Hifiman Arya Organic Impressions

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by ChaChaRealSmooth, Apr 24, 2024.

  1. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Intro

    As much as a part of me does indeed want to just hate on the Arya Organic (henceforth abbreviated to AO), if I'm being really fair about it, the AO is not particularly bad. That being said, I also do feel the AO have some great shortfalls and still have some of the characteristics that really annoyed me about the original HE1000. But overall, as a package, I can't say the Arya Organic is a modern Hifiman that sucks; in some ways, it's the modern, super-thin diaphragm Hifiman sound implemented fairly well.

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    Sonics

    If you've heard the modern Hifimans, you know what the AO roughly sounds like; transients are fast but "soft", and overall has an airy/ethereal sound not unlike some electrostats. There is a little bit of the bouncy bass here, but not too bad and can be somewhat controlled better by certain amps. The treble in some ways actually surprised me the most; while there is still a little hash and splash and rasp, it's not TOO offensive to the point where I ripped the headphones off.

    For those who aren't as familiar, the transients are a mixed bag of being relatively quick, but the impact itself doesn't feel well-defined nor does it hit very hard. Think along the lines of a cotton ball being thrown at you at 100 MPH. In contrast, something like the LFF Code-6 that I had a while back is slower, but hits very hard; more like a rock being thrown at you at 60 MPH. Personally, I prefer the presentation of the second one, but this is really a matter of listener preference. In any case though, the AO is not what I'd call overly soft or all that electrostat-like; a bit more substantial than those hyperfast estats with slightly better definition. Delineation is not bad on the AO either if I put my planar hat on (there is something about the way planars do delineation that I think is kind of weird).

    The bass being bouncy on some amps is a bit of a weird quality. Maybe this comes from super-thin, tensioned diaphragms? Either way, with the AO there is a sense that the diaphragm rebounds in the bass like a trampoline. Now, this is not as bad as the OG HE1000 that I heard a while back, where this effect was so pronounced that I felt it was unnatural and unnerving. But saying it isn't there on the AO is a lie.

    The most make-or-break thing on modern Hifimans, I feel, is the treble. This is where the AO is weird; I have no idea if there is ringing or if it's just particularly bright and rough in the mid-to-upper treble, but the AO has the worst rendition of the triangle that I have ever heard. It is simultaneously mosquito-like while having very little definition in the hit and basically no decay. I did hear a similar effect in some other planars though, and I do wonder if this is me hearing the "ortho wall" that appears in some CSDs. For what it is worth, I heard some similar effects when I tried out a Susvara. If you do not hear this effect, you'll probably hear the AO as somewhat bright in the upper treble, which is to say "very airy." Also, for what it's worth, the treble palatability varied a lot based on amp synergy; amps that worked well exhibited these negative traits less (sometimes a LOT less).

    Overall, this sound is not for me, but I'd be lying if I said it outright sucked.

    Amp Pairings

    To absolutely no one's surprise, the AO benefits hugely from having power. Piety was just okay, but the OG Liquid Carbon I have was actually quite nice. Ferrum Oor wasn't really that bad either (although I dislike the Oor immensely, more on that later). Basically, if the amps you have at your house are tube amps that don't output much power for your dynamic driver headphones, you'd probably need to buy something to power the AO; it definitely won't be piggybacking off of your Starlett.

    Miscellaneous

    Comfort is actually not bad. In the beginning, I thought the suspension strap was a bit stiff, but with a little bit of warm up to the head it relaxes and the whole headphone I felt was quite comfortable. The build quality also doesn't feel super cheap; definitely feels like a finished product.

    Conclusion

    The AO is okay, and if you like modern Hifiman and can find it on a deal, I think it's an alright choice but not a home run. Simply put, I think $1300 is too expensive even if you are a planar head. Those who know me will know what my own personal opinion is and if I'd ever try to acquire one.
     
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    Last edited: Apr 25, 2024
  2. wadec22

    wadec22 Almost "Made"

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    Really well communicated impression. Thank you.
    I just returned a pair. My first egg shaped hifiman.
    I enjoyed the transients. I really liked the large presentation. I found them super comfy. Lastly i enjoyed the aesthetic.
    Even though I had read about that style not having slam, it still surprised me what that meant. It's difficult to describe.
    If I was keeping them I felt I needed a 2nd headphone with real slam to rotate with.
    Ultimately they needed too much treble EQ to not cause me fatigue.

    The comfort was so outstanding I'm tempted to give the he1000 stealth a whirl. Comfort is just so underrated after all these years in my book.

    Heck Arya stealth is tempting at current pricing.

    I 2nd though at its current price it's super overrated elsewhere online.
     
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  3. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    I picked these up after reading tons of reviews. Based on what i was hearing, these sounded like they would be right up my alley. They are, however, ridiculously expensive at $1300. In any case I pulled the trigger and I am immensely pleased with them. These are easily the best headphones my humble ears have ever heard - I currently own the HE-4XX, HD650, Focal Elex, Hifiman Edition XS, and these, the Arya Organic. I'm running balanced on a Schiit stack - Jotenheim 2 with a Modius E.

    These have a great soundstage and excellent imaging, they are fast and controlled, and extremely nuanced in their delivery. Subtleties in music are given life. They are very clear and detailed, lots of texture. Nice tuning with good bass quantity and quality. They are clear like the Elex, but with the soundstage and imaging of the Edition XS.

    Are they worth $1300? Probably not, and they'll probably come down in price in a year or so. But they're the best I have found, so I'm very happy.
     
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  4. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    Why are there no impressions being posted from the loaner?
     
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  5. HeyWaj10

    HeyWaj10 Almost "Made"

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    Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think the loaner tour has even kicked off yet.
     
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  6. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    These are down to $1150 now, on Amazon. Just sayin'.
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    @ChaChaRealSmooth : These can't be that bad. Send to me. I will take objectivist approach analyzing measurements (and be fair knowing limitations of such) and try to find synergies with gear. We can kick off loaner shortly after. LOL, I didn't even know we had this.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2024
  8. roshambo123

    roshambo123 Friend

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    @ChaChaRealSmooth

    Any comparison to other Arya's? This sounds a lot like the Stealth Magnet description. Those started at $1599 and can be had for $650 now. I've mentioned them before as having some of the worst timbre of any headphone I've heard short of the Ultrasone 750's which sound like a monkey banging sheet metal with a 6" nail
     
  9. Leiker545

    Leiker545 New

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    Sai on unheard lab has now a reasonably extensive measurement database on GRAAS 43AG for newer headphones on a squig, supplanting the vacuum left by Crinacle over the last years. He also does extensive pad rolling and moderate modding and has in-built into the platform things other targets than Harman OE 2018 (the platform also lets you upload Targets and FR, ofc).

    PS: Sorry for barging in without introduction, long time lurker (since COVID, really), never felt the need to weigh in on discussions, but I've been ecstatic since discovering that squig and pad rolling database which, IMO, fits SABAFs profile wonderfully.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2024
  10. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    Oh man, I think the loaner is underway!

    *Edit* Maybe it's not. I thought I saw a post, but now I can't find it. Sure would be nice if this got underway. @purr1n
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2024
  11. lm4der

    lm4der A very good sport - Friend

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    Ok, so it seems SBAF is just going to sit on these. I hope these weren't purchased from the SBAF coffers.
     
  12. Jokko

    Jokko Friend

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    I quite enjoyed these on a 1hour demo fed by a Prelude amp. Even though the treble is on the bright side, it didn't really bother me to my surprise. Keep in mind only abt 10 songs fed by unknown chain. I am considering a purchase. Do we have more ears on these please?
     

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