Simple question…don’t the Susvara’s do well with a good + valve/tube amp?
Yes, but typically that ends up costing quite a bit to get a good one that drives them well. I actually find myself using the susvara on tube amps more often than solid state, but granted those specific tube amps are focused on harder to drive headphones
Aha!
Please define “Quality Power”?
How do vendors spec this ??
Alex
Note: With all the amps I used with the Susvaras they “sounded” very well. The only amp that did not was a low powered Class A SET EL 84 parafeed amp. With 7 volts RMS.
This is pretty much a question with no real right answer in a subjective hobby, I guess whatever sounds good to your ears is the right answer
The only way they can, by their ears lol
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Take a read at the Soundaware site and the high power P1 and all u will see is 'glittering" generalites and superflous nice sounding stufff…
A good amp that is designed well should handle varying loads, changing impedances etc…there is NO spec for this, and only listening with your ears with your material can you really tell if is “ok” for you.
We all hear differently…but these cans and others up in the TOTL land are indeed all pretty nice.
Alex
Generally for myself I don’t pay attention to reviews as the only way I can decide how I feel is to hear it for myself
Yes it’s pretty much entirely preference in the upper end since for the most part everything is good, once you find that sound for you, then you can focus on bringing it to its best with source gear
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Meze’s with the leather pads on and a very well damped amp is one of the real treats in audio. Without those things the bass is a bit too big and lacks the last degree of detail, and the upper bass/lower mids are just a bit too warm. Treble very nice, but just a bit soft. Nice for rock, not as good in some other genres.
I do think the HFM HEKse is a competitor - not as relaxing, a bit more transparent. The Utopia is not IMO. Susvara open box for ~$3700 is. 800S is not (unless on OTL amp). RAAL is (if you forgive the bass).
Estats: 007, 009, Voce - just fork over $3k+ for the amp.
As with nearly everything audio related, it’s all subjective in my opinion. I don’t know that I could come up with a definition of true to life except to say that the headphone should sound the same as if I were sitting in an auditorium in the sweet spot of a band or orchestra playing.
Since I don’t know what that sounds like for nearly everything I have in music, I will take a variation of the thread title and say “what’s your most ‘enjoyable’ headphones?”
Right now my most enjoyable headphones are the Sennheiser HD650’s. That’s with the chain of a Geshelli ENOG2 Pro and the THX 789.
The enjoyable part of the headphones on the 650’s is a combination of sound and comfort for me.
Probably none, headphones are a compromise for convenience at the end of the day. The majority of concerts are usually through PA speakers, so if you are craving a ‘true to life’ experience, speakers are the only way to go really. A lot of headphones get close in certain areas, but none of them can really do bass justice. The Fostex TH-900 gets close for bass though…
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So far in my humble headphone journey the most realistic/natural/life-like headphone I have head is the Grado Hemp. They just have a “musical” quality to them. They are smooth, warm, detailed, and just seem to do exactly what I want, when/where I want them to. This applies to most genres of music, but the few it does not (heavy guitar or heavy synth) my TR-X00 PH have covered.
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