HiFiMan Arya Stealth Magnet Version Headphones Review

These headphones look similar to the HiFiMan Arya (also known as the Arya V2). They still have oblong ear cups with dark silver grilles to protect their drivers. They also have a ski-band headband design and a tall metal headband to hold the headphones together. What makes these headphones different from the V2 model is a change to their driver design. They're still planar magnetic but use stealth magnet technology. The manufacturer is vague on what this means other than claiming that it improves acoustic transparency and reduces distortion. They also appear shaped and positioned to create as little interference as possible. They only come in one color variant: 'Black'.

They're comfortable headphones. Even though they're pretty bulky, their headband helps distribute the headphones' weight, so you can wear them for long listening sessions without feeling fatigued. Their spacious ear cups also ensure a solid seal, even if you have large ears, and the padding feels plush without putting too much pressure on your head.

These headphones aren't designed with portability in mind. While the ear cups can swivel to lay flat, they can't fold into a more compact shape. They also lack a carrying case to help protect them from damage on the go.

The HiFiMan Arya V3 have a good build quality. They're made of a mix of metal and plastic, which helps them feel sturdy and well-built. They also have faux leather padding. They're basically the same in frame as the HiFiMan Arya.

These headphones are stable enough for listening to your favorite tunes at your desk or on the couch. However, if you're into headbanging while jamming out, they can move around your head or even fall off it with more intense movement.

• HiFiMan Arya V3 headphones
• 1/4" to 1/8" detachable TRS cable

The HiFiMan Arya V3 have a sound profile that suits a variety of content thanks to a balanced tuning that doesn't exaggerate or de-emphasize any frequency too much. Like most open-backs, there's a roll-off in the low-bass that weakens the rumble of deep bass synths, though it's not extreme for this type of headphone. The boom of kick drums gets a bit of a boost in the high-bass, while most of the mids are relatively flat for natural-sounding speech and lead instruments. A dip in the transition of the high-mids into low-treble pushes weakens the intensity of vocals somewhat. Otherwise, the treble is bright, reproducing detailed and present articulation of acoustic guitars and full cymbals, which can sound a bit piercing depending on the pitch.

These over-ears have outstanding frequency response consistency. Once you've taken the time to adjust their fit, you'll get consistent bass and treble delivery each time you use them.

The bass profile's target compliance is remarkable. Most of the headphones' bass output matches our target very well. However, they lack thump in the low-bass, though that's not surprising from open-backs. Most of the mid- and high-bass deliver a good amount of punch and boom to kick drums and bass guitars, but if you're a basshead, the tuning might not quite provide the heavy low-end you prefer.

Their mid-range's target compliance is excellent. The response is slightly tilted with a bit more low-mid emphasis that sounds a bit cluttered in busy mixes. Vocals and instruments like the piano in Claude Debussy's Arabesque No. 1 sound natural, though slightly weakened and lacking a bit of intensity in the higher registers.

The treble's target compliance is fantastic. Throughout the region, the frequency response doesn't deviate drastically from the target for clear-sounding harmonics. The low-treble is a little underemphasized, slightly veiling vocals and instruments and adding a touch of warmth. The mid-treble is overemphasized, so sibilants like cymbals are bright, though they may be somewhat piercing if you're already sensitive to this range.

The peaks and dips performance is good. Overall, there aren't many deviations in the sound profile, which indicates that the headphones can control their sound profile quite well. Most of the bass and mids are quite tight with few deviations for a balanced low-end and mid-range relative to its own tuning. A dip in the high-mid weakens vocals and instruments a touch. The treble is less even; a peak in the low-treble makes vocals sound somewhat harsh, followed by a narrow dip that can hurt the intelligibility of vocals, depending on the pitch. A series of small peaks and narrow valleys render sibilants like S and T sounds alternatingly somewhat dull and piercing.

HiFiMan has had quality control issues in the past, and users have reported build issues from other products in their lineup. The unit we've reviewed is also our second pair, and we had to replace our previous pair as there were issues with the right driver. However, planar magnetics are more susceptible to damage due to their design since their diaphragms are more fragile. It's also more difficult to ensure that the L/R drivers match as the planar magnetic drivers are more complex to reproduce. However, imaging indicates a manufacturer's quality control and ergonomics. Imaging also varies across units, so you may receive one unit that performs poorly and another that performs as intended.

Our second unit has outstanding imaging. Their L/R drivers are well-matched in group delay and phase, amplitude, and frequency response, ensuring that sound objects like voices are accurately localized in the stereo image.

Their passive soundstage is excellent. Thanks to their open-back design, which allows audio to escape from the ear cups and interact with your environment, they have a natural, spacious, and open soundstage similar to their predecessor, the HiFiMan Arya. Audio also feels like it's coming from speakers placed in the room around you rather than from inside your head, creating a more immersive listening experience.

The weighted harmonic distortion performance is good. There's a peak in the left driver's high-mid at high volumes. However, it's unlikely that you'll be listening to audio at such a high volume, and distortion is hard to hear unless you're a discerning audiophile. The rest of the ranges fall within good levels, producing clean and pure audio reproduction.

These are the settings used to test the HiFiMan Arya V3. Our results are only valid when used this way.

These headphones aren't designed to block background noise since they have an open-back design that lets sound it. If you want to use them anywhere that's not a quiet, isolated room, you'll hear everything around you.

These headphones are meant to leak audio by design. That means if you're listening to audio, even at moderate volumes, others around you can hear it.

These headphones come with a TRS cable with two 1/8" connectors for the drivers and a 1/4" connector for your device. There are specific connectors for the left and right drivers, so be sure not to mix them up. They lack an 1/4" to 1/8" adapter though.

These headphones are only directly compatible with your PC if you have a 1/4" to 1/8" TRS adapter, and you'll only receive audio.

You can only receive audio via analog on PlayStation consoles if you have a 1/4" to 1/8" TRS adapter.

You can only receive audio when you use their analog connection. However, you'll still need a 1/4" to 1/8" TRS adapter to use them on this console.