Hey, everyone! Just wanted to apologize for the noisy microphone in this video. The lav mic I normally use seems to have randomly stopped working, so I had to use a different one, and it simply did not work well with the camera's pre-amp... I'll get this fixed ASAP.
I love my Arya. Before i bought them i had hd800s, and the non existent bass really killed it for me. The soundstage was wider, but not by much. I do find the imaging on the Arya supreme. I can watch tv shows and i find myself looking at stuff i hear in the background that i hadn't realized was there.
I don’t have an Arya but a HEKse and as superior as it is to the HD800 in bass and detail, I still reach for my Sennheisers a lot. They have a smoothness that is just perfectly balanced, feel the same about my Audeze woodies the AWKT and AWAS. There is no such thing as an end game HP they all have something special that if you are blessed enough to afford more than one TOTL you should do it if you’re a true music fan.
Tried both..with EQ, the HD800s was good but still not close to the Aryas "musical" abilities. Its a matter of preference. HD800s wide soundstage is amazing but not as grand as the Aryas. Needless to say, I stuck with the Aryas.
@@pascaljean2333 I don't have anything fancy per se but I used the THX 789 paired with Topping DX7s as a dac & found it to be too "sterile" so I ended up enjoying them a bit more using the Ifi Micro Idsd Black Label. Yet, while certainly very technical & its wide soundstage trademark, I simply couldn't enjoy them too much, specially when comparing them to the Arya. Again, just a matter of preferance. The Arya takes the HD800s capabilities & presents it in a more enjoyable manner. I find it be an addicting sound signature.
When I first purchased 800s, I couldn’t understand why most people talked about lack of bass and treble pick. 800s has been a perfect headphone for me so far. Since I got into this headfi hobby, I have used countless headphones, iem, DAC, and amplifiers. However, I didn’t know my ear’s uniqueness before I purchased hd800s. I hated the sound from hd600 because it was too boring and sounded muddy. I loved 650 though. However, most audiophiles and reviewers are still complementing 600. At that time, I thought that I was right and you were wrong. When I purchased 800s and used it some time, I finally come to the recognition that no one was wrong including me. I found that I’m very sensitive to bass. For example, bass from 800s is more than enough for me. sometimes, I feel that bass is too much. I can even hear sub bass clearly from 800s. However, my ears are not sensitive to treble. As a result, 800s treble response is perfect for my ears. On the top of this, I mainly listen to the classical music and jazz. I wonder which headphone is actually better than 800s for classical music and jazz genre. My point is that you really need to understand your ear and sensitivity first. You have your own unique ear genre:) There is one thing that I still don’t understand about my ears though. The soundstage from 800s is just okay, not wide. I do not know what is going on with my ears. Sigh~~~
Even if your ears were fucked, you should be hearing a wider soundstage. Try finding albums that are mastered really well or maybe contact sennheiser for a replacement
Here somewhat same. Having 5 great headphones. HD800S is not the most expensive here. I love them all. But I keep going back to the perfection and superb HD800S. Having several amps, all of them keeps giving me the biggest pleasure and appreciation out of the HD800S. ONE ISSUE I DO HAVE WITH THE HD800S is placement. I just don’t find the perfect spot around ears and to stay put. It has it all regarding sound. Tight base and quite base shelf. Mid range linear and fundamental. Treble is up up high till it’s peak. Such nice spread out sound stage. Each instrument is well delivered. Everything is so truth and orderly laid out. Ferrum Oor knows how to serve it well. Detail retrieving is so well. Everything is so clear.
As you already mentioned preferation of headphones depends a lot on preferation of music, I agree for classical music or Jazz the 800s is nearly perfect while electronic music could lack in bass e.g. Thats what at least reviewers should keep in mind when they make such judgements and for me the 600 serie which are great headphones were a lttle bit to mudddy as well.
great comparison, I went for the 800s in this case mainly because of the precise detail retrieval and wide soundstage since I am a competitive gamer and I also really enjoy them as a wow factor musically and I keep my 660s around for a very pleasing vocal experience with music and also podcasts/youtube videos.
Still watching the video but wanted to say THANK YOU for stating that while HiFiMan have a reputation for poor QC, you've had no problem with their products. I'm in the same boat.
Very capable and unbiased review. I was in the market to purchase but picked HD800S because of better ownership experience, warranty policy, incredible benchmark it sets in soundstage and imaging. It is a product that is unique in what it does and strong resale prices reflects that.
I already got mine, was somewhat of a letdown, they are somewhat lean and bright compared to linear reference sound. Both on balanced solid-state, and on tube-amps..
@@robertverbanac8776 I love them. They arrived yesterday. There are details I never heard with my Focal Elegia and my Grado GH2. But if I will keep all 3.....?
Arya sound more musical to me, I prefer it any day!! One day I will take a leap of faith and upgrade my Sundara's to Arya!! Tried them at a friend, and oh god that smooth clarity is to die for!!
I Had the Arya for a couple of days and compared them to my old hd800. I was offended by the price of the Arya. For it's performance it's way overpriced
@@gerarda3268 this right here. From what I hear, the Arya sounds better definitely, but not nearly $1000 better. Not even close. The ananda is about 95% of the way there from what I’ve heard. You’re getting small improvements across the board going from the ananda to the Arya. I would never recommend the Arya straight out the gate unless you just have money to burn and want the absolute best
The advantage with the HD 800s is that it’s probably easier to repair in the distant future since Sennheiser is a bigger company in case something goes wrong with the headphone.
Just want to say HD800S bass is actually amazing, the key is a speaker amp. Running it with Pass x350.8 and the bass becomes amazing and overall elevates the headphone sound significantly.
I have Focal Clear and I love them for s very detailed sound image. My choice will be Arya and I'll get them in week. Love Arya for sound stage and layers separation
@@arrakian you can't really compare them in that manner. Clear is more dynamic. Though Arya has a better soundstage. Ones give you more details others give you more space. I would recommend you to listen studio recordings with Clear and concert or life performances with Arya. They are both excellent in what they are. You just have to choose the right music for these headphones. P.S.: even the comfort. I would maybe prefer a bit more Arya. Although i would never say that Clear in uncomfortable. It's just a different concept or way of design and imagine a product
When it comes to headphones, preference, and most importantly the music, always matter most. I had both the Arya's and the HD800's. I still have the Arya's. The Arya's smoother presentation (musicality) and ability to see into the music (depth of soundstage) won out for me. HD800's were a little boring to me. Joshua Valour said it best when he said the Arya's have the ability to sound like the music, soundstage width expanding and contracting according to the music, unlike the HD800's where everything is wide all the time. Being technically great doesn't always translate into enjoyment of music which is why we are all here. I have a pair of beyerdynamic DT770 Pro's that I absolutely love the sound from and they are cheap closed back headphones.
Very interesting. After my listening experience, the mediocre build quality of the Arya’s resembles the sound I got from them. The soundstage of the HD800s blew me away instantly and the level of analysis that they provided gave me a headache at first. The Arya sounded pretty similar to the Ananda to me and did not have a wow effect at all. I did a blind test with the focal clears, Meze Empyrean, Audezes etc. and I was shocked when I saw the video by Valour. I believe Hifiman makes headphones far more listenable to a mass audience. I cannot agree at all though that the Arya’s have a deeper soundstage. To my knowledge, the market more or less agrees that the HD800s are the reference in that respect.
Both headphones are great without doubt. More than the HD800s however, Arya's can almost literally grow 'balls' with the right amp and the right EQ and can almost compete with Audeze in the bass- and Focal in the speed department without sacrificing any original Arya qualities. I believe many Arya owners leave this potential untapped: I have never before had a headphone that responds so well to quality high power amps and thoughtful EQ: they are absolutely dopamine rush monsters with their incredible 3D soundstage, detail and sub-bass performance.
@@jfleysh You are in for a long burn in period :) They will sweeten up over time, at least 150 hours. I wrote all about my experience here: www.head-fi.org/showcase/hifiman-arya.23838/reviews#item-review-24450
I've listened to both, and in my opinion the Arya SE is by far the best, but Hifiman's quality control is abysmal, it's a lottery, so I recommend buying them from like Amazon so it's easy to get them replaced.
Audeze has by far had more driver reliability issues than HiFiMan. Quite surprised you mentioned HiFiMan as having issues. Perhaps in the very early days but not in recent times from my experience and what I hear from others. Overall build quality however generally gets beaten by other manufacturers.
It's the thing that SO many people will raise about HFM. I've had their 400i (2 or 3 years) and Ananda (1 year) and no trouble at all. People love to hate, based on anecdotal evidence, so it's better to mention it in the video in the hope of keeping the comment section clearer!
I had problems with my 4XX (but not my Sundara) and know so many people that had issues with all kinds of Hifimans. Reliability is just not good with their products.
@@GrandHeresiarch I've just upgraded my DAP from the Fiio M11 to the iBasso DX220. Demoed in the store with the Ananda and realised how much they've been held back. Staging and realism is AMAZING. I loved them before, even more now! (DAP has already arrived but can't listen to it yet because amp modules are still on the way. It's driving me a bit crazy!)
The Arya needs two or three more decibels of bass. It's flat, which is not representative of a flat speaker in a normal room, where room acoustics add bass. I've own the Arya, but I've never had the opportunity to listen to the 800S, but if it has even less bass, that would be a deal-breaker for me. And, every frequency response graph I've seen shows the 800S having considerably less bass than the Arya, and at its price point, that's unforgivable. I guess they would be okay if all you ever listen to is acoustic music that has no bass to start with.
You are spot on with the Arya, I add 3-4 decibels of bass on my RME ADI2 and the Arya sounds perfect. It comes with a bit less bass out of the box but it works very well with EQ so unless you are a purist, the Arya is an amazing pair. The 800S however really lacks bass and no EQ can correct that.
@@versaleyang For pop/rock type music, I sometimes add a three decibel shelf at 100 Hz or so. The Arya is also a little forward in the 3 to 4 KHz range, so I sometimes play around with bringing that down with a peak filter. But, on well recorded popular/rock stuff, and most classical and acoustic music, you can get by with listening to them without any equalization. I love the sound of planar magnetic headphones. I just wish I could find one that matches the 2013 Harman curve - at least one that I can afford!
What were you driving Arya with? I find its bass quite a bit north of what i consider “neutral” and is the sweet spot for reference/ musical. I actually find the Arya midbass quite thick. Driven from more conservative amps I do find it to sound lean.
Well..thanks for your review, but to be honest - i would never buy Arya or Hd800 after watching this kind of review..This kind of review is great for iems like for 20 dollars. Basics of the Basics..i can read this type of information in every review. Tell us more..Speak in your emotions, niuanses..Those headphones has its own dimensions..The deep.level.of clarity and details. Arya has special depth on imaging ..Special tone.There is a tones what you can describe but instead I get coca Cola like info.
It's a well known fact that planars response very nice to eq, especially the bass. How is HD800S ? For stock configuration i would pick the Arya but if simple bass shelf can help to HD800S i would pick HD800S. I bought Ifi Zen Can and liked it a lot. The amp is very nice and xbass feature is actually very good, way better than Zen Dac. It should work really nice with HD800S. Being 300ohm in my opinion is also plus.
@@korbenuber I hook it up to a 6 kilo heavy truely balanced class A amp, Dual-mono straight down to the double toridal power supply, one for each channel, also using the 4,4 mm pentaconn balanced output. (TEAC UD505)
@@korbenuber I use the best parametric EQ obtainable, (JRIVER) ASIO connected bit-perfect plug-in! I have undergone countless hours of experimentation with the PEQ of HD800S, always involving low-shelf filters (that you call bass-boost) Also trying to get the 7khz spike under control, using the Rtings.com measurements as reference. But ultimately these cans are and will always be bright lean and sibilant, it's in the nature of the driver, you can't turn a dog into a cat!
@@korbenuber well, I prefer linearity, spikes and dips has nothing to do with analysis.. The HD800s is the best headphone I've ever heard - yes!, but then again it's far from the coherence and linearity tolerance I'm getting from my SBA761 loudspeakers... I guess what I'm saying is, when I purchased such an expensive headphone, I would have expected a sound signature somewhat resembling reference audio.. ! I use the Darkvoice OTL (output transformer less tube amp) which directly scale with high impedance drivers, it's even more powerful than TH900, when coupled with 300 ohm drivers.
@@korbenuber dude, reference is a flat line linearity, a 5 dB spike at 8khz is not up for debate, this is not subjective, it sounds as unnatural as it looks uneven on the measured graphs! The HD600 comes closer to reference audio than the hd800s, the 800s is much colder, leaner, thinner and bright, than true reference audio. True reference being a set of extremely linear speakers in a well damped treated room.
Hi Chrono, just want to ask how the Arya performs in gaming vs the HD800S. I have heard that the Arya is not good for gaming for some reason, and I'm wondering if it can be at least adequate with a bit of EQ? Thanks in advance!
I think it depends on the kind of games you’re playing and the experience you’re after. For FPS games I personally prefer the HD 800 S because it has a more precise sense of directionality. On the other hand, I think that the Arya has the potential of feeling a bit deeper and “atmospheric” because of its sub bass.
Can someone tell me what is better to get for FPS gaming? From how far i can hear footsteps better and positioning on witch one is better? Im more in to HD 800s.
Arya is most similar to HEKv2, but less air and a bit less diffuse. Susvara is also quite similar, but with more image depth and slightly less height. HE1000se is the most holographic, but also least natural of the lot as the height is too much, and width slightly narrower than the other planars. It reminds me of utopia but with more space
@@sebanambrus9265 HE1000se is on a totally different level of detail and transparency, with much better dynamics. However, tuning wise I actually think Arya is more enjoyable and more forgiving in the treble (and some even find arya treble pretty forward). HE1000se can be had for good prices used though, if shopping for a deal and not brand new, ultimately it is the better headphones. Lastly, HE1000se has more bass kick and sub bass whereas Arya is more midbassy and rumbly. Arya sounds more full, but sometimes a bit sluggish
Going to use 800s mostly for competitive gaming on PC , any suggestion for DAC/AMP or Stacks or Tubes to get the most out of it for competitive gaming ?
Chrono lives in Harry Potter's cupboard under the stairs, and it turns out this is a particularly resonant chamber, making voiceover difficult. Also, his lav mic died. Replacement should be there for the next vid.
@@chrono-headphonereviews242 800s it is then, thanks. Does a tube amp matter when gaming with the 800s, or do you know if the Topping A90/D90 would be good?
After owning a few Sennhieser 555, 600, and 700 headphones, I do want an 800s one day :D. Went with the Arya's for gaming and music. Reason is if all the pro's can determine direction of footsteps with crap gaming headsets I'm sure the Arya will do fine.
Great review. I own HD599 and 660s, first amplified with SMSL SP200, and they sound really good, but recently I bought Soundblaster X7 and now the listening experience is way better. On top of that I purchased Arya two days ago, instead of 800s, because I would like to hear a new sound signature. I hope this is the right choice. A question. Do I really need a balanced cable for Arya?
Good to hear that your experience has actually improved with the X7! I also have a HD650 with a X7, and I think they sound great. I was always worried that dedicated DAC/AMPs would sound better than the X7, but good to see it does not! :)
The HD599 was such a step back from the HD598. Everybody had shit on the HD598 bass for so long and for good reasons that they were willing to degrade sound quality for bass quantity.
For what it’s worth I much preferred the HD800 over the Arya... but it all comes down to preference;) I also much prefer my Verites over both so there is that as well. I found the HD800 to sound more natural and less “stabby” over the Arya. At the end of the day though if “you” like either who cares what anyone else thinks. These are just the opinions/experiences of people who are not you, good to get an idea on how they might shake out for you, but, without trying them it could go either way for the random individual trying them.
Yeah hahaha the lab mic I normally use broke down for seemingly no reason, so I used a shotgun mic and it simply did not play nice with camera’s pre amp... gonna fix that ASAP
I own both of these. Arya is just phenomenal, though I did need to add Dekoni nuggets with cloth button up headband cover for comfort. But 800S... man.. it just has that Soundstage, and sounds better for tracks like Linkin Park - Numb, as the bass doesn't seem to bleed like it does on Arya. I was convinced the bass drop off was a bad thing, til I actually listened to a bunch of music and realized it sounds better in many cases.
I really, really enjoy both. In the end, though, I personally chose the HD 800 S. Primarily for comfort, but I suppose that I also preferred its transient response; which for me comes across as smoother and seems to work better for the music I listen to the most, which is Rock. Also, because I listen primarily to rock, I did appreciate the HD 800 S’s linearity in the mid as electric guitars sounded accurate to me, but their presence never became harsh; they could have a slight edge to their buzz for me on the Arya before EQ (I’m fairly sensitive to the 3K-5K region in particular).
@@chrono-headphonereviews242 I love 60's and 70's rock music Do you find the hd 800s as the best headphone for rock or would you prefer another one for the same or less than it'sprice?
Planars fit for all around...No music studio has only a Sehn cans because of limitations despite their famous neutral sound..same thing for Beyer and AKG..
I checked the fr graphs from Crinacle's website. HD800S FR looks better tbh. Smooth and flat from 100 to 1k. Less dip from 1 to 3k. No peak between 3-5k. Just a small peak at 6k. The bass difference also very small. 1.5-2db difference below 50hz. As for the slam, i don't think Arya's planar can hit as hard as dynamic HD800S. Although the presentation of HD800S with famous soundstage and imaging may appear lighter in the bass.
I EQ the hd800S pretty heavily towards the bass. Like 13-15db more bass at the peak I've chosen which is at 50hz. I guess I enjoy it. My question is, if I buy Arya on top of Hd800S, will it make a world of difference? I never tried planars before, ever. Am I in for a surprise or is it just more of the same?
If you reviewed the 800S with my integrated amp and headphone cable, this would be a dramatically different review. It’s very critical to match the 800S with the right components. With the right components, you get details, nuance, AND an emotionally engaging experience. With the wrong components, it can sound lifeless and clinical. I wouldn’t even think about plugging the 800S into a solid-state amp or using their stock cable. MY SYSTEM: Cary 300SEI integrated amplifier with Synergistic Research Orange Fuse, Grayhill selector switch, two Bybee IQSEs, 1 Ken Rad Black Glass 6sn7 (preamp tube), 2 NOS BRIMAR Made In England 6sn7 (driver tubes), 2 Genalex Golden Lion 300B (power tubes). And I’m about to have the amp upgraded by Stuart Jones (President of Chapman Audio) with silver bypass caps and other improvement. ToneKraft Version 2 headphone cable by Audio Envy. There’s a night and day difference between the ToneKraft and stock cable - far more musically and emotionally engaging. Version 3 is coming out in a couple months and it’s expected to have an even greater “analogue sound” without a false sense of coloration. I'll be one of the first in line for it.
Wow! You have dream components for my 800s. I have always tried it with solid amplifers, but purchased entry level tube amplifiers recently. After some tube rolling, it moved to another level.
@@munsukwon8393 It's gone way beyond what I had since my last post. I got rid of the Ken Rad Black Glass and Brimar (made in England) 6sn7 tubes and replaced them with three NOS 1952 Sylvania Bad Boy tubes. The sound is beyond anything I've experienced before in hifi. I was extremely fortunate to get the Bad Boys. A friend of a good friend sold them to me. He said that most of the ones sold today are not the real deal. I can't imagine it sounding any better. But the person who sold me the tubes has the same amp as mine and said that Stuart will take it to a whole new level with his mods. That's happening in May. Like you said, you can get really good sound from even an inexpensive tube amp. Another friend owns a Little Dot amp. He upgraded it with better tubes, a better power cord, and power conditioning and it sound surprisingly good for the money. One tip for you if you play CDs - apply Auric Illuminator to all your CDs. It really improves the sound.
@@LorenzoNW I have a DarkVoice with Tong sol tubes. The sound quality is a lot better than my expensive solid amps. I'm new to Tube world. Thank you for letting me know about Auric illuminator. Do you use EQ for 800s? I think it is less necessary especially with Tube amp.
@@munsukwon8393 Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m guessing the Tung-Sols you have are not real NOS Made In USA. Those are almost as expensive as your amp! I tried them but the Bad Boys sounded better in my 300SEI. Every system responds differently. There's no EQ in my system. Five things I can recommend: • As mentioned before, Auric Illuminator for your CDs. • Upgrade your power cord if it’s stock. • Treat system weekly with IsoTek Full System Enhancer CD • ToneKraft headphone cable by Audio Envy if you still use stock. • Annual maintenance: All contacts and tube pins need to be cleaned and enhanced annually. I like to remove any traces of oxidation with 99% pure isopropyl alcohol using foam (not cotton) swabs. Then I apply Stabilant 22 contact enhancer. Power conditioning can also make a huge improvement but that gets to be very expensive. I have a MC-0.5 Helix Plus Signature, Furutech NCF duplex wall outlet, Furutech frame, Furutech carbon fiber wall plate, and Audience Adept Response aR2p-T4 power conditioner.
I disagree. I have both headphones and Arya is a better headphone. HD800S does not have a bassy kick without EQ! Arya is clearer in its presentation with better bass, more depth in mids, smoother treble, better imaging and very very comparable sound stage. Although 800Ss build quality is what makes me pick that one up more often for my listening sessions. Above observations are what every other pro reviewer has observed too! But I guess someone bought the HD800S recently with own money...
@@Skeith89 Any suggestions for Tube amps? I recently noticed that playing anything through Roon with DSD upsampling and the right (Oratory) EQ transformed all my headphones...do try...
*for that price they should come in 5 years warranty otherwise its just trash, better spend the money on RTX3090 for 8K gaming lol the difference will be night and day rather than these overpriced headphones crap that had barely any improvement from a $300 headphone*
