HiFiMAN Arya Vs Arya Unveiled Comparison Review

HiFiMAN has released more headphones this year than a lot of other brands. This is thanks to their new “Unveiled” models, which experiment with a new planar magnetic design with no barriers. How does it compare to their older models though? A headphone like the Arya Stealth V3 is still a viable option, especially with its steady decrease in price over the years. Does the Unveiled offer enough for the price jump? Let’s compare.

What You Get

Look & Feel

If you’re familiar with HiFiMAN, you know their standard appearance. Their giant earcups, lightweight frame, and suspension headband are staples of their headphones. The Unveiled changes things up with its totally bare planar design without the grilles, as well as the addition of magnetic plates it uses to protect them when not in use. While the Unveiled design looks great, especially in the Arya’s signature black, it also requires a lot more care than other models. However, knowing HiFiMAN’s quality control, that might be better for the headphones anyway. In terms of comfort, the Arya Unveiled and Stealth are the same. Their lightweight cups and padding offer the same secure fit that never becomes bothersome with fatigue.

Design

So what does eliminating the headphone’s grille actually do for the driver? While older versions of the Arya incorporated Stealth magnets, the Unveiled doesn’t seem to, which is weird considering Stealth magnets seemed like a huge upgrade to HiFiMAN’s planar designs over the years. Perhaps Stealth magnets don’t fit with the Unveiled design? Whatever it is, both driver configurations prioritize minimal noise for the best signal purity.

Soundstage

If you want to hear the direct benefits of having these new “unveiled” driver designs, look to the soundstage and imaging. HiFiMAN has never had a problem delivering an open soundstage with excellent spatial properties, especially the Arya and its iterations. For instance, the Arya Stealth V3 gives great precision to its airy soundstage presentation, but with the unveiled, it takes on a different dimension. All the Aryas are wide and semi-holographic, but the unveiled version is the first time the sound elements communicate distinct angles and distances. Each layer is stacked above and behind other layers more articulately, whereas the other Aryas are floatier, even though they both do a good job emanating in the open air.

Low End

This might be what separates a lot of people from the Arya versus the unveiled. The Arya Stealth V3 offered a more punctuated mid-bass compared to past versions but kept its clarity in the sub-bass as well. With the Unveiled version, the bass response is cut back significantly. None of the clarity is eliminated, but you can tell when listening to both versions back and forth that the Unveiled has a more relaxed tone. It’s like the gain knob is lowered by about 4-5dB, which is a bit more than just a slightly noticeable difference. With that said, the details are all there in the Unveiled, and they might even be more transparent than past versions. There’s a slight warmth, but it’s much less direct and impactful than the Arya Stealth.

Mids

Both the Arya and Arya Unveiled share a lot of similarities in the midrange, but the more relaxed sound signature of the Unveiled still affects it significantly. No matter which headphones you go with, the midrange will be full of lush details and individualized notes that give the sound a ton of personality. The most common distinction is the Unveiled’s more reserved performance though, which is less forward than what the Arya Stealth can do. You get slightly more energy with the Stealth, but both headphones have stellar vocal displays, offering crisp, natural qualities.

Highs

With the Unvieled’s more relaxed nature, it’s surprising to hear that the highs are more lively than the Arya Stealth. Older versions of the Arya had more brilliant highs that sizzle and taper off with grace, and that comes back with the Unveiled. The presentation is slightly switched up though, making the highs appear a lot more technical and exact this time around, instead of having this wide pool of sparkle. With the Stealth, the highs are slightly brighter but is also more smoothed over, lacking the glisten of the Unveiled.

Summary

Both the HiFiMAN Arya Stealth and Arya Unveiled provide exceptional audio experiences, catering to different needs and preferences. The Unveiled design offers a lot in terms of soundstage, but if you’re into punchy bass and an overall more energetic sound signature, the Arya Stealth might be what you prefer. However, if you love having an immersive soundstage that feels live, and a sound signature that is more reserved but technical underneath, then the Unveiled will easily win you over.

The HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled and Arya Stealth are available at Audio46.