This is something I'm curious about, and I've struggled to find explanations I can understand. What is it about discrete Class A balanced amps that makes Aryas sound better?

I know balanced cables prevent possible interference, but do discrete Class A amps deliver more voltage/current (thus more power) to headphones? And do the differences in voltage/current affect the sound? (If so, how?). I've only tried my entry-level Atom setup, so I can't speak from experience. I've read/heard people recommending an amp upgrade with the Aryas, but from a physics/engineering perspective I don't know why (other than "it sounds better.")

I’m glad I found the Utopia fatiguing. No need to spend 4 grand lol. But yea in the FR, there is a spike somewhere in the treble thats very sharp for tracks that have too much treble emphasis.

Data yes, opinions uh with a grain of salt.

What if I simply don't like how headphone sound though? I very much prefer sound presentation of IEM.

A few of his colabs were paid in a single lump sum (couldn't tell you which ones off the top of my head, just remember him mentioning this). Still, you have the idea of prestige, but even then from having watched him enough and listening to a lot of headphones his tastes lines up close enough with mine and my opinions, so eh idk I'm still fine following him for general recommendations

Ironically, tried not to write too much. I did try the hd800s 3 weeks ago at audio46. The soundstage was so wide to where real instruments sounded too far away for me. Sounds pretty good for EDM until the bass oriented tracks start playing and the feeling is missing. Z1R does it to where things have cathedral like space but are forward enough to sound right there. Maybe the hd800s were too wide for me.

I was like it's my old zune right there 😂, thanks for this memory.

Gotta ask, how's UAPP? I've been using PowerAmp PRO for.. 5 years + now and only recently got a 24 bit (so it says heh) dongle for mobile use and a ZEN Dac for home to pair with it. Was shocked to see that it recognized the different DACs when running and offered Hi Res (up to 32 bit) playback. But I'm always looking for some software to try out!

I re-read my post and realized I was a bit unclear in the end. I did go back to the HD6XX, but I decided to keep the Arya V2s as well. That said, for people who decide not to upgrade at all, I learned (from this $6000 journey) that decision is totally justified. We get used to whatever headphones we have -- and the HD6X0s offer more than enough to appreciate.

I'll give SoundSource a try -- thanks for the tip. It is a bit frustrating to have to input everything manually in eqMac...

I give serious props to Sennheiser for their consistency. They have a sound signature they like, and they give variations on it. As much as I loved the HD800s, the imaging on planar magnetics gives a different kind of "whoa factor." The sound stage on the 800s is its own beast though -- and I wonder what headphones could compare to it around that price range.

If you know where your differences are, as long as he's consistent, they're just as useful. And imo, Crin is very consistent for the most part.

I agree - especially because Drop puts them on sale now and then. (I think I got my HD6XXs for $179, which is outrageous). That Focal Clear deal on Headphones.com ($890) is tempting as well, but I avoided because it's "Final Sale." With tax, it's not far off from the Arya V2 on Hifiman's website ($1099 open box, which doesn't charge tax).

When someone says look at this but, not at this part, it seems like they don't want people to look at something that doesn't support their position, particularly when they say it more than once, it draws attention to it, making it more likely that people will read it and doubt their integrity.

I'm curious about the 770 Pros (since they get a lot of love on this sub). But as someone who's treble sensitive, I'm thinking I should hold off on beyerdynamic cans. I really dug the 1990 Pros (and wanted them to be my keepers, considering the value), but my ears wanted something more mellow.

Yeah nothing wrong with apple dongle.

Yeah, there's a bump around 200Hz and the bass does feel fuller but not so far it's distorted like when I run my Utopia (which has an even larger impedance hump). Also the tubes will add some harmonic resonance on their own across the rest of the spectrum.

Never tried the HD660s. I'm curious to hear how they compare to my HD6XXs. I hear they're higher on treble, so my ears might be happy with the HD6XX.

That description alone makes me want to try them. They almost sound like the HD800s with less sound stage.

I considered this but the head-related transfer function would have been badly affected. I stared at the mid-day sun for half an hour. My eyeballs are intact and the money I saved on surgery was spent on a utility pole outside my house with a dedicated transformer to free myself from tainted current.

Nice. Now just continue to enjoy them. You're happy, so no need to start chasing your next pair. Just continue to lay on that floor and enjoy the tunes my man.

Thanks for such a wonderful reply! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list of some of the most grateful redditors this week! Thanks for making Reddit a wonderful place to be :)

The pairs of TWS I've used don't play as loud on my iPhone as they do on my Android phone, 100% volume on iPhone seems like around 60% on Android. Even very small differences in loudness can seem like a difference in quality, louder tends to sound more impressive to my ears.

Peak KZ moment

Sounds good. Thanks for the info. Do you think this is an okay headset? Is there anyway to customize the eq?

That would depend on the rabbits' diet. Too many broad-leaf grasses and the lower midrange will be congested at the 254-258Hz range.