The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The HifiMan Arya Stealth headphones offer superior sound quality and an expansive soundstage, which are desirable for an immersive music experience, but are quite large and not portable, with no noise isolation. In contrast, the Steelseries TUSQ earbuds are far less expensive, provide noise isolation, and are more suited for gaming due to their boom microphone and better portability, but they have lesser sound quality compared to the Arya Stealth. If you prioritize top-tier music quality and can afford them, choose the Arya Stealth, but for budget-conscious users who game or want more versatile earbuds, the TUSQ is a practical choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the HifiMan Arya Stealth
Best in class for music
Excellent for TV and video
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Steelseries TUSQ
Very good for gaming
Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
10.0/10
7.6/10
The HifiMan Arya Stealth is best in class for music, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.
Gaming
7.1/10
8.5/10
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the HifiMan Arya Stealth is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1/10
4.7/10
The HifiMan Arya Stealth is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
TV and Video
9.4/10
7.3/10
The HifiMan Arya Stealth is excellent for TV and video, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
6.0/10
The Steelseries TUSQ is only fair for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Arya Stealth is poor.
Cost
$649
$42
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The HifiMan Arya Stealth has a price of $649 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $42.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.0/10
The HifiMan Arya Stealth has excellent build quality, while the Steelseries TUSQ has very good build quality.
"The Arya can easily be end-game headphones for 99% of consumers, satisfying most audio desires. Priced well above USD$1000, the Arya are obviously and gloriously not for the mass market consumer; they are designed and built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts – especially those who view their expenses on this level of gear as investments."
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
Get a great deal on the HifiMan Arya Stealth or the Steelseries TUSQ
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
About Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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