[OCC7N]

Excited with this!

Got my headphones on now.

Everything in the setup is new(under a year)

Finally.

I’ll be back. Got goosebumps from all the details in the music.

Initial word: This amp is not getting in the way at all.........
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I have read a lot of people in this forum call it a "journey" searching for different audio hardware, and I never really didn´t understand what it meant. I do now. I have to thank a lot of you in here, that had the patience to help me.

I must say Susvara did force me on this journey, I have never searched google so much before for anything in audio. Buying Susvara two month before the headamp, battling my patience I am finally ready to listen to the headphones!

This is not some kind of advertisement for magnahifi, but I gotta mention them, they was supporting all the way, even technical questions was answered. The maildialog was respondsive, it was a super service, great experience!

So sitting here listening to my sound chain:
Mains -> iFi Powerstation - iFi DC Blocker - Computer/JCAT USB XE PCIe CARD(Powered by iFi Elite) -> iFi Purifier3 -> Chord TT2 -> Furutech Flux-50 NCF(G) -> AUDIO-GD HE9 LE -> Susvara. All power from iFi Powerstation.


I must say it sounds very clean, sometimes soo clean that I hear the artifacts in the songs from the 80s 90s. These artifacts are soo obvious easy to pick right there in front of me. Nothing is hidden. Its hard not get goosebumps. The layers of reverbs can be heard with ease.

My TT2 is in DAC mode btw. The volume tolerance is 60(too high)
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Susvara Update: 1 (after 7hours burnin)

Today Im surprised at a comfortable volume level 32. High gain is on.

All details is played with ease. Listening to Marcus, Stanley and Victor Wooten, and the soundstage does not feel limited.

It does not sound round in a way it rolls of the highs, but more like +adding some analog sweetness. Best way to hear it, is to focus on the music and not the headamp.
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Update 2: Susvara. 30-40hours burnin(both)

I don´t know what is happening here I am at higher volume, and its like the Susvara has given birth. I played with an EQ yesterday:

Its like this amp is preservative, it doesnt not opens up the headphones/amp till you try it, till you push the limits/tolerance. Its not loud like it was yesterday, the sound has widen vs yesterday. Today I notice a thick wide vibe, the thickness does not compromise the soundstage. This is a vibe I only get in studios normally.

(Its not only the hardware that is burnin I am finally adapting to this headphone. I have not touched Arya that much)

"I feel my system is openin up" ... I don´t know which component that is during this improvement:
iFi Powerstation -> iFi DC Blocker -> PC/jcat usb xe -> TT2 -> XLR(Supra xlr) -> he9le(flux-50ncf connected to ifi powerstation) -> Susvara(stock hp cable)
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Update 3 1/2: Arya V2(Susvara stock XLR4 cable) 40+ hours burnin...Arya way over 500hours
I have said the AryaV2 sounds heavenly on SE(TT2)...XLR to HE9LE is a totally different story...

A boost in the low and mid lows. The treble has smoothened out not that harsh. I don´t know if I like this yet but definitly hits hard like I wanted the Aryas to do, on the Diablo. Its like some of the top mids are recessed a little, but the low are boosted. The Aryas feels more respondsive, punchy, but also they sound more darker/organic than before.

Arya sounds closer to a whole sound now, just a little darker/organic, not warmer, and the "laidback" top mids. As for soundstage it has the same thickness to the sound like it has on Susvara, but more delicate on the Sus vs Arya, where it is more raw/harsh presentation. With Arya the tails of the reverb feels shorter, I don´t know if this needs adaption cable and amp is the only difference from before. The darkness/organic of the sound can take over....on some tracks it sounds amazing it feels like a part of the production, on other tracks feels too much, it can feel like a "veil"...

Update 3 2/2: Arya V2(Susvara stock XLR4 cable) 44+ hours burnin...Arya way over 500hours
I let the Aryas keep playing on the H9 whole day. It seems to have smoothen out the darkness/organic veil. I guess headphones still needs to adapt to new amps and cables.

Update 4 : deleted

Update 5: 70 hours: I am awaiting chain improvements, as I don´t like the way TT2 behaves with the USB:
- Matrix X-Spdif2
- QED Quartz Reference 0.6m
- Ethernet to fiber(FMC)

Update 6: DC OFFSET: Brymen 829s.
Balanced headphone XLR4: High gain 9.
Volume 00 = 0.02-0.03mV
Volume 70 = 0.03-0.05mV(ear damage loud)
Volume 90 = 0.05-0.10mV
Volume 100 = 0.10-0.20mV

Update 7: Susvara, XLR 4pin, 100hours burnin. The chain has been chainged since update 6. I added Matrix spdif2 + Wireworld Supernova 7 toslink. I removed ifi powerstation (flux50 + wireworld matrix2) on dc blocker swapped the elite psu with ipower x.

TT2 is in amp mode and HE9LE is set to 70 volume with high gain 9.

After the new the matrix has burned in, it made sound even more clean, controlled the lowend. I believe this big change exposed the HE9LE more in terms the "layer" it adds to the music. It does not sound like it gets in the way of the TT2. It sounds like smooth silky tape effect. This setup is not forgiving, a bad record just shows up, which can leave me in doubt sometimes(mind is playing tricks)

The soundstage has become wider. The insane layering from the TT2 gets more obvious. Its 3D like. It still obvious on the SE, but HE9LE amplifies the experience.

 

[dougms3]

That's a beast of an amp literally and figuratively.

It has like 10,000 parts inside so once all of that burns in, really interested in your impressions. I think you will be the first review on head fi with this amp.

Loving the wire support system btw.

 

[OCC7N]

Thanks! I think I am going to upgrade the wire support later. The amp(Volume knob) is very clicky, I like it

Everything is pretty new in this setup. TT2 has maybe 5hours. I think I Summer 2023 the system will be settle(burn-in)

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Very happy for you!

But I wanna see those blue lights on the HE9

 

[OCC7N]

 

[gimmeheadroom]

That's it!

 

[JAFHIFI90]

Thank you OCC7N
I got excited after your impressions, I just want to ask you, after work does the HE-9 LE get hot on the hand or just warm?

 

[OCC7N]

Thank you OCC7N
I got excited after your impressions, I just want to ask you, after work does the HE-9 LE get hot on the hand or just warm?

Not at all!

I leave it on overnight. Lukewarm. Even with Susvara playing. The venting is good.

My DAC/TT2 gets much hotter.

I really like it alot. But Im curious about other pure copper xlr cables.

 

[JAFHIFI90]

Awesome, I have the Audio-GD R7HE MK2 it's lukewarm I hardly feel warm, and by reading your impressions it has the same qualities as this AMP. Organic sound, amazing sound stage, separation and space in which instruments float with a charming tone that made me addictive to the R2R, my first choice HE-9 MK2 and second economic HE-9 LE, Now I need a thorough check of my wallet.

As for the cables, I use a Chinese brand called CopperColor, it's really good quality.

 

[OCC7N]

Awesome, I have the Audio-GD R7HE MK2 and it's lukewarm I hardly feel warm, and by reading your impressions it has the same qualities as this amp. Organic sound, amazing sound stage, separation and space in which instruments float with a charming tone that made me addictive to the R2R, my first choice HE-9 MK2 and second economic HE-9 LE, Now I need a thorough check of my wallet.

As for the cables, I use a Chinese brand called CopperColor, it's really good quality.

I actually chose the HE9LE and bought the Furutech Flux50 instead of mk2. I have a feeling 20-30% of the sound enhancements comes from that cable.

 

[JAFHIFI90]

I actually chose the HE9LE and bought the Furutech Flux50 instead of mk2. I have a feeling 20-30% of the sound enhancements comes from that cable.

HE-9 MK2 has a regenerator that will undoubtedly make a difference, in overall I agree with your feelings, the cable is important, but the cable market has huge scams.

 

[OCC7N]

HE-9 MK2 has a regenerator that will undoubtedly make a difference, in overall I agree with your feelings, the cable is important, but the cable market has huge scams.

Im gonna test every piece in my setup next year and upload it for A/B test here on headfi

 

[OCC7N]

After making some changes to the chain, it really showed up, even more details. I basically removed ifi powerstation and dc blocker. Added matrix spdif2 with toslinlink cable. Changed the psu for JCAT from elite to X.

This did reveal some more, the clarity from song to song is more noticable.