HIFIMAN - Arya Organic

Arya's are a improved version of the edition XS, better and smoother high's and less sibilant, similar tuning.

There is no best, it's subjective. Though I would generally prefer open-backs over closed backs, especially when you're just using them in your chair and not a noisy environment. "Audiophile grade" is also not a clearly defined term. There are a lot of good options available for under 1000$, I would recommend ordering a few different pairs and comparing them. Like, as far as open-backs are concerned, get a Hifiman Arya, Sennheiser HD 6XX and maybe a Beyerdynamic DT1990 (note that there's two versions, you can get some great deals on the older MK1 but it has a very spicy treble). If you really need/want something closed, your options will be more limited, you could try a Senny HD620 and Beyer DT1770. Personally, I think the AKG K702 (open) for 180 USD is an incredible deal, but some don't like the mid-heavy sound. And there's no doubt there are better headphones to be had for three or four times the price, but they won't really sound three of four times better, and whether it's worth it spending so much is up to you.

i did. i use hifiman arya and an el2 amp. way more expensive but you only live once so yolo.

My DT990s blew my mind when I first got them. The soundstage is incredible. I then picked up some Aryas that are even better again, proper endgame.

You got lucky then, I liked the Ananda Nano a good bit but just couldn't get a proper seal with them. The headband design of the Arya just is a lot better in that regard, if you want to stay within the Hifiman family :)

Get an Ananda or Arya. Hifiman is tops in price for performance in that range. You may need to deal with their customer service (although I never have). And go for the older models, which have steeper discounts.

109 Pro's have really poor sound quality for the price. They sound muffled and the treble is boosted to hide that a bit. Literally an HE400se is more "technical". Love the design as well, but for sound quality a poor choice. I also prefer the Anandas to Aryas since the bass is better and timbre is a bit better.

Agree, I'm quite sure I will never get to even hear the best over the ear cans available let alone afford them. A friend brought over his HD800S (they were great), I own HD 700's ,Arya's and XS editions. I'll be 70 in three weeks so they will probably have to do..

Excellent analysis, pretty much similar to my experience. If you like more clear resolving/brighter sound, I would highly recommend Hifiman Arya range, they would be more up your alley with very good price performance ratio. It’s also more resolving and detailed than 109 pro, as well as much bigger soundstage( one of the biggest in headphone). I think ppl did say maze 109 pro has warmer sound, but perhaps it’s not so obvious due to the presence of high energetic treble. You are right low price iems now days can match headphones with much higher prices, but in the high end sides of iem, it’s about equivalent to headphones. Anyway I thought it was a very good review, both pro and cons I 100% agree with.

Hifiman Arya Organic + Topping DX3 Pro+ or Topping DX5 II if you want something with a screen and more power. make sure to turn down the highs and turn up the bass with an eq. Ez pz, just a low shelf at 100 and a high shelf at 10k-15khz depending on your tastes. After that just enjoy. I'm using something extremely similar to the Organic, the HE1000 V2 Stealth with a Topping DX5 II, it's my endgame. With a 7 db bass boost it makes my head numb and it has enough details/separation to make me go sometimes "zamn", but with my own eq it's just a very "good" set. I dont look for a "wow" factor, I just want great quality reproduction if that makes sense. If you want a wow factor, you certainly can do that with eq, these headphones take EQ really well. My recommendations : Hifiman Arya Stealth + Topping DX3 Pro+ (minimum) Hifiman Arya Organic + Topping DX5 II (Maximum) Depending on where you live and the local pricing, things may be in or out of budget but if possible, the last stack is literally endgame. I can't stress how nice it feels to have endless amounts of power on tap. I've listened to headphones costing 4000 USD (LCD-5) and they're not significantly better. Better, yes, but not what the price would suggest at all. The Arya Organic is literal endgame. If money is tight right now, get the Organic and a little TRN Black Pearl with balanced cables and then upgrade to the Topping DX5 II later on. After that just call it quits. Other headphones do some things better but not all of them. Whereas the Susvara will be a genuine upgrade in all aspects by 5-25% but it costs 5-10x more. Diminishing returns.