We have here this time the much loved Hifiman Arya, now the latest gen with stealth magnets. I used to think stealth magnets are just some marketing gimmickry, but the Arya Stealth Edition (Arya SE hereafter) really surprised here how much they altered the sound. Maybe it’s the stealth magnets at work, or maybe it’s just that hifiman did some re-tuning. Either way, although I’ve been a fan of the Hifiman egg-shapped planars for their expansive, airy sound and fun tuning, their sometimes metallic timbre (especially on the original Arya and HE1000) have bugged me from time to time. On the Edition XS that I reviewed earlier, this metallic hue was basically gone. The Arya SE, it turns out, is also blessed by the same change.
Tonality: Neutral bright tuning with plenty of air and sparkle at the top. It has the typical planar bass and lower mids from 1000hz downwards, very flat extending all the way to 20hz. A bit of extra energy around 50-150hz adds a hint of ‘bloom’ to the bass that I find quite addictive. Mids ono the whole is very neutral, only a little recessed between 1-3khz region, where most hifiman planars are known to behave this way. Generally this is perceived midrange instruments and vocals being ‘polite’ or less forward/aggressive. There’s a notable bump around the 4-5khz upper-mids lower-treble area, which adds ‘clarity’ to the sound. With poorly recorded music this may sound a bit ‘edgy’ or ‘coarse’ due to the emphasis of this region, though in most cases I don’t find this to stand out. Another boosted region is between 7-8khz, which is quite typical not only of hifiman headphones but bright headphones in general, like the HD800 or Beyer T1. From 11khz onwards there’s plenty of ‘shimmer’ and ‘air’ that makes for the Arya’s extremely open and transparent sound.
One thing to note: despite having more treble energy than the HE1000 V2, personally I feel the Arya SE is smoother in the treble. I am not sure how this can be explained aside from the HEKV2 having more energy at around 6khz (about 3-5db). Recall my complaint about the HEKV2 having ‘metallic hue’ in the treble. If this were attributed by the elevations around 8khz and 11-12khz, the Arya SE should only be more metallic sounding. Yet in fact it doesn’t sound that way at all, at least not to my ears. A number of other reviewers including DMS have said similar things about treble being smoother. Maybe there’s something to do with CSD/THD above 10khz which is not shown in general measurements due to the constraint of the common types of measurement rig. This to me is a kind of epiphany that measurements sometimes do not tell the full story. We still need to listen to the headphones with our own ears.
Technicality: Impressively capable. Using the same drivers as the HE1000 series the Arya has sometimes been known as the ‘planar HD800’ for its resolving capabilities. Now with the symmetrical stealth magnets, the diaphragm seems to be bettered controlled, along with improved impact of punch and slam. Some have complained about shrinkage in soundstage. Honestly I don’t really feel this way although at first listen it did appear that the stage was somewhat closer in. Personally I think this is caused by extra body and warmth brought by the change in tuning though (see Crinacle’s or Resolve’s comparison of the Arya OG and the SE). Imaging might be one of the weaker points. Like most planars, their drivers are not angled, so that stereo imaging is not as solid as some dynamic cans like the Beyer T1. Even though the pads are shaped to be angled to help with that, but I feel it still does not image as sharply. Other than that, very solid performance across the board just shy of the TOTLs.
Next, let’s get into pad rolling options for the Arya SE.
First up is the Dekoni Elite Velour pads. With these the treble is much smoother, almost relaxing to listen to.The midrange dip between 1-3khz is kind of flattened out, so overall they sound more ‘neutral’ and ‘effortless’. Recommended for vocals and pop/rock genres. Less treble may cause instruments to lose some shimmer and clarity though, if that’s what you prioritise, the Elite Hybrid may be what you want as something in between stock and the Elite Velour, see below:
As you can see, the Dekoni Hybrid pads bring down treble like the Velours do but to a less extent. The original sound profile is retained more faithfully, while overall balance is improved. To most people this may be the easiest choice as an overall upgrade. Basically, it’s a less bright Arya with more fuller mids. Comfort-wise both the Dekonis are significantly better than the stock. Much less clamp. Softer and plusher memory foam.
The two Taobao pads below are measured with the legacy measurement rig (IEC711+0065 clone)
Next is the full leather option. The most notable difference is a small bump around 1khz, which adds a bit of ‘honk’ to vocals and midrange instruments. Crinacle surely won’t like these. They are much more comfortable than the protein ones though, and lower treble between 4khz-8khz is also smoother.
Then we have the hybrid pad option, which is similar in construction to the stock pads but with real leather. These measure almost identically to the protein ones. Overall I find the Dekoni elite hybrid pads to be more neutral sounding with its flatter midrange. These have slightly less treble energy though..
Aliexpress Pads
– the ear pads come with mounting rings and are super easy to install
– size is about exactly the same as the stock pads, only slightly thinner (not as clampy)
– make and material are not bad for the price, not as premium as dekoni ones but certainly passable (even a bit better than stock pads, dare I say)
– aside from the fabric/velour-ish material touching the face the two sets I ordered are basically identical
– sound-wise the two are very close as well
– as far as I can tell the inner foam filling seems to be some kind of memory foam, and is quite dense (which may have caused the reduced treble response as per measurement)
– both have slight elevation around 1khz which gives you a bit of mid forwardness but not enough to be annoying
– bass and treble both drop by quite a few decibels across the board, so the Arya SE becomes almost mid-centric
– there’s less ‘air’ overall in the upper treble
– bass quantity is reduced albeit slightly tighter
– in terms of comfort I prefer the Velour-1 with its softer touch
Hey Sai,
I have two questions about pad rolling:
– Do you plan to test the new(?) suede pads from Dekoni for older (pre-Unveiled/XV) egg-shaped Hifiman headphones?
– I noticed that you added the ASUS ROG Kitharas to your Squiglink. What mounting mechanism do the pads use? Is it the same as the old or new Hifimans, or something entirely different? I’m not planning to buy them, I’m just curious.
Hey man. Actually I didn’t know Dekoni had a new suede version for the eggshaped Hifimans. They aren’t available in Australia yet so I’ll have to reach out to them and see if I can get a pair in for testing. Thanks for the heads up!
Regarding the Kithara, it actually uses a different proprietary mounting system with a different pin layout, so none of the standard Hifiman pads (legacy or the new Unveiled rings) will fit.
Hello Sai,
I do not have too much experience in this area and i want to buy a new open-back headphones type, currently owning FT1 and X2HR, used together with DX3Pro+ and/or JM21.
Do you recommend Arya V3 Stealth? The price drop a lot lately (~500 eur), at least in my country. They are comfortable enough to wear for long listening sessions (as this is an important factor for me)?
Hi there. Yeah, at their current price, the Arya Stealth is a really nice option. It’s great value for the money, but some people can find them a bit bright or edgy in the treble. So, to be safe, using EQ would be a good idea. That kind of applies to most of Hifiman’s line-up except for some of the more recent ones like the Edition XV or HE600.
Comfort wise the Arya Stealth is great. It’s just a little over 400g, and the weight distribution is excellent because it has the best headband type of all the Hifiman headphones.
That said, if you’re also looking at other brands or models, let me know your sound preferences and the music you listen to. Otherwise, I can definitely say the Arya Stealth is not a bad choice at this price.
No worries! I’d say an all-in-one is totally fine. Most of them are more than powerful enough these days unless you’re driving something crazy like the HE6 or Tungsten. At your budget you’ll find plenty of good options. JDS Labs, iFi, Topping, SMSL, Schiit, and Fosi all make solid units that’ll run the Arya Stealth without issue.
If you prefer something that looks clean on the desk, go for whichever design you like best. Functionally, a good AIO isn’t going to hold you back compared to separates in this range.
Hello Sai!
First time commenting here, I’ve owned my first audiophile headphones, the HD 6XX along with the Sound BlasterX G6, for almost 4 years now and am shopping around for an upgrade. I’m quite new to the audiophile world, and after some research I’ve had a few people recommend me the Arya Stealth.
I primarily use my headphones for gaming, chatting with friends, listening to music, and watching movies, anime, etc.
I also really love bass and consider this a very important factor in my choice of headphones (Note: I wasn’t really thinking about this when I got the 6XX, mainly got them because they are a highly recommended entry-level pair.) My main ‘concern’ is this talk about the Stealth (and I think hifiman in general?) being very ‘bright’? For reference, I fully intend on using EQ as I already do so with my 6XX, and I’ve seen many people saying they sound amazing after EQ.
So, would you say the Stealth is a good choice for upgrading from my 6XX? Also, with regard to pads, I live in a hot country and my ears tend to get very hot by default, so I’m wondering what the coolest choice of pads would be. As for the effect of the pads on how they sound, does EQ-ing remove the need to pad swap?
Hi Odin! That’s a classic setup you’ve been running. The Arya Stealth would definitely feel like a big step up: much larger stage, more detail, and a more “open” presentation overall. It does lean brighter than the 6XX,but since you’re already comfortable with EQ that can be managed. You’ll probably need to tweak a filter or two above 10kHz by ear to hit your comfort zone, though. The bass responds really well to EQ too, so it should cover your needs there. At its current street price, the Arya Stealth is indeed excellent value as an EQ platform.
For pads, the stock ones are fine but can get warm over long sessions. Suede/velour pads can run cooler, though they can shift the sound a bit depending on the model. EQ can correct most of that, so if comfort’s the priority, just pick the coolest option you can find. Cooling-gel pads are starting to pop up too. if I come across a set that works well with the Arya/egg-shaped line, I’ll share an update.
All in all, the Arya Stealth looks like a strong upgrade path for your use case.
Thanks for the reply, very helpful!
Those cooling-gel pads sound like something I’d be interested on, will definitely keep an eye out for those!
One last thing I was wondering about is the dac/amp, I know I don’t really need to change my G6 but I am honestly considering it just for the fun of changing things up, I’ve always had my little G6 running underneath my desk, so I’d love to get a desktop unit which also looks aesthetic.
If you have any recommendations which can also run the Arya Stealth I’d appreciate that! I’m thinking around the $200 price range is what I’m comfortable with. Also, would you say there’s any difference between getting one which is a dac & amp in one vs getting them separately?
First I want to thank you for posting this!
I had ordered Dekoni Elite Velour pads for my Arya V2, before I found your post.
Coming from the HD800s paired with Bottlehead Crack, I was surprised to find how sibilant and almost ear drum murdering bright the Arya was.. I mainly listen to female vocal dominant songs and to me Arya is the worst headphones ever.. I decided to do some pad rolling hoping to tame that hot treble..
At this point, I’d sacrifice bass and airy sound or anything really.. as long as I don’t hear sibilance..
I found out on Dekoni’s website, the sheepskin pads are better at softening sibilance than the velour according to their FR graphs.
But reading your post, it sounds like the velour is better at it?
In your experience, did you feel that the velour was better to trim down the peak to get sibilance than the sheepskin? or was the difference almost negligible?
I am asking because I don’t fully trust Dekoni’s FR graphs..
Thank you in advance.
Hi mate, glad you find this useful.
Yes, the egg-shaped Hifimans can lean bright, and if you’re avoiding EQ, pads (and possibly damping mods) are your best bet. In my experience, the Dekoni velours work better than the sheepskin version in this particular case.
It can be a bit counterintuitive, but the kind of velour Dekoni uses is quite thick, which make them sonically very different typical velour. Also, here the fully sealed leather changes the way the driver “breathes”. Instead of adding bass warmth, you can actually get a bit less bass energy, which in turn leaves the treble more exposed. The result is a touch more glare compared to the velour. The difference isn’t huge, but it’s audible.
I’m currently using EQ but I was not happy with the result. I’m going to do a pad swap + some moderate EQ if necessary. Somehow I believe that’s better than just heavy EQ alone. I don’t have any evidence or knowledge to back it up though lol.
I really appreciate your reply. The pads will arrive next Monday and I will share my experience here if you don’t mind. it might be helpful for someone.
thank you!
Yeah, yours being the V2 Arya also makes it a bit different. Still, a pad swap plus light EQ can sometimes feel more natural than heavy EQ alone, since it’s a physical change in how the driver interacts with your ear. Definitely let me know how they go once you’ve tried them!
I got the pads earlier than expected. I picked a song particularly sibilant to my ears (almost to an unlistenable level sibilance) with the stock pads for a test. (Attention by NewJeans)
I didn’t want to have a placebo effect and trick my brain into thinking that the sibilance is magically gone with the new pads. So I listen to the song over and over until my ears almost bleed.
and with the new pads, the sibilance is gone!!! It’s not as soft as some of my other headphones such as the HD6XX, and it may tickle my ear drum a little but I no longer hear that thin shriek metalic timbre that was almost as painful as listening to someone scratching a blackboard with their fingernails.
I was rather pessimistic about the Dekoni pads or should I say the power of pad rolling but I was completely wrong.
For those who are wondering about the sound change,I didn’t feel much change about vocal forwardness. And frankly I think to the contrary to sai’s FR graph and the Dekoni’s, I actually think bass is slightly boosted. I know. Maybe I am crazy or because my brain is finally free from that shouty sibilance that I can finally enjoy the bass region.
spicy treble is gone as well as some airy sound which I don’t miss.
Sai. Thank you and thank you! I am glad I found your post. You literally saved my headphones. I will visit your website from time to time.
Sang
Hi Sang, glad it worked out, and thanks for reporting back. I am actually not surprised you noticed it that way. Even though the Dekoni velours don’t actually boost the bass, they take the edge off the upper mids and treble, which makes the overall balance smoother. Perceptually, that shift often feels like the bass has come forward, because you’re no longer distracted by the treble. You may lose a bit of air, yes, but the gain in listenability and balance more than makes up for it if sibilance was a deal breaker before.
Glad you can finally enjoy the Arya now. It makes the hobby much more fun when the gear works with your ears instead of against them!
Sai
Hello Sai.
I have the Arya Stealth since 4 weeks.
Do you recommend a simple eq profile using the stock pads?
Thanks and all the best.
Stefan, Bavaria/Germany
Hey Stefan! Nice, congrats on the Arya Stealth – definitely a fun toy to have. You can try this simple EQ profile with the stock pads:
Preamp: -5.0 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 30 Hz Gain 5.0 dB Q 0.700
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 1800 Hz Gain 4.0 dB Q 1.500
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 1.500
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 7800 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 3.000
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 11500 Hz Gain -4.0 dB Q 3.000
Let me know how it sounds for you. All the best from down under!
Hello Sai.
The stock tuning of the Arya Stealth is called neutral bright, and I agree with that.
Thank you for your eq profile, I appreciate it very much! After trying several other eq profiles from other sources like ‘oratory1990’ or ‘listener’ I can say so far that I like your profile most. Maybe it is because you pay also attention on the treble frequencies 7.8kHz and 11.5kHz. I have stored it as a preset at my RME Adi 2 DAC.
It is clear that using of eq is the most efficient way to push the sound of a(ny) headphone. However, doing this is a complex and sometimes frustrating enterprise, and applying of given eq profiles is, in my experience, often a step back. The reasons are simple: different units, measurement rigs, FR targets, heads, ears…
So I have begun to tend more and more only to focus on bass and treble by using simple shelf filters and keep everything in between as it is.
The sound magic of Hifiman headphones (I also own the Ananda OG, non stealth, 2021 model) can be maintained with that more, as far I can say.
Anyway, I will definitely spend more time listening with your profile now. Thank you again!
BR, Stefan
Hi Stefan. Yeah, oratory and listener’s EQs are usually solid. We just approach things a bit differently depending on the target curves and rigs we’re using. Really glad to hear mine worked well for you! EQ can definitely be a bit of a rabbit hole, but that’s part of the fun too. Like you said, it’s all about tuning it to your own ears. I always see EQ profiles as a starting point – tweak from there until it feels just right. Also, I’m with you on the Hifiman sound. Fan of their egg-shaped line myself, as you’ve probably noticed. Enjoy the music!
Hello Sai.
It’s been a long time now, but I want to report how it is going with my Arya SE.
I tried a lot of EQ settings the last weeks, oratory1990 (for RME ADI-2), amirm from ASR, listener from the headphone show, but I never got this “coming home” feeling, if that makes sense.
Surely all settings changed the sound compared to the stock tuning, but something always seemed to be “wrong”.
At the end I always came back to your profile, only filter 1 for bass was reduced to around +3dB instead of +5dB.
A lot of folks say that equalizing the Arya SE is an easy task. Well, I cannot confirm that to me. For example my Ananda OG was quite easier to bring it “home”, but most easiest was my Sennheiser HD560S (new version, 2023), for that I only use a bass shelf with a few dB gain and that’s it; maybe there is still a tiny little bit too much in the (upper) ear gain section, but for me it is more than fine and I don’t want to fall in that rabbit hole with the Senni, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, thanks again for your support.
Many greetings from Bavaria/Germany.
Stefan
Hey Stefan, good to see you back!
Your experience got me thinking, and it is a really interesting case that shows how we all hear differently and why one EQ profile does not always work for everyone. I tend to think that it is more to do with the upper treble differences between the Arya Stealth and the Ananda/HD560S that made it more difficult for you to find the sweet spot.
Indeed, the upper treble is known to be tricky for EQ because our hearing tends to differ wildly above 8kHz or so. And the Arya Stealth has quite a bit of excess energy up top.
Have you tried adjusting the band for upper treble eg. at 11.5kHz? Try higher or lower values for the gain and see if you find a spot that lands you closest to your comfort zone. Given that you prefer the HD560S from the midrange and up, it is likely that you may want a steeper drop above 6kHz with the Arya Stealth, and especially around 11.5kHz and higher.
Try this (might be a bit too ‘safe’):
Preamp: -4.0 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 30 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 0.700
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 1800 Hz Gain 4.0 dB Q 1.500
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain -2.5 dB Q 1.500
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 7800 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 2.500
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 11500 Hz Gain -5.5 dB Q 3.000
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 13500 Hz Gain -2.5 dB Q 3.000
Let me know how you go.
Sai
Hello Sai.
Many thanks for your additional suggestions. I will now play with the gain values especially for the treble filters.
Let’s see where I end up.
Thanks and greetings from the currently very cold Bavaria/Germany.
Stefan
And it’s getting smoking hot here in Sydney! Enjoy the music and yeah, see what those values do for you mate.
Hello Sai,
after a few more attempts, I’ve (hopefully) finally settled on this EQ profile for the Arya Stealth. It’s saved as a preset in my RME ADI-2 DAC. I also boost the bass as needed using a shelf filter, which I can adjust directly on the RME ADI-2 or via remote control.
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 1700 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 1.200
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 2100 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 3.000
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 2800 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 3.000
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 4400 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 3.000
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 15000 Hz Gain -5.0 dB Q 0.600
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Stefan
Thanks for including your EQ preset Stefan. I no longer have access to the Arya Stealth, but I’ll defintely give them a shot if I have the chance again. Yes, the B/T function with the ADI-2 is very convenient.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!
Sai
The 10-15kHz range on the Arya Stealth bothers me. The Dekoni Elite Velour seem to tame the treble peaks the best, but I hate velour. The Elite Hybrid costs €99, while the perforated sheepskin from AliExpress is €7… Is the price difference really worth it?
Indeed the aftermarket pads tame the upper treble quite a bit compared to stock. I would suggest going for the Ali pads.
The Ali Pads arrived today. They look good, but when I wiped the surface with a cloth, the cloth turned black… I guess it’s time for Dekoni after all. 😀
Ah, that’s happened to me with some earpads too. It’s usually excess dye or some kind of treatment residue. It’s not usually a big deal unless you’re using alcohol wipes – a lot of leather pads are like that. But yeah, if you’re after a more premium build, Dekoni is definitely the way to go.
Just a small question – are Hifiman Edition XS pads the exact same ones as on Arya Stealth? Many thanks
Yep, they are the exact same one as far as I can tell. At least when it comes to both my subjective listening tests and FR measurements, they are pretty much indistinguishable. There could still be tolerance/unit to unit variation issues, though.
Hey! If anyone would have the measurements of the HE1000SE with the dekoni’s I would be very curious to see. Cheers all 🙂
Hi, wanted tobask about Dekoni elite velour pads.
Your graph doesnt show drop in bass response. Which is good, I only would like to tame a bit treble make it more linear.
But seeing graphs on Dekoni site it seems like elite velour pads have less bass than stock ones.
So the question is where isnthe truth? Did you feel weaker bass when used on head?
Hi there. Dekoni uses a HATS (Head And Torso Simulator) which could make it harder to get a proper seal with some headphones due to the shape/contour of the dummy head.
With a normal seal, the bass should be pretty flat on the Arya Stealth, either with the stock pads or the Dekoni Velour. In fact, I find the bass slightly more emphasised with the Elite Velour due to a slightly more tamed treble.
Hope that clears things up a bit.
Sai
Thanks sir. I was not aware which measuring rig Dekoni uses. Anyway I’ll try their elite pads.
Funny enough I remember to hear original Arya as to bright or I should rather say something was too spicy just wrong with treble. With Arya Stealth higher frequencies are maybe even more pronounced, but clearer at the same time. Less resonances? Less air turbulence because of stealth magnets? I don’t know but for sure I’m like 99% okay with the treble now.
Thanks again and keep it up, great work.
Yeah, the Dekoni pads are decent. If you’re looking to save a bit, there are similar alternatives on Aliexpress. They use comparable leather/fabric, though the filling is typically low-density foam, not as plush as the high-density memory foam found in Dekoni pads. If you prefer a brighter/airier sound, these Aliexpress pads might actually suit your tastes better. Measurements can be found in my squiglink database.
I share with your observations about the Arya OG and Stealth. It seems the treble in the Stealth is more evenly distributed, so it doesn’t stand out as sharply. The Stealth version likely has fewer resonances, probably due to a combination of factors like stealth magnets and the increased number of small magnets facing the ear, which helps smooth out the sound.
Thanks for your kind words – happy listening and enjoy experimenting with different pads!