HiFiMAN Arya Full-size Over Ear Planar Magnetic Audiophile Adjustable Headphone

Product Information

Hi Louis, The Ether 2’s will need more power than the Arya. Also, it is generally warmer and more relaxing through the upper mids and treble. Physically, the Ether 2 is lighter but both are very comfortable. Personally, I think the Ether 2 has the better build quality. When sound waves pass through the magnet structure via the diaphragm, they are prone to interferences and diffraction with conventional designs as air is moved through them. The Stealth structure ensures this to happen to a minimum for more precision, clarity and imaging precision. In the same vein a stealth bomber’s shape and form which is not a random or artistic choice at all, and ensures deflecting or bouncing off radar waves and becoming unnoticed, HIFIMAN’s stealth system ensures magnets not being in the way of the sound as good as possible. I have not tested a single hifiman product that could reproduce an authentic sound of an double bass for example. How can so many headphones from one company fail at an simple instrument?

Soundstage wise the Arya Stealth is really good in both wide and depth, especially when in balanced mode. You get impressive layering and the decay and note extension is remarkable. The Arya Stealth sounds spacious and airy but it always remains realistic and natural. By going balanced, you will even increase the sound stage both in width and depth and you will get an even better level of separation and spaciousness between the notes.Hi Claudio! I have an EL-8 open before. I don’t have it anymore, but I like the Arya better based on memory. The Arya is not warm-sounding as the EL-8. As far as I remember, the EL-8 was warm-leaning. While the pads feel comfortable and the foam padding is sufficient, again, I am a bit disappointed with the choice of materials. Even a lifestyle headphone that costs a fraction of the Arya uses real leather or sheepskin cover. Fortunately, the pads are replaceable. There are better aftermarket ear pads that use real leather or better materials, like earpads from Dekoni. But that would entail additional cost. Inside those earcups are HIFIMAN’s massive planar magnetic drivers engineered by the new stealth magnet system. The company isn’t big on disclosing specs, but since the cups are see-through, we can get an idea of how big a driver we’re working with:

There is no carry case for the Arya Stealth but rather you get the foam and satin overthrow from the original Arya box with the headphones firmly inserted in the center. To the top, there is a manual, warranty card and just underneath (though still above the headphones), is the cable. Over-ear headphones are constantly evolving, with manufacturers giving us new ways to listen to the music we enjoy. One of the latest innovations in driver technology is stealth magnets, most recently seen with the Dan Clark Audio Stealth. Now HiFiMAN has updated one of its flagship models with this technology, the Arya. This will be the third version of the Arya to be released. Do the stealth magnets make any difference? That means higher pitching notes have a slightly bright overtone but that never seems to translate to an overly thin or sibilant quality through the raised upper mids. Synergy with sources both in terms of tonal bias and output power can calm it down or amplify it. Timbre It is simply impossible that you have not heard of Hifiman. They are China-based personal audio company led by Dr. Fang Bian and they have been around for easily 10 to 15 years.The Arya Stealth comes in a very simple box. As we have seen before, the box also is the storage case. The Arya doesn’t come with a carrying case, but then again, it’s not really a portable headphone. I didn’t dismantle the driver even though it uses a standard Phillips screw. Some parts in the driver area are plastic, and I don’t want to damage the driver. I put a light on the other side of the driver and you can see the magnets through the screen covering. The driver inside measures 65mm x 100mm, and it is said to be larger than the driver used on the Sundara or Ananda. Overall Build Quality and Comfort After the pandemic started, the hobby sort of escalated for me. I previously owned the following headphones: HD58x > HD650 > Sundara > ZMF Aeolus > Arya V2. I currently own the ZMF Verite Closed, HD800s and yesterday I received the Arya Stealth edition.