Arya WiFi and HE1000 WiFi: HIFIMAN's wireless headphones go Roon Ready and finally get their own app

This spring, HIFIMAN took a gamble nobody had tried before: fit a streamer, an R2R DAC and an amp inside an open-back planar headphone, and feed it music over WiFi instead of Bluetooth. That's how the Arya WiFi and the HE1000 WiFi came to be. Being first of their kind, they also launched with a few blind spots. Two of them have just been sorted: both headphones are now Roon Ready certified, and HIFIMAN is rolling out HIFIMAN Smart, a dedicated app for iPhone and Android.

Roon finally recognises them

Until now, Roon users could see their headphones show up… along with a message saying the device wasn't certified yet, which kept it from being used as a playback zone. Technically everything already worked; it just lacked the official green light. That's done.

In practice, Roon Ready means Roon's streaming technology is built right into the device, and that the device has passed Roon's QA test suite. The headphones are discovered automatically on your network with zero setup, and playback stays bit-perfect up to 768 kHz PCM and DSD512, which is exactly what both models can decode. You can also group them with other Roon Ready devices around the house for synchronised playback, whatever the brand.

If your library already lives on a Roon Core or a Nucleus, this was probably the missing piece: the headphones become a Roon zone like any other, with Roon's EQ and DSP, and no cable or extra box in between.

HIFIMAN Smart: a proper app, iPhone included

The other recurring complaint was getting started. Connecting the headphones to your home WiFi meant a manual procedure, and there was only a fairly basic Android app, nothing on iPhone. Several press reviews called it out.

HIFIMAN Smart fixes that. The app makes it easier to set up and control the brand's wireless products, and it's available on both platforms: App Store and Google Play.

Quick reminder: a full hi-fi chain inside the earcups

Everything happens inside the cups: an in-house R2R DAC (Hymalaya) and an amplifier convert and drive the signal right in the headphone, with no external source or amp needed. On the driver side, the HE1000 WiFi uses HIFIMAN's Nano Diaphragm, while the Arya WiFi gets the Super Nano, slightly thicker and tougher. Both feature Stealth Magnets, the magnet technology also found in the Susvara.

• Built-in Hymalaya R2R DAC and amplification
• Connections: WiFi (lossless streaming), Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC) and USB-C audio
• Formats: PCM up to 32-bit / 768 kHz, DSD up to DSD512
• Frequency response: 8 Hz – 55 kHz (Arya WiFi), 8 Hz – 65 kHz (HE1000 WiFi)
• Battery life: around 7 h on WiFi, 20+ h on Bluetooth
• Weight: 452 g

These are open-back headphones: sound travels both ways. They're made for the living room or a quiet office, not the subway.

Price and availability

The Arya WiFi is priced at €1,589 incl. VAT and the HE1000 WiFi at €2,959 incl. VAT at Cool Kids Audio. Questions about setting them up with Roon, or choosing between the two? Drop us a line, we'll get back to you.