Introduction

I had teased in my first HIFIMAN product review that more were on the way. After all, that may have been a unique set of TWS earphones featuring a high impedance voice coil paired with an external amplifier, but it's still not what made the brand famous. Nay, it is headphones HIFIMAN owes its popularity to, with a product line that now spans from $100 to $6000. The company has been around for over a decade, with an emphasis on improving sound quality and planar driver engineering as much as possible, and one such effort has led to the development of what it calls stealth magnets. I have three HIFIMAN headphones with stealth magnets all awaiting reviews, and I figured it best to begin with the most recently announced of the trio—the HIFIMAN Arya. Thanks again to HIFIMAN for providing TechPowerUp a review sample!


As for the naming, Arya generally means noble or exalted, although it usually refers to something honorable if used as a name. I still find it funny that multiple HIFIMAN products take inspiration from ancient Indian languages, but it's still more fitting a name than, say, "Arya v3" or "Arya Stealth Magnets Version." You see, HIFIMAN in its quest for continuous upgrades has had about three versions of the Arya headphones in as many years since launch. The first revision, colloquially referred to as Arya v2, brought about the patented window shade feature from higher-end headphones in the HIFIMAN lineup. The most recent one, from September 2021, was so major with driver updates that it merited a whole other SKU. HIFIMAN does not call it the Arya SE, perhaps because it doesn't flow off the tongue as easily, so I am taking the liberty of referring to it as the Arya (2021 Stealth Magnets) or just Arya (2021) during the course of this review, which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below. I am also pairing these headphones with an optional cable—the Apos Flow seen above in red Apos Audio kindly provided for coverage.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

HIFIMAN operates a web shop, and this sample shipped directly from the company, so we begin with shipping packaging since this is how paying customers would receive the Arya (2021). The shipping box itself is appropriately sized, although with HIFIMAN stickers on multiple sides and another mentioning the contents inside. I would have rather seen a stealthier approach, especially knowing these are expensive headphones. Inside is the product box itself, which comes in a shaped-to-fit bubble wrap and foam sheets on all sides for further protection from overzealous couriers.


The product box is thick cardboard, and again feels well-sized once you see the contents inside. It adopts a primarily black color scheme to go with the headphones, and I have to give props to the designer for coming up with clean and attractive packaging. On the front is the company logo and product name, with a sticker confirming this is the newer stealth magnets version. There is a render of the headphones on the side, and the aforementioned sticker is the only confirmation that you have the latest version. The box is otherwise unchanged from the previous version, including the outdated specifications table that feels somewhat amateurish in the absence of another sticker that has the updated specifications outside of making a whole other box. Another preview of the headphones accompanies the HIFIMAN contact information and a reminder that registration will net you an additional 3 months of warranty, which is well worth it for a product that comes with a low 12 months only. Seals on the sides keep the contents inside in place during transit, and removing them, we notice HIFIMAN is using a two-piece packaging with the top simply lifting off.


I do like the unboxing experience thus far, and it continues with substantial paperwork on top of a foam sheet protecting the headphones themselves. A card informs us about the major update in this revision courtesy the stealth magnets, effectively as a primer on the technology itself. There is also a warranty card with the serial numbers for both drivers of this headphone, which is an interesting move I can get behind. The QR code takes you to this page, where you can access FAQs, find applicable drivers for other products, and the owner's guide for the new Arya (online copy here). The latter is included as a printed booklet, in color and on high bond glossy paper, which makes it feel like a premium product. Once again, the guide is adapted from the previous version, meaning the magnets page is left unchanged, which explains the add-on card about the correct magnets. Another sticker has been applied over the specifications table, this time correcting it while confirming the old owners guides were used to get rid of already printed stock before newer guides are printed.

The headphones do not come inside a case of any sort thus, so stowing these away isn't as conveniently done as other such headphones we have seen recently. HIFIMAN instead provides a soft, cloth-wrapped foam piece with a cutout to hold the headphones as seen above. Notice the section in the middle with a note alerting the customer that the headphone cable is below. The company sells two travel cases in black or a checkered brown for $29 if interested, although you may also want to look at aftermarket hard cases with pluckable foam, such as the Lykus 3310 that fits the entire box insert nicely with some room on the side for cables. Of course, the average end user will likely just want to have the headphones on a headphone stand, readily available to listen to when needed.