Over-Ear
HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled
84Outstanding
$1,200
Full review dataHiFiMAN Arya Unveiled vs Sennheiser HD 800: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 84. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled - Outstanding overall at around $1199.
Over-Ear
Sennheiser HD 800
76Great
$1,800
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled leads on 4 of 4 measures.
- HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled
- Sennheiser HD 800
HearWiki score
84
76
Sound
9.4
9.2
Value
8.0
-
Price (USD)
$1,200
$1,800
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Same generation
The HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled is 15 years newer, but it is the same generation of hardware: nothing in the radio, the codecs or the noise cancelling separates them. Nothing separates them on convenience features either, so the choice comes down to tuning and price. For 15 years between them, that is a thin return - treat this as a restyle rather than a new platform.
- Arya Unveiled202415 yr newer
- HD 8002009
Specifications
Arya UnveiledHD 800
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $1,200
- $1,800
- HearWiki score
- 84
- 76
- Released
- 2024
- 2009
- Availability
- Still sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- planar magnetic
- 56 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- planar
- dynamic
- Driver size
- -
- 56 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 8 Hz - 65 kHz
- 14 Hz - 44.1 kHz
- Impedance
- 27 Ω
- 300 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 94 dB/mW
- 102 dB/mW
- Sensitivity (dB/Vrms)
- -
- 102
- Active noise cancelling
- No
- No
- Weight
- 413 g
- 330 g
- Detachable cable
- Yes
- Yes
- USB-C
- -
- No
- Connector
- 6.35 mm
- 6.35 mm
- Balanced connection
- Yes
- Yes
What reviewers said
HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled
The HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled is a high-end open-back planar magnetic headphone that delivers exceptional detail, tonal accuracy, and a balanced soundstage, making it a strong contender for audiophiles. Its grill-less design reduces reflections for cleaner audio, and it offers easy drivability for its class, though the exposed drivers require careful handling. With a neutral-to-warm tuning and broad frequency extension, it provides a compelling blend of technical performance and musicality.
- Pro:Excellent detail retrieval and tonal accuracy
- Pro:Spacious and well-defined imaging
- Pro:Comfortable for extended listening sessions
- Con:Exposed driver design requires careful handling
- Con:Limited connectivity options out of the box
- Con:Ear-cup material may not appeal to everyone
Sennheiser HD 800
The Sennheiser HD 800 is an open-back, over-ear headphone renowned for its expansive soundstage and exceptional detail, achieved through a large 56 mm dynamic driver and angled transducer design. It delivers a highly neutral, low-distortion frequency response, though it demands a powerful amplifier and offers no noise isolation. While priced at a premium, its reference-grade performance and comfort have made it a benchmark for audiophile listening since 2009.
- Pro:Expansive, speaker-like soundstage
- Pro:Exceptional detail and resolution
- Pro:Very flat, low-distortion response
- Con:Requires a powerful amplifier; not for portable use
- Con:Fully open design provides no isolation
- Con:High price point
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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