HIFIMAN ARYA Stealth

I’d been wanting to upgrade from my Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pros for a while, and instead of taking a mid-tier step, I decided to go all-in with the Audeze LCD-X. Coming from the DT-990’s characteristic harshness paired with their beautiful, expansive soundstage - especially for the atmospheric/ambient music I usually work on - I was surprised to find that the LCD-X actually felt like a bit of a downgrade. I couldn’t replicate that wide sense of space the Beyers create (even though they’re far from perfect), and everything felt almost claustrophobic by comparison.

So I returned the Audeze and began searching for something that kept the DT-990’s general tonal character but improved on it in every meaningful way. After a lot of research, I narrowed it down to the HIFIMAN Arya and the Beyerdynamic DT-1990 Pro, and ordered both to compare directly. When they arrived, my first impression was that the DT-1990s looked and felt like the obvious upgrade - premium materials, polished presentation, the “Made in Germany” stamp. The Aryas, by contrast, came in much more modest packaging, and I definitely began the comparison with a bias.

That changed the moment I started listening.

Switching back and forth between the DT-990s, DT-1990s, and the Aryas, the first thing that struck me was the comfort. The Aryas are unbelievably lightweight and airy, sitting on the head so naturally that I barely noticed the pads at all - far more pleasant than the clamp and cushion feel of the Beyers.

But the real revelation was the sound. Listening closely to familiar tracks, the Aryas delivered detail and timbre in a way that immediately pulled me in. I caught myself bopping my head without even realizing it. The presentation is pristine - exciting in a way that reminded me of my early days as a producer. The openness of the fit enhances the already huge soundstage; hard-panned elements genuinely feel like they’re coming from outside the room rather than simply left or right.

Another standout is how smooth the entire frequency spectrum sounds - bass, mids, and highs all feel balanced and effortless. The highs are slightly more present than I expected, but compared to the DT-1990s they’re far less fatiguing and much easier to listen to. Coming from the DT-990’s exaggerated treble, the reduced fatigue alone is a massive upgrade. I’d always felt like the mids were buried on the 990s, but with the Aryas they suddenly come alive, revealing details and characters in songs that had always been there but somehow ignored.

Compared directly with the DT-1990s, there are similarities, but it’s hard to put into words - maybe the planar vs. dynamic driver difference - yet the Aryas just offer a level of definition and spaciousness the 1990s can’t quite match. I think the lightness of the Arya increases the perception of the wideness of the soundstage in comparisson with the dt-1990's which also have a wide soundstage that is clearly wider than the LCD-X.

I could go on, but the short version is this: I wanted to prefer the DT-1990 Pro because they felt like the more premium product, but in actual use the Aryas completely outclassed them. They’re incredible if you’re looking to replace monitor speakers - which is my situation, since my room acoustics make using monitors impractical. I am eager to start producing with them and see if that initial excitement continues.

If you’re into film scores, ambient, orchestral music, or even some genres of electronic music (maybe less club music and more... electronic?), I'm sure you'll find these headphones surprising.

This is already my second HiFiMAN Arya. Unfortunately, one of the drivers in my first pair failed beyond repair after about four years of intensive use. Although I was very frustrated that it could not be repaired, I still ordered another pair. That probably says everything about how much I like these headphones.

Many people have written that the Arya is slightly lacking in bass. In my experience, however, this improves considerably after a thorough burn-in period. More importantly, I use it exclusively for listening to music through Roon on a Mac, connected to an RME ADI-2 DAC FS. In Roon, I use a convolution filter tailored specifically to the HiFiMAN Arya Stealth, which does a very good job of correcting the more significant flaws in its frequency response.

This approach may not appeal to everyone. Many people believe that convolution—or any other form of EQ—takes away a pair of headphones’ distinctive sonic character and makes everything sound the same. Personally, I don’t necessarily agree, nor is that how I perceive it.

As for the sound itself, these are open-back planar magnetic headphones, characterized by an airy yet fast and precise presentation. The bass is not dominant, but it is tight and controlled. Once the Arya has been properly broken in, the treble becomes silky and non-fatiguing, while the headphones still retain an excellent level of detail and never blur things together. The midrange is simply outstanding.

They are particularly well suited to the genres I enjoy, especially classical music and jazz, but they also perform very well with synthesizer-based music such as Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre, as well as progressive rock and many other genres. In my opinion, they are less suitable for modern heavy metal, so if you are primarily a metal fan, you might be better served by something else.

Most importantly, they are incredibly comfortable. I have large ears, but the ear cups still surround them completely. The headband design also allows me to wear the Arya for hours without ever feeling the urge to take it off. Comfort is an extremely important quality in a pair of headphones, and in this respect, the Arya performs exceptionally well on my head.

The cable originally supplied with the headphones is not bad, but don’t underestimate the importance of a genuinely good headphone cable. The Arya also reveals its full potential when paired with a higher-quality cable. I use a Forza AudioWorks Noir Hybrid HPC, ordered directly from the manufacturer and fitted with a 6.3 mm Furutech plug.

Three years ago, I paid roughly 50% more for the HiFiMAN Arya Stealth than it currently costs at Thomann. The strengthening of the Hungarian forint against the euro played a part in this, but even in euros, Thomann is now selling it for considerably less than it did three years ago.

At its current price, the HiFiMAN Arya Stealth represents exceptionally good value, in my humble opinion.