[jlbrach]

the sad truth is moving up the food chain in terms of HP's and DAC's etc exposes bad recordings and make them cringeworthy.....everything sounds the same on a car radio lol

 

[rsbrsvp]

I am considering getting a used susvara- around one year old. Have there been any updates since then or is a one year old susvara the same as the ones made today?

 

[Slim1970]

I am considering getting a used susvara- around one year old. Have there been any updates since then or is a one year old susvara the same as the ones made today?

Should be the same. I haven't read or heard of any updates to the Susvara's.

 

[Rhamnetin]

Yeah surprisingly there is no successor or known revision. Gotta be a first for HiFiMan.

 

[jlbrach]

the susvara are incredibly detailed and when powered properly have a real impressive soundstage....i also have the Phi which has a slightly larger soundstage....this may sound surprising to some people but to my ears the susvara sound like what the utopia would sound like with a wider soundstage and better bass.....that is high praise indeed...i used to own the utopia and liked them but sold them because they felt a bit boxed in for my tastes

 

[astrostar59]

The Susvara’s don’t need bass boost. It’s just a personal choice. What I realize when I listen to music with the Susvara’s is there are some really bad recordings out there. The Susvara’s are even more revealing than my Utopia’s. Adding a little bass, sometimes, is welcomed just to improve the sound quality of those songs. Plus, I had the Audeze LCD-4’s and I sold them in favor of the Susvara’s. So it’s really not all about bass with me. It’s about having a balanced presentation and musical fidelity. In that regard, I felt the Susvara’s bested the LCD-4’s so the decision was easy for me.

In my system changes over the years, I found the DAC can impact. It can take stellar recordings to a new level, but so can a so so DAC to an extent. BUT poor recordings do become more obvious, crushed dynamics, less 3D less detail and less layering. In many cases it is poor mastering IMO. But I am not sure I agree that a better DAC makes poor recordings worse. I have found some top DS DACs can exasperate sibilance and emphases the 'digital sound' too much on certain recordings. A top R-2R DAC can avoid a lot of those problems IMO.

Top HPs can reach the same levels as top speakers nowadays, though possibly not as realistic soundstage, but definitely fidelity fidelity and realism. Thus you do tend to need a DAC in the same range (or better) than the HP IMO. Running a 4k headphone off a phone is not the best way to go.... I wouldn't do that to 50k speakers for example, so IMO why use a 4K headphone which can compete with that level of speakers? I am using the costs comparisons as an example of level of performance, not saying every DAC costing 10K+ is great, they are not.

 

[Slim1970]

In my system changes over the years, I found the DAC can impact. It can take stellar recordings to a new level, but so can a so so DAC to an extent. BUT poor recordings do become more obvious, crushed dynamics, less 3D less detail and less layering. In many cases it is poor mastering IMO. But I am not sure I agree that a better DAC makes poor recordings worse. I have found some top DS DACs can exasperate sibilance and emphases the 'digital sound' too much on certain recordings. A top R-2R DAC can avoid a lot of those problems IMO.

Top HPs can reach the same levels as top speakers nowadays, though possibly not as realistic soundstage, but definitely fidelity fidelity and realism. Thus you do tend to need a DAC in the same range (or better) than the HP IMO. Running a 4k headphone off a phone is not the best way to go.... I wouldn't do that to 50k speakers for example, so IMO why use a 4K headphone which can compete with that level of speakers? I am using the costs comparisons as an example of level of performance, not saying every DAC costing 10K+ is great, they are not.

Yes, that's why I lean towards the sound of the Chord DACs. I have the Hugo 2 and it sounds so natural and transparent. I don't hear any coloring of the signal. The revealing nature of the Hugo 2 lets you know just how bad a song is recorded. Bright recordings are virtually unlistenable. The Hugo 2 gives it straight. I have yet to try an R2R type DAC, but I would love to one day.

The Susvara's are very, very good and deserve a top quality source and good amp. If you have those two ingredients you'll be rewarded with premiere sound.

 

[gordec]

I have listened to a really good Dave setup at my local shop, Dave->MHA150->Susvara. My current setup with Pro iDSD -> MHA100 -> Susvara, I feel Dave is not adding anything. Pro iDSD actually sounds more dynamic without missing any details. I have owned Hugo 1 and Qutest. I have always felt a little underwhelmed by Chord products. They don't sound bad just not that spectacular. It may be just me. With so much support in the community, they must be doing something right.

 

[jlbrach]

it is a subjective hobby after all...personally i love chord products and also have the susvara

 

[Arniesb]

I have listened to a really good Dave setup at my local shop, Dave->MHA150->Susvara. My current setup with Pro iDSD -> MHA100 -> Susvara, I feel Dave is not adding anything. Pro iDSD actually sounds more dynamic without missing any details. I have owned Hugo 1 and Qutest. I have always felt a little underwhelmed by Chord products. They don't sound bad just not that spectacular. It may be just me. With so much support in the community, they must be doing something right.

Thats probably cause Pro dsd have better galvanic isolation, very good noise isolation... Advanced chip is not Everything i guess...

 

[Rhamnetin]

Thats probably cause Pro dsd have better galvanic isolation, very good noise isolation... Advanced chip is not Everything i guess...

What makes you think the galvanic isolation is superior? Also since the DAVE does have it, I don't think somehow improved galvanic isolation would outshine the other advanced tech the DAVE uses.

 

[Arniesb]

What makes you think the galvanic isolation is superior? Also since the DAVE does have it, I don't think somehow improved galvanic isolation would outshine the other advanced tech the DAVE uses.

Ifi specialists in this tech. Somewhere i read that external galvanic isolation added was better. Ofcourse anyone can add same tech to Dave.

 

[seaice]

I enjoy Dave>iFi Pro iCan>Susvara combo and I have to say that the USB input of Dave is not totally imune to noise. I have tried a couple of USB cables with various results and I still use Intona (Industrial) in the USB chain for best results. At the beginning, the SQ via optical input of my Dave was much better but now, after some USB chain changes, it is much closer.

 

[ufospls2]

Well, I'm going to be back in the Susvara club on Friday (as long as Fedex doesn't screw up.) Really looking forward to it

 

[P.Car]

I have always felt a little underwhelmed by Chord products. They don't sound bad just not that spectacular.

I listened to the TT 2 and Upscaler (~$16,000 MSRP) this weekend at RMAF and I wasn't impressed. I was switching back and forth between the LCD-4Z and LCD-4 on the Chord stack to compare those two headphones.

Presentation was great but not worth the price of admission.

I guess every manufacturer has their fans who are willing to pay to play.

For me, Chord just isn't one of those companies, although they do make great gear, I just feel it's overpriced.

Everybody has their own opinion...