[Matez]

No, I still have the Zesto Andros. It's the original Andros that I bought about 7 years ago. It's in another system in my house shown here with my 25th anniversary LP12 that has the Keel subchassis, Ekos SE arm, Radikal power supply and Akiva MC cartridge.

Those are Harbeths 40.1?

 

[SteveM324]

Those are Harbeths 40.1?

Yes sir

 

[jlbrach]

I recently bought the Final Audio D8000 Pro. From an audiophile and price conscious standpoint I felt that I am getting here almost the sound quality of the Abyss TC and the Susvara combined in one headphone but only for a fraction of the price.
The Susvara certainly is a wonderful hp for classic, jazz, female voices, but not so much recommended for music, where a good sub base foundation is needed. Here the Susvara lacks a bit of a "bite".
The TC plays phantastic with all sorts of rock, EDM (basically everything where some extra bass is needed).
So what are you supposed to do if you enjoy a wide range of music? Spend almost $12000,00 and buy the Susvara plus the TC?
Or spend around $3000 (if you shop around a bit) and buy the Final Pro and get a TOTL allrounder hp, which will cover all of your musical needs in superb sonic quality?

both the susvara and TC are marvelous HP's with all forms of music...I listen to rock, jazz and blues with both....the TC bass is more prominent but the susvara bass is outstanding...IMHO these are the 2 best HP's available today fairly easily although I do look forward to some time with the Raal which I got to listen to at Canjam a bit

 

[sahmen]

both the susvara and TC are marvelous HP's with all forms of music...I listen to rock, jazz and blues with both....the TC bass is more prominent but the susvara bass is outstanding...IMHO these are the 2 best HP's available today fairly easily although I do look forward to some time with the Raal which I got to listen to at Canjam a bit

So what is someone in my position to do, in order to feel that I am also getting the best? I have the HeKse, and other lower tier HFM cans, as well as the Audeze LCD-4 and other lower tier Audeze cans. I have DACs and HPamps that have both the juice and finesse to bring the power, the glory, the ethereal, and you name it, out of the cans I currently own. And boy do I enjoy these cans, when I allow myself to forget all other distractions! Hell, sometimes I feel that with my Roon subscription, and a kitchen supplied with the appropriate groceries, I could survive two weeks of quarantine on a diet of audio nirvana with these cans and not miss a beat...

And yet, I always feel something important is missing from the whole audio experience. Ironically, that feeling is not produced by anything I am hearing from my rigs or my cans themselves. Frankly, I believe it arises from my frequent visits to forums like this one, where I get to hear about other people's experiences with such cans as the Susvara and the Abyss TC. It requires no magic to figure this one out : this is where the feeling of "something is missing" originates, even though, without ever having heard either the Susvara or the TC, I have no idea what exactly is missing from my experience, or whether the actual acquisition of either can would help to eliminate that feeling...My guess is that it won't, because there was a time, less than a decade ago, when the most "high-end" can in my arsenal was the Sennheiser Hd-600. Well, a lot of water (i.e the experience of other "high-end cans") has flowed under the proverbial bridge since then, and the feeling of "something is missing" is still there, which is why I am suspecting that, neither the Susvara nor the TC would eliminate it .

Following this line of thought to its own logical conclusion, the solution to this problem would appear to be simple : stop visiting audio forums such as head-fi! Stop reading about other examples of "the latest and the greatest," and concentrate on enjoying what you already have... Yes, but why does it sound so "easier said than done," and so unattractive?

I am saying all of this not to generate some silly polemics, or stir up any unnecessary trouble... I just want to know what hobbyists who have more experience than me would normally do under such circumstances. I have a strong feeling that other people too in the hobby have had similar thoughts at one time or the other (a kind of "mid-life crisis" or the headphone audio enthusiast!), and I would like to know what they did in order to continue allowing themselves to enjoy the hobby.

 

[jlbrach]

the lcd-4 are fantastic HP's and if you have them and proper amp and DAC you are 90% of the TC and Susvaras..but oh that last 10% is glorious, I happen to love the LCD-4 and have owned 3 pairs over the years

 

[koven]

So what is someone in my position to do, in order to feel that I am also getting the best? I have the HeKse, and other lower tier HFM cans, as well as the Audeze LCD-4 and other lower tier Audeze cans. I have DACs and HPamps that have both the juice and finesse to bring the power, the glory, the ethereal, and you name it, out of the cans I currently own. And boy do I enjoy these cans, when I allow myself to forget all other distractions! Hell, sometimes I feel that with my Roon subscription, and a kitchen supplied with the appropriate groceries, I could survive two weeks of quarantine on a diet of audio nirvana with these cans and not miss a beat...

And yet, I always feel something important is missing from the whole audio experience. Ironically, that feeling is not produced by anything I am hearing from my rigs or my cans themselves. Frankly, I believe it arises from my frequent visits to forums like this one, where I get to hear about other people's experiences with such cans as the Susvara and the Abyss TC. It requires no magic to figure this one out : this is where the feeling of "something is missing" originates, even though, without ever having heard either the Susvara or the TC, I have no idea what exactly is missing from my experience, or whether the actual acquisition of either can would help to eliminate that feeling...My guess is that it won't, because there was a time, less than a decade ago, when the most "high-end" can in my arsenal was the Sennheiser Hd-600. Well, a lot of water (i.e the experience of other "high-end cans") has flowed under the proverbial bridge since then, and the feeling of "something is missing" is still there, which is why I am suspecting that, neither the Susvara nor the TC would eliminate it .

Following this line of thought to its own logical conclusion, the solution to this problem would appear to be simple : stop visiting audio forums such as head-fi! Stop reading about other examples of "the latest and the greatest," and concentrate on enjoying what you already have... Yes, but why does it sound so "easier said than done," and so unattractive?

I am saying all of this not to generate some silly polemics, or stir up any unnecessary trouble... I just want to know what hobbyists who have more experience than me would normally do under such circumstances. I have a strong feeling that other people too in the hobby have had similar thoughts at one time or the other (a kind of "mid-life crisis" or the headphone audio enthusiast!), and I would like to know what they did in order to continue allowing themselves to enjoy the hobby.

Well as the saying goes, 'comparison is the thief of joy'.

 

[radnor]

So what is someone in my position to do, in order to feel that I am also getting the best? I have the HeKse, and other lower tier HFM cans, as well as the Audeze LCD-4 and other lower tier Audeze cans. I have DACs and HPamps that have both the juice and finesse to bring the power, the glory, the ethereal, and you name it, out of the cans I currently own. And boy do I enjoy these cans, when I allow myself to forget all other distractions! Hell, sometimes I feel that with my Roon subscription, and a kitchen supplied with the appropriate groceries, I could survive two weeks of quarantine on a diet of audio nirvana with these cans and not miss a beat...

And yet, I always feel something important is missing from the whole audio experience. Ironically, that feeling is not produced by anything I am hearing from my rigs or my cans themselves. Frankly, I believe it arises from my frequent visits to forums like this one, where I get to hear about other people's experiences with such cans as the Susvara and the Abyss TC. It requires no magic to figure this one out : this is where the feeling of "something is missing" originates, even though, without ever having heard either the Susvara or the TC, I have no idea what exactly is missing from my experience, or whether the actual acquisition of either can would help to eliminate that feeling...My guess is that it won't, because there was a time, less than a decade ago, when the most "high-end" can in my arsenal was the Sennheiser Hd-600. Well, a lot of water (i.e the experience of other "high-end cans") has flowed under the proverbial bridge since then, and the feeling of "something is missing" is still there, which is why I am suspecting that, neither the Susvara nor the TC would eliminate it .

Following this line of thought to its own logical conclusion, the solution to this problem would appear to be simple : stop visiting audio forums such as head-fi! Stop reading about other examples of "the latest and the greatest," and concentrate on enjoying what you already have... Yes, but why does it sound so "easier said than done," and so unattractive?

I am saying all of this not to generate some silly polemics, or stir up any unnecessary trouble... I just want to know what hobbyists who have more experience than me would normally do under such circumstances. I have a strong feeling that other people too in the hobby have had similar thoughts at one time or the other (a kind of "mid-life crisis" or the headphone audio enthusiast!), and I would like to know what they did in order to continue allowing themselves to enjoy the hobby.

You are correct... you are missing BACCH. Once you hear a music hologram you realize that everything prior was a mirage.

https://www.soundstageglobal.com/in...hold-shocking-demos-at-the-chelsea-wine-vault

happy to demo to anyone in California.

 

[Little Bear]

Well as the saying goes, 'comparison is the thief of joy'.

^^This.

If you keep coming back here after you've made your purchase, it won't be long before you wish you had something different. The personal audio market has paralyzed us with choices, nearly all of them truly excellent these days. We need to remember to stop obsessing over our gear and just listen to some damn music.

 

[sahmen]

Well as the saying goes, 'comparison is the thief of joy'.

Touché, but I hope this does not imply that you're immunized from comparison yourself, I mean, from this "thief of joy," but if you're, I'd really want to know what your "secret sauce" is. What is the key to such immunization, in other words?

 

[sahmen]

the lcd-4 are fantastic HP's and if you have them and proper amp and DAC you are 90% of the TC and Susvaras..but oh that last 10% is glorious, I happen to love the LCD-4 and have owned 3 pairs over the years

Yeah, if we're to put some number on it, then I'd like to call that last 10%, the source of my present "predicament," and I use this word with some reservations, since we're strictly dealing with first world problems here and shouldn't exaggerate. With that said, I have always been curious about the Susvara, except that, having previously owned the He-6 on my "travels," I do not relish the inevitable amp-hunt that always seems to go with it. This is what stayed my hand, and made me settle for the HeKSE, the last time I made a purchase. The Susvara was what I was going to get, but that would have emptied my wallet, and made the acquisition of the extra amp non-viable, whereas I already had more amp-power than I needed for the HekSE. To me as a previous owner of a slightly tweaked He-1000 v1, the HekSE has delivered in spades, and on so many levels, exceeding my expectations in many areas. The flip-side of getting the HeKse, instead of the Susvara, however, is that I have never been able to stop looking over my shoulder, so to speak, dreaming of what could have been, only if I had not chickened out, when I had a chance to get the Susvara...

This sounds like an acute form of audio-nervosa to me, but c'est la vie. With all said and done, I feel almost certain that a Susvara will be mine down the line, sooner rather than later. I will not be honestly "me," if I didn't express that sentiment... I remain doubtful though, whether I'd be able to get rid entirely of that feeling of missing another "last 10%," even if I do get that Susvara eventually, especially, if I continue to visit head-fi... I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[koven]

Touché, but I hope this does not imply that you're immunized from comparison yourself, I mean, from this "thief of joy," but if you're, I'd really want to know what your "secret sauce" is. What is the key to such immunization, in other words?

Of course I'm not immune. I just try to take a glass half full perspective and remind myself to stay grateful, it could be worse after all. There will always be someone out there more wealthy, more lucky than you. Chasing that shadow is no way to live life my friend, enjoy what you have!

 

[MatW]

Yeah, if we're to put some number on it, then I'd like to call that last 10%, the source of my present "predicament," and I use this word with some reservations, since we're strictly dealing with first world problems here and shouldn't exaggerate. With that said, I have always been curious about the Susvara, except that, having previously owned the He-6 on my "travels," I do not relish the inevitable amp-hunt that always seems to go with it. This is what stayed my hand, and made me settle for the HeKSE, the last time I made a purchase. The Susvara was what I was going to get, but that would have emptied my wallet, and made the acquisition of the extra amp non-viable, whereas I already had more amp-power than I needed for the HekSE. To me as a previous owner of a slightly tweaked He-1000 v1, the HekSE has delivered in spades, and on so many levels, exceeding my expectations in many areas. The flip-side of getting the HeKse, instead of the Susvara, however, is that I have never been able to stop looking over my shoulder, so to speak, dreaming of what could have been, only if I had not chickened out, when I had a chance to get the Susvara...

This sounds like an acute form of audio-nervosa to me, but c'est la vie. With all said and done, I feel almost certain that a Susvara will be mine down the line, sooner rather than later. I will not be honestly "me," if I didn't express that sentiment... I remain doubtful though, whether I'd be able to get rid entirely of that feeling of missing another "last 10%," even if I do get that Susvara eventually, especially, if I continue to visit head-fi... I guess we will have to wait and see.

Have you listened to a Susvara or TC at some point in time? Then you would know if it's worth yearning for or not, I guess?

 

[sahmen]

Of course I'm not immune. I just try to take a glass half full perspective and remind myself to stay grateful, it could be worse after all. There will always be someone out there more wealthy, more lucky than you. Chasing that shadow is no way to live life my friend, enjoy what you have!

Understood, except that it is not always a matter of wealth, or of having more wealth, although, of course having money to purchase whatever one wants, whenever one wants would remove some significant problems, but as far as i know, that always generates others. Besides, I do not see this simply as a question of having the capacity to accumulate cans or audio gear in general.. That would be too simple, unfortunately. I found @DavidMahler 's "Battle of the Flagships" thread to be one of the most useful, when I first got on head-fi and was researching headphones... Thanks, David. However, I also knew that if I ever found myself surrounded by so many headphones and related gear, and they all belonged to me, I'd probably get turned off the whole audio gear thing, since it is the music, after all. which counts for me in the last resort, and I wouldn't want that to get lost in an entire army of cans, related gear, not to mention endless measurements, and head to head shootouts.... I guess, what I mean by this is that personal temperaments, idiosyncrasies, and of course, preferences, always need to be taken into account in such discussions, and the variables one encounters in these fields can be dauntingly unpredictable and surprising...

At this point, this is getting to be too philosophical at the risk of taking the thread off course, so I shall say this last thing to keep things simple, and hopefully, give this digression a rest. In the end, I am looking for a qualitative way of experiencing music, and a set of equipment that would make that experience possible, and also so satisfying that I would be content enjoying the music for several years with minimal upgrades and maintenance of the equipment, without feeling any undue pressure to consider other acquisitions in audio gear... This need not be some elusive unreachable goal... In some ways, I consider myself to be halfway along already, and the search itself can be quite thrilling sometimes too, and that, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing...

 

[sahmen]

Have you listened to a Susvara or TC at some point in time? Then you would know if it's worth yearning for or not, I guess?

I've not done that yet, but I'll certainly welcome the opportunity... Unfortunately, I do not go to Canjams and meets... That could help some, although I also learn they are not the most ideal places to audition anything under optimal conditions.

 

[MatW]

Agreed, canjam is too noisy for open-back headphones. No dealer in the vicinity?