Really solid review! I own Anandas and have demo'd the 800s and LCD-X / 2, and I agree with your statement on the aryas with audeze bass. Hifiman sound with audeze bass I believe would be the perfect sound to me. Also, Id love an LCD-2 but the weight is a dealbreaker, so I use Nightowl carbons as a somewhat similar sound that I can enjoy for long periods :). Amazingly detailed review, you have my subscription and I believe you may be one of my favorite current audio reviewers along with Josh Valour!
Great stuff. This is exactly the type of reviews and comparison I enjoy. I like how you mentioned the other competitors, even though you've yet to hear them. New subscriber. Can't wait to watch the evolution of your channel.
This channel should have WAY more subscribers. Love the content across the board. The comparisons you do in particular are very comprehensive and actually helpful in making a purchasing decision.
Very nice comparison video! Although now I am looking at 1 more headphone than I was when I began... Also really nice that you highlight how they are glasses on since that is a really important aspect that I rarely see anyone mention in any of the reviews of TOTL headphones.
HD 800s with a Tube amp and a Schiit Lokius Tone Control/EQ is the way to go. Very versatile and great all around headphone. Great Gaming and Movie headphone too
I just got the LCD-X'S, and I definitely enjoy metal and rock out of them. I find that most audiophile-grade headphones just don't bring a lot to the genre, that alone makes the X's worth it to me. Everything else sounds good, and some other genres sound great. But hitting my Metal needs is something I have missed in my journey in audio. The really technical prog tracks are definitely stand outs on the X's. I really love Karnivool's Sound Awake album on them. Especially since that album is packed with bass guitar.
I got the LCD-2 for the same reason. I spend a day at an audio shop listening back an forth every headphone they had. The only two that were enjoyable for me were some Focal (think Elear) and a bit ahead but a lot heavier the LCD-2. Most Headphones sound aweful for Rock and Metal.
I agree with you, I've got the LCD-X 2021 and have listened to the Arya Stealth and the HD800s. I would say the soundstage of the Arya and HD800s were really impressive, but it's more like a party trick for me than something that I would enjoy all the time, they sound too "airy" for my liking and definitely lacks the body and slam the LCD-X provides, even for someone who listens to a lot of classical and jazz, it makes a huge difference especially for music with cello and those pizzicato double bass. Not even going to talk about the sound of guitars for metal and rock, it's just head and shoulders above Arya and HD800s.
Thanks for this comment. !! It's so hard to get a good read on this. I have an aeolous as well and I think that fits metal pretty well. Just not as resolving but definitely hits hard. I want to listen to a band like obscura on it.
i use an hd 800 (non s) for all my music. from hard hitting german underground techno over cool jazz and rachmaninov all the way to hardcore punk and deathcore. i just love its sound signature, especially the soundstage makes it a versatile tool imo.
My understanding is that the Hifiman premium package comes with two sets of cables. One 1/4 inch and one 1/8 inch. The extra cable is the bulk of the added expense.
I just order LCD-X and I see the also made Arya available. If I have LCD-X do I need Arya, or the difference is small and I better get something else? Also, you do describe the headphones completely different then other reviewers. For example Zeos find Auteur more calm and relaxing then Aeouls, while Joshua found Arya to be more warm then LCD-X.
Hey man, do you have a Patreon? Also, I know you said you prefer the Arya to the Ether 2 but if you still want to review the Ether 2 and compare all 3 pad options, hit me up. I actually sold my Arya and replaced them with the Ether 2 but it was more due to comfort than sound. That said, the Ether 2 with the perforated or suede pads might surprise you.
Three times I've tried to watch this video, and three times i have fallen asleep. Now I'm trying for the fourth time, and I'm writing this comment to keep myself awake. But you made a good video, don't get me wrong, maybe it is the tone of your voice, I don't know...
Haha my wife says I have a relaxing voice. Maybe I should get into ASMR. Thanks for the effort to see it through. I'll try to be more animated in the future or something.
ASMR could be a good experiment, indeed. Regarding the topic, I agree with observations you made. Personally I prefer the HD800s, I like the spaciousness and the ability to clearly reproduce highs in the music. Although, with smsl thx 888 I'm using them with at the moment, they do sound little bit plain, but I'm going to sort that out.
I agree, sennheiser connectors are shit, those connectors on the HD600 headphones are even worse lol They should've went with two 3.5mm balanced TRS jacks...
How can one afford those kind of headphones? Buy used! I've got LCD-2.1 (from 2010), HD800 and HE500 and none of them cost more than 500€. The 800 needed new pads tho, but still way under that threshold.
Actually my LCD's got new pads too, and I'm thinking that og audeze measurement with a neumann mic might be quite far from the truth. The 2010 pads were real thin. The og pads didn't seal at all with my face, dunno how they did the measurement at audeze back then. Bass really came alive with the newer sheepskin pads. They were basically twice as fat.
@@ZeBubba they've definitely been through at least a couple of pad revisions so that's true, we're not really sure what the original was supposed to sound like nowadays are we lol, and no I've heard a bad 2015 3F and 2 bad Xs
@@metal571 Heh, yeah... My LCD-2 and sine with cipher are my favourite headphones, but their products are so all over the place that I'm finding myself looking at all the other companies. Don't have the balls to pay 1k for a used lcd-x, because I'd have no idea of the FR etc
I have Sennheiser 600, klipsch 280f and Yamaha aventage 880. The problem isn't the sound of my gear, it's the crap music there is to listen to. The charts are horrid and the artists are disgusting.
Nice review man. Really nice. Underrated channel. I'm subbed. Did you tried the Ananda ? Sub $1k and $500 battle maybe ? Remember you are MidFi Guy not HiFi Guy :)
Haha true! I need to do a $500 - $1k video indeed. There are so many choices in this category it's bound to offend someone lol. I had the Anandas for a long weekend and really loved them. They weren't as defined down low like the Aryas are but they are definitely upper tier headphones.
I owned all three of these headphones and my opinions match what you have to say on everything! I think you are reviewing the production versions of them.. this is what this community needs!
Yep, most certainly! The plastic is one of the few downsides of the headphone for me, in its price range I would expect something more premium. My yokes also squeak slightly when I wiggle the headphone on my head and the headband looks kinda ridiculous when worn, imagine a pair of bunny ears on top...
@@io_metre just got my Arya. Loving them but have thought about getting a complementary pair; would you say the OG Clear is a good choice or the LCD-X?
LCD-X - great sound, but bloody HEAVY! I suggest anyone demo these for at least an hour before committing. I got rid of mine and bought the HD800S. Now I can do much longer listening sessions with nearly half the weight. Don't underestimate comfort when purchasing...
@@MidFiGuy how do these headphone compare with the HEDDPHONE. I am torn, which endgame should I pick? Listening mainly to christian rock and will be driving with the RME ADI2 DAC and the THX 789
Another great video. Arya is my favorite too. I also own HD800s as well out of these 4 headphones but I don’t have tube amp yet. I am trying to get my hands on a Glen OTL but so far so luck. Really looking forward to the Aries and WA22 review videos.
Nice review. Just make sure you don't wear the HD800 in reverse. And I should say, among those, only the Sennheiser doesn't look atrocious on the head. The rest of them just look like crazy-person headphones LOL.
Thank you for actually talking about genres of music. Too many reviewers never mention what they are listening to when such and such headphone sounded great.
I had the 800S. I found the sense of space was a parlor trick. The net effect was to make instruments too far away and lose impact and immediacy. While i understand the appeal, they are not what I am after. A lot of HP's have better resolve (especially treble). for much less money.
Nicely done MidFi Guy! finally a review that doesn't ooze financial interest and fear of the competition. Regular guy, enjoying his hi fi. Thanks for taking the time to share your personal experience and down to earth comparisons
I own both the Arya and LCD-X bought the X to listen to rock and metal exactly how you explained. Couldn’t agree more, feel like I have perfect options across genres
completely disagree with your opinion on arya for rock, i think it has just enough body for rock, some rock music is mastered with a lot of bass and the drums can be overwhelming / boomy or muddy on headphones with a lot of body. arya never feels like it has too much or too little
Wow. Just saw one of your comments on Reddit where you shamelessly plugged your channel haha (even left a reply on it). Very nice seeing another Filipino getting into this hobby of headphones. I'm a Filipino living in Australia, and although i'm only 19yrs old, i've really been invested in this hobby. Like you, i inherited the passion for audio gear from my dad. Great analysis on these headphones. Having heard all of them, the Aryas are definitely my pick. Just a week ago, I was trying to decide between the Aryas and Focal Clear. Both were very good, but I ended up going for the Focals, because I preferred their mid-range and bass performance better. Can't really go wrong with any of the headphones you featured in this video, except for maybe the HD800s. Very amp dependant and a bit too bright for my liking. The soundstage is very good tho. Keep up the great work, earned yourself a subscriber! :)
Really good comparisons here! It’s amazing how many great things these top tier offerings do yet none of these hp nail every category. It’s all about perspective and concessions I guess. As an Arya and LCD-X owner I can say that both are great in their own right although I mostly prefer the Arya with its bass extension. It’s just such an engaging hp to listen to and on the Woo Audio WA6se transformer coupled tube amp it’s insanely nice! I’ve found the ZMF headphones to be the best of the best as far as look and feel (pride of ownership) but I’m always somewhat left wanting when I listen to them. Why can’t Audeze study ZMF and figure out a way to make a headphone that’s not so damn weighty?? And that Arya build scares me each time I pick them up. However, I’d have to say that HIFIMAN and ZMF both have the best customer service bar none. Great stuff man.
I aslo love my Arya and agree with build beeing crap. Since I got Arya my LCD 2C stop interesting me, probably I will sell it. Only Grado in my little collection bring that air to the sound like Arya but its bass light
G'day from Sydney Australia. Nice review. My LCD-X's are on a slow boat from 'murica (no stock locally in Oz till...???), I also bought the microphone from the GX, for - occasional (10%?) - double duty gaming, mainly for the lolz.
Hifiman makes insane profit margins by making cheap products with cheap labor and materials, and selling them at ridiculous western prices. It's daylight robbery. The other 3 are all good cans, each excelling at different genres. My money is on the HD800(s). Bu they are all beautiful in their own ways.
I know this might be blasphemy..... but which pairing would you prefer for movies and gaming? Loved this review! There aren't many out there that compare these 4, and actually walk through the differences with different amps and different kinds of music.
Nice review. I look forward to seeing more of your content. Normally I wouldn't bother looking at a 30:00 review, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
I don't have the Aryas, I got the Edition X v2 and I prefer them over the HD800s anyday, silky smooth and more airy. Very unreliable though... I don't know why Hifiman cannot create a reliable HP...
Great reviews! The Arya has been on my radar for about a month now. I just recently took delivery of a DT 1990 Pro, but really want a great planar to complete the fleet. Looks like I'm settling on the Arya.
No one asked: but an update! I got the Arya’s 2 months ago. Long story short; I don’t care to buy any other headphones. The Arya’s have completely won me over.
@@kugelschreiber5678 how is it compared to your previous dt1990? I just sold my dt 1990 and looking for a new pair. I'm considering the he1000 v2 or the new arya stealth magnet version
@@tunausfed It's much, MUCH better than the dt1990's - for my personal taste at least. I still kept the beyers since they're dynamics, and fantastic ones at that. If you're not into REALLY wide sound, then neither the Arya's nor the he1000 v2's would suffice for you. In that case, I'd go with the focals. I have the v2 Arya's, and from what I hear in the community/reviewes, the v2's are the way to go. Never demo'ed the he1000's, but I do hear great things about them.
So, based on your final thoughts on genre pairing... why would anyone get the Aeolus if they can only afford one $1k+ unit? Sounds like it's only good for when you are dead tired and want to just be half conscious relaxing before bed.
You know, you have a good point here. I should have mentioned that I used to use them ALL the time with my tube amp. Truth is, I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my newish HD800S so they've been sitting on the stand more & more. I'm going to listen to the Aeolus today though on the WA22. I still really love their sound and can't imagine every selling them.
Just followed u on Instagram too! Loving these reviews, as well as the quirky humor lolz. Will have to give that THX amp a try. Thx4the recommendations!
Same here haha haha I have both the 800S and Arya. After getting scare by that sound on 14:57 with the 800S. I switched to the Arya and is funny to say but that sound that midfi put in the video, makes me understand once more how superior and real the HD800S is. Fun comes from what kind of music you like not bass boost
Concerning the LCD-X that's because they are best for sound engineers. Incredible for mixing. They are pretty linear and balanced on purpose for that... to kind of emulate a really high end pair of studio monitors. Studio monitors that intended for being critical and mixing so that ends up sounding amazing on the other end. LCD 2 or 3 much more fun for just listening.
Excellent video. Very clear. I have lcd2.2, lcd2 and lcd2c. I would like to buy lcdx but i am not sure because i have an sendy aiva and a friend told me that both sound very similar. But i never have listen lcdx. Do you know if is it very different to lcd2 fazor?
@@MidFiGuy yes. It has amazing details in mids and highs. It is clear and clean like my hd800 in mids and highs:. For me the sendy is the bass of lcd2 (gain and timbre), mids are a combination of lcd2 timbre and details of hd800 (maybe 90% details of hd800) and highs are maybe the 90% of the hd800 even cold timbre buuuuuut..... Soundstage is narrow!!! In the 3 directions the soundstage of aiva is like mid fi headphones. Or Maybe like beyerdynamic t5p 2nd
I listened to the LCD-2C & LCD-X two days for 6 hours per day. I must say they are both similar but: If you prefer just listening, the LCD-2C have more stage but are less precise sound. LCD-X is very precise sound but the stage is barely zero. (LCD-2C are listening headphones and LCD-X are studio reference headphones. If you dont use it for that purpose you wont be happy with the LCD-X) I think the LCD-2 (without C) sounds weird and different from the other two.
Great review. I've got the Arya and 800S. Have to tried the 800S with Sonarworks Headphone Edition? They sound amazing! Any EQ recommendation for Arya or 800S or the 6XX? Thanks
Thanks and great question! My buddy is pushing for me to try the auto EQ options as well. He's saying there's a setup built into Roon that changes the EQ based on your headphone. Have you tried that?
Nice comparo & review! My first view on this channel - Ill be seeing more of you for sure. I like how you want to describe the headphones but you don't go over the top with terms that (may feel accurate to you) are hard to get across and sometimes become audiophile obnoxious. On the other hand, maybe I did miss some other descriptions of sound characteristics that would make the comparison much useful for people, just a little Resolve Reviews style maybe? No points taken though - you be unique to yourself. The one other thing that I like is that you have taken time to reply and engage "freely" with the audience. In time your channel will grow and it will be harder to keep tabs across multiple videos, but long term if you could keep up this same level of interaction going on - it really makes it appreciative for the people who come here, and can be one of the highest value additions that your channel has for everybody. A little less content maybe much better than investing time with your community. I think that is something almost everyone can learn from @metal571. If you grow, you can always monetize and prioritize responses to paid viewership when things become unmanageable. Keep up the good work. 👍✌️
On point review. I have the Aeolus which you’ve described as good as anyone can get. I also have a LCD2C that lends itself to many of the trait descriptions, of the LCD X, that you’ve shared in this video. I’ve watched several reviewers of headphones...you’ve mastered quality over quantity...making it purposeful to those considering a purchase. Well done.
Yet again Focal Clear / Professional comparison is missing.....these in contrast with Arya are really suitable for anything not almost anything. ..including rock and metal....
I mention them at 26:25 but purely from a price comparison perspective. I heard them in detail when deciding on the Arya or not and although I liked the fullness and slam, the Arya was more detailed and was more revealing to my ears. Thanks for mentioning them. 100% agree with you that the Clears excel with rock. I wish I had the time and money to review every HP in this price range but hope to get there one day.
Very nice review. I liked how you broke down each HP for the type of music. Very informative and you did a great job. Add in the differences between the amps and one of the best I have seen. Araya is on the short list just worried about build quality and driver failure.
I use an ifi amp for my LCD2 to bring out that sub bass. I love this combo, but yes I yearn for a bit more detail sometimes. The DAC can make a good leap there still for me.
I auditioned the Clear when buying the Aryas and thought they were nice. Really noticeable bass, I almost want to say boomy, but I wish I had them longer to form a better opinion. In the end the Aryas bested them for clarity and dyanamics.
@@MidFiGuy I love metallica and I have many live concerts of excellent sound quality, other metal bands: slayer, sepultura, testament, slipknot, evil dead, havok, korn, overkill
