[Drewligarchy]

Wow, that's somewhat surprising, though I've read a lot about it, quite popular. What genre of music do you listen to? Just bass-oriented bands?

One reviewer (passion for sound, I think) wasn't overly enthusiastic. "Hard to wear correctly, seal is a bit odd" and a few other gripes.

In regards to the Abyss, I never thought I'd get them. I had a fully electrostatic rig and a pair of 009s. I then heard them at canjam, from a Wa33 actually. My jaw immediately dropped. There is nothing on the market that sounds like them; the only thing I can imagine is similar in certain way is the open baffle Raals.

Anyway, while they do have great bass - they are much more like listening to a pair of nearfield monitors. They are far extended in bass and treble, and on tubes they have actually very nice mids. This is why they get the rave reviews they do.

They definitely take getting used to; they aren't supposed to seal like normal headphones. Rather you can tune the bass and frequency response by how open or closed you adjust them, and where you put the pads on. It can take some time to figure out how you like them - but once you do, you really like them.

 

[chrisnyc75]

How would you subjectively rate the Susvara OG relating to emotional involvement, becoming invested in the music while listening? Lost that a bit after selling my LCD-4. Is it only transparency and micro-details that it excels in, or is it equally strong in the toe-tapping department?

Thanks!

I think it sort of depends on what kind of music you want to become invested in? Susvara really excels at transparency, resolution, & openness. It can slam pretty hard when well driven, but tbh it wouldn't be my first choice when I want to really get my "toe tapping" with electronica, hip hop, etc. I personally find both Utopia and Caldera more engaging where sheer dynamics are at a premium. But when you want to soar in ambience, or feel like you're in a concert hall, or get as close as possible to every detail of your music, Susvara can get you inside the music in a way little else can.

But at the end of the day, if "toe tapping" engagement is what you're chasing I suspect you'll find better options than Sus. Check out Caldera.

 

[chrisnyc75]

Are there particular albums that you find particularly stunning on the Susvara?

Of course any well-recorded jazz or orchestral, but for something a little more off the beaten path I would say anything from Jon Hopkins or BT. The richly layered textures and crisp transients can be very hypnotic on Sus.

 

[Drewligarchy]

Of course any well-recorded jazz or orchestral, but for something a little more off the beaten path I would say anything from Jon Hopkins or BT. The richly layered textures and crisp transients can be very hypnotic on Sus.

Thank you! I actually just started playing that Jon Hopkins album from Qobuz about a week ago and I think it's great! I agree - it's fantastic on the Susvara.

I will definitely check out your other suggestion as well.

 

[Frankie D]

No, I like bass like anyone else but not a bass head by any means. I listen mostly to jazz.

My intention wasn't to debate the best headphone, but rather, talk about music.

Are there particular albums that you find particularly stunning on the Susvara?

I like allot of music on the Sus. Here is a smattering so you might find something you like. I also mostly use it with my MK-465, so I get excellent bass. Hopefully one or two will work for you:

- Don’t Smoke In Bed. Holly Cole Trio
- “Hallelujah” track by Jeff Buckley
- Randori. Nik Bartsch. You can use this album to see if your amp can make the bass on the Sus come alive. On the best it is deep, detailed, fast and good power.
- Soular Energy - Ray Brown Trio. Classic jazz album. The Sus is great presenting the bass of Ray Brown.
- AJA - Steely Dan. Jazz Rock. Deacon Blues among the rest of the tracks.
- Gershwin by Grofe’: Lincoln Mayorga on piano. Excellently recorded album if you like Gershwin. The tracks are done as Gershwin intended when he wrote them.
- Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits
- Graceland - Paul Simon.
- Songs From The Big Chair - Tears for Fears
- The Nightfly - Donald Fagen

 

[jlemaster1957]

I think it sort of depends on what kind of music you want to become invested in? Susvara really excels at transparency, resolution, & openness. It can slam pretty hard when well driven, but tbh it wouldn't be my first choice when I want to really get my "toe tapping" with electronica, hip hop, etc. I personally find both Utopia and Caldera more engaging where sheer dynamics are at a premium. But when you want to soar in ambience, or feel like you're in a concert hall, or get as close as possible to every detail of your music, Susvara can get you inside the music in a way little else can.

But at the end of the day, if "toe tapping" engagement is what you're chasing I suspect you'll find better options than Sus. Check out Caldera.

One other thing not mentioned explicitly in this last series of posts is Susvar OG’s excellent ability re stage and imaging. I cannot compare this to any of the other mentioned headphones- my other sets are much further down tier in comparison- but if your chain can deliver the signal, Susvara can portray 3-dimensional space uncommonly well.

Here is a Qobuz playlist I collected that illustrate this ability. You’d need a Qobuz subscription to access it.

http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/16538518

 

[jlemaster1957]

I like allot of music on the Sus. Here is a smattering so you might find something you like. I also mostly use it with my MK-465, so I get excellent bass. Hopefully one or two will work for you:

- Don’t Smoke In Bed. Holly Cole Trio
- “Hallelujah” track by Jeff Buckley
- Randori. Nik Bartsch. You can use this album to see if your amp can make the bass on the Sus come alive. On the best it is deep, detailed, fast and good power.
- Soular Energy - Ray Brown Trio. Classic jazz album. The Sus is great presenting the bass of Ray Brown.
- AJA - Steely Dan. Jazz Rock. Deacon Blues among the rest of the tracks.
- Gershwin by Grofe’: Lincoln Mayorga on piano. Excellently recorded album if you like Gershwin. The tracks are done as Gershwin intended when he wrote them.
- Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits
- Graceland - Paul Simon.
- Songs From The Big Chair - Tears for Fears
- The Nightfly - Donald Fagen

Thanks for this- agree we need to do more of this type of sharing on this thread. We’ve certainly well explored the topic of ‘what amplifiers can best make use of Susvara OGs strengths’ (MK 465 is certainly one such, you fortunate owner…lust lust…only in my dreams).

 

[Sand Dan Glokta]

Here is my quick susvara test list. For sure its missing a lot, im quite busy these days.

http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/24370513

 

[jlemaster1957]

Here is my quick susvara test list. For sure its missing a lot, im quite busy these days.

http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/24370513

Cool - some of the tracks are listed as ‘unavailable’ in Qobuz but a search for them in Qobuz yields another version of the song. I’ve found this happens frequently in Qobuz, particularly when importing a playlist from Spotify. I have to search in Qobuz to find the track of the same name by the same artist. I think Qobuz’s limited library makes this not uncommon.

 

[Spawn300Z]

Here is my quick susvara test list. For sure its missing a lot, im quite busy these days.

http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/24370513

Can you post screen shot also.

 

[Sand Dan Glokta]

Cool - some of the tracks are listed as ‘unavailable’ in Qobuz but a search for them in Qobuz yields another version of the song. I’ve found this happens frequently in Qobuz, particularly when importing a playlist from Spotify. I have to search in Qobuz to find the track of the same name by the same artist. I think Qobuz’s limited library makes this not uncommon.

I did it with qobuz lol. Well, not unusual on qobuz. Great sound but no so good service.

 

[Sand Dan Glokta]

The caps

 

[dsyzling]

The susvaras remain a complete enigma to me. I feel like they sound ridiculously good on certain music (better than my two channel system or any other headphones), and then mediocre to poor on some other stuff. And then it's still album by album. It's not necessarily well recorded or not, they can sound too "dry" - not meaning neutral but rather the opposite of wet - and on other stuff they are amazing. It may be partially amp dependent; I do have them on a Enleum 23r and a Woo Wa33e and I like the 23r better for the Susvara

I think I like them most on jazz, film scores, classical - again album dependant. This album is an example of where they sound better than anything else:



Would love recommendations on particular albums you think sound better on the Susvara than anything else. What are your albums that you queue up on the Susvara because they sound incredible?

This is a great album, so well recorded, thank you! Has to be one of the best for piano harmonics as well. I'm certainly digging into their other albums. I've been really enjoying scandinavian jazz recently.

On Sus OG - I've been really enjoying:
Charlie Hunter Trio Live - at the Memphis Music Mansion - for me this is such a well balanced live recording - it instantly gets my feet tapping - California and Penny Saver in particular.
Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn - lovely for the texture and tone of the different woodwind instruments - nicely produced and mixed
Whats to Come - GinmanBlackmanDahl
e.s.t. 30 - Magnus Ostrom & Dan Berglund
Totem - Daniel Sommer, Christian Holm-Svendsen
East/West - Bill Frisell - another great live recording - the two discs are really different in approach.

 

[Bootycall922]

This is a great album, so well recorded, thank you! Has to be one of the best for piano harmonics as well. I'm certainly digging into their other albums. I've been really enjoying scandinavian jazz recently.

On Sus OG - I've been really enjoying:
Charlie Hunter Trio Live - at the Memphis Music Mansion - for me this is such a well balanced live recording - it instantly gets my feet tapping - California and Penny Saver in particular.
Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn - lovely for the texture and tone of the different woodwind instruments - nicely produced and mixed
Whats to Come - GinmanBlackmanDahl
e.s.t. 30 - Magnus Ostrom & Dan Berglund
Totem - Daniel Sommer, Christian Holm-Svendsen
East/West - Bill Frisell - another great live recording - the two discs are really different in approach.

Im enjoying my SUS with this track
You're My Heart, You're My Soul - Song by Modern Talking on Tidal. Amazing.

 

[OCC7N]

I think LAiV have some great news for you guys.

Passing 100+ hours on my Harmony DAC. Promised I would not put Susvara on it before break-in….but.

They match pretty well with the words: delightful and beautiful mids…the mids, oh yeah the mids, it does it with brilliance, vocals -> wow!

Perfect DAC for the genres: laidback in general, example: Cafe del mar, Fourplay. HipHop is also surprisingly good because this DAC is very laidback like Susvara is.

Right now I am listening to Fourplay, Stanley Clarke, Al di meola, and think its matching

Such a glamour/delightful gourmet sounding.

It is a totally different sound than my R8H2 which I love for it honesty/slam. LAiV is more humble/shy. It is a pleasing sound for headphones in general.