I have been using and listening to the HIFIMAN Arya (2021) for a while now, certainly longer than most other reviewed headphones and earphones to date. Some of this came about because of staggered testing given I decided to bundle this review with that of the Apos Flow cable and since this was the then most resolving set of headphones I had to where I had to use the Arya (2021) at work for a couple of unrelated experiments. Then came the part where I had to get a different source to test the Apos Flow cable, so that entailed re-testing the stock configuration as well. This was also around the time that VSG.squig.link was being formed, so the HIFIMAN Arya (2021) ended up being the first set of headphones to go up there, plotted against my target curve and a reference for other added headphones.

A reference set this is indeed, albeit with caveats for those interested in using it for audio mixing and music production. As with the Audeze reference series, of which I have the LCD-XC and LCD-X here now, it's not completely neutral. That would make it boring to many audiophiles, and as long as you are aware of the changes from a neutral response, which itself does not have a single standard depending on pinna compensation, and account for it, I don't see why the HIFIMAN Arya (2021) can't do the job. If anything, I'd use it over the LCD-X and XC given the latter two weigh more and are not as comfortable over longer listening sessions. The Arya (2021) may not look and feel premium for the price, but weighs less and is one of the most comfortable sets of headphones I have ever used. It is also easier to drive now with the recent stealth magnets revision, making investing in an expensive source if you do not already have one unnecessary. I do have complaints about the included cable when it comes to the user experience, but can't complain much about its sound output.

This really is the crux of things as they stand—HIFIMAN does everything almost to a fault to get things to sound good. It's not necessarily as much as Audeze, who still refuses to compromise on its glued ear pads. That said, I appreciate it all the more from HIFIMAN with the replacement parts on offer, and frankly excellent customer support I've experienced when pretending to be a regular customer. These certainly contribute positively to the user experience of the headphones, but the tonality and technicalities matter the most at the end of the day. The HIFIMAN Arya (2021) lends itself favorably to many music genres, which is helped by the low distortion and high detail. The diaphragm is relatively fast in the treble response, making for increased resolution to better appreciate some classical music unlike on any other headphones I have listened to so far except for the HE1000se that arrived recently, which is a whole other ball game.

At $1600, I admittedly don't have many other comparisons reviewed yet. But I am waiting for one more set of headphones to arrive before I go back to the local audio store for comparisons to a few offerings from the likes of Focal, Dan Clark Audio, and ZMF. I believe there are a few Kennerton headphones there too, so in the next few premium/flagship-class headphone reviews, expect to see more subjective comparisons at the least. The arrival of the LCD-X the same day as this was written did not help, but except the HIFIMAN Arya (2021) to come up as a comparison point there too. As it stands, I've enjoyed my time with the Arya (2021) enough to recommend it for those genres I have mentioned, which just so happen to also be those I personally relish.