Sound Impressions
The following sound impressions were completed using a mix of the dCS Lina Master Clock, Network DAC, headphone amplifier, the Bartok Apex, and the Cayin HA-300MK2 with the Holo Audio Spring 2 Wildism DAC.
Summary
The HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled is one of the most complete and detailed-sounding planar magnetic headphones I have ever heard.
It sounds massive, enveloping you in an arena-like presentation, battering you (in a good way) with endless micro-detail from different angles and at rapier-like speeds.
There is virtually no complex passage of music it cannot handle, particularly if paired with an equally resolving and powerful enough DAC and headphone amplifier.
The Susvara Unveiled also produces an incredible level of dynamic range, which, combined with its neutral to natural harmonic balance, enhances note definition and clarity beautifully without sounding overly edgy or aggressive in its delivery.
Whether it is a nuanced higher-register percussion chime or a chugging bass guitar string pluck, every aspect of that note is precise and clear no matter where it is positioned on the stage.
It also possesses excellent transparency allowing you to gently shift the tonal balance to your preference depending on the amplifier and DAC you hook it up to.
The Susvara Unveiled will reflect exactly what you feed it. If it is tubes you will get a richer set of mids and in the case of the HA-300MK2, a wonderfully lush and expansive soundscape. Switch to solid-state and you get a tighter and more energetic performance with micro-detail to the fore.
Does it need power? While not as demanding as the original I would still recommend you get a resolving setup. It still sounds at its best with a fair few watts behind it and excellent current bias.
Most amplifiers I had for testing had no issue driving the Susvara Unveiled be it the summit-fi dCS Lina stack or the more affordable HIFIMAN Prelude/Serenade combo.
Versus The Original Susvara
Is it better than the original Susvara? In many ways yes, but that depends on what specific areas of performance you feel could be improved on the original.
Overall, I find the energy and drive from the Susvara Unveiled to be stronger when compared to the more relaxed sound of the Susvara and there are a few reasons for that.
I think the stand-out reason is the midrange presentation. On the original model, this was relatively relaxed sounding though never one to be found wanting for clarity given the copious amounts of space for both instrument and vocal to stand out.
Rather, this time the 1-4k frequency range is more elevated which gives the vocals and any instrument pitching in this region a much stronger level of presence.
That re-tuning stretches the soundstage, creating more perceived depth and layering, providing you with a more filled-in, incisive midrange performance.
So, if you are a vocal lover, or prefer more ‘vitality’ in your headphone’s midrange performance, the Susvara Unveiled is much improved on the original’s more laid-back tuning.
The second big switch is the shift from an upper-treble bias to slightly more upper-mids and lower-treble emphasis. How you perceive that switch will largely depend on how sensitive you are to amplitude peaks in either area.
You will get more energy and bite in the upper mids of the Susvara Unveiled with better support for upper-register vocal performances. The original sounds smoother and more sedate over the same region but comparatively more uneven sounding and brighter on the upper register.
Although measurements do not reveal it, I felt the Susvara Unveiled bass response was more dynamic and tighter sounding compared to the more languid pace of the original.
Frequency Response
Up to 1k, the Susvara Unveiled measures almost the same as the Susvara. However, I honestly do not feel that its performance is a duplicate of the original.
It sounds punchier so I wonder if the higher sensitivity rating combined with the new silver conductor is tightening up the attack and decay on the lows a bit more than the older gold conductor.
For those new to the Susvara experience, the same means linear, super neutral, and slightly south of the Harman 2018 target below 80Hz. There is also a tiny amount of bloom above neutral from 100Hz up to 500hz where it draws a bit more warmth to keep the tonal quality more natural than overly dry and analytical in tone.
The big changeup is the 1-4k range. On the Susvara original, it dipped somewhat between 1-3k giving you a relaxed imaging experience.
That is not the case with the Susvara Unveiled which has around a 2-3 dB boost over the same region. It’s much closer to the Harman Target curve which is why its vocal performance stands out a lot more.
From 4-6k the Susvara Unveiled has a bit more elevation adding some percussion presence though still not hugely over what I would call neutral so it’s not a peaky jump. The original Susvara is not that far behind, maybe 1-2 dB lower in the same region.
From there on, the original Susvara is more elevated so it has more of an ethereal tone in the upper register, a bit more sparkle. However, the treble coherence for me is not quite as ‘nailed on’ as the Susvara Unveiled’s more natural attenuation over the same region.
Coloration
In my initial summary, I pegged the Susvara Unveiled as neutral to natural sounding in its coloration. It is not always the case as it can vary a bit depending on what setup you pair it with.
Some users might find the raised mids and lower treble dominate more, creating a bias towards neutral to slightly bright when paired with a more analytical amplifier setup.
The natural aspect comes from the slightly mid-to-upper bass and lower-mids bloom, maybe about 1-3 dB above neutral and just enough to give lower-register instruments a pleasing even-harmonic enhancement without detracting from an otherwise very accurate tonal balance.
It is less conservative-sounding on the lows compared to the original Susvara. Arguably, the bass response sounds more incisive with a slightly shorter decay on lower register notes.
Paired with a high-energy push/pull amp such as the Lina Headphone Amplifier it can sound impactful, dynamic, and quite punchy when called upon.
The shift in emphasis from the upper to the lower treble will switch the listening emphasis a bit more to the upper mids. Percussion notes are lively with a neutral weight and a relatively short level of decay. The clarity throughout is excellent.
If I am opting for a longer listening session then I am more likely to switch to the Bartok Apex or Cayin’s HA-300MK2 which soften the attack, fatten the note, and slow the pace down a bit more creating a sweeter, unfatiguing experience.
Staging & Dynamics
As with the original, the Susvara Unveiled delivers a massive soundstage. However, there are just a few tweaks here and there that mean how it’s presented is not a duplicate of the original.
Subjectively, I find the Susvara Unveiled’s depth or at least the quality and snappiness of the fundamental from each note more impressive than before. The amplitude is not so different, and it still reaches right down to 20hz with incredible ease. It’s more the dynamics and clarity that have gone up a notch.
The mids imaging is a more obvious change. Vocals and percussion are more forward and vibrant sounding with more air and space behind. The increase in amplitude combined with the heightened sensitivity of the headphones give it more verve and immediacy on most setups I tested it with.
It’s not intimate sounding by any means, at least not compared to the Audeze’s LCD-5 up front and personal experience. However, it does capture your attention a lot more and further enhances the stage depth, creating a more holographic and open sound compared to the original.
Arguably, the Susvara Unveiled reduces the upper-treble presence a little compared to the original. I am not entirely sure you will notice it simply because the re-tuned midrange and effortless channel separation stole the show for me.
Synergy
Efficiency & Sensitivity
The HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled is rated at 45Ω impedance with a sensitivity of 86 dB/mW @1kHz. That is a tangible improvement over the original Susvara’s 60Ω and 83 dB/mW @1kHz.
That does not mean the Susvara Unveiled is suddenly an easy-to-drive pair of headphones. 86 dB is still a relatively insensitive rating but the 3 dB jump is enough to gain some welcome headroom from amplifiers that might otherwise seem less suited.
For example, working the Susvara Unveiled and the Susvara from the dCS Bartok Apex balanced output gave me around a 3 to 3.5 dB difference in volume matching going up from -15.5 dB to around -12 dB for the original. Both headphones sounded optimal with excellent dynamics at their respective volume levels.
If you know the Bartok Apex algorithmic volume controller quite well you will know that a jump of that magnitude so close to 0 dB is a significant increase in perceived loudness. I couldn’t push the Susvara Unveiled to -12 dB without it becoming dangerously loud and stressed sounding.
Modern amplifier pairings do not have to be uber-expensive options either. Powerful options such as the Gustard H26, Ferrum’s OOR, and HIFIMAN’s own Prelude will have no issues driving the Susvara Unveiled from their balanced outputs.
Impedance selectors from SETA amplifiers such as the Cayin HA-300MK2 also have a noticeable effect.
At 45Ω the Susvara Unveiled will sit comfortably in the lower impedance value of the HA-300MK2, however, the medium impedance value, (64Ω to 250Ω) does introduce a lot more midrange aggression and some bloom and warmth in the bass.
Some may find that switch up a little more dynamic and in your face. Others might prefer the lower impedance value’s smoother and more eloquent response which creates a roomier and more relaxed tuning.
Desktop Setup
I started with four of what I regard as my best system setups, the four I have been using for long periods with the original Susvara. I then mixed in some more affordable but still quite powerful options
The TOTL units included the dCS Bartok Apex, their Lina system stack, the Feliks Audio Envy, and the Cayin HA-300MK2. The latter two are tube amplifiers connected to the Bartok Apex preamp and the Holo Audio Spring 2 Wildism Edition DAC.
The more affordable included the Prelude and Serenade bundle as well as Ferrum’s OOR and the Gustard H26,
All of them have no issues driving the Susvara Unveiled but which is the right pairing synergy-wise will depend on what aspect of the Susvara Unveiled’s capability you wish to emphasize or how much coloration you want to bring into fine-tune your listening experience.
Solid-State Amplifiers
For example, the dCS Lina stack pairing is the go-to choice if you want the most energetic and detailed performance from the Susvara Unveiled, especially with the Clock/Network DAC tandem. You get incredible detail, intricate layering, and a very holographic soundstage.
Tonally, it is very neutral and almost exactly how the Susvara Unveiled should sound in many ways with not so much in terms of coloration.
If you want to introduce something smoother or more relaxed sounding and you do not mind losing a little bit in terms of speed then the Bartok Apex is a better choice.
It creates a very natural sound with the Susvara Unveiled pairing and a slightly shorter level of decay compared to the two tube amplifiers. That will be important for those looking for more depth and warmth without losing clarity and treble headroom.
In some ways, the Prelude and OOR create a similar contrast albeit at a more affordable price range.
The OOR keeps it very neutral save for a nice sub-bass kick that is keenly separated from the mids by the Susvara Unveiled. Whereas the Prelude is a better match for those looking for a denser, richer sound, especially with the Serenade as its source.
The Gustard H26 sits somewhere in between with a very refined almost sweet tonal quality. It is the strongest of the three pairings for soundstage expansion which the Susvara Unveiled enjoys.
My one critique of this pairing is the low-end which sounds a little fluffier and not as dense and impactful as the Prelude or OOR pairing.
I would pick the Prelude over the OOR if you need your Susvara Unveiled mids with a bit of thickness and a slightly more expansive sound stage with the OOR doing better for perceived articulation and micro detail.
Tube Amplifiers
Of the two tube amplifiers, the HA-300MK2 is much better at filling the Susvara Unveiled’s huge soundstage though the decay is longer and the sub-bass presence softer compared to the ‘drive’ and energy of the dCS units.
What I love about this pairing’s coloration is how much richer and sweeter the mids sound. It’s a great choice if you want to slow it down, up the vocal prominence, and soften the attack a bit more.
The Envy/Susvara Unveiled setup offers more depth and sub-bass weight compared to the Cayin pairing with a slightly shorter level of decay. The dynamic range is excellent through the lows with a firm vocal presentation but the general staging width is narrower.
The solid-state rectifier of the Envy will give you a bit more drive and energy over the HA-300MK2 but it does not fill the Susvara Unveiled soundstage quite as well as the Lina stack or the HA-300MK2 pairing.
