HiFiMan Susvara
Jan 29, 2023 at 7:29 AM Post #19,966 of 27,874
Any suggestions to what preamp I could try with moon 430ha? Tried TT2 earlier but didn’t make any difference.
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 9:46 AM Post #19,967 of 27,874
Ok, I have a serious question here and would like some advice please.
Susvara have not arrived yet. In the meantime I have a Benchmark AHB2 sitting here waiting for it.
So, regarding running the Susvara from a speaker amp, does anyone unplug their Susvara before powering on or powering off their amplifier? Or do you always leave your Susvara plugged into your amplifier?
If so, I assume this would be easier if I had a banana to female XLR adapter and unplugged it that way. My initial plan was to have Matt at Forza make me a continuous cable with bananas on the amplifier end. If bananas are used, I don't want to risk shorting something out by connecting and disconnecting.

I have to straighten this out before the Susvara get here.
 
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Jan 29, 2023 at 9:49 AM Post #19,968 of 27,874
Ok, I have a serious question here and would like some advice please.
Susvara have not arrived yet. In the meantime I have a Benchmark AHB2 sitting here waiting for it.
So, regarding running the Susvara from a speaker amp, does anyone unplug their Susvara before powering on or powering off their amplifier? Or do you always leave your Susvara plugged into your amplifier?
If so, I assume this would be easier if I had a banana to female XLR adapter and unplugged it that way. My initial plan was to have Matt at Forza make me a continuous cable with bananas on the amplifier end. If bananas are used, I don't want to risk shorting something out.

I have to straighten this out before the Susvara get here.
I don't have a AHB2 but with my speakers amp I never leave the Susvara connected to it if not listening. I stop the music, lower the amp volume to zero and disconnect the Sus (I have it connected through a spades to XLR adapter which I leave connected and just pull the headphones cable out), then I turn it off.
I also first power it on, wait for the quick warm-up to finish, connect the Sus, start music, raise the volume.

Might be different recommendations for different amps but my two cents..
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 9:59 AM Post #19,969 of 27,874
I don't have a AHB2 but with my speakers amp I never leave the Susvara connected to it if not listening. I stop the music, lower the amp volume to zero and disconnect the Sus (I have it connected through a spades to XLR adapter which I leave connected and just pull the headphones cable out), then I turn it off.
I also first power it on, wait for the quick warm-up to finish, connect the Sus, start music, raise the volume.

Might be different recommendations for different amps but my two cents..
That's exactly what I was thinking.
I have a mute button on my DAC. I will push that, turn the preamp volume to zero, unplug the XLR adapter, then on/off the amp.
I guess I'll have to have Matt make a headphone cable AND an adapter.
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 10:39 AM Post #19,970 of 27,874
I don't have a AHB2 but with my speakers amp I never leave the Susvara connected to it if not listening. I stop the music, lower the amp volume to zero and disconnect the Sus (I have it connected through a spades to XLR adapter which I leave connected and just pull the headphones cable out), then I turn it off.
I also first power it on, wait for the quick warm-up to finish, connect the Sus, start music, raise the volume.

Might be different recommendations for different amps but my two cents..
I second this method.
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 10:44 AM Post #19,971 of 27,874
Ok, I have a serious question here and would like some advice please.
Susvara have not arrived yet. In the meantime I have a Benchmark AHB2 sitting here waiting for it.
So, regarding running the Susvara from a speaker amp, does anyone unplug their Susvara before powering on or powering off their amplifier? Or do you always leave your Susvara plugged into your amplifier?
If so, I assume this would be easier if I had a banana to female XLR adapter and unplugged it that way. My initial plan was to have Matt at Forza make me a continuous cable with bananas on the amplifier end. If bananas are used, I don't want to risk shorting something out by connecting and disconnecting.

I have to straighten this out before the Susvara get here.
I always leave my susvaras plugged in to my lyngdorf, no problem.

It will be safe to keep it plugged in to AHB2 since it has some amazing safety features.
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 10:49 AM Post #19,972 of 27,874
I always leave my susvaras plugged in to my lyngdorf, no problem.

It will be safe to keep it plugged in to AHB2 since it has some amazing safety features.
Hmmm...
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 1:36 PM Post #19,973 of 27,874
The Benchmark AHB2 amp has a 4-pole SpeakOn connector that offers very neat and clean adapter options such as these:
I don't know of any other amp with that type of connector. It's nicer than bananas or spades for headphone use-cases. I haven't tried either of these adapters myself, but if I had a Susvara & AHB2, that's what I'd want.
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 1:52 PM Post #19,974 of 27,874
The Benchmark AHB2 amp has a 4-pole SpeakOn connector that offers very neat and clean adapter options such as these:
I don't know of any other amp with that type of connector. It's nicer than bananas or spades for headphone use-cases. I haven't tried either of these adapters myself, but if I had a Susvara & AHB2, that's what I'd want.
Thank you.
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 4:45 PM Post #19,975 of 27,874
I get fantastic depth and a large sound stage with my Susvaras if the music production has been recorded with these attributes.
Any examples of especially deep non-binaural recordings?

For me, I was expecting more depth variation on these classical albums which seem very well recorded in every other way

 
Jan 29, 2023 at 4:54 PM Post #19,976 of 27,874
Any examples of especially deep non-binaural recordings?

For me, I was expecting more depth variation on these classical albums which seem very well recorded in every other way

What are you expecting? I am guessing worse soundstage than your ZMF? I don’t hear any issue with either recording with my gear. You may not actually like the HFM presentation. Did you demo the cans before you buy?
 
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Jan 29, 2023 at 7:01 PM Post #19,977 of 27,874
Yeah those recordings sound absolutely excellent, very nice and natural with tonnes of detail, texture and width and height. It's just that depthwise it never comes forward.

Well it's weird... I can hear the spatial cues telling me it sounds as if it's forward, it's just when I try to figure out how far forward it is, I realise that it's actually still back near my ears. If that makes any sense... with the ZMF Atrium, some things literally sound like they're coming from ~7cm in front of the line between my ears (with non-binarual, like Billie Eilish Happier Than Ever album for example.)
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 9:03 PM Post #19,978 of 27,874
Ok, I have a serious question here and would like some advice please.
Susvara have not arrived yet. In the meantime I have a Benchmark AHB2 sitting here waiting for it.
So, regarding running the Susvara from a speaker amp, does anyone unplug their Susvara before powering on or powering off their amplifier? Or do you always leave your Susvara plugged into your amplifier?
If so, I assume this would be easier if I had a banana to female XLR adapter and unplugged it that way. My initial plan was to have Matt at Forza make me a continuous cable with bananas on the amplifier end. If bananas are used, I don't want to risk shorting something out by connecting and disconnecting.

I have to straighten this out before the Susvara get here.
Check this out. Made to use the Speakon connectors on the back of the AHB2. Work great.
https://fogcityaudio.com/products/headphone-adaptor-cable-benchmark-ahb2-nl4-to-female-4-pin-xlr
Sorry. Just saw that someone made this same recommendation up the thread.
 
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Jan 29, 2023 at 9:09 PM Post #19,979 of 27,874
Thank you.

Zynsonix (@HiGHFLYiN9) quality of work is excellent, have few of his cables and switchboxes, and just ordered myself another banana to XLR cables from him myself! can't go wrong..
 
Jan 29, 2023 at 10:22 PM Post #19,980 of 27,874
Any examples of especially deep non-binaural recordings?

For me, I was expecting more depth variation on these classical albums which seem very well recorded in every other way



Gregory Porter. Take Me to the Alley...One Mic - One Take. You Tube HD. Pure beauty in both song and recording.
 

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