So I love my Arya and want something similar but closed

So I love my Aryas but my wife doesn’t (sound leak) and Im now on the search again. I will keep my Arya and want something closed so she doesn’t get so annoyed. Any recommendations? 1k usd tops!

While you’re waiting for the forum recommenders to come on-line, you might want to start by looking into the Focal Elegias.

Some questions:

  1. What percentage of your listening time will you be forced to use the closed-backs for?
  2. The Arya seem to be a particularly flat/neutral headphone. How important is that to you vs other aspects of sound quality?
  3. What previous headphones have you tried but found wanting?
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I’ve heard that some of the zmf headphones have a similar tonality to the Arya, but I think it would be hard to replicate that largeness of the driver. You could look into some of the closed audezes, but I wasn’t a fan of them when I heard them

So around 40%-50%of my time at home will be with closed so I do need a solution. She likes her netflix and I like my music so I’m trying to both enjoy while at the same room.

So Arya is neutralish and I just want something that I will really enjoy not be that different from the Arya. I like a good vocal, mid bass and detail.

I also have the HD6xx and the 1000XM3 which is closed but I dont enjoy as much as the Arya and HD6xx. I enjoy the HD6xx but I just don’t use it most of the genres I like.

If her Netflix listening is loudspeaker, not headphone, you may be in for some disappointment no matter what you buy. I just did a little experiment. I plugged my non-noise-cancelling closed-backs (M50x) into my smartphone then played back various recordings on my laptop through its loudspeaker. A closed-back isolates both ways to some degree, but a lot more leaks in than leaks out.

Nah she doesnt listen it with high volume. Im the one bothering her with my headphones.

get her the Bose QC35II and you both win! :smiley:

she doesn’t like headphones at all :frowning:

well…use subterfuge. get the sexy time on and when she lets you tie her up, put the headphones on and flip her favorite show on too! LoL!

Neutral closed-back… Neumann NDH 20? (BTW, have you checked the headphone selector on the main page - hifiguides.com? Someone should sticky this as a recommended first step in this forum somewhere, LOL.)

That really didn’t sound like the Arya imo. Was good but not really similar

Yeah 1st thing i did. But I just want some feedback from you guys.

+1
Maybe not similar to the Aryas, but the Focal Elegia should be in any conversation about closed backs.

While I love my Elegia I also could recommend the Mr Speakers Ether C Flow Closed
Top comfort and isolation. Both points better than the Elegia, which leaks a bit.
For the sofa use you will need very good isolation.
Soundwise it’s not the Hifiman Arya, but has it’s qualities.

I would say if you like a more natural sound the elegia would be the better choice, while if you like a more emphasized, forward sound the ether c flow 1.1 or ether cx might be the better choice

I would say the ether is closer to the arya

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yes it is closer
Give it a try

Would be the obvious choice, but it way overshoots his price target

The ether cx is 900 and pretty close to the 1.1 (but not all the way)

hey M0N, what do you mean when you say the Elegia’s have a natural sound. I recall from other conversations we’ve had you’re not fond of the Elegias or the Elear.

of course, seeing a comment about natural sound…it makes me think of something positive.

Really? I must have misspoke, as I think the elegia is great, and imo I prefer it over the stellia. But the elear is not good imo, so that part’s right. I don’t think that the elegia has the most natural sound on it’s own, but it is more natural sounding when compared to the ether c flow imo. Both the ether and the elegia are also more towards neutral. I feel that there are better headphones for a more organic timbre, but I still think both the headphones are great if you like a more neutral closed back

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