[IZONE]

I don't believe in using speaker amps for headphones...as the blown drivers on this thread speak to. Get a powerful headphone amplifier and you'll love these headphones! The HSA-1b, HPA4, GS-X mini, GS-X Mk2 and now the AMP-23R are all brilliant with these hard to drive headphones.

Over the years my thought process has evolved to something similar. I noticed that often I'm fooled by volume. It is often much easier to go louder using more powerful amps and listening much louder than when using regular headphone amps without noticing and indeed it will sound a lot better, things will 'open up' and details with jump out at you but it's just the volume. I think volume matching using an unbiased instrument is definitely important before running a comparison to say something can drive something well or not. I used to turn my speaker amp volume down to give it a clear 'disadvantage' and turn my headphone amps noticeably louder to make sure I wasn't fooling myself. What I noticed is that in 2021 headphone amps are a lot more powerful and headphones are a lot more efficient compared to 2011, even the Susvaras don't feel like the 1st generation HE-5 or HE-6s that really benefited from using an amp with 456 flux capacitors running in parallel biased to 1.21 gigawatts each with at least two dozen arc reactors from Stark Industries being used as power rails. Downside is that I could not use my Iron Man suit while listening to the HE-6 or travel back in time

*I am still open minded though (I'm always open-minded) so I will definitely test some speaker amps whenever I can find the time from my corporate overlords. We are all living in the Matrix anyway so what is reality? Keep calm and enjoy the gear you have Neo...

 

[IZONE]

@IZONE
@Tachyon88
@Pashmeister
@BassicScience

Just a quick update. I stopped by the dealer @NYC today... They gave me a new one as replacement. I was in and out in about 10min. ... So very positive experience with the service!

Bruh! That's straight up awesome! Very lucky you live close to NYC. Glad to hear you're back in action. Don't blow a 2nd Susvara as they will start to get suspicious LOL

 

[IZONE]

dang Sandu brought the heat on this one

Wow... that's true passion. Respect! #WhenyourSusvaraAmpGameisonAnotherLevel

*now I can show this video to friends and family to prove that I'm less crazy... wait...

 

[FooFighter]

Speaking of diving into rabbit holes the Matrix comparison isn't so far away on Headfi

 

[FLTWS]

Over the years my thought process has evolved to something similar. I noticed that often I'm fooled by volume. It is often much easier to go louder using more powerful amps and listening much louder than when using regular headphone amps without noticing and indeed it will sound a lot better, things will 'open up' and details with jump out at you but it's just the volume. I think volume matching using an unbiased instrument is definitely important before running a comparison to say something can drive something well or not. I used to turn my speaker amp volume down to give it a clear 'disadvantage' and turn my headphone amps noticeably louder to make sure I wasn't fooling myself. What I noticed is that in 2021 headphone amps are a lot more powerful and headphones are a lot more efficient compared to 2011, even the Susvaras don't feel like the 1st generation HE-5 or HE-6s that really benefited from using an amp with 456 flux capacitors running in parallel biased to 1.21 gigawatts each with at least two dozen arc reactors from Stark Industries being used as power rails. Downside is that I could not use my Iron Man suit while listening to the HE-6 or travel back in time

*I am still open minded though (I'm always open-minded) so I will definitely test some speaker amps whenever I can find the time from my corporate overlords. We are all living in the Matrix anyway so what is reality? Keep calm and enjoy the gear you have Neo...

It's the only way to insure your not misinterpreting what your hearing. When comparing amps a relatively cheap sound level meter will do the job just fine (say $75.00 and under).

Once you've positioned the SLM and the phones and make a measurement the actual number in db's is not that important, all that's important is that you do not move the HP relative to the SLM, only move the amp end connector and that both amps measurements are the same. I usually set one of the amps volume at a level I would normally listen to that music at and then measure and match it to the other amp. It's perhaps not surprising that recorded volume levels can vary significantly from one recording to the next and may entail a reset when changing to a different recording. I've even run into this issue on "compilations" from different recordings.

Once the levels are matched (I usually can get to amps to precisely identical db readings or within one tenth of a db) it's interesting to note how many big differences become much smaller.

Comparing HP's is not difficult by ear but without a dummy head it's very difficult to match volume levels given all the differences in design configurations without one.

Anyway, that's been my experience over the past several decades.

 

[geomaso44]

Seems like one can get more changes from pads than cables?

While you could somehow finetune your headphones with cables, you can absolutely transform them with pads. The hard part is having the experience to know which exact pads might yield what you are after.

Headphone drivers, enclosure and earpads are sonically the most important aspects of your whole headphone chain, just like speakers + room in the 2 channel world.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

I don't believe in using speaker amps for headphones...as the blown drivers on this thread speak to. Get a powerful headphone amplifier and you'll love these headphones! The HSA-1b, HPA4, GS-X mini, GS-X Mk2 and now the AMP-23R are all brilliant with these hard to drive headphones.

You should try the Hifiman EF1000 with the Susvara's.......then your talking more than just 'brilliant' !

 

[LarsMan]

Over the years my thought process has evolved to something similar. I noticed that often I'm fooled by volume. It is often much easier to go louder using more powerful amps and listening much louder than when using regular headphone amps without noticing and indeed it will sound a lot better, things will 'open up' and details with jump out at you but it's just the volume. I think volume matching using an unbiased instrument is definitely important before running a comparison to say something can drive something well or not. I used to turn my speaker amp volume down to give it a clear 'disadvantage' and turn my headphone amps noticeably louder to make sure I wasn't fooling myself. What I noticed is that in 2021 headphone amps are a lot more powerful and headphones are a lot more efficient compared to 2011, even the Susvaras don't feel like the 1st generation HE-5 or HE-6s that really benefited from using an amp with 456 flux capacitors running in parallel biased to 1.21 gigawatts each with at least two dozen arc reactors from Stark Industries being used as power rails. Downside is that I could not use my Iron Man suit while listening to the HE-6 or travel back in time

*I am still open minded though (I'm always open-minded) so I will definitely test some speaker amps whenever I can find the time from my corporate overlords. We are all living in the Matrix anyway so what is reality? Keep calm and enjoy the gear you have Neo...

I use an Audis Nirvana tube headphone amp with my Susvara, and that combo sounds great; it should, as the main guy at Audis says he designed it to be able to power Susvaras very well. Bass and mids are PHAT and beefy and detailed as can be. I feel no need at all to investigate any more headphone amps for that purpose. I do have a Donald North Stratus coming sometime around summer of 2022, but I did not get that for the Susvara; I'll be using that with Utopia and LCD5; I've also got another great amp for those, an Eddie Current Studio B, but that will not drive Susvara sufficiently. But having both Donald and Eddie in my stable works for me, along with the Audis for Susvara!

 

[Pashmeister]

My first evening with the Burson Soloist Grand Tourer and I decided I am keeping this. Before it arrived (after a delay) I was prepared to sell/return and replace it with Oor+Hypsos, but now that it’s here and I’ve heard it, I cannot let go of it anymore.

 

[OneEyedHito]

My first evening with the Burson Soloist Grand Tourer and I decided I am keeping this. Before it arrived (after a delay) I was prepared to sell/return and replace it with Oor+Hypsos, but now that it’s here and I’ve heard it, I cannot let go of it anymore.

This review is incredible as far as detail and information shared, he is a fan of Burson's offerings with the Suzi's and expects to add the GT to this list in December according to a comment he made.

https://soundnews.net/headphones/full-size/the-ultimate-hifiman-susvara-review/

 

[Tachyon88]

I had the HPA4 for a few weeks. It does not drive the Susvara to its full potential in my opinion. There are a lot of reasons drivers can fail besides being fed too much power.

Why is this in your experience ? What does the speaker amp do instead? Is it a bit fuller in the bass and a bit more larger in the sound stage department ? Could a bass shelf do the same thing for the bass for you, but rather just use a speaker amp instead of EQ ?

My first evening with the Burson Soloist Grand Tourer and I decided I am keeping this. Before it arrived (after a delay) I was prepared to sell/return and replace it with Oor+Hypsos, but now that it’s here and I’ve heard it, I cannot let go of it anymore.

You can't get rid of it until you hook up the SVS16 sub to the subwoofer out ! Who says headphones can't bring the house down !

 

[FooFighter]

Yep, an additional subwoofer attached will surely redefine the term of an "open" headphone

A neighbor might not know when you are listening to your headphones or your speakers at that moment.

Would be interested myself in the listening experience of a TOTL can plus real visceral subwoofer bass.

 

[BassicScience]

Why is this in your experience ? What does the speaker amp do instead? Is it a bit fuller in the bass and a bit more larger in the sound stage department ? Could a bass shelf do the same thing for the bass for you, but rather just use a speaker amp instead of EQ ?

The bass is tighter, but the improvements are all across the frequency spectrum, and the imaging comes more into focus. My subjective perception is that the speaker amp has better control of the driver. I can really only speak for Purifi/Hypex Class D amps, as that's all I listen to anymore, for speakers or headphones. These amps have a very high damping factor, and negligible distortion and noise. I'm of the opinion that the power amp is not the place in the chain to tune a system. YMMV.

 

[zorilon]

Here is an interesting review using 13 amps on Susvara:

 

[jlbrach]

You should try the Hifiman EF1000 with the Susvara's.......then your talking more than just 'brilliant' !

you sure are an evangelist for this amp