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

Product Information

Even poorly mastered songs, when played with this headphone sound, maybe I wouldn’t use the word “good” but “acceptable” is more appropriate. The following is how the HiFiMAN Arya measures on the GRAS 43AG standardized measurement rig relative to the combined Harman target curve (Harman 2013 bass but Harman 2018 mids and treble). However, those days of elaborate leather and wood finished boxes are now reserved for the flagship models which is a shame. Our testing gave us some lovely timbral variations ranging from cold, clean, and punchy to euphonic and creamy with mildly powered DAPs.

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. The HIFIMAN Arya line has never been known for monstrous bass but one that can distinctly produce bass notes and it seems the Arya Organic follows this trait, only in a faster-paced manner. Treble:The biggest change between the classic aria and the organic version can be noticed and even heard in the high tones, where it is much softer. A lot can be said about HiFiMAN's past regarding their build quality and materials used, but they always put comfort as their top priority.I’m betting HIFIMAN found that it was interfering with the magnet array and found the mesh rather restrictive so they quickly went back to the drawing board. Some of the other subtle changes include warmer male vocals, sweeter female vocals, and a more vibrant presence overall. Back to the imaging, and again if you are coming from the Ananda, it sounds a lot more complex but still very precise at the same time.

However, there is some relative forwardness in the Arya Stealth staging when compared to the Ananda for example. After listening to and enjoying the Sundara and Ananda, both of which are part of HiFiMan’s reference series, I was really looking forward to checking out the Arya, which was the next step-up in the line-up. The Arya Stealth Magnet version performs remarkably well in terms of image clarity and extracting small details. If you start playing an well recorded high quality acoustic live concert, everything turns into an weird and unauthentic sounding mess.The HiFiMAN Arya Stealth Magnet version, on the other hand, features a diaphragm that’s only a nanometer thick. The bass is elastic and really fast, showing all the benefits of planar headphones and their full potential. The high tones are not subdued or excessively muted, they are a natural image of high frequencies, allowing you to listen to music for many hours without feeling any discomfort.