Distortion some are actually doubled strikes, some in the recording. Comfort is good but it is a tad bit heavier than I'd like. HEDD oh my, Natalie has never sounded better. I bought some Focal Clears online to try them, since I don't have access to anywhere to demo headphones. With a detachable cable you can use alternative cables, and if the cable is pulled it will pop out instead of breaking. Sibilance gone. I previously owned an Hd800 (SDR-modded, and eq'd for more bass and slightly less treble), but I'm looking for one or two sets of headphones that have better overall tonality and don't slip right off my head! The one area where the Arya falters a bit is in the sense of punch and slam, or what some have traditionally called macrodynamics. This is still a premium audiophile headphone in my eyes, but its $1,299 price point is actually the most reasonable, giving you a fantastic value. Every genre is brought to life beautifully. You still get the incredible transparency and detail of the original, along with a soundstage and imaging that's just as good. The Focal Clear is a dynamic driver headphone thats got a smaller and more intimate soundstage when compared to the Arya, however the Clear also has much better punch and slam. Pretty bog-standard V-shaped response with forward upper-midrange and decently high resolution. Treble peak may offend some, but otherwise very well balanced and natural tonality with decent technicalities. This design provides very natural and accurate sound. Cymbals emphasized. Bonhams drums have the right thwack. Certainly a "mini-HD800" in terms of tonality only, however still far inferior in technical ability. Less snare in drums. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background noise. And in that sense, I consider the Ananda to be a planar magnetic equivalent. Sounds like one too. Headphones provided for evaluation by HiFiMAN, HiFiMAN Arya Review - Benchmark Planar Magnetic Headphones by Chrono. A little quirky tonally, but nothing too offensive. More or less a HD599 with slightly worse resolution. Nice percussion. Question for you. Needs more upper midrange. Bloated bass with wonky midrange, a killer combination. In this video 3 great headphones are compared head to head. The Clears are more dynamic than Arya but not by that much. Expectedly Harman tuning but lacks a bit of bite in the upper midrange for "true Harman". The Arya still wins on soundstage, image distinction and depth, and I find the LCD-X has a more intimate center image thats pulled towards me, while the Aryas is more evenly spread out in front. Almost "Harman" tuning with some undesirable mid-bass bloat. Very close to HEDD. The lowest frequency at which the device produces audio. There is a control panel on the device body, so you can easily access the volume control or remote without having to interact with a cable or another device it's connected to. A pretty good beat-tracking monitor. The world's best headphone. Nice thumping bass. Thoroughly enjoyable headphones but they dont disappear like the others. Too much bloat going on in the bass, which is a shame given that the rest of the mids are alright. They also have more bass and clear high notes. A good reference for "true DF neutral". Lack of bass extension is its biggest dealbreaker of what would be an otherwise solid headphone. The device has an option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. Comfort is good but it is noticeable on my jawline. Upper mids are a bit closer on this one as well. HEDD is doing things right. I havent been able to find a shop in japan that has a pair of Stellias and ive been hungry for a Clear. As an upgrade from the original Clear, the MG provides great depth and transparency that only Focal can deliver. Ranks will be determined based on thebest unit tried. Slightly better clarity and imaging than the HD650. Nice tonality. Headphones and Headphone Amplifier Reviews. One of the better midrange planars out there. More room ambiance/reverb in vocals. LCD excellent mid and low bass. Excellent dynamics with one of the best bass I've heard in a headphone, though the midrange can be a little harsh. Very good balance and separation. Focal Clear: does not need EQ but some helps improve it. So I have no reservations about thoroughly recommending the HiFiMAN Arya. HiFiMAN Arya Vs HifiMAN Susvara Vs HifiMAN Edition XS Vs Vs Focal Utopia 2022 Vs Audeze LCD-X Open-Back. Of course, you definitely get that feeling listening to the Stealth as well. Experience what the best has to offer.A: While not at the top of the summit, Grade-A headphones are still very respectable performers that would still be considered as some of the best by many.B:Can essentially be described as very good, or excellent performers in their own right.C: Average in the grand scheme of things, anywhere from passable to good.D:The threshold for bad starts here.E:The truly horrible.F:The failures. Ever so slight brightness approaching sibilance. The time it takes to fully charge the battery. Nice cymbals but almost painful rim shots. With enough requests, a headphone may also be tested with a different (typically more expensive) amplifier. electrostatic energisers) will be added to this MSRP value and valued accordingly. A place for discussion, news, reviews and DIY projects related to portable audio, headphones, headphone amplifiers and DACs. If you could only own one of the above headphones, which would you pick and why? Biased with patriotism! The bass displays a tight and balanced response, while not being afraid to deliver smooth textures and a heightened coloration thanks to the present sub-bass. EQ has nicely tamed the midrange. They rock! Nice thunder. Has anyone been in my situation before? Arya has more extension in the highs/lows but slightly scooped midrange compared to Clears. Importantly its able to do this without compromising on weight or comfort, being easily usable for long periods of time. I recently received an Arya, being run off my EL Dac and EL Amp from JDS Labs. Battery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. Punchy, energetic sound with decently balanced tonality. These headphones made me fall in love with the end of this song. For detail retrieval and textural nuance, especially in the treble regions, I find that it edges out the Arya slightly. Muffled, narrow-sounding, and lacking surface-level detail. Drums and cymbals nicely emphasized. An intense sound given its significant treble boost, but countered by a smooth lower-midrange bump. Typical cheaply-made headphone that's all bass with zero technical ability. Arya surprised on Stairway but still seems to fall short of the Clear and LCD overall. Because these push the sound towards you so much more than the more relaxed Arya, sometimes the treble can sound fatiguing. When considering timbre, I like to think of it as an analogy to the way different instruments playing the same pitch or tone are still able to come across differently, even though much of what we may think of as timbre is represented in frequency response and tonality. The idea behind this was that while all the features of the Harman target above 900hz are still present, they loosely correspond to some ear-related gain factors (leaving aside the treble roll off for now). Audeze LCD3 - one of the earcups had a crack in it. Headsets can be used for apps that require communication i.e. Clear nice balance between acoustic guitar, flute and Robert Plants vocals. (HiFiMan Arya). This type of device allows you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise. Warm, bloated sound with a largely muffled midrange. To charge the device, you simply put it down on a compatible charging pad. Of course one headphone that can do it all would be great and from what i've read the Focal Clear are reported to be very well balanced across the range, whereas the HD800s are perhaps a little lean in the bass. The Utopia has an extra helping of clarity and soundstage realism to my ear. Hd800s seems to lack bass according to the FR, but T1 is recommended by plenty of people. I'm a basshead too. Nice snare drums. Water-resistant devices can resist the penetration of water, such as powerful water jets, but not being submerged into water. The Stellia also has a midbass bump, which some people may like. Harman-ish tuning with a strong mid-bass presence and piercing upper treble response. A little too sharp, a little too midbassy, but overall not the most offensive headphone out there. The device has an option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. This design provides very natural and accurate sound. Zero brightness or sibilance. Lastly, I should point out that already after less than one year since its introduction, the Arya Stealth is already down to $1200, and that is truly a great price given the headphone's performance. Timestamps:00:00 Intro and amping02:00 Build, Design \u0026 Comfort04:55 Technical performance09:48 Tonality and frequency response14:02 Recommendations and ConclusionHiFiMAN Arya measurements: https://forum.headphones.com/t/hifiman-arya-official-thread/2577/66?u=resolveAudeze LCD-X measurements: https://forum.headphones.com/t/audeze-lcd-x-open-back-planar-headphone-official-thread/2819/78?u=resolveFocal Clear Measurements: https://forum.headphones.com/t/focal-clear-open-back-headphones-official-thread/33/227?u=resolveBecome an expert on headphones: https://www.headphones.com/pages/researchLearn about headphone measurements and frequency response: https://www.headphones.com/pages/measurements-and-frequency-responseHow frequency response impacts sound signature: https://www.headphones.com/pages/how-frequency-response-impacts-sound-signaturePodcast: https://theheadphoneshow.fireside.fm/Twitter: https://twitter.com/headph1showTwitter: https://twitter.com/ResolveReviewsSource equipmentAmp - SPL Phonitor X: https://www.headphones.com/products/spl-phonitor-x-headphone-amplifier?variant=376861360149Amp - Cayin IHA-6: https://www.headphones.com/products/cayin-iha-6DAC - iFi Pro iDSD: https://www.headphones.com/products/ifi-audio-pro-idsd-dac?variant=12694240985159DAC - Mytek Liberty: https://www.headphones.com/products/mytek-digital-liberty-dac-headphone-amplifier?variant=17124771102791HeadphonesFocal Clear: https://www.headphones.com/products/focal-clear-over-ear-open-back-headphonesAudeze LCD-X: https://www.headphones.com/products/audeze-lcd-x-high-performance-open-back-over-ear-reference-planar-magnetic-headphones-lambskin-leatherHifiman Arya: https://www.headphones.com/products/hifiman-arya Middling technicalities, but for a gaming headphone its tonality is surprisingly balanced. While I love the Anandas tonality, I find the Arya has a more spacious presentation with a better representation of depth, layering, and image separation. https://www.dropbox.com/s/i1hujciatpwxocb/Audeze LCD-3.pdf, https://www.dropbox.com/s/hqb9zjsvc2nu5zc/Focal Clear.pdf, https://www.dropbox.com/s/nu2bf4le1k87n5v/Hifiman Arya.pdf, https://www.dropbox.com/s/jaj88yzof3pgoly/HEDD Heddphone.pdf. It's so good in this regard that in my opinion it rivals that of the Focal Clear. They tickle your earlobes and make my eardrums itch. And would you equate price to performance after EQ? Sounds like something went wrong with the upper-midrange tuning. Clear drums. 2001-2023 Head-Fi.org. Good bass except the lowest notes, sharp finger snaps. Arya more immediate, brighter, slightly grating. With a longer battery life you have to charge the device less often. Even better. HiFiMAN has taken its acclaimed Arya model and given it the Stealth magnet treatment, which changed enough of its sound characteristics to be considered a new headphone. 3 GREAT Headphones - HD800S VS Arya VS Clear The HEADPHONE Show 77.8K subscribers 30K views 5 months ago In this video 3 great headphones are compared head to head. I'll leave now. However, the Focal feel better-built. Hard to explain what exactly this sounds like, but the first thing you'd hear is probably the treble roll-off. Decent tonality and technical ability. Humps for days. Odd upper-midrange tuning results in a scratchy, uneven presentation. The Arya had a more neutral "flat" tuning than the Clear Mg, which sounded more natural in some ways. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background noise. Instrument timbre is perfect - standup bass, mandolin, acoustic guitar all sound like real instruments. Abysmal bass extension with overly-boosted lower mids makes for a strange listening experience. If you can tell, some headphones on the database (that Ive tried) are not in this list. Much better. This contests stinks! Very nice balance and separation. Ideal for plane rides and morning commutes. Better deep bass. The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device. Billie is whispering in my ears. The mystical acoustic properties of Gorilla Glass could not save this monstrosity. DCA Ethers, Focal Clear mg/mg pro, HD800s, MEST IEMs, Monarchs maybe.. Hopefully that defines the field well enough. Bass is strong. The lower the impedance, the easier it is to get higher volume and requires less power. Very nice bass and midrange with excellent balance and tonality. HEDD beautiful clear airy treble. Reference for `` true Harman '' Focal Clears online to try them, I... 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