Hey everyone, I have discovered in the past week that I prefer the HE1000SE over my Susvara! (yet I think Susvara is still a "better" headphone)
So let's go over what I have discovered, comparing HEKSE and Susvara, and those two with other headphones I own! (and hopefully help others with their purchasing decisions)
Chain: line out from dx320 ROHM DAC (using modded amp12exn-s) -> iFi iCan Signature (the "low end" not "upper end" for Susvara) -> stock cable (just for testing)
Sonic preferences: I like the instruments and vocals to shine, but really need a strong yet tight bass punch. I am not a Harman adherer, but I find it works well for my taste. Mostly listen to pop, hiphop, & soundtracks in JP>KR>EN>ZH>ES>HI.
Use case: This is my WFH setup, where music helps me get work done, aka I don't want a headphone just good for critical listening (if only I could make time for that haha). Needs to be comfortable enough that I can work with it all day, every day of the week!
Note about EQ: I prefer not to EQ, less changing of sound the better IMO. But, at least for HEKSE, it does seem to unlock huge latent potential as we will see later.
Comfort: For me, Susvara is slightly more comfortable, since the HEKSE cup reaches to my jaw. Also note that I had to add a ZMF pad to my HEKSE since the smallest head notch wasn't small enough for me... (Susvara smallest notch was just small enough)
And finally the sound discussion, I will break it down into 3 parts:
No EQ:
-Let me get this out of the way first: without EQ, I 100% always prefer Susvara over HEKSE. HEKSE treble is too much, while Susvara tone is great. That being said, HEKSE does have a bit larger soundstage which some may prefer for certain genres of music.
EQ HEKSE to "Susvara neutral":
-Sadly this is a very similar story, I almost always find Susvara just slightly better than HEKSE. The detail is very slightly higher, but the real improvement is in the tone. The HEKSE tone is by no means bad however, if I were to rank the headphones I own in tone, it would be like: ZMF Atrium >> Susvara >> HEKSE >> Utopia >> LCD-5(EQ).
-Important note for later: Susvara slams just as hard as HEKSE with my setup
EQ bass boost (mostly sub-bass) on both:
-When I EQ HEKSE to Susvara with added bass (curve reaching peak ~50 hz and starting at ~200hz), Susvara seems to just add more "bloat", and doesn't deliver any additional rumble. In the end, I preferred Susvara with a very minimal EQ to bass, any more and I wasn't getting results
-To my extreme surprise, when I EQ'd HEKSE with a bass boost, it actually delivered! It was a STRONG yet CLEAN bass rumble.(I wouldn't call it "punchy" like say a Utopia)
-Comparing the Susvara (not really boosted) vs HEKSE (very boosted), it was about 50/50 on which headphone I preferred for my tracks. However when I preferred HEKSE, I REALLY preferred the bass rumble HEKSE was giving, and a bit bigger soundstage! On the other hand, when I preferred Susvara, it was just a bit better than HEKSE in technicalities and tone.
-Overall, ignoring price, I find HEKSE (bass boosted) a better headphone for me! That being said, Susvara is almost always the better headphone if you don't need the level of bass boost I wanted.
Now how would I compare Susvara and my EQ'd HEKSE with my other headphones?
LCD 5 (EQ):
Going to rewrite this
Utopia:
Actually do find it improves with EQ, but must be careful to avoid driver clipping. Honestly completely different sound to the Hifimans: naturally punchy without boosted bass. Details not on par to the Hifimans, but still very good in a much smaller headstage. Again, I think an EQ'd HEKSE is a better comparison to Utopia, since Susvara can't ever deliver that "fun". I personally think both HEKSE and Atriums destroy the utopia each for their own reasons. HEKSE can rumble much more with EQ, and plays with better technicalities. Atriums on the other hand has a smidge less details, but the tone is incredibly natural and plays with incredible note weight. But, if you really like that "fun" punchiness without a boosted bass, Utopias may be for you.
Atrium Open:
On another level tonally, but details below Susvara and HEKSE (just below utopia). I've never heard a headphone with such great note weight yet maintain incredible technicalities. For me it's a keeper headphone, and an incredible compliment to any of the planers I've tried!
In a price agnostic conclusion, if you want the best mids and don't plan on elevating bass, just get an Susvara. If you want amazing mids but want to add a EQ bass shelf, somehow HEKSE delivers...
So let's go over what I have discovered, comparing HEKSE and Susvara, and those two with other headphones I own! (and hopefully help others with their purchasing decisions)
Chain: line out from dx320 ROHM DAC (using modded amp12exn-s) -> iFi iCan Signature (the "low end" not "upper end" for Susvara) -> stock cable (just for testing)
Sonic preferences: I like the instruments and vocals to shine, but really need a strong yet tight bass punch. I am not a Harman adherer, but I find it works well for my taste. Mostly listen to pop, hiphop, & soundtracks in JP>KR>EN>ZH>ES>HI.
Use case: This is my WFH setup, where music helps me get work done, aka I don't want a headphone just good for critical listening (if only I could make time for that haha). Needs to be comfortable enough that I can work with it all day, every day of the week!
Note about EQ: I prefer not to EQ, less changing of sound the better IMO. But, at least for HEKSE, it does seem to unlock huge latent potential as we will see later.
Comfort: For me, Susvara is slightly more comfortable, since the HEKSE cup reaches to my jaw. Also note that I had to add a ZMF pad to my HEKSE since the smallest head notch wasn't small enough for me... (Susvara smallest notch was just small enough)
And finally the sound discussion, I will break it down into 3 parts:
No EQ:
-Let me get this out of the way first: without EQ, I 100% always prefer Susvara over HEKSE. HEKSE treble is too much, while Susvara tone is great. That being said, HEKSE does have a bit larger soundstage which some may prefer for certain genres of music.
EQ HEKSE to "Susvara neutral":
-Sadly this is a very similar story, I almost always find Susvara just slightly better than HEKSE. The detail is very slightly higher, but the real improvement is in the tone. The HEKSE tone is by no means bad however, if I were to rank the headphones I own in tone, it would be like: ZMF Atrium >> Susvara >> HEKSE >> Utopia >> LCD-5(EQ).
-Important note for later: Susvara slams just as hard as HEKSE with my setup
EQ bass boost (mostly sub-bass) on both:
-When I EQ HEKSE to Susvara with added bass (curve reaching peak ~50 hz and starting at ~200hz), Susvara seems to just add more "bloat", and doesn't deliver any additional rumble. In the end, I preferred Susvara with a very minimal EQ to bass, any more and I wasn't getting results
-To my extreme surprise, when I EQ'd HEKSE with a bass boost, it actually delivered! It was a STRONG yet CLEAN bass rumble.(I wouldn't call it "punchy" like say a Utopia)
-Comparing the Susvara (not really boosted) vs HEKSE (very boosted), it was about 50/50 on which headphone I preferred for my tracks. However when I preferred HEKSE, I REALLY preferred the bass rumble HEKSE was giving, and a bit bigger soundstage! On the other hand, when I preferred Susvara, it was just a bit better than HEKSE in technicalities and tone.
-Overall, ignoring price, I find HEKSE (bass boosted) a better headphone for me! That being said, Susvara is almost always the better headphone if you don't need the level of bass boost I wanted.
Now how would I compare Susvara and my EQ'd HEKSE with my other headphones?
LCD 5 (EQ):
Going to rewrite this
Utopia:
Actually do find it improves with EQ, but must be careful to avoid driver clipping. Honestly completely different sound to the Hifimans: naturally punchy without boosted bass. Details not on par to the Hifimans, but still very good in a much smaller headstage. Again, I think an EQ'd HEKSE is a better comparison to Utopia, since Susvara can't ever deliver that "fun". I personally think both HEKSE and Atriums destroy the utopia each for their own reasons. HEKSE can rumble much more with EQ, and plays with better technicalities. Atriums on the other hand has a smidge less details, but the tone is incredibly natural and plays with incredible note weight. But, if you really like that "fun" punchiness without a boosted bass, Utopias may be for you.
Atrium Open:
On another level tonally, but details below Susvara and HEKSE (just below utopia). I've never heard a headphone with such great note weight yet maintain incredible technicalities. For me it's a keeper headphone, and an incredible compliment to any of the planers I've tried!
In a price agnostic conclusion, if you want the best mids and don't plan on elevating bass, just get an Susvara. If you want amazing mids but want to add a EQ bass shelf, somehow HEKSE delivers...
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