Sensitivity: : 94dB
Impedance: : 16Ω
Weight: : 440g
Total Score
Introduction
Greetings. Hifiman has been making products that make audiophiles happy for a long time and is held in high regard in the industry. I’m here with a review of Arya Organic, Hifiman’s most popular headphones these days. As you know, Hifiman made a big discount on the Arya series after launching a new series, and this simply changed the balance. People are starting to rush to the Arya models. They’re right, these headphones are great! We previously reviewed the Hifiman Arya Stealth. Now it’s his elder brother’s turn.
I obtained the product myself and spent around 200 hours with it to write an honest review.
Design & Build
As usual, the Hifiman Arya Oragnic comes in a simple and functional box. Hifiman’s signature classic foam headphone stand is also included in the box. Otherwise, only the product itself and the cable come out of the box.
Arya Organic has exactly the same structure as Arya Stealth, except for the wooden details on the sides of the cups. The headband and pads are extremely comfortable. I want to say that I find the head position quite light, suitable for long listens. Hifiman says on their official website that this headset weighs 440g. However, I don’t feel half a kilo of weight on my head, it’s light as a feather.
Synergy
I normally advocate the use of over-ear headphones with desktop amps. But I can also understand the desire for portable power in the market. You want to be able to plug it in at home and walk around. This time I chose the pairings with that in mind.
Hifiman Arya Organic With iBasso D16 Taipan
The computer volume is at the end, the gain is H and the gain pot is around 60%. The volume pot is at 85. Under these conditions, Arya Organic is easily driven. But I don’t get the same performance on the phone and the result is not good. Thinking that this might be related to the volume limitation on the phones, I continue my test using the computer.
I can say that this pairing improves the brightness of the Hifiman Arya Organic. More tamed trebles and vocals pushed a step forward were the first details that struck my ears. It’s good in that respect because in this version of the sound there’s more body in the instruments and there’s no loss of airiness. I try to keep the volume pot high and the gain pot low, otherwise there can be a very small bottom noise. Other than that, it adds a very slight midbass gain to the sound, a very, very minimal gain. I like it when I listen to Petra Magoni’s Fever, but it’s not something I would prefer on metal tracks. Other than that, this duo uses all the technical achievements of Organic and unleashes the potential. I have to say, an iBasso PB5 Osprey would look great here. Imagine how much better the sound would be with a better amp stage.
Hifiman Arya Organic With Shanling M9 Plus
Shanling M9 Plus manages to surprise me every time. It is so powerful that Organic is much easier to drive than D16. In extra turbo mode only 30/100 is enough. The sound is so controlled. It makes you feel the imaging ability perfectly. In this pairing, the effect of the M9 Plus on Arya Organic is like opening a sage mode. It gives a more tonally neutral response. Listening to this duo, there is nothing disturbing in the sound, including brightness, the trebles are still in the foreground but I found the analytical presentation to be quite successful. In addition, there is a near-perfect background silence. All the technical potential is there and there’s a little more separation than with the Taipan. If you’re going to use your over-ear planar with a dap, this is an option to keep in mind. 10/10 match.
Sound
Close to the neutral line, but with a slight U shape and the highs slightly ahead. It has a very consistent and natural tone, but I would have preferred it to be a bit more mid-focused. Otherwise, it’s a very enjoyable headphone and has great technique. The Hifiman Arya Organic makes full use of the advantages of a planar driver without letting us feel its disadvantages. In this way, it produces a sound that exceeds its price band.
Bass
This is probably where the Hifiman Arya Organic differs most clearly from its sibling, the Arya Stealth. It provides a noticeably more extended bass and has a much better texture. In this area, Arya Organic produces an instrumentally very realistic and complete bass response. It’s very fast, clear and controlled. You may find the pressure lacking when it comes to hip-hop and EDM, but I personally enjoyed it all the same.
Mid
The Hifiman Arya Organic midrange is transparent and has a lot of space. Plays well with multi-instruments. The mids become more intimate and distinct as they approach the highs, which is why female vocals, violin and guitar sound exquisite. However, the mids lose a slight weight as they get closer to the lows. In the resulting presentation the timbre is still marvelous but the sound lacks warmth. Is this a problem? Not if you’ve spent your life listening to closed-back dynamic driver headphones.
The mid range works great with prog metal but needs a bit of thickness with trash metal. Matching and cable options will help in this area.
Treble
Good extension, good timbre, great detail. Hifiman Arya Organic gives you one of the most natural trebles possible in exchange for a little brightness. Yes, air frequencies are abundant and well managed. Treble is well lit and airy. The treble has a beautiful timbre despite all this shine and outstanding technique. The speed of the driver is also noticeable here, the fast cymbals hit one after the other with the Arya Organic can be separated grain by grain.
Technique
Let’s get to the most crucial part of this headset. High-end technique. Why do I say that? Because when you look at non-Hifiman products, you have to spend at least 2000 dollars for a technique similar to Organic. It has stunning resolution and great microdetail performance, where even the finest nuances can be heard. Layering, separation, positioning are very well done. Of course, the imaging ability is also excellent. Accuracy and realism in instruments and vocals. At this point we can sit back and praise Hifiman Arya Organic a lot. And it does all this with the right timbre.
Hifiman Arya Organic vs Arya Stealth
Basically, Arya Stealth is more neutral, while Arya Organic is more U-shape in tone. While both offer similar technical performance, the Arya Organic has better bass response and brighter highs. Organic produces more textured and extended bass. The Organic is more colorful but has better timbre. Both have an enormous soundstage, but Arya Organic’s soundstage is more consistent. Personally, I would have paid the extra $380 because I enjoyed it more.
Last Words
Hifiman Arya Organic is a headphone I’m happy to have in my collection. I can say that the price is funny compared to what it offers. If you don’t have treble sensitivity and aren’t obsessed with the sound of the dynamic driver, this headphone is unbeatable up to $1500.
