A Comparison with HiFiMan Arya Stealth and HE1000se
The HiFiMan Arya family has just gotten bigger! HiFiMan released its latest iteration in the best-selling Arya line: The Arya Organic headphones. The Arya Organic retains the build quality and technology of the Arya Stealth Magnets headphones, with some apparent upgrades to the design and sound. Dare I say it lends itself to a more organic sound... hence the name choice.
With the Arya Organic, HiFiMan said they wanted to create a high-quality headphone that provides a more musical and warmer sound signature to the Arya Stealth Magnets model. I'd say they've fulfilled that goal. The Arya Organic is a balanced and warm-leaning open-back headphone with amazing musicality — It’s the Arya Stealth with a warm, fuzzy blanket on.
HiFiMan Arya Organic Review & Comparison
PROS
- Incredibly Lightweight & Comfortable
- Full of Musicality with a neutral-warm sound signature
- Detail of the Arya Stealth with the warmth of the HE1000se
CONS
The nature of Open-Back Headphones lends to Sound Leakage
- Bass response is textured and punchy, but not very deep
- No included carrying case or protective gear
Design
I feel it goes without saying that the Arya Organic has a noticeable design element that's missing from the Arya Stealth — A deep mahogany-colored wood veneer around the ear cups. The Arya Organic retains that signature look of many HiFiMan products: Large ovoid-shaped ear cups, window-shade grill design, and perforated headband strap. The Arya Stealth has a sleek, almost sultry black aesthetic, and the Arya Organic preserves that look but takes it up a notch with the mahogany veneer around the ear cups.
The ear cups have an almost 360-degree swivel and the ear pads are plushy and comfortable. After a couple hours of listening my ears didn't feel hot or fatigued, so I'll give my thanks to the open-back design for that.
The Arya Organic weighs 15.5 oz (440g), making it 1.2 ounces heavier than the Arya Stealth. I'm not sure if it's me but the organic feels incredibly lightweight. The clamping force is almost nonexistent and for me, that's a major plus. There's nothing I hate more than listening to a pair of headphones for an hour and I feel like my jaw is going to fall off because of the pressure. So the fact that the Arya Organic has practically no clamping force and it feels like a feather floating on my head, it gets two thumbs up in the comfort department.
Included with the headphones is a 3.5mm braided stock cable. The cable is sturdy and durable and has a 1/4-inch amp end. The stock cable, is well, a stock cable. It will get the job done but our handcrafted Silver Dragon Premium Cable will take the Arya Organic to the next level. As a neutral-warm headphone with a musical delivery, the Silver Dragon will provide lots of clarity and crispness while tightening up the bass.
Overall I'm impressed with the ergonomic design and build quality, and I appreciate that HiFiMan didn't stray too much from the look of the Arya Stealth. It's a good representation of the Arya models we've seen to date.
Sound
I was really excited to test out the Arya Organic and see if it truly delivers, well, an organic sound. For my listening session, I tested the Arya Organic with the Sony WM1AM2 DAP Music Player and our Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable.
As with all planar magnetic headphones, we recommend pairing the Organic with a headphone amplifier, DAC, or DAP to drive them to peak performance, and the WM1AM2 did this efficiently.
The Arya Organic has a smooth sound with a warm and musical delivery. It has the key characteristics of a planar headphone: Punchy, textured bass, details, and an airy soundstage. To me, the Arya Organic is the Arya Stealth with a warm, fuzzy blanket on. It's got the detail of the Stealth, but with a bass and sub-bass response that's quick and impactful. It's perfect for someone who wants a headphone that will reproduce the bass in a neutral but pleasant way.
If you're a warm and musical listener like myself, then you'll enjoy the Arya Organic's sound. Harry Styles has been my go-to artist lately and his song Satellite has been on repeat. The song is warm, fun, and emotive and the Arya Organic amplifies all those aspects of the song. His vocals are naturally breathy and airy sounding and the organic complemented this well — No unwanted sibilance.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s American Hero has a present kick drum throughout the entire song that was nestled comfortably between the male vocals and piano. Personally, I would’ve enjoyed slightly more thump to the kick drum but the sound was in line with the neutral side of the Arya Organic.
Soundstage-wise, the Arya Organic has some depth to it while also being very intimate. Artists' vocals and instruments feel up close and personal like you're sitting at your own private performance of your favorite song. There's a good amount of instrument separation as well. With that being said, the Arya Organic has good treble extension that’s textured but not overly bright or fatiguing. The midrange is balanced and delivers an impressive level of detail.
After spending almost two weeks testing the Arya Organic I can say the sound signature leans more neutral than it does overly warm. While it does have some warmth to it, overall it delivers a sound that's balanced and musical. It's by no means as warm and bass-heavy as the Sony MDR-Z1R so if you're someone who likes a lot of thump and energy then this may not be the headphone for you. If you enjoy a sound that's smooth and expansive then the Arya Organic is a great match for your preferences and we highly recommend it! The Arya Organic is great for genres like Folk, Country, and Classic Rock.
Mr. Blue Sky
By Electric Light Orchestra
(Out of the Blue)
Satellite
By Harry Styles
(Harry's House)
American Hero
By Rainbow Kitten Surprise
(Seven + Mary)
Just What I Needed
By The Cars
(The Cars)
Features
Much like the Arya Stealth, the Arya Organic uses HiFiMan’s nanometer-thickness diaphragm and Stealth Magnet technology. The diaphragm used in the Arya Organic is remarkably thin and its ultra-lightweight design allows for faster response times and reduced distortion. This gives the Arya Organic a heightened level of transparency and detail retrieval.
The Stealth Magnets technology is a welcome feature implemented in many HiFiMan headphones. Found in the Arya Stealth and the SUSVARA headphones, the unique shape of the stealth magnets design enables sound waves to pass through the magnet without generating interference, thus maintaining sonic purity.
The Arya Organic also features HiFiMan’s window shade system that protects the driver while enhancing the open, neutral sound. The grills, which resemble window shades control the interaction between the drivers and the surrounding air. The result? Precise management of the air movement, preventing unwanted resonances that can degrade the overall sound quality.
Comparisons
Between the HiFiMan Arya Stealth and HE1000se, the Arya Organic is the warmest of all three headphones. In some ways, the Arya Organic is a good mix of the HE1000se and Arya Stealth. It's got the detail and clarity of the Arya Stealth and the wider, fuller-bodied sound of the HE1000se.
The Arya Stealth is the most detailed and resolute sounding. The bass is fast, but not as punchy as the Organic. The Arya Organic is bolder and more musical sounding while retaining the crispness and clarity of the Arya Stealth. Just like the Organic, the Arya Stealth sounds great with Folk and Country, but I felt it was a bit lacking in the Classic Rock department. When I listen to Electric Light Orchestra's Mr. Blue Sky the Stealth's midrange feels slightly more recessed. I was missing that energy and liveliness that was very present in the male vocals when I listened with the Organic.
The HE1000se also shares a lot of similar traits as the Arya Organic. The sound is more engaging and lively than that of the Stealth, but in my opinion, it is not as resolute-sounding as the Stealth. The HE1000se's midrange is more in line with the Organic and there was a good amount of energy to the vocals and instruments, without making them too warm. These similarities were present when I compared Mr. Blue Sky on the two headphones.
If you want the most detailed and resolute sound then the Arya Stealth will be the winner. Overall, the sound of the Arya Organic is more in line with that of the HE1000se. If the Arya Stealth and HE1000se started a family, the Arya Organic would be their firstborn. In fact, Drew Baird, P.E. Owner and Founder of Moon Audio says the Arya Organic is the baby HE1000se and I couldn't agree more.
Sound: Warm side of neutral, full-bodied, musical
Weight: 440g/.97lbs
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Sensitivity: 94dB
Frequency Response: 8Hz-65kHz
Sound: Warm side of neutral, smooth top end
Weight: 404g
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Sensitivity: 94dB
Frequency Response: 8Hz-65kHz
Sound: Detailed and dynamic
Weight: 440g
Impedance: 35 Ohms
Sensitivity: 96dB
Frequency Response: 8Hz-65kHz
Dragon Headphone Cables
I opted to pair the HiFiMan Arya Organic with a Silver Dragon Premium Headphone Cable. It’s a wonderful match for the neutral-warm sound of the Arya Organic. The Silver Dragon’s UP-OCC Single-crystal silver conductors will tighten up the low end, expand the soundstage, and enhance detail by finding “lost” middle and high frequencies. We exclusively design our dragon premium cables for only the most creme de la creme headphones, where every last morsel of detail makes the difference in bringing you closer to the music. The Silver Dragon is our top-of-the-line flagship headphone cable designed to maximize the amount of detail, clarity, air, and instrument separation you get from your listening experience. It will bring your HiFiMan planar magnetic headphones to new sonic heights!
The Silver Dragon is smooth and clean, not forward or bright sounding. We recommend the Silver Dragon for people who love to hear lots of detail in their music. The Silver Dragon pairs well with all genres and complements any song that I play. If you love details and enjoy a critical listening experience, then the Silver Dragon Premium will be your cable of choice.
Generally, stock audio cables are manufactured with subpar materials, metals with impurities, poor geometries, and an overabundance of layers to make them look and feel like a fire hose. Inconsistency and lack of quality control in stock cables can lead to poor sound quality and a veiled sound vs. what the musician intended for you to hear and feel from the music. Dragon cables are handcrafted with the highest standards and made to order according to your specific needs. At Moon Audio, we create a custom cable for you using the highest quality UP-OCC silver or copper conductors that can be manufactured. UP-OCC metals are void of impurities and are optimized for signal transfer and sound quality. We have one of the largest collections of audio and headphone connection options available online and we create limitless audio cable options depending on your specific gear and needs.
Why Dragon Headphone Cables?
You’ve heard the saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, right? Well, the same applies to your brand-new audiophile-grade headphone or other audio components. The weakest link, in this case, is your stock cable or the cheap interconnects the manufacturer threw in the box just to get you up and running. Why is the cable always an afterthought, when it’s just as important as the rest of your system? At Moon Audio, we use the best raw materials in our cables to unveil your music. We believe the materials matter and your audio cables should have the same care and craftsmanship that manufacturers put into their audio components and headphones. Audio cables are ultimately the connection to your music. The fact remains that cabling is often considered the last priority to that of the main product and a means to cut down the overall production costs. It’s as simple as that.
Verdict
The Arya Organic is a marvelous addition to the HiFiMan Arya headphones family, which for the price point competes with some of the more expensive high-end models in the HiFiMan lineup. It delivers a level of musicality that's missing in its older sibling the Arya Stealth, while not straying too far from the look, feel, and sound of the stealth. If you're stuck choosing between the Arya Stealth and the HE1000se, the Arya Organic is the happy middle. The Arya Organic complements acoustic, Classic Rock, Folk, and Country particularly well, but those are just our recommendations. That's the fun of it — They're your headphones so you get to decide what sounds good to you! If you own the Arya Stealth and want a warmer more musical sound, then the Arya Organic will deliver just that.
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What's in the Box
-HiFiMan Arya Organic Headphones
-3.5mm Single Crystalline-Copper Cable with a 6.35mm Connector
-HiFiMan Warranty Guide
-HiFiMan Arya Organic User Manual
Specifications
Frequency Response: 8Hz - 65kHz
Sensitivity: 94dB
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Weight: 440g/.97lbs
Ear Coupling: Over-ear (Circumaural)
Cable: Detachable 3.5mm cable with 6.35mm Connector
