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Arya/Ananda Hybrid

WoollyGeezer

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Hey ASR,

I'm looking for a pair of headphones somewhere between Arya/Ananda (price doesn't matter). I love the tonality and in your face of the Ananda but if it was separated another foot or two it would be perfect for my taste.

Has anyone found a headphone that is somewhere in the middle of the two?

The Arya is TOO separated for much of my music taste.
I have been eyeing the he1000se based on crinacle's headphone rankings it might fit what I am looking for.
 
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virtua

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I think the Edition X V2 will give you the soundstage characteristic you're after. It has a noticeably wider and deeper soundstage, with better imaging as compared to the Ananda. I don't have the Arya on hand to compare, but I believe those would be wider than the Edition X V2 from my previous auditions of that headphone.

The only thing is that the Edition X V2 will have a darker tonality than both the Arya and Ananda, it's mainly noticeable in the upper treble range and extension compared to the Ananda. What you get in return is a better bass response, so it will be more similar to the Arya in that regard compared to the Ananda which can sound slightly lean in the bass at times. I think it'd be worth having a try if you can find a pair (you'll have to get a pair second hand, as Hifiman discontinued this model years ago).
 
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WoollyGeezer

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I think the Edition X V2 will give you the soundstage characteristic you're after. It has a noticeably wider and deeper soundstage, with better imaging as compared to the Ananda. I don't have the Arya on hand to compare, but I believe those would be wider than the Edition X V2 from my previous auditions of that headphone.

The only thing is that the Edition X V2 will have a darker tonality than both the Arya and Ananda, it's mainly noticeable in the upper treble range and extension compared to the Ananda. What you get in return is a better bass response, so it will be more similar to the Arya in that regard compared to the Ananda which can sound slightly lean in the bass at times. I think it'd be worth having a try if you can find a pair (you'll have to get a pair second hand, as Hifiman discontinued this model years ago).

I listen to an absurd amount of alt/metal/classic rock and jazz.

I love the Ananda tonality.

I might give the OG focal clears a demo at the shop in town but once you go planar it's hard to go back(for me anyway).
 
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I might give the OG focal clears a demo at the shop in town but once you go planar it's hard to go back(for me anyway).

eq-d hd800s endgame headphones for me, very wide (room-like) soundstage and very natural tonality after eq. Just pleasure listening to
 
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WoollyGeezer

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The soundstage of the Arya me is too large for my uses EXCEPT for watching movies.
 

Rayman30

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I imagine the Ananda and Arya have a similar sound stage, but tuning is what separates these drivers sound signature wise, If I was in your shoes, I would get the Ananda and maybe EQ them a bit to find that middle ground.
 
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WoollyGeezer

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I imagine the Ananda and Arya have a similar sound stage, but tuning is what separates these drivers sound signature wise, If I was in your shoes, I would get the Ananda and maybe EQ them a bit to find that middle ground.

The Arya has 10x the soundstage. Watching our planet on an oled cx with the Arya is one of the most immersive experiences I’ve ever had hands down.

It’s too large for my tastes. I’d keep the Arya just for cinema it’s that massive of a difference they aren’t even comparable.

Playing battlefield with the ananda I can tell exactly where enemies are vertically and horizontally , on the Arya I’m hearing so far across the map that I cannot pinpoint anything because I hear a tank explode from across the map and it’s so clear that I believe it’s to got next to me, however, in games with a stadium like madden/fifa the crowd is immersive it’s really cool.

for music tastes it’s too spread out for my taste in music. The ananda is a bit too thin I’m looking for a happy medium between the two
 
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Rayman30

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The Arya has 10x the soundstage

movies on the Arya is mindblowing because of the sound stage btw

It’s too large for my taste. I’d keep the Arya just for cinema it’s that massive of a difference they aren’t even comparable.

Playing battlefield with the ananda I can tell exactly where enemies are vertically and horizontally , on the Arya I’m hearing so far across the map that I cannot pinpoint anything because I hear a tank explode from across the map and it’s so clear that I believe it’s to got next to me, however, in games with a stadium like madden/fifa the crowd is immersive it’s really cool.

for music tastes it’s too spread out for my taste in music. The ananda is a bit too thin I’m looking for a happy medium between the two


Moot point, but I did see that RT compared both models and this is what they found.

*Due to user feedback, we decided to subjectively compare the HiFiMan Arya and HiFiMan Ananda's passive soundstage. Our objective test uses an HMS (or Head Measurement System) and an extra dummy ear with the pinna removed to measure the headphones' PRTF (pinna-related transfer function). For more information on our Passive Soundstage test, you can check out our test article here. During our subjective listening, we found both headphones to perform closely to one another, although the Arya felt a bit more open and spacious than the Ananda. However, it's hard to qualify the difference between the headphones as they don't have the same impedance or sensitivity, so it's more challenging to volume-match them. Individuals can have personal preferences which are informed by their unique head and ear shape, as well as their nasal and oral cavity. As a result, the scoring of this box hasn't changed. " RTings.com

However you may want to look at Sundara's for music, they are more intimate and have a punchy and sparkly presentation (I EQ them to Harman target) at which point they are very hard to beat, but they lack soundstage compared to Ananda/Arya. I did a subjective comparison with the Ananda here. Another option is the DCA Aeon series.
 
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WoollyGeezer

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Moot point, but I did see that RT compared both models and this is what they found.

*Due to user feedback, we decided to subjectively compare the HiFiMan Arya and HiFiMan Ananda's passive soundstage. Our objective test uses an HMS (or Head Measurement System) and an extra dummy ear with the pinna removed to measure the headphones' PRTF (pinna-related transfer function). For more information on our Passive Soundstage test, you can check out our test article here. During our subjective listening, we found both headphones to perform closely to one another, although the Arya felt a bit more open and spacious than the Ananda. However, it's hard to qualify the difference between the headphones as they don't have the same impedance or sensitivity, so it's more challenging to volume-match them. Individuals can have personal preferences which are informed by their unique head and ear shape, as well as their nasal and oral cavity. As a result, the scoring of this box hasn't changed. " RTings.com

However you may want to look at Sundara's for music, they are more intimate and have a punchy and sparkly presentation (I EQ them to Harman target) at which point they are very hard to beat, but they lack soundstage compared to Ananda/Arya. I did a subjective comparison with the Ananda here. Another option is the DCA Aeon series.

It's not even debatable for cinema. I have shown many people close to me including bringing them to the local audio store to a/b against the focal clears. All the workers there had to listen because with cinema it blew all of our minds. They are not even comparable for CINEMA.

Watching Our Planet with the Arya's via optical out on an Oled (this also means Dolby Atmos Sound) is an experience everyone with the an Arya needs to experience. It will change your entire perception of the Arya (I'm assuming the same theory applies to the heX/susvara but I cannot personally confirm)

For music? I prefer the tonality of the Ananda's because the midrange feels more present and alive, however, the soundstage could be bigger considering they get muddy with rock music like Tool(lots going on). The Arya makes Tool crystal clear but the soundstage is too spread out I like it a touch more intimate. Again, I am being very picky which is why I asked if there was anything with a middle ground between the two. I did order the edition x so we'll see how they fair once they arrive.

I used the Q701s(similar/same as the K702) for years too and they have one of the best soundstages I've ever heard but the clarity isn't there. Damn near perfect instrument placement and spread. Smaller than the Arya but still BIG.

The Sundara's reminded me of my M4U1s which used to be my favorite set. I greatly prefered the Anandas.

The OG Focal Clears are fantastic if you like the Sundara but for me, it's hard to go back to dynamic driver after using Planars.

EDIT: Keep in mind these are the Arya V3 with stealth magnets which is different than the pair RTings reviewed. I hold RTings in high regard.
 
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coomean

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Coincidentally, I am currently auditioning several popular Hifiman cans: Sundara, Ananda, Arya, and HE6se v2. With regards to an "Ananda/Arya hybrid", especially from soundstage and imaging perspective, I will recommend HE6se v2.

I only compared these cans carefully after EQ (oratory1990). To my ear, the tonalities of all these cans are more or less the same after EQ, as they should. But they still clearly differ in how they present the sound. From close to distant, it is Sundara-Ananda-HE6se-Arya. If you go track by track, each of them will hit the sweet spots (closeness vs openness) at some point and shine in certain tracks. But most of times, I found Sundara too intimate or closed, and Arya too far away or diffused. The soundstage of Ananda is similar to HE6se's, but Ananda somehow sounds more congested or stuffed, while HE6se sounds more airy and smooth.
 

virtua

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I listen to an absurd amount of alt/metal/classic rock and jazz.

I love the Ananda tonality.

I might give the OG focal clears a demo at the shop in town but once you go planar it's hard to go back(for me anyway).

I've heard the OG Focal Clears and they couldn't be any more different to the Aryas. The Focal Clears sound like HD650 but just better overall. But the Focal Clears aren't going to touch the soundstage size of even a pair of Sundaras (from memory), let alone Anandas or Aryas. The sound is much more closed in, but the tonality is good - it doesn't have that apparent lack of treble and bass extension the HD650 has. If the Ananda is tilted slightly bright then you could say the Clears are tilted slightly warm, I would say both are fairly neutral its just a slightly different take on neutral.

Coincidentally, I am currently auditioning several popular Hifiman cans: Sundara, Ananda, Arya, and HE6se v2. With regards to an "Ananda/Arya hybrid", especially from soundstage and imaging perspective, I will recommend HE6se v2.

I only compared these cans carefully after EQ (oratory1990). To my ear, the tonalities of all these cans are more or less the same after EQ, as they should. But they still clearly differ in how they present the sound. From close to distant, it is Sundara-Ananda-HE6se-Arya. If you go track by track, each of them will hit the sweet spots (closeness vs openness) at some point and shine in certain tracks. But most of times, I found Sundara too intimate or closed, and Arya too far away or diffused. The soundstage of Ananda is similar to HE6se's, but Ananda somehow sounds more congested or stuffed, while HE6se sounds more airy and smooth.

The HE6SE is an amazing can, but I definitely think the presentation of the sound is quite different compared to the egg-shaped Hifimans. The main difference is that it doesn't have the same sense of vertical height on the soundstage - its a bit more like the Sundara in that regard. I think I know what you mean when you say the Ananda sounds more congested or stuffed, and I think that has to do with how the Ananda doesn't resolve quite as good as the HE6SE, and this affects the imaging because the images seem a bit hazy in comparison to the better Hifiman stuff. The biggest thing I got from auditioning the HE6SE was just how much impact/dynamics it has across the frequency range, which is the polar opposite to how soft it is on the egg-shaped Hifimans. I think it's an awesome headphone, but it's definitely different. I'd personally put it on the same level as the Arya at minimum, just different.
 
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WoollyGeezer

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It's not even debatable for cinema. I have shown many people close to me including bringing them to the local audio store to a/b against the focal clears. All the workers there had to listen because with cinema it blew all of our minds. They are not even comparable for CINEMA.

For music? I prefer the tonality of the Ananda's, however, the soundstage could be bigger.
Coincidentally, I am currently auditioning several popular Hifiman cans: Sundara, Ananda, Arya, and HE6se v2. With regards to an "Ananda/Arya hybrid", especially from soundstage and imaging perspective, I will recommend HE6se v2.

I only compared these cans carefully after EQ (oratory1990). To my ear, the tonalities of all these cans are more or less the same after EQ, as they should. But they still clearly differ in how they present the sound. From close to distant, it is Sundara-Ananda-HE6se-Arya. If you go track by track, each of them will hit the sweet spots (closeness vs openness) at some point and shine in certain tracks. But most of times, I found Sundara too intimate or closed, and Arya too far away or diffused. The soundstage of Ananda is similar to HE6se's, but Ananda somehow sounds more congested or stuffed, while HE6se sounds more airy and smooth.

I will try the he6se. Thank you for your input. I have heard fantastic things about them
 

coomean

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The HE6SE is an amazing can, but I definitely think the presentation of the sound is quite different compared to the egg-shaped Hifimans. The main difference is that it doesn't have the same sense of vertical height on the soundstage - its a bit more like the Sundara in that regard. I think I know what you mean when you say the Ananda sounds more congested or stuffed, and I think that has to do with how the Ananda doesn't resolve quite as good as the HE6SE, and this affects the imaging because the images seem a bit hazy in comparison to the better Hifiman stuff. The biggest thing I got from auditioning the HE6SE was just how much impact/dynamics it has across the frequency range, which is the polar opposite to how soft it is on the egg-shaped Hifimans. I think it's an awesome headphone, but it's definitely different. I'd personally put it on the same level as the Arya at minimum, just different.

I have a similar impression between the HE6se and Arya. Arya expands the soundstage and sounds more polite. HE6se sounds more intense. Choice between them comes down to preferences (genre, track, mood, etc), instead of technicalities.
 
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WoollyGeezer

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I have a similar impression between the HE6se and Arya. Arya expands the soundstage and sounds more polite. HE6se sounds more intense. Choice between them comes down to preferences (genre, track, mood, etc), instead of technicalities.
Would this apply to the Adorama He6se V2
 
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