Hifiman Arya Unveiled Review

HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled

In this review, we check out the all-new HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled. Their latest fully open back planar magnetic headphone, selling for $1,449 USD.

 

Disclaimer: HIFIMAN provided the Arya Unveiled free of charge for this review. Headfonia and HIFIMAN are not related in any way. 

HIFIMAN

Anyone who is into personal audio should have come across the name HIFIMAN in the past. They are the makers of some of the very finest headphones on the market. Although their very first release was not a headphone, but a reference portable audio player – the HM-801. At the time it was revolutionary for its sound. After the HM-801 was introduced, we saw many new DAP brands rise to market. So, you can see HIFIMAN as the true original behind the DAP scene we know today.

HIFIMAN has gained massive popularity over time for their excellent headphones. Many of which we have reviewed on Headfonia in the past years already. If you want to check all reviews out, just follow this link.

Here are the most recent reviews:

 

During the last months of 2024, HIFIMAN has started introducing their Unveiled technology. This basically is a 100% open back headphone, with no grills to protect the drivers from any outside force.

I have been a big fan of HIFIMAN’s headphones for a few years now. The HE1000se is still one of my favorite headphones. It even survived the original Susvara for me, even if the Susvara was a higher end model and superior, the HE1000se was just special to me.

Today, we are looking at the Arya Unveiled – their latest addition to their Unveiled line-up.

HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled

Arya Unveiled

The Arya Unveiled is a fully open-back planar magnetic over-ear headphone that sits in the middle of HIFIMAN’s current portfolio of headphones. This is the latest iteration of the highly popular Arya headphones. To get a good feeling of the previous models, make sure to read up on the Arya Organic and Arya Stealth reviews. Both headphones are not with me unfortunately, so I cannot give comparisons to them later in this review.

 

HIFIMAN rates the impedance of the Arya Unveiled at 27 Ohms. With a sensitivity of 94dB/mW it’s a moderate to easy to drive headphone. Though you should probably look into amplifiers that can output 1W per channel into 27 Ohms to get a satisfying experience with the Arya Unveiled.

HIFIMAN states that they measure a frequency response from 8Hz to 65kHz, way beyond human hearing abilities. The Arya Unveiled uses a nanometer thick diaphragm. This diaphragm is supposed to have an extremely fast response and dynamic range.

To learn a bit more about the Arya Unveiled, I recommend checking out HIFIMAN’s product page on their website.

The Arya Unveiled is available for $1,449 USD throughout HIFIMAN’s retail channels around the world.

Package

HIFIMAN ships the Arya Unveiled in a compact sized cardboard box. Unlike their flagships, the Arya Unveiled doesn’t come in a super fancy box, but something stripped down to the necessities.

Once you open the box, you will be greeted by your new headphones. The ear-cups are covered by two brown velour bags. Be careful when you take the headphones out, because remember, the drivers are fully open and unprotected against anything.

HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled

In the box you will also find a set of accessories, including a 6.3mm single-ended cable and protective covers for the ear-cups and drivers. These are magnetically attachable. You could potentially attach those to the headphones while listening, but I strongly advise you not to do this. For one, the sound drastically changes for the worse and second, you could potentially cause harm to the drivers.

One very cool thing in my opinion HIFIMAN does, is that parts of the packaging actually doubles as a headphone stand. The inner section which keeps the Arya Unveiled checked in place can be removed and used to hold your new headphones. Sure, it’s not the most luxurious stand, but in times where we must be careful with our resources, this exact thinking and doing is what I generally welcome. So, thank you HIFIMAN.

Build Quality

While I have always been a fan of the build quality of HIFIMAN’s higher end models, I never felt that their lower-tier options lived up to the brand. The Arya Unveiled also left me with mixed feelings.

The frame of the headphones is made of very lightweight aluminum (I think), but the ear-cups themselves are made of plastic. Though I understand the need to keep costs down, I feel that HIFIMAN could have opted for a more premium material here. Knowing how good the HE1000se and Susvara feel with their wooden inlay cups I think HIFIMAN missed out a little with the Arya Unveiled. Also, the Arya Organic did have metal and wooden cups, so this change in the Unveiled has me scratching my head.

HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled

The headband and ear-pads are made of faux leather, and both feel very comfortable around the ear and on the head. Weight dispersion is done excellent, and I could wear the Arya Unveiled for hours on end without any issues, which was also the case during the past weeks. The headband system stays perfectly in place once you set it to your head.

HIFIMAN gave Arya Unveiled their preferred connector on the headphones’ end, which is a 3.5mm one. I think this is an excellent choice, as this connector is robust and easy to use. I am not a big fan of small and tiny pins, as they are prone to break over time. The 3.5mm plug is proven.

As I mentioned a few times already, the Arya Unveiled’s drivers are 100% open to the outside world. So, being extra careful with them is non-negotiable. Always make sure to cover them with the supplied protectors when the headphones are not in use.

HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled

Sound

During the last weeks I used the Arya Unveiled with a mix of different DACs and amplifiers as well as with portable players. Though I want to mention, that only the Lotoo PAW Gold 2 DAP was able to drive the Arya Unveiled good enough on the portable side.

Most of my ear-time went into the Chord Electronics Hugo TT2 standalone or paired with the Chord Electronics Alto amp. I also used the HoloAudio Serene KTE together with the Eversolo DMP-A8 and DMP-A10 as well as the Matrix Audio Element M2.

Make sure to properly power the Arya Unveiled and let them break in for a few days to unleash their full potential.

The HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled can be summarized as a warm neutral headphone with outstanding staging, imaging and addictively rich vocals. It reaches fairly deep into the lows but doesn’t throw mean punches or crosses bassy levels at any time. The treble is tuned warmer with a calmer and inoffensive response.

Let’s dive in.

More on page two after the click!

4.1/5 - (128 votes)
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Been into music and sound since he was a little brat, but spent his profession in a more binary field making things do what they were supposed to do. Ultimately just another dude on the internet with an opinion, into which you shouldn't put too much thought.

5 Comments

  • Reply January 20, 2025

    Xavier

    what reasonably priced “amp/dac” would be capable of powering it?

    • Reply January 20, 2025

      Felix

      Hi Xavier,
      that depends on the definition of “reasonable”.
      Jokes aside, I would suggest something like the Chord Mojo 2. Other than that I think gear from Topping, SMSL etc might be good, though my personal first-hand experience with them is nonexistent and I also rely on what the others have to say. So take that with a grain of salt.

    • Reply January 21, 2025

      Nro

      SMSL DL line is quite well received, if you like the pure analytical sound they are very budget friendly all in ones, DL400 can push 3W at 32ohms (x2 balanced)

  • Reply January 20, 2025

    Philip

    Thank you for the review! Waiting for HE1000 Unveiled review and how it compares to Arya Unveiled!

    • Reply January 20, 2025

      Lieven

      Thank you. Different reviewers unfortunately, so a compare wont be possible

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