[sahmen]

There have been at least two of us that have

+1

and amen to that!

 

[Little Bear]

Anything fresh and new always seems better, even when it really isn't. Time and familiarity bring impressions back down to earth.

 

[Stylish]

Just recently got one of these, less than 3 days old but its been very nice to listen to, as well as being extremely comfortable, shame my dac wont be here for quite some time.

 

[Myshkin]

Anything fresh and new always seems better, even when it really isn't. Time and familiarity bring impressions back down to earth.

That reminds me of when I got the beyer t1.3 to see what beyer was up to and went nuts over them for a couple weeks before returning them after realizing they weren't superior to anything I had.

 

[nwavesailor]

Anything fresh and new always seems better, even when it really isn't. Time and familiarity bring impressions back down to earth.

Susvara may be the expection to your guidance, at least for me. At 0 hours it knew it was special and I still feel that way now after 7 months!

 

[lumdicks]

Just joined the party and driving my Susvara with Benchmark HPA4, fed by Chord TT2 and M Scaler stack.

It is clearly a step up of my HEKse and needs more time to burn it in.

 

[Slim1970]

Just joined the party and driving my Susvara with Benchmark HPA4, fed by Chord TT2 and M Scaler stack.

It is clearly a step up of my HEKse and needs more time to burn it in.

Looking at your volume level, it’s nearly maxed out on the HPA4. Do the Susvara’s sound bright and controlled or is the sound full bodied and strained?

 

[lumdicks]

Looking at your volume level, it’s nearly maxed out on the HPA4. Do the Susvara’s sound bright and controlled or is the sound full bodied and strained?

Yes I need to drive it upto 85% or 90% of the maximum volume for some tracks. As the HPA4 is distortion free even under high volume, it sounds smooth with great dynamics.

I subsequently applied 8db boost at the input and now having a bit more headroom.

 

[BassicScience]

Looking at your volume level, it’s nearly maxed out on the HPA4. Do the Susvara’s sound bright and controlled or is the sound full bodied and strained?

I just had the HPA4 in house for a month. It doesn't sound strained with Susvara, and I would say it doesn't sound bright either. That said, putting my NAD amp in-between and using the HPA4 strictly as a preamp clearly took it to another level as well as delivered a ton of extra headroom.

 

[Slim1970]

Yes I need to drive it upto 85% or 90% of the maximum volume for some tracks. As the HPA4 is distortion free even under high volume, it sounds smooth with great dynamics.

I subsequently applied 8db boost at the input and now having a bit more headroom.

Awesome, I’m considering adding the HPA4 to my collection of amps for its neutrality. I also hear it maintains the Dave’s transparency levels which is also a bonus. I definitely want to hear more about how it fairs with the Susvara’s.

 

[Slim1970]

I just had the HPA4 in house for a month. It doesn't sound strained with Susvara, and I would say it doesn't sound bright either. That said, putting my NAD amp in-between and using the HPA4 strictly as a preamp clearly took it to another level as well as delivered a ton of extra headroom.

Interesting, so you don’t have the HPA4 any longer?

 

[number1sixerfan]

I'd also add that sometimes (oftentimes), the new-and-shiny thing can sound markedly superior and more exciting just for being different and unfamiliar. And then it may take a few weeks or months to be able to properly and soberly assess the pros-and-cons of the new thing against the old. But that this process itself can be half of the fun (can't lie).

Anything fresh and new always seems better, even when it really isn't. Time and familiarity bring impressions back down to earth.

Absolutely something to keep top of mind. Big reason I try to wait a few weeks before making impressions. Even still, every now and then I get caught with this as well. And also, I don't think there's anything wrong with basking in that rare, unique moment of experiencing amazing gear for the first time. And actually, even those impressions can be valuable if framed correctly and followed up with follow up impressions at a later point.

I'm actually getting ready to update my initial impressions on the Raal Sr1a in this thread here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/qui...09-sennheiser-he60-baby-orpheus.930051/page-4. After a few months, things settle down and you gain better perspective. It's a part of the journey.

 

[BassicScience]

Interesting, so you don’t have the HPA4 any longer?

No, I returned it, as its primary function would have been as a cooler-running preamp (than my tubed Audio Research) during the summer months, and it didn't offer enough of an improvement over my DAC2 HGC in that capacity to justify its price. I actually gained a new appreciation for the quality of the preamp (and amp) sections of the DAC2 in the process of auditioning the HPA4. I've been meaning to do a formal review of the HPA4, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. It's a superb product even though it didn't find a home with me at this time.

 

[Little Bear]

Susvara may be the expection to your guidance, at least for me. At 0 hours it knew it was special and I still feel that way now after 7 months!

I don't disagree at all. I've had mine for 10 months now and I still think it's the best I've ever heard. My original comment was of a more general nature. That's my experience, anyway.

 

[DJJEZ]