[QueueCumber]

I’ve been listening with Focal Utopias as my main open back headphones and have the Sennheiser HD820s on order for closed back headphones. I’d love to pick up a set of HPs that exemplifies one of the best soundstages available to compliment the detailed but compressed soundstage of the Focals.

Any one have suggestions on HPs to try out?

But please, nothing extreme like the $40-50k sets on the market...

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

HiFiMan Susvara, but it depends on the amp you have...

 

[QueueCumber]

HiFiMan Susvara, but it depends on the amp you have...

I have a few amps that I use dedicated for headphones (Hugo2 and WA8) and then also the option of using the amp driving my electrostatic speakers (ProLogue DiaLogue Premium HP). Are the first two powerful enough to drive them? I can use the DiaLogue, but TBH, I’d be stuck listening to them on my uncomfortable couch or having to tether a gigantic cable to the DiaLogue...

Thanks!

Meanwhile, I’ve read up on these a bit already, but I’ll read up on them more and see about finding a place to demo them in and about Fairfield County, Westchester County, or NYC if necessary.

 

[QueueCumber]

HiFiMan Susvara, but it depends on the amp you have...

What about the Abyss AB-1266 Phi Deluxe and the Sonoma Model One?

Thanks!

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

What about the Abyss AB-1266 Phi Deluxe and the Sonoma Model One?

Thanks!

I haven't heard those unfortunately

I have a few amps that I use dedicated for headphones (Hugo2 and WA8) and then also the option of using the amp driving my electrostatic speakers (ProLogue DiaLogue Premium HP). Are the first two powerful enough to drive them? I can use the DiaLogue, but TBH, I’d be stuck listening to them on my uncomfortable couch or having to tether a gigantic cable to the DiaLogue...

Thanks!

Meanwhile, I’ve read up on these a bit already, but I’ll read up on them more and see about finding a place to demo them in and about Fairfield County, Westchester County, or NYC if necessary.

Hugo2 and WA8 don't have enough juice, but using them out of your ProLogue DiaLogue Premium HP should provde an excellent listening experience.

Also another headphone I forgot to mention is the Final D8000, also a very interesting and superb sounding headphone.

 

[QueueCumber]

HiFiMan Susvara, but it depends on the amp you have...

Picked up a Susvara. The return policy was too good to pass up. So far, initial listen, slightly more veiled than the Utopia, but worth the trade-off for the expansive soundstage and spatial locality of instruments. When I get back after the weekend I’ll have to do some extensive back and forth with the two, but awesome recommendation! Much appreciated. Not sure I can justify keeping both, so it will be a lot of hours/days of back and forth...

What smaller sized tube amps would you recommend to pair the Susvara with? I would also likely use the Hugo2 as a DAC to feed the amp. Thanks!

Funny, while female vocals are more clear (albeit a tiny bit more irritating sibilance-wise) on the Utopia, I feel like the Susvara gives a more intimate presentation of the female voice. At least that’s how it seems so far to me on the PrimaLuna DiaLogue playing Norah Jones Painter Song. The acoustic guitar also seems to have more natural scale and shape compared to the same song on the Focals.

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Picked up a Susvara. The return policy was too good to pass up. So far, initial listen, slightly more veiled than the Utopia, but worth the trade-off for the expansive soundstage and spatial locality of instruments. When I get back after the weekend I’ll have to do some extensive back and forth with the two, but awesome recommendation! Much appreciated. Not sure I can justify keeping both, so it will be a lot of hours/days of back and forth...

What smaller sized tube amps would you recommend to pair the Susvara with? I would also likely use the Hugo2 as a DAC to feed the amp. Thanks!

Funny, while female vocals are more clear (albeit a tiny bit more irritating sibilance-wise) on the Utopia, I feel like the Susvara gives a more intimate presentation of the female voice. At least that’s how it seems so far to me on the PrimaLuna DiaLogue playing Norah Jones Painter Song. The acoustic guitar also seems to have more natural scale and shape compared to the same song on the Focals.

I actually wouldn't recommend a tube amp for them, they require a lot of current to drive them properly.

There is a Susvara thread in the High-End section of this forum, check there for amp recommendations.

Vocals are incredibly insightful and intimate on the Susvara, yet the soundstage is wide and everything is perfectly placed.

 

[QueueCumber]

I actually wouldn't recommend a tube amp for them, they require a lot of current to drive them properly.

There is a Susvara thread in the High-End section of this forum, check there for amp recommendations.

Vocals are incredibly insightful and intimate on the Susvara, yet the soundstage is wide and everything is perfectly placed.

Will do. Thanks.

The localization and separation of instruments is definitely closer to what I hear on my loudspeaker stereo systems (B&W 803 D3 and ML Montis) than other headphones I’ve experienced. But, the “in your head” instead of “in front of you” sound is still always going to be unnatural to me in comparison, I guess. Especially with stereo mixes that put some instruments exclusively to one side of the stereo channel. That always has an odd effect on my brain—early Beatles stereo albums and Nora Jones Painter Song have instruments panned all the way to one side and it messes with my ears and hearing on headphones.

 

[SilverEars]

I imagine drivability in hearing it's potential would be as tough as the HE6. You should at least try speaker taps on the amp, but be causious, read up on details regarding it to prevent any mishaps.

 

[SilverEars]

I so want to hear the Susvara well driven. Anybody planning another meet in the area(and bringing a Susvara?)

I'm in the New England area as well.

 

[QueueCumber]

I imagine drivability in hearing it's potential would be as tough as the HE6. You should at least try speaker taps on the amp, but be causious, read up on details regarding it to prevent any mishaps.

Thanks. I’m a bit of a newb to the more arcane topics with headphones. I’ll have to check that out and see if I can do it with my current amp setups.

 

[QueueCumber]

I so want to hear the Susvara well driven. Anybody planning another meet in the area(and bringing a Susvara?)

I'm in the New England area as well.

If so, let me know. I’m in Danbury, and would likely be able to make the trip.

 

[SilverEars]

Thanks. I’m a bit of a newb to the more arcane topics with headphones. I’ll have to check that out and see if I can do it with my current amp setups.

I'm not all that familar with Susvara besides it being on the level of HE6 to drive it properly. I've read people state that HE6 is more difficult to drive than their speakers, and also how well you drive it makes a difference due to it's difficulty.

I imagine Susvara being a hybrid of HEK and HE6 tech, HEK attribute of spacial soundingness is applied to qualities of HE6 like sound? HE6 wasn't spacial sounding(definately not like HEK). Don't take my word for though as I haven't heard it.

 

[QueueCumber]

I'm not all that familar with Susvara besides it being on the level of HE6 to drive it properly. I've read people state that HE6 is more difficult to drive than their speakers, and also how well you drive it makes a difference due to it's difficulty.

I imagine Susvara being a hybrid of HEK and HE6 tech, HEK attribute of spacial soundingness is applied to qualities of HE6 like sound? HE6 wasn't spacial sounding(definately not like HEK). Don't take my word for though as I haven't heard it.

It sounds pretty phenomenal via the Oppo 105D and PrimaLuna Dialogue HP so far. It’s just that I have to sit on my uncomfortable couch instead of in my listening chair in order to be close enough to the amp. I would like to get something with a smaller footprint that I can easily move around between my listening chair and bedroom.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

What smaller sized tube amps would you recommend to pair the Susvara with? I would also likely use the Hugo2 as a DAC to feed the amp. Thanks!

You're not going to find a small size, high current tube amp to drive that amp with. The smallest transformer coupled tube amp I know of (that doesn't use an external power supply brick) is the WA6. You're going to have to go with a hybrid like the Vali2. Anything more powerful and you'll get an amp with the same footprint area albeit in a different orientation and not as tall, like the Schiit Lr2; current Lyr 3 version isn't as low profile because of how the tube is mounted on the new version.