[jalayjoshi]

Has anyone compared hekv2 stealth to susvara?

I have susvara but considering selling them and getting hekv2 stealth to be able to use with a DAP

 

[jalayjoshi]

.

 

[BowWazoo]

Has anyone compared hekv2 stealth to susvara?

I have susvara but considering selling them and getting hekv2 stealth to be able to use with a DAP

Yes, just a few days ago

Post in thread 'Hifiman HE1000 Planar Dynamic Headphone' https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hifiman-he1000-planar-dynamic-headphone.748334/post-17346153

 

[jalayjoshi]

Yes, just a few days ago

Post in thread 'Hifiman HE1000 Planar Dynamic Headphone' https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hifiman-he1000-planar-dynamic-headphone.748334/post-17346153

Thanks. Good selection of tracks for comparison

 

[thecrow]

And @jalayjoshi after that (as shown in the pages after that quoted post above) the conversation starts yet again on amplification of the susvara

and on and and on it goes. I won’t chime in on this again either - i shall get off the hamster wheel

as there are many many hundreds of posts in the susvaras thread re that, and that’s just one place where you see the opinion of those who happily live with the susvaras (that is the key) v others

as one German New Zealand member here recently posted, it can become a bit of a zombie thread, or even zombie conversation, i say

all the best

 

[Dixter]

yep... no reason to talk about the Susvara in this forum... need to concentrate on HEKv2 Stealth and HEKse as thats what Hifiman is still selling... I can't imagine why they could still charge that kind of money for the HEKse when they are the same headphone in a different box... sound wise its the difference between Stealth Magnets or Non Stealth Magnets.... from what I read the Non Stealth are different enough that if you like that sound over the Stealth then you should search down a pair as the non Stealth versions are getting hard to find new in the box... a good deal at $1999 ....

 

[SemiAudiophile]

I’ve loved my v2 for all kinds of music. They do excel on acoustic type music but I find them really good for rock, electronic leaning stuff, etc. but the only other HFM I’ve heard is the original Ananda so no sense of comparison to other $1000+ models to know if I’d like something else more for other genres. The only other can I’ve tried was the Focal Clear. It was way too boxed in for my tastes. I like the expansiveness of my V2. I’ve been considering trying other cans be it HFM or something else but also don’t wanna waste a bunch of money.

For rock and electronic, I prefer the Arya with its slightly forward presentation and tonal balance.

The expansiveness in the soundstage is something special. Pinpoint imaging and precision in particular make the egg shell HFM in a league of its own. No other headphone I've heard has god tier imaging like these do. I find it hard to back to regular headphones with normal sized soundstages. I think I've been spoiled with these. HEKV2 has it in 3 dimensions: width, depth, and height.

I recently picked up a HD8XX as well. It's got that diffused soundstage and expansiveness but its imaging is a blur compared to the HFM's. Technically, I'd put it in the same class as Arya. Soundstage goes just a tad wider than Arya V2 and everything sounds a little bit more dispersed. They are actually quite similar yet complementary headphones. Layering and separation is better on the Arya. HD8XX better with timbre. I enjoy orchestral and soundtracks in particular with HD8XX.

 

[Hotdoggn]

For rock and electronic, I prefer the Arya with its slightly forward presentation and tonal balance.

The expansiveness in the soundstage is something special. Pinpoint imaging and precision in particular make the egg shell HFM in a league of its own. No other headphone I've heard has god tier imaging like these do. I find it hard to back to regular headphones with normal sized soundstages. I think I've been spoiled with these. HEKV2 has it in 3 dimensions: width, depth, and height.

I recently picked up a HD8XX as well. It's got that diffused soundstage and expansiveness but its imaging is a blur compared to the HFM's. Technically, I'd put it in the same class as Arya. Soundstage goes just a tad wider than Arya V2 and everything sounds a little bit more dispersed. They are actually quite similar yet complementary headphones. Layering and separation is better on the Arya. HD8XX better with timbre. I enjoy orchestral and soundtracks in particular with HD8XX.

I keep reading that the Arya are the better headphone for rock and electronic, which is what I primarily listen to. As much as I have a pull from the HEKs, I feel like I should just stick with the Aryas for a while longer - I've had the Stealth magnet editions for a year now - since I feel they are the best all rounder I've heard thus far. I don't like having too many headphones around, so adding them to my "collection" will be more of a commitment, and I'll be tempted to sell whatever doesn't get used much.

For an all rounder, am I better off just sticking with the Aryas?

 

[SemiAudiophile]

I keep reading that the Arya are the better headphone for rock and electronic, which is what I primarily listen to. As much as I have a pull from the HEKs, I feel like I should just stick with the Aryas for a while longer - I've had the Stealth magnet editions for a year now - since I feel they are the best all rounder I've heard thus far. I don't like having too many headphones around, so adding them to my "collection" will be more of a commitment, and I'll be tempted to sell whatever doesn't get used much.

For an all rounder, am I better off just sticking with the Aryas?

Honestly, I could be perfectly happy with just the Arya V2 if I could only have one. Its technical performance is good enough and close to endgame. Well balanced and suitable for many genres.

HEKV2 has higher level of transparency and takes the imaging and scope up another level. Micro details, spacing between instruments, and little nuances in recordings can be heard better. I wouldn't call it analytical as it still very much a musical headphone. But it's better for critical listening.

If you already like the Arya Stealth, then I'd say stick with it. If you want to upgrade, I think the new HE 1000 Stealth would have similar presentation.

 

[rwelles]

I got back into full size headphones last fall, mostly my old fav--HD800S. My last HFM was the original HE560, which I liked, but not really that much. After reading reviews/opinions, the HEKv2 seemed like it would be the perfect addition for my price range. The stealth version was announced in the thread about a week after I took delivery. Naturally, I felt a pang of beer's buyer's remorse at the news...

Comments have mostly been very positive about the upgrade, which peaks my curiosity.

However, I've been very impressed by my HEKv2!! It performs admirably with all my favorite genres (classic rock, 80s synth bands, reggae, classical, jazz, rap). It is quite the chameleon! I've never heard better bass and sub bass details before.

Yes, the stealth version may be an improvement. In the meantime, I'll still be wearing a huge smile on my face every time I put them on. It is simply an awesome piece of kit!!


EDIT: corrected that dang auto-correction!!

 

[linknet]

I went for the HEKv2 (non-Stealth version). Why ?
1) According to the "German" forum the differences are not night and day. Seems like the new Stealth version is a little more detailed and you can better "dissect" the music but with a little less "soul" in voices.
Before, with my setting, i prefered the Ananda Stealth over the Arya Stealth for the same reason : a little more soul and a little less clinical and analytical (YMMV). So i suppose that the HEKv2 (non-Stealth) is the natural upgrade from the Ananda Stealth and the new HE1000 Stealth is the natural upgrade from the Arya Stealth.
2) HEKv2 Hifiman store open box for 1699 USD. Crazy price when you think about the original price around 3000 USD.
Later i'll try to demo the new Stealth version and if it sounds better to my ears i'll enter again the upgrade madness
But, as someone wrote, whatever version we own, we have a fantastic headphone

 

[BowWazoo]

Yes, for me too, the HE-1000 is a very special headphone. After so many years, after so many other TOTL models (Utopia/ SR009S/ Empyrean/ LCD-5/ D-8000, etc.), i stopped at the HE-1000.

So many years after its launch, there still seems to be potential for improvement.
Not for nothing, we are experiencing the third version.

At this point, I would like to give the Stealth owners again the tip to listen to the LYR+.

 

[thinker]

Coming from Stax world ( X9K) to planars and Hifiman new HE1K stealth. Have avoided to listen to planars because they don't present the liquidity like a excellent electrostatic headphone.

First i had on loan a topping D90 amp to test how it matches with the new stealth , big disappoitment, boring lifeless ss sound and no soul to it. Tested it also with Krell 350 monoblocks, this was much better. If you put 696 watt unused power to the headphone, you feel it, the difference between topping and Krell was night and day, control, soundstage, naturalness is on another level.

Was still missing the liquidity wich stax presents and turned the whole system to tubes. Now i miss nothing and put it on the same level than the Stax X9K/ Energon combo.
Stealth sounds super musical with classical music, wide soundstage (with right tubes) great dynamics and digs deep into details. I may now prefer the stealth/tube combo
to any previous electrotstatic combo wich i had owned. The Stealth/ tube combo gives me almost the feeling, you are one attendance with the musicians, not just a listener. Great headphone.

 

[Hubert481]

Is LYR+ better than V281 for HEKv2?

 

[jalayjoshi]

Coming from Stax world ( X9K) to planars and Hifiman new HE1K stealth. Have avoided to listen to planars because they don't present the liquidity like a excellent electrostatic headphone.

First i had on loan a topping D90 amp to test how it matches with the new stealth , big disappoitment, boring lifeless ss sound and no soul to it. Tested it also with Krell 350 monoblocks, this was much better. If you put 696 watt unused power to the headphone, you feel it, the difference between topping and Krell was night and day, control, soundstage, naturalness is on another level.

Was still missing the liquidity wich stax presents and turned the whole system to tubes. Now i miss nothing and put it on the same level than the Stax X9K/ Energon combo.
Stealth sounds super musical with classical music, wide soundstage (with right tubes) great dynamics and digs deep into details. I may now prefer the stealth/tube combo
to any previous electrotstatic combo wich i had owned. The Stealth/ tube combo gives me almost the feeling, you are one attendance with the musicians, not just a listener. Great headphone.

Isoacoustics recommends putting the pucks directly beneath the chassis and not beneath the feet of the equipment so it has more surface area to absorb the vibrations