[zhgutov]

Interesting to read that you favour accuracy and listen to acoustic music like classical and opera.

Suddenly, I favour accuracy, and I like classical music and opera too (but not only this kind of music).
Nothing wrong with the accurate reproduction, otherwise, how can you listen it in the concert hall?

It was a long time ago when I bought AKG K240 Monitor.
I was choosing between this headphones and some highly colored Sennheiser.
Guys in the shop was very surprised and told me something like: "monitor sound become popular, wow".
But they definitely was more natural.

It seems like this difference in opinion have the similar source, but I still not sure about that, because there may be a room for another reasons.

UPD. Looks like I missed context with this message

 

[JeffMann]

Interesting to read that you favour accuracy and listen to acoustic music like classical and opera.
I own a HEKV2 and prefer it over HD 800 with most of my music.
I was very positively surprised by the SQ of Susvara with DAVE/BLU2 and WA33 the only combo I have auditioned Susvara with so far.
But is it really twice as good as HEKV2 in your opinion?
Is the exhorbitant price increase over HEKV2 really warranted?
Imho the HEK V2 is already a very very expensive headphone.

I definitely don't think that the Susvara is twice as good as the HE1000v2, and it is only better by a small, but significant, margin. The difference between the HE1000v2 and the HD800 is much greater in my opinion and worth paying an extra $1500. However, I personally don't regret paying the exhorbitant price increase over the HE1000 because I am lucky enough to have the money and because I am often irrationally willing to pay thousands of dollars to obtain a small improvement in sound quality. I think that HiFiMan should have dropped the price of the HE1000 to $2,000 and then priced the Susvara at $3,000 and then I would have definitely given it a firm recommendation. At a price that is $3,000 more than the HE1000v2, I cannot recommend the upgrade if you are not wealthy or a fanatic who is willing to spend a lot of money for small incremental improvements in the sound quality of your audio system.

Jeff.

 

[ufospls2]

Hey Guys,

I went to my local headphone shop this morning and gave the Hifiman Susvara a try. I thought I would share some impressions of my Audition as they are a pretty interesting headphone.

Lets get this out of the way first. These headphones cost $6000USD, or here in Canada, $8000CAD. Its insane. I’m never going to own these headphones, but I thought I would give them a listen anyhow.


Gear Used: DAC: Aune S6

Amp: iFi Pro iCAN (in SS mode)

Hifiman Susvara, AB-1266 Phi

First thing I took a look at was the build quality, as this is something to take note of given the Susvara is a Hifiman product. The build quality is good, but not great. It is better than the HE1000V1, and about on par with the HE1000V2, maybe a tiny bit better. The gimbals are tight and the cups don’t flap around like they did with the HE1000V1. Its like they are missing that last 5% of build quality and materials that would really make them an $8000 headphone. Its a shame, as they could really be elevated to that “next level” which is something I would expect at the asking price. The cables suck, and I would definitely replace them if I bought a pair of Susvara. They are just kind of, cheap and nasty feeling?

The weight is totally ok, and they are a VERY comfortable headphone. Definitely one of the more comfortable flagship headphones available currently. It beats out my LCD-4 and Abyss Phi handily. I think they look great, though maybe a bit uninventive as it is basically just a rounder HE1000.

Lets talk about how they sound. In a word. Great! $8000CAD great? No, but still my second favourite headphone I have heard. I prefer the Abyss Phi.

The best way I can describe these is that they are like an HE1000 on steroids with a bit more punch and a more forward nature. This might not make sense, but think of it like If the HE1000 is slumped over in a chair, the Susvara is sitting up straight.

The bass isn’t as hard hitting as the Abyss Phi, but it is very present and detailed. Maybe a tiny bit more bass than the HE1000, but less than the Abyss Phi. Listening to fast complicated bass passages in electronica came across very well and didn’t get all muddled up. It has good clarity, no complaints here.

The mids are less warm than say an Audeze LCD-3, and about on par with the LCD-4. Not overly warm, but the Susvara don’t sound cold and clinical. I didn’t really notice any super hard core spikes or dips that bothered me.

The treble was a bit more laid back than the Abyss Phi. I found the Phi to have better clarity and definition in this area. The Susvara was better than the LCD-4 in terms of treble according to my preferences, but I think it would really depend on the type of sound you enjoy. You can definitely pick out all the little details and there are no hardcore spikes drilling into your ears.

Soundstage and imaging are very, very good. Is the soundstage as big as the HD800 and Abyss Phi? No, but it is open sounding, and very deep. It is bigger sounding than the LCD-4. Very precise sounding in terms of where instruments are.

All in all, these are kick ass headphones that could be a little bit better in the materials and build quality department, and a WHOLE lot less in the price department. If these headphones were $3000CAD I would have walked out of the shop with a pair. As it stands, they just aren’t good enough to make me go “$8K is worth it.”

 

[Christer]

I definitely don't think that the Susvara is twice as good as the HE1000v2, and it is only better by a small, but significant, margin. The difference between the HE1000v2 and the HD800 is much greater in my opinion and worth paying an extra $1500. However, I personally don't regret paying the exhorbitant price increase over the HE1000 because I am lucky enough to have the money and because I am often irrationally willing to pay thousands of dollars to obtain a small improvement in sound quality. I think that HiFiMan should have dropped the price of the HE1000 to $2,000 and then priced the Susvara at $3,000 and then I would have definitely given it a firm recommendation. At a price that is $3,000 more than the HE1000v2, I cannot recommend the upgrade if you are not wealthy or a fanatic who is willing to spend a lot of money for small incremental improvements in the sound quality of your audio system.

Jeff.

Thanks for your response,
regarding the difference both in SQ and price difference betwen the HD800 and HEKV2 I agree with your take on things.
Quite honestly I rarely use my HD800 since buying HEKV 2 about a year ago, although I travel with both this winter.

It feels safer to have backup both as far as DACs headphone amps and headphones are concered so both HUGO Benchmark DAC 2 and both headphones and me are spending the winter in South East Asia.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours comparing the Utopias with my HEKV2 with classical hi res material and lots of soprano voice operatic stuff in hi res at the shop where I bought my HEKV 2 last year.
I left still happy having chosen HEKV2 over Utopia.

The same characteristics of Utopia I initially heard via HUGO still remained via both DAC 2 and HUGO 2.
And some congestion during heavy orchestral climaxes was noted via both DACs.

Unfortunately the shop did not have the Susvara for comparison.

My take on the Utopia both with HUGO2 and via my Benchmark was once again that good as it undoubtedly is,that it can sound both congested and too upfront/close and sibilant compared to HEKV2.
A good very well performed and recorded example of soprano/mezzo voices is BIS's "Sempre Libera" title with Miah Persson and Katarina Karnéus singing famous opera arias recorded in 24/96, live at Berwaldhallen in Stockholm.
Any sibilance heard,would be a distortion added by something in the reproduction chain imho.
On your sibilance scale 0-10 where would you rate the Utopia?
Cheers Christer

 

[AnakChan]

Interestingly I went the other route....whereby I bought the Utopia over the HE1Kv2 'cos I felt the HE1K sounded impersonal. But I do agree the Utopia can sound closed in - the reason being was I felt the Utopia came close to the electrostat-like ethereal qualities which I like a lot. The Utopia can sound a little hot depending on the track (or it's mastering?).

However for my personal preference, the Susvara trumps them both as it has an open-wide soundstage yet still sound intimate without the closed-in feeling. Further the Susvara is distinctive in instrument positioning.

 

[ufospls2]

I have to be honest, the Susvara is stuck in my head after my audition. I have been considering the Abyss Diana lately....but if I sold my LCD-4 I would be close to the price of the Susvara. I wrote out a huge list of cons of buying them. They are hard to drive, overly expensive, lack build quality and quality materials, the cables are really meh yet I am still considering buying them. Madness. If only they didn't sound so great!

 

[Christer]

Interestingly I went the other route....whereby I bought the Utopia over the HE1Kv2 'cos I felt the HE1K sounded impersonal. But I do agree the Utopia can sound closed in - the reason being was I felt the Utopia came close to the electrostat-like ethereal qualities which I like a lot. The Utopia can sound a little hot depending on the track (or it's mastering?).

However for my personal preference, the Susvara trumps them both as it has an open-wide soundstage yet still sound intimate without the closed-in feeling. Further the Susvara is distinctive in instrument positioning.

Hello,
Do you own a pair of Susvaras?
I only have the HEKV2.
I have personally so far only auditioned Susvara two times and for a couple of hours each time via Chord DAVE/BLU2.
But I was pretty impressed with both the Suvara and DAVE/BLU2. But with some of my large scale classical hi res masters DAVE/BLU2 needed a separate headphone amp in the chain.
Strongly recommended by the dealers in each case by the way.
Obviously something Rob Watts now advices equally strongly against.
He is recommending Audioquest Nighthawks or Mr Speakers closed headphones Aeon with his DACs over at HUGO 2 thread.
If I interpret his post correctly he is of the opinion that some headphones held in high esteem and often recommended in the highend threads here like Susvara and some other power-hungry planars as well I suppose are not really that good at all?
He claims they have higher distortion in the bass for example.
How have you heard, or via which DACs headphone amps do/did you listen to your Susvaras?
Cheers Christer

 

[mulder01]

Hello,
But I was pretty impressed with both the Suvara and DAVE/BLU2. But with some of my large scale classical hi res masters DAVE/BLU2 needed a separate headphone amp in the chain.
Strongly recommended by the dealers in each case by the way.
Obviously something Rob Watts now advices equally strongly against.
He is recommending Audioquest Nighthawks or Mr Speakers closed headphones Aeon with his DACs over at HUGO 2 thread.
If I interpret his post correctly he is of the opinion that some headphones held in high esteem and often recommended in the highend threads here like Susvara and some other power-hungry planars as well I suppose are not really that good at all?
He claims they have higher distortion in the bass for example.
How have you heard, or via which DACs headphone amps do/did you listen to your Susvaras?
Cheers Christer

Buy what you like, not what a dac manufacturer tells you you should like.
If you like the susvara but Rob tells you that putting an amp in the chain with his gear is a waste, then don't buy his gear. That's another way of looking at it...

 

[Christer]

Hey Guys,

I went to my local headphone shop this morning and gave the Hifiman Susvara a try. I thought I would share some impressions of my Audition as they are a pretty interesting headphone.

Lets get this out of the way first. These headphones cost $6000USD, or here in Canada, $8000CAD. Its insane. I’m never going to own these headphones, but I thought I would give them a listen anyhow.


Gear Used: DAC: Aune S6

Amp: iFi Pro iCAN (in SS mode)

Hifiman Susvara, AB-1266 Phi

First thing I took a look at was the build quality, as this is something to take note of given the Susvara is a Hifiman product. The build quality is good, but not great. It is better than the HE1000V1, and about on par with the HE1000V2, maybe a tiny bit better. The gimbals are tight and the cups don’t flap around like they did with the HE1000V1. Its like they are missing that last 5% of build quality and materials that would really make them an $8000 headphone. Its a shame, as they could really be elevated to that “next level” which is something I would expect at the asking price. The cables suck, and I would definitely replace them if I bought a pair of Susvara. They are just kind of, cheap and nasty feeling?

The weight is totally ok, and they are a VERY comfortable headphone. Definitely one of the more comfortable flagship headphones available currently. It beats out my LCD-4 and Abyss Phi handily. I think they look great, though maybe a bit uninventive as it is basically just a rounder HE1000.

Lets talk about how they sound. In a word. Great! $8000CAD great? No, but still my second favourite headphone I have heard. I prefer the Abyss Phi.

The best way I can describe these is that they are like an HE1000 on steroids with a bit more punch and a more forward nature. This might not make sense, but think of it like If the HE1000 is slumped over in a chair, the Susvara is sitting up straight.

The bass isn’t as hard hitting as the Abyss Phi, but it is very present and detailed. Maybe a tiny bit more bass than the HE1000, but less than the Abyss Phi. Listening to fast complicated bass passages in electronica came across very well and didn’t get all muddled up. It has good clarity, no complaints here.

The mids are less warm than say an Audeze LCD-3, and about on par with the LCD-4. Not overly warm, but the Susvara don’t sound cold and clinical. I didn’t really notice any super hard core spikes or dips that bothered me.

The treble was a bit more laid back than the Abyss Phi. I found the Phi to have better clarity and definition in this area. The Susvara was better than the LCD-4 in terms of treble according to my preferences, but I think it would really depend on the type of sound you enjoy. You can definitely pick out all the little details and there are no hardcore spikes drilling into your ears.

Soundstage and imaging are very, very good. Is the soundstage as big as the HD800 and Abyss Phi? No, but it is open sounding, and very deep. It is bigger sounding than the LCD-4. Very precise sounding in terms of where instruments are.

All in all, these are kick ass headphones that could be a little bit better in the materials and build quality department, and a WHOLE lot less in the price department. If these headphones were $3000CAD I would have walked out of the shop with a pair. As it stands, they just aren’t good enough to make me go “$8K is worth it.”

Hello,
Interesting to read your review of the Susvara.
I agree with most of what you say. But unlike you obviously I find the cable supplied very good.It is the same cable as the one for my HEKV 2 by the way. And since it seems to deliver both undistorted and very transparent sound via both headphones while clearly revealing the difference in character and transparency between both headphones I have strong reasons to believe it is a very good cable from the point of SQ and transparency.
What I also like about it is that it is not bulky and heavy and can easily be rolled up and put in the box where I always keep my HEKV 2 when not in use.
Cheers Christer

 

[AnakChan]

Hello,
Do you own a pair of Susvaras?
I only have the HEKV2.
I have personally so far only auditioned Susvara two times and for a couple of hours each time via Chord DAVE/BLU2.
But I was pretty impressed with both the Suvara and DAVE/BLU2. But with some of my large scale classical hi res masters DAVE/BLU2 needed a separate headphone amp in the chain.
Strongly recommended by the dealers in each case by the way.
Obviously something Rob Watts now advices equally strongly against.
He is recommending Audioquest Nighthawks or Mr Speakers closed headphones Aeon with his DACs over at HUGO 2 thread.
If I interpret his post correctly he is of the opinion that some headphones held in high esteem and often recommended in the highend threads here like Susvara and some other power-hungry planars as well I suppose are not really that good at all?
He claims they have higher distortion in the bass for example.
How have you heard, or via which DACs headphone amps do/did you listen to your Susvaras?
Cheers Christer

So I don't own but have a loaner Susvara which I've not returned in the past 6 months. Sadly I've not listened to the DAVE/BLU2 much aside from shows therefore never plugged in the Susvara to the Chord before. In my case I just have my BDP-105 player -> McIntosh MC275 amp -> Hifiman HE-Adapter -> Susvara.

I've not found the appeal with the Audioquest Nighthawk with my brief listen to it however I did like the Mr. Speakers Aeon closed (more than it's open) however to my ears, they pale by comparison to the Susvara. I'm not technical enough to comment about the "higher distortion in bass" proposition.

 

[Christer]

So I don't own but have a loaner Susvara which I've not returned in the past 6 months. Sadly I've not listened to the DAVE/BLU2 much aside from shows therefore never plugged in the Susvara to the Chord before. In my case I just have my BDP-105 player -> McIntosh MC275 amp -> Hifiman HE-Adapter -> Susvara.

I've not found the appeal with the Audioquest Nighthawk with my brief listen to it however I did like the Mr. Speakers Aeon closed (more than it's open) however to my ears, they pale by comparison to the Susvara. I'm not technical enough to comment about the "higher distortion in bass" proposition.

Lucky you!
I also wish I had a pair of Susvara to play around with for six months for free.
If I still liked them a lot more than my other headphones after those six months,I might even consider selling the other ones and buy the Susvara.
Of course only at reduced price!
I mean if someone has used them for six months how could I be expected to pay full price?
Used and second hand at a fair price or no deal.
Regarding the Nighhawks and Aeons I have only given them brief comparisons to my own HEKV 2 HD 800 and Utopias via HUGO 2.
Like you obviously I did not find overly much long term appeal with either of those two.
To my ears and with my masterfiles where I know how the music/recording both can and should sound since I was there at the recording neither played in the class of HEKV2 or Utopia imho.
Not to mention the Susvara.
Both are very good midlevel priced headphones judging from the little I have put them through.To my ears the Aeon was slightly better at resolving low level detail but tended to sound a bit boxy at louder levels and with complex densely scored music with lots of things going on at the same time.Both are relatively lightweight and quite cheap compared to the other headphones I had and have at hand. And comfortable.Utopia sits like a vice on my head and over my ears.
As far as closed headphones go I am quite interested to hear what Sennheiser is bringing to the table with their new 820s though.
If they have managed to increase resolution and lower the masking effects in the low range and tamed the infamous treble peak once and for all, compared to HD 800 and 800S they could be a very tempting travel headphone indeed.
I have yet to hear a fully convincing closed headphone with large scale acoustic music.
But I am still a bit surprised Rob recommends the Nighhawk and Aeons so emphatically but dissing some planars apparently?
My HEKV 2 sounds very good indeed straight out of HUGO 2 with lots of my music imho.
And with not very dynamic acoustic music Susvara sounded sublime via DAVE/BLU2 direct.
Cheers Christer

 

[Currawong]

Hello,
Do you own a pair of Susvaras?
I only have the HEKV2.
I have personally so far only auditioned Susvara two times and for a couple of hours each time via Chord DAVE/BLU2.
But I was pretty impressed with both the Suvara and DAVE/BLU2. But with some of my large scale classical hi res masters DAVE/BLU2 needed a separate headphone amp in the chain.
Strongly recommended by the dealers in each case by the way.
Obviously something Rob Watts now advices equally strongly against.
He is recommending Audioquest Nighthawks or Mr Speakers closed headphones Aeon with his DACs over at HUGO 2 thread.
If I interpret his post correctly he is of the opinion that some headphones held in high esteem and often recommended in the highend threads here like Susvara and some other power-hungry planars as well I suppose are not really that good at all?
He claims they have higher distortion in the bass for example.
How have you heard, or via which DACs headphone amps do/did you listen to your Susvaras?
Cheers Christer

No, what you write is a considerable mis-intepretation. Go and read his posts again. The discussion was not about the Susvara in that thread for starters. Obviously a Hugo 2 doesn't have enough current for them. His actual post about headphones and amplifiers is here: Post #10530
He said he liked the Nighthawks due to their low distortion. He wouldn't mention the headphones that have high bass distortion.

 

[gintamafans]

Hey Guys,

I went to my local headphone shop this morning and gave the Hifiman Susvara a try. I thought I would share some impressions of my Audition as they are a pretty interesting headphone.

Lets get this out of the way first. These headphones cost $6000USD, or here in Canada, $8000CAD. Its insane. I’m never going to own these headphones, but I thought I would give them a listen anyhow.


Gear Used: DAC: Aune S6

Amp: iFi Pro iCAN (in SS mode)

Hifiman Susvara, AB-1266 Phi

First thing I took a look at was the build quality, as this is something to take note of given the Susvara is a Hifiman product. The build quality is good, but not great. It is better than the HE1000V1, and about on par with the HE1000V2, maybe a tiny bit better. The gimbals are tight and the cups don’t flap around like they did with the HE1000V1. Its like they are missing that last 5% of build quality and materials that would really make them an $8000 headphone. Its a shame, as they could really be elevated to that “next level” which is something I would expect at the asking price. The cables suck, and I would definitely replace them if I bought a pair of Susvara. They are just kind of, cheap and nasty feeling?

The weight is totally ok, and they are a VERY comfortable headphone. Definitely one of the more comfortable flagship headphones available currently. It beats out my LCD-4 and Abyss Phi handily. I think they look great, though maybe a bit uninventive as it is basically just a rounder HE1000.

Lets talk about how they sound. In a word. Great! $8000CAD great? No, but still my second favourite headphone I have heard. I prefer the Abyss Phi.

The best way I can describe these is that they are like an HE1000 on steroids with a bit more punch and a more forward nature. This might not make sense, but think of it like If the HE1000 is slumped over in a chair, the Susvara is sitting up straight.

The bass isn’t as hard hitting as the Abyss Phi, but it is very present and detailed. Maybe a tiny bit more bass than the HE1000, but less than the Abyss Phi. Listening to fast complicated bass passages in electronica came across very well and didn’t get all muddled up. It has good clarity, no complaints here.

The mids are less warm than say an Audeze LCD-3, and about on par with the LCD-4. Not overly warm, but the Susvara don’t sound cold and clinical. I didn’t really notice any super hard core spikes or dips that bothered me.

The treble was a bit more laid back than the Abyss Phi. I found the Phi to have better clarity and definition in this area. The Susvara was better than the LCD-4 in terms of treble according to my preferences, but I think it would really depend on the type of sound you enjoy. You can definitely pick out all the little details and there are no hardcore spikes drilling into your ears.

Soundstage and imaging are very, very good. Is the soundstage as big as the HD800 and Abyss Phi? No, but it is open sounding, and very deep. It is bigger sounding than the LCD-4. Very precise sounding in terms of where instruments are.

All in all, these are kick ass headphones that could be a little bit better in the materials and build quality department, and a WHOLE lot less in the price department. If these headphones were $3000CAD I would have walked out of the shop with a pair. As it stands, they just aren’t good enough to make me go “$8K is worth it.”

Sorry but Im somewhat disagree with your point. First of all, I do not think HD800 has bigger soundstage than HEKv2 and therefore Susvara shouldn't be having a smaller soundstage compared to HD800 and phi. Noted susvara is a super hungry headphone, without enough power nothing really shine on them. For example, one of the show I saw HEKv2 was on par with susvara and powered with the same amplifier but HEKv2 sounded much better and larger than susvara. On the other hand abyss phi is also a power hungry headphone but actually do sound well under Pro iCans, because abyss phi's sound signature is more prominent than susvara so even on less powerful amp still sounds well enough IMO. So I think it might not be a great comparison.

Secondly, I had tried many many headphones and like HD800s, Utopia, LCD4, and original abyss, however after time and time at home or listening at the show I still find that HEKv2 sounds the best to my ear, and at its price. To me at least to my ear HEKv2 sounded better than most headphone on the market with even a budget amp. In other words with susvara beating out HEKv2 in all aspect with 30% more, is it worth the $6000 usd price tag? Well......even I liked HEKv2 so much I just cant say it is worth it....though once you heard them long enough and compared to your beloved HEKv2 then you will soon realize its hard to fight against it LOL.


One more thing I would like share is, Hifiman's cable that come with HEK and susvara just doesnt do the headphone any justice. They were so budget oriented cables .... so a new cable is definitely a MUST....

 

[ufospls2]

Sorry but Im somewhat disagree with your point. First of all, I do not think HD800 has bigger soundstage than HEKv2 and therefore Susvara shouldn't be having a smaller soundstage compared to HD800 and phi. Noted susvara is a super hungry headphone, without enough power nothing really shine on them. For example, one of the show I saw HEKv2 was on par with susvara and powered with the same amplifier but HEKv2 sounded much better and larger than susvara. On the other hand abyss phi is also a power hungry headphone but actually do sound well under Pro iCans, because abyss phi's sound signature is more prominent than susvara so even on less powerful amp still sounds well enough IMO. So I think it might not be a great comparison.

Secondly, I had tried many many headphones and like HD800s, Utopia, LCD4, and original abyss, however after time and time at home or listening at the show I still find that HEKv2 sounds the best to my ear, and at its price. To me at least to my ear HEKv2 sounded better than most headphone on the market with even a budget amp. In other words with susvara beating out HEKv2 in all aspect with 30% more, is it worth the $6000 usd price tag? Well......even I liked HEKv2 so much I just cant say it is worth it....though once you heard them long enough and compared to your beloved HEKv2 then you will soon realize its hard to fight against it LOL.


One more thing I would like share is, Hifiman's cable that come with HEK and susvara just doesnt do the headphone any justice. They were so budget oriented cables .... so a new cable is definitely a MUST....

I disagree about the soundstage, but thats ok. The Pro iCAN puts out 14w (peak output, not continuous) and is one of the more powerful headphone amps on the market. Is it the best on the market? No, but I don't feel it was doing the Susvara an injustice, certainly not enough to influence the soundstage in a big way. I used to to own the Wells Audio Headtrip, and I don't feel I was missing out on much with the Susvara using the Pro iCAN. I also don't think changing the cable would influence the soundstage in a way that would make it bigger than the Abyss Phi.

 

[gintamafans]

I disagree about the soundstage, but thats ok. The Pro iCAN puts out 14w (peak output, not continuous) and is one of the more powerful headphone amps on the market. Is it the best on the market? No, but I don't feel it was doing the Susvara an injustice, certainly not enough to influence the soundstage in a big way. I used to to own the Wells Audio Headtrip, and I don't feel I was missing out on much with the Susvara using the Pro iCAN. I also don't think changing the cable would influence the soundstage in a way that would make it bigger than the Abyss Phi.

So you compared Headtrip directly to ican pro on susvara and choose the latter? However, I dont really mean that susvara might surpass phi with a cable swap or a headtrip in soundstage, seriously it wont in a way that Abyss does it.... but compared to HD800, I think HEKv2 beats HD800.
So it was a bit confusing for me....

Phi >HD800> Susvara in your case

but mine is like

Phi> Susvara > HEK > HD800.....


About cables, IMO it is always a first priority because if you have a good cable the sound of a headphone can be improved hugely. For example, when I own Utopia I was at first disappointed but when it was equipped with a good cable it sounded much much better....Seriously