Or: Someone who purchases well-built, reasonably-priced HP, interconnects, and USB cables - but spends money on several of them of different layouts and materials, so that he can experiment to see if he can actually hear slight differences (ie: me, LOL, and yes). Plus, he's got fall-back cables if one or two ever breaks. He also refuses to buy HPs that need special connectors as a pet peeve....

I can't really put an accurate number on it - but you'll know after you hear a better setup and are able to compare for an extended time (one week+), and the devil is in the details. IMO, most of my entry-level/low-midrange IC-based DACs and amps (ie: Topping D30, Topping A90, Monolith '887) were bright/harsh/sharp in the treble while still missing details, had unnatural timbre, were lean in the bass, and had a shallow/flat soundstage with little depth.

Contrasted when listening to my midrange SMSL SU-9 DAC and mid-level and high-end discrete Class A or Class AB amps (ie: Emotiva BASX A-100, Schiit Magni 3+, Gustard H20) were: More detailed in the treble but not piercingly bright/harsh, more natural sounding voices and instruments with much better realism and trailing edges, fuller bass that's also much more textured (in an tactile, ASMR type of way), and soundstaging being not only wide and tall but also it's easy to hear a sense of depth/space.

I'm not going to say that these differences will always be night and day - that would be a lie - but these sometimes small-ish details can be the difference between just listening to some tunes vs an immersive and realistic listening experience. I tend to advocate for discrete Class A or Class AB amps over any of the IC/THX-based amps like the A90, THX-789, and the like for realistic timbre and less treble harshness (IDK about the SH9) - as the amp is more important than the DAC once you get past the entry-level DACs and into at least mid-range ones. Of course, all of this is IMO - and YMMV.......

If you don't totally like your setup - then you haven't actually reached your "endgame". When I first tried planars (the he4xx), I was really impressed with them - but after awhile I started to hear their shortcomings. I started looking for other planar options for a "reasonable price".

I then bought the Sundara, then the Ananda, and finally the Arya V2 - and now the Arya Stealth. After treading water in the mid-priced, mid-fi lines - I didn't start to really hear "endgame" until I got the Aryas. Before that point I was just spending money on "side-grades", and before long I had spent more on them than if I would have just bought a high-end setup. In the end, that's what I did - went ahead a got a mostly high-end setup - some of them from the used markets. I wound up with a mid-level SMSL SU-9 DAC, then a used Gustard H20 discrete Class A BAL amp, and the Aryas - plus, better interconnects, cables, Hi-Rez streaming like Tidal, and media players like Audirvana. Now I actually hear "endgame" and have really stopped looking for "better" - because now my setup is wholly immersive and it'd cost me at least another ~$1.5K to even try.....

My guess is that now you're hearing the shortcomings of your setup - both of the headphones and of your sources - all of which are really solidly in the mid-fi categories, not having the performance or sound qualities of better, more revealing setups - that are also more expensive unless bought used.

Maximize your Aryas with a discrete Class A or Class AB amp for an even better listening experience, IMO......

>What is it about discrete Class A balanced amps that makes Aryas sound better?

Generally speaking....

Discrete amp topology: is generally more adept at passing spatial information in the music as compared to IC based amps - ie: HxWxD and positional information. They're also better with revealing trailing edges and minute nuances in music/vocals/instrumentation too. IC/THX-based amps tend to sound sort of unnatural, by not reveal spatial info as well as - especially soundstage depth - as well as "cut-off" trailing edges/nuances whose details make music sound much more natural and "real".

Class A bias/topology: Most amps are Class AB - meaning that one transistor may drive the " + " part of the musical waveform, while another may drive the " - " part of it. In between + and - , neither will be 100% accurate when they pass off the signal to the other. What this is called is "crossover distortion" - when there will be a distortion of the waveform as the signal goes from pos to neg and back again, and this is a major part of an amp's treble harshness. Class A amps don't have any crossover distortion whatsoever. They have their output transistors handle the whole waveform - they stay "always on" through the whole waveform up until the amp is turned off. As a result, they're smoother in the treble and midrange than most Class AB amps - unless the AB amps are biased deep into Class A. Another benefit of Class A "always on" operation, is that they pass along more current into the load (ie: the HP or speaker) - which accounts for their deeper, punchier, and more dynamic bass capabilities.

Balanced operation: Balanced amps simply offer more power for the same voltage. Plus, they'll be more resistant to noise across the board - as well as being resistant to EMI, RFI, and may also have better apparent stereo separation.

Sorry for the long post, but you can do some more reading on each italicized topic. I really couldn't make the connection that amps made any difference as long as they were powerful enough. That is, until I actually tried out several IC based amps and compared them with my cheaper discrete Class AB amps - then, the differences were really obvious. Then I found a used Class A amp for a reasonable price (Gustard H20), and I was floored - the bass was sooo deep, punchy, and dynamic - while the treble and mids were uber-natural and smooth. Of course it took me getting the revealing Arya before I even thought about trying out different amps. Hope this helps.....

Not meant as a personal attack nor to be condescending - just stating a fact. Most consumer-level HPs are bass boosted. IOW, no lies detected. Look at professional HPs like the HD-600 and see that their bass isn't nearly as boosted as Bose, Beats, or Skullcandy - it's much more "reference" - yet most consumers like those latter brands' SQ more than the Senns. As a matter of fact, if I let a typical novice consumer hear Bose/Beats side by side with an Arya or HD-800S - they'd likely choose the former b/c of the name recognition/marketing along with the bass boost. Again, no lies detected.....

Great writeup. If you think the Aryas sound good right now with the entry-level Atom setup - just wait till you try them with a discrete Class A balanced amp, then they'll really come alive (no EQ needed).

Nearly all of the IC-based amps like the Atom, Heresy, A90, and THX '789 lack the natural timbre, tonality, soundstage depth, bass punch/dynamics, and texture that most discrete Class A amps portray excellently.

Plus, that treble harshness that you highlighted is mostly the result of pairing the very revealing and tonality challenged Aryas with IC-based amps - most people who have done the same report IC-based amps with the Arya as being harsh-ish. That isn't really a thing when the Arya is paired with Class A or Class AB discretes - these amps don't display that treble hardness nearly as much.

I found this out after I compared the A90, Monolith '887, and Schiit Magnius side by side with my Schiit Magni 3+, Emotiva A-100, and the Class A Gustard H20. The cheaper Class AB amps were better than the more expensive IC-based amps, while the Class A H20 dusted them all - no EQ needed. Discrete Class A and Arya, FTW......

Of course, some people like more bass than others - especially if they're used to the boosted bass in consumer-level headphones as a matter of course. Happy listening......

This^^^. The ear/brain hearing system has a way of adjusting/normalizing nearly any SQ over time. It's how someone could actually enjoy Grado, Bose, or Beats while not disliking more capable or balanced headphones. That is, until they've listened to the balanced HP for awhile - then, when they go back to Grado/Bose/Beats - they'll find them horrible until their hearing adjusts again.

IDK man - to me, HFM and Audeze planars have delectable bass and subbass - while still having excellent mids and treble......

Hahahaha!!!

I don't EQ because my setup and headphones make EQ unnecessary - I've spent time and money so that I don't have to EQ. Plus, I like to hear my system as-is, not to some generic, homogeneous target that makes everything sound more similar than different.

***My laptop-based desktop system (w/ craftily chosen used pieces):

1. Lenovo Thinkpad T-540p (bought used, upgraded RAM and OS); running Tidal HiFi w/ Audirvana Studio (or Foobar 2K when I feel like it);

2. SMSL SU-9 MQA DAC (connected with true 90-ohm, quad-shielded, solid SPC USB cable);

3. Gustard H20 discrete Class A headphone amp/preamp (bought used, w/ upgraded Class A Sparkos Labs or Burson discrete opamps);

4. Hifiman Arya Stealth headphones; w/ upgraded 8-cores SPC XLR cable;

5. Niles SI-275 stereo power amplifier (bought used, connected to the BAL XLR outputs of my Gustard HP amp/preamp through an XLR to RCA selector switchbox);

6. Energy RC-10 bookshelf speakers; slightly modded w/ more damping material; bi-wired and connected with OFC speaker cable;

***All other interconnects are World's Best Cables BAL XLR interconnects using Canare L-4E6S Star-Quad cable with Amphenol connectors;

As you can see, I've taken care of choosing components that work well together (ie: synergy), that I don't feel the need to EQ at all. This still gives me "goosebumps" when I set up to listen - especially my headphone rig.......

Naahh, that was mainly with mid-fi, other less capable, or budget/stopgap HPs. The Arya has been as near as completely satisfying as I've ever heard from a SQ standpoint - even after well over a year. This goes for both the V2s and the Stealths - especially after taking care of synergy via system matching (ie: using discrete Class A or Class AB amps instead of any of the IC/THX/NFCA amps). Happy listening.....

I've been there exactly. In the end though: If I wanted high-end SQ, I had to spend high-end $$$$. After trying to "save money" with "good" midrange HPs, I was never ultimately satisfied in their SQ - after a while their faults began to shine through like a flashlight, LOL - then I'd wind up buying another slightly "better" set that still would only satisfy me for a time. I wound up with a closet full of HPs that still didn't satisfy my itch for realism. When I added it all up, I'd spent just as much on mid-range gear - that still didn't satisfy me - as what it would have cost me for a high-end HP. Now I have a closet full of HPs that I don't even listen to anymore (I really need to sell off some of them, LOL).

Once I bought the Arya the search was over - it is all that I was looking for. That is, until I set along trying to maximize their SQ potential. Enter: A discrete Class A balanced amp - the Gustard H20 (I bought it used for $475, ~$1,000 new) and I have this setup today over a year and a half later.

My chain: SMSL SU-9 DAC > Gustard H20 > HFM Arya Stealth = I'm still smiling and not wanting or needing buying any more gear for the forseeable future.

In the end: Buy once, cry once (but I had to spend some money though)......

I can't speak for the XS but I've owned the Arya V2 and still own the Ananda and Arya Stealth - and neither sounds unnatural stage-wise. They're all large and grand sounding and place images extremely well - with the Arya Stealths being the most engaging from a FR, dynamics, and imaging/layering standpoint. Of course, they have the best bass too and are much easier to drive compared to the V2 - which needs no less than ~2W balanced at minimum. The same ~2W on the Stealths sounds delectably punchy and dynamic. Both versions of the Arya handily outclasses the Anandas and by default the XS.......

Hahahaha!!! Pretty much this. He doesn't even listen to his "reviewed" products any more than a short listen - and then only after applying EQ. He couldn't tell you what something sounds like unadulterated. This goes for his followers too - who judge a components SQ and merit without ever having listened to most of what he "reviews". OTOH, they're sort of okay for an introduction to things - but only entry-level stuff.....