo 2 into an external amp through a 3.5 mm to RCA and plug your phones into the Amp. They will sound awesome 👌😁

[@kyron42]

@@dbean5174 that's good to know. Would you recommend a thx AAA one or a xduoo mt602?

[@kyron42]

Consider chocolate chip trip as part of your test playlist.

[@FabioKasper]

10:20 low to little midbass can sound boring and thin on my playlists.

[@regisvoiclair]

Thanks!

[@zulk9mahmood821]

"but why are they called stealth, its not because their black" currawong 2023

[@kingjongun7295]

Arya stealth go brrr

[@patrick1150gs]

My Arya Stealths were OK stock, but upgrading the cable made a significant improvement. The GUCraftsman 6N pure silver was too bright and thus the timbre got worse. The GUCraftsman 16 Strands 7N Single Crystal Copper/Silver was the timbre sweat spot and the Arya's became more. Everything great about the Arya's was improved. I have been an audiophile for 50 years so my old ears hear differently then young ears, but even my handicapped hearing really enjoyed the upgraded cables. Thankfully the Arya's are tuned so you hear the all of the recording. If you listen to modern ( a.k.a. electronic trash ) recordings, then the Arya's will deliver said trash perfectly. Most of my listen is modern recordings, and the Arya's need to be dumbed down significantly to cope with modern recordings. Even with the stock cable the Arya's are trash sniffers. I use the Qutest digital filtering on Orange and switch to low gain on the preamp, but if more trash suppression is needed then tone controls are my last resort.

[@chamade166]

If you wrap the cables in tinfoil they will sound even better. Next stage would be adding tinfoil to your head, that will prevent electromagnetic reflections and will open up the sound further…

[@GG-xi5pd]

Cool story gramps go back bed now

[@asan1050]

Currawong Thanks Much !

[@frederf69]

May as well get the XS for a lot less money.

[@AliArghavan]

Arya is definitley a step up in terms of resolution and soundstage but for less than half the price, Edition XS is a great value. (I don't like the headband on them but the fit is subjective).

[@Ezees23]

If the XS isn't as good as the Ananda.....the Arya will trounce the XS - because the Arya pretty easily excels past the Ananda.......

[@ChironZore]

You need a balanced cable, take the other one and trash it.