[thecrow]

I agree, mate. Susvaras are definitely one level up from the Utopia and the LCD-4. I love mine. I do enjoy listening to my lower-price Auteurs for a variety of traits I like about the latter. That said, the Utopia and LCD-4 are both interesting HPs. I have also considered buying one or the other.

My recent journey has been selling the auteur, empyreans and a couple of amps to help fund the niimbus and susvara

i decided to go from very good headphones to headphones that have a really wow factor for me so the empy and auteurs have gone, as nice as they are

and i think many here, and i was attempted too, are driving their susvaras with an amp that does not do them enough justice. I get a little frustrated, particularly with (you tube) reviewers who want to review all top end headphones with non top end amps only - eg the thx or ifi micro bl.
(As good as these amps might be in terms of bang for buck)

IMHO it does not do the review justice and it is not a be all and end all review that many think it is

I think we need a balanced set up when it comes to the quality of dac, amp and hps we use

that’s my 2c

 

[DarginMahkum]

I thought the same when I demoed the utopia once with an amp i had back then (maybe the cayin iha6 from memory). The utopias were exhausting to listen to.
Later with my auralic taurus, no problems, i bough the utopia.

I think it is amp dependant. Or it’s just me.

A combination of amp + preference + recordings + auditory system, I guess. There are so many people that find Utopia to be the ultimate HP, and I am sure Focal must have invested a lot of time, money, effort and research to settle for that signature. I guess I am part of the smaller percentage that they chose not to focus on.

My recent journey has been selling the auteur, empyreans and a couple of amps to help fund the niimbus and susvara

i decided to go from very good headphones to headphones that have a really wow factor for me so the empy and auteurs have gone, as nice as they are

That was also my decision to get the best that I can, even get just one or max. two and don't look back - just stopped chasing the ghosts, only enjoying music having a constant wow feeling. I am still at an age that I can hear more, so enjoying it now to its fullest possible extent.

 

[iFi audio]

to help fund the niimbus and susvara

Oh my, you really are aiming big

the ultimate HP

I would say that there are at least several worthy of this badge

 

[thecrow]

Oh my, you really are aiming big

the good side of covid 19 (if i can say that in isolation of all the sh1t that it has brought) is i have not been spending much this year. and working in sales of wine has meant busines has been booming.
and then i consolidate (sell off some of) my headphone collection.
and then (maybe) i only have to sell a couple of my vital organs and i end up with the susvara and niimbus.
it has been a strange 2020

 

[Sajid Amit]

I thought the same when I demoed the utopia once with an amp i had back then (maybe the cayin iha6 from memory). The utopias were exhausting to listen to.
Later with my auralic taurus, no problems, i bough the utopia.

I think it is amp dependant. Or it’s just me.

Yeah the Utopia does appear to be amp-picky, not in the sense of needing power, but pairing, or so they say. My Susvaras have pleased me to no end, so I really ought to stop looking to add to my collection, but I really disliked my Focal Clear (still trying to sell it), and wonder whether the Utopia can fix the problems I had with the Clear.

 

[Sajid Amit]

the good side of covid 19 (if i can say that in isolation of all the sh1t that it has brought) is i have not been spending much this year. and working in sales of wine has meant busines has been booming.
and then i consolidate (sell off some of) my headphone collection.
and then (maybe) i only have to sell a couple of my vital organs and i end up with the susvara and niimbus.
it has been a strange 2020

Let me know how your audio journey turns out. I sometimes feel I should sell all the great HPs I own, only to keep the summit fi stuff I have, and add components that complement them. I have the Susvaras, getting a TOTL DAC soon.
I have a GSX-mini. Will def upgrade, as much as I am infatuated with the Mini. Considering getting the Nimbus US4+. I also wonder how much of a difference the Nimbus US4+ will make over a GSX Mark 2.

 

[paradoxper]

the good side of covid 19 (if i can say that in isolation of all the sh1t that it has brought) is i have not been spending much this year. and working in sales of wine has meant busines has been booming.
and then i consolidate (sell off some of) my headphone collection.
and then (maybe) i only have to sell a couple of my vital organs and i end up with the susvara and niimbus.
it has been a strange 2020

You may just want to hold on to your vital organs a while longer. We're not out of this yet!

 

[thecrow]

You may just want to hold on to your vital organs a while longer. We're not out of this yet!

It’s fn scary.
Here in Australia we have been very fortunate - except for a couple of f-ups from state government. That’s the advantage of being geographically secluded

 

[iFi audio]

the good side of covid 19 (if i can say that in isolation of all the sh1t that it has brought) is i have not been spending much this year.

Yup, staying at home has its perks

and working in sales of wine has meant busines has been booming.

I imagine

and then (maybe) i only have to sell a couple of my vital organs and i end up with the susvara and niimbus.

Yes, we can get by without quite a few organs

it has been a strange 2020

It sure was one odd year.

 

[Fegefeuer]

I've had a few good days and (unfortunately or not) nights (since I stayed up very late) with the Susvara where the Niimbus gave me the best experience I ever heard from a headphone. I've never had doubts about my HD 800 (felt mod on the ring) since it's so well driven from the Niimbus, making me only really miss the subbass from the HE-6 (and of course now Susvara). It gives the HD 800 huge balls, presence, slam, details, flow etc... Sure there flaws like the overshoot and the timbre, but still...great and it will be a classic.

However the Susvara really changed the game. A stronger and better defined center image than the HE-1000SE (now sold) and then it takes over the laser sharp imaging (which I found very impressive and much welcomed over the Arya, HE-1000V2 etc) and gives me a cohorent, round stage. Now the frontal projection (yes, in headphone terms this should not be compared to speakers at all but you get what I mean) is the icing on the cake. There's nothing the HD 800 can counter except throwing a comparably large(r) stage. Effortless detailing, nothing in your face, extreme transparency and resolve, a flowing, dancing character, great extension to both ends. Very very delicate timbre and tasty decay. There's a bit to go here and there as my 4 screw HE-6 gives me more tactile transients and slam but this is well-known already.

Will write a little review next week.

 

[DarginMahkum]

Of course it may not be fair to compare a CB and an OB headphone, but it is still amazing the new HE-R10 P (30 ohms, 100 dB) can be driven from a BT receiver and and it is technically at the same level as Susvara. I wonder how much more they can scale with a powerful device as the US4.

 

[thecrow]

I've had a few good days and (unfortunately or not) nights (since I stayed up very late) with the Susvara where the Niimbus gave me the best experience I ever heard from a headphone. I've never had doubts about my HD 800 (felt mod on the ring) since it's so well driven from the Niimbus, making me only really miss the subbass from the HE-6 (and of course now Susvara). It gives the HD 800 huge balls, presence, slam, details, flow etc... Sure there flaws like the overshoot and the timbre, but still...great and it will be a classic.

However the Susvara really changed the game. A stronger and better defined center image than the HE-1000SE (now sold) and then it takes over the laser sharp imaging (which I found very impressive and much welcomed over the Arya, HE-1000V2 etc) and gives me a cohorent, round stage. Now the frontal projection (yes, in headphone terms this should not be compared to speakers at all but you get what I mean) is the icing on the cake. There's nothing the HD 800 can counter except throwing a comparably large(r) stage. Effortless detailing, nothing in your face, extreme transparency and resolve, a flowing, dancing character, great extension to both ends. Very very delicate timbre and tasty decay. There's a bit to go here and there as my 4 screw HE-6 gives me more tactile transients and slam but this is well-known already.

Will write a little review next week.

the susvara / us4 combo is not a bad combo, is it?

 

[paradoxper]

I've had a few good days and (unfortunately or not) nights (since I stayed up very late) with the Susvara where the Niimbus gave me the best experience I ever heard from a headphone. I've never had doubts about my HD 800 (felt mod on the ring) since it's so well driven from the Niimbus, making me only really miss the subbass from the HE-6 (and of course now Susvara). It gives the HD 800 huge balls, presence, slam, details, flow etc... Sure there flaws like the overshoot and the timbre, but still...great and it will be a classic.

However the Susvara really changed the game. A stronger and better defined center image than the HE-1000SE (now sold) and then it takes over the laser sharp imaging (which I found very impressive and much welcomed over the Arya, HE-1000V2 etc) and gives me a cohorent, round stage. Now the frontal projection (yes, in headphone terms this should not be compared to speakers at all but you get what I mean) is the icing on the cake. There's nothing the HD 800 can counter except throwing a comparably large(r) stage. Effortless detailing, nothing in your face, extreme transparency and resolve, a flowing, dancing character, great extension to both ends. Very very delicate timbre and tasty decay. There's a bit to go here and there as my 4 screw HE-6 gives me more tactile transients and slam but this is well-known already.

Will write a little review next week.

For context, what were your previous amplifiers so we can establish a baseline of reference.

I'll likely bring in a Nimbus to satisfy curiosity although I feel it's likely to just be FOTM. No offense.

 

[sahmen]

... and gives me a cohorent, round stage. .

Will look forward to your review of next week, but just to be sure we are all on the same page, I can easily see you mean to say that the soundstage is coherent, but do you also mean to say it was "round" (or is "round stage" a fatigued fingers and eyes version of "sound stage"? )

BTW, I am actually glad and grateful that you managed to squeeze out this post, in spite of being obviously tired,-- before going to catch some sleep, so I am not trying to be cute here. I am serious about confirming whether the Susvara's soundstage comes across as being "round" on the US4+, or whether the "round" was just a typo, and that is why I am asking.

 

[Fegefeuer]

Of course it may not be fair to compare a CB and an OB headphone, but it is still amazing the new HE-R10 P (30 ohms, 100 dB) can be driven from a BT receiver and and it is technically at the same level as Susvara. I wonder how much more they can scale with a powerful device as the US4.

I haven't heard it yet, did you? However I believe the CB design will most likely never breach the laws of physics and be as open and transparent as the Susvara. There's just a ton more acoustical impedance involved with the HE-R10. However I'd be very happy if it reaches, let's say 90% of the Susvara AND offers isolation. Sure, percentages are not a valid currency but you get what I mean.

For context, what were your previous amplifiers so we can establish a baseline of reference.

I'll likely bring in a Nimbus to satisfy curiosity although I feel it's likely to just be FOTM. No offense.

I still have the Liquid Crimson and currently a custom HPA-1. Previously had a Dual Mono F6 loaner in the house which I found absolutely great. However the Niimbus held itself very well compared to that monster regarding the HE-6 and it does the HD 800, 600, JAR 650 better while having a lower noisefloor. if we go further back I surved amps like the BHA-1, GSX MK-II, Mjolnir 2 and a few others. Out of those the BHA-1 was best.

I don't think Lake People and FOTM go together, don't see a lot of hype around these parts. They are just vastly more known and popular in Europa and Asia than in the US. I get your point though.

Will look forward to your review of next week, but just to be sure we are all on the same page, I can easily see you mean to say that the soundstage is coherent, but do you also mean to say it was "round" (or is "round stage" a fatigued fingers and eyes version of "sound stage"?)

BTW, I am actually glad and grateful that you managed to squeeze out this post, in spite of being obviously tired,-- before going to catch some sleep, so I am not trying to be cute here. I am serious about confirming whether the Susvara's soundstage comes across as being "round" on the US4+, or whether the "round" was just a typo, and that is why I am asking.

No, I really mean round. Round and cohorent as in "not a hallway stage", 3-blob, elliptic or strong on the sides, diffuse or weak in the middle etc.