[UntilThen]

A little something about Susvara, T1.2 and HEDD...
https://www.hificritic.com/uploads/...tech_feature__by_keith_howard_for_hificri.pdf
From this https://www.hificritic.com/current-issue-excerpts.html
From start but not to finish...

First of all, I don't listen at 120 dB. My ears would not forgive me if I did that. Secondly Odyssey was created to drive Susvara. Looking back at my correspondence with Tomas, that is one of my criteria. Tomas assured me that Odyssey will drive Susvara with headroom to spare. When I listened to the combination 2 weeks ago, I knew and am convinced that Odyssey drives Susvara better than my speaker amp. Hence I bought this suspicious looking headphone.

 

[UntilThen]

One battle that destined to happen

I'm all ears to hear out this battle.

 

[triod750]

First of all, I don't listen at 120 dB. My ears would not forgive me if I did that. Secondly Odyssey was created to drive Susvara. Looking back at my correspondence with Tomas, that is one of my criteria. Tomas assured me that Odyssey will drive Susvara with headroom to spare. When I listened to the combination 2 weeks ago, I knew and am convinced that Odyssey drives Susvara better than my speaker amp. Hence I bought this suspicious looking headphone.

I think the writer of that article is missing that Marshall Chasin is talking about very short peaks in live acoustical music (even if he mentions this). I doubt that we get this in recorded music. I suspect that this is 'cut away' and that this is one reason for recorded music to never reach the original. But some instruments have peaks that we don't realize are there and we don't register the actual sound level.

 

[UntilThen]

I think the writer of that article is missing that Marshall Chasin is talking about very short peaks in live acoustical music (even if he mentions this). I doubt that we get this in recorded music. I suspect that this is 'cut away' and that this is one reason for recorded music to never reach the original. But some instruments have peaks that we don't realize are there and we don't register the actual sound level.

How many of us listen so critically? Most of the time we're going Deep Purple or Black Sabbath and we're banging our heads away.

 

[triod750]

To me, acoustical music is the reference when I evaluate amps, headphones, tubes or whatever. If I get that close to right I accept everything else with music without real reference. When that sounds awkward I blame the technicians...

 

[UntilThen]

For me it's listening to Mark Knopfler sing in his sunset years. If the hairs on my hands stands, then the setup is great !

 

[bcowen]

For me it's listening to Mark Knopfler sing in his sunset years. If the hairs on my hands stands, then the setup is great !

Thanks a lot for that visual.

Not.

 

[UntilThen]

Thanks a lot for that visual.

What happen to your hands Bill?

 

[jonathan c]

How many of us listen so critically? Most of the time we're going Deep Purple or Black Sabbath and we're banging our heads away.

There is no critical listening of/to Marilyn Manson….⛓…

 

[jonathan c]

[ …grunt…grunt…more Captain & Tenille…]

 

[baronbeehive]

[ …grunt…grunt…more Captain & Tenille…]

He has let himself go... UT this is what will happen with too much headphone listening .

 

[UntilThen]

He has let himself go... UT this is what will happen with too much headphone listening .

Ha hahaha. Hope my hands don't become like that when Susvara comes tomorrow.

 

[DecentLevi]

THIS IS FINYSSEY
THIS IS PURE UNADULTERATED FIDELITY
This is the hybrid between Odyssey and Infinity with sonics that are unbound to the conventional limits of audio.

This is dynamics with the heft of a boulder that has headroom to spare.
An incredibly well defined vivid, crisp, rich, sweet and distinctly hi-fi sound that presents images like I've never heard them before. Excellent image and layers that are well separated and defined yet coherent.

Shown above with Tesla EL12 Spez + Selectron 6J5 which has since been replaced with EL39 + Fivre 6J5 and wow, at first I thought my recording had distortion but not at all, just revealing the original recording. A bit brighter but just really expansive and boundless with every descriptor you could name. Succulent with analog recordings, really.

This amp was born out of a need to upgrade my original Infinity which was built last year, which I was unable to use due a specific reason. Such reason shall remain strictly confidential, and was from one or more of the following: operational issues, tube quality or component sensitivity. Suffice it to say, I am VERY pleased this allowed a new amp to be born. This revised amp just came back from Sweden yesterday, but from my distant memory, this is a far cry from the original Infinity, just better on all fronts namely slam and better defined images and weight with totally effortless reproduction of all sounds in a pleasing yet non-fatiguing package. Although never fully burned in, the former struck me like it was waiting to grow in some way. Well I suppose now that's just what it has done!!

As outlined in this post, the output stage was changed to auto bias with traditional series feed like Odyssey, now with larger Sowter transformers as well, and keeping the manual grid biased input stage of the Infinity (hence the Voltometer you see off to the side). As Matt (UT) put it, Odyssey is strictly old school. Yours is a combination of new and old school.

The largest knob is volume and the two smaller knobs are variable impedance adjustment (position 1 speakers + line out together, position 2 - 5 are 8-128 ohm selections). These two knobs are turned simultaneously one for each R / L channel. The 2 "dummy" RCA outputs on the back are so I can later experiment with RCA damping wands (tuning stick).

Such great sound so far, and from only my low-fi temporary source setup using a iFi iDSD Black label as DAC and my standard RCA cable (with ferrite beads for improvement) since my UP-OCC single crystal silver RCA cable wouldn't fit on it. Good times ahead, as I gradually weave out a few small kinks.

PS - I'm only able to respond here occasionally due to my current work schedule.

 

[baronbeehive]

THIS IS FINYSSEY
THIS IS PURE UNADULTERATED FIDELITY
This is the hybrid between Odyssey and Infinity with sonics that are unbound to the conventional limits of audio.

This is dynamics with the heft of a boulder that has headroom to spare.
An incredibly well defined vivid, crisp, rich, sweet and distinctly hi-fi sound that presents images like I've never heard them before. Excellent image and layers that are well separated and defined yet coherent.


​

Shown above with Tesla EL12 Spez + Selectron 6J5 which has since been replaced with EL39 + Fivre 6J5 and wow, at first I thought my recording had distortion but not at all, just revealing the original recording. A bit brighter but just really expansive and boundless with every descriptor you could name. Succulent with analog recordings, really.

This amp was born out of a need to upgrade my original Infinity which was built last year, which I was unable to use due a specific reason. Such reason shall remain strictly confidential, and was from one or more of the following: operational issues, tube quality or component sensitivity. Suffice it to say, I am VERY pleased this allowed a new amp to be born. This revised amp just came back from Sweden yesterday, but from my distant memory, this is a far cry from the original Infinity, just better on all fronts namely slam and better defined images and weight with totally effortless reproduction of all sounds in a pleasing yet non-fatiguing package. Although never fully burned in, the former struck me like it was waiting to grow in some way. Well I suppose now that's just what it has done!!

As outlined in this post, the output stage was changed to auto bias with traditional series feed like Odyssey, now with larger Sowter transformers as well, and keeping the manual grid biased input stage of the Infinity (hence the Voltometer you see off to the side). As Matt (UT) put it, Odyssey is strictly old school. Yours is a combination of new and old school.

The largest knob is volume and the two smaller knobs are variable impedance adjustment (position 1 speakers + line out together, position 2 - 5 are 8-128 ohm selections). These two knobs are turned simultaneously one for each R / L channel. The 2 "dummy" RCA outputs on the back are so I can later experiment with RCA damping wands (tuning stick).

Such great sound so far, and from only my low-fi temporary source setup using a iFi iDSD Black label as DAC and my standard RCA cable (with ferrite beads for improvement) since my UP-OCC single crystal silver RCA cable wouldn't fit on it. Good times ahead, as I gradually weave out a few small kinks.

PS - I'm only able to respond here occasionally due to my current work schedule.

What a beautiful amp and the sound you described sounds nothing short of incredible. Glad it went well. What an interesting combination of new school and old school .

 

[UntilThen]

Levi, I'm glad this has work out well and sounds like Finyssey (I like to think it's Hercules) will drive Susvara to the moon. I have a feeling the 'a bit brighter' comes from the Sowter output transformers that is famed for it sweet extended treble. It makes the amp sound lively without fatigue. I like this characteristics in Odyssey a lot.

What is that single socket in front for? I can see you've solid state rectification. What can you comment about noise level if any.