[MrHaelscheir]

I would've heard it EASILY as IMD and losing dynamics if I know my amp is losing steam. His graphs show his amps is starting to clip the Susvara and not that the Susvara is defective lol

You seem to have not gotten the point of my response and my saying that the below was not a bad measurement, and to me looks like a "healthy" driver, though not competitive. But if the Topping were "clipping" the Susvara, the AHB2 was doing so equally at those dynamic extremes. And no where did I say the Susvara was defective. To rephrase: "Given how my recent two HE1000se units had distortion equivalent to lightly damaged diaphragms, would you be happy if you paid to receive a good Susvara, but HiFiMan had the audacity to sell you a unit with probably inaudible but highly measurable distortion artifacts evident of defects, when other units without those defects do exist?"

I do agree that his 104 dB and 114 dB measurements are excessive, but they at least point out objective excellence where due and in service to advancing technology.

 

[Edric Li]

It’s a crap shoot with QC when buying HiFiman. I won’t buy anything from them unless it’s close to half off. Even then I get nervous.

Susvara is my all time favorite headphone, over the Shangrila, over the Audeze, over the Stax, over the HE1/HE90. Yet I probably won’t buy one even if I won the lottery.

 

[alxw0w]

1266tc
Susvara
Meze Empyrean OG

That's three that immediately come to my mind.

 

[ThanatosVI]

1266tc
Susvara
Meze Empyrean OG

That's three that immediately come to my mind.

It happens rarely to see all 3 mentioned, usually it's either the first two or the third that dissappoint depending on what the listener is looking for in a headphone.

Which totl headphones did not dissappoint you (as in which is your totl of choice?)

 

[alxw0w]

It happens rarely to see all 3 mentioned, usually it's either the first two or the third that dissappoint depending on what the listener is looking for in a headphone.

Which totl headphones did not dissappoint you (as in which is your totl of choice?)

To be honest they all do.... to some degree.

But those three, especially Sus and Abyss are on my top, because of the price performance ratio is poor AF.

 

[vcoheda]

Envy is one of the worst amp to pair with 1266.

reason for this.

 

[hifimanguy]

Denon D7100 from back in the day. Were Denon's flagship and an utter mess LOL!

 

[LCMusicLover]

Haven't been here for a while, but wanted to comment on the ZMF pad-swapping posts. Especially @KaiFi & @TheRunningIr0n

Just want to be sure that those objecting have tried the 'turn it inside out like a sock' method shown in Zach's pad-swapping YouTube video.

I had a very hard time swapping pads on my Auteur for years, literally years. Then I saw this video and slapped my forehead with a loud DOH!!

It now takes me less than a minute to swap pads on my Auteur and Atrium.

=======

Re: the quality and price/performance kerfuffle:

First of all:

@chesebert suggested that ZMFs are over-priced and pointed out some other cans which have excellent price/performance, specifically the Neumann NDH-30 and ETA O². Some folks reacted ... poorly.

NDH-30s are very nice, but I've passed them on as they don't really bring anything I 'had to have'. However, the ETA O² are in my rotation now. They're light, and comfortable, and I really enjoy their sound character.

Not saying that they're better than my other cans, but rather that they can play in the same league as my Auteur, Atrium, HEKse, DCA Expanse. And they play above my Hedds.

And for $500 I consider that quite an achievement ($600 list, but I caught a promotion).

Secondly:

There are actually some detailed ZMF pad measurements/comparisons recorded using various ZMF cans over on The Site Which Shall Not Be Named.

Thirdly:

Your ears, my ears

 

[chesebert]

ETA is another high value maker. Ev and Tommy know how to tune their cans well and their sound profile fits my preference. I have the miniC and don‘t need another open but others should look at ETA for sure.

 

[LCMusicLover]

ETA is another high value maker...

Ah, so you haven't changed your opinion. Me either

 

[theveterans]

Still loving my mini C to bits

 

[number1sixerfan]

The critique of ZMF was quite a bit overdone (tbc not the original pricing callout, rather the subsequent suggestions that users primarily enjoy ZMF because of aesthetics, which really had nothing to do with the theme of the thread) and the responses predictable. There's no need for shame on anyone from any side simply voicing opinion, which is the point of the entire thread.

And building on that last point, I reiterate again that a thread like this is very valuable despite any symptom faults.

To be honest they all do.... to some degree.

But those three, especially Sus and Abyss are on my top, because of the price performance ratio is poor AF.

Meant to respond to this before. Absolutely get this point of view. The only thing I'd mention is that when you then compare the Sus/TC/Sr1a to the ultra premium class of products, i.e. the SGL Sr., HE1, Aperio, etc., they then represent their own value, and likewise in opposite direction when considering slightly less expensive headphones compared to non-summit fi (i.e. Expanse and others vs. mid/low tier cans in which the same price/performance ratio can seem equally as poor). Premise is really the same across the board. Just something to mention, and yet not invalidates the statement here, I get it.

 

[equalspeace]

Don’t blame you for being disappointed. Niimbus=lake people, which is solidly midfi so not even TOTL material in first place.

you hold such strong opinions on a company who's devices you have never heard, and recently admitted to same. what conclusions are we to draw from this??

 

[chesebert]

you hold such strong opinions on a company who's devices you have never heard, and recently admitted to same. what conclusions are we to draw from this??

Where did you get this from?

 

[equalspeace]

Where did you get this from?

in another thread you said you only heard the older 200 series. thus you have no exp with devices from the post above you responded to and yet you made blanket statement about Nimbus/Lake people. unless you want to say now you heard them??