HiFiMan Susvara
Feb 27, 2018 at 10:35 PM Post #1,024 of 24,921
Would you take the abyss over the focal utopias?

I have the abyss and utopias . I plan on upgrading to phi. Immediately i noticed the focals are more comforable ,and probably weigh less.

I absolutely love them for their comfort and sq. The bass lacks a little, but is still well represented and tight.

Will I notice a bigger difference with the phi upgrade?
 
Feb 28, 2018 at 12:08 PM Post #1,025 of 24,921
the Phi is IMHO head and shoulders better than the Utopia...i have both.....i fully understand others may feel entirely different.....at this level is is like comparing a Mercedes and BMW....subjective
 
Mar 3, 2018 at 1:32 PM Post #1,026 of 24,921
would also vote for the phi but the utopia is very easy to drive and handle. the abyss phi needs a beefy amp to play to the best and need time for find the right fit, not a headphone to run around. imo even if they both totl the are quite different. thus i don't let my utopias go, they have their own nice quality, easy to take for longer holidays without the need of a big amp. some eq is a easy fix for the lack of bass.
 
Mar 3, 2018 at 10:26 PM Post #1,027 of 24,921
Well, I'm just over a week in with the Susvara and I'm honestly enjoying them more than when I first got them. Sometimes after a week or two with a pair of headphones, I find the new toy syndrome is starting to wear off and I'm not as enthused about the headphones as when I first got them. That just hasn't been the case so far with the Susvara. Every time I listen to them, I find something new in what I am listening to that I enjoy.

The pads are feeling a bit....fuzzier? Thats the best way I can describe it, but they are a tiny bit comfier with some use on them. Thats one thing I am still noticing every time I put the Susvara on, how damn comfy they are. Not too light, not too heavy, and the weight is evenly distributed.

I'm still a bit disappointed in the build quality and the materials and whatnot, but I knew that going into this purchase. The haven't fallen apart yet, so I will keep you guys updated as to how this continues to go.

I'm surprised how well my Master 9 is doing with the Susvara. I should note that I do have +3db gain and some other upgrades, but +3db isn't that much. I find I am about 8 volume steps above my regular listening level with the Abyss Phi. This will totally depend on the amp you are using though, as the Master 9's volume control steps gets louder per step the higher you go. The Susvara are not an easy to drive headphone, that is for sure. In terms of Headphone amps, your choices are limited. However, I think the sound is worth it. I would still like to hear them off of a high end speaker amp, or a good vintage model, but I need to recover from this purchase wallet wise. Its a shame I don't have my Headtrip anymore to try with the Susvara as I'm sure it would drive them with authority, but I wouldn't have been able to afford the Susvara if I hadn't sold it so.....¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

As I suspected when I first got the Susvara, they have become my daily driver headphones. The impeccable sound, combined with the superb comfort has edged out my Abyss Phi in terms of long listening session use. I have been using them a lot more than the Abyss Phi over the last week and a bit, but that is because I am still getting used to their sound. I think the amount of use for each headphone will even out to a ratio of 60/40, or even 70/30. Needless to say, I am very happy to own each headphone, as I find they compliment each other so well.

I am super happy with the Susvara so far!

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Mar 4, 2018 at 3:40 AM Post #1,029 of 24,921
would also vote for the phi but the utopia is very easy to drive and handle. the abyss phi needs a beefy amp to play to the best and need time for find the right fit, not a headphone to run around. imo even if they both totl the are quite different. thus i don't let my utopias go, they have their own nice quality, easy to take for longer holidays without the need of a big amp. some eq is a easy fix for the lack of bass.

Agree with this. Phi is on top of my current TOTL stack.
 
Mar 4, 2018 at 12:57 PM Post #1,030 of 24,921
Can you describe what they sound like? I am especially interested in resolution and layering. Cheers!

The resolution is impressive, and the layering seems to have a nice depth to it. It is a really cohesive sound signature, in that nothing is too far away or close, and the instruments don't sound all squished together either. They just sound "right" to my ears, if that makes sense.
 
Mar 4, 2018 at 3:53 PM Post #1,031 of 24,921
The resolution is impressive, and the layering seems to have a nice depth to it. It is a really cohesive sound signature, in that nothing is too far away or close, and the instruments don't sound all squished together either. They just sound "right" to my ears, if that makes sense.

When I first got the Susvara, I was impressed with its resolution and sounstaging abilities. However, that was when I used a Matrix-Sabre X DAC in my headphone-based setup (PS Audio PWT CD-player => Matrix SabreX-Pro DAC => Violectric V281 headphone amplifier => Susvara). I have now replaced my Matrix Sabre-X Pro DAC with a Wyred-4-Sound 2v2se 10th aniversary limited edition DAC and I have achieved much greater gains in resolution and sounstaging, so I am much more impressed with the Susvara today than I was in the first few weeks after I purchased it. It is a stunningly capable and "musical" headphone!

Jeff.
 
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Mar 6, 2018 at 8:15 AM Post #1,032 of 24,921
Opened my new sealed box of Susvara, plugged it in and was greeted with a dead left channel.

Swapped amps and cables and channels but no luck. Even let the headphones burn in for few hours hoping that the left channel will spring back to life.

Having a dead driver out of the box makes me question their QC.

The dealer in Singapore immediately offered a fresh pair but that is another logistics challenge ( and shipping + insurance cost ) for me as I live in India.

Maybe another 2-3 weeks before the replaced Susvara comes back to me.

Regards,
Amit
 
Mar 6, 2018 at 8:42 AM Post #1,033 of 24,921
Hey, did anyone have a chance to audition the Susvara with Trafomatic Audio's Primavera amp at CanJam? :blush:
Hey, did anyone have a chance to audition the Susvara with Trafomatic Audio's Primavera amp at CanJam? :blush:
Yes, this was one of the headphones used to voice this amplifier, along with the Abyss, and Final Audio Sonorous X. The goal being to be able to drive the most difficult loads with ease, dynamics and nuance, while also being able to drive the easiest loads (like the Sonorous X) with absolute quiet and nuance. We had two Abyss users at CanJam NY say it was the best they've heard their headphones. We didn't have a pair of Susvara's on hand sadly, as it was one of the cans used in its voicing.
 
Mar 6, 2018 at 8:53 AM Post #1,034 of 24,921
Opened my new sealed box of Susvara, plugged it in and was greeted with a dead left channel.
Amit
I hate this kind of thing. Hifi Man has had build quality issues before and the Susvara is 3 times the cost of the HE1000V2? I would say bail out and get the LCD4 or just stay with the Abyss.
 
Mar 6, 2018 at 9:00 AM Post #1,035 of 24,921
I hate this kind of thing. Hifi Man has had build quality issues before and the Susvara is 3 times the cost of the HE1000V2? I would say bail out and get the LCD4 or just stay with the Abyss.
Ouch!! Of course one would hope to never encounter this with any product, much less one that could be a game show prize...I imagine Andy (if you purchased it in the US) or Fang would be all over this.
I know Fang loses sleep if he thinks one of his pieces is out there and not working as intended. I hope you're able to get it resolved quickly.
 

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