[F208Frank]

Auditioning the Warwick Acoustics Aperio

Premise

I am on a stage of my audiophile journey where I am considering to replace my messy DAVE + M-Scaler + various ancillaries with a more elegant solution, provided the uptick in sonics is significant as well.

While I am at this (and various auditions in progress are showing that this is not an easy feat as I hoped), I keep obviously an open mind on alternative routes.

The Aperio appeared on my radar about a year ago, but I did not want to go through the hassle of traveling across Europe to try it, also because I had other priorities at the time (upgrading my music server). Now, as I am approaching my next big investment in my system, I felt ready to go the extra mile (such an understatement) and, also considering the recent accolades, decided to fly to Stockholm and try the system in person.



Setup and Objectives

As usual, I had my playlist with me, which represents a mix of what I listen to more often (classical, some jazz), and a selection of test tracks I use to assess specific aspects of the sound presentation.

The dealer (Perfect Sense, most exquisitely professional and helpful) was kind enough to prepare a setup for me in advance and allow me an entire matinée with the Aperio.

The baseline setup was quite minimalistic (which I liked a lot), being composed of an Aurender N30SA TOTL streamer and the Aperio system.

The second part of my audition was done with an external DAC in the chain, and among the numerous succulent options I had at my disposal, I selected the Playback Designs MPD-8 (another product I consider very attractive on its own).

In both cases the Aurender output was via USB.

The audition with the MPD-8 allowed me to evaluate the potential improvement over the built-in DAC of the Aperio when superseded by a high-end dedicated DAC. This in turn had a twofold scope:

• Estimate how likely it would be for me as an Aperio user to still look into DAC upgrades for the Aperio system itself;
• Evaluate (gross approximation level) the option of using the Aperio as a DAC for my Riviera AIC-10 when driving my other headphones. That would allow me to sell the DAVE to recover part of the insane money outlay needed to acquire the Aperio.

Furthermore, as my main upgrade strategy would be to upgrade my DAC, having the chance of being exposed to the MPD-8 was appealing per se.


Non-Sonics Comments

To get quickly rid of the boring part of this report, let me mention a few things unrelated to sonic performances.

Build quality / industrial design are very good, yet not outstanding. It does not exude the kind of luxury the price positioning would call for. And this stands for both the headphones and – especially – the electronics box. The color mismatch between the all-black headset and the silver box is another thing I did not like. I am aware of the all-black special edition, which would suit more my tastes, but this very fact of releasing special editions of a product that should be exclusive on its own (and preserve a high resale value as such) is a marketing approach that I am not fond of, to say the least.

Comfort was not ideal, because of a slight side pad pressure, but still very good.


Standalone Aperio Audition

As the name suggests, the first thing that stroke me was how open the presentation was. The soundstage is among the widest I have experienced, and – similar to the AB-1266 – very well populated from left to right (I hate a three-lobed soundscape, or large but diffused ones). There is an inordinate amount of (very thin) air between the musicians, which produces one of the most ‘out-of-your-head’ experiences I had with headphones.

The other immediate highlight is an unreal capability of detail retrieval, which comes thanks to a pitch-black background noise floor combined with light-speed transient response and apparent lack of distortion, hence devoid of any noticeable artificial brightness.

The third element of distinction is bass presentation. It has volume, shape, articulation and reach which I experienced only on planars, with a ridiculous amount of speed and control. Only the AB-1266 – when very well driven and perfectly fit on the head – gives me more pleasure with bass notes, thanks to an additional oomph and sub-bass quantity that I find especially pleasing.

In terms of tonal balance, the Aperio are, in my book, a little north or neutral. They are not bright, and the dreaded sibilance is a non-issue, but their palette veers towards immaculate glacial clarity.

Their midrange is not very far from what I heard from Stax SR-009S, with a slightly darker shade of golden, and a little more weight. Still, not my ideal midrange presentation, as I like some more meat to the bones and some more rustic texture e.g. with string instruments, whereas the Aperio makes them a touch too light on their feet than I usually relate to live sound. Valkyria and Susvara are more aligned to my personal tastes here.

The most enjoyable part of my listening was with classical ensembles. From quartets to baroque orchestras to Mahlerian forces the localization of individual instruments in the 3D space was nothing short of phenomenal (literally hyper-realistic, i.e. transcending what is experienced in a real venue). The sense of music appearing from nowhere, or, in other works, utter transparency, was unprecedented for me. The SR1a had that kind of skill, yet not combined with the laser-like level of localization precision, or with the soundstage size, let alone for the grain-less midrange I was hearing from the Aperio.

When big sonic climaxes were reached, the Aperio didn’t even blink, everything remained clear, readable, with no spatial or dynamics compression.

Dynamics is another element of the presentation that took me by surprise, both micro and macro-dynamics were shocking.

I wished I was offered some more weight, heft in percussions and piano, which instead remained a step or two behind what I get from the Valkyria brutal energy displacement. But, the flipside of this was that the most intricate drum lines or piano virtuosic passages became a straightforward reading, as the Aperio came with the Rosetta Stone of all music scores.

Rhythmic drive is another area where the Aperio performs very highly. Music is very lively, has motoric propulsion which excites, even challenges at times until you recalibrate to their pace.

I have not had the time to estimate whether the Aperio is fatiguing in the long run, sure it projects at the listener an immense amount of information, at furious rate. I would not recommend them for those seeking the comfort of holistic, laid back, intimate, cozy headphones listening. It is more a tour-de-force, attention grabbing, exciting presentation, similar to (and possibly beyond) SR1a and AB-1266.


Aperio + Playback Designs MPD-8 DAC

The MPD-8 DAC is renowned for its ‘analog-like’ (pardon the cliché) signature, and with the Aperio that was actually apparent when it came to tonal balance. The overall timbre palette got a slightly darker hue, and some more fleshed out character. Violins, acoustic guitar, cello, vocals, ... all benefited from this – at least to my personal taste.

The thing is that the whole presentation was somewhat tamed, like if the added weight to the notes came at the expense of their mobility, and the uniqueness of the Aperio personality was somewhat traded-off.

I got the feeling that with the MPD-8 in the chain there was more resemblance to what I recognize as real music, but the breath catching moments were slightly less effective.



Overall, I believe the MPD-8 could be a successful pairing for making the Aperio more inviting and forgiving, or more suitable for longer listening sessions, or to cover even more bases in terms of music genres. Piano, for example, became more satisfying, thanks to a richer and longer decay, a less supersonic attack and a more soothed, less polished high register.

For me personally, as I have those bases already covered by the Valkyria in a spectacular fashion, I would start with the Aperio in its immaculate relentlessness and keep the V. as a complementary headphone.


Comparisons and Conclusions

Among the headphones setups that I have personally listened (never tried X9000, Shangri-La Sr, Sony MDR-10, HE1), my all-time favorites are Susvara + Viva Solista, Riviera AIC-10 + AB-1266, AIC-10 + Valkyria, DarTZeel CTH-8550 + SR1a. All the above require a synergistic DAC and source, and are listed in no particular order as every combo has its own strengths and limitations (for me of course).

Now the Aperio takes its place among the ones above with full honors. It establishes a new benchmark (for me) in terms of soundstage deployment and imaging localization, clarity and resolution, transient response.

However, the Aperio would not be the One Who Reigns Over All, for me.

A maxed-out Susvara incarnates the most evenly great performer I experienced across multiple genres and sonic parameters. In its stock form, the Aperio – based on the short audition I had – has the potential to overcome such a system in most areas, while leaving some midrange realism and bass slam on the table.

The AB-1266 with the AIC-10, the Superconductor and the right tube, becomes a spectacular all-rounder as well, with the bonus of a few wow factors, like their speaker-like presentation (which the Aperio now matches) and, above all, their bass that still reigns supreme for my tastes.

The SR1a is also hard to beat at what they do best, although I believe (again, under the limitations of a few-hours test drive) that the Aperio beats them at their own game in most aspects, with the plus of its fully developed bass.

Finally, but more importantly, my penchant for the Valkyria remains untouched as, with all their limitations and flaws, they are the headphones that make my emotional connection with my preferred music work in the most visceral way. I still believe they are producing the most naturalistic overall portrayal of acoustic instruments, hence I am not prepared to part from them, and for this single reason in my system the Valkyria and the AIC-10 would stay for the time being.

I now only need to do my homework in private finance administration (and marriage preservation) in order to evaluate if I can afford the Aperio as a partial addition to my system ... perhaps if I would get a compelling trade-in offer for my DAVE, M-Scaler and AB-1266 TC that could be doable.

After reading this, there is no way I will believe you will sell your TC, just a gut feeling.

 

[Sean_MR]

Just checking into this thread. I bought the Bravura that was for sale here on head-fi. When I first received the unit I immediately plugged it in and listened to it while cold and was concerned that it was a bit bright and edgy and was concerned that I would not be able to live with that type of sound. Letting it warm up totally changed that and I've been using it very happily in heavy rotation with my Susvara (and to a lesser degree my Caldera). The Bravura does not surpass my Susvara chain (Holo May KTE, Viva Egoista 845 with Melz 1578 and Elrog 845 tubes), Norne Vykari cable, Susvara with Dekoni Elite Fenestrated pads ), but at the price point and convenience factor of an all-in-one, the Bravura system is very impressive and enjoyable.

Interesting you found the Bravura didn’t pass the Susvara, since one of the biggest selling points I’ve been hearing is how it *does* manage to surpass the Susvara which is incredible. Granted your Sus chain is pretty insane. Would you say they trade blows in ways or does the sus clearly come out on top to you?

 

[donato]

Interesting you found the Bravura didn’t pass the Susvara, since one of the biggest selling points I’ve been hearing is how it *does* manage to surpass the Susvara which is incredible. Granted your Sus chain is pretty insane. Would you say they trade blows in ways or does the sus clearly come out on top to you?

For me, it’s not close, but that’s me. There is this amazing spaciousness and dynamic quality to my Susvara setup that I really enjoy. It may simply be SET tubes driving the Susvara that are doing it for me. Both setups have great detail. I am amazed at how much bass the Bravura can produces given its a stat. I find the Bravura FR very appealing. And of course, the Susvaras alone cost as much as the complete Bravura system. So I think the Bravura is a brilliant offering and I use it frequently and I’ll have it in my stable for awhile for sure. I do hope to hear (own?) the Aperio one day. But for now if I want to do a serious listening session I’ll go with my Susvara setup.

 

[Palyodgree]

As good as the Bravura system sounds for the price I would say is hard to beat though nit picking too bad other dacs couldn’t be used that would certainly be interesting.

 

[Sean_MR]

For me, it’s not close, but that’s me. There is this amazing spaciousness and dynamic quality to my Susvara setup that I really enjoy. It may simply be SET tubes driving the Susvara that are doing it for me. Both setups have great detail. I am amazed at how much bass the Bravura can produces given its a stat. I find the Bravura FR very appealing. And of course, the Susvaras alone cost as much as the complete Bravura system. So I think the Bravura is a brilliant offering and I use it frequently and I’ll have it in my stable for awhile for sure. I do hope to hear (own?) the Aperio one day. But for now if I want to do a serious listening session I’ll go with my Susvara setup.

Very interesting, thanks for the response! Regarding the FR of the Bravura being appealing to you, is that in relation to the Susvara (warmer, brighter, etc) or just in its own way?

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Hey guys, I’m thinking of getting the Bravura. The Susvara setup sounds insane, but my desk is quite crowded and the simplicity of setting up the Bravura is really compelling to a novice like me.

I have the feeling that it will blow my mind, coming from Audeze LCD-2s with a gryphon, particularly for classical music.

Here is my challenge... It’s a long and boring story, but my personal computer and work computers are connected to the same big monitor that has a built in KVM for my keyboard and mouse, and it seems like it would be cumbersome to flip back and forth to play music from my personal computer.

So I’d like to use my A&K SP3000 DAP as my source.

Would it be as easy as running a 3.5 analog wire from the SP3000 to the input on the back of the Bravura DAC energizer? I see it also has a USB and a digital coax but I’m not quite sure if/how that would work for my use case, or if the sound would be superior to the 3.5 method.

I’d want to do something similar with my iPhone 12 Pro Max, Qobuz, Tidal and Neutron FLAC/DSDs

I also plan on setting up a Roon on my new Synology NAS… I’ve thought for a while about getting a Uniti Atom or a similar streamer.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[BassicScience]

Hey guys, I’m thinking of getting the Bravura. The Susvara setup sounds insane, but my desk is quite crowded and the simplicity of setting up the Bravura is really compelling to a novice like me.

I have the feeling that it will blow my mind, coming from Audeze LCD-2s with a gryphon, particularly for classical music.

Here is my challenge... It’s a long and boring story, but my personal computer and work computers are connected to the same big monitor that has a built in KVM for my keyboard and mouse, and it seems like it would be cumbersome to flip back and forth to play music from my personal computer.

So I’d like to use my A&K SP3000 DAP as my source.

Would it be as easy as running a 3.5 analog wire from the SP3000 to the input on the back of the Bravura DAC energizer? I see it also has a USB and a digital coax but I’m not quite sure if/how that would work for my use case, or if the sound would be superior to the 3.5 method.

I’d want to do something similar with my iPhone 12 Pro Max, Qobuz, Tidal and Neutron FLAC/DSDs

I also plan on setting up a Roon on my new Synology NAS… I’ve thought for a while about getting a Uniti Atom or a similar streamer.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

You could simply run a 3.5mm analog connection between the DAP and Bravura, but I believe the energizer digitizes its analog inputs in order to do proprietary DSP (equalization). As such, it would likely be advisable to send a digital signal from the DAP. You'd need a device to covert the DAP's optical output to coax, but those are readily available at various price points. Avoiding an extra conversion to analog (in your DAP) and then back to digital (in the energizer) should result in higher fidelity, which may or may not be what you'll prefer...

 

[Gowry]

For me, it’s not close, but that’s me. There is this amazing spaciousness and dynamic quality to my Susvara setup that I really enjoy. It may simply be SET tubes driving the Susvara that are doing it for me. Both setups have great detail. I am amazed at how much bass the Bravura can produces given its a stat. I find the Bravura FR very appealing. And of course, the Susvaras alone cost as much as the complete Bravura system. So I think the Bravura is a brilliant offering and I use it frequently and I’ll have it in my stable for awhile for sure. I do hope to hear (own?) the Aperio one day. But for now if I want to do a serious listening session I’ll go with my Susvara setup.

I just got the Bravura system a couple of months ago. I really liked that I wouldn't have to buy an amp as I would for the Susvara. However, I know I'd like to try tubes one day.
I'd love to find out if the character of your Abyss system carries through the ADC of the Bravura system. Have you ever tried taking the output from the SET amp and putting it into the input of the Bravura? I know you'll lose some SNR, but it would be an interesting experiment.

 

[Palyodgree]

Very interesting, thanks for the response! Regarding the FR of the Bravura being appealing to you, is that in relation to the Susvara (warmer, brighter, etc) or just in its own way?

You can build a sensational system around the Susvaras however it will cost you the Susvaras alone are the full retail price of the Bravura system in black . I am familiar with what the Susvaras can bring to the table being driven by quality tube and solid state with dacs like the Holo May ,Rockna WaveDream Merason One in the mix will surpass the performance musicallity wise of the Bravura system however the over all cost just for a sensationally good sounding headphone system made me hesitant to fully commit .Sure there are small details missing with the Bravura system not producing as well as the Susvaras however the motivating factor that change the path I was on was 6K VS 25K plus , perhaps Warwick will release a new model with the option of using other dacs .

 

[Luke Skywalker]

You could simply run a 3.5mm analog connection between the DAP and Bravura, but I believe the energizer digitizes its analog inputs in order to do proprietary DSP (equalization). As such, it would likely be advisable to send a digital signal from the DAP. You'd need a device to covert the DAP's optical output to coax, but those are readily available at various price points. Avoiding an extra conversion to analog (in your DAP) and then back to digital (in the energizer) should result in higher fidelity, which may or may not be what you'll prefer...

Thanks so much for the help! I asked the A&K rep on the SP3000 thread what I’d need to buy and what settings to use.

I just confess, I love the idea of a Susvara setup too. The things holding me back is desk space and the complexity of setting it up. A guy on another thread has an $11K setup which isn’t too bad.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

You can build a sensational system around the Susvaras however it will cost you the Susvaras alone are the full retail price of the Bravura system in black . I am familiar with what the Susvaras can bring to the table being driven by quality tube and solid state with dacs like the Holo May ,Rockna WaveDream Merason One in the mix will surpass the performance musicallity wise of the Bravura system however the over all cost just for a sensationally good sounding headphone system made me hesitant to fully commit .Sure there are small details missing with the Bravura system not producing as well as the Susvaras however the motivating factor that change the path I was on was 6K VS 25K plus , perhaps Warwick will release a new model with the option of using other dacs .

Hey I’m curious to know in what ways the Susvara would be superior to the Bravura? Are there certain types of music that sound better on the Susvara?

I’d hate to blow $6,800 to get something that I might not be fully satisfied with and end up getting the Susvara down the road anyway.

 

[BassicScience]

Thanks so much for the help! I asked the A&K rep on the SP3000 thread what I’d need to buy and what settings to use.

I just confess, I love the idea of a Susvara setup too. The things holding me back is desk space and the complexity of setting it up. A guy on another thread has an $11K setup which isn’t too bad.

You're welcome. IMO, you don't need a lot of boxes and an $11k outlay to make a Susvara setup sound really good, but it would certainly scale with higher end equipment down the line. I have yet to audition the Bravura, so can't offer you any subjective comparisons between these headphones, unfortunately. Depending on where you live, you might want to consider attending an upcoming CanJam to try before you buy. But if small footprint and ease of setup are at the top of your prerequisites list, the Bravura would be the logical choice.

 

[Palyodgree]

Hey I’m curious to know in what ways the Susvara would be superior to the Bravura? Are there certain types of music that sound better on the Susvara?

I’d hate to blow $6,800 to get something that I might not be fully satisfied with and end up getting the Susvara down the road anyway.

Luke the force will be with you ,,….you need to listen to the Bravura system yourself and if at all possible include the Susvaras back to back comparison then decide , reading others listening experience can only be used as a compass at least that’s how I view reviews and forums like this.
Speaking for myself the human pitch is critical to my listening experience its simple for me and usually everything else falls into place being very pleasant to the ear , well most times .
The Bravura system i think is a good bang for buck purchase when it comes to musically they do a number of things very well they are not perfect and they are not for everyone. The verity of expensive components I listened to using the Susvaras produced the human pitch and tone to a higher degree of realism over the Bravura system was able to , I mentioned earlier perhaps WarWick will roll out a new model that has the option of using other dacs .

 

[Sean_MR]

I mentioned earlier perhaps WarWick will roll out a new model that has the option of using other dacs .

Is this speculation, or are there actually rumors/whispers out there?

 

[Palyodgree]

Is this speculation, or are there actually rumors/whispers out there?

I don’t believe there’s any truth in that it’s just me though having that option would certainly be a fabulous option to fart around with, are you reading this WarWick ?