[Kiats]

Love the update. And your impressions are pretty spot on to my ears. I've often told people, if you really like the Susvara, you'll very likely love the SGL Sr. Generally voiced similarly, but with the Sr. being much more technically proficient. The Susvara also has the more smooth/warm tonality of the two, which I do get if people prefer.

I eventually sold the Susvara, as it's a bit redundant.. but would've kept it if I had/needed a second system. I would say, anyone with 3-4+ TOTL headphones should strongly consider at least hearing them. May be worth selling off and just leaping for the SGL Sr. It's truly in a league of its own and like you, much of my other gear just sits here and I've been slowly selling off.

I have the Susvara and the SGL Jr. Reading this thread has me intrigue about the SGL Sr now. Is it available without the amp? When it was first launched and I had listened to it at the Singapore Canjam, the HFM team was pretty adamant you had to buy it as a complete system. Definitely would be interested if it is now available on its own.

 

[sa11297]

I have the Susvara and the SGL Jr. Reading this thread has me intrigue about the SGL Sr now. Is it available without the amp? When it was first launched and I had listened to it at the Singapore Canjam, the HFM team was pretty adamant you had to buy it as a complete system. Definitely would be interested if it is now available on its own.

yes it can be purchased on its own for 18k msrp

 

[Kiats]

yes it can be purchased on its own for 18k msrp

Thanks! Will ask my local dealer.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I have the Susvara and the SGL Jr. Reading this thread has me intrigue about the SGL Sr now. Is it available without the amp? When it was first launched and I had listened to it at the Singapore Canjam, the HFM team was pretty adamant you had to buy it as a complete system. Definitely would be interested if it is now available on its own.

Missed this. But as mentioned, yes it can. And through a reputable dealer they're generally around $12k, although listed at $18k. Unless just fully committed I would also recommend trying out the less expensive x9000 if you can first. Comes decently close technically, although they have very different presentations.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Reviving this thread, as I've been listening to the SGL Sr. quite a bit over the past week. It is easily the greatest headphone I have ever heard lol. I am wow'd every single time I put it on. Every single time.

I've been going back and forth with it and the Sony MDR-R10 in regards to the most enjoyable headphone I have. Finally did some direct comparison and it goes to the Sr. easily. I listened to it for a few hours and then the R10 for two hours, and for once, I was a bit underwhelmed with the R10... which has never happened.

The two things that stand out over every other headphone are 1) the resolution and realism, which is just insane; and 2) the sheer bigness and largeness (are these real words? lol) of the sound. The second is probably the most impressive of it. No other headphone replicates this, it's just a huge, enveloping sound. Just an incredible set of headphones.

 

[purk]

What are u driving the R10 and SR with? Just curious and have u replace the foam inside the R10? Are they recable or determinated to balanced. Just curious.

 

[number1sixerfan]

What are u driving the R10 and SR with? Just curious and have u replace the foam inside the R10? Are they recable or determinated to balanced. Just curious.

R10 has had the foam replaced. I bought them from the owner of ES Labs, which was a plus from my view--seemed like an amazing pair. Still single ended with the original cable.

Using the EC Studio B (300B) with the R10, which is the original setup that convinced me that I needed a pair. Driving the SGL Sr. with the DIY Kerry T2.

 

[purk]

R10 has had the foam replaced. I bought them from the owner of ES Labs, which was a plus from my view--seemed like an amazing pair. Still single ended with the original cable.

Using the EC Studio B (300B) with the R10, which is the original setup that convinced me that I needed a pair. Driving the SGL Sr. with the DIY Kerry T2.

I think you will want to reterminate the stock cable and drive them in balanced. I did that about 15 years ago and they are quite a bit better with improved bass impact and sense of soundstage and spatial cues. Not saying that it will beat the SR but you are holding them back a little bit driving them in SE.

 

[eskamobob1]

I think you will want to reterminate the stock cable and drive them in balanced. I did that about 15 years ago and they are quite a bit better with improved bass impact and sense of soundstage and spatial cues. Not saying that it will beat the SR but you are holding them back a little bit driving them in SE.

The studio B is internally single ended and AFAIK doesn't even transform to a balanced signal for the XLR out, just outputs a se signal over it and has it strictly for convenience

Just to be honest, asking a dynamic driver to keep up with one of the best performing estats ever made is kind of a fools erand imo. I've got a ang sr on my desk right now and even on a fairly underperfomrong system it's technicaly still one of the best systems I've ever heard (only behind it's self on better systems and He1)

 

[number1sixerfan]

I think you will want to reterminate the stock cable and drive them in balanced. I did that about 15 years ago and they are quite a bit better with improved bass impact and sense of soundstage and spatial cues. Not saying that it will beat the SR but you are holding them back a little bit driving them in SE.

Thanks for the tip, who did you have reterminate them? The gap between it and the Sr. is large enough that I'm sure a cable won't close it, but I'm definitely open to it. My main concern is keeping them as close to stock as possible, but I don't intend on selling them ever so it's probably not that important.

Also, in general, you have heard and or have had the greatest headphones lol, so thank you in advance for the advice lol

 

[eskamobob1]

Thanks for the tip, who did you have reterminate them? The gap between it and the Sr. is large enough that I'm sure a cable won't close it, but I'm definitely open to it. My main concern is keeping them as close to stock as possible, but I don't intend on selling them ever so it's probably not that important.

Also, in general, you have heard and or have had the greatest headphones lol, so thank you in advance for the advice lol

I can't remeber, have you tried mysphere? They obviously don't compete technicaly, but in terms of beautiful presentation I can 100% see someone preferring them to even Shang sr.

 

[sa11297]

I can't remeber, have you tried mysphere? They obviously don't compete technicaly, but in terms of beautiful presentation I can 100% see someone preferring them to even Shang sr.

at mention of mysphere and shang, I can't help myself...
Here is probably the best write up I have seen on mysphere: https://www.sonusapparatus.com/2022/01/mysphere-3-1-3-2-impressions/
The conclusion includes some of the highest praise I can imagine for mysphere.

 

[eskamobob1]

The conclusion includes some of the highest praise I can imagine for mysphere.

Bro. You have Shang and mysphere. Can you seriously picture mysphere ever overtaking Shang? Like I honestly realy like it, but even sus is just a significant technical step up. Unless my dac roll scales mysphere and litteraly nothing else idk how it can be anything but a second can for me. Tbf though, I think the pres used in that setup are more than my chain so...

 

[sa11297]

Bro. You have Shang and mysphere. Can you seriously picture mysphere ever overtaking Shang? Like I honestly realy like it, but even sus is just a significant technical step up. Unless my dac roll scales mysphere and litteraly nothing else idk how it can be anything but a second can for me. Tbf though, I think the pres used in that setup are more than my chain so...

I am highly skeptical but...
it does make sense that if the chain is outrageous enough and the mysphere can keep scaling, then estats will be limited by energizers available on the market.

 

[eskamobob1]

I am highly skeptical but...
it does make sense that if the chain is outrageous enough and the mysphere can keep scaling, then estats will be limited by energizers available on the market.

I do wonder if someone put that level of dedication into Shang if you could scale it further though. Like transformers hurt the sound a lot, but at that price range, you could get like 100wpc audio note kando stuff and run it off of something so kuch better than t2/3es I could see it working. Woild be a massive Yolo with nothing hut a prayer though tbf