I have the Susvara, SE, V2 and Edition XS sitting in front of me now, along with my first insane purchase from a couple of years ago, my Focal Utopias. I’ve gotten tired of their clinical/critical tuning and “intimate” soundstage and I’m looking for something more fun and exciting for a change.
I’m running these on an iFi Pro iCAN Signature amp with 14 watts of balanced power @16 ohms, so I’m not hindered by any sensitivity limitations in that regard. I’ve owned the Edition XS for awhile, but I’ve been auditioning the two HEK versions and the Susvara for a little over a week. Here are my thoughts, for what they’re worth…
My easiest decision was the Susvaras. They’re going back, I don’t even need to give it a second thought. Are they brilliant, awe-inspiring, perfect? I guess I’d have to say yes, they’re probably the best audiophile flagship on the market to this day, although you’d think for $6,000 they could get the build flawless, which it isn’t. The soundstage is stratospheric, they move faster than the laws of physics seem to allow, the imaging and detail retrieval are superb. And the tuning is as impeccably neutral as you’d expect for the discerning snooty audiophile surrounded by stacks of Deutsche Grammophon records. Exactly what I’ve grown used to with my Utopias, although these outdo them in soundstage and bass response.
But I’m looking for some FUN. Is it just me, or do some premium manufacturers seem to think that there are no serious audiophiles who like rock, punk, New Wave, SynthPop or Hip Hop? Those genres are certainly my preference, and I’m left to wonder why my Edition XS’s excite me more than this $6,000 masterpiece of engineering. If I’m going to part ways with that much cash, those headphones better get my heart racing, and the Susvaras just don’t. Not worth it, moving on.
So it’s down to the HE1000se vs the v2. Both of these delight me exponentially more than the Susvaras at first listen. I’m trying not to get biased by their $1,500 difference in price tag, and the fact that the se’s are “newer”. I imagine some folks might consider the se’s an upgrade over the V2 (HiFiMan themselves suggest this based on their upgrade program, based on price, gotcha), but I’m not one of them. I think they each have their plusses and minuses, their strengths and weaknesses. But neither of them misses the mark in a deal-breaker kinda way. I think they both shine for different purposes and tastes.
The only objective difference I can attest to is that the v2 costs $1,999 and the se $3,499. They share similar driver/diaphragms but the se has the Susvara’s “Stealth” magnet tech and the v2 does not. They both look fantastic, depending on which one they ship you from their stock. They both have these ridiculous rubber-bandy cables that make sense to no one ever.
And to me they both sound fantastic! Without question I prefer the oval pads leaps and bounds over the round Susvaras and Sundaras—not only do I find them more comfortable, but I think they significantly widen the listening stage and do wonders for the sub bass frequencies. Both of them rattle my skull pleasingly in ways the Susvara just doesn’t, no matter how precise its bass may be.
But after several lengthy listens from a range of musical genres, I really think I prefer the V2s. I wish I didn’t, because I think the se’s are a tiny bit more resolving and detailed and slightly more refined in their construction and design than the V2s. Perhaps with the Stealth magnet they really did offer a legitimate advance (I for SURE think the se is a better contender for their all-around flagship status than the Susvara, for its versatility alone). And at 96 db they are a tad bit easier to drive than the V2s. But neither are fit for a dongle and I didn’t really notice much difference in power demands. With the Susvaras I sure as hell did—a sensitivity of 83 to me is a design flaw that they should be able to solve.
But the soundstage of the V2 is demonstrably wider than the se. The bass may be a sliver less tight and controlled than the se, but boy is there more of it, and it’s a blast to experience. And I don’t know about the rest of you, but I find the se’s to be just a tad bit shouty in the upper mids and highs in a way that has caused me fatigue that I don’t experience with the V2s. If I kept either one of them I’d probably acquiesce to their sound and be perfectly happy. But when I have them side by side, I’m more drawn to the V2 for its phenomenal soundstage and slam—they’re offering me precisely the kind of fun I’ve been looking for.
So knowing my luck, I’ll probably keep them, and in five weeks HiFiMan will come out with a brand new HE1000V3 that has everything I love about these plus the stealth magnet. That’s what happened with my 2020 Utopia, and if anything seems compelling/reassuring about saving that extra $1,500 instead of succumbing to FOMO and prestige, it’s that.
