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

Build: These are built like a tank. Structural parts are all metal with some decent quality plastics. Anything you do, somehow, manage to break can be replaced. cable is fine, but i upgraded it basically immediately. Sound: Absolutely fantastic. Detailed, good soundstage, good separation. Great tuning all round with smooth, detailed bass and sub-bass. Can be run off your phone, i guess, but best paired with an amp/dac. Surprisingly good for pc gaming, though there's no isolation at all. Comfort: reasonable weight. very comfortable. i wear these for literally 6-12+ hours a day. Massive earcups with plenty of room for even the largest of ears. Headband goes from decently large to 'absolute melon' in size. Price: These were originally a £1000+ headphone, and were well-regarded at that price. Now its under £500. Great value for money.

I purchased the HIFIMAN Arya Stealth headphones for £510 — a phenomenal discount compared to the original MSRP — and I couldn’t be happier with my investment. The sound quality is absolutely breath-taking. The planar magnetic drivers deliver an expansive soundstage with pinpoint imaging, making these headphones perfect for critical listening. The detail retrieval is exceptional; I’m discovering nuances in my favorite tracks that I never noticed before. Whether it’s the tight, controlled bass, the lush mids, or the airy, extended highs, the Arya Stealth handles everything with remarkable clarity and balance. Comfort is another big plus. The suspension-style headband and plush ear cups make long listening sessions a joy. I’ve worn these for hours without any discomfort, and they feel sturdy yet lightweight. Pairing the HIFIMAN Arya Stealth with the RME ADI-2 DAC is a match made in audiophile heaven. The RME’s transparent and highly detailed sound signature perfectly complements the Arya’s warm-neutral tonality, allowing its full potential to shine. The Arya’s planar magnetic drivers thrive with the RME’s ample power and precise control, delivering a tight, extended bass response, lifelike mids, and sparkling treble without any harshness. The RME’s built-in parametric EQ is a bonus, letting you fine-tune the sound to your exact preferences, though you may find little adjustment necessary as the pairing is already so harmonious. Together, they create an engaging and incredibly detailed listening experience that feels immersive and effortless, making this combination a must-try for anyone looking to elevate their home audio setup.

These things are not going to be beaten in their price point. Not had any QA issues that people spoke about. Insanely comfortable, I had the Sundaras but they hurt my ear, these are more encompassing of the whole ear, they are heavy but dont feel it. The soundstage is incredibly wide and immersive - these produce some of the cleanest, most detailed sound I've ever heard. Bass is deep and textured without being overwhelming, mids are crystal clear, and the treble is detailed without being harsh. Even in busy tracks with multiple layers, you can hear every element distinctly. Vocals are particularly impressive - you can hear subtle breaths and inflections that just get lost on lesser headphones. Just overall very good at everything. While they're not cheap, they compete with headphones costing significantly more. They're well-built, the cable is good quality, and the ear pads are premium. They do benefit from a decent amp, but don't need anything too crazy to sound great. For anyone stepping up from mid-fi headphones like the Sundara, these are a significant upgrade that's actually worth the price unlike many / most headphones above this price point. The comfort alone makes them worth it for long listening sessions.

These are the new version with the stealth magnets. I’ve read a lot about them being inferior to the older model. The fact they are advertised as 41 Ohms confirms they are mis selling this product. These are 32 ohms and easier to drive. I’m still considering whether I should return them and see out the originals which are supposed to have better soundstage and bass. I will continue to test them with my RME ADI2 FS DAC/Headphone Amp to see how I get on and will update this review. I just thought it was important that people spending this amount of money should know what they are actually buying.

It's important to know these are the V3 Stealth Edition. Not going to write a big review, there are reviews all over the web. But these are supreme headphones and so they should be for the price TBF. Detail and clarity are amazing but not unexpected for Planar headphones. Sound separation is excellent. They make my Senn 660s sound really quite dull. Very comfortable, but I suspect the large cups may not be so comfortable for small heads. These are true over-ear cans. The plus side is that there is no pressure on the ears. While easier to drive than the V2, they still need decent power for them to sound as they should. Not the widest soundstage, but that's fine by me. They are reasonably forward, like sitting in the perfect position of stereo speakers, but they are over your ears. The cable is OK at best. Sound does change with custom cables, so one cable might be better than others, balanced is best tho. The leak and let sound in. A LOT! Again the open-back Senn 660s are nothing like these, letting far less sound out or in. But the Arya feels so much airier and less congested and simply leagues better, but again for the price they should. Overall, I am exceptionally happy with these. Unless you're a true fanatic, these are about the best "do all" headphones. There is no perfect headphone, some do some things better than these, of course, but these really are the best all-around headphone I have heard.

Absolutely fantastic headphones... I have been an avid audio chaser for years , owned many different headphones.. Grado, meze , Sony , campfire audio, audio technia and various hifiman plus many others. I also own the Ananda nano which at there price point imo are a steal! These are just that bit better...more natural and detailed, but both are truly amazing headphones that I can recommend whole heartedly and especially with the ef600 r2r dac amp.. This is not a paid review or for gain, I still own grado ps500e and also a ifi audio idsd2 which also are fantastic... But pound for pound hifiman kill it IMHO and trounce nearly everything else in there price range. Some of the old timers ( no prejudice I'm one of them) still go on about hifiman quality control, honestly I have owned 4 pairs of there cans with no problems what so ever , I feel you can get good and bad with any company/ design it product.. From a seasoned audiophile (i hate that term I just like good audio) without any buying prejudice these are genuinely some of the best cans I have heard.

I'm 40 and I was thinking I might as well experience the higher end of of headphones before I get too old and can't hear any more. I can hear all the way up to 14kz in one ear and 15kz in the other. I'm either very lucky in the Grado SR80x's I have, or very unlucky in the Arya Stealths I received. The sound quality was not any better, and the mids were actually worse. I did some A B testing and the Arya's were very similar and a bit louder, so I just turned up the Grado and they were the same, but the Grado's had a better bass and mid range on vocals. I didn't hear anything I can't hear with my original headphones so I was very disappointed. I remember when I first tried out my Grado's, and the new world of sounds that were hidden in everything I had been listening to. I did not expect such a huge change when upgrading but it was a revelation. I was expecting the same leap up in quality going from £100 to £1000 headphones. If I`m generous, there was a tiny bit more highs but it's not worth the additional cost or the losses in the midrange. I even tried playing both phones at the same time and holding a cup from each on my ears and not really telling a difference. I thought it might be my amps, so I swapped them around and got the same results. I would sit and listen a while and say yeah the Arya's are really good but look and see I was actually wearing the Grado's. It was very hard to accept it but I did, and then returned the Arya's. I may try another pair in the future in case I received a dud but I've seen reviews that had the same impressions.

What can I say that hasn't already been said by so many. Quite a step up from the Sundara's but should be for 2x the cost. So comfy to wear and great soundstage imho. Tweak with a little EQ to improve frequencies to your personal pref and these will suit you for life. Amazing deal from Amazon at £466 down from £560-ish so I just had to pounce as had been sitting on the fence salivating for ages. ZERO regrets should have done this sooner. H`eavenly Hifiman