[chrisnyc75]

Hope it's ok to post here, I wanted to mention it in this thread since the ModHouse Tungsten was the headphone I used to fine-tune the spatial enhancement feature due to the Tungsten's fantastic staging, layering and imaging performance.
If you have a chance to try this at CanJam and are bringing your Tungsten, do it!

I'm really excited about this!

Given the adjustable 2v-10v out, I think this is particularly relevant to this thread.

Yeah keep looking at other headphones. But a new DAC should take precedence considering the headphone to come. Holo Spring KTE so 4-5 months would be a useful saving time. Unless I just bite the bullet now.

Fwiw, while May did take 3 months to arrive, Bliss arrived like 3 weeks after I ordered it, so YMMV.

 

[chrisnyc75]

I seriously don't think there's much competition for the price.

I think we all already know and agree that this is true. What I, for one, am more interested in is setting price aside, how do they stack up against the BIG DOGS - Susvara, LCD-5, 1266-TC, Caldera, etc.? No one doubts Tungsten is the best headphone you can get under $2K. But is it really a Giant Killer or just a really good bargain?

 

[Currawong]

It depends

Manufacturers often reach out and offer to send stuff for review. Whether I accept depends on whether I have much of a queue of other products and whether I'm interested in the product they're offering. I turn down more stuff than I review.
Other times if it's something I myself really want to test I'll reach out to them and see if they're willing to lend a unit.

What happens after depends too. Typically with expensive stuff, it goes back after unless you want to buy it. Cheaper units like IEMs and more budget DACs/amps etc it's generally not financially sensible for the manufacturer to pay to ship it back, refurbish, sell at a loss as open box etc, and so they'll just leave it with you. It's also quite common that a manufacturer will offer to sell a unit to you at a discount if you liked it since again it's open box now anyway.

Some reviewers sell review units (be it ones they were given or ones they bought with a discount steep enough to resell for a profit anyway) after they're done. This is a practice I am strongly against, it's literally no different than just being paid by the manufacturer to do a review and is a clear financial incentive to be nice about their products.
Other reviewers including myself will keep ahold of units that manufacturers leave with us, both because selling them would be morally wrong, and also because then they can be used in future videos/testing for comparison which helps to make better videos.

I and others will end up with a fair amount of gear, but in my case at least, I've bought most of it. We are doing this because we're enthusiasts after all so makes sense we;d have a decent collection of our own!
The majority of headphones I have are ones I bought myself, not left over from reviews, and whilst it might sound nice to get to keep gear, honestly it's more of a problem than a benefit
@Currawong is a good example, he never sells review units, but tends to have units left with him after a review more often than others due to his location being more expensive to ship to/from. I don't envy him having to store literal drawers full of DAPs etc

OT, but I'll add to this that in the hi-fi world, it is completely unacceptable to sell review units. One 2-channel reviewer sold off all the free cables he had received over years, and when he got caught, all the manufacturers that had given him cables immediately asked for them to be returned. The magazine had to fork out $30k to pay for them!

I consider anything I haven't had to return as being on permanent loan, down to keeping all packaging and accessories. I treat those things as belonging to my work, even if I am working for myself, if that makes any sense. If it helps make my reviews more useful, then that works for me, though I dislike the clutter it has generated.

 

[GoldenSound]

OT, but I'll add to this that in the hi-fi world, it is completely unacceptable to sell review units. One 2-channel reviewer sold off all the free cables he had received over years, and when he got caught, all the manufacturers that had given him cables immediately asked for them to be returned. The magazine had to fork out $30k to pay for them!

I consider anything I haven't had to return as being on permanent loan, down to keeping all packaging and accessories. I treat those things as belonging to my work, even if I am working for myself, if that makes any sense. If it helps make my reviews more useful, then that works for me, though I dislike the clutter it has generated.

Yeah, the issue tbh is that some reviewers justify it by saying that they bought it and it wasn't 'given' to them.....not mentioning the fact they got it 50% off and sold it for 75% RRP....

 

[Slackaveli]

Yeah, the issue tbh is that some reviewers justify it by saying that they bought it and it wasn't 'given' to them.....not mentioning the fact they got it 50% off and sold it for 75% RRP....

would it be better to donate them to us poors?
PM for address

 

[dudeX]

I think we all already know and agree that this is true. What I, for one, am more interested in is setting price aside, how do they stack up against the BIG DOGS - Susvara, LCD-5, 1266-TC, Caldera, etc.? No one doubts Tungsten is the best headphone you can get under $2K. But is it really a Giant Killer or just a really good bargain?

I have a Susvara, and I borrowed an LCD-5. My Tungsten DS with Caldera Ultra Perforated pads competes with Susvara, and is far more engaging than the LCD-5.
I have listened to Caldera at CanJam NYC and while I like the tonality, it did not excite me. Abyss 1266 probably has more resolution and bass slam than the Tungsten but the midrange is a bit hollowed out if you‘re not upgrading your system to fix the midrange.

Tungsten is better than the Susvara in these ways: seems a bit more neutral than Susvara, but darker treble. More engaging bass, better imaging and layering. Better timbre at times. Extra decay to notes adds a bit more presence, and some elements in the music have a bit more weight to them. Dynamics are better on the tungsten I think, and according to tests, it’s 6DB better.
Susvara is better than Tungsten in these ways: While Tungsten is more engaging and layered, Susvara’s presentation sometimes sounds more cohesive. Like the balance between instruments and spacing makes more sense. Also the treble is higher in the up-down direction so cymbals float in your head more which is nicer; Tungsten has cymbals more in line with the rest of the music. Tungsten still preserves the detail of cymbals, and sometimes reveals more info there too, but it’s inline and not floating. Speed seems comparable between the two, but maybe Susvara has the perception of being faster. I never thought to myself that Tungsten is noticeably slower though.

I haven’t spent too much time with the LCD-5 but it does have a treble problem. It works really well with rock music and a few other genres, but without EQ it screws up timbre. I don’t think it’s a resolution monster. Comfort can also be another issue.

 

[chrisnyc75]

I have a Susvara, and I borrowed an LCD-5. My Tungsten DS with Caldera Ultra Perforated pads competes with Susvara, and is far more engaging than the LCD-5.
I have listened to Caldera at CanJam NYC and while I like the tonality, it did not excite me. Abyss 1266 probably has more resolution and bass slam than the Tungsten but the midrange is a bit hollowed out if you‘re not upgrading your system to fix the midrange.

Tungsten is better than the Susvara in these ways: seems a bit more neutral than Susvara, but darker treble. More engaging bass, better imaging and layering. Better timbre at times. Extra decay to notes adds a bit more presence, and some elements in the music have a bit more weight to them. Dynamics are better on the tungsten I think, and according to tests, it’s 6DB better.
Susvara is better than Tungsten in these ways: While Tungsten is more engaging and layered, Susvara’s presentation sometimes sounds more cohesive. Like the balance between instruments and spacing makes more sense. Also the treble is higher in the up-down direction so cymbals float in your head more which is nicer; Tungsten has cymbals more in line with the rest of the music. Tungsten still preserves the detail of cymbals, and sometimes reveals more info there too, but it’s inline and not floating. Speed seems comparable between the two, but maybe Susvara has the perception of being faster. I never thought to myself that Tungsten is noticeably slower though.

I haven’t spent too much time with the LCD-5 but it does have a treble problem. It works really well with rock music and a few other genres, but without EQ it screws up timbre. I don’t think it’s a resolution monster. Comfort can also be another issue.

My very brief first impression of LCD-5 was that it is a very competent studio monitor. Excellent, but not particularly exciting. Susvara seemed like a much better Arya, but again, nothing really stood out as a superpower for a $6K headphone.

Caldera SLAMS. Can't wait to see what word best encapsulates Tungsten.

 

[Aetherhole]

Susvara seemed like a much better Arya, but again, nothing really stood out as a superpower for a $6K headphone.

I think that’s a common reaction, actually. The Susvara doesn’t initially wow, it really didn’t for me, but the more I listened to it, the more I really appreciate what it has to offer. It is one of the most well-rounded headphones. It may not be the absolute top at any one particular sound aspect, but it is often talked about in the same breath as the very best of them. Of course, this is with the big caveat that they are driven properly, which, is definitely not always the case.

 

[goldwerger]

As I’ve mentioned it in my review, I will add my agreement:

With both optimally (to your taste) amplified, the Susvara is still unbeatable to me.

But the price/performance of the Tungsten is astounding and unbeatable; and it carried its weight at the top league of planars without breaking a sweat. The mere fact that a comparison between a 2k and 6k headphones is relevant is, in itself, such an incredible achievement.

I also find the Tungsten highly complementary to the Susvara. Its presentation style appeals to a different sensibility (in one’s mood or taste).

 

[Aetherhole]

With the Tungsten being notoriously hard to drive, does that equate to the scalability of the Tungsten being relatively limitless similarly with the Susvara?

I’m really looking forward to hearing them for myself.

 

[goldwerger]

With the Tungsten being notoriously hard to drive, does that equate to the scalability of the Tungsten being relatively limitless similarly with the Susvara?

I’m really looking forward to hearing them for myself.

I suppose nothing is limitless and, importantly, how far one would go is a very sibjective matter of what seems reasonable or affordable (in our hobby, good to always keep in mind that choice being highly personal).

That said, I have experiences the Tubgsten scaling up as much as the Susvara with increasing quality of amplification needs, as has been covered extensively previously in this thread (and their needs aren’t the same).

for example, 3 amps with which I love the Tubgsten, at radically different price points: GOTL, Aegis, AIC. Sounds really great on all of them, yet the differences are discernible.

 

[Aetherhole]

I suppose nothing is limitless and, importantly, how far one would go is a very sibjective matter of what seems reasonable or affordable (in our hobby, good to always keep in mind that choice being highly personal).

That said, I have experiences the Tubgsten scaling up as much as the Susvara with increasing quality of amplification needs, as has been covered extensively previously in this thread (and their needs aren’t the same).

for example, 3 amps with which I love the Tubgsten, at radically different price points: GOTL, Aegis, AIC. Sounds really great on all of them, yet the differences are discernible.

Yeah, I‘m understanding more and more as I read about them, the requirements not being the same — different sensitivity and impedance (re: hard to drive in different ways). That’s definitely what I am looking for, the Tungsten scaling up as much as theSusvara.

Certainly would love to hear them on the AIC, for sure!

 

[skhan007]

I have a Susvara, and I borrowed an LCD-5. My Tungsten DS with Caldera Ultra Perforated pads competes with Susvara, and is far more engaging than the LCD-5.
I have listened to Caldera at CanJam NYC and while I like the tonality, it did not excite me. Abyss 1266 probably has more resolution and bass slam than the Tungsten but the midrange is a bit hollowed out if you‘re not upgrading your system to fix the midrange.

Tungsten is better than the Susvara in these ways: seems a bit more neutral than Susvara, but darker treble. More engaging bass, better imaging and layering. Better timbre at times. Extra decay to notes adds a bit more presence, and some elements in the music have a bit more weight to them. Dynamics are better on the tungsten I think, and according to tests, it’s 6DB better.
Susvara is better than Tungsten in these ways: While Tungsten is more engaging and layered, Susvara’s presentation sometimes sounds more cohesive. Like the balance between instruments and spacing makes more sense. Also the treble is higher in the up-down direction so cymbals float in your head more which is nicer; Tungsten has cymbals more in line with the rest of the music. Tungsten still preserves the detail of cymbals, and sometimes reveals more info there too, but it’s inline and not floating. Speed seems comparable between the two, but maybe Susvara has the perception of being faster. I never thought to myself that Tungsten is noticeably slower though.

I haven’t spent too much time with the LCD-5 but it does have a treble problem. It works really well with rock music and a few other genres, but without EQ it screws up timbre. I don’t think it’s a resolution monster. Comfort can also be another issue.

Very interesting. Would you say if the Abyss 1266 did not have the hollowed out midrange, as you’ve experienced, they’d out perform the Tungsten?

 

[up late]

I have a Susvara, and I borrowed an LCD-5. My Tungsten DS with Caldera Ultra Perforated pads competes with Susvara, and is far more engaging than the LCD-5.
I have listened to Caldera at CanJam NYC and while I like the tonality, it did not excite me. Abyss 1266 probably has more resolution and bass slam than the Tungsten but the midrange is a bit hollowed out if you‘re not upgrading your system to fix the midrange.

Tungsten is better than the Susvara in these ways: seems a bit more neutral than Susvara, but darker treble. More engaging bass, better imaging and layering. Better timbre at times. Extra decay to notes adds a bit more presence, and some elements in the music have a bit more weight to them. Dynamics are better on the tungsten I think, and according to tests, it’s 6DB better.
Susvara is better than Tungsten in these ways: While Tungsten is more engaging and layered, Susvara’s presentation sometimes sounds more cohesive. Like the balance between instruments and spacing makes more sense. Also the treble is higher in the up-down direction so cymbals float in your head more which is nicer; Tungsten has cymbals more in line with the rest of the music. Tungsten still preserves the detail of cymbals, and sometimes reveals more info there too, but it’s inline and not floating. Speed seems comparable between the two, but maybe Susvara has the perception of being faster. I never thought to myself that Tungsten is noticeably slower though.

I haven’t spent too much time with the LCD-5 but it does have a treble problem. It works really well with rock music and a few other genres, but without EQ it screws up timbre. I don’t think it’s a resolution monster. Comfort can also be another issue.

the susvara's presentation was open and somewhat ethereal to my ears. does the tungsten sound as open and spacious as the susvara to you?

 

[KUROKOCCHL]

Just found out about the Tungsten recently and was wondering if I should go with Single-Sided or Double-Sided? I have the Violectric V281/Soekris 2541 DAC and some artists I like to listen to are:

- Audioslave
- Blackpink (Only k-pop group I like)
- Blur
- Caroline Polachek
- FKA Twigs
- Lana Del Rey
- Laufey
- Radiohead
- Zach Bryan

I like to listen to a good amount of Pop, Rock, Alternative, and a bit of Electronic and don't listen to Jazz/Classical so I'm leaning towards Single-Sided but it would be great to get some other opinions!