[TheMiddleSky]

Anyone experience Nimbus with Phi TC? Or perhaps with Abyss Diana.

The more I read, the more I feel this amp is about accuracy, soundstage, with slight dry and neutral to cool tonality.

The big plan is to use Bartok as DAC.

Note: From a V281 lover

 

[Musikfan]

That is a question I have, too. Can anyone comment on HPA4 vs UM4+?

Hi, I'd also like to hear any impressions or comparisons between the US4+ and HPA4. I've narrowed my list to these 2 amps and would love to hear opinions and recommendations. Thanks very much.

 

[sqz0914]

Hi, I'd also like to hear any impressions or comparisons between the US4+ and HPA4. I've narrowed my list to these 2 amps and would love to hear opinions and recommendations. Thanks very much.

HPA4, you mean the latest amplifier from Benchmark? I would say I prefer US4/US4+. I once ordered the HPA4 but returned it after two-day listening. The HPA4 is somewhat too analytical. The image is small and seems to consist of lines. The benefit is that any headphone would sound quite clear but would lose musicality at the same time. The position of the vocal is also a little bit weird. The US4/US4+ sounds similar to V280/V281 but with a bigger soundstage, better imaging, and more details of bass. The music seems to be integrated on US4/US4+ instead of disintegrated on HPA4. The sound of my GS3000e on HPA4 is irritating but on US4/US4+, it is quite controlled and tuned.

 

[thecrow]

Well, after more then 80 hours of burn-in, this amp makes the music just flow around me. With Susvara it has an extremely good effect of out of your head sound. It is effortless and now the tonality is very balanced.

I changed the gain settings a lot and find that for me the best is +6 dB. When using +12 or +18, the sound was a little V-shaped.

I have 15 years of audiophile headphone experience but every time I listen to this amp + Susvara I am amazed and can’t believe this kind of sonic performance is possible from a pair of headphones. The instrument separation and 3D space that this amp is creating are remarkable.
I always thought these attributes are done by the DAC in a chain but the amp is so much more important.

Hi. Can you compare niimbus to v280 (from memory) when using susvara?

i have demoed the susvara and i prefer it with my Taurus over the v280. Though the Taurus still underdrives it when it comes to the bottom end at 2.5 Watts.
i preferried the balance of the Taurus over the v280 for susvaras, but the other way around for lcd4.
Hence wondering what the niimbus might bring
thanks

 

[zorilon]

Hi. Can you compare niimbus to v280 (from memory) when using susvara?

i have demoed the susvara and i prefer it with my Taurus over the v280. Though the Taurus still underdrives it when it comes to the bottom end at 2.5 Watts.
i preferried the balance of the Taurus over the v280 for susvaras, but the other way around for lcd4.
Hence wondering what the niimbus might bring
thanks

Hi,

Well, from my recall, V280 had a very good bass-sub bass response and sweet highs (a little role of). The timbre was natural that’s why I decided to go with another Lake People amp, the Niimbus US4. In terms of imaging, V280 was not impressive, and the soundstage was not so big.

In comparison, Niimbus has surgically precision imaging, layering and detail, keeping the natural timbre that I liked (I don’t like extra bright, clinical amps). It has a very big and tall soundstage, it is the first amp that make sound coming from Susvara appear vertical not only horizontal (I also tried HeadAmp GSX mini that has flat vertical soundstage).

I played a little with the different ground settings (ground jumpers) on the Niimbus internal and in my setup it had a big impact. The factory setting gives a very clean sound with very good high extension but bass was not as deep as I like. When switching to “Ground“ on the main board and “Lift” on the XLR, the amp has very good and deep bass and the highs are a little rolled of.
So depending on the preference you can adjust the sound a little (see on the user manual).

Also the amp is very sensitive to different power cords and interconnecting cables. After some adjustments, for my this amp is a match in haven with Susvara and a different animal compared to V280.

 

[thecrow]

Hi. At a crossroad. Here’s a bit more detail of where I’m at. Also posted on susvara thread. Any guidance is appreciated


i am contemplating buying the niimbus us4. No chance to demo though. Big investment for me.

i like my v280 with my hekse and utopias. Prefer my empyreans with auralic taurus where the sound is less warm to the v280 (as a comparison). However all three headphones are fine with both, just different.

but when i demoed the susvara recently I definitely preferred the taurus over the v280. On specs the v280 has a bit more power than the taurus (loosely 3 v 2.5 w).

from memory, as i ended up focussing more on the tauru, i think the v280 may have been less open (ie Primarily mids or top end) or too weighted on the bottom end/mids. Again not 100% sure as i easily gravitated to the taurus.

but the susvara needs more power

so i am considering buying the niimbus purely because of the susvaras (and selling v280)

1) how would the niimbus with the susvara compare to the v280 with susvara? Do you think this would suit me?

2) i feel the utopias, hekse and empyreans would all work well with niimbus, but (if I don’t go with the susvara) is it worth spending 3x as much on the niimbus v what i would get for the v280 when only looking at these headphones (ie not susvara)

thanks in advance

@project86 it’s your review (Yet another one after the cayin iha6 that i owned in the past) that has me looking at this direction

 

[ken6217]

Hi. At a crossroad. Here’s a bit more detail of where I’m at. Also posted on susvara thread. Any guidance is appreciated


i am contemplating buying the niimbus us4. No chance to demo though. Big investment for me.

i like my v280 with my hekse and utopias. Prefer my empyreans with auralic taurus where the sound is less warm to the v280 (as a comparison). However all three headphones are fine with both, just different.

but when i demoed the susvara recently I definitely preferred the taurus over the v280. On specs the v280 has a bit more power than the taurus (loosely 3 v 2.5 w).

from memory, as i ended up focussing more on the tauru, i think the v280 may have been less open (ie Primarily mids or top end) or too weighted on the bottom end/mids. Again not 100% sure as i easily gravitated to the taurus.

but the susvara needs more power

so i am considering buying the niimbus purely because of the susvaras (and selling v280)

1) how would the niimbus with the susvara compare to the v280 with susvara? Do you think this would suit me?

2) i feel the utopias, hekse and empyreans would all work well with niimbus, but (if I don’t go with the susvara) is it worth spending 3x as much on the niimbus v what i would get for the v280 when only looking at these headphones (ie not susvara)

thanks in advance

@project86 it’s your review (Yet another one after the cayin iha6 that i owned in the past) that has me looking at this direction

Have you looked at the V281 replacement. The sound is somewhere between the V281 and the Niimbus. Project86 can offer his thoughts on this as well.

 

[thecrow]

Have you looked at the V281 replacement. The sound is somewhere between the V281 and the Niimbus. Project86 can offer his thoughts on this as well.

somewhat considered (if still available) but john (project86) highly rated susvara with niimbus.

i’m happy with the v280 with what i have but the susvara temptation has me thinking of the niimbus and other options.

in for a penny, in for a pound

 

[ken6217]

somewhat considered (if still available) but john (project86) highly rated susvara with niimbus.

i’m happy with the v280 with what i have but the susvara temptation has me thinking of the niimbus and other options.

in for a penny, in for a pound

I think you’re mistaking what I’m talking about for something else. The amp I’m referring to just came out. V590. Maybe send John a PM and ask his opinion. He is, or will be working on a review of it. It’s about $3500.

 

[thecrow]

I think you’re mistaking what I’m talking about for something else. The amp I’m referring to just came out. V590. Maybe send John a PM and ask his opinion. He is, or will be working on a review of it. It’s about $3500.

Oops. I misread your post.
i did look at the v590.
i think it was in the v590 thread that @project86 stated that the absolute power (i almost wrote brute) causes the niimbus to be the best option for the susvara. With no doubt about it.

so that leads me searching for a few details and views of the sound of the niimbus particularly as i preferred the less warm taurus over the v280 with the susvara as a tease. I have a metrum hex dac and that adds an analogue flavour Wondering how that would match with susvara and niimbus.
bummer that I can’t demo it here in australia as adding the niimbus (and selling other gear) is a wholesale change to my setup. And it’s just the susvara that has me thinking of this move

cheers

 

[ken6217]

Oops. I misread your post.
i did look at the v590.
i think it was in the v590 thread that @project86 stated that the absolute power (i almost wrote brute) causes the niimbus to be the best option for the susvara. With no doubt about it.

so that leads me searching for a few details and views of the sound of the niimbus particularly as i preferred the less warm taurus over the v280 with the susvara as a tease. I have a metrum hex dac and that adds an analogue flavour Wondering how that would match with susvara and niimbus.
bummer that I can’t demo it here in australia as adding the niimbus (and selling other gear) is a wholesale change to my setup. And it’s just the susvara that has me thinking of this move

cheers

I hate to get you to spend more money but you should look at the Morpheus DAC from Sonnet. If you’re not familiar with it, thats a company that Cees, the person at Metrum that designed all of their products started. I sold my Pavane level 3 for this, and it’s half the price. John has an upcoming review of it.

 

[thecrow]

I hate to get you to spend more money but you should look at the Morpheus DAC from Sonnet. If you’re not familiar with it, thats a company that Cees, the person at Metrum that designed all of their products started. I sold my Pavane level 3 for this, and it’s half the price. John has an upcoming review of it.

Lol
i love my hex dac!!
i have at times fleetingly considered the pavane and then the morpheus but luckily i have not heard them. I can’t imagine a dac being more ideal for me than the hex. Let’s keep it that way for my wallet’s sake.

from time to time but rarely i see the hex being sold locally in the classfieds for under $2k aud. approx $1500 usd. That is an absolute bargain and there is no way i would sell it for that little.
the value it gives me is soooo much more

did i mention i like my metrum hex dac?

 

[ken6217]

Lol
i love my hex dac!!
i have at times fleetingly considered the pavane and then the morpheus but luckily i have not heard them. I can’t imagine a dac being more ideal for me than the hex. Let’s keep it that way for my wallet’s sake.

from time to time but rarely i see the hex being sold locally in the classfieds for under $2k aud. approx $1500 usd. That is an absolute bargain and there is no way i would sell it for that little.
the value it gives me is soooo much more

did i mention i like my metrum hex dac?

That’s great. It’s not easy to not have a wandering eye in this hobby.

 

[vonBaron]

US4 is somewhat similar to GS-X mini sound signature?
It will be a step forward?

 

[Fegefeuer]

Niimbus is another class, a V590's amp would be a fairer comparison for the V280 but also beats it pretty handily. V590 inherits V281's popular signature to a certain degree unlike the Niimbus so the basis for a comparison is a bit easier but since it's technically closer to the Niimbus you already gain a lot from its traits (bass definition, presence and its "effortlessness", better defined treble, even lower noise) without having to go such a huge price step. Also remember that the V280 most likely should get a successor too, not only the V281 itself.

The Niimbus advantages are inherent from its design and signature, definitely not its raw power alone. I absolutely love its bass detail, control and sustain and how it handles transients. Tactile, palpatable, yet not square or overly sharp.

Susvara is a very very well tuned headphone that needs power, sustain, transparency, detail first before any (counter)matching of its signature, unlike let's say the HE-1000SE which somehow is a overconfident way of creating a HD 800 of today. I like the HE-1000SE better with the V590. V280 should counter it even better but you would miss all the jumps in technicalities.

From a signature standpoint the US4+ is the better match than the V280 (for the Susvara) and along with it you get all the other good stuff that the V280 simply cannot match, also more than enough power for the Susvara. You should expect this of course from the difference in pricing.

btw.: I have a huge dual mono F6 here and the Niimbus has no problems matching it with my 4-screw HE-6's.

I came back from my vacation a few days ago. I will try to get a Susvara loaner somewhere, then I could directly compare both the US4+ and the V590. Can't help you with the V280 though as I don't have acesss to one. After the first many hours with the V590 I decided to abandon the idea of comparing it to the V281.