When it comes to stealth magnet, it should be a word that is both unfamiliar and familiar. The reason why it is unfamiliar is because “Stealth Magnet” was originally a high-end technology of HIFIMAN. Earlier it was used on the HIFIMAN SUSVARA that sold for as much as $6,000. As HIFIMAN’s flagship headphones, the quality naturally does not need to be described.
The reason why it is familiar is mainly because in the past year, HIFIMAN has decentralized the stealth magnet technology. Headphones like HIFIMAN DEVA Pro and HIFIMAN Edition XS priced at around $300-500 also use this high-end technology, resulting in a sharp increase in cost performance.
The headphones shared with you this time are also equipped with HIFIMAN’s stealth magnet technology, which is the HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version.
Features: Nanocomposite Diaphragm + Stealth Magnet
In terms of core technology, HIFIMAN Arya not only continues the nano-composite diaphragm that is available on the sound engineer version, but also brings the advantages of innate hearing to the headphones. At the same time, thanks to the decentralization of stealth magnet technology, HIFIMAN Arya has the blessing of two core technologies.
In fact, we are no strangers to nanocomposite diaphragms. In the HIFIMAN product line, many over-ear headphones have adopted this technology, which brings the HIFIMAN Arya advantages in terms of resolution, space and sound image.
The stealth magnet technology has also been applied to many high-end flagship headphones of HIFIMAN. For example, the familiar HIFIMAN SUSVARA is one of the representatives. Of course, it is not a real “stealth” magnet, but by changing the shape of the magnet, the air fluctuations between the gaps of the magnet are improved, and the influence of the magnet on the shape of the sound wave is minimized, so as to obtain a more complete and natural sound waveform. With the support of the stealth magnet, it can better reduce the change of the sound wave by the magnets on both sides of the diaphragm, thereby restoring the waveform of the sound itself and minimizing the loss of the sound “shape”.
Design: Continuation of Family Design
HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet Version still continues the design of the sound engineer version. In addition to the Arya series, the oversized drop-shaped cavity has also appeared on ANANDA and Edition XS. It can be regarded as the “family design” of HIFIMAN planar-diaphragm headphones in recent years.
Of course, this design doesn’t just look “bluffing”, it can not only accommodate a larger diaphragm area, but its shape also matches our external auricle well. After wearing it, there will be no trouble of pressing the ear at all, and the comfort is very good.
Such comfort also comes from the use of cavity sponge material and the comfortable and wide head beam design. The surface of HIFIMAN Arya’s earmuffs is made of composite material, the inner and outer sides are made of protein leather, and the part that touches the skin is made of high-density fabric, which is more skin-friendly and sweat-absorbent.
Let’s talk about the head beam design of HIFIMAN Arya. This should be the widest head beam I have ever seen, which can better share the pressure on the head. At the same time, the split design gives more space for vertical expansion, and the top of the head will not hurt at all after wearing it for 1 hour. In terms of material, the surface of the head beam of HIFIMAN Arya is wrapped with perforated leather, and the breathability is also good.
Sound Quality of HIFIMAN Arya
The package of HIFIMAN Arya is not equipped with a 3.5mm or 4.4mm plug, but is directly equipped with a 6.35mm single-ended plug, which shows the positioning given by HIFIMAN. Moreover, the impedance of the HIFIMAN Arya is 32Ω and the sensitivity is 94dB, which confirms that this headphone is not for use on mobile phones or players at all. If you want to drive it well, you should at least use a desktop amp.
Here, I paired the Audiolab M-ONE all-in-one decoding amp for the HIFIMAN Arya, and then matched it with the HIFIMAN R2R2000 audio player. All the following sounds are based on this combination, and you can use it as a reference.
Although I have heard a lot of planar-diaphragm headphones before, I was still shocked when I put the HIFIMAN Arya on my head and turned on the sound. My first impression was “outstanding”, with a wide soundstage, excellent resolution, great sense of space, and clear imagery. However, it may be because I just started listening, so the sound will feel a little tight.
Of course, this problem ushered in a qualitative change after about 4-5 days of continuous burn-in. The tightness of the sound disappears completely, and the whole is more natural, while the relaxed sound also “fills out” the details. The same song, listening to HIFIMAN Arya obviously feels richer in details and fuller in sound.
Under the interpretation of HIFIMAN Arya, maybe the songs we usually listen to many times will feel as if we have changed the song. And the more you listen to this feeling, the more obvious it becomes.
As many people who have used HIFIMAN’s flagship headphones have said, the “goodness” of HIFIMAN Arya does not come from rendering and retouching, but from “realism”. Especially when listening to some large-scale symphonies, the sound field is wide, and the high, medium and low frequencies seem to come at the same time, but they are actually meticulous and orderly, and it is very easy to create an immersive atmosphere. As for the performance of each frequency band, HIFIMAN Arya also did not disappoint me, the low frequency quantity is sufficient, and every extension is accompanied by a fast rebound without any hysteresis. The mid-frequency is meticulous, every tone, every breath, every detail has the ultimate and accurate performance. The high frequency is equally easy for HIFIMAN Arya, and the sound seems to never reach the top in the process of rising.
Of course, I don’t want HIFIMAN Arya to be a headphone limited to big productions, I prefer it to be a general-purpose headphone. Especially for people like me who prefer to listen to pop music, I will deliberately use HIFIMAN Arya to listen to some pop songs.
Summary: Paranoia on Details
HIFIMAN Arya If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I think it’s paranoia in the details. Under the blessing of stealth magnet technology, the details of the sound are preserved as much as possible, and each song after its interpretation is fuller and more delicate, like a sponge filled with water. Of course, in addition to the details, there is also its grasp of space and imagery, which gives the listener a full sense of immersion.
Of course, HIFIMAN Arya is not without thresholds. As a quasi-flagship-level over-ear headphones, it is not possible to drive it with a mobile phone. This also means that there may be some additional costs for purchasing desktop amps for novice friends.
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