[all2ofme]

The AIC10 was fantastic for me.

For most of my headphones I was totally happy. For the Susvara it took the speaker taps to make things work for me, but it was pretty bloody good from the headphone outputs. Had I not heard the speaker taps, the Enleum 23R or the CFA3 I would have stopped there quite happily.

There are no wrong answers at this level in my opinion

 

[Arniesb]

I'm still waiting....

it never gonna happen on purpose.

 

[Aeonfire]

Good deal on these locally used to me that I am considering with my Christmas bonus.

But I hear they are hard to drive. I've got a THX AAA 887 that should put out enough wattage, but people say "it won't be very dynamic".

Is there an amp I should consider that isn't going to cost $3000+ that would give me 95% of the performance for 20% of the budget? Do I just get something like the Topping LA90 speaker amp? Anything else? Let's pretend my amp budget is around $1000.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Good deal on these locally used to me that I am considering with my Christmas bonus.

But I hear they are hard to drive. I've got a THX AAA 887 that should put out enough wattage, but people say "it won't be very dynamic".

Is there an amp I should consider that isn't going to cost $3000+ that would give me 95% of the performance for 20% of the budget? Do I just get something like the Topping LA90 speaker amp? Anything else? Let's pretend my amp budget is around $1000.

Hifiman EF600 / Hifiman Serenade over any Topping stacks

 

[timsams]

Good deal on these locally used to me that I am considering with my Christmas bonus.

But I hear they are hard to drive. I've got a THX AAA 887 that should put out enough wattage, but people say "it won't be very dynamic".

Is there an amp I should consider that isn't going to cost $3000+ that would give me 95% of the performance for 20% of the budget? Do I just get something like the Topping LA90 speaker amp? Anything else? Let's pretend my amp budget is around $1000.

With a Balanced DAC before the THX, you won't have any problem driving the susvara on the cheap.
E50 to SP200 (thx888) and I can't max out the Susvara even with a heavy EQ and a preamp of -10dB on APO.
Otherwise, the topping A70pro would be the endgame go to under 500 bucks.
I'm trying the LYR+ currently and I max out the amp even though it has more power than the SP200. I'm looking at a PREAMP like the E30 for cheap, or I will all-in with a A70pro

 

[Clemmaster]

Good deal on these locally used to me that I am considering with my Christmas bonus.

But I hear they are hard to drive. I've got a THX AAA 887 that should put out enough wattage, but people say "it won't be very dynamic".

Is there an amp I should consider that isn't going to cost $3000+ that would give me 95% of the performance for 20% of the budget? Do I just get something like the Topping LA90 speaker amp? Anything else? Let's pretend my amp budget is around $1000.

Sell something and get a Schiit Mjolnir 3.

 

[sahmen]

Good deal on these locally used to me that I am considering with my Christmas bonus.

But I hear they are hard to drive. I've got a THX AAA 887 that should put out enough wattage, but people say "it won't be very dynamic".

Is there an amp I should consider that isn't going to cost $3000+ that would give me 95% of the performance for 20% of the budget? Do I just get something like the Topping LA90 speaker amp? Anything else? Let's pretend my amp budget is around $1000.

In your shoes I would goo with the Golden Wave (Hifiman) Prelude, owing to all the great mouthwatering reviews it is receiving lately, especially regarding how well it drives the Sus:

 

[Aeonfire]

In your shoes I would goo with the Golden Wave (Hifiman) Prelude, owing to all the great mouthwatering reviews it is receiving lately, especially regarding how well it drives the Sus:

Honestly about 3x more than I want to spend on any amp.

I'll probably just pass on the Sus and get HE1KSEs or Empyrean 2s instead. I have absolutely no issue with my current stack and any of the 10 other headphones I've used on it. Sounds like the sussy boi is just beyond any investment I'm looking to make particularly when I'd have to spend nearly as much on an amp as the used headphones to drive it "properly".

 

[OCC7N]

Good deal on these locally used to me that I am considering with my Christmas bonus.

But I hear they are hard to drive. I've got a THX AAA 887 that should put out enough wattage, but people say "it won't be very dynamic".

Is there an amp I should consider that isn't going to cost $3000+ that would give me 95% of the performance for 20% of the budget? Do I just get something like the Topping LA90 speaker amp? Anything else? Let's pretend my amp budget is around $1000.

The output power of your THX is 16 ohms: 8800mW <1% THD

What you hear how Susvara is hard to drive and etc, is from most people that have had Susvara for a long time, and it is driving everybody crazy, because there are no headroom of how it scales. It sounds good on everything...and keeps getting better and better..

Don´t buy anything, you have a great amp. Learn how Susvara sounds on that amp while you save your money up for something that can justify it 90% atleast.

----

What DAC do you use?

 

[Aeonfire]

The output power of your THX is 16 ohms: 8800mW <1% THD

What you hear how Susvara is hard to drive and etc, is from most people that have had Susvara for a long time, and it is driving everybody crazy, because there are no headroom of how it scales. It sounds good on everything...and keeps getting better and better..

Don´t buy anything, you have a great amp. Learn how Susvara sounds on that amp while you save your money up for something that can justify it 90% atleast.

----

What DAC do you use?

I’ve got a Schitt Modius. Balanced outputs. I don’t imagine spending anything more here will mean anything.

 

[OCC7N]

I’ve got a Schitt Modius. Balanced outputs. I don’t imagine spending anything more here will mean anything.

Where are you in terms of experience with headphones?

Susvara is not something you just buy as your third headphone like I did. Big mistake I did.

 

[theveterans]

I’ve got a Schitt Modius. Balanced outputs. I don’t imagine spending anything more here will mean anything.

You can get the cheapest budget amp that can run the Susvara comfortably: Schiit Midgard at 219 bucks and it'll seriously run Susvara fine and actually sound great (wide soundstage, decent depth, decent dynamics). You would need to audition the Susvara through entry-mid tier (Schiit Mjolnir 3, Ampsandsound Forge) mid-tier (Ferrum OOR+Hypsos, Feliks Envy, Prelude, Enelum 23R, ampsandsound Bigger Ben, Class AB speaker amps) and summit tier amps (Riviera AIC 10 Bal, Wa33 Elite, Trafomatic Primavera, EF1000) and you justify if the incremental upgrades are worth it

 

[Aeonfire]

Where are you in terms of experience with headphones?

Susvara is not something you just buy as your third headphone like I did. Big mistake I did.

LCD-X and Focal Clear OGs are my highest-end headphones right now. The LCD-X are just too heavy for all day use, so I'm selling them. Love the bass though. Have played around with some JM-Mod HE-R9 headphones which are fun head rattlers and super comfy. Also have some HarmonicDyne Zeus that I switch to when my head gets tired of being crushed by the Clears. Had some AKG K702 special editions back in the day that cost more, but that's because I bought them in Thailand while living there and import taxes were insane, but were great for the competitive gaming I was doing 10 years ago (read: sucking at Battlefield 2 I think it was). The price difference between HE1000SE and the used Sussys are close enough that I'm not too bothered by it (along with other things I've considered like DCA Stealth/Expanse, Empyrean 2, Arya Organic/Stealth, HEK Stealth, HD800S). I've been through multiple Schitt stacks, a Topping stack and a Fioo dac/amp or two. I have my own proper 7.3.4 home theater (well almost proper - it's a rental), but that's in the basement while my office is on the 2nd floor. So I've got about 10+ years in the hobby as a casual, but have started taking it more serious in the past year as I look for one pair of headphones to use as a daily driver for "everything". I'm not a big fan of switching headphones a lot.

Use case is immersive gaming (non-competitive games like RPGs, Cyberpunk, Skyrim, Elite Dangerous, etc), movies when I'm too lazy to go into the basement, and all genres of music. A lot of female Asian pop/rock, orchestral video game music, and all those other alt/pop/punk-rock songs 30-some year old millenials used to listen to 20 years ago (Linkin Park, Green Day, Coldplay, Paramore, The Offspring, blah blah blah).

I do not know anyone near me in the hobby, no one on marketplace has any for sale to demo, and the only two hifi stores within a few hours of me (that happen to be two miles apart) only carry a pair of LCD-2Cs and then a bunch of Grados. Why only Grados?! And why are the only two competing hifi stores 2 miles from each other only carrying Grados!? I supposed one of the has B&W headphones, too, but an actual B&W showroom is only 15 miles away. Super frustrating.

 

[plumpudding2]

Good deal on these locally used to me that I am considering with my Christmas bonus.

But I hear they are hard to drive. I've got a THX AAA 887 that should put out enough wattage, but people say "it won't be very dynamic".

If its a good price I would definitely jump on it, Susvara also sounds fantastic out of an 887. You can enjoy that for many years and if you ever get the itch to upgrade you'll have a headphone that greatly rewards it. My Susvara sounds amazing out of my Rme Adi-2 and Fiio m17 too, if you like the sound signature you'll really enjoy it.

 

[OCC7N]

LCD-X and Focal Clear OGs are my highest-end headphones right now. The LCD-X are just too heavy for all day use, so I'm selling them. Love the bass though. Have played around with some JM-Mod HE-R9 headphones which are fun head rattlers and super comfy. Also have some HarmonicDyne Zeus that I switch to when my head gets tired of being crushed by the Clears. Had some AKG K702 special editions back in the day that cost more, but that's because I bought them in Thailand while living there and import taxes were insane, but were great for the competitive gaming I was doing 10 years ago (read: sucking at Battlefield 2 I think it was). The price difference between HE1000SE and the used Sussys are close enough that I'm not too bothered by it (along with other things I've considered like DCA Stealth/Expanse, Empyrean 2, Arya Organic/Stealth, HEK Stealth, HD800S). I've been through multiple Schitt stacks, a Topping stack and a Fioo dac/amp or two. I have my own proper 7.3.4 home theater (well almost proper - it's a rental), but that's in the basement while my office is on the 2nd floor. So I've got about 10+ years in the hobby as a casual, but have started taking it more serious in the past year as I look for one pair of headphones to use as a daily driver for "everything". I'm not a big fan of switching headphones a lot.

Use case is immersive gaming (non-competitive games like RPGs, Cyberpunk, Skyrim, Elite Dangerous, etc), movies when I'm too lazy to go into the basement, and all genres of music. A lot of female Asian pop/rock, orchestral video game music, and all those other alt/pop/punk-rock songs 30-some year old millenials used to listen to 20 years ago (Linkin Park, Green Day, Coldplay, Paramore, The Offspring, blah blah blah).

I do not know anyone near me in the hobby, no one on marketplace has any for sale to demo, and the only two hifi stores within a few hours of me (that happen to be two miles apart) only carry a pair of LCD-2Cs and then a bunch of Grados. Why only Grados?! And why are the only two competing hifi stores 2 miles from each other only carrying Grados!? I supposed one of the has B&W headphones, too, but an actual B&W showroom is only 15 miles away. Super frustrating.

Crucial informations thanks for insight!

To me it sounds like you have a computer/laptop you are trying to make an audiophile environment for your headphones. If I am right PM me about this.

-

I am still learning the Susvaras(over a year). I won´t recommend them to anybody without trying some headphones first. You seem you have tried some, but Susvara is far from a gaming headphone. You will understand if you know the HE400SE.

You know what, Susvara is sometime scary, where it feels they are worth 200 dollars. Other times they are a dream.

This is forever gonna haunt you when you buy them