HIFIMAN Susvara: A Long-term Review

Summary: 

The HIFIMAN Susvara is one of the finest headphones in the world. It is a particularly natural and musical-sounding headphone owing to its timbral accuracy, midrange realism, a polite but airy treble, and a fast but textured low-end performance. 

Specs:

• Driver type: Planar Magnetic
• Design: Over-ear
• Weight: 450g
• Sensitivity: 83dB
• Impedance: 60 Ohm
• Price: $6000

Source(s) Chains used for the Review:

1. DACs: Topping D90, RME ADI 2 FS, Denafrips Ares II, iFi Pro iDSD, Holo Audio May Level 2
2. Pre-amps: Cayin SP30s Tube Pre-amplifier, Pass Labs XP12 Pre-amplifier
3. Headphone Amplifiers: Topping A90, Cayin IHA-6, Headamp GSX Mini, iFi Pro iCAN
4. Speaker Amplifiers: Pass Labs XA25, Accuphase e380, Hegel H95, and numerous other speaker amplifiers
5. Cables: Moon Audio Silver Dragon, Periapt Copper, Hart Copper, Lavricables Silver Grand Line, and several DIY cable manufacturers.

Disclaimer:

I wanted to start this review by discussing biases, by way of an “audio biography”. I grew up listening to audio cassettes and occasionally, vinyl, and later, exclusively to CDs, until I fell out of the hobby during a particularly busy period of my life. I also grew up around musicians and rock bands.

My friends started buying electric guitars, drum kits, guitar amps in our early teens. We jammed to pass the time. I was a studious kid, but I had this peculiar habit of doing my homework with jamming musicians around me, or loudspeakers blaring at me. 

My South Asian parents thought it odd, but because my grades were good, I was indulged, and even given pocket money to purchase audio cassettes and CDs. 

In terms of music preferences, I listened to a lot of alternative rock, grunge, heavy metal, and a sprinkling of other genres. My current musical library is more diverse, however, with about 60% modern music, and the remainder being more acoustic and classical genres. 

In terms of sound attributes, I like a good midrange and I like a good bass. Bass is important to me, although I would not say I am a bass head. I am not particularly treble-sensitive, but I am very averse to sibilance. I can also be particularly drawn to timbre. 

In any case, it is timbre that drew me to the Sennheiser HD 650 when I started this hobby and later, ZMF headphones. And then I came across the Susvara: the most timbrally-accurate headphones I have heard till date.

Aesthetics, Build & Comfort

The Susvara shares aesthetic similarities with other higher-end HIFIMAN headphones. The grills have a beautiful, brushed finish that gives it a premium look. Between the grills and the ear pads, there is a fine wood lining, reminiscent of the HEK series. 

The wood lining is divisive, though. Some think it looks cheap. I am okay with it. I like the wood and metal aesthetic, overall. I also quite like the round metal grills and how the gold-coated drivers shine through the grills, when light falls on them. 

Another noteworthy feature of the Susvara is that it is joyously comfortable. At 450g, it is light enough for all-day listening sessions. The clamp is minimal and the earpads are some of the most comfortable I have had the pleasure of wrapping around my ears.

Sound Description

Detail Retrieval

To start discussing sound, I thought I would start with detail retrieval, a trait that summit-fi users expect to get plenty of when they spend $6000 on a headphone. So, how does the Susvara fare in this regard? Does it justify the price? 

The short answer is yes. In detail retrieval, the HIFIMAN Susvara is a solid step above most of other flagships such as the Focal Utopia and the Audeze LCD4. Particularly in midrange, the HIFIMAN Susvara reveals a level of detail that very few headphones can match. The details in vocal performance are nothing short of astounding. On some tracks, you can even hear a vocalist’s lips part. It’s quite unreal. 

I do think that there are headphones that can rival or surpass the Susvara for detail, at an overall level. The Raal Requisite SR1a surpasses the Susvara for overall detail retrieval as does the STAX SR-009S. However, I still think the Susvara trumps everything else when it comes to vocal details. 

The Susvara’s uniqueness also lies in being able to deliver details in an extremely smooth, laidback manner. Its detail retrieval performance also scales with higher-end gear. 

Speed & Dynamics:

The Susvara is blazing fast. The fact that it has an accurate but not overpowering bass also helps accentuate the impression of speed. I find that the Susvara rivals the STAX SR-009/009S for speed. In fact, long-term owners of both often remark that the Susvara is the most “e-stat” sounding planar magnetic headphone. I tend to agree.

However, unlike most e-stats, the Susvara can also punch and slam. It will not slam like an Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC or even an Audeze LCD4. But if you can refrain from comparisons to slammier and bassier headphones, you will be quite satisfied.

Overall, the Susvara is a fairly dynamic and an extremely fast headphone.

Staging & Imaging:

The Susvara soundstage presentation is impressive without being best-in-class. The perception of stage will depend on the track. The stage can be wide, deep, and tall when the track calls for it, but intimate at other times. 

The soundstage presentation scales with the chain. With a good chain behind the Susvara, like a Holo Audio May and the Pass Labs XA25, the Susvara soundstage expands and deepens. 

The Holo May is a great soundstage partner to the Susvara. While the soundstage becomes deeper and slightly wider, you are also able to pick out individual instruments in the mix and follow instrument lines with ease. There is a natural amount of space around images, while images come across fleshed out and like-like. 

In my opinion, the best headphones for staging are the Raal SR1a, the HD800S and the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC. The SR1a and the Abyss also surpass the Susvara for out-of-the-head imaging. However, the Susvara is near-unbeatable in its ability to present spatial information and ambient cues, rivaling the SR1a in this regard. 

With a Susvara, you get a good feel for the venue. You hear the reverberations and echoes between instrument lines. You get a sense of venue acoustics and can easily imagine what the venue may look like. I love this about the Susvara. It transports you, like a good set of speakers (while not exactly imaging like speakers of course). 

Timbre:

This headphone has the best timbre of all planar magnetic headphones that I have heard. There is no glare or metallic sheen in higher frequencies. There is no limp, plasticky bass. Vocals don’t sound nasal or otherwise unusual. 

There is a level of harmonic bloom across the spectrum, most notable in the natural resonances and decays of strings and wind instruments.

The Susvara’s timbre is also a function of and accentuated by its overall sonic presentation: relaxed but detailed, abundance of spatial cues, and a highly agreeable tonality.

Tonality:

The best way to describe the Susvara’s tonality is “neutral but exciting”. The bass runs deep and is fast and textured. The midrange is liquid and musical. The treble is well-extended, sparkly, without ever being sibilant.

In fact, on tracks that sound bright and peaky like “You’ve Got to Have Freedom” by Pharaoh Sanders, on the best of headphones such as the Focal Utopia; the Susvara treble easily walks the line between resolving treble detail and presenting a natural saxophone, without ever being harsh or peaky.

 
When it comes to midrange, acoustic guitars and string instruments are the Susvara’s forte, with the right amount of weight, texture, and nuance. The midrange is neither overly lush nor thin, whilst retaining a body and heft that makes music very real. 

I find the Susvara vocals pulled back by a hair, which contributes to its spaciousness. But vocals in general are some of the Susvara’s best traits. As I noted earlier, there is astonishing detail presented in vocals. 

And finally, coming to bass, the Susvara bass rolls deep and is impactful. However, the bass is not bass-head level. A common problem occurs when owners of the 1266 Phi TC buy a Susvara and begin to A/B, expecting a similar level of bass. However, that is not what the Susvara is about. A similar problem happens when Susvara owners buy the TC and expect the midrange to sing like the Susvara’s. 

Amplification:

At 83 decibels per watt sensitivity, the Susvara is arguably the most power hungry of all flagship headphones on the market. Some measurements have suggested the sensitivity is even lower, closer to 80 decibels.

There are raging debates on which amps can drive the Susvara, and which cannot. Head-Fi and other threads have detailed discussions on whether you need a minimum of 12 or even 15 watts to drive the Susvara or whether you need closer to 3 watts.

The final word on the matter, if you ask me, is that it’s not just the quantity of watts your amplifier outputs, but also the quality of power, e.g., how much current your amp can provide; the topology of its circuit; and so forth.

Many ask if the $500 Topping A90 or the Cayin IHA-6 can drive the Susvara. The short answer is yes. These headphone amps can not only drive the Susvara, but they can drive it well. The Susvara sounds smooth and sparkly on the A90, which has a highest-current-output of 1.5A, 50% higher than the Drop THX amp, which has a highest-current-output of 1A. The IHA-6 was also tuned with planars, so it does work well.

Going up the price chain, more reputable headphone amps such as the Headamp GSX-Mini fare better with a Susvara. There is a noticeable improvement in speed, slam, bass quantity, and stage, going from an A90 or an IHA-6. The Mini also has this beautiful warmth, body, and heft, which combines well with the Susvara. On quieter tracks though, I did have the volume dialed to a maximum with the Mini, so I wouldn’t personally drive a Susvara with a Mini, given this lack of headroom. But it is an amazing amp no doubt.

Moving on to speaker amps, the HIFMAN Susvara on speaker amps is a rare treat. Speaker amps are usually not current-limited unlike headphone amps, which matters with low-sensitivity planar headphones. An example of a good mid-fi speaker amp is the Roksan K3, which retails for $1700-2000. On the K3, the Susvara speed, slam, and soundstage scale even more than on the Mini.

I have tried several other speaker amps with the Susvara, including those from Pass Labs, Accuphase, Mcintosh, Gryphon, Parasound, Musical Fidelity, PS Audio, Anthem, Marantz, and PrimaLuna, among others. They all performed excellently.

Of all these amps, I really enjoyed the Susvara off the famed Pass Labs XA25 power amplifier with the XP12 as pre-amplifier. The Pass combo accentuates the Susvara’s relaxed, unhurried, but nimble presentation. The Susvara sounds even more analog, but the treble suffers a bit, and sounds a bit softer. If you want the most analog and sweet presentation possible from headphones, then this is a great combination.

However, over time, I have gravitated towards the Accuphase e380 speaker integrated amplifier instead of the Pass Pre and Power combo, because the Accuphase is a tad more energetic and forward than the Pass, whilst still retaining Susvara’s midrange realism and analog nature. I also love the Accuphase’s retro aesthetics, those VU meters in particular, and the lovely gold front plate!

Speaker Amps and Headphones

Speaker amps are better value than headphone amps when driving these hard-to-drive planars. Speaker amps are also easier to get on the used market at much lower prices. There are things to watch out for, though, if you want to drive headphones with speaker amps. The first is that if drive efficient dynamic driver headphones off speaker amps, you are likely to encounter noise! You can check the signal to noise ratio of speaker amplifiers to make sure you are getting something low noise. A benchmark AHB2 which has an unusually low noise floor is highly recommended, particularly if you want to drive not just planars, which are unlikely to present any noise, but efficient dynamic drivers as well. 

Another thing to note is that you want a weighty volume knob, if not a stepped attenuator, so that you can use gain in small increments. If you are driving headphones, you must be careful with gain, as you don’t want to unleash a speaker amp’s full might into them. You will most certainly fry them. 

Lastly, to come to cables, the Susvara is sensitive to cable changes. In my first few months with the Susvara, I preferred the Susvara with silver cables. Silver cables have the effect of accentuating the Susvara’s fast, ethereal and e-stat like qualities. 

Meanwhile, copper cables accentuate the Susvara’s warmth, heft and overall body. I seem to prefer copper cables with the Susvara nowadays. You may want to try both and see which you like. I know cable deniers exist, but I have converted many of them by cable rolling with a Susvara, for whatever that is worth.  

Comparisons

No review is complete without comparisons, so here goes select comparisons with peer-level headphones. I could have included many more, but I decided to include only those I consider the Susvara’s closest competitors!

Susvara vs Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC: The most natural competitor to the Susvara is the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC. The TC is priced similarly and many owners of one, end up buying the other. In fact, Susvara vs TC debates tend to take over discussions of other summit-fi headphones, and I have partaken in many. The TLDR, according to me, is that while Susvara is sweet, relaxed, and natural; the TC is explosive, unpredictable, and exciting. 

The TC’s bass rumbles and slams like Focal speakers and it is indeed oodles of fun. However, the TC midrange is dry and uninviting, compared to not just the Susvara’s midrange but also lower-priced headphones, like a Focal Stellia or even a ZMF Auteur. Another weakness of the TC is that it has a rather unconventional tonality, which many find “wonky” but works exceedingly well with rock and metal, due to the slight “V” shaped frequency response. The TC is also a highly technical headphone, with incredible detail retrieval, speed and staging. 

Susvara vs STAX SR-009S: These are two very similar sounding headphones, across a variety of chains. In fact, the similarities are uncanny. The SR-009S is a touch faster and more detailed. The Susvara has more bass bloom and tactility. Between these two headphones, it is a close call: I am not sure which I prefer. I keep going back and forth. 

The SR-009S is even more chain-picky than the Susvara. STAX headphones are very finicky with source gear, even more than the Susvara. For instance, the Susvara sounds different with different DACs, but the differences are smaller compared to on the SR-009S. Overall, if you value some heft and bass impact, then the Susvara is a better choice. However, if you have experienced the so-called e-stat magic, and you like it, you may prefer the SR-009S.

Susvara vs Raal SR1a: The Susvara and the Raal SR1a are both very revealing headphones. However, the SR1a is faster and more detailed, especially in the treble and bass. The SR1a also has jaw-dropping staging and imaging, unlike any other headphones out there. 

The Susvara, meanwhile, has better bass extension, a more impactful bass, a touch more warmth, and a more emotional midrange. What you prefer will come down to whether you want a technical avant garde like the SR1a or a more relaxed all-rounder like the Susvara. 

Susvara vs Audeze LCD5: This is another close call. I give it to the Susvara for comfort, treble extension, treble detail, and midrange naturalness, but the LCD5 may be an even better all-rounder than the Susvara if you don’t mind the LCD5’s relative treble roll-off. The LCD5 also has a more crunchy and tactile bass. Treble is a divisive issue I find, especially among beginner audiophiles, or even among more seasoned ones. Some people want as less of it as possible. If that is you and you also need a strong bass, then go for an LCD5. However, if you appreciate a well-done treble and midrange realism is critical to you, then you may pick a Susvara. For my full LCD5 review, see here.

To conclude, very few audiophiles will not like the Susvara. I am sure they exist, but they are few, especially if they have heard a Susvara on the right chain. They might prefer the TC to the Susvara for its slam and openness; or the SR1a’s huge soundstage and extreme detail; or the SR009S’s supple and delicate presentation of details. 

However, one has to at least admit that the Susvara is a unique all-rounder that does not do anything poorly. It does not have the world’s best bass or the world’s best soundstage or speed; but its wow factor is that it is the most natural sounding headphone out there. The trick is to figure out an amp that drives it well, and of course, find street prices that are sane(r)! 

My Susvara YouTube review as follows.

About the Author:

Sajid Amit is an academic, researcher and practitioner in international development by day, and audiophile night and day. His YouTube channel is called the Amplify Audiophile Show.