HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled Planar Magnetic Headphones

Dr. Fang Bian’s bold move of removing the protective grills that cover the magnets and diaphragm sparked debate among the fans of the original Susvara. Would the sound really be improved by removing sources of distorting reflections? Would the exposed magnets be vulnerable to small pieces of metal that may be lying near them? The answer to the first question was a resounding yes, and to the second question, mostly no, if the Magnetic Veils are always used.

When I wrote about the Susvara Unveiled, I concluded the review by speculating that the unveiled concept would find its way down through some of the other series of their headphones. At CanJam SoCal 2025, the HE1000 Unveiled was presented, and was followed by the Arya Unveiled a couple of months later.

When the Arya Unveiled arrived for this review, I looked forward to comparing them to the Arya Organic, which is one of my favorite headphones. I assumed I would be listening to an evolution of the Organic’s sound. I was wrong.

The HIFIMAN Unveiled editions of the Susvara, HE1000 and now the Arya share some similar qualities that give them their own “house sound”. The Arya Unveiled seems closer in sound to the Susvara Unveiled than to the Arya Organic. Where the Arya Organic is warm, relaxed, and presents a wide soundstage, the Arya Unveiled also adds shimmery clarity with a more refined control of the highs, and more forward mids which jumped out to me when I listened to vocals and live jazz recordings. It retains the warm rich bass while giving some extra energy to how it punches.

The HIFIMAN Arya Unveiled is an over-ear and open-back planar magnetic headphone. The sound is acoustically transparent and highly detailed, yet warm and rich sounding. Though they share much of the Susvara Unveiled technology, they have their own unique sound that isn’t like the other HIFIMAN headphones I’ve listened to.

Recently I had the opportunity to discuss the Arya Unveiled and the design concepts that are behind the Unveiled line with Dr. Fang Bian, the CEO and founder of HIFIMAN. I mentioned to him that the Arya Unveiled had a unique sound and didn’t sound like an evolution from the Arya Organic. He explained that the Arya Organic was closer to the HE1000, but that the Arya Unveiled has a different structure and materials. For example, the removal of the grills changed the sound and the use of plastic for the housing also added its own color, so even though it shares the magnet and basic diaphragm design with the HE1000 and Susvara, it will be unique to any other headphone because of the sum total of its unique materials. I asked Dr. Bian about their choice of using plastic for the housing when the other Aryas had metal. He said that the goal for this new Arya Unveiled was to have a quality of sound similar to the HE1000 Unveiled but to be able to offer it at a lower price point and the only way to do that while keeping the components the same was to eliminate the more expensive metal housing, which also resulted in a lighter headphone. He also mentioned that by removing the grills, the overall resolution and soundstage are significantly enhanced.

Planar magnetic headphones, especially when open-back, provide an open and natural sound that is closer to electrostatic headphones than dynamic driver headphones. Fans of bass, AKA “Bass Heads” usually prefer closed-back dynamic driver headphones, due to the greater air displacement that the enclosed round diaphragm can produce, and the impactful and warm bass that results. Planar magnetic drivers have larger but thinner diaphragms, which produce more detailed, responsive, and fast bass, but can feel less visceral and punchy.

The Arya Unveiled seems to have some of the warm, impactful bass of dynamic driver headphones. It is something I enjoy with the Arya Organic, and I was pleased to see that it has been retained and even made a bit more pronounced.

The Arya Unveiled arrived packaged in HIFIMAN “eco” packaging. The headphones are securely packaged in foam, which includes the foam headphone stand. The stand is basic, but there is a form-follows-function beauty to them that I appreciate. The headphone earcups and the Magnetic Veils each have their own protective cloth bag which is secured with drawstrings. Both the Magnetic Veils and the 1.5m long, 3.5mm to 6.35mm single crystalline copper cable are packed in a separate cardboard carton. The veils are not on the headphones, so care should be taken when removing the cloth covers from the earpieces for the first time. The Magnetic Veils are made of light-weight black plastic, with a pebbled finish and the backside has a carbon fiber look. They snap on easily when covering the earpieces and have a secure fit. It becomes second nature to attach the Magnetic Veils when not listening to the headphones. The sturdy plastic housing that surrounds the magnetics has plenty of area to grab without touching them. The unveiled nature of the Arya is easy to adapt to and the sound advantage is well worth the tiny bit of extra care in handling them. I found the easiest way to remove the Magnetic Veils is to put the headphones on first and then slide them off.

The Arya Unveiled is a shiny piano black with black textured pleather oval earcups. The headband is lightly padded black ventilated pleather. The black arms that attach to the earpieces are plastic but seem very sturdy. The earpieces can swivel vertically and lay flat almost 360 degrees, giving the Arya an almost infinite ability to fit various head sizes and shapes. The metal headband housing has the standard HIFIMAN sizing holes that work for a large variety of head sizes. The earcup housing is made of plastic, which is a departure from the previous Arya line. The oval earcups are cloth-covered memory foam. They have good clamping force but easily allow wearing glasses. The Nanometer Thickness Diaphragm and Stealth Magnet Technology are shared with the HE1000 Unveiled and the Susvara Unveiled. Dr. Bian mentioned that the coatings on the diaphragm vary for each model.

The front of the plastic earcups that surround the opening for the magnets are covered with tiny holes. I asked Dr. Bian about the purpose of the holes, and he said that the holes provide openness for the enclosures, helping to keep the sound as open as possible.

My two DAC/Amps are plugged into the Clarus Sextet power conditioner that sits under my desk. I use the outlets that have filters designed for digital gear like DAC/Amps. The wiring in our 1948 home is somewhat iffy when it comes to high-quality electronic gear and there is only one wall outlet close enough to my desk. The Clarus Sextet solved both those issues beautifully.

I began by listening to music connected to the Topping DX7 Pro via USB-B from my MacBook Pro. My music sources are, for the most part, Qobuz and Apple Music with occasional listens to YouTube HD music.

I switched between the Topping DX7 Pro and the HIFIMAN EF1000 DAC/Amp which is also connected by USB-B to my MacBook Pro. The Arya Unveiled sounded great on both. At 94dB and 27Ω, they are easy to drive. I also plugged them into the iFi Go Bar Kensei portable DAC/Amp which was connected to my iPhone by USB-C. They still sounded very good; not only able to play loud, but they kept their dynamics and richness. These are all- around headphones. They are great for desktop use but can be portable. I wouldn’t take them outside; they do have exposed drivers. Also, as with all open-back headphones, these are designed for private listening since you would be sharing your music with anyone nearby.

HIFIMAN recommends 150 hours of break-in at moderate volume while exposing the headphones to a wide variety of music. As I’ve mentioned before, there is a lively debate among audiophiles as to the need for break-in. The way I see it is that if the company that manufactures a headphone says it benefits from break-in, then that is what I do. In this case, the break-in period made a noticeable difference. Right out of the box, the Arya Unveiled sounded closed-in and lacked a little in dynamic range. My usual headphone is the Arya Organic, which is well broken-in, after over a year of steady listening. The Organic’s soundstage is huge, and the sound is relaxed and warm. I missed those qualities on first listening to the Arya Unveiled. After about 50 hours of music, I started listening to them, figuring the rest of the break-in could occur naturally. Even at only 50 hours, the difference was noticeable. The character of the Arya Unveiled really started to shine. The sound was unique. The first quality that stood out was the bass. There is serious punch and authority. The bass is tight and somewhat visceral and refined. The highs are detailed and lovely, without the wince factor the Arya Organic had before it was broken in. That was a little surprising, as many of the HIFIMAN headphones I’ve listened to can, at times, lean into the bright highs a bit too aggressively for my taste. What I found interesting is that the Arya Unveiled kept the sparkle and airy clarity while rounding off the sharp edges. I assumed that you could have one or the other, but these headphones have shown me you can have both.

As inviting as the highs were, the real surprise were the mids. Listening to vocals and jazz was a treat. In general, I don’t believe that headphones need to be chosen for one type of genre over another, but, if someone has a large collection of music featuring the voice, this just might be the headphone for them. Voices sound intimate and close while being located in a holographic space. The timbre feels accurate and natural, not only for voices but any instruments on the recording. If I closed my eyes the barrier of music and gear fell away, and I felt like I was in the room with the artists. I asked Dr. Bian about this quality of the Arya Unveiled and he said that is what happens when the grills are removed. He mentioned that there are other differences as well, but the removal of the grills was primary. It’s as though music is set free to flow unincumbered from the drivers to the ears. This is a quality I associate with open-back headphones in general, but this is more like being in a live performance with nothing but air between the listener and the performers. I’m guessing this is part of why I feel the Arya Unveiled sounds closer to the Susvara Unveiled than the Arya. When HIFIMAN introduced the Unveiled series, the early discussions were about whether the removal of the grills was an advancement or a gimmick, more fraught with risk than a genuine step towards better music reproduction. This was before people had listened to them because as more people had a chance to spend time with them, the speculation dropped away.

The Arya Unveiled surprised me by how different it sounds compared to previous Aryas. In my opinion they are an Arya in name only. They have a muscular presence with bass that punches with authority, even on a portable DAC/Amp. The beautiful pronounced mids make vocals shine. They present a soundstage that is well-balanced in all directions and provides a holographic space that lets the music have room to give every musician their own precise placement. They combine warmth along with bright detail. The complexity of a jazz combo is given room to show off the range from bass drum to cymbals; all while presenting the instruments in a natural timbre. I listened to a jazz piece called “Slow Freight” from the Capitol Vaults Jazz Series featuring Bob Brookmeyer. There were two saxophones playing in harmony. One was dominant and close with breathy detail and in-your- face presence. The other sax was a few feet directly behind the lead sax and the three-dimensional space was almost visual. They were distinct without losing their cohesion. I could easily “see” them on a stage, brightly lit in a dark club. The music was that vivid.

I found myself playing a lot more vocals than I usually listen to. The more demanding the recording the more these headphones kept up, providing an environment in which to hear what a recording has to offer. It felt like every detail and shading was present, while never sounding clinical or austere.

The Arya Unveiled are also a treat as a movie headphone. I watched several films on my laptop with the headphones connected through the iFi Go Bar Kensei. The same finesse with vocals proved to be perfect for catching dialogue with detail and clarity while the excellent dynamics provided rich and engaging sound effects.

I don’t have a set-up to EQ music and prefer to listen to music as recorded, but I have heard from those who do EQ, that the Arya Unveiled respond well to EQ’ing while retaining their natural timbre.

Ms. Gundersen’s phrasing is breathtaking. I marvel when I hear a non-native English speaker turn the English language into poetry as she does in this piece. Her opening vocals are spoken as much as sung; “I’m just a little person, one person in a sea of many little people”.

Which brings me to one of the spectacular qualities of the Arya Unveiled. To my ears, the tuning on these headphones seems to be focused on the mids, and vocals are presented in an intimate and engaging way. Jazz vocals, where so much attention is given to phrasing and interpretation, are a treat. In contrast, the HIFIMAN Arya Organic presents the same song with a wider soundstage and places Inger Marie Gundersen’s husky vocals a bit further away, as if the musicians had moved further apart. That’s not a bad thing, but in this case, the intimacy of her voice benefits from the elevation the Arya Unveiled brings to it.

Her song “Requiem” was written in 2005 in response to the 2004 tsunami that swept the Indian Ocean. Her delicate voice belies the power of her lyrics, which are a prayer to Mother Mary for the blessings of grace for all who suffer. The piece opens with piano followed by Eliza’s voice layered in harmony with itself. The sound and feeling are church-like. Each stanza brings in more instruments and voices. Then comes the guitar, and male voices which are in deep contrast to her delicate voice, and finally a cello building to a powerful and prayerful plea for mercy for the victims and survivors of the tsunami. Requiem had been arranged for and performed by numerous choral groups around the world.

The timbral accuracy of the Arya Unveiled presents the piano and other instruments beautifully. Both the delicacy of Eliza’s voice and the bass of the male voices are each clear and separate while blending into a harmonious field of lush sound. The voices are both intimate and clear without any muddying that the layering of voices can produce. A testament to both the quality of the recording and the finesse of the Arya Unveiled.

Interesting story about them; they had disbanded a few years back, and then the TV series “Yellowstone” used their song in one of their episodes. Suddenly they were pulled back into the public eye and have gotten back together and are touring to sold-out shows.

I played “Keep the Wolves Away” for the first time, and I was gobsmacked by the opening boom of the bass drum which shows how well the Arya Unveiled can punch deep. The acoustic and electric guitars shimmer with detail and punch. Kevin Galloway’s Texas-twang-wrapped voice is as powerful as his storytelling. Not to give away the conclusion of his story, I will say it left me feeling deeply moved and wanting to know more about the band.

This song is a reviewer’s dream. It’s an excellent recording. There are layers of instruments and a big sound with clear placement of a variety of instruments including Hammond organ, xylophone, accordion and even whistling. The musicianship is stellar, and the rocking rhythm got me dancing at my desk.

The Arya Unveiled is more than up to the challenge of the sub-bass notes that are used like a dark pallet behind the bluesy sounds. These headphones can rock. The bass never gets muddy. The sound is warm and rich while allowing the mids and highs to keep their clarity. They dig deep.

As I explored the Arya Unveiled and its numerous capabilities, I kept thinking “Wow, these are really fun!” Some headphones seem made for “serious” analytical enjoyment and absolutely have their place. I have headphones like that, and it can be a sublime experience. Often, however, I’m ready to sit by the fire and kick back and enjoy music from my laptop without thinking “Gee this would sound great if they just had more power to drive them”. The Arya Unveiled are easy to drive and don’t require pristine recordings to sound their best. If someone was going to have only one set of headphones that aren’t going to require taking out a bank loan to purchase but can sound great on all kinds of music, and devices, I think the Arya Unveiled is a serious contender for being that headphone.