[gordec]

I got the Gumby yesterday. It's already a big upgrade from McIntosh integrated DAC. It's a completely different sound. Quite happy with it. I'm going to my local dealer next week to audition against the Qutest or Hugo 2.

With the current setup, I feel I'm getting 90% of Sennheiser HE1 system. Missing that last bit of unreal sense of depth.

 

[Senza]

Re HDV820: Are these the data you are looking for? :
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sennheiser-q-a-hdv-820-digital-amplifier.855156/page-3#post-13766671

It says:
2.50 W / 51 Ohms
2.33 W / 64 Ohms

Thanks man! But it looks like that my amp might not be powerful enough for Susvara

 

[gordec]

I hope someone makes an aftermarket pads for the Susvara. I wish the current pads are like a few mm thicker. Depends on how it sits on my head, sometimes the tip of my ear touches the inside.

 

[Mystel]

After some time since getting the Susvara, I feel that it really requires power to shine
Personally , i dislike it through the Dave direct, the sense of rhythm and authority just isnt there. Through speaker amps though, is when it really starts to sing.
Im currently using a first watt f7 and a almarro a318b for mine, which are both speaker amps i borrowed

Coming from both the modded HE6(4 Screws and 6 Screws), what i notice immediately is that the space and depth, layering is on a different level. Bass is less punchy and less fun, more 'neutral' if you will. Mids are a lot more warm and sweet. The highs just just sound so liquid, effortlessly detailed.

For now these are just my initial impressions, will be looking forward to hearing them after more burn in.

 

[Rhamnetin]

After some time since getting the Susvara, I feel that it really requires power to shine
Personally , i dislike it through the Dave direct, the sense of rhythm and authority just isnt there. Through speaker amps though, is when it really starts to sing.
Im currently using a first watt f7 and a almarro a318b for mine, which are both speaker amps i borrowed

Coming from both the modded HE6(4 Screws and 6 Screws), what i notice immediately is that the space and depth, layering is on a different level. Bass is less punchy and less fun, more 'neutral' if you will. Mids are a lot more warm and sweet. The highs just just sound so liquid, effortlessly detailed.

For now these are just my initial impressions, will be looking forward to hearing them after more burn in.

Are you connecting it to the speaker amp directly, with no resistor box or anything like that?

 

[Mystel]

Are you connecting it to the speaker amp directly, with no resistor box or anything like that?

Yep just banana plugs to 4-pin xlr converters. Like how the HE6 has been used for years now.

 

[gordec]

I have been running Susvara from the McIntosh MHA100 speaker taps with no HE adapter. I just got Gumby to feed the MHA100. I would have to say this setup has been a revelation. It's so freaking close to the sound of Sennheiser HE1. I'm just in awe how good this sounds. I literally have nothing more I can ask for in a headphone setup. I have been at it for a while.

 

[Matez]

I have been running Susvara from the McIntosh MHA100 speaker taps with no HE adapter. I just got Gumby to feed the MHA100. I would have to say this setup has been a revelation. It's so freaking close to the sound of Sennheiser HE1. I'm just in awe how good this sounds. I literally have nothing more I can ask for in a headphone setup. I have been at it for a while.

Yes, a very versatile all rounder which does everything right and nothing wrong. After several weeks of using it I wasn't bored with it at all.

 

[HoloSpice]

Anyone with Susvara vs SR-009 experience?

 

[phaeton70]

I borrowed the Susvara for a week and I ran it straight of the Chord Dave. It sounded ok, but the dip in the mids bothered me too much. Also I didn’t think it won over the Focal Utopia so I wasn’t interested in it.

The funny thing is, I actually prefered the Susvara over the Utopia with the Chord Mojo (because the Utopia sounds too bright on the Mojo while the Susvara sounded fine).

I am not sure if it was underpowered because I did hear the Susvara on their $14000 amplifier by Hifiman and I wasn’t also that super impressed by it.

so, I'm very interested in this Susvara-vs-Utopia comparison, since we have some similar gears and if I understood correctly also some simlar taste, and me too had the opportunity to listen to the Susvara for a couple of weeks.

have you got the opportunity to compare Utopia and Susvara out of the Taurus? what's your opinion? at the beginning I was really not impressed, at all.... Susvara seemed just like a (slightly) more refined HEKv2, with a (slightly) smaller soundstage. after a couple of days I started to appreciate the (slightly) faster and (slightly) more textured bass wrt to the HEKv2, nothing I would been able to appreciate without a direct comparison. Utopia was overall better apart the soundstage to both HEKv2 and Susvara. I tried also a 6 screw HE6, slightly modded. I don't understand those people saying that HE6 is comparable to Susvara, IMHO it is defintely a (large) step below in overall perfromances. this was using the Taurus MKII fed by a Vega G1.

moving to the Halgo 2A3, the Susvara scaled quite a bit, but still nothing impressive.
with the same setup (MSB Analog - Halgo 2A3) after long listening session I think Utopia is overall better (short of the soundstage, better on Susvara and much better on HEKv2) for any quality I look for in a can, timbre, speed, resolution, bass texture and extension. maybe the 6W of the Halgo (equivalent more or less to a 50W loudspeaker amplifier) is not enough for the Susvara?

I also tried an 8W Halgo 300B, more or less same scenario.

I would like to hear any impression/opinion because I got a very nice HEKv2-Susvara tradein offer, and I'm evaluating the Susvara, but as of now I'm still very confused.... honestly, without a direct and deep comparison, I would not been able to say if Susvara is better than HEKv2, and this is very confusing given the 3k difference..... are my dacs and amps not able to drive at full potential the Susvara? what's the general consensus here?

 

[gordec]

Hek V2 was my previous favorite cans. I just much prefer its sound signature than Utopia. I'm not discounting Utopia's technical achievements, and I tried my best to like it but in the end the sound and comfort just wasn't for me. I ran Hek v2 out of speaker taps of MHA100 (50W per channel). This for reason has a very special synergy with HeK v2. It's even more so with Susvara. They both have similar sound signature, but the biggest improvements are the following:

1. Susvara sounds more natural and analogue overall.
2. Susvara has no preference over any sound frequency where I thought Hek v2 may be bass heavy at times.
3. Susvara has a more holographic and out of the head presentation.
4. Susvara has awesome vocals. I like to feel the artist is singing next to my ears.
5. Susvara is more comfortable.
6. Susvara probably isn't worth $3000 more, but if you can find a deal to close the gap, it may be worth it. For some of us, at this stage, cost may not be an issue.

I'm currently runny Gumby -> MHA100 -> Susvara. This setup gets me very close to Sennheiser HE1 which is my ultimate reference. I'm very happy. Basically I'm not looking for anything else. But too be honest, the Gumby vs MHA100's integrated dac isn't a huge difference. I think the amp makes much bigger difference for Susvara.

 

[weasel1979]

I would like to hear any impression/opinion because I got a very nice HEKv2-Susvara tradein offer, and I'm evaluating the Susvara, but as of now I'm still very confused.... honestly, without a direct and deep comparison, I would not been able to say if Susvara is better than HEKv2, and this is very confusing given the 3k difference..... are my dacs and amps not able to drive at full potential the Susvara? what's the general consensus here?

You are not the only one saying that he likes the HE 1000 V2 better than the Susvara. Good for you!

 

[ufospls2]

I would like to hear any impression/opinion because I got a very nice HEKv2-Susvara tradein offer, and I'm evaluating the Susvara, but as of now I'm still very confused.... honestly, without a direct and deep comparison, I would not been able to say if Susvara is better than HEKv2, and this is very confusing given the 3k difference..... are my dacs and amps not able to drive at full potential the Susvara? what's the general consensus here?

I did a side by side comparison of the HE1000V2, and the Susvara. I was hoping I would like the HE1000V2 more, as I would save a lot of money that way. I felt the Susvara did everything better. The soundstage wasn't as tall, but felt more natural, and had similar width and depth. The HE1000V2 just sounded kinda lacklustre to me after listening to the Susvara. I also used to own the Utopia and vastly prefer the Susvara. I think that is more of a personal preference thing though, as the Utopia is a great headphone as well. I do wish the Susvara has the fit and finish, and materials as the Utopia.

 

[phaeton70]

tnks all for the comments, appreciated.

so if I can sum up what I understand from the posts above, those who don't like Utopia, or maybe prefer HEKv2 to Utopia, seem to consider Susvara largely better to both HEKv2 and Utopia.

my problem is that.... I do like a lot Utopia, and consider HEKv2 a good can but far from Utopia (apart of soundstage). so maybe "my mileage" is a little bit different, and possibly Susvara is not for me....... that's a pity, the deal was really good, but I'm not gonna spend money on something that to my ears is only slightly marginally better than my 2nd can..... unless I'm sure that I'm using a wrong setup and with a different amp situation can change.....

btw, I have also seen some comments regarding Susvara being thinner in the bass wrt HE6... ouch, my mileage must be VERY different since if there is something I really don't like about HE6 is the bass shyness..... if the Susvara is even more shy, that's defintely not for me....

again, tnks for all the comments, really apprecaited.

 

[Rhamnetin]

tnks all for the comments, appreciated.

so if I can sum up what I understand from the posts above, those who don't like Utopia, or maybe prefer HEKv2 to Utopia, seem to consider Susvara largely better to both HEKv2 and Utopia.

my problem is that.... I do like a lot Utopia, and consider HEKv2 a good can but far from Utopia (apart of soundstage). so maybe "my mileage" is a little bit different, and possibly Susvara is not for me....... that's a pity, the deal was really good, but I'm not gonna spend money on something that to my ears is only slightly marginally better than my 2nd can..... unless I'm sure that I'm using a wrong setup and with a different amp situation can change.....

btw, I have also seen some comments regarding Susvara being thinner in the bass wrt HE6... ouch, my mileage must be VERY different since if there is something I really don't like about HE6 is the bass shyness..... if the Susvara is even more shy, that's defintely not for me....

again, tnks for all the comments, really apprecaited.

Yeah the HE-6 is surprisingly bass light, wouldn't expect that from its mostly razor straight frequency response from sub-bass to mids. Granted I have a modded one, the LFF Code-6, but it has far less bass presence and impact than Audeze for reference. I am still experimenting with pads though, and I wonder what a balanced Dynahi would do for the bass.