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@@soulfulfool Hifiman themselves sells brand new ones as part of an upgrade program for $2500. So technically you could get them for a total of 3700 if you paid 1200 for the Arya Organics.
B stock definitely, probably some small blemish or a rebox or something. I got a B stock Audeze LCD -4 years ago for $2700 not the 5.7k AUD they were retail. B stock Audeze Isine 20 for $150 B stock Focal Elegia for $300 not $1400 That's all the b stock stuff I've bought @@soulfulfool
I had quite a similar experience, where i did not understand how these could sound like this and how music I know for years, suddenly sounds So much better and different. Only pair of headphones ever, that gave me actual goosebumps while listening. I am pretty sure, that i will never spend this kind of money on headphones, but they are amazing.
@@NFStopsnuf Not a lot, i would reckon. There might be some part of it, but you know how often things, that are more expensive are also...hum..actually better? Doesnt mean you can't use the stuff you either can or want to afford AND enjoy it, but there are areas where i have to admit, that expensive things, even over prized, are objectively better. Whether it is worth the asked price ( aka value) is a different question, though and it never helps to mix things together, that should be discussed seperately . In this case A. Sound Quality B. Value for the given price. The fact that value goes down - specially with audio products - the higher the price tags are, is really nothing new. In the end, it would lead to a discussion about capitalism and the so called "free market" and how we seem to have lost a reasonable way of handling things, so i kinda agree with your - assumed - motivation, but not the statement. Also, listened to the H1 and the Shangi-la too - no goose bumps :P
@En Joshi-Godrez Tried Arya's a few weeks ago, and they were so above my Edition XS's that it was undoubtable. From what I had read prior to experiencing the headphones myself was mostly that the difference is small and waste of money. Obviously that is so far from reality.
The 2.5 mm model is an older one. Bought mine three weeks ago and came with 3.5 mm in ear cup jacks (maybe a stealth revision?). Also there is no squeaky sound. My iFi Pro iCan Signature drives it like a charm with plenty of spare power. Good job Z!
The new revision doesn't have anything to do with stealth magnets. The susvara was the original headphone with the stealth magnets when it first released.
@@bonanzabrandon6877 I know Susvara was the first stealth magnets implementation. I wanted to say a "stealth" revision as an unannounced, "silent" modification vs OG, 2.5 mm vs 3.5 mm jacks in new model.
@@ZReviewsGreat review! The new model squeeks less, but yeah there is some squeek and I guess the pads are also better, because these are much softer than Arya's.
🐅❤️🐅 thank you for the shout out You are not kidding, I’ve been putting it off for quite awhile LOL and I think they have been tested more than any other audio equipment in the last 18 months Final tally, Mono block benchmark, AHB2 serene kte May kte I think we’re nearly finally ready, excellent vid
@@eruilluvitar it was already thoroughly tested on the OOR, Cayin ha300 mk ii with Elrogs tubes and Ha6a when it comes to tube amplifiers, I hope by the time the re-review is completed one of those lands on the desk too, I’m waiting to hear back from Zach in regards to the naut
@@steffanlian it does a nice job, if you don’t expect God tear Highly engaging immersive and seductive when it comes to lyrical songs obviously all the tubes are upgraded, the biggest difference I found in impact which was the most strangest thing was the rectifiers, these are not supposed to make such a difference. Svetlanka winged c el34 though to be fair, I prefer Katie 88 Telafunken it does a good job, nothing like the H a 300 MKII on the desk right now with Elrogs but just the tubes alone cost a third of the H86A to be fair
Waited years for this. As soon as I FINally pull the trigger, (1) I seen the preview that this video was coming & (2) then the Caldera is higher praised as the best planar, now. 😆 Screw it. I’m out the game & just enjoying what magic the Susvara brings. 😊 Exact description of their sound. Multi-layers of beautifully presented sound. That makes you say, it makes no sense how weirdly spectacular it is! EVERYthing of every genre I’ve tested is 😮.
I wouldn't call the caldera better than this. It's a very, very different headphone. The caldera has that zmf sounds and warmth and love. These have a confidence and swagger that I only wish I could exude.
@@leo_mas_922 OHHHHHHH Yeah. Had the Audeze EL-8 (was missing things I can’t remember), then Fostex TH900 (sibilance kills), Utopia (twice after blown driver), Empyrean (not as fast as I’d like & a weird mid-bass hump, but doable & COMFy), Shure KSE1200 (shouty even after EQ. & narrower soundstage than liked. Over-ears are best for me), Clear MG with Utopia pad with silver cable (Basically a Utopia with better bass, but, still can’t play at desired volume without risking driver), & now, after waiting & saving to end my search, Susvara! I’m, there! 😊
The Hifiman SUSVARA and ZMF CALDERA are on a equal level for HIGH-END PLANAR HEADPHONES, but each offers its unique "HOUSE SOUND". The CALDERA is a HYBRID-SOUND between planars and dynamic headphones, while the SUSVARA is a planar that sounds like an ELECTROSTATIC HEADPHONE. The CALDERA has a more WARM, BASSY, WEIGHTY and AGGRESSIVE sound, while the SUSVARA has a more LIGHT, HIGHLY RESOLVING, DETAILED and ETHERIC sound. The CALDERA works best for ROCK and EDM, while the SUSVARA works best for ACOUSTIC and ORCHESTRAL. Some prefer one over the other. Be WARNED that older SUSVARAS had some QUALITY issues, as DRIVER IMBALANCES and DRIVER FAILURES, but the new SUSVARAS may have those QUALITY issues solved. Bad recordings sound bad on HIGH RESOLUTION HEADPHONES (not FORGIVING)!!! Some audiophiles get "BURNED OUT" on HIGH RESOLUTION HEADPHONES after awhile. TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING!!! The new HIFIMAN HE-1000se (STEALTH EDITION ) is a "BABY SUSVARA" and can be played on a CELLPHONE, and costs only $3500!!! To make a SUSVARA to reach its MAXIMUM SONIC potential, you'll need a $6000 or higher priced HEADPHONE AMP (ENLEUM HPA-23R amp ($6000), Zahl HM-1 REFERENCE ($8000), ampsandsound NAUTILUS ($9200), ETC.) connected to a very HIGH END audiophile system. Using the SUSVARA on lesser audiophile systems, will just reveal how CRAPPY your sound system may be, unless you're lucky. BEST TOTAL HEADPHONE MODELS (for the $3500 level): The HIFIMAN HE-1000se and ZMF CALDERA models are BOTH EXCELLENT CHOICES for most AUDIOPHILES NEEDS!!! I could be happy with either HEADPHONE.
The installed headband is a new stock replacement from hifiman. The horrible floppy one in the bag used to be as nice as the installed one. Overall I think Z is spot on with the build quality assessment.
I listened to those before I bought edition XS's and thought "If I were to break a bank or win a lotery I would buy 10 Susvara's to listen to them even on a toilet." I loved those and the God radiators that are Stax sr700mk 2's. Ugly ducklings, but most beautifull things I have ever had upon my ears.
Hifiman planars are amazing. I wasted so much time and money over the years when I should have just saved up for what I have now which is an he1000v2 with a topping a90/d90 stack. The difference is transcendental compared all of my previous phones. If you can't afford the susvara just get what I have. $3500 for the whole dac/amp/phones setup which is just within the realm of affordability of employed mortals that care enough about sound to reach higher if you save up for awhile.
The Topping A90 can drive the HE000v2 fully? I have the A90 and I am thinking of getting the Susvara after a friend brought his to my place to let me test it. We use Roon via LAN to the Gustard R26 connected to the iFi Pro iCAN Signature which is juuuusssst adequate which means I need another amp for the susvara
@@BillyKueekSGit sounds good to me but it's possible they would sound better with a higher end amp. i can't afford to try unfortunately. I do use high gain.
Oooooh damn! This is the first review where when you pass the headphone close to the camera mic, it sounds like you opened the door in a concert hall!😬
the highest high end i ever got to date is the hifiman sundara with an fiio k5 pro ess. i freaking love them and get super loud. it blows me away. and explotions in games actually scare me sometimes :D
These and the focal utopia are most of what I can see myself ever using. The utopias are tuned better, imo, but these just have magic. Maybe ill get an he1 or an aperio at some point. But I adore my pair.
That squeaking when rotating the cups can be fixed with a light amount of Vaseline. I tried it on some Aryas that were having that issue and left it on for 24 hours and it worked like a charm. With that said, you definitely should not have to put anything on headphones that retail for $6000. They just need to have better build quality/QC at that price.
2-year Susvara owner... Zeos is NOT wrong. For DECADES I chased better headphones... Got "Close" with Heddphone, and thought I was done. Had a set obtained for an insane discount, and pulled the trigger. Haven't bought another pair of headphones since. Chased AMPS for a while, but finally settled on a Burson Soloist GT, and a rebuilt/re-capped HK870 to switch things up. Yes, Topping A90 was powerful enough but made them sound "flat", defeating most of the benefit of the Susvara's staging prowess. THX 789 & SMSL SP200 just sounded poor (but LOUD). The only other headphones I still swap-in now and then are HE-6, Heddphone, & Sennheiser HD-650 for different moods/specific genres. Oh, and for STUPID bass every blue moon - highly EQ'd & modded JVC HA-SZ2000 headphones. Anything else is just "boring", including the admittedly excellent Warwick Bravura Headphones. My headphone search has been dead for the past couple of years, and I see NO reason to jump into it again.
I currently own the HE1000 SE and am thinking about upgrading to Susvara. You feel the Burson Soloist GT amps Susvara properly to truly enjoy what they are capable of? I have a Conductor GT and just upgraded it with the latest V7 Pro Vivid opamps. What a revelation they are compared to the V6! Sounds like a new amp and it made my HE1000 SE go to another level of detail, bass quality and overall musicality. That's what got thinking about upgrading to Susvara.
@@ClintAvila Slippery-slope... Everyone will probably give a different response, but for ME, I'm happy with the Soloist GT. Others will label me a troglodyte for not chasing $20K amps to do my Susvaras "justice", but I'm quite happy as-is.
@@knorrissirronk8665 Appreciate your input. BTW, if you want an easy relatively inexpensive upgrade you have to try the new Burson V7 Pro Vivid opamps. It's not a small improvement. It's huge. Makes it sound like a completely new amp. Even my headphones sound totally different. Like I didn't think it could get that much better. I got emotional listening to music I've heard hundreds of times. I've already reached out to Hifiman and will be trading up to Susvara. I love my HE1000SE so much but I can't wait to hear the next level with Susvara. 😃
Seems like you experienced what I had which forced me to buy these. They just had a different level of clarity and immersion. Kind of like augmented reality for sound. The openness had sounds floating in the air. Was weird. For 6K you shouldn't have to do this but, yes I tried graphite - no bueno. In the end, a little petroleum jelly fixed it. I did disassemble the swivel mechanism and it was kind a of pain in the ass.
I tried the HE1 sens in Sydney Aus with some top flight SACD player in Sennheisers private room. I had to book it in advance. Couple of days later I tried the Susvara with Moon audio amp at Addicted 2 Audio in Sydney. The Susvaras had crossed the Rubicon and were snapping at the heels of the Sens. All other headphones owned and tried were over on the other side of the river bank.
For me, I like the sound of tubes and the power of the Nautilus transformers are undeniable. It has more presence for me. I've heard the Sus on a lot of solid state amps, including the Zahl HM1. The HM1 is great, but even it doesn't have the weight the Nautilus can bring. At least in my opinion.
@@rogerhuston8287 I like tubes also.. have a custom Woo... I don't understand the pricing as the tubes themselves are what create the sound sig... a tube amp is a box with wires and tube sockets... $9K for a tube amp with a tin box chassis is crazy
I had a squeaky left yoke but after like 2 weeks it disappeared without me having to lube them. The newer susvaras are 3.5mm for the connection to the cups
To me there is no need to even get the Susvara’s! My opinion the HE 1000 v3 stealth is around 85 percent of what the Susvara offers and way easier to drive. To me those are as close as end game that you can get.
@@flame.8308 hmm... that's not what he said in his A90D review that I recall, *(just rewatched the A90D review), and he clearly says the A90D beats the LA90.... so.... Maybe it's because the LA90 is a speaker amp and not a headphone amp?> My thought after thinking about it and re-watching the reviews in question, maybe as a reviewer he wanted the insane power of a speaker amp on-tap instead.
Im ugly AF.. Or I just want you to focus on teh thing and not me. The thing is important. I am just the dude holding the thing. Also I never have to shave or dress up.
They aren't bad at all, I still prefer the Verite on tubes, or Atriums or Rad 0 on solid state tho. I have another fancy cable coming for them that may improve things. I will say they are very clear, but imo they lack personality. Edit. I went back and listened to them on my Enleum 23r amp. Forget everything I said above. They are fantastic. Only thing that matches or exceeds them is Caldera. Tubes do sound good with planar, but you have to go ultra high end like Woo Audio wa33 or above. Also, Zeos running susvara off Amazon equipment 😂😂
The SUSVARA headphones appeal to the HEAD (INTELLECT), while ZMF headphones (CALDERAS, VERITES, ATRIUM, ETC.) appeal to the HEART (EMOTIONS / SOUL). It's a RIGHT BRAIN (EMOTIONAL) vs. LEFT BRAIN (ANALYTICAL) thing.
Watching this again, I wonder if Zeos has bought the newer version? It’s dual 3.5mm instead of the 2.5mm ones you used for this review. Also, no squeaking sound and cables with fabric sleeves. Was pleasantly surprised when I first saw it on unboxing. I rolled the cable with my index finger and thumb and it felt like they just put these fabric sleeves on the original rubbery tubings. And, HFM after-sales service sucks here in Asia. Shame on Mr. Convenient😂
I've been contemplating on endgame. Currently have Arya's and Bathys. Something tells me the SUS will be my endgame. Now I just need the proper tools to power this. Oh, and the actual headphones too lmao.
The bass description definitely sounds like HE1K V1 that I heard back in the day, very 3D. But now I've got a TOTL system and I need these headphones, yolo...
If you want to see if bs plug the headphones into a common source like a macbook or something. I think that impression would really help those that don't have a dac/amp combo
i get the spooky. Years ago i had some Hd598's and played Dying light and hearing creaky floorboards in game was like it was in my room, freaked me out a bit. Can only imagine what these are like in a horror game.
And STAX is like hearing without ears, this is the best description I can think of. The sound doesn't have a bite, a grain, it doesn't have weight, it doesn't feel like anything touches your eardrums, but you hear the sound.. it's weird. Very weightless sound. Basically the sound goes straight to your brain, sometimes the sound is so fast, your brain it's slower to interpret what you just heard, it's weird, it happens on some songs. It gives some wow moments, moments I get also on DT1990 pro but not on same tracks. And the best bass I heard was on my SR-L700 with EQ... not even my blon bl-03 with 10db bass boost doesn't create the same bass impact and dynamics. I switched from STAX to BL-03 and I was like, this is so bloated and muddy and bloated and .. where is the bass? People said STAX doesn't have bass... they do take EQ very well in my experience. STAX is the reason I lost 3db of hearing on my left ear. Because the sound is SO CLEAN and the dynamics are out of this world, you CANNOT tell when too much is too f****ing much. And I increased volume, I get mindblown.. boom next day, hearing damage. So be careful, better is not always.. better. Now I need to +3db on left ear to hear eqully.
STAX is the type of headphone where you don't get any compression artifacts when pushed hard, I push the volume and I get more and more and more and I don't hear any constraints at all, your ears is the limit, not the driver's limit. You can push it hard and you can find your ears limit, not the limit of the drivers. It's like putting two 5 inch speakers next to your ears and blast them hard .. you will get instant tinnitus, this is STAX, is like mini-speakers tied to your head. And the cleanest type of sound, without the typical dynamic driver hardness that tingle your eardrums at high volumes.
This reminds of a dude I knew who put 30,000 into his car stereo in the 90s. When you sat in it your could tell the sound was so clean you could keep cranking the volume and you wouldn't notice that it was too loud.
I'm sorry about your hearing loss - that really sucks, but I also totally understand the trap. If you're able to, you may also want to check out the Bravura. I like it better than any of the Stax setups I've heard.
EXACTLY, with STAX it really becomes a matter of hear limitation. You end up reaching concert volume levels without noticing because the output remains so clean. The morality of that lesson is : Use your ENDGAME gear with caution.There is a point when the human biology becomes the bottleneck because Sound is the most powerful force in the universe.
Drinkin the koolaid Z, I heard these on a 50K stack, that sat upon a 100K table (yeah really) they sounded sweet, mid range and high range was the focus... after several minutes I was told by the manager it was DSP corrected, I then asked them to turn it off. Imagine how pissed off I was, to be listening with a colored signal :( they were great, but not worth it over Arya, I auditioned them at the same time and also many others. I am not convinced that Hifiman sound changes that much with price... but the Susvara are so pretty and they feel like luxury, which surprised me more than the sound.
@koifla I'm not disagreeing with @sierre00 as much as feeling that both serve different purposes. Are my Susvaras "better" overall? Yes. But there are times when my HE6se just "fits the bill" for reasonably close detail & staging, but greater slam and excitement. Think; being in the mood for Pink Floyd, then wanting to listen to Wintersun... Yeah, it's like that. Both are valid depending on your mood. Both driven off Soloist GT or speaker amps, so power/voltage swings (NOT the same as "Gain headroom"!) is never a problem with either. I didn't think much of either can driven off my A90, SP200, or LCX - though all got "loud" with both. Even my iFi iCAN is just "OK", but not bringing-out more than I was hoping. I finally had an old HK-870 rebuilt, and THAT was the first time that I "got" why I had spent that kind of money. (Yes, I've gotten better/tighter/more resolving amps since - But running off the speaker taps of that HK-870 was the first time I went, "Wow!" with either headphone.)
I’m listening to this video on Susvara. What I want most is thicker than stock pads, the bass changes when pulling away from ears slightly and I’m curious if that sound would be retained. When holding them just right, wow, great and different.
Update: after careful examination, I had the left and right reversed. The pads are thicker in the back and sound better when worn correctly. I’m still going to try thicker pads. 😅
You got to love .. How damn funny it is for that squeaking! 😂 I would need a black friday super duper special because the headphones are only part of the equation. To make it worthwhile, you would probably have to throw another $5,000 at a DAC and Amp.
Susvara didn't work for me. It was thin here and there and it was way to sharp and bright at times. I've had tried them on a $7k solid state amp and then on a $16k tube amp in the shop... just didn't work... Stayed with the Meze Elites.
Enjoyable video... much like watching a Lamborghini video...!!! Sure, I'd love to own a super-expensive Lamborghini, but would probably take that money and buy a beautiful home complete with property instead, then take the leftover money to purchase a snazzy BMW Z4 or something... You might as well say it's a $12,000 dollar headphone, as it sounds like you'll need to throw out another $6,000 dollars just to power the suckers properly...!!! As a creepy, old 70-year old music lover, my current hearing capabilities don't justify that kind of outlay, due to that old law of 'diminishing returns', not to mention my wife would have my ass when the $6000 dollar credit card bill showed up...!!! My Hifiman Sundara will just have to fill that void... Woe Is Me...!!!
the best thing is to never take the cables out of that box and leave them with the bread tie wrap in place... you don't have to spend a ton on a new cable...
They have a $300 Gain upgrade so you can push a bit farther.. I wouldn't have done that if I was planning on doing headphones on it.. BUT for hard to drive speakers it helps get the maximum.
It's not even the sound that's the issue with these, it's the build. No they won't just fall apart, but for 6 Gs Hifiman can't at least do a little better? They're not a "budget" brand. They've been in the industry for nearly two decades. Yet they continuously get a free pass compared to other brands. From a sheer level of product - There's better out there for the price.
That sound quality tho. That's why the have loyal customers - even those who were less than pleased with the build quality and longevity of their lower priced cans. I have the Arya Stealth and I'm already considering the HEKSE.....
@@Ezees23 Imagine forcing yourself to be happy with a $6000 headphone that you're "less than pleased with". That's not a thing, or shouldn't be, at this price bracket.
@@TheFIghtin the thing is majority of folk who own them didn’t pay 6 k and still got them dealer direct mine only cost 2 k lol , and to make it clear their QC can be horrendous I went through 3 pairs but fair play to Hifiman they replaced all 3 and my current pair are nearing 2 years old and perfectly fine - the faux wood is fine , the only issue I had was the cable ( most folk will replace regardless ) , the pads I love actually since they replaced the pads between revisions slightly the squeaking I sorted and don’t notice most thge time they are just outstanding
@@RossKyle95 They're outstanding yet you're on set #3, the cable got immediately replaced, and they're admittedly built like a joke. Cmon man 🤦♂️ There's better out there.
@@TheFIghtin sound quality tbh is hard to beat on them lol, there was a lot of QC issues with drivers that was fixed , I had the, all replaced asap they’re customer service was outstanding , most high end head[hines have their cables replaced with custom cables it’s kinda the norm
I'm of that camp, having owned Sus a while and run it on multiple chains. What the stupidly expensive amps deliver is better bass control and more overall energy. Topping A90 will drive Sus to adequate volume with enough control to demonstrate that there is clearly something special going on. But beefier amps will push the envelope further, delivering music that is simultaneously punchier / more dynamic and more effortlessly clean and open. The formula for greatness is to reduce all sources of error and bottlenecks in the playback chain, which gets harder and more expensive the higher you climb the price + performance ladder. Meanwhile, the improvements become ever more minute / incremental. With May and HM-1 there's a sense of crossing an uncanny valley where audio playback is inching frighteningly close to live performance. This comes across in things like the clarity of room reflections from recording environments, dynamics of things like horns that can go from silent to piercing in an instant, etc. These types of improvements are simultaneously objectively minute and subjectively stunning.
@@peterdesmidt8742 Stealth and Expanse are nearly as challenging to drive from a power requirement standpoint, and harder to make sound enjoyable (IMO). DCA machining and build is hands down better, but the fold-up trick is really misdirection since neither will run well on portable sources. Subjectively, I like Expanse more than Stealth--I found Expanse mids / vocals to be very clean and detailed; it sounded lovely on Nautilus. I've compared notes with friends with gobs of listening experience to other summit cans and found some common ground in opinions that appreciate DCA as a pure reference, but most prefer other options at the price point for pleasure listening.
