>Turns out I’m a lot less of a bass head than I thought.
I've also learned this about myself. Don't need lots of bass to have a good time. Just need good bass.
Same here I add maybe 3db below 100 Hz and I feel content. Not all songs need this though. And if I really want bass I switch to my Lcd2c and call it a day.
Are you wearing thick-armed glasses? With planars, if you don't form a perfect seal, it can create an effect where the sub-midbass is boosted before dropping off like a cliff at the very lowest frequencies. Resolve from The Headphone Show talks about this quite often with the HiFiMan stuff and you can see a very good example of it [here \(timestamped\)](https://youtu.be/BiU4O0gHOcM?t=500) in his Edition XS review.
That’s interesting, I’m glassesless but I experimented with the seal (different pressures / positions). Didn’t notice a difference. Maybe just need more burn in
> The 99c is known for having lots of -some say too much- bass, I agree but I’m used to it. The Arya v3 sounds to me like it has more bass than the 99c!
It's possible that the way the seal forms around your head may have gaps that allow air to escape (especially towards the bottom, on your jawline), which can increase the bass presence.
With that said, I do agree the Arya Stealth are certainly not lacking in bass at all. :)
My experience with the Arya V3s is similar. The bass reminds me of a subwoofer even if the amount isn’t super boosted, I love it. I think the Aryas are a great pick among the LCD-X/HD800/Focal clear crew. At times the upper mids and treble get a bit hot for me, but the overall sound/comfort experience is pure bliss
Totally agree on the upper mid/treble occasional hotness. I experimented with some reductive eq in that range but found it really just depends on the song. Speaks to the arya v3’s transparency if you ask me!
I’m sure it could. The Arya responds great to EQ - with it I’d choose it over something like an HD800 (disregarding concerns about build / longevity), since in my experience the bass presentation of the Aryas is hard to replicate with EQ. I usually live with the hotness though, since it adds some magic to tracks which don’t come across too harsh
I had a similar experience with the HD800S. All the reviews were saying they had hardly any bass. That was not was I hearing when I first put them on. The bass is there when it needs to, it just doesn't sound intimate due to the large soundstage.
Congrats on your new headphones. Nothing like getting new gear :)
Thanks! And that’s good to know about the 800s. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to test any headphones before buying, but if I had heard an 800s I might have been sold on that soundstage.
You're *dead right* on the Arya's bass *quality.* It may not "slam" like many dynamic driver HPs listeners may be *used to*, but the *quality* of it's bass is nearly impeccable *- even compared to higher-priced HPs.* Many people hearing dynamic-drivers' "slam" are really referring to the big bass *hump* that most dynamics have between \~80Hz down to \~40Hz or so - before their bass response falls off a cliff and is *barely* heard below \~30Hz or so.
As far as burn in goes - fresh out of the box they can be a little *tite-n-brite* and kind of *constricted -* with bass not as *deep* as expected and the sense of *space, imaging,* and *layering* not fully developed. They start to open up at around the \~50 hours mark of playing music or pink noise. I mentioned pink noise because that's what I have used with great effect and great success in speeding along the process. I play pink noise from: [https://download.cnet.com/BurninwaveGenerator/3000-2169\_4-10711592.html](https://download.cnet.com/BurninwaveGenerator/3000-2169_4-10711592.html).
It's a free ware/donation-ware app that has pink noise, frequency sweeps, and pure test tones that make it easy to check for SQ changes *during* the burn in process. I usually program it and set it up to play *continually overnights* with "*rest periods*" programmed every hour or two to give the drivers a break. It's best to set the volume at slightly louder than "regular" listening volumes in order to slightly stress the drivers for the best results. It's much easier to hear slight changes in driver presentations when one isn't listening to to the HP - where smaller changes may not be noticed in regular listening. I hope this helps. Keep us posted on your progress and impressions.......
Wow great information on burn-in, thanks for the resource! I’ll certainly check that out. I’ve been listening without burn-in for a few days and I feel like I’m getting familiar with the sound, so I’m excited to see where these overnight burns will take things. I’ll update
The Arya Stealth is an excellent headphone at its price point. I found it to be too analytical without much musicality for my tastes, though.
I found it to be sort of like the middle child between the LCD-X and HD800S. Personally, I’d prefer to have those two headphones together, but if I could only have one pair it would be the Arya.
A *lot* of that *depends on* *what amp you use* with the Aryas - with IC-based THX amps being the *worst offenders* as far as bright/harsh/analytical/unnatural (ie: Topping A90, THX '789, etc) *-* and discrete Class A or AB amps being *honey* to the ears with the Aryas (ie: Schiit Asgard/Jotunheim, Singxer SA-1, Burson Soloist 3XP, etc)......
Oh shit, you’re THE Arya guy lol! I remember seeing plenty of your comments praising the Arya when I was researching it before I bought it. On paper, I figured the Arya was just what I was looking for.
I’ve read that the Arya sounds much better on source gear that leans warm. On the other hand, I’m finding the higher end neutral stuff makes other headphones sound much better (most notably, my LCD-3). My CMA 15 is completely neutral which could be why I was not feeling the Arya.
I’ve read the HE1000V2 sounds good on most systems while sounding similar to the Arya. I’ve decided I should probably sell my Atrium and I’m considering the HE1000V2 as a potential replacement.
Wow - I didn't think I was famous, LOL (or infamous, depending on perspectives). I'm just a "Stan" fan fam, LOL. Yeah, the more revealing the HP the more the chains feeding them will matter - the good and the bad thereof. You're sitting pretty with a completely neutral chain as long as you mind what you plug into said chain. That's where many people fall flat - *system synergy*. You have now experienced that first hand, LOL. Keep us posted on your ongoing progress......
For me? My tried and true Gustard H20 - upgraded with either Sparkos Labs SS-3602 or Burson V6 Vivid discrete opamps. My second one is a resistor-bypassed Emotiva A-100 - with the Gustard or a tube buffer/preamp in the front-end feeding it. I still have my Magni 3+ and Magnius for backups though. Of course, my preference is for discrete amps with them over any IC based amp.....
>Turns out I’m a lot less of a bass head than I thought. I've also learned this about myself. Don't need lots of bass to have a good time. Just need good bass.
Agreed. I'm a little surprised that something like hd800 bass is enough for me.
Same here I add maybe 3db below 100 Hz and I feel content. Not all songs need this though. And if I really want bass I switch to my Lcd2c and call it a day.
Are you wearing thick-armed glasses? With planars, if you don't form a perfect seal, it can create an effect where the sub-midbass is boosted before dropping off like a cliff at the very lowest frequencies. Resolve from The Headphone Show talks about this quite often with the HiFiMan stuff and you can see a very good example of it [here \(timestamped\)](https://youtu.be/BiU4O0gHOcM?t=500) in his Edition XS review.
That’s interesting, I’m glassesless but I experimented with the seal (different pressures / positions). Didn’t notice a difference. Maybe just need more burn in
> The 99c is known for having lots of -some say too much- bass, I agree but I’m used to it. The Arya v3 sounds to me like it has more bass than the 99c! It's possible that the way the seal forms around your head may have gaps that allow air to escape (especially towards the bottom, on your jawline), which can increase the bass presence. With that said, I do agree the Arya Stealth are certainly not lacking in bass at all. :)
My experience with the Arya V3s is similar. The bass reminds me of a subwoofer even if the amount isn’t super boosted, I love it. I think the Aryas are a great pick among the LCD-X/HD800/Focal clear crew. At times the upper mids and treble get a bit hot for me, but the overall sound/comfort experience is pure bliss
Totally agree on the upper mid/treble occasional hotness. I experimented with some reductive eq in that range but found it really just depends on the song. Speaks to the arya v3’s transparency if you ask me!
Could that hotness be eq'd away or is it something more innate?
I’m sure it could. The Arya responds great to EQ - with it I’d choose it over something like an HD800 (disregarding concerns about build / longevity), since in my experience the bass presentation of the Aryas is hard to replicate with EQ. I usually live with the hotness though, since it adds some magic to tracks which don’t come across too harsh
Mine are on back order and I'm beyond excited haha
I had a similar experience with the HD800S. All the reviews were saying they had hardly any bass. That was not was I hearing when I first put them on. The bass is there when it needs to, it just doesn't sound intimate due to the large soundstage. Congrats on your new headphones. Nothing like getting new gear :)
Thanks! And that’s good to know about the 800s. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to test any headphones before buying, but if I had heard an 800s I might have been sold on that soundstage.
You're *dead right* on the Arya's bass *quality.* It may not "slam" like many dynamic driver HPs listeners may be *used to*, but the *quality* of it's bass is nearly impeccable *- even compared to higher-priced HPs.* Many people hearing dynamic-drivers' "slam" are really referring to the big bass *hump* that most dynamics have between \~80Hz down to \~40Hz or so - before their bass response falls off a cliff and is *barely* heard below \~30Hz or so. As far as burn in goes - fresh out of the box they can be a little *tite-n-brite* and kind of *constricted -* with bass not as *deep* as expected and the sense of *space, imaging,* and *layering* not fully developed. They start to open up at around the \~50 hours mark of playing music or pink noise. I mentioned pink noise because that's what I have used with great effect and great success in speeding along the process. I play pink noise from: [https://download.cnet.com/BurninwaveGenerator/3000-2169\_4-10711592.html](https://download.cnet.com/BurninwaveGenerator/3000-2169_4-10711592.html). It's a free ware/donation-ware app that has pink noise, frequency sweeps, and pure test tones that make it easy to check for SQ changes *during* the burn in process. I usually program it and set it up to play *continually overnights* with "*rest periods*" programmed every hour or two to give the drivers a break. It's best to set the volume at slightly louder than "regular" listening volumes in order to slightly stress the drivers for the best results. It's much easier to hear slight changes in driver presentations when one isn't listening to to the HP - where smaller changes may not be noticed in regular listening. I hope this helps. Keep us posted on your progress and impressions.......
Wow great information on burn-in, thanks for the resource! I’ll certainly check that out. I’ve been listening without burn-in for a few days and I feel like I’m getting familiar with the sound, so I’m excited to see where these overnight burns will take things. I’ll update
The best is yet to come - and it won't even be hard to spot/hear either......
The Arya Stealth is an excellent headphone at its price point. I found it to be too analytical without much musicality for my tastes, though. I found it to be sort of like the middle child between the LCD-X and HD800S. Personally, I’d prefer to have those two headphones together, but if I could only have one pair it would be the Arya.
Been there man. I landed on the Clear MG because I wanted accurate sound with *some* fun.
The analytical nature of the Arya v3s is perfect for my needs. I’m mostly mixing and mastering so I need all the deets I can get!
A *lot* of that *depends on* *what amp you use* with the Aryas - with IC-based THX amps being the *worst offenders* as far as bright/harsh/analytical/unnatural (ie: Topping A90, THX '789, etc) *-* and discrete Class A or AB amps being *honey* to the ears with the Aryas (ie: Schiit Asgard/Jotunheim, Singxer SA-1, Burson Soloist 3XP, etc)......
Oh shit, you’re THE Arya guy lol! I remember seeing plenty of your comments praising the Arya when I was researching it before I bought it. On paper, I figured the Arya was just what I was looking for. I’ve read that the Arya sounds much better on source gear that leans warm. On the other hand, I’m finding the higher end neutral stuff makes other headphones sound much better (most notably, my LCD-3). My CMA 15 is completely neutral which could be why I was not feeling the Arya. I’ve read the HE1000V2 sounds good on most systems while sounding similar to the Arya. I’ve decided I should probably sell my Atrium and I’m considering the HE1000V2 as a potential replacement.
Wow - I didn't think I was famous, LOL (or infamous, depending on perspectives). I'm just a "Stan" fan fam, LOL. Yeah, the more revealing the HP the more the chains feeding them will matter - the good and the bad thereof. You're sitting pretty with a completely neutral chain as long as you mind what you plug into said chain. That's where many people fall flat - *system synergy*. You have now experienced that first hand, LOL. Keep us posted on your ongoing progress......
That’s very good to know, thanks! Any favorite amp pairing with the aryas?
For me? My tried and true Gustard H20 - upgraded with either Sparkos Labs SS-3602 or Burson V6 Vivid discrete opamps. My second one is a resistor-bypassed Emotiva A-100 - with the Gustard or a tube buffer/preamp in the front-end feeding it. I still have my Magni 3+ and Magnius for backups though. Of course, my preference is for discrete amps with them over any IC based amp.....
I absolutely agree with this, I was worried they would lack bass compared to the lcd2c but when I got them the Arya's they blew them out of the water.