HIFIMAN Arya Wifi Streaming Planar Headphones Review – Lossless Wireless Boundless
HIFIMAN Arya Wifi is a $1449 USD high-end planar magnetic pair of over-the-ear headphones with a Wifi DAC Headphone AMP at the core, that comes with matching R2R DACs and a Class A Headphone Amplifier, Wifi modules and streaming, perfect for lossless music listening around the house. Today we will review the new Arya Wifi and also compare it with other headphones including HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled (1449 USD), Palma DHS-1 (2195 USD) and Lily Audio Genesis One (1200 USD).
Introduction
HIFIMAN is one of the titans, and right now likely the most popular headphone brand in the whole audiophile world, having surpassed Sennheiser, Audio Technica and most audiophile brands. To conquer ingenuity and design, to create something new and something truly interesting, HIFIMAN has shifted their focus towards a whole new concept, which is wireless streaming. The new Arya Wifi we are reviewing today includes a myriad of technologies that make it possible, and it is the result of over 2 years of research from HIFIMAN, including ways to downside a DAC, AMP, Wifi receiver, how to balance such a setup and how to make it all sound excellent. HIFIMAN has a top warranty and support, and it is a globally present company, with sale points, warehouses and teams present all over the world.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4e2x59H
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4bXOWN3
Build Quality – Design
HIFIMAN Arya Wifi is a streaming pair of headphones, and a lot of the research that went into creating it revolves around the protocols that allow it to sound the way they do. At their core, Arya Wifi strives for perfection in the wireless format and we first have to explore the limits of Bluetooth, which are in reality below 1MBPS, not enough to transmit redbook flac, so often when you switch between bluetooth and wired headphones you do hear a significant improvement.
HIFIMAN designed the Arya Wifi to be able to use Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth, or rather alongside bluetooth, for lossless, high-resolution audio. To achieve this, they had to minimize a true audiophile AIO or all in one solution like the Serenade which includes a Wifi Module, Himalaya R2R DAC, Class A Headphone AMP and Transformer, to the point where it would have enough space inside of a headphone.
They actually achieved this and got a full audiophile DAC + AMP combo down to the footprint of 125mm x 91mm, and this setup includes all the DAC, Power Module, Streaming and LPF + Headphone Amplifier chip inside. Of course, this wasn’t the only challenge, as HIFIMAN Headphones are known to be somewhat hard to drive, so they have used a special edition of their Neo Supernano Diaphragm Gen 2 drivers, along with an Enhanced magnet and stealth magnet. This combo is supported by the Headband Gen.2 which reduces weight from 20 grams to 30 grams, and has hinges that rotate for enhanced comfort.
Looking at the software, Arya Wifi blends together Bluetooth in the highest formats available, including LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC and SBC, with WiFi Streaming. Arya wifi also has USB Type-C DAC mode, which enables listening at the highest resolution wired, but it slightly defeats the purpose of the wireless headphone idea.
Technically, we are looking at a pair of head
phones with a net weight of 452 grams, a channel separation of 105dB, and THD of 0.055%, along with support for PCM up to 32 Bit 768 kHz, and DSD512. Battery life is quite long at around 23 Hours for Bluetooth, around 6 hours for Wifi even at higher volumes, and it takes between 3 and 4 hours to charge the Arya Wifi. As we have discussed with Mr. Fang, the batteries are replaceable by a HIFIMAN engineer, as they have designed the system so tightly for size and weight requirements, but it is possible and this service should be available for the new Wifi headphones.
Subjective Usage
To stay true to the idea of this review, I have used Arya Wifi mostly via Wifi, and setting them up was complicated for me as I misconfigured them the first time, and getting them to connect and to reset was tricky. Eventually what solved it was keeping the volume button + pressed, power button at the same time, then after they reset, pin in the hole, then they reset and I followed the video instructions from HIFIMAN.
You can use Arya Wifi for many many things, but the best of them all is Foobar2000 and other DLNA or UPNP services, as my Foobar2000 sees them as an output device thanks to this component – https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_upnp . Speaking of useful links, this video made by HIFIMAN is all you will need unless you make a mistake at some place – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyyU-sjR_TI .
While playback is not intended to be real-time, the delay is around one second for Wifi Wireless playback. For the first time in my entire life, I can say that there is absolutely no audible difference between wired (USB DAC cable) and wireless. Using the ARya Wifi via cable turns the internal DAC and AMP into a soundcard, a situation in which you have practically zero USB DAC delay and you can rely on them to be used real-time for listening to music, playing games or watching movies. This cannot be done via Bluetooth or Wifi.
Oh, there is also bluetooth inside and the support for it is absolutely insane, because it has LDAC, but it uses the Wifi antennas, as the signal is incredibly stable and you can use hi-res BT alongside reliable wifi with zero signal dropouts. Comfort is medium for me, they are really tight, with a high clamping force, likely part of their design to be portable and to stay snug even if you were to wear them while doing chores around the house. It does feel a bit like with every new generation, HIFIMAN headphones get a tighter fit, and a tighter headband, but I have a medium-large head so for me it feels a bit tight.
Earcup size is very large, but the headband also has strong contact with my head, keeping the Arya Wifi in place, so much so that I could headbang, walk or even run wearing them. I like that the unveiled drivers are protected by some metal, as I would gladly take those outdoors via Bluetooth or USB wires, but I cannot take them outdoors via Wifi as I cannot make a network unless I would bring a portable Wifi hotspot that is separate from my phone. While that sounds complicated, I saw some people do it online.
Sound Quality
Pairings – HFIMAN Arya Wifi is a full digital pair of headphones that either want you to stream the music from the wireless web or from the wired USB DAC, so I could only use computers and phones to drive it, like the Khadas Mind 1 Mini PC, or using the FiiO Air Link Bluetooth Adapter for best LDAC support. Signal quality is exceptional and Arya Wifi works with all computers and phones, as long as you are on the same network. Services that see them can be fussy, for example Spotify works only for Premium, while Tidal is spotty on my end, but with UPnP and DLNA I am more than happy that they work with all my software for music and the USB DAC part works literally with all laptops, computers, and is instant, plus works without the need of drivers.
While you likely saw me at CanJam NYC at times even trying to help at the HIFIMAN Booth, with the release of the new Wifi headphones, the models that were present there were not final run models and had a much more limited volume. Both wireless and wired, the Arya Wifi I have has 2X – 3X the max volume compared to what was presented at CanJam NYC, and HIFIMAN really did an excellent job at building the DAC AMP array inside, so I can only congratulate them, and say that it does sound like an Arya Unveiled that is driven really well, and can get really loud, imagine up to 105 or even 110 dB.
Overall Signature – As a close friend once said, once you heard a HIFIMAN pair of headphones you remember what this hobby is all about and Arya Unveiled is a top example of that, with a sharp, crisp but musical sound that has plenty of bass, sweet vocals for female voices, a bouncy bass, and top extension both ways. It is the kind of tuning that works equally well for slow jazz but also fast metal tracks, as it has the speed and resolution needed for both. Arya Wifi is magical, and there is no difference between Wifi and wired sound quality, although Bluetooth does have some compression and the usual LDAC signature and tuning.
Bass – At the low-end, Arya Wifi has a bouncy, deep and powerful bass that is generally natural-neutral in amount, but has a top impact and control, even if you bring the Arya Wifi really loud. Bass is usually a bit behind the vocal range as Arya Wifi has more vocal presence, especially female voices relative to the low-end. You can expect an extension down to 20 Hz, with most of the low energy extending up from 40 Hz.
Midrange – Arya Wifi is all about resolution, beautiful voices, and a gentle but detailed texture in its sound. This has a beautiful synergy with female voices, including those found in ACG like Aiobahn or more classic vocals like Jill Tracy. Male voices are usually a bit less forward but almost at the same level of vividness and liveliness as female voices. You will notice that I haven’t used the word vivid in quite a few reviews now, but this is because not everything inspires this term in my mind, yet HIFIMAN takes price in how they make all music feel colorful, contrasty and realistic, vivid and personal. For example, in the Coffinshakers – Reverends Of Doom, you can hear every single guitar note individually, yet contrasted against the vocals, everything has color and feels vivid, real. Bands like Cy8er make it sound like the whole band is singing right in the same room as you and this is a super pleasing, interesting presentation that no other pair of headphones gave me recently.
Treble – As with Arya Unveiled, treble does extend up to 20 kHz, with most energy being rendered between 10 kHz and 16 kHz, a sharp, crisp yet controlled treble that has no fatiguing elements, and instead is bright in a tasteful and correct way. Treble is well-defined and has a natural body, slightly wet, slightly splashy texture, just the way I like, but slightly closer to neutral and solid than Arya Unveiled.
Dynamics And Textures – ARya Wifi has a huge dynamic range, and you basically will never know that it is wireless, the whole DR is unbound, music sounds detailed and vivid, with no imposed compression. This means that at all volumes each instrument has a different volume and presence, based on how the recording, mixing and mastering dictates the sound and tone. The texture is slightly soft, slightly gentle, with a really high level of detail, and strong revealing ability. The fun part with most headphones from HIFIMAN is how they can sound analytical levels of detail while having a musical, softer edge in each particular texture.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – You can turn the Arya Wifi really loud, give them a lot of punch, yet they have exactly the same tuning and signature at all volume levels. This indicates that HIFIMAN did an excellent job with the DAC and AMP inside, making them really nice for both loud and quiet listening, and with no particular tilt towards sounding better at any volume. Even if you go extremely loud, sound is still controlled with very little distortion and dynamic range is just as wide loud as it is quiet. Arya wifi has incredible volume control and this is a huge highlight for it.
Soundstage – Staging is just as wide and holographic as it is with the ARya Unveiled, if not even a bit wider and deeper too. You can expect it to be ovaloid, with a bit more width than depth but still both have a more than natural, more vivid than reference size, and with a strong contrast between instruments and high separation in between. Usually, the stereo imaging is very strong and the work really well for rock and metal, especially well for
Comparisons
HIFIMAN Arya Wifi vs Lily Audio Genesis One (1449 USD vs 1200 USD) – While both headphones are over-the-ear, Arya Wifi is tighter, has a more secure fitting and it is best for home usage, as it needs the router and wifi part to work their wonderful streaming Lily Audio Genesis One is one of the hardest to drive headphones that I reviewed recently and has an outstanding sound once powered properly, but it needs an amplifier, a DAC and the cost of a setup featuring it increases significantly compared to using ARya Wifi, as you could use Arya Wifi via a Type-C USB Cable. Sonically, both have a big soundstage, but ARya Wifi has a deeper bass without much power while Genesis One can achieve a deeper bass if you feed it an insane amount of power. Both have an exceptional resolution, but Genesis One is faster, has a shorter note decay and feels more snappy while Arya Wifi feels more romantic, more natural and has a more natural note rendering. Vocals are sweeter on ARya Wifi and colder, sharper on Genesis One. both headphones would make an audiophile happy, but arya wifi comes with the dac and amp built-in as well as with the streaming already inside, while Genesis One needs a good backend support to achieve their best sound.
HIFIMAN Arya Wifi vs HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled (1449 USD vs 1449 USD) – Arya Wifi is built upon the Unveiled variant of Arya, and I am really glad to see that HIFIMAN did not pump the price and actually Wifi and Unveiled do come at exactly the same price, despite the Wifi version having inside a battery, DAC AMP, and streaming electronics. The main reason for this is because you can squeeze a couple extra micro details from Arya Unveiled if you power it with a top-of-the-line DAC AMP like HIFIMAN Serenade + HIFIMAN Prelude, but the cost of the whole setup is much greater than the cost of the simple Arya Wifi, which is also portable. There are some minor differences in comfort as Arya Wifi is a bit tighter and has a stronger clamping force, while sonically, aRya wifi will generally have a warmer sounding midrange, warmer sounding vocals, deeper bass, and more musical midrange, while ARya Unveiled sounds a bit more forward, a bit deeper and more focused with better resolution. Both are most certainly headphones that could make you happy but Arya Wifi is a simple headphone that needs an additional package while Arya Unveiled needs a powerful DAC AMP to power it and to really shine.
HIFIMAN Arya Wifi vs Palma DHS-1 (1449 USD vs 2195 USD) – Palma DHS-1 is a revolutionary pair of headphones that can go between closed-back and open-back, with an exceptional build quality and comfortable fit, and it feels looser on my head, a bit more comfortable than ARya Wifi which sits tighter, with a stronger clamping force and with better seal. You could run with Arya Wifi but only chill and relax with DHS-1. While palma DHS-1 is not that hard to drive, you need at least a FiiO M21 to drive it, which means that the whole setup is around 50% more expensive than the Arya Wifi setup. Sonically, Palma DHS-1 is a relaxed, natural sounding pair of speakers that sounds romantic and laid-back while Arya Wifi sounds vivid, far more forward, deeper, punchier, brighter and more analytical. Both are superb headphones for all music styles, but I prefer listening to the Arya Wifi for rock, metal and EDM, and Palma DHS-1 for jazz, spanish music, cabaret and laid-back styles.
Value – Conclusion
True technological advancement usually comes at a cost, but ARya Wifi has exactly the same price as Arya Unveiled, and they both use similar drivers, have a similar comfort, yet there is SO MUCH MORE technology inside of the Arya Wifi, that you might want to ask why you’d go for the Arya Unveiled instead of the Wifi, if both are at the same price. This means that aya Wifi has such crazy value that you’d miss the opportunity of your life if you didn’t buy it if you wanted a wifi pair of headphones.
Award – HIFIMAN set out to produce something new, something that was not available before, and something that makes sense, so while I had a really slow start with the Arya Wifi, it grew on me and it is now something I can see myself using daily, ergo I’d have to mod the headband to be a bit larger for my head. HIFIMAN really achieved something special here with the Arya Wifi and delivers true unbound lossless streaming inside of a headphone. It thus deserves a place in our Hall Of Fame and wins a full award for their exceptional performance and versatility.
At the end of the day, HIFIMAN Arya Wifi has been a really interesting model to hear and to experiment with, as it delivers something new and unique and showcases that HIFIMAN designed a completely new product, a pair of headphones that is truly not bound by wires, but which can take advantage of those wires when needed. I give my full thumbs-up to the Arya Wifi for their excellent sound quality, no increase in price relative to the Unveiled and for their exceptional sound. If you’re using Spotify premium, Qobuz or Foobar2000, with countless others available, you’ll love the Arya Wifi experience.
PROs
- Innovative technology that delivers something completely new and integrates it well
- Sound quality that is pretty much the same as a really well-driven Arya Unveiled
- No price increase from the Arya Unveiled
- Sharp construction, tight and no space for errors
- DLNA works flawlessly and so does wifi in general, with no signal loss
- Bluetooth has exceptional signal strength as a result
- Very long battery life and HIFIMAN promises long-term support for the Arya Wifi
- Convenient and pretty with extreme max loudness
- Very detailed and crisp sound with a nice design
- Lots of bass that is controlled and a nice overall spatiality in music
Cons
- Tight design that is clamping my head
- Headband pressure is high, would not accommodate a much larger head than mine
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4e2x59H
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4bXOWN3
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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