HiFiMAN Arya measurements and impressions

Thanks for the preliminary impression.

Any chance you could take a few measurements of your new pair? Similar set of measurements as those on your initial few posts of this thread for us to compare.

 

Sure why not. I am indeed planning to pull out EARS and do some investigations. I also think my previous Arya (v1) graph might be too suppressed vertically. Will post updated ones for v1 in parallel with v3 results.

 

As requested (and planned), I took some measurements in the evening and want to drop FR plots for now. Full results will be posted later once I spend more time in interpreting them correctly.

Please note that Arya v1 results were taken long ago with very different situations in terms of place, electricity, rig, or even my own positioning/measuring habits. But there were some patterns that I thought interesting (i.e., associable to what I heard).



My comments below. For convenience, I'll call them v3 and v1.

• v1's zigzag-looking midrange (200-1khz) response was very typical with HFM's previous ultra pads years ago. It didn't sound particularly bad to me but that has something to do with midrange coloration I heard with some HFM headphones before. V3 is smoother and linear probably because HFM changed ear pads material/dimension a bit. Anyway v3's midrange is more in line with other top performers I love.
• I don't want to over-interpret discrepancy shown around mid-high trebles (3k to 10khz) as there play various error-inducing components. I just found v3 is easier to work with eq to tame trebles. One of the three filters I use centered at 5.4khz and that's exactly what the graph above suggests. Reducing 1-2 db with decent q factor worked like a magic which wasn't quite the case for v1.
• Otherwise as expected the two have very similar responses. v3's top end extension over v1 shown beyond 10khz might be somewhat related to what I am hearing but I think that needs more validation.

EDIT: I realized HFM called the previous version of HEK/X pads "ultra" (i.e., HEK v2 stock pads) and newer one "serenity". "Focus" seems name for round shape pads. See this and this for more.

 

I've been listening to an Arya V2 for some time now, and spent a few weeks tuning a EQ config based on Crinacle's Arya gras measurement. This was done by frequency sweep spot checking and music listening. I think stock the Arya sounded pretty wonky, but once compensated with a decent EQ profile they surpass a well EQed HD800 for me in tonal balance, overall spatial realism, bass macrodynamics, and low frequency reproduction (~20hz sounds still felt musical and tactile).

One song that I think really shows off the Arys's strength for bass reproduction is Don't Sing (DatA, Polo & Pan remix), it has a deep rumble in the beginning and mixed throughout the track that I've never heard/felt like this on other headphones. To test headstage/imaging I listened to Five Minutes (Her), it sounded really fun on the Arya with very well imaged and spaced instruments/vocals throughout.

Here is the profile for anyone who may want to try it, might need some tweaking for your own individual pair, especially with the driver imbalance and sharp peak tunings.

L/R (all peak filters):
23 hz, 3 Gain, 0.64 Q
57 hz, 2 Gain, 2 Q
123 hz, 1 Gain, 1.4 Q
218 hz, -1.5 Gain, 1.46 Q
1917 hz, 7.5 Gain, 2700 Q
2700 hz, -2 Gain, 3 Q
3750 hz, 9.5 Gain, 4 Q
3900 hz, -9 Gain, 2 Q
7000 hz, -10 Gain, 3.8 Q
7600 hz, 15 Gain, 8 Q
8600 hz, 2 Gain, 20 Q
10475 hz, -5.5 Gain, 6 Q
12200 hz, -6 Gain, 8 Q
13000 hz, 8.5 Gain, 6 Q
15137 hz, -5 Gain, 2 Q
19458 hz, -6 Gain, 0.5 Q

L:
3745 hz, -2 Gain, 6 Q
8500 hz, -11 Gain, 10 Q

R:
7500 hz, -6 Gain, 15 Q
9250 hz, -9 Gain, 20 Q

Note I built this profile using Equalizer APO (no in exclusive mode) with a Mjolnir 2 and Gungnir A1 via USB (V1, sue me). Still sounded great on a Vali 2 + Modi Multibit, and in Roon in WASAPI exclusive mode with this equalizer preset applied.