Sensitivity : 94dB
Frequency response : 8Hz – 65kHz
Weight : 404g (14.3oz)
Total Score
Introduction
Today we’re going to take a look at a headphone that’s on sale at a huge discount and at a very advantageous price. Launched in 2021 as a stealth version of the original Arya, this headset was priced at $1599 and is currently selling for $600. Let’s see if it’s still competitive in 2025.
I purchased the product myself with the intention of writing an independent review. I spent more than 200 hours (expect the burn in) with my new purchase before writing the review.
Build & Design
It comes with Hifiman’s primitively simple box and a cleverly designed foam stand. Apart from the 6.35mm stock cable, nothing else comes out of the box. Although I find this Styrofoam headphone stand quite well-intentioned, I can’t help but ask: How can someone who buys such a headset not already have a nice stand?
Looking at the product itself, I can see that they use industrial materials in a simple but effective way. I think this is a kind of invisible Hifiman signature.
The Hifiman Arya Stealth is a very comfortable headset with wide pads and headband. I don’t feel any weight or uncomfortable pressure when I put them on.
Synergy
The Hifiman Arya Stealth is an analytical headphone with a natural presentation and a bit bright. In fact, it has a slightly cool coloration compared to most analytical dynamic drivers. From this point of view, I think it might be more compatible with warm sources.
Hifiman Arya Stealth With Topping A50iii & D50iii
I love this dual dac amp set, they sound very technical and neutral, and they give you both headphone amp (and dac) and stereo dac (and preamp) functionality.
The Hifiman Arya stealth with the Topping A50iii and D50iii pair sounds very analytical and wide, with a natural and slight midcentric presentation. A fully recessed sound and great imaging, yes this is a true planar performance. I have a hard time with this pairing in acoustic genres, but it’s very enjoyable in metal genres. When I turn on Far from Any Road by The Handsome Family, the song from that great show, I hear the vocals and the guitar very close together. I think this has something to do with the pairing. On the other hand, with this setup, Ne Obliviscaris – Forget Not wipes the rust off my ears. By the way, surprisingly listening to hiphop with this pairing is very enjoyable.
With this setup you get a very flat sound, which lacks the necessary color in some genres, but the sound is still great.
Hifiman Arya Stealth With Astell Kern SE300
The Astell Kern A&futura SE300 and Hifiman Arya Stealth are a great match in terms of tonality. Listening in NOS mode, through 4.4mm at H gain with a Class A amp, the sound has a slight warmth and gently glowing highs. In technical terms, it’s adequate in terms of resolution, but I don’t think I’m listening to a full potential Arya Stealth in the remaining parts. The 6Vrms nominal voltage swing provided by the Astell Kern SE300 at H gain seems to be basically sufficient. Still, mid-high segment planars like the Arya Stealth require a lot of power for full potential. This doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy listening with the SE300. When I turn on La Voce Del Silenzio from Musica Nuda, this pairing is enough to give me a great listening experience.
The Solution! Astell Kern SE300 + Topping A50iii With Hifiman Arya Stealth
That’s it! The Topping A50iii produces extraordinary power without touching the great tone of the SE300. When I take line out from the Astell Kern SE300, whether in OS or NOS mode, the sound I get is fantastic. I plug the line out from the SE300’s 4.4mm port into the balanced inputs of the A50iii (this requires a 4.4mm to 2×6.3mm cable) and use the A50iii in H gain mode with the volume pot at about 55%, listening through the 6.3mm output with the stock cable. This laborious pairing produces a great result. Layering, separation, positioning and overall imaging are at full potential. Resolution is very good, detail reproduction is top notch. The timbre is very realistic, and yes, it certainly doesn’t sound like it’s coming out of a $600 pair of headphones.
Sound
The Hifiman Arya Stealth is a highly resolving, realistic and holographic sounding headphone that gives you high power at a good price. Tonally it’s close to neutral, very slightly cold but musical in the overall spectrum.
Bass
The lower frequencies have good sub extension and enough punch to be expected from a planar driver. However, “enough” here will depend on your expectations; for those accustomed to dynamic drivers, the punch may be insufficient and the sound may sound cold. Those with listening habits closer to the neutral line will have enough fun with this low frequency response. Technically, I think this bass is excellent, both in terms of detail and texture. Some might expect a warmer touch and more midbass hum, but I found this bass response to be quite natural and adequate. When it comes to instrument response, the contrabass and bass guitar sound both full-bodied and detailed. Moreover, the Arya Stealth captures even the fastest drums with ease. Some might expect more extension from these fast drums.
Mid
Natural, transparent, well decomposed, detailed and with a good timbre. There is a small peak in the upper mids at around 3-4khz, in contrast to the great width across the whole stage. There is a slight body in this area and the sounds in this area come closer to you. I think I would have preferred it not to come so close, even though all this is within the limits of natural hearing. This is my only criticism in this area. Other than that, the mid frequencies are very good with smooth vocals and well layered instruments. Maybe they are not the best in terms of texture, but for the price, both texture and microdetails are superior.
Treble
The highs of the Hifiman Arya Stelth are the area where this headphone’s power needs are most apparent. Because when it doesn’t get enough power, the highs are distorted and over-heard in this area. When the control increases with a high power, it is sharp, soluble and tuned. Of course, a skilled ear will notice that tiny planar timbre in this area, but there is nothing disturbing about it. On the contrary, in the treble area the cymbals form the main element of the staging with great distance and an admirable ability to capture nuance. The Stealth magnets must have done their job in this area, as the upper frequencies remain perfectly internally balanced, sounding very consistent and has high-resolution.
Technique
I think there is not much to tell in this area. At its current price, the Hifiman Arya Stealth is uncompetitive in all technical factors. They sell the performance that Western products sell for 1500-2000 dollars for this money today. This may be a problem for the market, but it is an opportunity for the consumer. For the Arya Stealth, please buy a powerful amplifier with more than 1000W of power at 32ohms and a nominal voltage swing of at least 6vrms. Another recommendation would be to get a good 4.4 cable for this headphone. This will increase the amount of control in direct proportion to the number of poles.
Last Words
The Hifiman Arya Stealth is a deal headphone these days, priced at $600. I would especially recommend it to friends who already have a powerful amplifier at home. If you have been listening to Edition XS or Ananda series products or western over-ears under 1000 dollars, Arya Stealth will be a solid upgrade for you.
