HIFIMANArya Stealth Magnet Version Full-Size Over-Ear Planar Magnetic Headphone for Audiophiles/Studio

My headphone journey began back in the late 90's when I spent what I considered an outrageous amount of money on a pair of Sennheiser HD600 headphones. At the time I was working a second shift job and getting home after work at around 12:30 am. My wife was working during the daytime so I needed a quality pair of headphones so that I could listen to music without waking her by turning on the stereo. So about a year after buying these headphones we welcomed our son into the world and certainly they would be even more important to me because I didn't want to wake the baby, either.Fast forward just about one year later and our boy was just on the verge of learning to walk. He could stand up by holding onto table tops and such but he wasn't yet walking and one day I left the house to go to work and left them on my desktop. Somehow my precious little man got his meat hooks on them and they wound up in the bottom of the dishwasher. His little "experiment" didn't work out so well!Over the years I have amassed 20 pairs of headphones. I've sold several of them, too. I own some that are less expensive than the Arya, and some that cost more. I've got to say, I'm really impressed with this headphone. In fact, at $599 the Arya stealth has to be one of the best bargains in audio. Consider this... $600 IS a considerable amount of money to spend on a headphone, but at the same time, three years ago this headphone was selling for $1600.I own the HFM Sundara, and it's still a nice sounding headphone, but I have a few issues with them, notably the build quality and lack of swiveling earcups. The overall feeling of the Sundara when held in my hand is one of being pretty cheap. And to be honest I was concerned that the Arya would feel cheap as well. It doesn't. The build quality is superb. When placed on the head it feels lightweight and very comfortable for extended listening sessions. The earpads are giant, no doubt, and I can feel them kind of irritating me just a bit in the jaw area below the ear while laying down. It's not a big deal but worth noting.So how do they sound? Well, I'm not going to dazzle you with all kinds of superlatives. They sound glorious. They sound BIG and expansive. Feed them a terrific recording and you will be rewarded in a big way. Feed them a lousy recording and they are going to tell you how terrible it is. They leak sound in a great big way so these aren't for the morning commute or for listening on an airplane. And if your significant other is in the same room with you, that might not go over so well, either. This is NOT a headphone to wear at the gym or while out walking. It's a great BIG headphone and you will look like a dork outdoors. Personally I'd only wear it outside if sitting on the patio where I'm not going to be seen by the masses. I'm not so vain that it would bother me if my neighbor saw me with them on.I don't consider myself an audiophile in the truest sense, I am a music enthusiast. I care ONLY about how a headphone or a stereo system sounds to my own ears. If a product sounds so good to my own ears that it can elicit emotion it's a keeper and in that context the Arya stealth delivers in spades. For many this level of performance will be their endgame.

….as will the cost of course! But CAUTION: This review is NOT for the Stealth version (update 1/24/22) but the first iteration that I purchased in 2019. I don not believe they are the same however, I would contact HiFiman directly to ascertain same. All that being said, here is my original review: In terms of sheer OVERALL aural pleasure, I doubt that you will find anything better for the price in this universe at least! Nonetheless, I am concerned with the build quality which is a little shoddy! Don't get me wrong, I've had them since early December 2019 and I AM putting them through their paces. A 50 hour burn-in is MY normal burn in time (I know many people think this is pure hogwash, but I've gone down the "big-rig stereo" and "headphone" setups rabbit holes since I was a young fellow, having been in a "basement-band" {not too many garages in Bushwick, Brooklyn in the late 1960's} ) ….having a good sound system was almost mandatory!But, I digressed. Suffice to say that over the years I noticed distinct differences in sound quality after a piece of stereo (even moreso with speakers, headphones and tube amplifiers) equipment had been used for a certain amount of time. Now the ARYA sounded great right out of the box, despite the squeaking headband hinge, but once they are on your head and you've sat down and listening to whatever your pleasure is with them (and TRUST me, ALL genres sound immersive, involving and not TOO resolving- wherein, BTW, lay their true talents)….the squeaking, cheaply made hinge sound goes away and like some transcendent magic you are transported to Alice Tully Hall or The Met or an intimate East Grenwich Village music night spot listening to some great improvisational Jazz, some hot Electric Blues or a lush, mellifluous, Mozart symphony!Now, I have the HiFiman edition X V2 as well and though they are built a TAD better (that's still NOT saying much for Dr. Fang) than the Arya's they don't sound as good. I suppose an extra 4 or 500 dollars gets you that much more quality of music reproduction. BTW,...you will need to upgrade your cable, I have Periapt's that are terminated balanced XLR. I am also using a Monolith Alex Cavalli Liquid Platinum hybrid tube amp., and this combination seems to be extremely well suited towards one another,... with all of my different sets of cans but, even more with the Arya!Once or IF you can get over the build quality issues (I treat all my equipment, especially headphones as if they are delicately made out of 24k gold),...I don't believe there really is any need for more searching. I've spent far too much already "down this hole"{if my wife really knew, I'd probably be sleeping in the basement....told ya, no garages here in Brooklyn.} and I consider this setup END GAME, if you will but, I caution the build quality issue again. Unless you treat these with kid gloves they will break easily, and see what hifiman service department will charge after the 1 year warranty expires!To sum up, I have many sets of headphones (many in the four figure category) that I have acquired "on the journey down the hole!" Wish, I had found the chance to grab the ARYA earlier because they seem to be all I listen to lately,...they really do sound that good. Plenty of soundstage,...(not Giants Stadium soundstage width from the 50 yard line) with a very immersive, intimate, and personal sounding experience with just the right amount of bass. BTW,...you get fantastic detail retrieval, NOT resolution sibilance to the point of fingernails on a blackboard . Every instrument is heard (if the recording is good, obviously), there is plenty of room for each instrument to bloom and have a great deal of air however, sonically, my only gripe is that the Arya's (in some cases anyway) seem to put certain vocalists {noticed more with male than female} further in the background than with other sets of cans. BUT, I suppose it is in order to give more space to all the other instrumentation.I love all genres of music however, in order to give a reference I will use Pink Floyd's "Division Bell" which is a recording I know so well and could rote recite every note and NOW can understand every lyric and sound effect that I never heard or at least never understood before! Even the fly buzzing around in the beginning of the title track has more "prescence" than it ever had before!So, am I happy with them,....yes! Am I happy that I had to pay $1700 for such delicious sounding, cheaply Chinese made FLOTSAM,.....NO,....Not on your life!Nonetheless,.....anybody want to buy some of my other well cared for, gently used headphones? I can use the money!BTW, I do hope this review was HELPFUL?!UPDATE: 5/27/20.....they sound even better as they have matured! Frankly, (because they do leak more than most open backs), unless someone is in the room and they don't mind listening to what I'm enjoying, they are ALL I use now! They are still incredible for the coin spent!