[Rhamnetin]

You can check pro ican off the list. Susvara sounds strained compared to mha100. I literally bought one just to compare and sold within 3 days. Someone said pass lab is not enough to enjoy its full potential. You can probably check that off the list. When in doubt just get a good quality speaker amp and use the speaker taps.

Haha... the Pass Labs amp he listed is a 30wpc class A power amp, and nobody makes better amps than Pass Labs. He didn't list their headphone amp. When it comes to good quality speaker amps, Pass Labs is #1.

 

[gordec]

I tried Qutest last week feeding MHA100. It's a pretty dramatic upgrade from Gumby and the interested DAC. It takes Susvara to another level. I may get one. Not sure if I should get Hugo 2 or Qutest.

 

[Rhamnetin]

I tried Qutest last week feeding MHA100. It's a pretty dramatic upgrade from Gumby and the interested DAC. It takes Susvara to another level. I may get one. Not sure if I should get Hugo 2 or Qutest.

Same DAC, Hugo 2 just has a built-in amp and is portable. If portability means nothing to you then go for the Qutest, which also benefits from galvanic isolation (though not sure if this really affects what we hear).

Lots of other great DACs in this price range though. I have a feeling the Denafrips Venus, which is just a tad more than the Hugo 2, may very well outclass everything in the price range (considering the consensus of the ~$700 Denafrips Ares and flagship Terminator).

 

[gordec]

Same DAC, Hugo 2 just has a built-in amp and is portable. If portability means nothing to you then go for the Qutest, which also benefits from galvanic isolation (though not sure if this really affects what we hear).

Lots of other great DACs in this price range though. I have a feeling the Denafrips Venus, which is just a tad more than the Hugo 2, may very well outclass everything in the price range (considering the consensus of the ~$700 Denafrips Ares and flagship Terminator).

I'm waiting on a deal for Qutest. I don't need the amp section. I like the BNC connection on the Qutest. I'm also looking into LKS 004. Some say it's Dave quality.

 

[jlbrach]

ifi pro can easily drives my abyss at 0db single ended...the little thing is a beast and sounds damn good so i see no reason it wouldnt do a great job with susvara

 

[gordec]

I just auditioned the Qutest. It’s an exceptional pairing with McIntosh and Susvara. Where as before with Gumby, I could barely notice any difference between Gumby-> MHA100 -> Susvara vs MHA100 (integrated DAC) -> Susvara. Qutest adds significantly more detail and dynamics.

 

[jlbrach]

Picked up a used pair of Susvaras that are arriving in the next week and need to pick up an amp for them (that will also be used with the Sennheiser HD820). Would love input. I had the iFi Pro iCan preciously. They did sound great paired with my Hugo2, but contemplating other options as well.

Here is a list of amps/dacs I’ve compiled from this thread:

Amps and DACS people have used for Susvara:

HeadAmp GS-X MkII
Commercial F7
Pass Labs XA30.8
Woo WA33
Master 9
Solaris
Violectric V281
Auris HS2
iCAN Pro
Dave
GSX MK2
SuSy Dynahi
COS Engineering H1 (DAC and AMP)
Master 9 (paired with Hugo2)
iFi Retro
Headtrip

I am not passing judgment on the quality of the various amps but i will say the ifi ican pro can drive anything...period,it is a beast

 

[Rhamnetin]

If any of you guys need an amp for your Susvara or some sensitive speakers, I have to suggest this. It's a steal.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/first-watt-f6-free-global-shipping.879402/

 

[A-Rebirth]

Hello people!

I consider this headphone....

I own the Asus Essence III headphone amp with HD800. Fair match...

Anyone could explain to me if it COULD be a good match for Susvara soundwise?
What do experts, experienced listeners or owners say?

The Essence III is using those op-amps:

● I/V:2 x AD827SQ(ceramics)
● LPF:2 x AD827SQ(ceramics)
● Buffer(XLR):2 x AD827SQ(ceramics)
● DC servo(single-ended):2 x MUSES 02
● DC servo(balanced):4 x OPA2227P

Audio Processor : C-Media 6632A High-Performance Sound Processor (Max. 192KHz/24bit)
Digital-to-analog Converter(DAC) AD 1955

Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted) (Front-out) :
117 dB
Output THD+N at 1kHz (Front-out) :
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24bit/192KHz input) :
10 Hz to 48 KHz
Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage :
Balanced XLR Output : 4 Vrms ( Vp-p)
Line output (RCA, 3.5) : 2 Vrms ( Vp-p)
Headphone output : 7 Vrms ( Vp-p)
Balanced headphone output : 7 Vrms ( Vp-p)

Price was approx. 2000 USD and it was released in 2014 and stopped being produced 7 months ago approx.

 

[Rhamnetin]

^ Just want to say, that ASUS amp/DAC should have been no more than $500 back in 2014. Wow.

I wouldn't plug a Susvara into that and expect good results.

 

[QueueCumber]

I’m really enjoying the Susvara through a McIntosh MHA150 via the speaker taps and Hifiman HE-adapter. Sounds just as good to me through the main headphone jack as well...

 

[A-Rebirth]

^ Just want to say, that ASUS amp/DAC should have been no more than $500 back in 2014. Wow.

I wouldn't plug a Susvara into that and expect good results.

Is it that bad really? IDK... Maybe those stats are fake? I searched for the stats on Google and found it.

http://www.jack-fi.ro/produs/asus-essence-iii/

There are also reviews here:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/asus-essence-iii.20083/reviews

"Pros - Smooth and organic presentation, decent HPO, very decent DAC, functionality"

"I've heard my good share of $1K/$2K/$3K DAC's by now, and the E3 sure didn't disappoint"

They also have the highley regarded internal STX soundcard in the bottom of the same series. This amp was the DAC flagship model. The STX is only 200 USD but has generally respected sound which should be quite some "bang for the buck". The Xonar Essence STU is pretty much a DAC version of the STX, it has some more inputs/output options and can act as a preamp for 100 USD more. Lots of people also respect and appreciate the 700-800 USD Essence ONE Muses edition which is also a step under the Essence III.

Headmania has another review:

https://headmania.org/2014/05/30/asus-xonar-essence-iii-review/

This is not a poor 500 USD DAC/AMP.... It's at least a worthy competitor to Oppo HA-1.

Also things like implementation etc. are important. Not just stats. I was in touch with a respected Hi-Fi store that sold i.e. Quad but not Asus or Hifiman. They told me the voltage should probably be enough and sound-wise it could be at least minimum of it's potential.

You guys don't agree a 1500 - 2000 USD amp/dac that is enough for HD800 would be enough/fair for Susvara?

Yeah... Sure. McIntosh MHA150 might be good as well. I looking for minimum requirements, something to be at least OKAY. You can always say the McIntosh MHA150 isn't fair because a 59 000 HE1 or shangri-la amp is a must have. I don't looking for something optimal, just a fair, cheapest possible solution for not wasting 7000 USD. And cheapest solution is not a mobile output, it's something where it could be reasonable but cheap budget match.

You get the idea. Right?

 

[QueueCumber]

Is it that bad really? IDK... Maybe those stats are fake? I searched for the stats on Google and found it.

http://www.jack-fi.ro/produs/asus-essence-iii/

There are also reviews here:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/asus-essence-iii.20083/reviews

"Pros - Smooth and organic presentation, decent HPO, very decent DAC, functionality"

"I've heard my good share of $1K/$2K/$3K DAC's by now, and the E3 sure didn't disappoint"

They also have the highley regarded internal STX soundcard in the bottom of the same series. This amp was the DAC flagship model. The STX is only 200 USD but has generally respected sound which should be quite some "bang for the buck". The Xonar Essence STU is pretty much a DAC version of the STX, it has some more inputs/output options and can act as a preamp for 100 USD more. Lots of people also respect and appreciate the 700-800 USD Essence ONE Muses edition which is also a step under the Essence III.

Headmania has another review:

https://headmania.org/2014/05/30/asus-xonar-essence-iii-review/

This is not a poor 500 USD DAC/AMP.... It's at least a worthy competitor to Oppo HA-1.

Also things like implementation etc. are important. Not just stats. I was in touch with a respected Hi-Fi store that sold i.e. Quad but not Asus or Hifiman. They told me the voltage should probably be enough and sound-wise it could be at least minimum of it's potential.

You guys don't agree a 1500 - 2000 USD amp/dac that is enough for HD800 would be enough/fair for Susvara?

Yeah... Sure. McIntosh MHA150 might be good as well. I looking for minimum requirements, something to be at least OKAY. You can always say the McIntosh MHA150 isn't fair because a 59 000 HE1 or shangri-la amp is a must have. I don't looking for something optimal, just a fair, cheapest possible solution for not wasting 7000 USD. And cheapest solution is not a mobile output, it's something where it could be reasonable but cheap budget match.

You get the idea. Right?

My post wasn’t for you dude. Thus why I didn’t quote you...

If you’re looking for a budget piece, the iFi Pro iCan I had for a little bit was excellent and had lots of features you can tweak that are useful (especially the bass increase)...

 

[gordec]

My post wasn’t for you dude. Thus why I didn’t quote you...

If you’re looking for a budget piece, the iFi Pro iCan I had for a little bit was excellent and had lots of features you can tweak that are useful (especially the bass increase)...

Glad you like the MHA150. We have a 2nd supporter for MHA100/150-> Susvara. It really is an end game setup and produces a very natural sound. I'm running Qutest -> MHA100 to squeeze a little more detail.

 

[QueueCumber]

Glad you like the MHA150. We have a 2nd supporter for MHA100/150-> Susvara. It really is an end game setup and produces a very natural sound. I'm running Qutest -> MHA100 to squeeze a little more detail.

I’ve been switching back and forth between running them through the Hugo2 to the MHA150 and just using the MHA150 DAC. Both sound excellent.

I picked up an MCT80 as an alternative source to the iPhone for music, but I haven’t had a chance to play around with it yet. Love that they made these stacking components all the same size. Thanks for the help via PMs.