[FooFighter]

Anyone able To compare the Oor vs AHB2 in powering the Susvaras?

@OneEyedHito did.

 

[FiGuY1017]

Biggest difference in the Susvara and Hekv2 so far I've noticed, I'm not into graphs, because I don't know graphs that well. But seems to be less midbass and that seems to allow the depths to open, I can hear a new layer, probably due the transparency increase as well. Biggest difference though, is I've never felt bass in a head phone like the Susvara, rattles that jaw

 

[iFi audio]

Susvara plays very very nicely with iFi’s XBass

It does indeed, but even without this feature Susvara's sound is very balanced.

 

[OneEyedHito]

Anyone able To compare the Oor vs AHB2 in powering the Susvaras?

I don't hear a noticeable difference in noise floor which is a big win for the Hyposis/Oor combo, and I might hear a slight bit more warmth in the Oor Combo versus the AHB2 but the presentation might be the equal to that warmth in favor of the AHB2, in summary they are too close to differentiate with my hearing. This is using either the Spring 2 KTE, the Spring 3 KTE, or the Dave/Mscaler Combo.

 

[FractalSound]

Interesting. You've had a very different experience than I've had. I've had a lot of amps in and out of my apartment; I recently had to send one back because it could not deal with the electrical system in my apartment and the ground floor noise was so bad as to make it unlistenable, even with several thousand dollars worth of power conditioning gear added in. None of the other many amps I've had, had anything remotely like this happen, and that was with them plugged into a cheap plastic power strip. But I sure can tell the difference between D-S, Chord's FPGA, and R2R, never mind the power - immense difference!! I'd never heard R2R before, but that Holo May - I heard its sound, now I'm a believer, to paraphrase Neil Diamond and the Monkees....

nice to know about differences btwn D-S/FPGA/R2R. I think in the end what's happening is that we tell ourselves we need neutral and details, but what we really want are color and warmth... D-S would be the most detailed.

 

[LarsMan]

nice to know about differences btwn D-S/FPGA/R2R. I think in the end what's happening is that we tell ourselves we need neutral and details, but what we really want are color and warmth... D-S would be the most detailed.

Ah HAH! See, I KNOW I like color and warmth over precision and detail - that's why I like tube headphone amps! Those Chord FPGA's are very there in terms of detail, too; just a tad on the dry side for my tastes.

 

[FooFighter]

Or get a tube DAC of the likes of Lampizator which is actually just a tube preamp bundled with a DAC - am actually thinking about getting one at some point too

 

[rangerid]

Ah HAH! See, I KNOW I like color and warmth over precision and detail - that's why I like tube headphone amps! Those Chord FPGA's are very there in terms of detail, too; just a tad on the dry side for my tastes.

I can definitely relate to this... I also like my music on the warmer side of neutral. Having heard many high end offerings of OS and R2R Dacs, my biggest takeaway is that over extended listening periods, I find myself listening more to the 'gear' with OS stuff, more focused on the technicalities, like individual instrument separation, dynamics, but with R2R, I forget about the gear and simply enjoy the music.

However, we all hear differently and those who like OS find that more natural sounding and enjoyable and likewise conversely. So it's definitely worth exploring both implementations even if you think you like one more.

 

[LarsMan]

Or get a tube DAC of the likes of Lampizator which is actually just a tube preamp bundled with a DAC - am actually thinking about getting one at some point too

Yeah, that Lampizator is supposed to be really good. Ironically enough, my Holo May KTE R2R probably sounds more 'tube-y' (to me, of course) than anything else in my system! Certainly more so than my Herron Audio Line Stage Preamp and Phono Stage, 'cause Keith Herron makes awesome sounding tube gear that doesn't sound particularly tube or solid-stage - just sounds RIGHT. Those Herrons also don't look at all like tube gear - clean lines, no tubes visible, which is very appropriate! And my Auris Nirvana tube headphone amp does sound tube-y, but a whole lot more so with the Holo May than when I had DAVE + M Scaler in there....

 

[OneEyedHito]

I can definitely relate to this... I also like my music on the warmer side of neutral. Having heard many high end offerings of OS and R2R Dacs, my biggest takeaway is that over extended listening periods, I find myself listening more to the 'gear' with OS stuff, more focused on the technicalities, like individual instrument separation, dynamics, but with R2R, I forget about the gear and simply enjoy the music.

However, we all hear differently and those who like OS find that more natural sounding and enjoyable and likewise conversely. So it's definitely worth exploring both implementations even if you think you like one more.

Very well said!

 

[iFi audio]

Yeah, that Lampizator is supposed to be really good.

Łukasz (Fikus, the Lampizator man himself) has come a long way since his DIY days and there has to be a good reason why his products are known all over the world

 

[Polygonhell]

Yeah, that Lampizator is supposed to be really good.

They are, but they don't sound tubey in the way most people think.
You can hear the presentation that DHT's give in the DHT based DAC's, but they are clearly tuned to be "neutral" sounding, you can get some variation in presentation with different DHT's, 242's maximize dynamics, 300B/T100's give up some dynamics for mid range weight, and PX25's are pretty much in the middle.
After going through a Chord Dave, my end game DAC ended up being a Lampizator. And it wasn't remotely close to my ears.
Running a Balanced Pacific in my primary system, probably not any way I could justify that expenditure.

Łukasz (Fikus, the Lampizator man himself) has come a long way since his DIY days and there has to be a good reason why his products are known all over the world

Indeed.

 

[iFi audio]

They are, but they don't sound tubey in the way most people think.

If anything, their top shelf DACs are super-quick and yes, not tubey in the typical sense of that word. Rather elastic lively sound.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Biggest difference in the Susvara and Hekv2 so far I've noticed, I'm not into graphs, because I don't know graphs that well. But seems to be less midbass and that seems to allow the depths to open, I can hear a new layer, probably due the transparency increase as well. Biggest difference though, is I've never felt bass in a head phone like the Susvara, rattles that jaw

I've owned HE1000v1, v2 and HE and now I own the Susvara and kept the v2. The Sus is better in every way to the v2. Resolution and dynamics are stunning as is accuracy of timbre. I love the v2 since it has the most pleasant tuning of the HE1000 line to my ears. But the Sus is just plain and simply a significant upgrade to it in every way. The only reason I keep the v2 is that it plays nicer with all of my sources whether portable or desktop.

 

[FooFighter]

As so many people said Lampizator is great, anyone collected experience with the Amber3 entry DAC? Cause that's everything I will be able to afford midterm.
Also footprint is an issue for me (therefore I went for the tiny Ferrum stack)
Am drawn between Amber and Spring3 KTE currently but couldn't audition any of these.
I d like to get a natural but tad warmer presentation and good body.