[sahmen]

Reposting from the TC thread:

Nice review! Your passion for this hobby is inspiring. Also if you do not mind my adding this, it must also be one of the first times I am seeing the photos of the same guy in the head-fi avatar spot and a youtube video in the same post, and I am glad I did, because I personally find the guy in he youtube video to be less intimidating, and to have a more relaxed and friendly demeanor

(The guy in the avatar shot reminds me a bit of my stern headmasters from High School, and that impression might be coming from the suit and tie.)

That is all sort of trivial though, the more important point being, the "nice review" part

One more positive... I have always been intrigued by the Abyss cans, but I previously couldn't get past the optics, as they used to remind me too much of a person in an electric chair helmet... After seeing your review, I think I'm beginning to get a more sanguine impression regarding the optics of the TC. Hell,I might even feel ready to audition one right now, if there were an abyss dealer near where I live. So nice job, one more time

 

[fsi22]

Last year I tried the Axios for Sony Z1R and returned it. It sounded decent enough but was microphonic and felt kind of cheap. The quality and aesthetics in person were underwhelming for the price, don't be fooled by the glamour shots on their website. If you want genuine craftsmanship, you won't find it off the shelf ready to ship like Kimber, Cardas, Moon Audio, etc. You'd need to go the boutique route like Norne or DHC, and be prepared to wait many weeks. It's worth the wait though.

Thank you, I'm surprised to hear about microphonics.

 

[Sajid Amit]

Awesome review, Sajid! I concur with others that you have a natural talent for it. FWIW, the TC really look good on you. However, the SR1a on your head sort of brought to mind Princess Leia with a beard. I'm not entirely sure why I needed to share these impressions...

Lol lol

 

[Sajid Amit]

Nice review! Your passion for this hobby is inspiring. Also if you do not mind my adding this, it must also be one of the first times I am seeing the photos of the same guy in the head-fi avatar spot and a youtube video in the same post, and I am glad I did, because I personally find the guy in he youtube video to be less intimidating, and to have a more relaxed and friendly demeanor

(The guy in the avatar shot reminds me a bit of my stern headmasters from High School, and that impression might be coming from the suit and tie.)

That is all sort of trivial though, the more important point being, the "nice review" part

One more positive... I have always been intrigued by the Abyss cans, but I previously couldn't get past the optics, as they used to remind me too much of a person in an electric chair helmet... After seeing your review, I think I'm beginning to get a more sanguine impression regarding the optics of the TC. Hell,I might even feel ready to audition one right now, if there were an abyss dealer near where I live. So nice job, one more time

Thanks

 

[Ciggavelli]

I’m in the US, but I check Stefan’s Headphone Auditions in Amsterdam page. He’s always got great items at his store. If I ever visit Amsterdam, I’m going to his shop

So, I was browsing his page and he made the bold claim that this can drive the Susvaras and TCs:

Shingling-m3

https://www.headphoneauditions.nl/product/shanling-m30/

Can that actually be the case?

 

[sahmen]

So my Niimbus US4 just landed a few hours ago, and I am currently auditioning my Susvara on it for the first time.. What do I think? First, the boring stuff-- "boring" because what I immediately have in mind has been said and heard on this thread a thousand times before, hence nothing really "new" in that regard. What can I say which has not been said before, other than repeat that it is the friggin real deal... on several levels?

This is what I said to a friendly headfier in PM :

"Well, the Niimbus landed about a couple of hours ago, and my very first impression is that it meets my general expectations, in performance, of what an amp of this pedigree and stature ought to sound like. With respect to how it drives the susvara and the He6SE, I hear more authority and effortlessness, not to mention more resolution and refinement on this unit as compared to the V281 and several amps I have listened to before (with the exception of the InPol Ear), and I suppose that is good already, although there is more to come, as one would expect.

So far I have been pairing it with my Sonnet Morpheus DAC, but I need to audition it with my Yggdrasil A2 as well, because it is most likely going to be paired with it for the long haul so that, along with driving my headphones, it can serve as a preamp for the two front towers of my 2 channel stereo reference speaker system as well,... just as my V281 used to do before it.

There remains one task to deal with, which is to compare the performance of the Niimbus with my Pathos InPol ear, but that seems now like a difficult task, as they both seem to perform at levels that are similarly high and close. Still all in good time...."

This last task of pitting the Niimbus "against" the InPol Ear (to find out who is "the real boss"?) is my least favorite one, I must say. First of all, this is because as a hybrid amplifier whose sound varies quite a bit with tube-rolling, the InPol Ear is a bit like a sonic chameleon whose sound-signature always depends to some extent on the tubes that it is rocking, so strictly speaking, it has no stable "base-line" sound against which to pit a purely solid-state Niimbus US4... I also do not know what the comparison is meant to prove (and to whom?) since I am enjoying both amps thoroughly... This seems to me, frankly, like a thankless task which is not worth pursuing unless something happens to make the idea of the comparison more compelling...

In the meantime, I am yet to hear how both amps sound when paired with the Schiit Yggdrasil A2, and how that pairing sounds not only with the Susvara, but also with the He6SE, the Audeze Cans (LCD-4 & LCD-X), not mention the Sennheiser cans (HD-800, 600, 6XX etc. etc.)... This sounds like a more worthwhile way to keep oneself occupied and entertained in this period of pandemic blues and enduring absence of social integration...

 

[DJJEZ]

I’m in the US, but I check Stefan’s Headphone Auditions in Amsterdam page. He’s always got great items at his store. If I ever visit Amsterdam, I’m going to his shop

So, I was browsing his page and he made the bold claim that this can drive the Susvaras and TCs:

Shingling-m3

https://www.headphoneauditions.nl/product/shanling-m30/

Can that actually be the case?

I bought my Abyss rooms headphone stand from him. Great guy

 

[Ciggavelli]

I bought my Abyss rooms headphone stand from him. Great guy

Me too (this was before Abyss started selling it from their US store)

 

[mammal]

Dear Susvara friends, I have a question for you. I have heard Susvara before, but liked AB-1266 a bit more, as most of my music is vocal-less EDM (quite cold, punchy, sharp, electronic). However, yesterday, I was able to audition Sennheiser HE-1 (my review here), which was surprisingly good at the lower end (not far off AB-1266), but excelled at mids (they were so luxurious, and delicate). This got me thinking, am I limiting myself with one headphone only, focusing on EDM and loosing out on my beloved vocal heavy synth-pop (think The Weeknd)? Should I get a second pair of headphones, a kind and a queen, married couple, proud parents, making their price (me) happy?

I have read a lot, watched all available video reviews, but am still not sure if Susvara is the right fit for me. I am worried that the soundstage would be too large, compared to Sennheiser HE-1. I loved the mids, but the intimacy of the soundstage made it click for me. Think of a romantic restaurant, a tiny club without reverb, and a female vocalist singing just for you. Is Susvara this queen I have been (without knowing) looking for? I know it is said to have better mids, but how intimate is the final result? I want it to complement AB-1266 and from owners I have spoken to, some of them ended up owning just one of them, not both.

My current setup is dCS Bartok and I am getting Viva Egoista 845 amp next week. Will this combo sound good? I read some reviews of Susvara on Egoista 845 and they were very positive. I know Susvara is said to scale with speaker amps, but that is a direction I am not willing to go. Thank you for your feedback!

 

[MatW]

I’m in the US, but I check Stefan’s Headphone Auditions in Amsterdam page. He’s always got great items at his store. If I ever visit Amsterdam, I’m going to his shop

I'll see you there

So, I was browsing his page and he made the bold claim that this can drive the Susvaras and TCs:

Shingling-m3

https://www.headphoneauditions.nl/product/shanling-m30/



Can that actually be the case?

I haven't been to Stefan's for a while, because I'm pretty much set, but I may go have a listen to this. Thanks for posting.

 

[TDinCali]

Dear Susvara friends, I have a question for you. I have heard Susvara before, but liked AB-1266 a bit more, as most of my music is vocal-less EDM (quite cold, punchy, sharp, electronic). However, yesterday, I was able to audition Sennheiser HE-1 (my review here), which was surprisingly good at the lower end (not far off AB-1266), but excelled at mids (they were so luxurious, and delicate). This got me thinking, am I limiting myself with one headphone only, focusing on EDM and loosing out on my beloved vocal heavy synth-pop (think The Weeknd)? Should I get a second pair of headphones, a kind and a queen, married couple, proud parents, making their price (me) happy?

I have read a lot, watched all available video reviews, but am still not sure if Susvara is the right fit for me. I am worried that the soundstage would be too large, compared to Sennheiser HE-1. I loved the mids, but the intimacy of the soundstage made it click for me. Think of a romantic restaurant, a tiny club without reverb, and a female vocalist singing just for you. Is Susvara this queen I have been (without knowing) looking for? I know it is said to have better mids, but how intimate is the final result? I want it to complement AB-1266 and from owners I have spoken to, some of them ended up owning just one of them, not both.

My current setup is dCS Bartok and I am getting Viva Egoista 845 amp next week. Will this combo sound good? I read some reviews of Susvara on Egoista 845 and they were very positive. I know Susvara is said to scale with speaker amps, but that is a direction I am not willing to go. Thank you for your feedback!

What other headphones have you owned?

Personally I think the Susvara’s will be too wide and won‘t give you the vocal intimacy that you’re describing. That’s what I enjoy about the Utopia’s. The vocals to me have the presence and center that is lost at times with the 1266 and Susvara’s. Just my 2 cents, you know how subjective this is….

 

[mammal]

What other headphones have you owned?

Personally I think the Susvara’s will be too wide and won‘t give you the vocal intimacy that you’re describing. That’s what I enjoy about the Utopia’s. The vocals to me have the presence and center that is lost at times with the 1266 and Susvara’s. Just my 2 cents, you know how subjective this is….

I appreciate your reply. I owned LCD 2 and 3 (preferred 2 over 3, 3 had better mids, but I felt that 2 had better punch). I owned Focal Clear (nice punch), Hifiman Arya (interesting bass and very wide soundstage). From closed backs I owned DCA Ether CX, which I did not like at all - missing resolution and small soundstage. And before AB-1266 I owned Diana V2, which had less resolution, and a bit smaller soundstage. I auditioned in CanJam settings a couple of other headphones, like Focal Utopia and another Focal one I don't remember the name for, it was released next to Utopia the same date - from this two I preferred the more bassy "I can't remember the name for it". Also tried LCD 4 out of Dave and I think that was underpowered, so hard to judge. I will contact my dealer and ask him if I can get Utopia and Susvara for a home listen, that would simplify my selection process.

 

[chief79]

Dear Susvara friends, I have a question for you. I have heard Susvara before, but liked AB-1266 a bit more, as most of my music is vocal-less EDM (quite cold, punchy, sharp, electronic). However, yesterday, I was able to audition Sennheiser HE-1 (my review here), which was surprisingly good at the lower end (not far off AB-1266), but excelled at mids (they were so luxurious, and delicate). This got me thinking, am I limiting myself with one headphone only, focusing on EDM and loosing out on my beloved vocal heavy synth-pop (think The Weeknd)? Should I get a second pair of headphones, a kind and a queen, married couple, proud parents, making their price (me) happy?

I have read a lot, watched all available video reviews, but am still not sure if Susvara is the right fit for me. I am worried that the soundstage would be too large, compared to Sennheiser HE-1. I loved the mids, but the intimacy of the soundstage made it click for me. Think of a romantic restaurant, a tiny club without reverb, and a female vocalist singing just for you. Is Susvara this queen I have been (without knowing) looking for? I know it is said to have better mids, but how intimate is the final result? I want it to complement AB-1266 and from owners I have spoken to, some of them ended up owning just one of them, not both.

My current setup is dCS Bartok and I am getting Viva Egoista 845 amp next week. Will this combo sound good? I read some reviews of Susvara on Egoista 845 and they were very positive. I know Susvara is said to scale with speaker amps, but that is a direction I am not willing to go. Thank you for your feedback!

I just got the T+A Solitaire P and they’re great. Perhaps you could give them a shot to see if they work for you? The bass is amazing (to me)

 

[thecrow]

I appreciate your reply. I owned LCD 2 and 3 (preferred 2 over 3, 3 had better mids, but I felt that 2 had better punch). I owned Focal Clear (nice punch), Hifiman Arya (interesting bass and very wide soundstage). From closed backs I owned DCA Ether CX, which I did not like at all - missing resolution and small soundstage. And before AB-1266 I owned Diana V2, which had less resolution, and a bit smaller soundstage. I auditioned in CanJam settings a couple of other headphones, like Focal Utopia and another Focal one I don't remember the name for, it was released next to Utopia the same date - from this two I preferred the more bassy "I can't remember the name for it". Also tried LCD 4 out of Dave and I think that was underpowered, so hard to judge. I will contact my dealer and ask him if I can get Utopia and Susvara for a home listen, that would simplify my selection process.

Elear?

 

[thecrow]

Dear Susvara friends, I have a question for you. I have heard Susvara before, but liked AB-1266 a bit more, as most of my music is vocal-less EDM (quite cold, punchy, sharp, electronic). However, yesterday, I was able to audition Sennheiser HE-1 (my review here), which was surprisingly good at the lower end (not far off AB-1266), but excelled at mids (they were so luxurious, and delicate). This got me thinking, am I limiting myself with one headphone only, focusing on EDM and loosing out on my beloved vocal heavy synth-pop (think The Weeknd)? Should I get a second pair of headphones, a kind and a queen, married couple, proud parents, making their price (me) happy?

I have read a lot, watched all available video reviews, but am still not sure if Susvara is the right fit for me. I am worried that the soundstage would be too large, compared to Sennheiser HE-1. I loved the mids, but the intimacy of the soundstage made it click for me. Think of a romantic restaurant, a tiny club without reverb, and a female vocalist singing just for you. Is Susvara this queen I have been (without knowing) looking for? I know it is said to have better mids, but how intimate is the final result? I want it to complement AB-1266 and from owners I have spoken to, some of them ended up owning just one of them, not both.

My current setup is dCS Bartok and I am getting Viva Egoista 845 amp next week. Will this combo sound good? I read some reviews of Susvara on Egoista 845 and they were very positive. I know Susvara is said to scale with speaker amps, but that is a direction I am not willing to go. Thank you for your feedback!

Yes.

You know that - but you didn’t need me to tell you that. You’ve been a member for over 5 years here.