HIFIMAN - Arya Stealth Magnet Version

I got and returned the 109 Pro after few weeks. They are super comfortable, nice sounding and that is it. They are nice they didn't do much for me no complaints it just OK. I found my self going back more and more to my older Arya Stealth and 6xx. Obviously everyone is different but I think under $1000 there is much better at least objectively better headphones and you can listen to them first. Focal Clear, Arya Stealth, LCD-2C (used) I would even throw in 660S2. All these to me sounded better than 109 Pro.

A good over ear headphone that's not wireless, will more times than not require/ benefit from an amp/dac. Besides that as many have recommended the Arya stealth, a closed back headphone will usually provide you that feeling of bass you sound like you're looking for. Open backs tend to trade bass for sound stage, Arya stealth being one of the best in its price bracket especially if you find one used, that has amazing imaging detail and sound stage, bass however might not be super. I'm personally an advocate of IEMs but fit is super subjective so more times than not an over ear headphone will have more of a universal fit. IEMs also don't produce the bass slam like headphones do simply because of basic physics, bigger over ear drivers move more air and therefore have more satisfying bass (as long as you don't get an open back)

There is no best, it's subjective. Though I would generally prefer open-backs over closed backs, especially when you're just using them in your chair and not a noisy environment. "Audiophile grade" is also not a clearly defined term. There are a lot of good options available for under 1000$, I would recommend ordering a few different pairs and comparing them. Like, as far as open-backs are concerned, get a Hifiman Arya, Sennheiser HD 6XX and maybe a Beyerdynamic DT1990 (note that there's two versions, you can get some great deals on the older MK1 but it has a very spicy treble). If you really need/want something closed, your options will be more limited, you could try a Senny HD620 and Beyer DT1770. Personally, I think the AKG K702 (open) for 180 USD is an incredible deal, but some don't like the mid-heavy sound. And there's no doubt there are better headphones to be had for three or four times the price, but they won't really sound three of four times better, and whether it's worth it spending so much is up to you.

Arya's are a improved version of the edition XS, better and smoother high's and less sibilant, similar tuning.

I've got my stealths paired with a Merlin/Gremlin stack with the upgraded select tubes and they are truly wonderful.

Tried these, but the L and R that's stitched inside the cups destroyed all comfort for me, so I returned them. Also I couldn't wear them comfortably with glasses. Otherwise I agree that they are pretty comfortable. Got Arya Stealth now and can wear them all day without any discomfort even with glasses.

Love my Arya Stealth comfortwise (and also soundwise). First Headphone in my posession (DT770/880/1990) or that I've tried (HD490, Focal Clear, Amiron Home) that I can wear comfortably with glasses all day long.

Arya Stealths are amazing. Got them a few months ago (new for 550€ on an Amazon sale) after one of the drivers of my DT 1990 gave up after just 4 years. Otherwise they were really nice sound wise and decent comfort wise. Hope I'll have better luck with the Aryas, but so far I am really pleased with their sound and comfort. Especially comfort wise the Aryas were a gamechanger when wearing them with glasses.

Arya Stealth - a great Allrounder

My favorites in terms of "bank for your buck" are definitely the Arya Stealth. If you spend a bit more, you get the LC2C which are also absolute beasts. Focal Utopia stunned me by how good it sounds for dynamic headphones and it made me reconsider how I view dynamics. As for immersion, I'd pick Susvara any time of the day, they were the best sounding ones and the most resolving ones I've ever tried (if I had the budget ofc). Other than that, the ADX5000 are brilliant and if you can't afford them, the ADX3000 is a cheaper model but still sounds amazing.

They go on sale pretty often, I got mine for $530. Hifimans holiday sale should be coming up.

For that much I think you can get an Arya stealth + an apple dongle. Tho in reality for gaming you don't really need that much, you can prob make due with an edition xs, Beyer, ath r70x for under 300 usd. Music is different story but would need more info

Honestly, dont get the Arya Stealth as everbody is saying (unless you know that you like an airy soundscape). Yes, the detail resolution and clarity is quite good but the Edition XS gets you 90% there at half the price. In my opinion, it's smarter to buy 2 cheap headphones that can do different things well rather than 1 that excels at 1 thing. Also, don't spend too much money on a DAC. Really make sure that you know what you want before you buy. There is no 1 true best buy

Arya stealths are open back headphones, they have exceptional instrument separation and wide soundstage, especially for the price. They really feel like a different product than most consumer headphones on the first listen. They are barely portable though - you need an amp (i use small portable ifi hip dac 3) and they are open back so everyone hears what you are listening to. They also sound best with equalizer (I use eqmac on my macbook). I listen to them at home connected to my MacBook and almost never carry them around, but they constantly give me the "wow" feeling, especially on well mixed tracks. HDB 630 are great closed back bluetooth headphones, a slight upgrade in sound quality compared to airpods max, but definitely not night and day difference.

Skip the Beyerdynamics unless you can listen to them first. They're ... very trebly. If you go that route, buy from somewhere with a good return policy AND get the lowest Ohm version you can find. If you can buy them from someone with a better return policy than Hifiman directly, the Arya Stealth is a great gaming headphone around $500 USD. I prefer the Meze 105 AER and 109 Pro personally for music (warmer tune), but any of those will be great. If you really want closed backs (and it doesn't sound like you do), the best value on the market is the Fiio FT1, an excellent headphone at any price but currently $160 USD. (Their open back sister the FT1 Pro are also excellent). The closed back upgrade pick is the DCA Aeon Closed. Reviews: - Arya https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/02/hifiman-arya-stealth-my-new-favorite-objective-open-back/ - 109 pro https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/meze-109-pro-review/ - 105 AER https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/meze-105-aer-review-another-great-meze-product/ - FT1 https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/

I found the 660S2 to be really uncomfortable for long listening sessions and clamped too hard for me. Tried bending the headband, but never found the sweet spot. I ended up getting the Hifiman Arya Stealth and have never been happier comfort-wise. Purchased a really soft velour pad set and oh my days, could sleep in them, if they weren't so bulky 😂

The Arya Stealth is open backed and will leak sound in and out so it is highly unsuitable for use out of the house. It is also large and requires an amp. Same with the Sennheiser HD660 although it is slightly smaller. You want a closed back if you plan to use it outside of a quiet room. Either a wired one with passive isolation or a wireless with active noise cancellation. And of course, the wireless ones come with sound quality compromises. Even the most expensive ones don't sound as good as similarly priced passive headphones.

I have the Arya Stealths. They're amazing. They're detailed... they're critical. ...they're also heavy and after a while... I'm a little fatigued. ...and I wind up grabbing my 6xx's (650) again afterwards. And I could wear those for days on end and not notice they're there. So probably the venerable 650/6xx tbh.

Arya Stealth is about $600 nowadays, used to be $1600 and was still a good choice even at that price. As far as sound goes it's very good but the build quality is lacking and QC is infamously bad. LCD 2F, while worse sound wise is still very good and is well built but rather heavy. If you want a closed back instead then DCA Noire X is one of the best.

Hifiman Arya Organic + Topping DX3 Pro+ or Topping DX5 II if you want something with a screen and more power. make sure to turn down the highs and turn up the bass with an eq. Ez pz, just a low shelf at 100 and a high shelf at 10k-15khz depending on your tastes. After that just enjoy. I'm using something extremely similar to the Organic, the HE1000 V2 Stealth with a Topping DX5 II, it's my endgame. With a 7 db bass boost it makes my head numb and it has enough details/separation to make me go sometimes "zamn", but with my own eq it's just a very "good" set. I dont look for a "wow" factor, I just want great quality reproduction if that makes sense. If you want a wow factor, you certainly can do that with eq, these headphones take EQ really well. My recommendations : Hifiman Arya Stealth + Topping DX3 Pro+ (minimum) Hifiman Arya Organic + Topping DX5 II (Maximum) Depending on where you live and the local pricing, things may be in or out of budget but if possible, the last stack is literally endgame. I can't stress how nice it feels to have endless amounts of power on tap. I've listened to headphones costing 4000 USD (LCD-5) and they're not significantly better. Better, yes, but not what the price would suggest at all. The Arya Organic is literal endgame. If money is tight right now, get the Organic and a little TRN Black Pearl with balanced cables and then upgrade to the Topping DX5 II later on. After that just call it quits. Other headphones do some things better but not all of them. Whereas the Susvara will be a genuine upgrade in all aspects by 5-25% but it costs 5-10x more. Diminishing returns.

i did. i use hifiman arya and an el2 amp. way more expensive but you only live once so yolo.

You got lucky then, I liked the Ananda Nano a good bit but just couldn't get a proper seal with them. The headband design of the Arya just is a lot better in that regard, if you want to stay within the Hifiman family :)

Arya Se and you save money, you won't find anything that sounds better in the 1000 range

I have just got an arya stealh, my man... they are absolute beast after hd 650.

109 Pro's have really poor sound quality for the price. They sound muffled and the treble is boosted to hide that a bit. Literally an HE400se is more "technical". Love the design as well, but for sound quality a poor choice. I also prefer the Anandas to Aryas since the bass is better and timbre is a bit better.

XS and Arya both have CSD/brightness and other issues- PEQ required IMO for both

What would be the closed back equivalent of the Hifiman Arya Stealth around the £500 region? I love the Aryas sound, technicalities, imaging, soundstage, and comfort, but they're not very practical when there's background noise (kids 😂) or for long distance travel portability. Wouldn't mind a bit more of a bass shelf without the need to EQ it in. Your recommendations would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏼

Same thing happened with me. Returned them and got the arya stealth instead. Loving them so far would definitely recommend.

Its all personal preference. You'll find the Arya stealth sounds a lot more spacious and wide compared to HD 650, with better bass extension. At the same time, you may find it thin-sounding and a bit bright. Personally, I don't like the older Hifiman headphones because find the overall tonal balance to be very off. The scooped mids coupled with the excess energy in treble make them sound too bright and thin for me. Having said that, you'll find the Arya stealth to be more "immersive" compared to the HD 650 but the HD 650 is still one of the most natural and "correct" sounding headphones. Ultimately, I'd advise you to just try them both if you can. Always trust your ears over what anyone else has to say.

Hifiman Arya SE. Does everything you need it to without going into 4 figures territory.

I took a risk and just ordered my first truly good headphones (the Arya Stealth), and I was immediately disappointed on first listen. I listened for days thinking I was going to need to return them. Then something seemed to suddenly click and they became absolutely beautiful sounding. I experienced the brain burn-in phenomenon. I ultimately had to return them for financial reasons before the 30 day return window at Amazon was up, but I eventually purchased the Arya Organic when I could afford it. All that is to say that maybe you need to find a way to spend more time with a headphone before counting it out. You could always order one from Amazon and return it before the window closes for a full refund.

Dunno why you're being downvoted. I gamed, produced shit music, and listened to tons of good music on these for years. I now have HD600s, Beyer T1s, and Stealth Aryas and the fidelios still go pretty hard. 2nd best for gaming after the Aryas.

Arya Stealth is probably closest to what you're saying. You're not going to get that with wireless.

Agree, I'm quite sure I will never get to even hear the best over the ear cans available let alone afford them. A friend brought over his HD800S (they were great), I own HD 700's ,Arya's and XS editions. I'll be 70 in three weeks so they will probably have to do..

A good over ear headphone that's not wireless, will more times than not require/ benefit from an amp/dac. Besides that as many have recommended the Arya stealth, a closed back headphone will usually provide you that feeling of bass you sound like you're looking for. Open backs tend to trade bass for sound stage, Arya stealth being one of the best in its price bracket especially if you find one used, that has amazing imaging detail and sound stage, bass however might not be super. I'm personally an advocate of IEMs but fit is super subjective so more times than not an over ear headphone will have more of a universal fit. IEMs also don't produce the bass slam like headphones do simply because of basic physics, bigger over ear drivers move more air and therefore have more satisfying bass (as long as you don't get an open back)

For your budget, you get either a really excellent wired open back planar magnetic headphone like Hifiman Arya Stealth, or a good wireless anc headphone like Sennheiser HDB630. I would argue that the Arya Stealth is A LOT better but of course not portable.

Get an Ananda or Arya. Hifiman is tops in price for performance in that range. You may need to deal with their customer service (although I never have). And go for the older models, which have steeper discounts.

For mobile use there is no out of the world experience, but HDB630 is the best sounding mobile HP according to the measurement Nerds and it can be EQ to your preference as well and gehts close, wont get better right now, so for mobile best Sound get them. for at Home use even better Sound and an immersive wtf Moment especially for classic Arya stealth.

My PC audio consists of a Schiit magni/modi AMP/DAC combo with Kanto YU4 active speakers and a pair of hifiman Arya stealth headphones that I swap between using. I also have a separate Rode mini desk mic for voice chat and such. Makes for a great simple setup.

Arya Stealth I would say at their current price of $/£600. I however find the huge earcups uncomfortable, but they sound nice.